Ran Deng and the other two, who were sweeping nearby, also raised their heads and silently watched the confident Zhu Rong.
Zhu Rong walked into the hall with a beaming smile. After looking around, his smile suddenly froze.
He stood rooted to the spot—
What kind of sight was this?
All kinds of treasures were piled into mountains, yet they were being swept with brooms? Hundreds of palaces glittered with golden light, and they had all been refined with merit?
This way of using merit was either madness or stupidity!
The Ancestral Witches who entered afterward were equally stunned by the sight.
For a moment, they were speechless!
Seeing visitors arrive, Lu Changqing rose with a smile and instructed King Father of the East beside him:
"Little Dong, serve the tea."
"At once, Great Master!"
King Father of the East immediately set down the broom he had been using to sweep treasures and headed toward the side hall to prepare immortal tea.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches were all greatly shocked when they saw King Father of the East.
Wasn't this the King Father of the East of Zifu Prefecture?
A mighty expert of the Primordial Wilderness was actually serving tea, pouring water, and cleaning here?
The Twelve Ancestral Witches were deeply shaken, feeling even more that Wuji Heaven was unfathomable.
"Please, fellow Daoists, have a seat."
Lu Changqing invited them to sit, then looked at Zhu Rong with a smile.
"I wonder how many fine treasures you have brought. Let me broaden my horizons."
Hearing this, Zhu Rong was so embarrassed his toes curled, his face flushing crimson. He did not dare raise his head to look at Lu Changqing.
Before this great figure who treated treasures like trash to be swept away, he felt like nothing more than a beggar.
The attentive Houtu noticed her elder brother's embarrassment. Smiling, she took out all the treasures and said:
"Fellow Daoist Changqing, you jest. They are merely some ordinary items. How could they possibly catch your eye?"
As she spoke, several hundred treasures floated before her.
With a casual grasp, Houtu produced a Post-Natal Merit Supreme Treasure—the Vast Quantity Measuring Ruler.
"This is the foremost Post-Natal offensive Merit Supreme Treasure. It shares the same origin as the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda; both were formed from the Merit of World Creation."
Lu Changqing happily accepted the magic treasure.
He had always favored offensive magic treasures. This ruler looked more to his liking than that pagoda.
Seeing Lu Changqing's satisfied expression, Houtu smiled faintly and took out another item.
"There is also a baleful treasure of the Heavenly Dao, called the Heaven-Suppressing Coffin. Its power approaches that of a Primordial Supreme Treasure, and it can seal all things."
Lu Changqing's eyes lit up as he accepted the strange treasure.
Of course, he knew how formidable the Heaven-Suppressing Coffin was—once locked inside, its baleful qi would corrode the sacred body and dissolve the primordial spirit. Even a Sage would find it difficult to escape.
"They truly are two fine treasures."
Lu Changqing nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing that he liked them, Houtu grew even more enthusiastic in her introduction.
She beckoned again, and a lotus seed appeared in her palm.
"A Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure: the twelve-petaled Pure World White Lotus."
"This was left behind when the Chaos Green Lotus shattered during the creation of the world."
"The roots and stalk of the Chaos Green Lotus became the God-Slaying Spear. Of its five lotus seeds, four immature ones became the Merit Golden Lotus, Karma Red Lotus, World-Destroying Black Lotus, and this Pure World White Lotus."
"The mature one became the twenty-four-petaled Creation Green Lotus. Later, the Three Pure Ones divided it into three Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures—Laozi's Taiyi Fly Whisk, Tongtian's Green Duckweed Sword, and Yuanshi's Three Treasures Jade Ruyi."
"That is why people say, 'Red flower, white lotus root, green lotus leaf—the Three Pure Ones were originally one family.'"
"This shows just how extraordinary the origin of the Pure World White Lotus is."
Lu Changqing accepted the white lotus and examined it closely.
Of course, he knew that this treasure possessed invincible defense, was impervious to all techniques, and that its Pure World Mystic Light could cleanse all filth.
However, he possessed profound blessings, great fortune, and the protection of the Heavenly Dao. He had no need for defensive magic treasures at all.
"Not bad. It would look quite nice as a potted plant in the hall."
After playing with it for a moment, Lu Changqing casually put it away.
King Father of the East, who was pouring tea nearby, trembled and nearly spilled it.
Even after following Lu Changqing for many years, he still found it hard to remain calm whenever Lu Changqing spoke of treasures as though they were not treasures.
The other Ancestral Witches were even more petrified on the spot.
A Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure... the Pure World White Lotus, was only fit to be a potted plant?
Even Sages would not dare be so extravagant, would they?
Yet Lu Changqing did not care in the slightest.
After all, the hall already displayed the Northern Mysterious Origin Water Control Banner and the Exquisite Pagoda. Adding one more Pure World White Lotus was nothing remarkable.
Ran Deng and Kunpeng repeatedly shook their heads at the sight.
Looking at the Merit Magic Treasures being swept beneath the broom, they no longer found it a pity.
Compared to treating a Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure as a potted plant, what did these swept-up Merit Magic Treasures amount to?
Their treatment was already quite good.
"Fellow Daoist Houtu, do you have any other treasures?"
After putting away the Pure World White Lotus, Lu Changqing saw Houtu still staring blankly. Though he knew he was handsome, it was not good for her to keep staring at him like that, so he smiled and reminded her.
Houtu came back to her senses and smiled somewhat awkwardly before continuing.
"The remaining magic treasures are of somewhat lower grade. There are two hundred in total."
"There is also one high-grade Innate Spiritual Root, along with sixteen middle- and low-grade ones."
As she spoke, she sorted the magic treasures by category and handed them to Lu Changqing.
Lu Changqing had no interest in ordinary magic treasures or Spiritual Roots. Even top-grade Spiritual Roots could not catch his eye.
He guessed that the Witch Clan certainly possessed Top-grade Innate Spiritual Roots, but they were reluctant to bring them out.
"Little Kun, handle them."
Upon receiving the order, Kunpeng immediately tossed aside his broom and efficiently began taking inventory.
Houtu then presented a large quantity of heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Lu Changqing only took a blood-red pearl.
"This was formed from Pangu's Heart Blood and can temper the physical body," Houtu explained.
King Father of the East clicked his tongue inwardly. The Witch Clan truly had a rich foundation.
"A total of ninety million merit," Kunpeng quickly finished counting.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches began breathing rapidly at the number, but Lu Changqing found it too little. "Only this much?"
Houtu's eye twitched slightly. This was already more than half of the Witch Clan's savings!
After receiving the Merit Golden Cloud, the Ancestral Witches happily took their leave.
Lu Changqing casually tossed the Pure World White Lotus to Ran Deng. "Find a pretty vase and arrange it."
Ran Deng's hands trembled as he held the supreme treasure—he was actually using a Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure as decoration?
While refining Pangu's Blood Pearl, Lu Changqing's body swelled into the form of a demon god, only to return in the blink of an eye to his elegant young master appearance.
Within Pangu Temple, the Ancestral Witches emerged from seclusion after a hundred years.
"Our primordial spirits have formed!" Di Jiang declared boldly.
Just then, Xing Tian came to report that the Demon Clan had launched a sneak attack. The Ancestral Witches flew into a rage.
"Flatten the Heavenly Court!" Billions of Witch Clan members roared as they marched forth.
On the Heavenly Court's side, Di Jun slammed his hand onto the table. "Meet them in battle!"
The armies of the two clans collided with a thunderous crash, fighting until heaven collapsed and earth split.
Zhu Rong annihilated Qiongqi's physical body with a single move, and Di Jun furiously summoned the River Diagram and Luo Script.
Di Jiang charged straight in. "Don't even think of harming my brothers!"
Eastern Emperor Taiyi hurriedly joined the battle, and the other Ancestral Witches all entered the chaotic melee.
The starry river shook, blood stained the sky, and this earthshaking battle grew increasingly fierce.
At the foot of Buzhou Mountain, corpses piled into mountains, while severed limbs and broken bodies amassed into seas.
Within Wuzhuang Temple, Zhen Yuanzi raised his head and cried out in grief:
"As the Witches and Demons contend, all living beings suffer. The Primordial Wilderness is in turmoil!"
Deep within the Blood Sea, Ancestor Minghe witnessed this scene and sighed as well.
"This battle can be called a great calamity of the Primordial Wilderness."
Atop Kunlun Mountain, Queen Mother of the West mournfully said:
"If the flames of war do not cease, the Primordial Wilderness will be in danger."
Just as the great experts lamented, Di Jiang's voice shook the nine heavens.
"Twelve Ancestral Witches, take your positions! Activate the Great Heavenly Fiend Array!"
Twelve divine banners fluttered in the wind, and as the formation took shape, heaven and earth changed color.
"We respectfully invite Father God to manifest his divine might!"
Amid furious roars, the phantom of an ancient giant appeared in the firmament.
Pangu's pressure enveloped the surrounding lands.
Di Jun roared in response:
"All demons, take your positions! Raise the Array of All Stars!"
In an instant, heaven and earth trembled, and the void shattered.
Endless starlight poured down, carrying the power to destroy heaven and earth.
The two peerless arrays crashed together with a thunderous boom.
The Primordial Land shook violently.
All things wailed!
Di Jun stood at the formation's core, his eyes bloodshot.
"Billions of demons, heed my command!"
The Array of All Stars shone brilliantly.
Three hundred and sixty-five star banners rose like the morning sun, while three hundred and fifty Demon Sages shouted in unison.
Ten thousand subsidiary banners encircled them like stars, and billions of demon soldiers beat their drums in support.
Starlight filled the heavens, dazzling and resplendent.
The Primordial Wilderness lost its color, and all beings were blinded.
Between heaven and earth, only the eternal river of stars could be seen.
The vast pressure of countless stars suddenly descended.
The great experts observing from afar were deeply shaken.
They discovered in horror—
Even a single wisp of starlight
Was enough to scatter their souls!
At this moment, the Array of All Stars displayed its divine might in full.
Billions of stars bloomed with light,
And amid the brilliant starlight,
Baleful qi surged like waves.
The stronger the starlight became,
The more violent the Great Heavenly Fiend Array grew.
Pangu's Phantom raised its head to look at the sky,
As if returning to the beginning of chaos.
It slowly raised its gigantic axe,
And Di Jiang shouted sharply, "Strike with everything you have! Hold nothing back!"
The momentum of world creation suddenly condensed!
Supreme treasures appeared across the sky,
And innate divine abilities erupted with a thunderous blast.
The World-Opening Divine Axe flashed with cold light,
While the other Ancestral Witches activated their divine abilities at the same time.
Their Dao techniques contained the power of world creation,
And their supreme treasures released the might to destroy the world.
Pangu's Phantom suddenly became solid,
As though Father God himself had descended upon the Primordial Wilderness.
In an instant, heaven and earth lost their light,
Mountains and rivers across thousands of miles shattered,
And raging waves surged into the sky from the four seas.
The Array of All Stars shook violently,
Pangu's expression turned solemn,
And the divine axe wrapped in Dao rhymes cleaved down with a thunderous crash.
"Open—!"
Amid a furious roar that shook the Primordial Wilderness,
Wherever the axe light passed, stars shattered.
Billions of demon clan members were reduced to ashes.
Chaos reappeared, and rifts in the void tore through the starry river.
The Array of All Stars shattered with a crash.
The brilliant starlight abruptly vanished.
The skies of the Primordial Wilderness instantly lost their color.
How could this be?!
Di Jun coughed up blood and cried out in shock.
When he sensed the fluctuations of the Ancestral Witches' primordial spirits,
he suddenly realized—
these Witch Clan members had defied the heavens and cultivated primordial spirits!
While he was distracted, the Great Heavenly Fiend Array continued to rage.
The World-Opening Divine Axe swept across the Heavenly Court.
Its world-opening power crushed everything in its path.
Tens of millions of demon clan members were ground into dust.
The Thirty-three Heavens collapsed one after another.
The heavens fell and the earth split, as though the end of the world had arrived.
Deep within the Blood Sea, Ancestor Minghe murmured in horror:
Primordial spirits? The Witch Clan can actually cultivate primordial spirits?
He abruptly looked toward Wuji Heaven.
Could it be... Longevity Immortal Venerable's doing?
At this moment, within Wuji Heaven,
Lu Changqing sensed the changes in heaven and earth and deduced the Heavenly Secret.
Why had the Witch and Demon Clans begun their decisive battle ahead of time?
He frowned slightly. According to the Heavenly Dao's course, this battle should not have begun until a million years later.
Beside him, Kunpeng felt the aftershocks of the world-destroying calamity and secretly counted himself fortunate.
Had he not chosen a worthy master to rely upon, he would likely have already perished in this great calamity.
With that thought,
Kunpeng looked at Lu Changqing with heartfelt gratitude.
Great Master, the war between the Witch and Demon Clans has lasted a hundred years, and all living beings are terrified.
Has no one come to exchange for merit anymore?
Lu Changqing frowned faintly upon hearing this.
How can that be! If I let them slaughter each other like this, when will I ever spend all these hundred trillion merits?
Kunpeng was left speechless upon hearing Lu Changqing mutter to himself.
The Primordial Wilderness was engulfed in war, yet Great Master was still thinking about squandering merit? Truly worthy of being the Primordial Wilderness's number one spendthrift!
Unaware of Kunpeng's thoughts, Lu Changqing pondered aloud, "Kunpeng, come with me!"
Before his words had faded, heaven and earth suddenly shook.
Above the Demon Clan Heavenly Court, the Array of All Stars that enveloped the Thirty-three Heavens was already on the verge of collapse.
With an earth-shaking boom, beneath the terrified gazes of countless demon clan members, stars fell, the sun and moon lost their light, and the great array collapsed with a roar.
Countless stars fell dimly, scattering across the earth like fallen leaves.
Di Jun let out a shrill roar, spat out a mouthful of **, and went pale as death.
The demon clan's final barrier had shattered!
"Hahaha!"
Di Jiang laughed loudly and raised his arm, shouting, "Witch Clan warriors, follow me and break through the Heavenly Court!"
"Break through the Heavenly Court!"
Billions of Witch Clan warriors beat their war drums and charged into the clouds with resounding steps, making the towering Heavenly Court tremble.
Faced with the surging Witch Clan army, billions of demon clan members retreated in despair.
At this moment, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, flew into a rage and roared toward the heavens, "Don't even think about it!"
Amid the drumbeats, the murderous gleam in the Twelve Ancestral Witches' eyes grew even fiercer.
Clang—
A resounding bell toll echoed throughout the universe. Eastern Emperor Taiyi unleashed the Primordial Supreme Treasure, the Chaos Bell, its terrifying might shaking past and present.
Eastern Emperor Taiyi shouted angrily, "Even if heaven and earth collapse and all realms are destroyed! Since you wish to fight today, then we shall fight to the death!"
He poured all his power into it, and the Chaos Bell swelled with the wind, like heaven and earth hanging upside down.
The bell's toll echoed without end as the heavens tipped and the earth cracked!
Just as the demon clan prepared to make their final stand, the space-time of heaven and earth suddenly froze.
Purple qi stretched for thousands of miles in the east, rosy clouds formed a long bridge, golden lotuses surged forth, and Dao rhythms flowed.
A Daoist in azure robes leisurely emerged from the River of Time and Space. In an instant, Saintly Might surged forth, and rosy light illuminated all heavens—the teacher of all saints, the Xuanmen Dao Ancestor Hongjun, had descended upon the Primordial Wilderness!
All living beings of the Primordial Wilderness were shaken.
As space-time froze, all the saints of the Primordial Wilderness were alerted.
Within Kunlun Mountain, Primordial Heavenly Venerate abruptly opened his eyes. The sight of falling stars was reflected in his gaze as he cried out in shock, "Master has descended once more?"
Ever since Hongjun had Integrated with Dao, the Dao Ancestor had rarely revealed himself.
The last time he had appeared was when the Witch and Demon Clans first went to war.
Could Master intend to stop the war between the Witch and Demon Clans?
At the same time, Taiqing Laozi of Shouyang Mountain also sensed it.
Before you continue