Di Jun's pupils suddenly shrank to the size of pinpoints, and his hand gripping the Witch-Slaying Sword tightened unconsciously, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force.
Tai Yi straightened his back abruptly, and an intense, violent aura of the Solar True Fire, capable of incinerating the entire world, burst forth uncontrollably, instantly scorching the futon beneath him, which was made of chaotic primordial energy, causing it to sizzle and emit blue smoke. The space itself was slightly distorted under this extreme heat.
Golden light surged in his eyes, like tangible flames, as he stared intently at Qing Huan. If the person before him had not been a supreme Sage, he would have roared out in anger, questioning the "unjust" Heavenly Dao!
Qing Huan seemed oblivious to their reaction and continued in his rule-explaining tone:
"This is not because we are unwilling, but because it is limited by the rules of heaven and earth, and the same is true of the Great Dao."
The power of Sage is so great that it can destroy the heavens and the earth and overturn the universe. Its power has far exceeded the limits that the Tribulation themselves can bear.
If we forcibly intervene in the conflict between the Witch and Demon, it will no longer be a struggle for the Luck of the two races, but will trigger a violent backlash from the fundamental will of heaven and earth.
The Tribulation... will immediately evolve into an immeasurable Tribulation! In the Primordial World, countless mountains and rivers, endless living beings, and trillions of races, all will be reduced to ashes and dust in the aftershocks of our battle, regardless of friend or foe, returning to the chaotic void.
This is not the path to salvation, but rather a catastrophe that will destroy the world. I hope you two fellow Daoists will understand the ruthlessness of Heavenly Dao and forgive me."
The last sentence carried a barely perceptible sigh.
These words, like divine lightning descending from the Above the Nine Heavens, carried an irrefutable truth of the universe, completely extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in Di Jun's heart, leaving only bone-chilling cold and despair.
Tai Yi's boiling Solar True Fire seemed to be bound by invisible rules, unwillingly receding back into his body, leaving only his golden eyes burning with madness and Destruction.
"The rules of heaven and earth... immeasurable Tribulation..."
Di Jun repeated these words in a low voice, his expression shifting between anger, confusion, bitterness, and finally, a deep-seated resentment and sorrow.
He took a deep breath, as if using all his strength to forcefully suppress his turbulent emotions, and asked the question that was buried deepest in his heart, the one that terrified him the most, concerning the ultimate fate of the demon race:
"Since that's the case... we won't force the Sage to intervene. However, Qing Huan, I dare to ask again, in this battle... can our demon race, with the full strength of our clan,... secure that eternal protagonist's position in the Primordial Wilderness world?"
This question exhausted his dignity and strength as the Heavenly Emperor, carrying a trembling tone that he himself did not even realize was almost a plea.
Upon hearing this, Qing Huan slowly closed his eyes.
Under the divine gaze, though the secrets of the Primordial Wilderness world were shrouded in mist, the most fundamental and essential destiny of heaven and earth remained as clear and unshakeable as a stabilizing force.
Since Pangu created the world, he exhausted his strength and perished, transforming into all things. The witches controlled the earth's veins, and the demons controlled the heavens. It seemed that the world was divided into two, and their Luck were at their peak. In reality, they were all transitional roles in the process of the evolution of the Heavenly Dao. Like oil being poured on a raging fire, they were prosperous for a time, but ultimately not for long.
The human race, created by Nuwa according to the mandate of Heavenly Mandate and molded from clay, was initially weak and insignificant, regarded as ants and prey by the Witch and Demon Races... Its Luck, under the overwhelming evil aura accumulated during the Witch and Demon blood war, is like a hidden dragon in the abyss, quietly rising!
It gathers the most primal "life" essence and endless variables of the universe!
Though its destiny is slender, it is incredibly resilient, its source connected to the main vein of the Primordial Wilderness future!
The moment humanity was born... the Heavenly Dao had already been set.
The demon race... the Witch Clan... Qing Huan sighed deeply, a complex and incomprehensible emotion rising within him. There was a recollection of the demon race's glory, a helplessness in the face of destiny, and even a touch of admiration for the tenacious vitality of weak creatures.
He once possessed the dignity of Sage, exhausting his deductive abilities and manipulating the mysteries of Creation, attempting to find a glimmer of hope for the demon race to forever remain the protagonists and reverse the seemingly predetermined fate.
However, no matter how he calculated, how many times he started over, or how many possibilities he explored, the final result always pointed in the same direction, like an ironclad law—after the Demon Race Fortune reached its zenith, it was destined for an irreversible decline, a rise and fall!
The same applies to the Witch Clan; they will inevitably perish. The human race, however, is favored by Heavenly Dao and guided by the Great Dao; they are the undisputed and eternal protagonists of the future Primordial Wilderness!
This is an inevitable consequence of the evolution of heaven and earth, a foreshadowing laid when Pangu created the world and the Dao Ancestor merged with the Dao. It is a profound law of the Great Dao that propels the world forward, and even Sage can only follow it, not reverse it.
Forced intervention will only invite a backlash from the Great Dao, causing immeasurable Tribulation to descend prematurely, and everything to come to an end!
The deathly silence inside the hall seemed to freeze time and space.
Di Jun and Tai Yi's gazes were fixed on Qing Huan's closed eyelids, as if trying to glean a glimpse of heavenly secrets from the subtle lines.
Di Jun's palm was icy cold as he gripped the Witch-Slaying Sword. The countless vengeful spirits contained within the sword seemed to sense their master's despair, emitting even more mournful and silent wails that assaulted his primordial spirit.
The Solar True Fire in Tai Yi's chest was as if sealed by ice, leaving only a cold rage flowing through his blood, and the flames in his golden eyes almost scorched through the void.
Qing Huan's silence was the cruelest answer.
"Could it be...?"
Di Jun's voice was dry and hoarse. The supreme imperial aura that belonged to the Heavenly Emperor dissipated instantly like a burst bubble, leaving only endless desolation and unbelievable despair.
"Could it be that our demon race... has given its all... in this battle... is destined to... perish? Even that... position as the Protagonist of Heaven and Earth... is nothing but... a mirage?"
Every word seemed to be squeezed out with difficulty from the depths of his chest, tinged with blood and foam, carrying fragments of the demon race's eternal ambition.
"Snort!"
Tai Yi slammed his fist into the ground beside him, which was formed from chaotic primordial energy. There was no earth-shattering roar, but the space in that area shattered inch by inch like glass, and then instantly healed under the laws of the Sacred Hall.
He abruptly rose to his feet, emanating a tragic aura of utter destruction. The illusory image of the Chaos Bell vibrated wildly behind him, emitting a low and suppressed mournful cry.
"Brother! Why ask again! Heavenly Dao is unjust, the Great Dao is merciless! We brothers have never feared! Since Heavenly Mandate does not favor our race, then... let us fight! We will use the full power of our demon race, burn our Essence Blood, and make the Witch Clan pay the price of eternal damnation! The Protagonist of Heaven and Earth? If our demon race cannot have it, the Witch Clan... will not even dare to lay a finger on it! At worst, we will reopen Primordial Wilderness primordial world!"
I swear in the name of Tai Yi that this battle will be the final funeral for Witch and Demon!
The sound was like metal grinding against each other in chaos, filled with a madness and determination to Destruction everything; it was the most intense declaration of resistance against predetermined fate!
Faced with Tai Yi's earth-shattering rage and the utterly lifeless despair in Di Jun's eyes, Qing Huan finally slowly opened her eyes.
Those eyes, brimming with boundless wisdom, reflected the tragic struggle of the two demon emperors, as well as the cold trajectory of the Heavenly Dao and the unchangeable torrent of the future.
"Fellow Daoists."
Qing Huan's voice remained calm, yet it carried a weighty, complex emotion that transcended mere pity. It was a final protection for those on the same path, a silent sigh for that desperate struggle, and a final affirmation of the predetermined Heavenly Dao.
Everything... is preordained; it cannot be forced or defied.