Chapter 9

Li Er challenged the authority of the Heavenly Dao and politely refused the decree.

Hongjun's gaze was cold as he insisted that the Heavenly Dao's decision could not be changed lightly.

Li Er remained utterly unmoved and replied that there could be no compromise.

Seeing this, Hongjun decided to give Li Er a minor punishment and ordered him to remain indoors to contemplate the Dao.

This decree alarmed Nuwa and the other Saints.

This confrontation revealed the conflict between the Heavenly Dao's authority and the Saints' resolve.

The premise was the Heavenly Dao's silence.

Nuwa, a Saint beneath the Heavenly Dao, understood that the distance between Saints and the Heavenly Dao was like an insurmountable chasm, while Hongjun's existence was that of a true ruler.

Li Er's actions now seemed like a provocation against the Heavenly Dao.

Yuanshi and Tongtian felt conflicted. They wanted to use Nuwa's power to make Li Er yield so that they might have a chance to attain sainthood themselves, yet their brotherly bond made them worry that Li Er would suffer the Heavenly Dao's punishment.

However, Li Er had already foreseen this scene. Thus, he was not flustered. Instead, he cast aside all reservations, having decided to prove his worth through strength.

At this moment, he erupted with all his aura, preparing to face Heavenly Dao Hongjun's challenge, and declared, "Dao, come."

.

Purple qi gathered around Li Er, instantly condensing into the form of a divine dragon, as though sensing something.

As the divine dragon took shape, a golden sacred Dao rune appeared behind him.

Facing Heavenly Dao Hongjun, Li Er did not yield. Instead, he actively manifested his Dao essence, displaying his madness.

Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao flew into a rage. A terrifying aura erupted, and a wisp of Heavenly Dao Origin manifested. **Everything.

Yet the Dao essence displayed by Li Er had already surpassed the Saint realm and reached another level.

Feeling this collision, Nuwa understood that she could not escape the Heavenly Dao's punishment.

The standoff between Li Er and Hongjun was as calm as a debate on the Dao, yet incomparably intense.

Their strength was so immense that no excess ripples spilled forth; everything was completely contained.

Nuwa sighed at how overwhelmingly powerful they were.

Li Er told Hongjun that after attaining sainthood, he had comprehended an unparalleled divine ability, which he now invited the Heavenly Dao to appraise.

Immediately afterward, purple qi surged once more, and three figures formed from clear qi appeared behind Li Er: Supreme Purity, Jade Purity, and Upper Purity. The might of One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones shook heaven and earth.

This was Li Er's mysterious ultimate technique. The might of One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones shook all directions.

Under everyone's gaze, Nuwa, Yuanshi, Tongtian, Jieyin, Zhunti, and the others were all astonished.

"What exactly is this before us?"

"This is not the Three Corpses incarnation that Senior Brother Laozi displayed in the past. This Three Pure Ones qi is different."

"Could it be a Dharma body?"

"If it were a Dharma body, its aura should come from Laozi alone. Yet these three Three Pure Ones auras are distinct!"

At this moment, all of them were shaken by the sight before them, dumbfounded.

At a single command—"Fight!"

Li Er used the might of One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones to challenge Heavenly Dao Hongjun.

In an instant, the four figures clashed, and the battlefield erupted.

Heavenly Dao Hongjun gave a light cry. "This is..."

"Dao Bodies!"

He saw through its mysteries. As the Heavenly Dao, he naturally could discern the essence of Li Er's technique.

Nuwa saw only the wonder of Li Er's divine ability, but Hongjun discovered that each of Li Er's Dao Bodies possessed the cultivation of an early-stage Saint.

Though this technique could not last long, it was enough to demonstrate its power.

The Three Pure Ones Dao Bodies even formed an array according to the Heaven, Earth, and Man Trinity positions. Their ferocious might actually posed a threat to Heavenly Dao Hongjun.

Heavenly Dao Hongjun no longer underestimated Li Er, and a faint wariness rose in his heart:

"Laozi said that he had newly comprehended this technique, but I keep feeling that behind it..."

"There seems to be an even more unfathomable divine ability hidden."

At this moment, Li Er charged fiercely at Hongjun alongside the Three Pure Ones Dao Bodies.

They attacked from the four directions of east, south, west, and north, determined to battle Hongjun to the end.

Given this opportunity to face the Heavenly Dao, he wanted to determine the gap between himself and it.

Yet among the Saints, only Li Er dared to strike against the Heavenly Dao.

His violent assault nearly drowned out the Heavenly Dao.

Hongjun opened his mouth and spat, causing a galaxy to hang upside down. Facing Li Er's challenge, he unleashed boundless heavenly secrets.

With a gentle push of his whisk, seemingly slow yet incomparably terrifying,

it swept away the Three Pure Ones Dao Bodies with ease, its boundless pressure seeming ready to overturn heaven and earth.

On Kunlun Mountain, Yuanshi and Tongtian anxiously watched the battle, worried for Li Er's safety.

They knew Hongjun's terrifying combat power. Heavenly Dao Hongjun, after merging with the Dao, crushed everything even more completely.

Yet during the battle, even Nuwa could not discern the outcome.

Heavenly secrets intertwined, terrifying to the extreme, making them impossible to peer into.

After a long battle, Hongjun's voice sounded from the center of the heavenly secrets. "What an unparalleled divine ability! What a Laozi! The might of the Heavenly Dao is likewise terrifying beyond compare!"

Li Er responded to Hongjun in concise and clear words, his attitude firm yet neither servile nor overbearing.

Above the void, as auras flowed, the Three Pure Ones Dao Bodies displayed their divine bearing. Holding whisk-patterned Dao laws, they seemed capable of shattering the void.

After grasping the exchange between the two sides, Nuwa was shocked. She realized that the Heavenly Dao did not seem to hold a complete advantage.

She knew deeply that Li Er's strength as a Saint exceeded imagination, giving her a new understanding of the realm of Slaying Three Corpses to Attain Dao.

Though Li Er's actions displeased the Heavenly Dao, his confidence and strength earned respect.

After their first exchange, Hongjun did not make things difficult for him. Instead, he proposed that Li Er establish the Human Sect as a condition for maintaining the situation.

However, Li Er's stance was resolute. He refused to establish the Human Sect, provoking Hongjun's anger.

Hongjun tried to intimidate Li Er with his authority, reminding him not to forget the origin of One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones and his reverence for the Heavenly Dao.

Even so, the conflict between the two remained fierce, and the situation was tense to the extreme.

As Hongjun's words fell, the void exploded, and the great momentum erupted like a raging storm.

Facing this sight, Li Er remained calm, like a tranquil harbor amid a tempest.

He spoke indifferently. Though his voice was soft, it shook Hongjun. "Do you see me as Pangu's Primordial Spirit, rather than the true Pangu?"

Without waiting for Hongjun's reply, Li Er continued, "Besides One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones, I possess another technique, which I ask the Heavenly Dao to appraise."

What Li Er displayed at this moment was his ultimate divine ability—Pangu Imprint.

The One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones he had used earlier was merely an accompanying divine ability. His true killing move was Pangu Imprint.

The so-called Pangu Imprint was the result of the Three Pure Ones merging into one after One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones.

Li Er would use it to display Pangu's invincible grandeur.

As Li Er's words fell, the entire void seemed to sink into silence.

The spiritual qi between heaven and earth came to a standstill, as though awaiting this moment.

Purple qi billowed behind Li Er, flowing into his body like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.

What Li Er radiated at this moment was an aura capable of suppressing and killing all things.

This was an unprecedentedly powerful aura.

What followed was a wondrous sight. Purple qi gathered behind Li Er and formed an imprint, the symbol of the ultimate divine ability, Pangu Imprint, born through One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones.

As the Three Pure Ones fused and converged, a massive imprinted body gradually condensed behind Li Er.

Though this body had yet to be born, the aura it emitted was already as powerful as the true ruler of the Primordial World.

Everyone was shocked, staring at the imprinted figure as though awakening from a dream.

The form revealed by that imprint was astonishingly Pangu's visage. Though enormous and indistinct, it still shook everyone.

Before their eyes appeared that towering figure, standing behind Li Er like an undefeated god.

At this moment, Li Er's Pangu Imprint appeared, leaving everyone stunned.

Its slightly closed eyes suddenly opened, and a terrifying storm erupted from its body, making even Nuwa's expression change.

Heavenly Dao Hongjun in the distance was even more shaken, unable to believe it.

Behind Li Er, the body of Pangu Imprint burst forth with immeasurable radiance, and the massive hand holding the Pangu Axe slowly moved.

Li Er's movements synchronized with Pangu Imprint. In an instant, the force of attack in his hand overlapped with Pangu Imprint, and the sound of an axe shook the heavens.

Li Er's attacks at this moment contained the principles of the Great Dao, making him invincible like Pangu.

Heavenly Dao Hongjun's expression turned grave and his brows furrowed. Though his hands did not stop moving, he still sensed that this technique was dangerous.

He released a terrifying aura from the Jade Plate of Creation, as though the Heavenly Dao itself had descended, enveloping all heavens and worlds.

Li Er swung Pangu Imprint, colliding thunderously with the Jade Plate of Creation.

The void trembled, and heaven and earth shook.

In an instant, an axe-light tore through the Jade Plate of Creation, standing proudly between heaven and earth like the descent of a demon god, like the manifestation of the Great Dao.

After the terrifying collision, everything returned to calm.

Li Er and Hongjun's figures reappeared above the void.

Sensing the might of Pangu Imprint, Hongjun withdrew the Jade Plate of Creation above his head, and its powerful aura gradually dissipated.

Hongjun gave Li Er a deep look and sighed. "Supreme Purity Laozi, your Pangu Imprint is truly a shocking technique! The display of these two great divine abilities today has left me deeply astonished."

Nuwa at the side also revealed a shocked expression.

She understood that Hongjun's decision to stop attacking could mean only one thing: the power Li Er displayed had forced him to take it seriously.

Li Er's Pangu Imprint had already surpassed the level of Saints and attained the might of the Great Dao.

The Heavenly Dao had to yield.

Li Er's One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones had already moved the Heavenly Dao, while Pangu Imprint gave Hongjun even more reason to retreat.

It represented Pangu's Great Dao and manifested the creator of the Primordial World.

Unless Hongjun wished to fight Li Er to the death, yielding was the best choice.

After all, the entire Primordial World had been created by Pangu. When Li Er used this technique, Hongjun could not ignore it.

For the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun, this choice was not difficult.

Either persist to the end and cause disorder in the Heavenly Dao, or compromise and alter destiny, losing a little of the Heavenly Dao's authority.

Clearly, compromise was the wiser choice.

Hongjun took the initiative to yield, giving Li Er a way out.

Li Er maintained a calm bearing at this moment and gave Hongjun a slight cupped-fist salute.

Hongjun's praise was clearly excessive.

Even with only the technique of transforming qi into the Three Pure Ones, Li Er's strength had already earned Hongjun's admiration, not to mention the great power capable of wielding an axe to shatter heaven.

Though Nuwa did not contend with the world, she possessed a Saint's pride as well.

Faced with Li Er's majesty, she willingly conceded defeat.

Even though she had been the first to cultivate into sainthood, she still had to bow before the might of Li Er's One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones.

Therefore, when facing Li Er, Hongjun had no choice but to yield.

The Heavenly Dao could not adopt extreme measures, for that would destroy the balance of the entire Primordial World.

Though the Heavenly Dao stood transcendent, the development of the Primordial World was what it valued most.

Necessary compromise would still occur.

At this moment, Li Er had proven his status through strength and truly gained Hongjun's recognition.

Hongjun stated that throughout the entire Primordial World, Li Er was the only person worthy of his recognition.

Li Er's current strength had already surpassed Hongjun's strength during the era when he attained Dao through Slaying the Three Corpses.

As the Heavenly Dao's spokesman, Hongjun had enjoyed smooth sailing since the first tribulation of dragons and phoenixes, suppressing the entire Primordial World.

Before attaining Dao, there had been no Quasi-Saints in the Primordial World; Grand Unity Golden Immortals were the highest realm.

Only after attaining the Dao did he open the Purple Sky Palace to lecture on it, lifting his suppression over the Primordial World and allowing the Saints to comprehend the Dao, slay the Three Corpses, and step into the Quasi-Saint realm.

Now Li Er used a similar method to suppress all the future Saints of the Heavenly Dao, preventing them from attaining Dao.

This scene was so similar to Hongjun's in the past, but Li Er's methods were even more forceful. He not only suppressed Grand Unity Golden Immortals, but also the Heavenly Dao's future Saints.

The identities of Li Er and Hongjun were much discussed.

One had gathered the Primordial World's destiny upon himself, founded the Daoist Sect lineage, and had once been the supreme Daoist Sect Leader.