Chapter 16

On the battlefield, although East King Duke's side had the aid of Innate Spiritual Treasures, the Demon Race steadily suppressed the independent cultivators of the Immortal Court with the killing power of Demon Master Kunpeng and the Ten Great Demon Marshals.

Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, East King Duke decided to act personally, using the dragon-headed golden staff bestowed by Dao Ancestor Hongjun to attack the Ten Great Demon Marshals, the Demon Race's fiercest warriors.

At this moment, East Emperor Taiyi also unleashed the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Chaos Bell. Its power drained heaven and earth of color and shook the cosmos.

East King Duke had once been a Quasi-Saint giant. His standing was as immovable as a mountain, unshaken even if Mount Tai collapsed.

Yet at this very moment, his expression changed drastically, his heart filled with shock and panic.

The Chaos Bell manifested once more, bringing East King Duke an indescribable shock.

He knew full well that East Emperor Taiyi's strength far exceeded his expectations, while the Chaos Bell in his hand was even more terrifying.

There was no need for further words. East King Duke understood that he was no match for him.

Faced with East Emperor Taiyi's Chaos Bell, his only thought was to flee.

However, the mocking smile at the corner of East Emperor Taiyi's lips showed that his plan had long since been seen through.

As an Innate Supreme Treasure, the Chaos Bell possessed the power to imprison time and space.

Five-colored divine radiance illuminated the heavens. Before East King Duke could react, he was struck by the Chaos Bell.

His furious roar, woven with unwillingness and terror, rang throughout the Immortal Court. The entire Immortal Court trembled beneath his resentful rage.

But reality was cruel. No matter how unwilling East King Duke was, his resistance was futile before the power of the Chaos Bell.

East King Duke's powerful aura quietly vanished beneath the Chaos Bell, and he ultimately fell.

This scene unfolded before countless independent cultivators of the Immortal Court, and the atmosphere across the battlefield instantly turned strange and oppressive.

They could not believe that the exalted Lord of the Immortal Court, personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor as leader of the male immortals, had fallen so easily.

And their own ending seemed already fated.

Seeing East King Duke fall, West Queen Mother's brows knitted tightly, her heart churning with turmoil.

She was not worried over East King Duke's life or death, but puzzled by Grand Pure Saint's attitude toward the matter.

Although West Queen Mother and East King Duke were partners rather than Dao companions, they were both leaders of the Daoist lineage and should have fought side by side at such a time.

She could not understand why Grand Pure Saint had not acted to save East King Duke when he was in danger.

The complex emotions hidden within that silence left West Queen Mother deeply perplexed.

But the actions of Saints were often unfathomable, as difficult to grasp as flowers seen through mist.

West Queen Mother did not dare speculate lightly either.

In the silence, she watched Di Jun and Taiyi before finally admitting, "You have won."

Although West Queen Mother, leader of the female immortals, possessed a breadth of heart far beyond East King Duke's,

she still had to remain on full guard against East Emperor Taiyi's intense killing intent and the Demon Race's ambitions.

She could even sense that if she and East King Duke died, the Demon Race would seize even more territory without restraint.

However, reality did not proceed as smoothly as East Emperor Taiyi had imagined.

When the Chaos Bell shone again and the Taiji Diagram descended upon the battlefield, the situation suddenly changed.

The Taiji Diagram's peerless ferocity instantly tore apart the void, revealing an unmatched power.

At that moment, the once-mighty Chaos Bell also shook violently, emitting endless divine light as though it wished to contend against the Taiji Diagram.

Amid the Taiji Diagram's serene, effortless voice, "Enough!"

The cry rang out, seeming both a warning to the Chaos Bell and an end to this conflict.

As the words fell, East Emperor Taiyi felt immense pressure from the Taiji Diagram, as if the power of a Saint were surging forth.

As the sovereign of the Demon Race, his face turned pale. From the Taiji Diagram, he sensed a terrifying aura and the majesty of a Saint.

At this moment, the Taiji Diagram seemed like a Saint in person, capable of sweeping through all the heavens.

East Emperor Taiyi's strength could not compare with it.

Seeing this, East Emperor Taiyi's heart roiled like stormy seas. Yet he was no ordinary man. He swiftly suppressed his shock, recalled the Chaos Bell, and bowed. "Greetings, Grand Pure Saint!"

Then Demon Emperor Di Jun also bowed. "Demon Emperor Di Jun greets Grand Pure Saint!"

With their words, the Demon Race camp ceased its slaughter, all eyes turning toward the Taiji Diagram.

Upon seeing the Taiji Diagram appear, West Queen Mother let out a breath of relief. "We are incompetent, and have troubled the Saint."

In response, a voice came from within the Taiji Diagram. "It is not your fault."

That voice was calm and transcendent.

At this moment, the Taiji Diagram seemed to become the center of the entire battlefield.

Li Er's voice came from within it. "Today's conflict ends here!"

Though his tone was calm, it carried the authority of a Saint.

Di Jun and Taiyi's expressions changed instantly, and East Emperor Taiyi was directly blasted away.

Yet they had no choice but to obey the Saint's command.

A moment later, East Emperor Taiyi reappeared on the battlefield.

Compared to before, his aura had become more restrained.

East Emperor Taiyi's aura had clearly weakened. He had suffered grave injuries, displaying the overwhelming pressure of a Saint.

Li Er's voice was vast and distant, like that of a Saint looking down upon the world as he questioned East Emperor Taiyi.

Faced with the threat of Li Er's Taiji Diagram, East Emperor Taiyi did not dare risk another challenge.

Li Er implied that if East Emperor Taiyi dared not respond, he might personally act and drive him away.

East Emperor Taiyi understood the situation and could only lead the Demon Race in retreat.

Although Li Er had not descended personally, his will had arrived. Every word and action displayed the majesty of a ruler.

With the Taiji Diagram merely standing there, he was enough to become the sole master, unmatched by anyone.

Even East Emperor Taiyi and Demon Emperor Di Jun, leaders of the Demon Race, could not challenge his position.

Only if Nuwa came in person could she contend with him, and even then, only barely.

Among All Saints, Grand Pure Saint was the most exalted. Even Nuwa was no match for him.

The Demon Race withdrew from the area under the leadership of East Emperor Taiyi and Di Jun.

Although the Demon Race had won this battle, it was an extremely stifling victory. They had not absorbed the Immortal Court, gained no spoils of war, and failed to display the Demon Race's might.

They merely withdrew in embarrassment after their victory.

Li Er had already made it clear that, as an affiliate of the Daoist lineage, the Immortal Court could not possibly be destroyed by the Demon Race.

Killing East King Duke alive was already the limit. Killing West Queen Mother as well was utterly impossible.

After retreating, East Emperor Taiyi and Di Jun looked back once, fully aware that Grand Pure Saint's wisdom and calculations far surpassed their own.

East King Duke's ambitions were too great. Grand Pure Saint would not permit him to remain.

West Queen Mother, on the other hand, had no ambitions and better suited the Daoist lineage. Thus, Grand Pure Saint had used their hands to kill East King Duke. Such a mind and such calculations were terrifying.

The Demon Race's victory had, in truth, been used by Li Er as a blade to ** unseen.

The two could not help sighing. "Grand Pure Saint truly is one who can turn clouds into rain with a flip of his hand. It is no injustice to lose to him."

Within the Immortal Court, after the Demon Race army had departed, Li Er's command came from the Taiji Diagram. "Condense!"

With a single word from the Saint, East King Duke's aura emerged between heaven and earth and gradually gathered together.

Before long, East King Duke's primordial spirit condensed anew, and even his scattered soul fragments began returning.

However, this was not true resurrection. East King Duke had already completely fallen beneath the Chaos Bell.

Using the Taiji Diagram's power, Li Er had merely forcibly gathered his primordial spirit and divine soul.

After sensing the changes in himself, East King Duke bowed to Li Er and thanked him for his aid.

Li Er told him that there was a method that could help him shed his mortal shell and cultivate anew.

Upon hearing this, East King Duke felt conflicted, filled with joy, worry, and anger.

In the end, he accepted Li Er's help and thanked him.

Li Er paid no heed to his emotions. He merely told him to leave before retrieving the Taiji Diagram.

At this time, Li Er was in Eight Sceneries Palace, considering his next plan.

Just as Di Jun and Taiyi had expected, he had deliberately used the Demon Race as his blade, allowing East King Duke to fall without saving him.

His goal was to make East King Duke obedient and, at the same time, use this opportunity to strike at the Demon Race.

Li Er naturally would not let such a win-win opportunity pass.

With the Immortal Court matter temporarily settled, the next focus fell upon the tense conflict between the Wu Yao Tribes.

This struggle would directly affect the fate of the human race.

How Xuandu, the key figure, responded to this crisis would determine both his personal growth and the development of the entire situation.

As East King Duke began cultivating anew after shedding his mortal shell and Li Er successfully intimidated the Demon Race, the Immortal Court's calamity gradually came to an end.

Although the Demon Race had failed to completely defeat the Immortal Court's two leaders, it had already dealt a severe blow to the Immortal Court's strength.

Without unforeseen developments, having lost its core leadership, the Immortal Court's position among the third-party forces would become precarious.

The Demon Race's next target had turned toward the Witch Clan.

Within the Witch Clan's Pangu Divine Hall, after Xuandu brought back Houtu's Ancestral Witch essence blood, the other Ancestral Witches entered seclusion one after another, using Pangu's Heart to nurture the thirteenth Ancestral Witch.

They devoted themselves to restoring the Twelve Heavenly Gods and Demons Formation, paying almost no attention to developments in the outside world.

After a long period of effort, the void within Pangu Divine Hall shook continuously.

At last, after receiving Houtu's essence blood, Pangu's Heart burst forth with new vitality and began to condense flesh and blood.

Nearly a hundred years later, an intense Divine Fire ignited, causing the space within Pangu Divine Hall to shake violently.

With the birth of the new Ancestral Witch, a wave of the Law of Earth rapidly spread outward.

This wave filled every Witch Clan member outside—whether Great Witches, lesser witches, witch soldiers, or witch generals—with wild delight.

Immediately afterward, an incomparably domineering laugh rang out from Pangu Divine Hall, announcing the birth of the thirteenth Ancestral Witch, named Chiyou.

A figure leaped forth from Pangu's Heart, standing tall and radiating extraordinary presence.

He shouted, "I inherit Ancestral Witch Houtu's will and am willing to fight for the Witch Clan!"

Naturally, news that the Witch Clan had produced another Ancestral Witch could not escape Di Jun and Taiyi's notice, and they found it regrettable.

Originally, the Witch Clan had been unable to assemble the Twelve Heavenly Gods and Demons Formation due to the absence of Ancestral Witch Houtu. This had been the perfect opportunity for them to attack the Witch Clan.

But now that a new Ancestral Witch had appeared, they could no longer launch a large-scale assault against the Witch Clan.

They had planned to resolve another matter before focusing their efforts on the Witch Clan, but this newly emerged Ancestral Witch disrupted their plans.

They sighed that the will of heaven was unpredictable and the time had not yet come.

Although the Witch Clan had restored its twelve Ancestral Witches and regained the Twelve Heavenly Gods and Demons Formation as its trump card, the Demon Race had not come away empty-handed.

A Demon King of the Demon Race had refined a Houtian Spiritual Treasure from human blood, and this treasure could inflict tremendous harm upon the Witch Clan.

After Di Jun and Taiyi learned of this, they planned to use this method to forge a true Witch-Slaying Weapon. With it, they could ignore the Ancestral Witches' formidable bodies in the great calamity's battle, unafraid even if they assembled Pangu's True Body.

They sharpened their blades, preparing to head for the human race's Shouyang Mountain.

Meanwhile, within Wa Huang Palace, Fuxi and Nuwa sat together discussing the Dao.

Ever since Nuwa became a Saint, Fuxi had not discussed the affairs of the Demon Race with Di Jun and Taiyi for a long time.

On one hand, Nuwa did not wish for him to become entangled in too much karma. On the other, she hoped Fuxi would listen more to a Saint's teachings, paving the way for his future.

Fuxi now resided within Wa Huang Palace.

However, he was worried about the Demon Race's actions.

The Demon Race's actions seemed excessively cruel and could cause widespread slaughter, damaging the Demon Race's fortune.

Fuxi could not help sighing over this.

Nuwa naturally understood how the human race's calamity would affect the Demon Race's fortune, but Di Jun and Taiyi's determination left her unable to say much.

Nuwa understood Fuxi's concerns, but she could not defy heaven's arrangements for humanity. The human race needed to stand on its own and grow strong.

Between the human race and the Demon Race, Nuwa understood that the Demon Race would eventually retreat, but the human race's growth was destined to undergo this calamity.

Therefore, though Nuwa suffered, she could not voice her own position.

Across the human race's lands, Shouyang Mountain's only top-tier human cultivator was Xuandu.