Enter the Chuyuan Palace.
The scene inside the hall was instantly awe-inspiring—the dome was not a solid object, but a deep, vast, and boundless Starry Sky!
The projection of the All the Stars in the Heavens slowly rotated, each star radiating real and authentic Power of the Stars, its trajectory subtly conforming to the laws of Heavenly Dao.
The ground was as smooth as a mirror, crystal clear, reflecting the vast star map on the dome, making one feel as if they were at the center of the universe, amidst Sea of Stars.
The dense, almost tangible, chaotic spiritual energy and the essence of the Great Dao filled every corner. With each breath, wisps of innate Chaos Qi flowed into the limbs and bones, cleansing the primordial spirit and elevating one's Dao realm.
Directly ahead, at the far end of the main hall, on a cloud bed formed from seemingly simple auspicious clouds, the Sage the Qing Huan sat upright.
At this moment, Qing Huan was completely different from before he attained enlightenment.
Dressed in the simplest dark Green Daoist Robe, with no earth-shattering phenomena or dazzling colors around him, he possessed a profound aura of being in harmony with the Tao, unaffected by any laws, and untouched by Karma.
Just sitting there quietly, he seemed to be the absolute core and ultimate anchor of the entire Chuyuan Palace, even the entire Yingzhou Island, and even this world and spacetime, the manifestation and embodiment of the Great Dao Law in this realm.
His gaze was gentle and peaceful, like eyes that held the vastness of the ancient Starry Sky. When he looked down, he possessed both a penetrating insight and the boundless vicissitudes and supreme wisdom that had existed since the beginning of Primordial Wilderness. It was as if he could see through the past and the future, the rise and fall of all things.
Di Jun and Tai Yi felt this transcendent yet omnipresent holy might, and their hearts were filled with awe. They dared not be negligent in the slightest. They stepped forward together, bowed and performed the Daoist salute, and said solemnly, "Di Jun (Tai Yi), congratulations to Fellow Daoist Qing Huan on attaining the Primordial Dao and achieving the indestructible Saint Position!"
From this moment on, one transcends heaven and earth, living freely and unfettered, Heaven-Opening with the Dao. This is an unprecedented event since the Primordial Wilderness of time!
A gentle smile appeared on Qing Huan's lips, like a spring breeze and rain, instantly soothing the slightly solemn atmosphere in the hall caused by the two of them. The vast and abyss-like holy might also subsided into nothingness, making Di Jun and Tai Yi feel the pressure greatly reduced.
"Fellow Daoists, there's no need for such formalities. Please have a seat."
The voice was peaceful and gentle, yet it carried a soothing and Great Dao rhythm, like the whisper of heaven and earth.
As the words fell, two futons formed from pure chaotic primordial energy and Great Dao Runes naturally appeared beside Di Jun and Tai Yi, exuding a tranquil Daoist charm.
The two sat down as instructed.
After a few pleasantries about the enlightenment of the sacred realm and the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, the atmosphere in the hall gradually became solemn, like the calm before a storm.
Di Jun's polite smile vanished, replaced by a deep worry and a resolute determination. He took a deep breath, his gaze sharp, and looked directly into Qing Huan's eyes, which seemed to encompass the Sea of Stars. He cut to the chase, his voice low and powerful:
"Sage Qing Huan, at this time when the final war Witch and Demon is about to begin and the Primordial Wilderness Luck is in turmoil, Tai Yi and I have taken the liberty of visiting you. It is truly for the sake of the billions of lives of our demon race. We dare to ask a question."
He paused slightly, yet each word carried immense weight.
"This final battle concerns the future of the Primordial Wilderness and is fundamental to the life and death of our demon race."
Fellow Daoist has attained the Primordial Chaos and transcended worldly affairs, yet he also enjoys the boundless Luck of our demon race, and is revered as the supreme Heavenly Venerable of our race.
Fellow Daoist Nuwa is the same; for the sake of my clan? Wa Huang? The Witch Clan is barbaric, their desire for the world remains undiminished.
I wonder... if you, fellow Daoist, or that person from the Wa Huang Palace, could lend a helping hand to my demon race in this final battle?
If Sage were to intervene, stabilize the Universe, wipe out the Witch Clan, unify the Primordial Wilderness world, reshape the order of heaven and earth, and unify the Primordial Wilderness Luck, it would surely be of immeasurable benefit to the Sage's comprehension of the Great Dao!
Upon hearing this, Tai Yi remained silent, but his golden eyes blazed with intense light, like two burning Greater Yang, filled with strong anticipation and a hint of deep-seated tension and anxiety. His gaze was fixed on Qing Huan's face, awaiting the pronouncement that would decide the fate of the demon race.
The gentle smile on Qing Huan's face gradually faded, turning into a deep, calm stillness.
There was no immediate reply. His gaze seemed to pierce through the dome of the Chuyuan Palace, which simulated the universe, and looked towards the ceaseless, cold, and merciless torrent of the Heavenly Dao. His eyes even touched the trajectory of the supreme Great Dao that transcended the Heavenly Dao, was indescribable, and propelled the birth and death of the Primordial World.
With a clear and enlightened mind, one can deduce infinite Karma and countless possibilities in a single thought.
Should he make a move? Qing Huan sighed inwardly, a ripple of helpless pity washing over him.
Di Jun, you only see the supreme power of Sage who can move the universe with a single thought and control all laws at will, but you do not know that above this power are boundless shackles that are even stronger and more fundamental.
The Heavenly Dao is clear, and the operation of Tribulation has its own inviolable iron law.
The Witch-Demon War was the final reckoning of the Karma forces accumulated since the Heaven-Opening. It was an inevitable part of the evolution and maturation of the Primordial World, just as birth, aging, sickness, and death are to all living beings.
If Sage were to forcibly intervene, it would be using supreme power to distort the laws of heaven and earth, brutally interrupting the established process and shattering this delicate and fragile balance.
At that time, the Destruction power accumulated over the Tribulation will be like a chaotic torrent bursting its banks, instantly breaking through all the shackles of rules and sweeping across all the heavens and myriad realms!
That would no longer be Tribulation limited to the Witch and Demon Races, but... an immeasurable Tribulation that would sweep across everything and reshape the Earth, Water, Fire, Wind! The Primordial Earth, billions of living beings, Plant Spirits, blessed Blessed Land, and even the world itself that nurtured us and bore the legacy of the Great God Pangu, would all be shattered under this out-of-control Calamity Power and return to the primordial chaos!
This is a catastrophe that will annihilate all living beings; it is not a meritorious act of saving the world, but rather the beginning of its destruction!
Moreover, the Great Dao is above, silently observing all.
Sage who transcends worldly concerns is not truly eternally free; they remain within the Tao.
Going against the will of Heaven and forcibly altering the Tribulation of the calamity will result in a backlash from the Great Dao, like a malignant tumor clinging to the bone. Even Sage with an indestructible body might not be able to withstand it safely. It is no exaggeration to say that the Dao Foundation will be shaken and the Saint Position will be unstable... This path is absolutely not feasible.
The hall was deathly silent, except for the faint yet profound Dao Sound emanating from the simulated trajectories of the stars, echoing in the empty hall.
As the suffocating silence deepened, Di Jun and Tai Yi's hearts sank little by little into the cold seabed.
After a long while, as long as an entire Kalpa had passed, Qing Huan finally withdrew his gaze, which seemed to have pierced through endless time and space and seen through the long river of fate, and looked again at the two demon emperors in the hall, who were heavy-hearted and sitting on pins and needles.
The voice was calm and still, yet it carried an undeniable power that articulated the ultimate truths of the universe, clearly reaching the ears of Di Jun and Tai Yi:
"Di Jun, Fellow Daoist Tai Yi, Nuwa and I, though inheriting the Demon Race Fortune and attaining Saint Position, yet..."
He paused slightly, the single word "however" seeming to carry the weight of a thousand mountains and rivers, causing Di Jun's heart to tremble. "We will not participate in this battle."