A Foot of Dao, a Zhang of Demonic Might

As soon as they set foot in the Western Realm, the six great cultivators frowned in unison. Even the perpetually aloof Yang Mei's eyes flickered with disgust. The blood fiend energy here had thickened to an inky black, like viscous ink saturating every inch of space. A nauseating stench—a foul blend of blood, rot, venom, and countless negative auras—assaulted their senses, piercing straight to their Primordial Spirits and turning their stomachs. Fairy Wang Shu, pure by nature, was most sensitive to such filth; her face paled and she nearly retched, only finding relief after circulating Star Immortal Light to shield herself.

Atop Mount Sumeru's Demonic Palace, Luohu stood with his hands behind his back, his crimson cloak snapping in the demonic wind. He coldly watched the six figures, a cruel smirk curling at his lips. Sword shadows flickered behind him—he had been waiting here for a long time.

Meanwhile, Li Cha, perfectly hidden by the Chaos Pearl, had been trailing the group like a ghost. The moment the six great cultivators drew all attention by formally entering the Western Realm and triggering Luohu's focus, he silently activated the Spirit Vine Boundless divine ability.

Using the spirit tea trees scattered around Mount Sumeru as his "eyes," he ignored spatial distance and appeared the next instant at the mountain's base, where the Sha Qi was even denser.

The sight before him made his heart sink. The Cloud Mist Spirit Tea Trees, born from his own origin seeds, were in terrible shape. Their once-verdant leaves were largely withered and curled, their spiritual light dim, and black qi even seeped from their branches—clearly the result of long-term erosion by the pervasive demonic energy of this Western land. Their origin was being slowly ground away by the demonic qi; at this rate, in a few more years, these spirit tea trees would wither completely, their spirituality extinguished.

"You've suffered," Li Cha murmured, a mix of pity and anger rising in his heart. He quickly took out pure Spiritual Spring stored inside the Chaos Pearl, carefully watered each dying tea tree, and used his gentle Wood Spirit Vitality to soothe their meridians, temporarily stabilizing their injuries. "Hold on a little longer. When this is over, this land will change," he said softly. The tea trees rustled their branches in response.

Just as Li Cha was secretly tending to the spirit tea trees, the world-shaking battle before Mount Sumeru had already erupted!

"Zhu Xian Sword Formation, rise!"

At Luohu's command, the four directions of the sky were torn apart by four distinct yet equally ferocious Sword Intents! The Zhu Xian Sword was vicious, the Lu Xian Sword domineering, the Xian Xian Sword eerie, and the Jue Xian Sword annihilating! The four swords hung in the four directions, their sword qi weaving into a net that enveloped heaven and earth, dragging the six great cultivators into the formation! The formation diagram spun, drawing on the Sha Qi of the Western earth veins, amplifying its power!

Within the sword formation, killing intent was infinite. Sword qi crisscrossed, evolving Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind, returning all to chaos! The six felt their pressure multiply, their own Dao rhymes suppressed by the fierce sword qi.

Wang Shu, relying on her exquisite understanding of formations, tried to find the pattern of the sword formation's operation and dismantle the connection between the four swords. Starlight flickered in her eyes as she calculated the formation's eye. But the Zhu Xian Sword Formation was infinitely variable; the moment she pressed forward slightly, a condensed Zhu Xian Sword Qi stabbed toward her back, too fast to react!

"Careful!" At the critical moment, Ancestor Yin Yang shouted. The Taiji Diagram behind him unfurled, Yin Yang Energies swirling into a massive Taiji shield that barely blocked the fatal strike! Even so, the residual force of the sword qi sent Wang Shu's blood churning, her fair face paling further.

"Don't be reckless! This formation is dangerous—we must break it together!" Hongjun barked, quickly assigning tasks. "Four of us, each take one sword to pin it down! Fellow Daoist Yang Mei, please coordinate!"

With the plan set, the six moved at once.

Hongjun wielded the Pangu Banner, the Fragment of the Jade Disc of Creation above his head raining down ten thousand purple auras to protect him, and the Twelve-Petal Golden Lotus of Merit beneath his feet blooming with boundless golden light. He held the center steady, directly confronting Demon Ancestor Luohu, who wielded the God-Slaying Spear, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner fluttering above his head, and the World-Destroying Black Lotus rising and falling beneath his feet! The life-and-death battle between two Peak Quasi-Saints instantly reached a fever pitch.

On the other side, the four Quasi-Saints each faced a sword:

Ancestor Yin Yang, with the Taiji Diagram on his back and the Yin Yang Mirror in hand, manifested the Yin Yang Great Dao. Black and white divine light swept out, stabilizing a region of void. Following Wang Shu's guidance, he took on the most unpredictable Jue Xian Sword.

Ancestor Qiankun, with the Qiankun Cauldron above his head and Profound Yellow Qi cascading down, was immune to all laws. Holding the Hongmeng Measuring Heaven Ruler, he unleashed countless ruler shadows that measured heaven and earth, charging with overwhelming force to intercept the most vicious Zhu Xian Sword.

Ancestor Five Elements, surrounded by the Five Spirit Pearls, evolved a Five Elements world of mutual generation and restraint. Wielding the Five Elements Whip, he drew on the five elemental energies of heaven and earth, clashing with the domineering Lu Xian Sword.

Fairy Wang Shu, with the Star Seal above her head channeling Stellar Power and the Star Sword in hand, her sword light like a galaxy pouring down, also tossed out Star Crystals one after another, precisely striking the operational nodes of the Xian Xian Sword, disrupting its sword qi condensation and preventing it from unleashing its full power.

Great Immortal Yang Mei held a Willow Branch, Space Laws manifesting around him, ready to support at any moment.

All four were top-tier cultivators of the Primordial Wilderness. Each used their own methods, and they actually managed to temporarily pin down the four Ferocious Swords, preventing them from resonating with each other. The core of the Zhu Xian Sword Formation lay in the formation diagram linking the four swords to create a lethal domain. Now that the four swords were separated, the diagram's power was greatly weakened, and the formation's might dropped a level!

Wang Shu's beautiful eyes lit up—she knew the opportunity had come! She had already secretly set up a Grand Celestial Stars Sealing Formation, using her understanding of formations and the resonance of the Star Crystals.

"Grand Celestial Stars, heed my command! Seal heaven and earth, sever its roots! Activate!"

She cried out sharply. The Star Crystals she had scattered earlier, along with her own vast Star Immortal Power, erupted simultaneously! Dazzling starlight forcibly pierced through the thick blood fiend demon clouds, establishing a connection with the stars beyond the sky. It transformed into Star Light Ropes, like a heavenly net, that lashed toward the Zhu Xian Formation Diagram suspended at the center of the sword formation!

"Buzz!"

The formation diagram trembled violently. Its connection to the four swords was forcibly disrupted and severed by the star power! Without the diagram's coordination, the four swords, though still Top-grade Innate Spirit Treasures, could no longer form the unbreakable sword formation that required four sages to defeat!

The sword formation was broken!

The Zhu Xian Formation Diagram dimmed, suppressed and seized by Wang Shu with the Star Seal! And without the diagram's enhancement, the four Ferocious Swords' power plummeted. Before long, they were captured and sealed by the combined efforts of Qiankun, Yin Yang, Five Elements, and Wang Shu!

"No!" Luohu roared, his eyes splitting as he saw the formation broken. His greatest reliance had been shattered this way!

Despair and rage consumed his reason. His attacks grew even more frenzied, reckless! The God-Slaying Spear moved like a mad demon, abandoning all defense for offense. He even endured the Star Sword light Wang Shu swung at him, driving the spear straight at Hongjun's Dao body!

"Pfft!"

The God-Slaying Spear's sharpness pierced through the Golden Lotus of Merit's defensive light barrier. Though its power was greatly reduced, it still left a vicious bloody hole in Hongjun's shoulder, demonic energy frantically corroding!

"Now!" Luohu's body faltered under Wang Shu's attack, and the others seized that fleeting moment!

The Qiankun Cauldron descended from above! The Yin Yang Mirror's black and white divine light swept down! The Five Elements Whip tore through the sky! Countless divine abilities and spirit treasures rained down on Luohu like a storm!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!..."

Luohu's demonic body cracked, demon blood splattering through the air, his aura instantly wilting.

"You forced me!!" Luohu let out a hysterical roar, the last shred of reason in his eyes extinguished. He threw his arms wide. On the Western earth, the densest blood fiend energy and the Resentment Power of countless fallen demon armies and living beings surged toward him like a Hundred Rivers Flowing into the Sea!

A terrifying energy fluctuation that made souls tremble erupted from him. Space shattered like fragile glass, forming a massive black hole vortex! Even the attacks of the several Quasi-Saints were intercepted and deflected by the violent energy currents!

He was forcibly absorbing this boundless Karma and blood fiend energy to break through to the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal of the Origin! Breaking through in such an evil way would inevitably destabilize his Dao foundation, risking a fall at any moment, or even plunging his mind into the demonic abyss forever. But if he could temporarily gain sage-level power, it would be enough to crush these enemies! Afterward, a blood sacrifice of the entire Primordial Wilderness would suffice to mend his foundation!

His plan was vicious and effective. The six great cultivators' faces changed drastically as they felt the terrifying pressure climbing step by step, already touching the threshold of sagehood. They knew this was bad!

"Stop him!" Hongjun shouted, swinging the Pangu Banner with all his might. Chaos Sword Qi tore through the void!

Qiankun, Yin Yang, Five Elements, Wang Shu, and Yang Mei also didn't hesitate. Each unleashed their ultimate trump cards. A torrent of multicolored, destructive energy blasted toward the center of the energy vortex!

But the power Luohu had gathered was too immense. The combined attack of the six vanished like mud thrown into the sea. Though it made the energy vortex tremble violently, it fell just short of completely interrupting his breakthrough process!

In the sky, the Heavenly Dao responded. Dark Tribulation Clouds began to gather—the Primordial Thunder Tribulation for attaining the Dao! Once the lightning tribulation fell, regardless of success or failure, it meant Luohu had already taken that half-step!

Just as Luohu's aura neared perfection and a savage, mad grin spread across his face, and the Primordial Thunder Tribulation was about to strike—

Suddenly, a strange fragrance—elegant, mellow, lingering—wafted from somewhere. This aroma carried a mysterious power that calmed the mind, cleansed restless thoughts, and awakened wisdom. Amid this battlefield reeking of endless stench and brutality, it seemed utterly out of place, yet unmistakably clear!

It was Li Cha, secretly using the Five Elements Furnace, the Shouyang Pot, and the Sacred Spirit Table to brew a special cup of Calming Enlightenment Tea, sending the tea fragrance across the distance with his divine ability!

This seemingly insignificant wisp of tea fragrance was like a clear spring dripping into boiling oil, or a spring breeze brushing over solid ice. Luohu, on the verge of his mad breakthrough, was jolted by this fragrance imbued with Purity Dao Rhyme. The spiritual platform, long obscured by endless slaughter and hatred, suddenly sparked a trace of clarity!

"What... am I doing?" This sliver of clarity flashed through his chaotic mind like lightning.

That sliver of clarity created a fine yet fatal crack in his Saint-Breaking Heart—that reckless, self-deifying demonic will. His Dao Heart instantly destabilized!

The worst time for a lapse in resolve is during realm-breaking. Even more so when forcibly breaking through by such evil means!

"No!" Luohu let out a terrified roar, but the crack had already widened. Endless demonic illusions erupted from the depths of his heart, devouring him in an instant. The terrifying energy he had gathered began to spiral out of control, turning against him.

"Now's our chance!" How could the six great powers let this heaven-sent opportunity slip? All their techniques struck as one, like a Heavenly Punishment crashing down on Luohu, who was lost in demonic illusions and unable to control his energy.

"Boom!!!"

This time, the attack landed without obstruction!

Luohu's demonic body shattered inch by inch under the violent energy impact. The forcibly condensed False Saint Realm collapsed like a bubble, his aura plummeting like a broken cliff, falling back to the Quasi-Saint Realm—and a severely wounded, heavily damaged Quasi-Saint at that.

The energy vortex dissipated, revealing Luohu's broken body. He knelt on one knee, coughing up black demonic blood. He raised his head, the madness in his eyes fading, replaced by nothing but endless venom and a trace of... strange enlightenment. That wisp of tea fragrance that had briefly cleared his mind made him glimpse, in a daze, the possibility of another path.

He swept a cold gaze over the six closing in, his eyes lingering especially on Hongjun. A mocking, resolute sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.

Li Cha saw it clearly from afar. Alarm bells rang in his heart, and he immediately sent a voice transmission to Wang Shu: "Fairy, retreat now! He's going to self-destruct his origin!"

Wang Shu didn't hesitate. She transformed into a Star Rainbow and instantly retreated tens of thousands of li! Yang Mei seemed to sense it too, ripples of space appearing before him as he stepped in and vanished.

Hongjun, ever the old fox, had already quietly slipped back behind the others the moment Luohu's aura stirred again.

Only the three Ancestors—Qiankun, Yin Yang, and the Five Elements—blinded by bloodlust and sworn to eradicate evil, charged forward recklessly at the sight of Luohu's grievous wounds, determined to land the final blow.

"Perish... together!" Luohu let out one last roar. His remaining demonic body swelled like a balloon, and the next moment—

"Boom!!!!!!!!!!"

An indescribable wave of destructive energy erupted from Luohu at the center! It was as if billions of suns had exploded at once! Light devoured everything, sound was annihilated, space itself turned to dust, forming an ever-expanding domain of absolute nothingness!

The figures of the three Ancestors—Qiankun, Yin Yang, and the Five Elements—were instantly swallowed by the tide of destruction. Even their Primordial Spirits could not escape. Every trace of their existence was utterly annihilated in that extreme light and heat—body destroyed, Dao extinguished!

The terrifying energy shockwave swept across the entire Western land. Mountains collapsed, rivers evaporated, Earth Veins snapped... The West, already weakened by the blood sacrifice, had its Spiritual Energy nearly drained dry by this explosion, turning into a barren dead land that would take ten thousand years to recover!

As the light of the self-destruction slowly faded, only raging energy currents and shattered space remained in that region.

At the very center of the explosion, a Demonic Soul, so weak it was nearly transparent, had not completely dissipated. It still stubbornly floated in the void—it was Luohu!

Before Hongjun could strike again to utterly erase it, the Demonic Soul suddenly looked up toward the supreme existence in the unseen heavens. In a voice of utmost solemnity that resonated with the Great Dao, he proclaimed a grand vow destined to be etched into the history of the Primordial Wilderness:

"Great Dao above! I, Demon Ancestor Luohu, now sense that the Great Dao of the Primordial Wilderness is incomplete, and the hearts of all beings are burdened with attachments. I wish to open a path, named 'Demon'! When the Dao fades, the Demon rises; for every foot the Dao ascends, the Demon climbs a yard! Where the heart is aggrieved, Demonic Thought is born! The Demonic Path is established—all beings may enter the Demon! May the Great Dao bear witness!"

As the vow was spoken, the Great Dao echoed in harmony! Boundless demonic path fortune began to coalesce. Though Luohu's Demonic Soul was utterly dispersed between Heaven and Earth by this vow, the Demonic Path had from then on formally completed the Heavenly Dao of the Primordial Wilderness, becoming a path that coexisted with the Immortal Path—even intertwined, waxing and waning with each other!