But East King Duke felt secure in his position.
If he retreated on his own turf, how could he maintain a foothold in the Primordial Wilderness afterward?
Besides, today was the grand opening ceremony, and many great powers had already gathered on the island.
If he showed even the slightest sign of yielding, word of this would likely spread everywhere within three days.
With a little embellishment, both his and the Purple Mansion's reputations might be completely ruined!
"Fine! Since that is the case, then let weapons decide!"
Dijun's expression turned icy.
Since you refused to lower your head, he would grant your wish!
With that, he issued an order:
"Generals, heed my command! Bathe the Purple Mansion in blood!"
"Kill!"
Several hundred Grand Unity Golden Immortals roared in unison and charged at the Purple Mansion elders.
Seeing this, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, who had long been unable to hold himself back,
did not hesitate to strike the Chaos Bell. Several bell chimes resounded across the Purple Mansion's vast territory.
"Elders, form the Myriad Immortals Formation!!"
East King Duke's expression changed. With a furious shout, he swiftly retreated into his own ranks.
"Myriad Immortals Formation, arise!"
Everyone immediately took their positions and formed hand seals.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Thunderous explosions erupted between heaven and earth.
A terrifying pressure instantly swept across the battlefield, enveloping Dijun and the others.
Bolstered by the formation, boundless power surged forth, its momentum shaking heaven and earth.
In an instant, the sky dimmed and the stars and moon lost their radiance.
The void trembled faintly beneath that immense force.
That pressure, as though heaven and earth themselves were collapsing, made everyone present turn pale.
This included not only the many great powers who had come at the invitation, but also Dijun and the Demon Race.
Such an earth-shaking disturbance instantly drew the attention of great powers throughout the Primordial Wilderness, who cast down their Divine Sense to investigate.
"Hiss—Fellow Daoist East King Duke truly deserves to be the leader of the male immortals personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor. He is indeed extraordinary!"
"This... this formation could probably rank among the top five in the Primordial Wilderness!"
"It seems no one's success comes by chance."
"The Demon Race has likely kicked an iron plate this time. With such a grand formation, even twice their numbers might not be enough to break it!"
"Best if they cripple the Demon Race. They have been far too overbearing these past years."
"Say no more. Neither side is much better. It would be best if they both suffered heavy losses. Then fellow Daoists like us would certainly be happy to clean up the aftermath."
Within Kunlun Mountain.
"This... is impossible!"
Yuanshi suddenly roared, his face filled with shock and disbelief.
The Demon Race, whom he had always looked down upon, had actually become this powerful.
Even East King Duke, whom he had dismissed with contempt, possessed such terrifying methods.
How could he, who had always regarded himself as part of Pangu's Orthodox Lineage and held himself so high, accept this?
Laozi frowned slightly, a trace of worry flashing through his eyes.
Ever since Tongtian attained the Dao, Yuanshi's state of mind had become unbalanced.
Now, even the smallest matter could stir his emotions.
If this continued, even if his foundation remained unharmed, his state of mind would likely develop wounds that could never heal.
He might even fall into demonic obsession because of it.
At that thought, Laozi's heart tightened, and he immediately shouted:
"Wake up!"
It was as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. Yuanshi shuddered violently, and clarity returned to his mind.
"Big Brother... I..."
"Sigh—go enter Closed Door Meditation. When the Purple Heaven Palace opens for its third lecture, ask our teacher how to deal with this."
Laozi sighed softly and spoke slowly.
Yuanshi's expression changed several times. In the end, he gritted his teeth and replied in a low voice:
"Alright."
Within Wuzhuang Temple.
"Truly troubled times."
Zhenyuanzi withdrew his gaze from the Purple Mansion and spoke softly, his expression complicated.
He remained silent for a long while, uncertainty flickering in his eyes before he finally let out a quiet sigh.
"So be it. The calamity is merciless. I should simply guard my heart and stabilize my own foundation."
"I only hope Saint Tongtian will not turn me away."
As he said this, a bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Who could have imagined that within a single yuanhui, Tongtian had already attained sainthood?
It seemed he had ultimately overestimated himself.
Perhaps when Tongtian had invited him in the past, it had merely been out of courtesy rather than any regard for his strength.
Shaking his head with a sigh, he casually sent a streak of immortal light into the void, then closed his eyes to regulate his breathing and calm his spirit.
Within the Netherworld Blood Sea.
Seeing East King Duke and Dijun locked in an irresolvable confrontation, Minghe could not help revealing a pleased expression.
Back then, both the Demon Race and the Purple Mansion had invited him, but he had rejected them all, even drawing their threats.
Had it not been for the Blood Sea's protection, he likely would have already met with disaster.
He had long harbored resentment. Now that they were killing each other, he naturally enjoyed the sight.
Mount Sumeru.
Zhunti wore a sorrowful expression, his face full of gloom. His emotions were practically written all over it.
Jieyin watched from the side and merely sighed without speaking.
He naturally understood why his junior brother felt this way.
It was because they had personally witnessed the strength of the Demon Race and the Purple Mansion.
To them, who wholeheartedly wished to see the West flourish, it was undoubtedly a crushing blow.
From this, one could imagine just how powerful the Witch Race and the Interception Sect were.
Especially the Interception Sect, which now had a Saint overseeing it.
It was clear that the West's rise would be extraordinarily difficult.
If the two brothers had not supported each other all the way from humble beginnings, forging Dao hearts as unshakable as iron, they might already have wavered by now.
Even with their Dao hearts firmly anchored, both still felt heavy-hearted.
Within the Ancestral Witch Hall.
Zhurong watched Dijun and East King Duke confront one another with great interest, a faint smile on his lips.
The usually silent Qiangliang suddenly spoke:
"Brothers and sisters, now that Dijun and East King Duke are fighting, the Demon Race must be vulnerable. Why don't we strike while the opportunity lasts, attack the Sun Star directly, and wipe out the Demon Race in one stroke?"
The moment he said this, everyone turned to look at him, their gazes carrying a hint of scrutiny.
Qiangliang's heart tightened, and cold sweat poured down his back.
Gonggong, who had a fiery temper, became even more enraged and shouted sharply:
"Cowardly rat!"
"We of the Witch Race battle heaven and fight earth. How could we use such despicable methods!"
"Do you think Dijun's few stray chickens and dogs could possibly defeat the warriors of our Witch Race?"
The other ancestral witches nodded one after another, their expressions resolute.
Such a suggestion was simply an insult.
Seeing everyone react so fiercely, Qiangliang immediately fell silent.
And Zhurong's meaningful remark made his heart sink even further.
Biyou Palace.
"It seems East King Duke ultimately cannot escape his fate of falling."
"Couldn't he learn from me? Keep a low profile, stay away from the world, and live peacefully?"
After sensing Dijun and the others' scheme, Tongtian could not help shaking his head with a sigh.
Fuxi and Nuwa, standing nearby, were both stunned, their faces full of confusion.
The corners of their mouths twitched involuntarily.
They exchanged a glance and both saw barely suppressed amusement in the other's eyes.
The same thought nearly surfaced in both their minds:
Who knew you, Tongtian, could be this shameless too!
Fuxi forcibly held back his laughter and said:
"Senior Brother... pfft, Sect Master, shouldn't we also go out and make a move?"
At the thought of the resources stored within the Demon Race and Purple Mansion treasuries, a gleam of eagerness flashed through his eyes.
People often said that those who did not manage a household did not know the price of rice and oil.
Over the past five hundred years, Tongtian had personally overseen the affairs of the Interception Sect. Whether spiritual materials, pills, or all kinds of spiritual treasures,
the consumption had been so immense that it was astonishing.
Yet the Interception Sect's sources of income remained painfully insufficient.
Fuxi had naturally been quietly worried that, over time, they might truly exhaust everything they had.
That was why he had turned his gaze toward the Demon Race and the Purple Mansion.
Although he did not say the words "brother-in-law," Nuwa's cheeks still reddened slightly, and she shot him a mildly reproachful glare.
Tongtian, however, did not care in the slightest. After pondering for a moment, he nodded.
"Good. I will leave this matter entirely to you.
You may deploy the elders and disciples of the sect as you see fit."
"I have only one requirement—make sure you secure those resources."
"Also, once this matter is settled, you should consider entering Closed Door Meditation and making a breakthrough."
"You are still only at the early Quasi-Saint stage. Even your younger sister has surpassed you. Don't you find that embarrassing?"
Fuxi had originally been delighted, but his expression froze at those words.
Then warmth rose in his heart.
In truth, he knew very well that his cultivation had been stagnant for far too long.
Among the sect's twenty elders, Qing Xuanzi was already nearing the middle Quasi-Saint stage.
The other nineteen Grand Unity Golden Immortals had all severed one corpse.
Yet he, the earliest person to join the Interception Sect, had been unable to break through for so long.
It was only because Tongtian had been in Closed Door Meditation, the sect's affairs were too burdensome, and there had been no one else to entrust them to, that his cultivation had been delayed.
Now, these words sounded like reproach, but they were actually filled with concern.
"This is a Clone Technique I specifically comprehended for you."
"Study it carefully first, then teach it to the elders."
"Once you finish handling these affairs, you can enter Closed Door Meditation without worry."
Tongtian had mastered the Way of Deduction. In the blink of an eye, he deduced a clone method and sent it into Fuxi's sea of consciousness with a raised hand.
Though this technique sounded profound, it was actually Tongtian's way of saving himself some trouble.
He had never wanted to handle the sect's daily affairs every day.
Moreover, as the number of disciples grew, matters would only become more troublesome in the future.
There were currently too few elders and too many affairs to handle.
If they could master the Clone Technique, they could both share the workload and save time for cultivation.
Of course,
behind this seemingly win-win arrangement lay another intention—
Tongtian intended to imitate the capitalists of later generations, squeezing out every last bit of potential
and making every scrap of ability serve its fullest purpose!
Fortunately, this was the Primordial World, where resources were abundant, so such an arrangement did no harm to Fuxi and the others.
Otherwise, Tongtian would likely have long been branded an "exploiter."
Fuxi closed his eyes and carefully examined the technique, joy filling his face.
He did not even have time to offer a greeting before hurrying out.
Before long, he gathered the elders, taught them the method one by one,
and revealed his plan.
When they heard that they were going after the Demon Race and Purple Mansion treasuries, the elders immediately became excited.
But there were only enough spots for ten people,
At once, they began bickering over it, each trying to outdo the other, faces red and necks bulging.
There was none of a Quasi-Saint expert's bearing left in them.
Seeing this, Nuwa could not help rolling her eyes at Tongtian.
"You're really going to scheme against my brother like this? Is that really okay?"
Naturally, she understood that this spell appeared to be for Fuxi and the others' benefit.
But in truth, Tongtian merely wanted to save himself some trouble.
It was only because Fuxi had been present earlier that she had not exposed him.
"Has no one ever taught you that some things are better left unsaid once you see through them?"
"Women are more endearing when they play dumb sometimes."
As Tongtian spoke, he gently drew her into his arms.
Lowering his head, he leaned close to her ear, his breath brushing against it.
Nuwa's ears instantly burned, and she was mortified.
Before you continue