"We haven't found a suitable opportunity. The Witch Clan won't be the first to launch an all-out war."
Bai Ze, Demon Marshal, said with absolute certainty, as though everything was already under control.
"What do you mean?" The divine eyes radiating boundless brilliance shifted as she asked.
"What I mean is—what they're doing now is mainly meant to intimidate us and display their strength." Bai Ze continued, "An all-out war? That's impossible."
"Is that so?" The divine figure leaned forward slightly, and a blazing, surging radiance poured down. "Then, in your opinion, how should we respond?"
"Of course... with a restrained but resolute counterattack!" Bai Ze smiled. "Let the Witch Clan know that although our Demon Clan isn't yet fully established or truly standing firm between Heaven and Earth, we aren't without the power to resist!"
"In fact, it isn't only us testing the Witch Clan—Qingyou Demon God's actions were also for this purpose. Once those Ancestral Witches realized what was happening, they began testing us in return."
"They're testing our peak combat strength, the progress of our Demon Clan's formation, our unity and cohesion, and our foundations..."
Bai Ze paused. Seeing that every Demon God was listening attentively, he continued.
"Because of Great Luo's characteristics—reversing cause and effect and resetting the flow of time—the information from downstream in the River of Time isn't much of a secret to top experts like us."
"The Witch Clan and the Demon Clan—roughly which members make up each faction? We all have an idea."
"But that's the limit... After all, those future pieces of information overlap truth and falsehood. Some are possible variables, while some are outright false inside information deliberately spread as part of a special information war."
"At most, we know the general faction divisions and some of the members. Everything else remains to be verified—strength, loyalty, and so on."
"From there, a series of schemes can be arranged, such as strategic intimidation, sowing discord, counterintelligence, and even dead-agent operations!"
"Like the White Ze's Spirit Monster Illustrated Guide created by Fellow Daoist Bai Ze? Or the extermination of eleven thousand five hundred and twenty tribes?" one Demon God asked in an even tone, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Exactly!" Bai Ze remained neither surprised nor afraid, smiling brightly. "Who knows whether such bits of information from the future are true or false?"
"If this is merely a scheme by the Ancestral Witches to smear me, ultimately causing the Demon Gods to execute me as a traitor... wouldn't that become a laughingstock, making me a joke to the many Great Divine Ability Users between Heaven and Earth?"
"Besides, if we truly judged people by such standards... wouldn't seventy or eighty percent of the Demon Court's upper ranks be eliminated?" Facing the blame, Bai Ze spoke in an orderly manner. "Fellow Daoist Di Jun is connected to Emperor Ku, the Human King."
"Fellow Daoist Tai Yi is worshiped by the Human Race as a supreme god."
"Xi Huang and Nuwa are, respectively, the Human Race's Heavenly Emperor and the origin of the Human Race."
"Demon Marshal Jimeng followed Human King Zhuanxu in attacking Gong Gong."
"Demon Marshal Ying Zhao aided Human King Da Yu in killing Xiangliu."
"Demon Marshal Fei Lian was Chiyou's right-hand man and was revered as Earl of the Winds... After being defeated by the Yellow Emperor, he turned around and became the god in charge of wind, responsible for news carried by the winds from all eight directions and for conveying the seasonal changes throughout the four seasons."
"Still, there are some among the Demon Marshals who are absolutely loyal—Bi Fang, Shang Yang, Qinyuan, Jiu Ying, Ci Tie, and Gui Che. These six seem to have no problems."
"Is that so?" Bai Ze clapped his hands. "Look! Just look!"
"Four Emperors and four Demon Marshals have already been placed directly on the list of suspects."
"The enemy is in the highest levels of the Demon Court... Why should we still fight the Witch Clan or the Human Race?"
"Why not simply surrender with our families? Wouldn't that be better?"
"With our strength, and Great Luo power belonging to ourselves, we could still live quite well!"
As soon as he said this, the atmosphere in the secret realm immediately grew rigid.
Only after a long while did someone speak, trying to ease the tension. "Demon Marshal Bai Ze must be joking..."
"I'm not joking." Bai Ze interrupted him, his expression extremely solemn. "I'm raising a very serious issue!"
"The current prototype of the Demon Clan Faction is filled with all kinds of suspicion and prejudice... Every one of us is looking at the others through colored lenses and guarding against them. Yet these are our future colleagues, the comrades to whom we'll entrust our backs!"
"If no one is willing to offer even the slightest trust, and the entire upper echelon of the Demon Clan is filled with suspicion and vigilance... how are we supposed to work?"
"After some time, are we also going to launch a loyalty-identification campaign to purge the 'traitors within'?"
As he spoke, Demon Marshal Bai Ze's voice and expression grew increasingly fierce.
His mind was clear and his wisdom penetrating. He had already noticed the undercurrents surging within the Demon Clan. The mutual suspicion and distrust had become a major problem that had to be solved!
Otherwise, when the Witch Clan attacked, half of their minds would be spent guarding their own people instead of fighting. How could they possibly wage war?
So he took advantage of today to lay everything bare, placing this hidden danger on the table for discussion and resolution. That way, it would not continue fermenting in secret until it became an irreparable rift, causing the enormous Demon Clan to suddenly collapse from within one day.
"Demon Marshal Bai Ze is absolutely right." Demon God Jimeng nodded in agreement. "Those rumors flying everywhere should indeed be suppressed to some extent."
"Loyalty cannot be tested."
"Since we are standing here, our ultimate goals should be more or less the same—to expand the Demon Clan completely, monopolize the qi of Heaven and Earth in the end, and become the source of the Human Dao."
"For this goal, everyone should be more rational. Don't believe rumors or spread them. Don't seize on a piece of inside information whose truth is unknown and damage our harmony." He sighed. "After all, the variables of the future are uncertain. Anything could happen."
"Even if the examples above are true, they still don't prove anything."
"Even helping the Human Race could be a means of infiltrating the Human Race Faction and driving a wedge between the Human Race and the Witch Clan... Anything is possible!"
The Demon Gods looked at one another, pondering inwardly. Why do I actually feel that what you're saying makes perfect sense?
For example, Jimeng followed Zhuanxu, but his blade was pointed at Gong Gong.
Ying Zhao was one of those who surrounded and attacked Xiangliu.
Whether those people had truly defected or had infiltrated the Human Race Faction to send the Witch Clan to its doom... it really was difficult to say.
"This matter ends here."
The majestic and divine Di Jun, as radiant as the Sun Star, spoke. "Employ those you trust; do not employ those you distrust."
"Since you have all joined the Demon Clan Faction, the Demon Clan... will also place the greatest trust in all of you."
"So, if anyone uses this as an excuse to stir up trouble in the Heavenly Court in the future, we shall execute them together!"
"How about it?"
"I second the motion!"
"Excellent!"
At that moment, the Great Luo Demon Gods present reached a unified understanding and formed a core.
"All right... The crisis of trust has been resolved. Now we should consider rescuing Qingyou Demon God." Di Jun looked at Bai Ze. "Fellow Daoist, please propose a plan. How should we respond to the Witch Clan?"
Bai Ze pondered briefly before speaking. "Fellow Daoist Di Jun, you are the supreme spiritual leader of the Demon Clan, so naturally you shouldn't move lightly."
"And since we must display our strength and foundations, making the Ancestral Witches of the Witch Clan wary..." His eyes lit up. "Then we should ask Fellow Daoist Tai Yi to wield that Supreme Treasure, shake the space-time of All Heavens and All Realms, suppress the past and future, and intimidate the Ancestral Witches!"
Once these words were spoken, Tai Yi, who had remained silent and idle all this time, instantly became the focus of every Demon God's attention.
Tai Yi opened and closed his mouth, wanting to say something. But when he saw the encouragement and anticipation in Di Jun's eyes... he ultimately nodded.
"All right... I'll make the trip." Tai Yi sighed softly. He extended one hand and flicked a finger—
"Clang!"
A bell chime that shook the past and future resounded throughout the Primordial World!
Using the Chaos Bell to intercept these Ancestral Witches, the descendants of Pangu...
To say he was terrified would be too much.
But it was inevitable that his heart pounded.
As an Innate Divine Being who had already attained the Dao during the era of the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, Tai Yi knew many secrets of the ancient era. He even knew some of the greatest secrets concerning Pangu!
Pangu was the one who opened the Primordial World, ended the Chaos Era, achieved the supreme feat of three thousand super-divine kills, and had traveled the farthest along the Great Luo path. Even though he had vanished, he still possessed tremendous deterrence in this world!
Confronting the methods left behind by such a being—the Ancestral Witches—was truly a test of one's courage.
One had to understand that even Dao Ancestor Hongjun found the Ancestral Witches troublesome. He could not simply kill them, and instead had to wear them down through the method of boiling a frog in warm water.
Therefore, when Di Jun requested permission from him to establish the Heavenly Court, act on behalf of Heaven, and manage the Primordial World, the Dao Ancestor readily agreed.
—He needed a blade, a blade sharp enough to deal with the Witch Clan!
As for whether this blade would eventually break?
That was unimportant.
Now Tai Yi stood on the front line of the struggle against the Ancestral Witches. How many people could understand the helplessness and worry in his heart?
Of course, since he had accepted the task, he would naturally carry it out to the best of his ability.
The Chaos Bell gently trembled above his head. Endless ripples spread and surged, extending through the flow of time and protecting the Qingyou Demon God, who was in imminent danger.
The appearance of this supreme Innate Supreme Treasure caused enormous waves throughout the Primordial World.
It was one of the three Supreme Treasures transformed from the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe. Its might went without saying. More importantly, it symbolized a portion of orthodoxy and Pangu's recognition!
Countless Great Luo spectators erupted in uproar. Even Ancestral Witch Dijiang wore a solemn expression. This had already fulfilled part of Demon Marshal Bai Ze's intention—to display their strength.
But immediately afterward, the onlookers grew excited. "When the Ancestral Witches see the Chaos Bell, a Supreme Treasure they theoretically have the right to inherit, how will they react?"
Some emotional ancient divine beings had already begun shouting—
"Hurry!"
"Fight!"
"Fight!"
By comparison, no one cared about Qingyou Demon God at this moment.
"Ceasing hostilities... is impossible." After a moment of silence, Ancestral Witch Dijiang slowly spoke, rejecting Tai Yi's proposal. "This Demon God led an army to attack the procession of us Ancestral Witches. If we don't punish him, how can the Witch Clan establish itself between Heaven and Earth?"
"But no matter what, Qingyou never attacked first, did he?" Tai Yi stood with his hands behind his back. The waves of the Chaos Bell spread outward, and the ripples grew increasingly vast as they swept through All Heavens and All Realms. "Even if he is guilty, his crime doesn't warrant death."
"The death penalty can be spared, but punishment is unavoidable." Dijiang spoke indifferently. "I won't kill him. I'll simply have him become an Innate Spiritual Treasure and serve me for ten million years... What's wrong with that?"
"If you truly want him pardoned, that isn't impossible." Dijiang sneered. "It depends on your strength."
"If your strength is too weak, this Demon God... I'm not incapable of sending him back. But in that case, you'll have to exchange the great bell above your head for him."
Dijiang stared intently at the Chaos Bell above Tai Yi's head. "It was transformed from the weapon of Ancestor God Pangu... It should have been the Witch Clan's inherited Supreme Treasure!"
"It ought to be controlled by us, the legitimate descendants of Pangu, so that we could wield it to command the world... How did it fall into the hands of your Sun Star lineage?"
"Fellow Daoist, that is mistaken." Tai Yi shook his head. "To command the world and lead the myriad races, one should rely not on so-called bloodline orthodoxy, but on virtue and achievements."
"Even if your Witch Clan evolved from the bloodline of Great God Pangu, so what?"
"Can the Witch Clan represent the will of all living beings under Heaven?"
"Then can you?" Dijiang asked indifferently.
"We cannot... but the Demon Clan behind us can!" Tai Yi said. "In the Primordial World, whether the Witch Clan exists or not is actually unimportant."
"But if the Demon Clan, formed from the unity of the myriad races, were to disappear?"
"This world would become lifeless."
"So, everyone in the Witch Clan, please don't think too highly of yourselves... In this vast universe, whichever race disappears, everything will continue to operate as usual."
Dijiang remained silent.
Tai Yi continued, "The Demon Clan is the protagonist on the stage of Heaven and Earth in this era... Who would dare deny that the countless living beings are the true ones wielding the brush that writes history?"
"Their existence itself is orthodoxy!"
"The Chaos Bell falling into the hands of the Demon Clan rather than the Witch Clan... that is what naturally accords with Heaven and reason."
"As for my Sun Star lineage, it is only because we operate the laws of the sun, illuminate the Primordial World, and bless the Myriad Spirits that we were acknowledged by all living beings and gained the qualifications to temporarily control this Supreme Treasure."
"If one day the Demon Clan falls and is no longer the Protagonist of Heaven and Earth... this bell will naturally leave." Tai Yi gave an emotionless, objective assessment. "It is extremely practical, after all."
"So, Fellow Daoist Dijiang, you needn't harbor any strange thoughts... If you have the ability, defeat the entire Demon Clan openly, and this bell will be yours."
"Any other method of seizing it... will be useless."
"Oh? Is that so? I don't quite believe it." Suddenly, a gentle yet domineering female voice rang out, cutting into their conversation.
"I would very much like to know—if this bell fell into my hands, then even without defeating the Demon Clan, would its spirit truly be so unyielding that it would refuse to acknowledge me no matter what?"
An existence that had kept an extremely low profile before, one who had nearly been overlooked as a transparent nobody, began to radiate brilliance at this moment.
The Witch Clan's delegation on this diplomatic visit did not include only one Ancestral Witch.
Apart from Dijiang, the other Ancestral Witch was—
Houtu!
This incomparably powerful goddess began to erupt with force.
She stared at the Chaos Bell above Tai Yi's head, undisguised desire in her eyes. She wanted to obtain it, take control of it, and make it the Supreme Treasure that suppressed the Demon Clan's destiny!
Before you continue