Deciding Life and Death!

After all, among all the Saints, he was the strongest.

Everyone held their breath, eager to see how he would make his grand finale entrance.

They did not have to wait long for the answer.

After barely a dozen breaths, the void rippled, and two figures appeared.

It was Tongtian and Empress Nuwa, arriving together.

Hiss—!

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, gasps rang out one after another.

Countless eyes widened in shock, and some were even left dazed.

Even Yuanshi, Zhunti, and the others wore somewhat stiff expressions, unable to hide the jealousy in their eyes.

Why?

Because Tongtian's entrance was simple, yet utterly breathtaking.

A ceremonial carriage forged from dozens of Innate Spiritual Treasures shone with brilliant light and exuded an overwhelming majesty.

Even more suffocating was the fact that this ornate carriage was personally carried by twenty late-stage Quasi-Saint mighty experts, five each at the front, back, left, and right.

There was no boundless purple aura, no Buddhist chants lingering in the air, and no need for any grand prelude.

They walked through the air, each step leaving behind a mark, as steady as the Great Dao itself.

Upon the carriage, Tongtian reclined at an angle, looking utterly at ease, yet an invisible pressure naturally spread through the surroundings.

Though he wore no imperial robes, the bearing in every gesture made him seem like the embodiment of the Great Dao itself, each movement expounding the true meaning of laws.

Anyone who looked at him found it impossible to look away once their gaze met his.

Noticing everyone's reaction, Tongtian lightly curved his lips and casually swept his gaze across the hall.

The crowd immediately felt as if they had been struck by lightning, their bodies going rigid.

Wherever his gaze passed, their minds trembled violently. They instinctively lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

Even a light cough from him sounded in their ears like thunder from the Ninth Heaven exploding across the sky.

Many cultivators swayed and nearly fell to the ground, their faces turning deathly pale.

Impossible! How could he be this strong? How unfair is the Heavenly Dao!

Yuanshi's eyes turned bloodshot, jealousy burning in his heart as all his earlier pride vanished without a trace.

"How could this be... How is this possible!"

Laozi's expression darkened slightly, and a chill rose within him.

He had once believed that after becoming Saints, the gap between them had narrowed.

But only now did he truly realize that the distance between them remained immense.

He remained as composed as ever, yet he could clearly sense—

That heart-palpitating pressure was not intentionally released by Tongtian. It came merely from a trace of aura he had unconsciously leaked.

Just a trace...

Yet it had already made them feel as though they had fallen into an icy abyss, their souls on the verge of shattering.

If he were to strike with his full strength, what kind of scene would that be?

Damn it... Just how strong has this guy become?

Zhunti gritted his teeth inwardly, with nowhere to vent the bitterness filling his chest.

If he possessed such heaven-reaching abilities, why would he still have to worry over the weakness of the Western Teach?

Would it not be effortless for him to simply make a trip to the eastern lands and bring back dozens of disciples?

No one else would even dare voice a single objection.

Jieyin, who had harbored the same thought, had the worry between his brows deepen further.

He understood clearly—ideals were towers in the clouds, while reality was as hard as iron.

The cultivators around them finally recovered, but an indescribable sense of powerlessness tightly gripped their hearts.

Everyone looked pale, their faces filled with fear.

Only now did they gain a truly visceral understanding of Tongtian's unfathomable strength.

"Welcome, Saint Tongtian. Greetings, Empress Nuwa. Esteemed ones, please take your seats."

Dijun's expression was calm as water, but his heart had long been churning with towering waves.

He secretly rejoiced that Kunpeng had not acted discourteously when delivering the invitation,

And that he had lowered his stance enough and shown ample respect.

Otherwise, whether this heavenly wedding could proceed smoothly might truly have become a huge question.

"You have had it difficult enough."

Seeing Dijun voluntarily yield the seat of honor without a word,

Tongtian did not stand on ceremony either.

Surrounded by the elders, he sat beside Empress Nuwa and calmly accepted it.

"The auspicious hour has arrived. Let the Heavenly Emperor and Imperial Consort perform the wedding rites!"

Kunpeng, acting as master of ceremonies, spoke in a resounding voice that echoed through the hall.

Dijun and Bai Ze stepped forward at the call, standing in the center of the great hall.

"First bow to Heaven and Earth!"

"Second bow to the Dao Ancestor!"

"Bow to each other and become wed!"

"The rites are complete!"

Boom—!

As the final words fell, the Heavenly Dao sensed the union and immediately responded.

In an instant, the void across millions of miles trembled,

And countless dazzling lights gathered from the Ninth Heaven.

Boundless merit transformed into celebratory clouds, slowly taking shape above the sky.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony immediately erupted in discussion and noise.

"Merit descending from heaven? Old Heaven!"

"With Dijun's current peak Quasi-Saint cultivation, such a vast amount of merit may allow him to enter the Primordial Realm!"

"Hiss... That is terrifying! Once he takes that step, the Primordial Wilderness will gain another supreme existence!"

"To be honest, I am jealous."

"..."

Amid everyone's astonishment,

The Golden Lotuses of Merit above Dijun's and Bai Ze's heads had already fully condensed.

They then split into two and flew toward them respectively.

As the golden light entered his body, Dijun's aura first stagnated slightly before suddenly soaring.

But the merit required to become a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal was as vast as an ocean, and this little amount was no more than a drop in the bucket.

Merit was rapidly consumed, yet his realm remained unable to break through the final barrier.

Just as his expression changed slightly, Bai Ze beside him did not hesitate.

He raised his hand and sent every bit of the merit flowing toward him into Dijun's body.

In an instant, the entire hall fell silent. Everyone stared in utter disbelief.

The aura that had begun to subside surged again, like an erupting volcano, shooting straight into the heavens!

"Break for me!!"

Sensing that he was only a thread away from crossing the threshold, Dijun roared,

Circulating his cultivation method and madly drawing in the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth from billions of miles away, determined to break through in one stroke!

Pop—

A soft sound rang out, as though some barrier within his body had shattered.

Joy appeared simultaneously on the faces of Dijun, Bai Ze, Taiyi, and the others.

Immediately afterward, a suffocating pressure erupted from Dijun's body,

Instantly enveloping a territory spanning billions of miles.

Countless living beings were forced to kneel under that pressure, unable to move.

The old subordinates who had followed him for many years were so moved that tears filled their eyes as they shouted in unison:

"Congratulations, Heavenly Emperor!"

"Congratulations, Heavenly Emperor!"

Their roars shook Heaven and Earth, echoing through the clouds.

The winds and clouds changed color, and Heaven and Earth trembled.

Just as the masses celebrated wildly, Tongtian, who had been watching coldly all along, suddenly spoke in an indifferent voice:

"You are celebrating too soon."

Everyone froze, exchanging glances as they looked at him in confusion.

Had he not broken through?

With such a terrifying aura, could he possibly not be in the Primordial Chaos Realm?

Seeing what they were thinking, Tongtian raised the corner of his lips and pointed at Dijun.

At this moment, Dijun's expression had already changed from wild joy to astonishment.

"This is the Sub-Saint realm, only half a step away from becoming a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal."

"But that half-step is as distant as the horizon, harder to cross than ascending to heaven."

Sub-Saint?

The moment those words were spoken, the whole hall became even more bewildered.

What was a Sub-Saint? They had never heard of it!

Seeing Yuanshi, Zhunti, and the other four Saints cast doubtful looks his way, Tongtian chuckled and slowly explained.

A Sub-Saint was a level between a Quasi-Saint and a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

In terms of actual combat strength, a Sub-Saint even surpassed a peak Quasi-Saint.

But when facing a true Saint, he was merely a slightly stronger ant.

This was not a realm Tongtian had fabricated out of thin air.

In fact, in the original course of events, the Three Sovereigns among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were precisely at this realm.

Unfortunately, even with cultivation that reached the heavens, they could only obediently retreat into Huoyun Cave when facing Saints.

Nominally, they were said to guard the fortune of the Human Race and preserve the Orthodox Lineage of Heaven and Earth.

In truth, it was merely imprisonment under another name—effectively house arrest, with no freedom at all.

However, the Interception Sect was currently powerful and renowned throughout the Primordial Wilderness, so there was naturally no need to fear such tactics.

If they truly provoked him, Sect Master Tongtian would not mind letting certain people personally experience what it meant for the might of Heaven to be inviolable.

Hearing this, quite a few people secretly drew in a cold breath.

Though those around them did not fully understand the deeper implications, they could still feel the oppressive force bearing down upon them.

When they looked at Tongtian again, there was already a little more admiration and reverence in their eyes.

This scene fell into Yuanshi's eyes, and his eyelids twitched violently several times.

He felt even more stifled inside, fury surging through him, yet he could only force it down.

After all, strength spoke for itself. No matter how unwilling he was, he could only grit his teeth and endure.

He did not even dare voice a word of dissatisfaction, afraid of bringing disaster upon himself.

On the high platform, Dijun's expression shifted repeatedly, green and pale by turns.

Only after a long while did he barely suppress the resentment in his heart and withdraw the aura around him.

He then humbly responded to the guests who came to congratulate him, putting on a modest and courteous manner.

The banquet officially began, and a hundred years passed as swiftly as flowing water.

Just as everyone was flushed with drink and rising to bid farewell,

Dijun suddenly stood and called out loudly, "Please wait, everyone!"

The crowd stopped at his words, and all eyes turned toward him.

After a brief pause to gather his thoughts, he slowly said:

"Years ago, one night, I was seized by inspiration and created a formation named the Grand Formation of the Stars."

"Today, with all the Saints gathered here, may I ask several Saints to offer some guidance? I hope you will not begrudge me your instruction."

The moment his words fell, the entire hall suddenly went quiet.

Then buzzing discussions rose from every direction.

"Hiss—He actually dares ask Saints to judge it? Could this formation truly contend against Saints?"

"Unbelievable! Where did Dijun get the confidence to say such things? Is he not afraid that one wrong word will reduce him to ashes on the spot?"

"He must have become conceited after breaking through to Sub-Saint, completely unaware of how terrifying Saints truly are."

"I am more worried that the Saints will be displeased and simply wave a hand to beat him back to his original form."

"From the sound of it, could this formation rival the Twelve Capital Celestial Evil Slaying Formation? Tsk tsk, it seems a fine show is about to begin."

The cultivators who had yet to enter the Daluo realm were all extremely excited, discussing it animatedly.

But the truly top-tier Grand Unity Golden Immortals and Quasi-Saint experts remained silent.

Outsiders watched for spectacle, while insiders watched for substance.

They might not have truly grasped all its mysteries, but one thing was certain—

Dijun would never speak rashly on such an occasion.

Especially before so many supreme experts and Saints, how could he dare be so flamboyant without complete confidence?

Since he dared bring it up, he must have something to rely on.

That formation was surely extraordinarily terrifying, enough to give him the confidence to challenge Saints.

Otherwise, he would be courting death. There would be no second outcome!

"Senior Brother, what do you think?"

A flicker of interest passed through Zhunti's eyes as he secretly transmitted his question to Jieyin beside him.

Dijun had chosen this moment to make such a statement. There was clearly a deeper meaning behind it, and it could not be underestimated.

Yet he still had doubts about Jieyin's attitude.

In his view, no matter how powerful a formation was, it was ultimately a dead thing.

What kind of existence was a Saint? With a wave of his hand, he could decide life and death.

Even if you could unleash an attack comparable to a Saint's, how many times could you fire it in succession?

If a Saint was unwilling to clash with you head-on, he only needed to avoid your edge. What could you do to him?

"Let's watch and see."