The Teng Snake Demon God hovered above the Human Tribe, spreading two pairs of wings that blotted out the sun. Divine power surged from him like a tide, darkening the sky and plunging the entire Human Race into gloom.
"Fellow Daoist Gu Xi, the Teng Snake Demon God is one of the strongest Golden Immortals under Great Sage Qiongqi. He's formidable—among the Golden Immortals of the East Sea Coast, he ranks in the top five. Please be careful."
The Fire Rhinoceros Daoist offered the warning.
Now that Gu Xi had converted him, he looked out for Gu Xi in all things.
Suiren Shi and the others, however, remained perfectly calm.
During their hundred-year journey, they had watched Gu Xi casually kill more than a dozen Golden Immortal-level Gods and Demons.
They had every confidence in him.
"One of the strongest Golden Immortals? Since mastering more than a dozen of the Three Thousand Great Daos, I've barely used them. He's come at just the right time to test their power."
As Gu Xi spoke, he took a step and appeared before the Teng Snake Demon God.
"You're the leader of the Human Race?"
"I didn't expect you to be a Golden Immortal."
Sensing the faint aura of a Golden Immortal from Gu Xi, the Teng Snake Demon God showed a flicker of surprise in his narrow, cold eyes.
"The Human Race created by Empress Nuwa truly is extraordinary. A Golden Immortal has emerged in just a hundred years."
"They must have astonishing potential and possess unimaginable fortune... No wonder Great Sage Qiongqi is willing to risk Empress Nuwa's displeasure to bring them under his rule."
"With the support of Human Race Fortune, Great Sage Qiongqi might well advance to Great Luo one day and become another God and Demon Dao Lord of our Demon Race."
At that moment, he began to understand why Great Sage Qiongqi wanted to subdue the Human Race.
"I am Gu Xi, the Human Race Holy Father. Welcome to the Human Race, Fellow Daoist Teng Snake. Make yourself at home."
Gu Xi smiled.
After the "cold reception" he had received around Buzhou Mountain, he was quite fond of visitors like the Teng Snake Demon God, who came to him of their own accord.
His manner was therefore exceptionally "friendly."
The Teng Snake Demon God was baffled by Gu Xi's attitude.
He had come to proclaim Great Sage Qiongqi's Divine Decree and demand that the Human Race submit to the Guishan Monster Race and Great Sage Qiongqi... Shouldn't Gu Xi be furious?
Why was he being so "friendly"?
"Enough pleasantries. Come with me to Guishan and pay your respects to Great Sage Qiongqi."
Unable to make sense of Gu Xi's strange behavior, the Teng Snake Demon God put it aside and demanded that Gu Xi accompany him.
"There's no hurry to meet Great Sage Qiongqi!"
"I've cultivated for years, but I'm still not entirely sure where my strength stands... I hear you're one of the strongest Golden Immortals on the East Sea Coast, Fellow Daoist Teng Snake. I'd like to learn a thing or two from you."
As Gu Xi finished speaking, his body stirred, and a figure shot out from above his head.
The figure wore robes embroidered with a thousand bright moons and countless stars, as well as mountains, rivers, and the earth.
Strangest of all, it had nine arms and five heads. Its feet rested on a Giant Turtle and a giant fish, while its hands held nine Magic Tools: a saber, sword, bow, spear, hammer, fork, bottle, rope, and staff.
All five faces belonged to a Daoist who looked exactly like Gu Xi, though each wore a different expression.
One smiled faintly, one was solemn, one compassionate, one indifferent, and the last opened its mouth in anger and let out a cry.
This Dharma Form had been condensed from the mysteries of the Great Origin Art.
In the Eternal World, the Great Origin Art was also known as the Mighty Divine Ability of Pan Wu. Those who cultivated it could open nine Seas of Consciousness and wield boundless strength.
Gu Xi called this manifestation the "Dharma Form of Pan Wu."
The moment the Dharma Form of Pan Wu appeared, it swelled to an enormous size and released a violent force that pressed down on all creation. Black cracks spread through the space around it.
The immense Dharma Form of Pan Wu suddenly reached out. Its hand covered the sky, darkening the heavens as it seized the Teng Snake Demon God and hurled him a hundred thousand li away.
"Gu Xi, you dare attack me?"
The Teng Snake Demon God flew into a rage.
He had never imagined that Gu Xi, smiling one moment, would attack him the next.
"Why get angry, Fellow Daoist Teng Snake? I only want to learn from you."
Gu Xi merged with the Dharma Form of Pan Wu and crossed the distance in a single step, appearing before the Teng Snake Demon God once more. At a thought, the Dharma Form's nine arms swung their saber, sword, bow, spear, hammer, fork, bottle, rope, and staff at him.
Vast, terrifying Magic Power shattered countless stretches of space in an instant. Hundreds of mountains on the land below collapsed with a roar.
"Gu Xi, you've gone too far!"
The Teng Snake Demon God roared in fury. Heaven and earth seemed to split, and the mountains and rivers shook. Brilliant Great Dao Patterns lit up across his thousand-zhang serpent body.
Cloudlike divine power poured from his massive demon body, sweeping across tens of thousands of li in an instant until surging clouds blanketed the entire region.
Those clouds contained the power of the law of clouds and mist, blocking the sight of all ordinary living beings.
Even Earth Immortals and Heavenly Immortals could barely make out anything within them.
Only Golden Immortal-level experts could see roughly what was happening inside.
Within the boundless clouds, the Teng Snake Demon God's enormous body repeatedly crashed against the Dharma Form of Pan Wu.
Each collision shook heaven and earth and shattered swathes of space. The spreading waves of Magic Power made the land below heave like a tide for over a hundred thousand li, toppling countless mountains.
The sight was staggering.
A disturbance of that scale immediately drew the attention of the nearby Gods and Demons.
"This... This is a battle between Golden Immortals."
Gods and Demons living nearby sent out their Divine Sense to observe the two figures clashing fiercely within the clouds.
"It's him—the Teng Snake Demon God! Who could be fighting him?"
They soon recognized the Teng Snake Demon God.
All of them were stunned.
On the East Sea Coast, the Teng Snake Demon God was a renowned figure, one of the strongest Golden Immortals. He stood below only the seven Great Saints: the five of the Five Elements Dharma Lineage, Great Sage Qiongqi, and Wu Li.
How could they not be shocked that someone had dared to fight him?
Gu Xi had made a name for himself around Buzhou Mountain, and many Great Supernatural Beings had learned of him when he became involved in Nuwa Creates Humans...
But the East Sea Coast was far from Buzhou Mountain, and those Great Supernatural Beings rarely passed on descriptions of Gu Xi or word of who he was.
Thus, none of the Gods and Demons on the East Sea Coast recognized him.
"That Golden Immortal is unfamiliar. He probably came from another region. Still, he's bold to take on the Teng Snake Demon God..."
"The Teng Snake Demon God reached the Golden Immortal Limit years ago. He's one of the strongest Golden Immortals. I doubt this outsider will last long."
Few of the East Sea Coast's Gods and Demons thought much of Gu Xi's chances.
The Teng Snake Demon God's reputation had inspired fear across the East Sea Coast for far too long.
Inside the surging clouds, however, the Teng Snake Demon God was suffering in silence.
Every time his body collided with Gu Xi's Dharma Form of Pan Wu, it felt as though he were crashing into a Primordial Divine Mountain cast from steel. Pain tore through him, as if his body might fall apart.
It would have been one thing if this were the Dharma Form of a Primordial Great Sage or a God and Demon Dao Lord.
But this was merely a Dharma Form condensed by a Golden Immortal, and it was already this powerful.
The Teng Snake Demon God could scarcely believe it.
What unsettled him most was...
He had drawn on his physical strength, his Magic Power, and even his mastery of the law of clouds and mist. He was holding almost nothing back.
Gu Xi, meanwhile, had used only a single Dharma Form. He looked completely at ease and clearly had strength to spare.
Could Gu Xi's true strength be greater than his own?
Before you continue