Heavenly Court Established, Witch Race Founded

After the Immortal Court of the East Sea fell, all the territory and remaining forces it left behind were swallowed up by the Demon Race. The forces under Di Jun and Taiyi swelled rapidly like a snowball. Ten Thousand Demons came to pay homage, and a hundred races pledged allegiance. The once-spacious Sun Star and its surrounding starfields immediately became unbearably crowded. Countless newly joined Demon Race tribes had nowhere to settle, while resource allocation and personnel deployment grew increasingly complicated. A stable, vast land upon which to establish their race—and one capable of displaying the Demon Race's majesty—became their foremost need.

One day, within the Sun God Palace, Di Jun summoned the major commanders to discuss the matter. The demons argued endlessly. Some suggested seizing Buzhou Mountain, while others proposed opening up a new grotto-heaven, but all were rejected for failing to meet their requirements. Just as everyone was at a loss, Bai Ze, first among the Eight Great Demon Immortals and famed for his wisdom, stroked his long beard and slowly stepped forward.

He first bowed to Di Jun and Taiyi, then declared loudly, "Your Majesty, Eastern Emperor. I have heard that within the Thirty-Three Heavens, there lies hidden an Ancient Immortal Palace. A world exists within it, boundless and vast, its scale no less than one of the Primordial World's major worlds—the five great continental realms of east, west, south, north, and center. If we can find this palace, let alone our current forces, even several times their number could be accommodated. And situated within the Thirty-Three Heavens, overlooking the Primordial World, it perfectly suits our Demon Race's momentum in ruling the heavens!"

Upon hearing this, a sharp gleam burst from Di Jun's eyes. He immediately brought out his companion supreme treasure—the Top-grade Innate Spirit Treasure, the River Diagram and Luo Book. In an instant, phantoms of countless stellar paths and mountain-river veins interwove throughout the divine palace. Di Jun's mana surged around him as his Spiritual Sense merged with the spirit treasure, fully deducing the whereabouts of that Ancient Immortal Palace and the moment it would emerge.

Di Jun sat motionless, his aura merging with the River Diagram and Luo Book. At times, his brows were tightly furrowed; at others, delight appeared on his face. Taiyi, Bai Ze, and the many great demons all held their breath, not daring to disturb him. Finally, one day a hundred years later, Di Jun abruptly opened his eyes. Galaxies seemed to turn upside down within them as he laughed aloud. "I've found it! The palace is indeed within the Thirty-Three Heavens, but the heavenly secrets conceal it, and the time for its emergence has not yet come. We must wait... three years! Three years from now, the palace gates will appear on their own!"

Taiyi, Bai Ze, and the others were overjoyed. Three years were but the blink of an eye to them. When that time came, the Demon Race would possess a land capable of bearing the foundation of an eternal legacy!

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed. Di Jun personally led Taiyi, Bai Ze, Ji Meng, Ying Zhao, and the other core members of the Demon Race, riding demon clouds straight toward the Thirty-Three Heavens. After passing through gale winds, thunder, and fire, they arrived at a place where spatial fluctuations were unusually intense. They had waited less than an hour when a tremendous boom sounded beside their ears—"Rumble!"

The cloudbank ahead suddenly began to churn violently. A colossal gate a thousand zhang high, towering majestically and emanating an ancient aura, tore through the void and slowly emerged! The gate appeared to be fashioned from white jade. Two golden dragons coiled around its pillars, while countless profound Dao patterns flickered across them. At the center of the lintel, three ancient Dao characters containing supreme Dao intent shone brilliantly—Southern Heavenly Gate!

The three characters blazed like a great sun. As their Dao intent circulated, the hearts and minds of the many Da Luo-level great demons present swayed, giving rise to an urge to kneel in worship.

"Follow me inside!" Di Jun forcefully suppressed the excitement in his heart and stepped forward first, pushing open the incomparably heavy gates.

The others followed close behind and entered the immortal palace. The space within was layered upon layer, seemingly endless. Floating immortal mountains rose in majesty, silver waterfalls cascading down them. Pavilions, terraces, and towers lay hidden amid exotic flowers and strange grasses, with carved beams and painted rafters beyond compare in beauty. There were three hundred and sixty-five separate palaces and halls, corresponding to the number of the heavenly cycle; in addition, five vast palace complexes echoed one another, magnificent beyond measure.

The palace complex at the very center of the immortal palace was the most splendid and majestic of all. Glazed tiles formed its roof, white jade its steps; it gleamed in gold and jade, presenting a myriad grand vistas. Most eye-catching of all was the main hall soaring into the clouds, its plaque bearing the four characters "Lingxiao Treasure Hall." It radiated a supreme, unmatched majesty capable of ruling all the heavens.

Without further discussion, Di Jun took up residence in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, making it the place where the Heavenly Emperor would govern. Taiyi chose an imposing palace in the east named Donghua Palace as his residence. Di Jun entrusted Bai Ze with the full responsibility of distributing the remaining halls, immortal mountains, and palaces. Worthy indeed of being the Demon Race's strategist, Bai Ze allocated the three hundred and sixty-five separate halls and the palace complexes, aside from the three main halls, according to each tribe's strength, merits, and characteristics. Immediately afterward, the entire Demon Race began a great migration. Hundreds of millions of demons passed through the Southern Heavenly Gate in orderly ranks and settled into this Heavenly Realm that belonged to them.

Just as the entire Demon Race had moved in and their fate began to merge with this Ancient Immortal Palace, Di Jun, seated within the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, felt something stir in his heart. He abruptly rose, strode outside the hall, stood atop the nine-tiered stairs, and ordered all Demon Race commanders at the Golden Immortal realm and above to assemble.

The next moment, a vast and majestic voice spread from the Thirty-Three Heavens throughout the Primordial World:

"Heavenly Dao above! I, Di Jun—I, Taiyi—have witnessed the chaos of order within the Primordial World, where the strong devour the weak, where all beings struggle bitterly in cultivation, and where the Heaven and Earth Laws often run with obstruction. Today, favored by the Heavenly Dao and granted this immortal palace, we are willing to establish an order, rule all heavens, regulate the myriad stars, fulfill the Heavenly Dao's grace, and preserve the stability of the Primordial World!"

"From this day onward, demons shall govern Heaven! Our Demon Race shall bear this responsibility: regulating the movements of the stars throughout the heavenly cycle, determining the rising of the sun and moon, harmonizing the cycle of the four seasons, controlling wind, frost, rain, and snow, establishing the order of heaven and earth, and enlightening the countless living beings of the Primordial World, so that the Heavenly Dao may operate in order and all things may find their proper place!"

"With this immortal palace as the foundation of our standing, and the Top-grade Innate Spirit Treasure, the River Diagram and Luo Book, to suppress the fate of the Heavenly Court!"

"The Heavenly Court, is established!"

The instant Di Jun's words fell, winds and clouds changed abruptly above the nine heavens. A gigantic Heavenly Dao Eye, cold, impartial, and devoid of emotion, suddenly appeared and looked down upon the Thirty-Three Heavens! A majestic voice resounded across the Primordial World—"Approved!"

One word settled the foundation! In an instant, dazzling golden Heavenly Dao Merit poured down from the void like a waterfall! Around twenty percent merged into the entire immortal palace, making its barriers sturdier and its spiritual energy richer; twenty percent fell into the River Diagram and Luo Book in Di Jun's hand, making its treasure light more resplendent and its fate more enduring; thirty percent of the vast merit poured directly into Di Jun's body; twenty percent went to Taiyi; and the remaining ten percent transformed into a rain of light that scattered over the hundreds of millions of demons in the Heavenly Court, each receiving rewards according to their cultivation and merits.

Bolstered by such an immense quantity of merit, Di Jun let out a long howl. The auspicious cloud above his head churned as his Evil Corpse and the most crucial Self Corpse were both severed at once! With the Three Corpses circling him and their auras melding together, his cultivation instantly broke through its bottleneck and reached the Late Quasi-Sage realm! Taiyi likewise gained enormously. Primordial energy surged around him as his cultivation forcefully advanced into the mid stage of the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, and his combat strength soared!

From that day onward, Di Jun bore the title of Heavenly Emperor, while Taiyi became the Eastern Emperor. The Demon Race Heavenly Court stood in blazing splendor, ruling all heavens!

While All Beings of the Primordial World were still immersed in the shock of the Heavenly Court's establishment, an even more domineering Great Dao voice, filled with unyielding will, boomed like thunder from the direction of Buzhou Mountain and rang across the Primordial World!

It turned out that when Di Jun and Taiyi had driven back Zhu Rong and Gong Gong outside the Sun Star, the two hot-tempered Ancestral Witches had regarded it as the utmost humiliation. Upon returning, they cultivated desperately. Relying on the powerful foundations of the Ancestral Witches and Li Cha's secret assistance, they had barely touched the threshold of the mid stage of the Primordial Golden Immortal realm. They had intended to seek out Di Jun and Taiyi to wash away their shame after breaking through, only to suddenly hear that their opponents had established the Heavenly Court with overwhelming momentum.

Zhu Rong and Gong Gong immediately flew into a rage. They found Di Jiang and urged him fervently, "Big Brother! Those two feathered beasts dare establish some damn Heavenly Court and claim to rule all heavens? Our Witch Race bears Father God Pangu's bloodline and rules the earth. How can we be weaker than them? We should establish our race as well and stand against that Heavenly Court as equal rivals!"

As the Ancestral Witch of Space and the one overseeing the whole situation, Di Jiang did not agree at once. Instead, he discussed the matter with Zhu Jiuyin and Houtu, his two most steady and wise younger siblings. Zhu Jiuyin used the Laws of Time to deduce the future, seeing strife and bloodshed, but also the inevitable destiny of the Witch Race. Houtu, having often received Li Cha's guidance, had long understood that the Witch Race needed to establish itself in order to gather its fate and contend against the Heavenly Court. This was destiny, and it was also their responsibility. She softly said to Di Jiang, "Big Brother, the Tea Ancestor once said that our Witch Race is destined to establish a race and bear the will of the earth. This is Father God's legacy, and it is also our mission."

Hearing this, Di Jiang no longer hesitated, and determination flashed through his eyes.

Outside Pangu Hall, every elite of the Witch Race at the realm of "Witch Doctor"—equivalent to the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm—and above gathered in full. They formed a vast black mass, their blood and qi like dragons, their baleful qi shooting into the sky. Unlike the Demon Race, they did not worship the Heavenly Dao. Instead, facing the towering divine hall that carried Pangu's will, they unleashed roars and prayers that shook heaven and earth:

"Father God Pangu above!"

"We, the Twelve Ancestral Witches, inherit Father God's bloodline and uphold the will of the earth. Today, in the name of Pangu's descendants, we announce to the Primordial World—we are the Witches! The Witches are the spine of the earth and the cornerstone of the Primordial World. We revere not the Heavenly Dao, we worship not Hongjun; we honor only Father God Pangu!"

"The Witches should bear heaven and tread earth, govern the changing of the four seasons and the workings of nature, and protect the growth and reproduction of all beings!"

"From this day onward, Witches shall govern Earth! We shall rule the mountain and river veins of the Primordial World and regulate the flow of the earth's Spiritual Energy! Upon this land, the rise and decline of all things and the livelihoods of the hundred races shall all be decided and protected by our Witch Race!"

"With the bodies of us Ancestral Witches, we summon Pangu's True Form! With Pangu Hall, the Innate Supreme Treasure, we suppress the fate of the Witch Race!"

"The Witch Race, is established!"

"Rumble rumble rumble—!!!"

The Witch Race's oath—disrespecting Heaven, refusing to honor Hongjun, and revering only Pangu—instantly enraged the Heavenly Dao Will hanging high above! In an instant, dark clouds filled the skies above Buzhou Mountain, lightning serpents danced wildly, and an aura of destruction enveloped everything below! Heavenly Punishment! And it was the highest-grade punishment: eighty-one World-Destroying Divine Thunders!

The Witch Race had long prepared for this! The Twelve Ancestral Witches roared in unison and instantly formed the Twelve Heavenly Gods and Fiends Formation! Endless baleful qi gathered together as a phantom of Pangu's True Form appeared proudly—towering between heaven and earth, muscles knotted, emanating a terrifying aura akin to World Creation itself! At the same time, the ancient and boundless Pangu Hall soared into the sky and hovered above the formation!

"Boom! Boom! Boom—!"

The eighty-one World-Destroying Divine Thunders struck down one after another with terrifying force, yet Pangu's True Form met them head-on with its fists, while Pangu Hall resisted and absorbed them with supreme power! Lightning raged and space shattered, but the Witch Race formation remained immovable!

In the end, the thunder tribulation dispersed, and the sky brightened once more. Though all Twelve Ancestral Witches were pale-faced, their auras weak and their injuries far from light, they had successfully endured the Heavenly Punishment! Immediately afterward, Great Dao Merit, born of the Primordial World's recognition at its source, descended like sweet rain and merged into the Twelve Ancestral Witches and Pangu Hall.

Nourished by the Great Dao Merit, the Twelve Ancestral Witches rapidly recovered from their injuries, and all their cultivations broke through! Di Jiang, Zhu Jiuyin, and the other ten Ancestral Witches forcefully entered the mid stage of the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, while Xuan Ming and Shebishi finally broke through their bottlenecks and advanced to the Early Primordial Golden Immortal realm! After absorbing the merit, Pangu Hall shone brilliantly. Taking advantage of this opportunity, it actually nurtured several newborn Great Witches with formidable auras and limitless potential. Among them were Xing Tian, Hou Yi, and others who would one day shake the Primordial World with their names!

From this day onward, the Demon Race established the Heavenly Court and governed Heaven; the Witch Race established its race and governed Earth. The Primordial World entered a new era in which two great powers stood side by side, locked in confrontation and contention.