He knew that the Witch Clan and the Demon Clan had already become sworn enemies, so it did not matter how fiercely he clashed with the Demon Clan.
But the Three Pure Ones were reclusive great powers and belonged to a neutral faction.
If he angered the Three Pure Ones, he would be making enemies for the Witch Clan and become a sinner of the Witch Clan.
Seeing that Zhu Rong had calmed down, Taishang Laojun said, "Friends of the Witch Clan and Demon Clan, give us some face. How about setting aside this grudge for now?"
In truth, Taishang Laojun and the other two did not want to get involved in the conflict between the Witch Clan and Demon Clan. They were a neutral faction and had no ambition to dominate the primordial world.
Perhaps they did possess such ambitions, but they had no intention of ruling through a race.
Getting involved in this sort of racial conflict would not only bring them little benefit, but might also drag them into war and bring trouble upon themselves.
Yet today, they had still decided to intervene in the dispute between Eastern Emperor Taiyi, Di Jun, Gong Gong, and Zhu Rong, not because they loved peace, but because of the Opportunity on Buzhou Mountain.
Their thoughts were the same as Hong Yun's. They feared that a great war between the Witch and Demon Clans might trigger unforeseen changes, causing them to lose their sense of the Opportunity and miss it entirely.
What Taishang Laojun really meant to say to Zhu Rong and Eastern Emperor Taiyi was, if you want to fight, do not fight here. Go somewhere else and fight all you want. Do not disturb me while I seek my Opportunity.
But if he said that aloud, the Three Pure Ones might offend both the Witch Clan and Demon Clan at once, and that would hardly be worth it.
Besides, saying something like that would be far too undignified and somewhat damage the Three Pure Ones' lofty image.
So, they chose a more tactful way to mediate.
Both the Witch and Demon Clans held the Three Pure Ones in great awe, because their strength had always stood at the peak of the primordial world. Moreover, they had now become disciples of Saints, making them figures no one in the entire primordial world wished to offend.
And if Eastern Emperor Taiyi was not mistaken, the strength of the Three Pure Ones had already broken through to the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, once again pulling ahead of the entire primordial world.
With such powerful figures speaking up, no matter how displeased Eastern Emperor Taiyi and Di Jun were with Zhu Rong and Gong Gong, they could only agree with Taishang Laojun and give him face.
Zhu Rong and Gong Gong were no match for Eastern Emperor Taiyi to begin with, so Taishang Laojun's intervention had instead resolved their predicament. They felt somewhat grateful to the Three Pure Ones.
Eastern Emperor Taiyi put away the Chaos Bell and said, "Then this time, I will give the three fellow Daoists some face."
"Then we'll spare these two feathered pests for now!"
Zhu Rong and Gong Gong also cupped their fists toward the Three Pure Ones.
"Many thanks, fellow Daoists."
Taishang Laojun smiled faintly.
That was the advantage of having such a lofty reputation. Most people had to give the Three Pure Ones face.
Except for a few troublesome characters in the primordial world, like Fuxi.
Having mediated the conflict between the two ancestral witches and the two great demon emperors, Taishang Laojun swept his gaze around, noticed Hong Yun and Zhenyuanzi, and asked, "What have you two fellow Daoists come here for?"
"Naturally, for the Opportunity."
Hong Yun answered frankly.
In truth, with Grand Unity Golden Immortals from every side suddenly gathering at Buzhou Mountain, even an idiot could tell something was going on.
"It seems everyone shares the same goal. Then whether one obtains this Opportunity will depend on one's own fortune."
Taishang Laojun said.
Eastern Emperor Taiyi and Di Jun's mouths twitched slightly. With three peak Grand Unity Golden Immortals like the Three Pure Ones arriving, obtaining the Opportunity had become much more difficult.
Hong Yun also felt that obtaining the Opportunity this time seemed rather uncertain. He could not defeat any one of the Three Pure Ones.
Only Zhu Rong and Gong Gong scratched their heads in confusion and asked, "What Opportunity?"
The two of them had been fighting fiercely on Buzhou Mountain for over a hundred years, yet they had not noticed the divine light emitted by the Chaos Gourd Vine.
But since they had encountered it, they certainly would not leave. They also intended to try their luck with this Opportunity.
Thus, led by the Three Pure Ones, the group began searching deeper into Buzhou Mountain for the location of the Opportunity.
Nuwa Battles Eastern Emperor Taiyi
To conceal the Heavenly Secrets of the Chaos Gourd Vine, Fuxi had set up over a thousand illusion and maze formations of all sizes across Buzhou Mountain.
Many of those formations served only to confuse people. There was nothing inside them; they merely gave the appearance of containing an Opportunity.
While the Three Pure Ones, Hong Yun, and the others searched Buzhou Mountain for the Opportunity, they encountered many such formations.
When Taishang Laojun discovered the first illusory formation, he confidently broke it. Immortal light flickered deep within the formation, but there were only a few wild grasses growing there.
This disappointed the Three Pure Ones and the others, who had been hoping to obtain an Opportunity.
But they were, after all, great powers of the primordial world. Their mental states remained steady enough for them to continue exploring deeper.
But when Taishang Laojun broke open the three-hundredth formation and discovered that there were only two wild rabbits inside, his face turned red, as red as the fire in his alchemy furnace.
"The one who set these formations is far too cunning!"
Yuanshi Tianzun said through gritted teeth.
Every time he broke a formation, his heart plunged swiftly from anticipation into disappointment. That roller-coaster of emotional highs and lows had enraged Yuanshi Tianzun so much that he could no longer maintain his composure.
Zhu Rong and Gong Gong also gradually became impatient. They had not expected the person who set the formations to create hundreds of them. There was definitely something wrong with that person.
As for Eastern Emperor Taiyi and Di Jun, they began breaking formations by force, directly bringing out the Chaos Bell, River Diagram, and Luo Shu to smash them apart.
Hong Yun and Zhenyuanzi, meanwhile, followed behind the great powers, happily eating Ginseng Fruit as they watched the Three Pure Ones break formations.
However, although Fuxi had set up hundreds of layers of formations, the Three Pure Ones and the others had some affinity with the Chaos Gourd Vine itself. They possessed a special sense for it, so they still advanced toward its true location.
When Taishang Laojun rode his azure cloud above a valley, he sensed that the aura and divine light there were somewhat unusual.
Excitement appeared even in Taishang Laojun's placid eyes. He sensed that the Opportunity was here. There could be no mistake this time!
He stopped Eastern Emperor Taiyi, who wanted to break the formation by force, and said, "Do not act rashly. The Opportunity is here. We have arrived."
"We finally found it!"
The others gazed excitedly at the final formation.
At the very least, their temperaments had indeed been tempered by those formations. By that logic, they should thank Fuxi.
Of course, their tempers had also become somewhat more volatile.
When Taishang Laojun used a streak of clear light to break the formation within the valley, a Gourd Vine bearing seven small gourds appeared before everyone.
The seven small gourds upon the vine emitted a wondrous Dao rhythm, thrilling everyone present.
However, a figure flew up from within the valley and blocked their path.
"Fellow Daoists, three Senior Brothers, my apologies. My elder brother and I have already claimed this spiritual root."
Nuwa said with a solemn expression.
"Hm? So you and your brother were the ones who set those formations!"
Yuanshi Tianzun's anger immediately flared. Who could have imagined that those formations had been set by Fuxi, who had previously made him suffer a setback?
He had already been deeply dissatisfied with Fuxi after suffering at his hands. Now that he had been tormented by Fuxi's formations for so long, Yuanshi Tianzun felt as miserable as if he had eaten a plate of fermented intestines.
When they heard Nuwa say that she and Fuxi had already claimed the spiritual root, naturally none of them accepted her claim.
Eastern Emperor Taiyi said, "Any Opportunity is seized by the strong. Since when is there a rule that whoever arrives first gets it?"
Gong Gong also said, "You siblings are truly overbearing. You occupy a spiritual root and claim it as your own. If you occupied the summit of Buzhou Mountain, would that mean Buzhou Mountain also belonged to you?"
Nuwa found it difficult to argue, but Fuxi had not yet emerged from seclusion. To protect the Chaos Gourd Vine, she could only stand firm above the valley.
Nuwa said, "My elder brother discovered this spiritual root through great effort. No one may take it away!"
Yuanshi Tianzun spoke righteously, "Junior Sister Nuwa, you have gone astray by following your brother. As the saying goes, treasures under heaven belong to the virtuous. We are all destined for it, so how can we return empty-handed?"
Although Taishang Laojun and Sect Master Tongtian said nothing, both of them stared at the Chaos Gourd Vine with burning eyes.
Faced with the encirclement of so many powerful figures from the primordial world, Nuwa naturally felt anxious and worried.
If Fuxi did not come out soon, she feared she would be unable to protect the Gourd Vine.
At that moment, Eastern Emperor Taiyi took out the Chaos Bell and said to Nuwa in a deep voice, "Nuwa, I respect you as a disciple of a Saint, and because you and I are both of the Demon Clan. If you still refuse to recognize what is good for you, I will have to act."
Yuanshi Tianzun also threatened, "Junior Sister Nuwa, if you are as stubborn and unteachable as Fuxi, then as your Senior Brother, I will have to teach you a lesson."
Zhu Rong and Gong Gong also watched Nuwa, waiting to see what she would do.
Hong Yun shook his head and said, "Sigh, so many people bullying one person... it does not feel right."
But Zhenyuanzi pulled Hong Yun back and said, "Brother Dao, this is a contest for Opportunity. Do not speak nonsense."
Nuwa stood in the air above the valley, hesitating for a long time before finally speaking with resolve:
"First, Yuanshi, if you slander my elder brother again, there will be no more fellowship between us as members of the same sect. There will be only grudges. You wish to teach me a lesson? I am not afraid of you."
"Second, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, though we are both of the Demon Clan, you intend to seize my Opportunity. Naturally, I will not yield."
Nuwa's words rang with force.
Though facing so many Grand Unity Golden Immortals was dangerous, Nuwa still chose to hold her ground to the death and never yield the Opportunity.
"Good! Since you refuse to step aside, do not blame us for taking it by force!"
Eastern Emperor Taiyi directly brought forth the Chaos Bell and charged toward Nuwa.
Although the others also wanted to act, they did not wish to gang up on her, so they chose to first observe the battle between Nuwa and Eastern Emperor Taiyi.
In truth, Nuwa and Eastern Emperor Taiyi's cultivation levels were extremely close. Both possessed late-stage strength nearing the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, but Eastern Emperor Taiyi's treasure was simply too overwhelming.
Nuwa brought forth the string of beads Fuxi had given her to contend against Eastern Emperor Taiyi's Chaos Bell.
But that string of beads was merely an ordinary Innate Spiritual Treasure. Before the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Chaos Bell, its power was suppressed so heavily that it could not be brought out at all.
Although Nuwa was not weak, she truly could not defeat Eastern Emperor Taiyi when he wielded the Chaos Bell.
Clang!
With a tremendous roar, the Chaos Bell sent Nuwa's string of beads flying. Nuwa herself was forced back several steps by the bell's shockwaves, blood spilling from the corner of her lips.
Holding the Chaos Bell, Eastern Emperor Taiyi laughed loudly. "What disciple of a Saint? Before my Chaos Bell, you are utterly vulnerable."
Nuwa looked gravely at Eastern Emperor Taiyi and retrieved her string of emerald-green beads into her hand.
Fuxi Suppresses the Eastern Emperor
Although Zhu Rong and Gong Gong detested Eastern Emperor Taiyi immensely, as the two sides were racial enemies, they had to admit that Eastern Emperor Taiyi, with the Chaos Bell in hand, was indeed extremely powerful and could wield strength at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.
Before you continue