Chapter 17

He was a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, his strength surpassing that of the Three Ancestors of Humanity. He was nearly humanity's strongest combatant.

Xuandu cultivated the Grand Pure Immortal Method. His aura surged as he had already touched the threshold of Slaying the Three Corpses, though he had yet to comprehend his own Dao.

When Xuandu opened his eyes, the Three Ancestors of Humanity asked about his cultivation progress. Regretfully, he said that his accumulation was still insufficient and that he was only one step away from Slaying the Three Corpses.

Xuandu deeply felt the gravity of the situation. At that moment, his gaze suddenly sharpened, fixed directly upon the direction of the Heavenly Court.

The Three Ancestors of Humanity and many other worthies also sensed the powerful, savage might coming from the Demon Race.

Without a doubt, the Demon Race's great move had arrived.

There was no exchange of pleasantries. The Demon Race immediately began its actions.

A voice from the Demon Race's leader rang out like a world-shaking wave, spreading through every corner of humanity: "Hear my command, sons of the Demon Race!"

Only East Emperor Taiyi, ruler of the Demon Race, could produce such a voice and bearing.

Immediately afterward, Di Jun's voice rang out as well: "Kill!"

The commands of the two Demon Emperors instantly shook the entire Primordial World.

The other Quasi-Saint giants understood that the Demon Race's actions against humanity today were a risky gamble.

They knew that humanity had Saint Nuwa and the Grand Pure Saint behind it, yet the Demon Race had still chosen to strike.

Even the Quasi-Saint giants were astonished by such audacity.

Yet a question arose in the minds of all the Quasi-Saint giants: the Grand Pure lineage's first disciple came from humanity. If he appeared, would he represent himself or the Grand Pure Saint? No matter whom Xuandu represented, humanity's calamity would clearly become a spectacle worth watching.

In the Primordial World's wars of conquest, ordinary battles were not decisive. The true outcome depended on the leaders of both sides.

Without question, East Emperor Taiyi and the Ten Great Demon Marshals were far stronger than humanity.

At this moment, humanity was in a miserable state. It could not even compare to the Immortal Court, much less the Demon Race.

At humanity's sacred ground of Shouyang Mountain, the Three Ancestors of Humanity—Suiren Shi, Youchao Shi, and Ziyi Shi—watched countless human tribes being mercilessly slaughtered by the Heavenly Court, their hearts filled with unbearable grief.

As humanity's spiritual leaders, they had guided humanity's development all the way to this day, enduring countless hardships and dangers.

Thanks to the enlightenment they had received from the Classic of Morality, humanity's great worthies had been given a chance to survive.

Yet now, humanity, which had only just secured a means of survival, had become the Demon Race's target. How could the Three Ancestors of Humanity accept this?

Their resolve was clear: even if they died, they would live and perish alongside humanity. Humanity would forever remember the Demon Race's hatred.

Unwilling to accept the situation, the Three Ancestors of Humanity resolutely joined the battle against the Demon Race.

But their strength was limited to the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm. Not only could they not determine the battle's outcome, they were forced into peril by several Demon Kings.

Xuandu made his move and resolved the Three Ancestors of Humanity's crisis.

With a casual gesture, he killed three Grand Unity Golden Immortals of the Demon Race, bringing hope to humanity.

Yet when facing the entire battlefield, Xuandu knew full well that even with his great strength, he could not hold on for long.

Demon Master Kunpeng and East Emperor Taiyi were both Quasi-Saint giants. The gulf between a Quasi-Saint and a Grand Unity Golden Immortal could not be crossed.

But Xuandu still chose to fight. Born between Heaven and Earth and born among humanity, there were things he had to do and things he could not do.

Even knowing this would be a difficult battle, he would not betray his heart.

Within Shouyang Mountain, Xuandu's position was the only battle zone capable of contending with the Demon Race.

East Emperor Taiyi of the Demon Race noticed Xuandu's aura and sensed that he was extraordinary.

He watched Xuandu walk through the void, every step containing Tai Chi Dao patterns.

With a single glance, he saw through Xuandu's identity.

After furrowing his brow slightly, he personally descended upon Xuandu's path.

Facing Xuandu, East Emperor Taiyi emphasized that the Demon Race was enraged because Xuandu had slain eighteen Grand Unity Golden Immortals in succession.

Xuandu faced him calmly. Speaking of humanity's fate and the sacrifice of eighteen Grand Unity Golden Immortals, he questioned whether East Emperor Taiyi had any regard for the harmony of the Heavenly Dao.

East Emperor Taiyi answered resolutely that in order to become the ruler of the Primordial World, he had to forge the Witch-Slaying Sword, even if it meant sacrificing part of the Demon Race's fortune.

Faced with humanity's tragic scene of rivers of blood, Xuandu expressed both his helplessness and his resolve to calmly accept his fate.

East Emperor Taiyi warned Xuandu that if he stood aside, he could enjoy the carefree Great Dao.

But Xuandu's resolve was unwavering. Unafraid of life and death, he challenged East Emperor Taiyi.

He had always been decisive and ruthless, yet he unexpectedly granted Xuandu a path to survival.

Why had he come here today to seek death? Xuandu's gaze was more focused than ever as he answered, "If I can die for this, I will have no regrets..."

Then, facing East Emperor Taiyi's terrifying aura, Xuandu...

Brought forth the Eight Sceneries Palace Lamp! Not only did he not retreat, he took the initiative to attack, confronting East Emperor Taiyi head-on.

"Little Friend Xuandu!" The Three Ancestors of Humanity were deeply shaken, never expecting Xuandu to be so resolute.

East Emperor Taiyi was also stunned. Then he burst into laughter. "The direct heir of the Grand Pure, with a clear Dao heart!" But his expression immediately turned cold. "No matter who you are, whoever stands in my way will certainly die!"

Xuandu's actions earned the respect of countless Quasi-Saint giants.

It seemed foolish to strike a stone with an egg, yet knowingly facing an unbeatable foe while still holding fast to one's beliefs was a temperament worthy of admiration.

Before East Emperor Taiyi, a peak Quasi-Saint, all Grand Unity Golden Immortals would retreat.

East Emperor Taiyi was not only a peak Quasi-Saint; he also possessed an Innate Supreme Treasure. Among Quasi-Saints, no one could rival his strength.

Furthermore, humanity still had to face Quasi-Saint giants such as Demon Emperor Di Jun and Demon Master Kunpeng, while Xuandu was merely a Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

In everyone's eyes, Xuandu was undoubtedly courting **.

Yet he still chose to fight.

To countless great powers, this seemingly mad act was astonishing, but also admirable: if one were to be a teacher, one should be like Grand Pure Xuandu!

On humanity's battlefield, the Imperial Dao aura released by East Emperor Taiyi was like a dragon. Boundless golden radiance, carrying the mighty momentum of the Demon Race, pressed down upon Xuandu.

But East Emperor Taiyi also had his reservations. Knowing Li Er's power, he did not use the Chaos Bell against Xuandu.

Even a fool could see that Xuandu was in grave danger.

If something happened to him here, the Demon Race would not get away unscathed either.

Therefore, when East Emperor Taiyi attacked Xuandu, he did not reveal any lethal intent.

Xuandu sensed East Emperor Taiyi's intentions. Though uneasy within, he showed no sign of panic.

Behind him, the vast true meaning of Tai Chi flickered into view, carrying a hint of his master Li Er's bearing.

Xuandu activated the Eight Sceneries Palace Lamp, unleashing immeasurable divine radiance and forming the grand momentum of the Xuandu Purple Mansion. At Shouyang Mountain, it clashed fiercely with East Emperor Taiyi's Imperial Dao momentum.

In the void, rippling force shook the world, astonishing countless Quasi-Saint giants.

The Demon Race likewise felt Xuandu's power and trembled in alarm.

Di Jun saw through the fact that Xuandu could use the unique state of becoming one with the lamp to mobilize the grand momentum of the Eight Sceneries Palace.

Amid the fierce battle, East Emperor Taiyi's expression turned solemn as he marveled that Xuandu had been granted the Eight Sceneries Palace Lamp.

Though Xuandu suffered severe wounds, he faced them with unwavering will, determined to hold the line until he could hold it no longer.

Within the Xuandu Purple Mansion and the Eight Sceneries Palace, East Emperor Taiyi and Xuandu clashed once more.

Xuandu felt increasingly compatible with the Eight Sceneries Palace Lamp, as if he and the lamp had become one.

At that moment, Xuandu's soul stirred, and he suddenly gained insight, attaining enlightenment regarding his own Dao.

Heaven and Earth's spiritual energy formed a massive vortex before him, gathering toward him in an endless stream.

Behind Xuandu, the Eight Sceneries flickered, clearly revealing the mark of the Xuandu Purple Mansion.

Then Xuandu severed a manifestation from himself and said, "This poor Daoist is Tian Xuan. Greetings, main body!"

Within the solemn void, the numerous Quasi-Saint giants no longer regarded Xuandu as a junior, because they saw that he had already attained the Quasi-Saint realm.

They realized that Xuandu now stood at the same realm as them.

As the head of the Grand Pure sect, Li Er also sensed Xuandu's transformation.

A faint smile appeared in his eyes, as though he were proud of Xuandu's advancement.

In truth, Li Er had spared no effort during this period to lay out a scheme that would spur Xuandu's growth.

It was precisely because of this that Xuandu had been able to rely on his own strength under the Grand Pure sect to Slay the Three Corpses in one stroke and attain the Quasi-Saint Dao.

Such an experience was like the script of a protagonist in a Primordial World novel.

But now that Xuandu had attained the Quasi-Saint realm, Li Er no longer needed to scheme excessively for him.

After the future Witch-Demon Calamity, the true contest would belong to the Saints.

At this moment, Li Er stood alone within the Eight Sceneries Palace, sensing the countless variables of the future.

Watching Xuandu's performance, Li Er could not help but smile faintly and mutter to himself, "He has not failed the script I so carefully arranged."

...Part of the original text omitted...

Inside the Jade Void Palace, Venerable Yuanshi gazed deeply at Xuandu on Shouyang Mountain.

An indescribable feeling rose within him, and he slowly said, "After today, among the younger generation of our Daoist sect..."

"Only Grand Pure Xuandu will stand at the **."

Though Venerable Yuanshi had always wanted to prove that his achievements in teaching surpassed Li Er's, after seeing Xuandu's performance, he had no choice but to admit that neither in strength nor in the courage to face East Emperor Taiyi could any of his disciples compare with Xuandu.

Even though Xuandu did not belong to the Jade Pure Exposition Sect, Venerable Yuanshi acknowledged this fact.

Upon hearing these words, the disciples within the Jade Void Palace of the Exposition Sect fell silent.

Only Daoist Randeng, though he had lost in his contest with Xuandu, still had Venerable Yuanshi fulfill his promise and make him the Exposition Sect's deputy sect leader.

Daoist Randeng sensed the opportunity brought by Xuandu's Slaying of the Three Corpses. He clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging.

Meanwhile, Sect Master Tongtian in the Biyou Palace also withdrew his gaze from Shouyang Mountain and looked at the disciples of his Interception Sect.

He smiled mockingly. "Look at your senior nephew Xuandu. How long has he been in the Grand Pure lineage? He is already a Quasi-Saint.

"And look at all of you?"

He ordered them to get lost and cultivate. "If you do not break through to the Quasi-Saint realm, do not call yourselves direct disciples of my Interception Sect."

Clearly, if the Primordial World had the phenomenon of comparing children to others' children, it must have originated with Tongtian.

Seeing this, Sect Master Tongtian wore an envious expression, while the Exposition Sect's disciples could only smile bitterly and say that they would go cultivate.

Who could have imagined that Senior Brother Xuandu, who had just sparred with them at Kunlun Mountain, had already Slain the Three Corpses and become a Quasi-Saint? In the Primordial World, which Quasi-Saint giant had not cultivated for countless ages? Yet Xuandu's cultivation time, even counted in full, was only ten thousand years!

They were currently only Golden Immortals, while the Grand Pure lineage already had Quasi-Saint Xuandu.

Doubts rose in their hearts, and they wondered whether their teacher had held back teachings from them.

The gap was simply too great for them to remain calm.

Tongtian saw through their thoughts and drove them away with a bolt of Upper Pure Immortal Lightning.

This drew countless gazes.

The Wa Huang Palace and Mount Sumeru also received attention.

Xuandu's Slaying of the Three Corpses to attain Quasi-Sainthood symbolized the changing of an era, with the new replacing the old.

As the first disciple of the Three Pure Ones, Xuandu was a brand-new existence.

He had taken the lead in opening the path to Quasi-Sainthood, shocking everyone.

At this moment, East Emperor Taiyi's gaze was incomparably cold, filled with wariness toward Xuandu.

He realized that his restraint toward Xuandu had instead helped him comprehend the Dao and Slay the Three Corpses.

As the East Emperor of the Demon Race, he had become Xuandu's whetstone.

This situation was unbearable to him.

He knew that even when facing Grand Unity Golden Immortals and Quasi-Saints who had slain one corpse, he could easily crush them without bringing forth the Chaos Bell.

But Xuandu's uniqueness forced him to take him seriously.

While still in the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, Xuandu possessed the Heaven Lamp, one of the Three Lamps of Heaven, Earth, and Man, and the moment he acted, he entered the highest state of unity between man and lamp.

Thus, even East Emperor Taiyi had to admit that Xuandu was formidable.

Even without using his full strength, Xuandu had still been able to withstand his pressure.

This showed that Xuandu's own strength could not be underestimated.