Chapter 24

Facing their congratulations, Li Er merely smiled faintly. He had returned to stand before the All Saints and said calmly, "Thank you for yielding."

Every word and action of his proclaimed that he was the victor of this contest, and his strength and wisdom had earned the recognition and respect of all the Saints.

Venerable Yuanshi and Sect Master Tongtian looked at Li Er. Though they sighed, they showed no disappointment.

They knew well that their relationship with Li Er went beyond simple competition; there was more mutual respect and recognition between them.

Had either of them obtained this Destiny Dao Fruit, they would likely have been burdened by many complicated emotions and competitive thoughts.

Yet Li Er was different. Though he had competed and fought for it, they accepted his victory wholeheartedly.

Li Er did not involve himself in sectarian disputes, so he posed no direct competitive pressure to the Chan Sect or the Interception Sect.

Therefore, even if Li Er obtained the Dao Fruit, it would not trigger a direct conflict between the two.

However, Zhunti was unwilling to accept this. None of his schemes had produced the expected results, leaving him deeply disappointed.

Jieyin faced it with relative calm.

Nuwa alone felt conflicted. Li Er's improved strength and immense fortune placed immense pressure on her, for it foretold that the karmic debts she would have to repay in the future would become even more complicated and difficult.

Venerable Yuanshi and the others had little interest in probing Li Er's actions or state of mind.

Li Er had obtained the sole Dao Fruit of this calamity. Enjoying its fortune alone, he directly swallowed the fruit before everyone.

There were no complicated techniques involved in consuming it, for he knew well that this was a process of accumulation rather than one that would alter his existing foundation.

The fruit's power merged into his body, as comfortable as a spring breeze brushing across his face, causing Li Er's spirit to shine with renewed brilliance.

At the same time, his cultivation continued to rise. Having already reached the peak of the mid-stage Saint realm, he now advanced toward an even higher level.

This sight left the Saints, including Venerable Yuanshi, helpless yet unable to stop him.

Li Er's breakthrough would elevate his strength once more, and the gap between him and them would become increasingly obvious.

"Is he going to break through again?"

While they still remained where they were, Li Er was already pursuing a higher realm.

The stark contrast made them understand that the status of the strong could not be shaken.

This should have been nothing more than a sigh from the Saints of destiny toward the many Quasi-Saints.

Yet unexpectedly, today it had fallen upon Li Er himself.

Amid their sighs and lamentations, there was naturally a touch of irony.

In an instant, an overwhelming majesty surged from Li Er's body and swept outward, shaking the void.

Li Er suddenly opened his eyes, divine light spilling from them. Even without deliberately revealing his aura, the pressure he exuded was still several degrees stronger than before.

Li Er had now broken through the peak of the mid-stage Saint realm. His strength was truly astonishing.

Because he had attained Dao through Slaying Three Corpses, the accumulation of his insights was incomparably profound.

Today, he had exclusively enjoyed the fortune of the Witch-Demon Calamity, refined the sole Dao Fruit, and become invincible in his own right.

With such a solid Dao foundation, he rose two levels in succession during his breakthrough, directly reaching the peak of the Saint realm.

In the past, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had enjoyed the fortune of the tribulation alone and broken through the moment he attained the Dao. Later, after delivering three lectures at the Purple Cloud Palace, he ascended to the peak of the Saint realm.

What Li Er had done today was not inferior to Dao Ancestor Hongjun's feat in the slightest.

Only now did he finally understand why Dao Ancestor Hongjun had schemed against both sides of the demonic path in order to monopolize calamity fortune.

This feeling of breaking through again and again was simply exhilarating!

One had to know that cultivating to the peak of the Saint realm through one's own accumulation required countless yuanhui. Even after experiencing multiple calamities, one might still fail to reach this realm.

Though Nuwa had been the earliest among the Saints to attain Dao and possessed the most merit and fortune, she still remained at the early stage of the Saint realm.

As for the likes of Jieyin and Zhunti, who had attained Dao by borrowing merit in advance, there was even less need to mention them.

Li Er, meanwhile, had only reached the mid-stage Saint realm through Slaying Three Corpses to Attain Dao, relying solely on his own strength.

Without the sole Dao Fruit of this calamity, he likely would not have reached the late-stage Saint realm even after two more calamities.

His previous incarnation, Laozi, was the best proof of that.

But now? With the sole Dao Fruit, Li Er had directly ascended to the peak of the Saint realm, approaching Dao Ancestor Hongjun before he merged with the Dao.

Li Er had spared himself immeasurable effort, but the struggle behind calamities was a contest between Saints, cruel beyond measure.

One step slow meant every step slow, and one might fall into a state of eternal damnation.

Correspondingly, because Li Er had attained Dao through Slaying Three Corpses, one step ahead meant victory at every step.

At this moment, Li Er murmured inwardly, an unparalleled conviction rising within him. Among Saints, I should be invincible.

Naturally, he had the confidence to dare battle Hongjun.

Though Hongjun had crossed beyond the peak of the Saint realm, ever since he merged with the Dao, the Heavenly Dao had been Hongjun, yet Hongjun was not the complete Heavenly Dao.

Therefore, Li Er had the confidence to contend with Hongjun.

He possessed the ultimate divine ability known as the Pangu Imprint. Even if he lacked Pangu Will when using it again, its overwhelming momentum would still be enough to contend with Hongjun after he merged with the Dao.

This was Li Er's confidence, not blind arrogance.

In the void, Hongjun sensed Li Er's confidence, and an indescribable emotion flickered through his heart.

As the Dao Ancestor, his mind and schemes were unfathomable, yet his expression remained as calm and still as ever.

He announced, "Laozi has refined the sole Dao Fruit. The Witch-Demon Calamity ends here."

Yuanshi, Tongtian, Nuwa, Jieyin, Zhunti, and the other Five Saints of the Heavenly Dao exchanged glances before replying, "We would not dare object."

As the grand undertaking came to an end, Little Demon brought a brand-new interpretation! Dear readers, this is merely Little Demon's view, and I look forward to your comments.

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The Five Saints of the Heavenly Dao and Li Er, the greatest victor of the entire Witch-Demon Calamity, raised no objections.

Hongjun's voice echoed between heaven and earth, like the voice of the Heavenly Dao itself, solemn and powerful.

He proclaimed, "From this day onward, the calamity is over."

At this moment, inside the Demon Master Palace in the Northern Sea, Demon Master Kunpeng let out a sigh of relief.

He had finally escaped disaster.

However, he noticed that more than half of the merit aura around him had dissipated.

His survival had depended on it.

Otherwise, as the Demon Master, Kunpeng would have found it difficult to escape the destructive power of this calamity.

The world believed that he had fled before battle, but in truth, he had been protecting the Demon Race's last refuge.

Even if countless people criticized and misunderstood him after his death, he would not regret his choice.

However, he knew well that this defeat signified that the Demon Race's fate had run its course.

Standing before the Demon Master Palace, he sighed. "The Primordial World is no longer the domain of my Demon Race."

As the Ten Great Demon Marshals faced this reality in despair, Kunpeng's eyes flashed with calm light. "Do you have any other solution?"

They fell silent.

Within the silence of the Blood Sea, at the site of Six Paths Reincarnation.

Houtu, Empress Pingxin, let out a sigh of relief and turned to Gonggong. "Do you know that you nearly caused a great catastrophe? If someone had not saved you, Buzhou Mountain might have collapsed. How would you have faced Pangu the Father God then?"

Compared with Nuwa, Empress Pingxin possessed an additional touch of gentleness, but she governed Six Paths Reincarnation and held an exalted status. No one dared disregard her majesty.

Gonggong's face reddened after hearing this. Ashamed, he said that he did not know why he had harbored such thoughts; he had only wanted to bury heaven and earth together.

Empress Pingxin instructed Gonggong to bring the remaining Great Witches of the Witch Clan to Six Paths Reincarnation, while the Little Witch tribes were to live beside the human race.

Though Gonggong did not understand the deeper meaning behind this, he could only comply at this moment.

After Gonggong left, Empress Pingxin was the only one remaining in the great hall.

She gazed over the lands of the Primordial World, a trace of longing flashing in her eyes as she sighed. "From now on, the Witch Clan will gradually withdraw from the stage of the Primordial World, and the eleven ancestral witches will never be able to return."

Within the Netherworld Blood Sea, Ancestor Minghe stood silently in a blood-red robe, surrounded by the Four Asura Kings.

A terrifying baleful aura and majesty showed between the Ancestor's brows as he declared that the Witch-Demon Calamity had finally ended.

Within the Wuzhuang Temple on Mount Longevity, Zhen Yuanzi, revered as the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, stepped out of the temple. His expression was somewhat wistful. "The calamity has ended. It is a pity that Brother Hong Yun can no longer witness this day."

The same scenes unfolded across the Primordial World, as many Great Divine Power Users and Quasi-Saint titans who had secluded themselves in cultivation for a long time emerged from their retreats.

With the calamity's end, they sensed that the skies of the Primordial World were about to change.

They looked up at the heavens and murmured, "The Witch-Demon Calamity has drawn to a close, and all living beings are moving with it."

Clearly, the impact of this Witch-Demon Calamity was both profound and far-reaching.

From the great decisive battle between the Witch Clan and Demon Race, to Li Er's battle between Saints, and then to the descent of the Heavenly Dao and its fierce clash with Li Er's Pangu Imprint, every battle had become increasingly intense.

Thus, they all hoped that this conflict would end as soon as possible, preventing further unknown entanglements.

In the void above Buzhou Mountain, after announcing the end of the calamity, Hongjun turned his gaze toward Li Er.

He explained in detail Li Er's contributions during this calamity, especially the tremendous strength he had displayed in battle against the Heavenly Dao Will.

Then, he proposed a task. "After the battle, many holes have appeared in the sky and need to be repaired by you. What do you think?"

Li Er looked toward the holes in the sky, feeling speechless.

He had done everything in his power to stop Buzhou Mountain from collapsing, yet he had not expected the aftermath of his battle with the Heavenly Dao Will to tear open the sky.

Both Li Er and the Heavenly Dao Will were supreme beings who possessed the power to destroy heaven and earth.

Their battle was bound to damage heaven and earth.

Nuwa seemed to understand something and took the initiative to offer Li Er Five-Colored Stones to help him mend the sky.

Nuwa brought out those exceedingly precious innate spirit stones, displaying an attitude of cooperation.

Although Nuwa and Li Er had once stood opposed because of the Heavenly Dao's orders, they swiftly turned to cooperation after the Heavenly Dao Will retreated.

In the eyes of the Saints, such a shift was entirely normal.

Within the Primordial World, everything revolved around benefits, and alliances could change at any moment as circumstances changed.

At this moment, Li Er faced not only the heavy task of mending the sky, but also the appearance of the Qiankun Cauldron.

The appearance of the Qiankun Cauldron symbolized the final stabilization of heaven and earth.

Nuwa's earlier cooperation with Li Er, along with the Qiankun Cauldron's appearance now, was all intended to restore order and stability to heaven and earth.

Although they had previously clashed due to the Heavenly Dao's orders, under the laws of the Primordial World, all things revolved around benefits. Their cooperation was likewise meant to better maintain the order of heaven and earth.

By a fortuitous opportunity and the guidance of the Heavenly Dao, the time for the final battle had now arrived.

The many disputes had become clear, and since there was no conflict of interests among them, everything returned to harmony.

However, Li Er acted at this moment, displaying the might of the Qiankun Cauldron.

This cauldron had never appeared before the public, yet it shook all the Saints.

Saints such as Zhunti revealed expressions of disbelief, for they knew full well the power of this Qiankun Cauldron.

This cauldron could transform all Houtian Spiritual Treasures into Innate Supreme Treasures. Its might was comparable to a mobile treasury.

At the sight, Zhunti became jealous, his envy plain for all to see.

However, as the Qiankun Cauldron's might erupted, it instantly drew everyone's attention.

Li Er controlled the cauldron as though he wielded the authority of a heavenly god.

The cauldron expanded with the wind in an instant, swept over Zhunti's head, and descended upon the lands of the Primordial World.

At that moment, the waters of the Ninth Heaven all poured into the cauldron. Li Er stood motionless, displaying his powerful control.

As the Qiankun Cauldron's power was pushed to its limit, the crisis across the Primordial World was instantly resolved.

Facing the countless gaps in the torn sky, Li Er waved the Qiankun Cauldron in his hand and sent it to Nuwa's side.

Nuwa understood his intention and used the Qiankun Cauldron to refine the Five-Colored Stones.

As soon as the Five-Colored Stones entered the cauldron, blazing Dao fire ignited, rapidly tempering them.

Even Nuwa felt envious at this sight, marveling at the power of an ultimate treasure.

Nuwa rapidly refined the Five-Colored Stones, and they were completed within the Qiankun Cauldron in mere moments, revealing the profundity of its creation power.

Li Er took the refined liquid of the Five-Colored Stones and began the work of mending the sky.

After discarding the final Five-Colored Stone that could not be refined into the Primordial World, Nuwa handed the liquid to Li Er.