For a Time

For a time, the two races chased each other relentlessly. Today, one side would open up a world, and tomorrow, the other would immediately follow suit!

Today, the Golden Light of Merit fell upon the Witch Clan; tomorrow, it would descend upon the Demon Clan.

The countless beings of the Primordial Wilderness were left dumbfounded.

Good heavens, had these two overlords really started competing to such an extent?

Seeing that they could not widen the gap, the Witch Clan grew anxious as well.

They wanted first place, and they wanted to surpass the Demon Clan!

Brothers, we can lose to anyone but those two scruffy birds and their Demon Clan!

Set up the Great Heavenly Fiend Array!

At Di Jiang's command, the Twelve Ancestral Witches rose at once.

Rumble—

In an instant, a vast pressure swept across the Primordial Wilderness.

Billions upon billions of living beings were shocked, all turning their astonished gazes toward it.

Then, a giant that seemed to support heaven and earth rose majestically.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches formed the grand array, summoning Pangu's Phantom and madly creating worlds.

Pangu's Phantom swung his enormous axe. With one strike, a Middle Thousand World was born.

Strike after strike fell, and countless Middle Thousand Worlds emerged in succession.

Witnessing this, Di Jun was stunned at first, then flew into a rage.

You Witch Clan, do you really have to compete to this extent?

You even brought out the Great Heavenly Fiend Array and used Pangu's Phantom to create worlds!

Your Witch Clan's way of thinking is truly bizarre!

Immediately afterward, Di Jun hardened his heart as well.

All Demon Clan members, heed my command! Set up the Grand Star Array of the Heavens!

At Di Jun's order, the entire Demon Clan Heavenly Court responded at once.

The Three Hundred and Sixty Righteous Gods, along with Eastern Emperor Taiyi, Demon Emperor Di Jun, Fu Xi, and other great powers, each guarded a vital position within the formation.

In an instant, the Thirty-three Heavens erupted with earth-shaking power.

So long as the beings of the Primordial Wilderness looked up, they could see the Demon Clan linking the stars across the sky into one vast whole.

Dazzling starlight gathered into power capable of destroying heaven and earth.

Having obtained such power, the Demon Clan immediately began creating worlds like mad.

The Witch and Demon Clans then launched into a fierce contest.

Both sides plunged into a frenzied state of competition.

The beings of the Primordial Wilderness could only stare in utter disbelief at the scene.

Please, stop competing already!

Are you leaving anyone else a way to survive?

Yet the matter was far from over.

Seeing the Demon Clan catch up once more, the Witch Clan simply went all out.

They brought out every treasured spiritual pill, wondrous medicine, and Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure they had stored away.

Even the most precious immortal fruits were swallowed whole.

All for the sake of briefly increasing their strength and continuing this contest of world creation.

Pangu's Phantom grew increasingly solid.

Its speed at opening heaven and splitting earth increased once again!

This contest was clearly going to continue to the very end!

On the Demon Clan's side, Di Jun was furious beyond measure.

He immediately opened the treasury and took out every treasure that could improve cultivation!

If they wanted to fight, then fight!

Who was afraid of whom!

Since the Witch Clan wanted to compete, the Demon Clan would accompany them to the bitter end!

With the two races fighting so desperately, not only the beings of the Primordial Wilderness, but even the Sages took notice.

Fortunately, they still cannot open up Great Thousand Worlds."

Within the Eight Sceneries Palace, Taiqing watched the battle between the Witch and Demon Clans and secretly felt relieved.

At this rate, if they truly could open up Great Thousand Worlds, the Sages' leisurely days would likely be over.

The other Sages also breathed sighs of relief.

Inside Biyou Palace.

Sect Master Tongtian quietly observed the conflict between the two races, deep in thought.

Not long after.

A heaven-shaking immortal light suddenly shot up from the direction of Golden Ao Island.

This disturbance immediately drew the attention of all the Sages.

Tongtian had gathered all of the Interception Sect's ** and set up the Myriad Immortals Formation!

He was mobilizing the strength of the entire sect to open up a Great Thousand World!

In an instant, raging waves surged across the Eastern Sea, and Saintly Might shook heaven and earth!

Upon seeing this.

Primordial Heavenly Venerate froze on the spot!

Tongtian! Enough is enough! Do Sages need to compete like this too?

Yuanshi, Nuwa, Taiqing, and the other Sages stared at the immortal light soaring from Golden Ao Island, utterly shocked.

No one had expected the Interception Sect to make such a move.

Just moments ago, they had been celebrating that the Witch and Demon Clans could not affect the Sages.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Tongtian had led his ** to open up a Great Thousand World.

Was this meant to spark competition among the Sages?

Taiqing, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti were all bewildered.

Yuanshi directly rebuked him.

Tongtian, enough! It is one thing for others to compete, but are Sages joining in too?

Tongtian had long been prepared and explained to the Sages:

I truly have no choice. My Interception Sect has many disciples, and there are countless juniors to support. We might as well unite our efforts and build a great undertaking together. That way, we can also accumulate more merit!

At these words, the corners of the Sages' eyes twitched.

They now understood that Tongtian was determined to accelerate the opening of Great Thousand Worlds.

For the moment, the other Sages had no solution.

After all, this was someone else's freedom.

They now had only two choices: either watch as they had before, or join this competition.

At this moment.

The Chan Sect's ** also learned of the Interception Sect's actions.

Hearing that the Interception Sect had set up the Myriad Immortals Formation to create worlds, they felt deeply displeased.

A bunch of furred and horned creatures, merely lucky enough to stumble into good fortune!

So what if they gained merit? Could they use it to attain the Dao?

Someone said sourly.

Some went even further. Taiyi Zhenren, one of the Twelve Golden Immortals, sneered:

Those born damp and hatched from eggs dare dream of seeking the Dao? What a joke. They will only tarnish the good name of our Mystic Gate!

The moment those words were spoken, the Interception Sect erupted.

The Chan Sect people had gone too far!

Among the Interception Sect's **, three girls of exceptional bearing were filled with indignation.

They were the Three Sisters of Sanxiao, elite ** of the outer sect.

Are Chan Sect ** somehow superior? What gives them the right to look down on our origins?

In truth, the Chan and Jie Sects had long harbored grievances against each other.

The root lay in the differing philosophies of the two Sages when they founded their sects.

At first, the conflict had not been obvious.

But as time passed, the Sages' philosophies influenced their disciples.

The friction between the ** of the two sects grew increasingly severe.

In the end, it led to the Three Pure Ones splitting apart.

After the split, the conflict appeared to ease on the surface.

In truth, undercurrents ran deep and only intensified.

The hostility between the ** of the two sects grew deeper and deeper.

At this moment, that hostility erupted completely.

Seeing the ** of the two sects at daggers drawn and about to fight.

Tongtian hurriedly stopped them, soothing his agitated disciples.

Do not fight yet. Opening worlds is the priority now. We can settle the other grudges later."

Though the Interception Sect's ** were unwilling, they understood what was urgent and what was not.

Once they opened worlds, gained merit, and improved their strength, it would not be too late to settle accounts with the Chan Sect.

Thus, they all agreed.

We obey Master's decree."

Primordial Heavenly Venerate also stopped his **.

He had thought it through as well.

The Interception Sect was already working this hard, so he could no longer remain as carefree as before.

The Chan Sect had to take action too.

After all, his disciples were all elites. How could they lose to Tongtian's unorthodox rabble?

But Yuanshi soon sighed.

Unfortunately, he truly did not have as many disciples as the Interception Sect!

Within the Eight Sceneries Palace on Shouyang Mountain.

Taiqing Laozi looked deeply at his two disciples—Xuan Du and Du E.

The two disciples exchanged bitter smiles and spread their hands together.

Master, do not count on us. We ** truly cannot manage it."

Within Wa Imperial Palace.

Nuwa looked around her Daoist field, where there were only her mount, Jin Ning, and the Daoist child Ling Zhuzi.

She fell silent for a long while.

In the end, she could only let out a soft sigh.

Forget it. I will just work quietly on my own.

In the Western Pure Land.

The two venerables, Jieyin and Zhunti, rose with a sweep of their sleeves. They gathered all the Buddhist Sect's ** and commanded the beings of the West as well, intending to pour the strength of the entire region into seizing the initiative in this grand undertaking of world creation!

In an instant, a contest spanning the Primordial Wilderness began. From the Primordial Sages above to ordinary mortals below, all threw themselves into it.

The heaven and earth of the Primordial Wilderness changed with each passing day.

In the span of a moment, tens of thousands of worlds were born.

Within the boundless void, Great Thousand Worlds dotted the expanse like stars, Middle Thousand Worlds resembled an inverted Milky Way, and Minor Worlds were as countless as the sands of the Ganges!

The Golden Light of Merit flowed without end, like sweet rain falling from heaven.

Within Wuji Heaven.

Lu Changqing stood by the railing and gazed into the distance, a smile at the corner of his lips.

Watching the Golden Light of Merit continuously appear throughout heaven and earth, every strand meant a reduction in his own merit—

At that thought, he could not help clapping his hands and laughing.

This plan was truly excellent.

What an ingenious idea.

It seemed that exhausting those hundred trillion merits was already within reach!

Suddenly, Daoist Shenmu entered with a bow and respectfully reported:

Reporting to Saintly Venerable, Kong Xuan, a cultivator of the Primordial Wilderness, seeks an audience outside.

May I summon him?

Lu Changqing's brow shifted slightly.

Why had Yuanfeng's son, the being hailed as the strongest beneath the Sages during the Investiture of the Gods calamity, whose Five-Colored Divine Light shook all directions, come to visit at this time?

After a brief consideration, he gave the order to summon him.

A handsome cultivator clad in a five-colored feathered robe gracefully entered.

Kong Xuan greets Saintly Venerable!

Saintly Venerable is compassionate and blesses all living beings. Kong Xuan has admired you for a long time!

Lu Changqing calmly accepted the greeting, though his gaze carefully examined this future peerless powerhouse.

At present, Kong Xuan had only just entered the Quasi-Saint realm and was still far from his later fame.

Just state your purpose."

Kong Xuan took a deep breath and solemnly said: To be honest, Kong Xuan came here for the Phoenix Race's **!

After the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, the Three Races had sworn a Heavenly Dao Oath to preserve their bloodlines—

The Dragon Clan would forever guard the Four Seas, the Kirin would become symbols of auspiciousness, and the Phoenix Race would guard the Hundred Thousand Volcanoes for all generations.

We beg the Saintly Venerable for mercy and ask you to help our race break free from these shackles!

Having said that, he bowed heavily.

Lu Changqing's eyes lit up at his words.

The Phoenix Race... weren't they ready-made allies?

Looking again at Kong Xuan, he possessed an innate Five Elements body and had been formed from Yuanfeng's origin. He was truly promising material.

Why should he need to be a servant?

With a smile, Lu Changqing helped Kong Xuan up. "Are you willing to attain Sagehood?"

Kong Xuan was momentarily stunned.

That look... why did it seem like a hunter spotting prey?

Yet for the sake of his people, he still nodded firmly.

Lu Changqing took out a scroll of contract, and its terms left Kong Xuan utterly shocked—

It actually contained a promise to help someone attain Sagehood?

Though he had doubts, Kong Xuan resolutely signed the Daoist Contract to save his people.

Lu Changqing immediately took him to Immortal Volcano.

This source of the Primordial Wilderness's fire veins blazed with towering flames all year round.

"This is the place?"

Lu Changqing asked.

Seeing Kong Xuan nod, he immediately brought out the Heavenly Dao Divine Staff.

"In the name of the Heavenly Dao, I command the Phoenix Race to return to the world!"

The moment his words fell, clear cries rang out from the depths of the volcano.

Hundreds of flaming figures shot into the sky!

All living beings of the Primordial Wilderness were stunned.

Saint Changqing had actually lifted the Phoenix Race's seal?

"Welcome, Phoenix Race, to join in the grand undertaking of creation!"

The crowd finally understood upon hearing this—

Sure enough, that was the Saintly Venerable's usual style!

Even the Phoenix Race, which had lain dormant for ages, had been drawn into this world-shaking endeavor!

A majestic figure that had flown out from Immortal Volcano cried out:

"Our race has finally seen the light of day again!"

Amid the surging flames, the Nine Heavens Divine Phoenix cried in unison, their resounding calls echoing across the universe.

The entire sky was dyed crimson— the Phoenix Race had been reborn through fire!

Lu Changqing stood in the air, the Heavenly Dao Scepter in hand.

With a light sweep of the scepter, the Heavenly Dao Restriction sealing Immortal Volcano shattered at once.

The Phoenix Race was finally free.

All beings of the Primordial Wilderness who witnessed this were utterly shocked.

The Heavenly Dao Restriction had actually been broken?

As expected of Immortal Venerable Changqing!

He had so easily undone the Heavenly Dao shackles binding the Phoenix Clan.

One had to know that sealing the Phoenix Race back then had been the will of the Heavenly Dao.

Even Sages would have found it difficult to break it so effortlessly.

Only Immortal Venerable Changqing, who wielded the Heavenly Dao Scepter, could accomplish such a thing!

The Six Saints watched from afar, their eyes full of envy.

The Heavenly Dao Scepter—this was a supreme treasure that commanded Heavenly Dao Authority.

Without it, even as Sages, they would find it difficult to shake the Heavenly Dao's restrictions.

After all, they ultimately remained beneath the Heavenly Dao.

Unless one became a Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Immortal, there might be a sliver of possibility.

"This supreme treasure symbolizing Heavenly Dao Authority belongs solely to Fellow Daoist Lu Changqing in all the Primordial Wilderness!"

"It truly makes others green with envy."

Yuanshi sighed faintly.

Jieyin and Zhunti were equally filled with emotion.

But envy was futile.

After all, Lu Changqing was the only one in the entire Primordial Wilderness who was so extraordinary.

He addressed the Heavenly Dao as a brother and treated it like a nephew.

Such a person had never been seen since ancient times!

It was simply inconceivable!

If Lu Changqing had not given them so much, even the Six Saints would have struggled to accept such a reality.

Sigh...

"We are all poor men!"

Tongtian spoke his mind directly.

It left Laozi and the other Sages unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Who in the Primordial Wilderness would dare claim that a Sage was poor? They would surely be struck down by heavenly punishment.

But compared with Lu Changqing...

They truly were short on funds.

After all, compared to Lu Changqing casually bestowing merit, they were indeed utterly outclassed.

Still, Tongtian's words were truly disheartening.

The Phoenix Race returned to the world.

Flames scorched the heavens.

The clan leader, Yuan Qing, took human form and respectfully knelt before Lu Changqing.

He declared loudly, "The Phoenix Race thanks Saint Changqing for the grace of granting us new life!"

Behind him, tens of thousands of Phoenix Race members knelt in unison.

"We thank Saint Changqing!"

The crowd was deeply stirred.

They had been imprisoned within Immortal Volcano by the Heavenly Dao for endless years.