Without any warning, the chaotic flow of primordial energy, the surging Earth Fire, the overflowing Heavenly River Water, the pervasive malevolent clouds, and even the countless fragments of stars falling from the sky...
All this Destruction seemed to have been paused gently by an invisible, intangible, yet omnipresent giant hand.
Time did not stand still completely.
But space is "fixed" by a supreme being that is irresistible, indefensible, and incomprehensible.
The turbulent, Chaos Qi solidified like crystal.
The surging lava remained still at the edge of the cliff, while fragments of fallen stars hovered in mid-air, just inches from the ground.
The boiling Blood Sea of blood ceased its churning, the drifting ashes solidified into eerie sculptures, and even the twisted, roaring faces of the vengeful spirits were frozen in a moment of silent scream...
The entire shattered and collapsing Primordial World was forcibly "frozen" by a will so vast it defied imagination and so mysterious it defied description.
This is not a freeze on power, but a freeze on the level of rules.
"Sorting out" and "defining".
The violent and chaotic chains of laws were instantly smoothed and straightened, and the twisted and broken nodes of laws were forcibly mended and continued.
The shattered world was, at this moment, incorporated into a new and unquestionable framework of order.
All surviving beings, whether Witch and Demon giants or ant survivors, whether at the heart of the battlefield or on the edge of the Primordial Wilderness.
At this moment, an irrepressible sense of awe and submission, originating from the very source of life, instinctively wells up from the depths of one's soul.
That is the feeling of absolute insignificance in the face of the origin of "Tao", like a speck of dust looking up at the sky.
The wisp of annihilation power that Qing Huan was about to unleash from his fingertip dissipated silently.
For the first time, an unprecedented solemnity and shock were clearly reflected in the depths of those ancient, calm, and indifferent yin-yang eyes.
For the first time Seven Symbols Umbrella trembled slightly uncontrollably, its radiance restrained to the extreme, as if it were trying its best to resist the omnipresent pressure.
The World-Purifying White Lotus stopped spinning, its petals closing one by one, its pure radiance completely contained within, displaying an instinctive "submission" to a higher level of existence.
A figure appeared silently in the very center of the battlefield, hovering above the still, Destruction scene.
It did not fly in from anywhere, nor did it break through space to descend.
It's as if it has always existed there, at the origin of time, the foundation of space, within every wisp of primordial energy, and within every law.
At this moment, however, his "existence" has been perceived by all living beings.
The simple gray Daoist robe, devoid of any patterns, seemed to bear the weight of all the heavens and myriad realms.
Although not tall, it gives the impression of supporting chaos and standing tall against the primordial Primordial Wilderness.
His face was shrouded in a hazy, ethereal glow imbued with the profound truths of the Great Dao, obscuring his features. Only his eyes remained, calm, indifferent, and profound, like the cosmic eyes reflecting the eternal galaxy, devoid of any emotion, yet seemingly containing the ultimate essence of all emotions.
It was none other than the First Saint of the Primordial Wilderness, who sat enthroned in the Chaos Purple Cloud Palace, enlightening Three Thousand Mortal Guests and governing the operation of the Heavenly Dao— the Dao Ancestor Hongjun!
His appearance was silent and unnoticed, yet he instantly became the sole core and focus of the entire shattered Primordial Wilderness.
All the remaining gazes, whether it was the astonishment and doubt of Di Jun and Tai Yi, the bewilderment of Gonggong and Zhurong, or the deathly silence and a faint glimmer of disbelief remaining in Houtu's eyes, were all focused on this.
Even the faint, dying green light in the abyss seemed to flicker slightly under the boundless Daoist aura.
Hongjun's gaze calmly swept over this devastated land.
Collapsed mountains, overflowing rivers, fractured ley lines, piled-up corpses, solidified malevolent spirits...
The weeping and despair of all living beings crashed against his transcendent Dao heart like a silent tide.
The gaze finally settled on Qing Huan, and that profound cosmic eye seemed to instantly see through Qing Huan's origins, the essence of the Yin-Yang Great Dao, and the earth-shattering blow that had just crushed the Ancestral Witch.
There is no reproach, no judgment, only a detached understanding of all Karma, and a detached view of the rise and fall of dynasties throughout history.
Then, his voice rang out.
This sound did not travel through air vibrations, but resounded directly deep within the very soul of every living being. It was incredibly clear and immense, carrying an irresistible will of Heavenly Dao, like a resounding bell echoing throughout the primordial world, imprinting its rules upon Primordial Wilderness.
"The Witch and Demon Wars, a calamity ordained by fate."
"However, excessive killing has led to the collapse of Primordial Wilderness primordial world and the suffering of all living beings, which goes against the Heavenly Dao order of cherishing life."
"The Tribulation has come to an end today; it should cease."
"In the name of Hongjun, I establish these rules on behalf of Heavenly Dao, with Universe as my witness, and all spirits condemning them—"
Each word uttered was like an invisible Law Divine Chains merging into the void, resonating with the Primordial Wilderness world.
The shattered phantom of mountains and rivers appeared behind it, only to be quickly smoothed out and reshaped by an invisible force.
The chaotic order of rules is reorganized and redefined in its language.
"From this day forward, the demons shall rule the heavens!?"
"The Heavenly Court was established to govern the All the Stars in the Heavens, manage the Moon Wheel, regulate the Primordial Wilderness celestial phenomena and vital energy, control the clouds and rain, and maintain the order of the heavens."
All creatures with scales, feathers, or that are born from moisture or eggs, or that are enlightened by the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth, are under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court.
"Di Jun, who holds the throne of the Demon Emperor, performs heavenly duties, and inherits the mandate of heaven."
"? The land under the control of witches!?"
"The Ancestral Witch guarded the Primordial Earth, sorted out the earth's veins and dragon energy, stabilized the Primordial Wilderness mountains and rivers, harmonized the five elements, and nourished the growth of all things."
Protecting the fundamental veins of the Primordial Wilderness earth and maintaining the cycle of life on earth.
The foundations of all living things that dwell and multiply on the Primordial Earth are protected by the Witch Clan.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches share this responsibility, inheriting the virtue of the earth.
"Heaven and earth are divided into order, each fulfilling its own function!"
"The Heavenly Court shall not interfere in the conflicts between the living beings of the earth without cause! The Witch Clan shall not disturb the movement of the Zhou Tian Star Dou without cause!"
"Those who disobey will be punished by Heaven and Earth, their bodies burned by karmic fire, and their True Spirit forever condemned!"
"Within ten thousand Kalpa, the war between the Lich King Witch and Demon will cease!"
"You should restrain your people, each return to their place, rest and recuperate, and repair the Primordial Wilderness."
If another great war were to erupt here, affecting the very foundation of heaven and earth and causing the Primordial Wilderness to shatter, then the Witch and Demon and Yao races, regardless of their status as giants or mere ants, would all be reduced to ashes, their True Spirit extinguished, and forever Primordial Wilderness!
The last sentence struck the very souls of all the high-ranking Witch and Demon like a thunderbolt from the heavens!
The timescale of "ten thousand Kalpa" surpasses the imagination of most living beings, representing a near-eternal truce.
The punishment of "turning them all to ashes and their True Spirit vanishing" was so cold and ruthless that even giants like Di Jun, Tai Yi, Gonggong, Zhurong felt a chill deep in their souls.
As soon as the words were spoken, nine resounding Heavenly Dao sounds echoed throughout the heavens and earth!
It was as if the Heavenly Dao were witnessing and acknowledging this supreme decree.
Nine profound and unfathomable purple-gold Great Dao Divine Patterns, radiating endless aura of rules, flowed from Hongjun's fingertips, instantly imprinting themselves into the core primordial laws of the Primordial World, and also deeply imprinting themselves into the primordial spirits of all the high-ranking members of the Witch and Demon and some of those with profound Luck!
This is a contract and bondage from the very origin of heaven and earth, inescapable and unyielding!