"This... how is this possible?!"
The Daoist Zhunti exclaimed in surprise, his eyes filled with envy and disbelief.
"With the grand ambition and sacrifice of supporting the heavens and mending the earth, he invoked the Great Dao Merit to reshape his sacred body... Gou Mang, what a fortunate Creation! What a powerful spirit!"
The Sect Master Tongtian clapped his hands in praise, his eyes gleaming.
Yuanshi Tianzun remained silent for a moment, then slowly exhaled and nodded slightly in homage towards the direction where Gou Mang had been reborn. Such a gesture deserved his respect.
Houtu and Jiu Feng were already weeping with joy. They sensed Gou Mang's familiar yet unfamiliar, incredibly powerful aura, and knew that the Witch Clan finally had a true Sage! A Sage recognized by the Great Dao!
Qing Huan watched this scene, a subtle, almost imperceptible smile appeared on the corner of his lips.
The newly born Gou Mang, or rather, the Wood Emperor Gou Mang, swept his gaze across the entire scene, first nodding slightly to Houtu and Jiu Feng in a gesture of comfort. Then, he looked at the Six Saints of the Heavenly Dao, especially the Three Pure Ones, and bowed respectfully.
"Thank you, fellow Daoists, for supporting the heavens just now. From now on, the responsibility of supporting the heavens will be entrusted to me."
His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable sacred authority.
Sensing the aura emanating from Gou Mang that was so different from that of Heavenly Dao Sage, the Three Pure Ones each had their own thoughts, but they all returned the greeting. Taiqing Laozi said, "Excellent! With this Tongtian Jianmu as the pillar of heaven, the Primordial Wilderness is safe and sound. Fellow Daoist, your Merit."
Gou Mang said no more, his figure subtly merging with the Tongtian Jianmu, using his own Sage to stabilize the tree and completely stabilize heaven and earth.
The Milky Way was completely blocked and stopped flowing.
With the task of supporting the heavens completed, the saints turned their gaze to the enormous hole in the sky.
Empress Nuwa stepped forward and said to Taiqing Laozi and the others, "Fellow Daoists, now that the heavens have been temporarily stabilized, I will go into the chaos to collect Five-Colored Divine Stone to refine and mend the Mending the Heavens."
Taiqing Laozi nodded:
"Thank you for your help, Junior Sister. We will stay here to protect you in case of any unforeseen circumstances."
The Empress Nuwa transformed into a stream of light and plunged straight into the depths of chaos.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Heavenly Venerate Qing Huan glanced at Houtu and Gou Mang again and said calmly:
"The promise has been fulfilled; the Witch Clan should take heed."
Having said that, his figure slowly faded and disappeared into the void, as if he had never existed.
On the ruins of the battlefield, the Heavenly River Water gradually subsided, but the Primordial Earth was already in ruins. The remaining demons fled in scattered numbers, and less than one in ten of the human race survived, leaving everything in ruins.
The Six Saints of the Heavenly Dao stood in the void, gazing upon this desolate world, and understood.
The Witch and Demon Age has come to a complete end.
Above the Nine Heavens, in the depths of endless chaos, a simple yet magnificent Daoist temple floats silently.
Before the gates of the Purple Cloud Palace, the figure of Dao Ancestor Hongjun had appeared without anyone noticing.
His gaze was indifferent, like a clear mirror reflecting the workings of all the heavens and myriad worlds, taking in everything that happened on the Primordial Earth below.
Watching Buzhou Mountain collapse and the Milky Way overflow; watching the Three Pure Ones hold up the sky and turn the tide.
Watching Gou Mang make a grand vow, drawing upon the Great Dao Merit, and using the Tongtian Jianmu to reshape his holy body, thus achieving the position of the Wood Emperor; and watching Nuwa rush to the Chaos to collect divine stones.
They watched the Two Saints of the West's flickering gazes and the light that carried them silently toward the Heavenly Court beyond the Thirty-three Heavens.
Dao Ancestor Hongjun's face showed neither joy nor sorrow, only a very faint, almost imperceptible look of satisfaction flashed across his deep eyes.
The conflict between the Witch and Demon and the Demon King is an inevitable calamity under the operation of the Heavenly Dao, and a part of the self-regulation and metabolism of the Primordial Wilderness world.
As the Dao Ancestor, who governs the order of Heavenly Dao, he can intervene, but he cannot arbitrarily interfere, otherwise the Karma backlash would be unbearable even for him.
Although the calamity was devastating, it ultimately ended with Gou Mang supporting the heavens and attaining sainthood through Merit-based Sainthood. This not only preserved the Primordial Wilderness but also preserved a trace of bloodline and a Sage- level foundation for the Witch Clan. Furthermore, it ensured a smooth transition of the Protagonist of Heaven and Earth, avoiding the worst possible outcome.
This is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune, and Thread of Life under the Heavenly Dao.
Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. The old chapter has ended, a new one shall begin.
Hongjun murmured to himself, his figure slowly retreating back into the Purple Cloud Palace. The palace gates closed silently, as if isolating him from the entire Primordial Wilderness.
Unlike the apocalyptic scenes of cataclysmic destruction and devastating floods outside, this place is still shrouded in ethereal mist, with gurgling springs and abundant exotic flowers and herbs, as if it were a pure land independent of the Primordial Wilderness.
However, the somber atmosphere permeating the palace was completely out of place in this idyllic setting.
A small golden crow, its feathers dull and its eyes devoid of their former Greater Yang- like brilliance, lay prostrate before the cold jade steps. Its tiny body trembled violently with extreme sorrow, emitting suppressed, heartbreaking sobs.
It was Lu Ya, the Tenth Prince, who was the only surviving descendant of Di Jun.
He witnessed his father and uncle's resolute self-destruction, felt the terrifying energy fluctuations that swept across the Primordial Wilderness world, and sensed the demise of the life force belonging to his closest relatives, like the sudden extinguishing of the Solar Star.
The pain of losing everything almost tore the young golden crow's soul apart.
The figure of the Heavenly Venerate Qing Huan appeared silently on the main seat of the palace. Looking at the grief-stricken disciples below, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.
Even someone detached from worldly affairs and calculating throughout eternity cannot help but feel a sense of melancholy when faced with such a situation.
A long sigh echoed through the silent palace, breaking the suffocating sorrow.
"Little Ten, don't cry anymore."
Lu Ya suddenly raised his head, his eyes brimming with tears, looking up at the teacher above him, his voice hoarse and choked with emotion:
"Teacher... Father... Uncle... they're all... gone! And Mother... Aunt Chang Xi... all gone! Waaah..."
Heavenly Venerate Qing Huan slightly raised his hand, and a gentle force lifted Lu Ya up, saying slowly:
"The great calamity of heaven and earth is indeed so cruel. The cycle of life and death is also a natural Great Dao, but..."
He paused, then, seeing a Lu Ya of hope suddenly appear in Lu Ya's eyes, continued:
"... Your father and Tai Yi were not completely annihilated. I had already used the Seven Symbols Treasure Umbrella to forcibly extract and preserve a wisp of their most primordial spirit imprint at the last moment of their self-destruction."
"What?!"
Lu Ya as if he had heard heavenly music; his small body trembled with excitement again, almost unable to believe his ears.
"Teacher! You... you mean... Father and Uncle... they can be resurrected?!"
Qing Huan slowly shook his head, pouring necessary cold water on the burning hope:
"Resurrection? It's easier said than done. Di Jun and Tai Yi self-destructed their Primordial Chaos level origins, and their primordial spirit cores were almost completely burned away."
"If it weren't for my prior arrangements, and the power of the Seven Symbols Treasure Umbrella to absorb Karma and forcibly retain it, this wisp of remnant soul would have long since dissipated into the world and returned to the Great God Pangu."
With a flick of his wrist, the Jade Bottle that held the two faint wisps of primordial spirit essence appeared.
The bottle is crystal clear, and two wisps of light, like candles flickering in the wind, can be clearly seen inside. One contains the heat of the Solar Law, and the other carries the Daoist charm of the Chaos Bell. Although extremely weak, they exist tenaciously.