Treasure Appears in the World-Late, but Present at Last

A hideous and indifferent expression appeared simultaneously on Qingyou's face.

On one side was hideousness, and on the other, indifference... As time passed, Qingyou Demon God's original worldview and understanding would be completely overwritten!

In the end, he would nearly become a machine-like tool that obeyed Ancestral Witch Dijiang's will!

"Don't even think about it!"

Tai Yi shouted softly. He couldn't just sit by and watch his subordinate fall. He hurled the Chaos Bell with one hand, while the other plunged into Qingyou Demon God's historical trajectory, attempting to refresh karma, reverse it, and recreate his true self.

Two supreme mighty beings clashed and fought against each other.

Poor Qingyou. As a Great Luo, not only had his life itself become a battlefield, but he also had to endure inhuman suffering.

"Ah!"

That tragic howl shattered the souls of countless living beings throughout the Primordial World, causing them to die silently.

"T'ai Yi... You can't stop me from doing what I want!" Dijiang revealed a cold smile. "Do you think that just because I am the Space Ancestral Witch and control one of the foundations of space-time, I only listen to the Chaos Bell's labyrinth because it's fun?"

"I can even break through the Chaos Bell's space-time labyrinth... If I suddenly attack a Great Luo who has already been marked, how could you stop me?"

He paid no attention to the Chaos Bell that had already reached him. His palm suddenly exerted force, enveloping infinite dimensional space-time. He traced backward from the countless incarnations derived from the projection of Qingyou Demon God's innate spiritual light, extracting the sole solution—the fruit of his fundamental Dao—and then yanked—

"Rip!"

In an instant, blood rained down in torrents, and the entire world mourned!

An indescribably brilliant ball of light was seized by Dijiang. This was an utterly terrifying development—it meant that everything belonging to Qingyou Demon God had now fallen into the hands of the Space Ancestral Witch.

"Damn it!" Tai Yi roared furiously. All his magic power poured into the Chaos Bell, driving it to unleash the greatest power it could muster as it viciously smashed down toward Dijiang's head.

If this strike landed, Dijiang's body would most likely explode on the spot. Moreover, the Chaos Bell's supreme authority over space-time could trace back to the source and strike its target, grievously wounding even his foundation!

But Dijiang wasn't worried.

Because he had allies!

A slender jade hand reached over from the side. It clenched into a fist and punched toward the Chaos Bell crashing into Dijiang!

Ancestral Witch Houtu!

At some point, she had also broken out of the labyrinth. Although she was disheveled and somewhat battered, she was still in far better condition than Ancestral Witch Dijiang, whose entire body was covered in blood.

Thus, she became the main force facing the Chaos Bell, taking the blow in place of her comrade, who was temporarily unable to spare any attention while trying to seize Qingyou's head.

"Boom!"

An unprecedented collision erupted between heaven and earth.

The Entire Primordial World trembled faintly.

The surging River of Time boiled and churned even more violently... Everything had descended into chaos!

The stars in the sky were swept by the ripples of the Bell Wave. Hundreds of millions of them fell one after another, becoming the most magnificent meteor shower of death.

The four seas surged with enormous waves. The seas rolled up and crashed toward the firmament, towering waves hundreds of thousands or even millions of miles high smashing apart everything in their path.

The mountains, rivers, and waterways of the earth fractured inch by inch. One magnificent, wondrous mountain peak after another was severed at the waist, while rushing rivers abruptly changed course.

Countless tragic scenes set off the ruthlessness and might of peak powerhouses.

And the final result of that dazzling collision...

"Crack!"

Ancestral Witch Houtu's face paled for an instant. Her body staggered back two steps, and blood flowed from the arm with which she had forcefully blocked the Chaos Bell, leaving it hanging by her side... Although she quickly refreshed her condition and returned herself to perfection,

Compared with the Chaos Bell, which still had strength to spare, she had undoubtedly fallen into a disadvantage.

"Clang!"

The great bell trembled gently, its might reduced by nine-tenths, yet it still pressed toward Dijiang... But at the moment the Space Ancestral Witch counterattacked, it feinted and instead descended from afar toward Qingyou Demon God's Dao fruit—

"Buzz!"

Even with every defense in place, that Dao fruit still shattered into two pieces!

One piece remained in Dijiang's grasp. The other was carried by the Chaos Bell as it flew back to Tai Yi, its gentle radiance winding and flowing as it rose and sank in his palm.

The shattered Dao fruit transformed on its own, each piece becoming smooth and flawless... But compared to its previous size and radiance, they had shrunk by more than tenfold!

"Tai Yi, you're ruthless—and decisive!" Dijiang's eyes flickered. "Knowing you couldn't take it back, you actually used the Chaos Bell to replicate this Demon God's past achievements, imitate the timeline he had traversed, refine the false into truth, and then tear it apart by force!"

He sighed. "His cultivation is still Great Luo, and his essence remains eternal."

"But his Dao attainment has been reduced far too much by you... Even if he retrieves and reunites the other half in the future, most of this loss will be impossible to make up for!"

"This is your subordinate, yet you severed his path... Interesting. Very interesting!"

"In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are required." Tai Yi's expression remained calm. "Compared with being completely controlled by you Ancestral Witches, having his will cleansed and spending eternity in a daze with no chance to rise again, this at least leaves him a sliver of hope—the Dao fruit can give birth to a new spirit, and with repeated stimulation, he may eventually awaken his true self."

"Only after making a great sacrifice can one gain greatly."

After calmly replying to Ancestral Witch Dijiang, Tai Yi turned slightly and looked meaningfully at Ancestral Witch Houtu. "Fellow Daoist Houtu, you truly are extraordinary."

"Fellow Daoist Dijiang broke through the space-time labyrinth because of his mastery of the spatial domain and his expertise in that area... But you faintly revealed a trace of the profundity of creating something from nothing, forcibly prying that place open."

"You could even forcefully resist the Chaos Bell, and you were almost its equal."

"You have already embarked on the path of pursuing Pangu's achievements... Your rank is still Great Luo, yet you nearly transcend it."

"Remarkable! Remarkable!" he praised. "Even among the Innate Divine Beings who rose together, among the outstanding figures of the most brutal Dragon-Phoenix Epoch, only a few who survived to this day have reached this step."

"I look forward to it..."

"What are you looking forward to?" Ancestral Witch Houtu asked coldly.

"I look forward to seeing what will happen if Great Sage Nuwa isn't late this time and clashes with you." Tai Yi chuckled softly. "When two supreme goddesses fight, who will lose her lifelong reputation and be pressed beneath the other?"

"I am truly curious!"

"Hmph!" Houtu snorted coldly, as if she disdained the question, brimming with confidence.

"On the day of the future great collision between the Witch Clan and the Demon Clan, I very much hope to see that scene... Just don't start fighting and end up with two experts exchanging blows before stopping after merely touching each other." Tai Yi's expression was playful. "One shouting, 'Expert! Expert!' while the other cries, 'You were too kind! You were too kind!'"

"That would drain away far too much of the fun!"

His words seemed to be going around in circles, hinting at some hidden secret while mocking some kind of inside story.

After saying this, he didn't wait for the two Ancestral Witches to reply. He simply strode toward the starry sky.

At the same time, the stars of the Heavenly Stellar Array suddenly burst into radiance. Every star shone as brilliantly as a great sun, illuminating the sea of stars and dazzling the world.

The power of the stars surrounded and guarded Tai Yi, forming a Starlight Path beneath his feet as he returned to his palace like a supreme god.

Houtu narrowed her eyes as she watched Tai Yi's back. A sharp glint flashed through her eyes, her fists unconsciously tightening, and her feet shifting slightly, as if she intended to pursue him into the starry sky.

But immediately afterward, she seemed to notice something subtly wrong. She looked left and right before discovering that Dijiang, who should have advanced and retreated alongside her, was standing motionless in place, simply turning his spoils over and over... the pitiful half of Qingyou Demon God's Dao fruit.

"Dijiang..." Houtu's voice was low. "Why aren't you continuing the campaign to keep that foul-mouthed Golden Crow here?"

"Because there's no point." Dijiang replied calmly. "Can you kill him?"

"Unless you can kill him instantly, the other three Demon Clan emperors, the ten Demon Commanders, the four regional commanders, and hundreds or thousands of Demon Gods... all of them will swarm out."

"And then there's the person in Zixiao Palace. Though he hasn't spoken now, that doesn't mean he doesn't care."

"So let this matter end here!" Dijiang said indifferently. "In any case, we haven't lost out."

"Haven't lost out?" Houtu's expression was ugly. "Tai Yi carried the Chaos Bell and brazenly used us to build his reputation. When people mention this battle in the future, most will probably say—Tai Yi fought two enemies alone and moved unhindered, truly an extraordinary powerhouse!"

"But our performance was impressive too, wasn't it?" Dijiang countered. "Though the Innate Supreme Treasure Chaos Bell suppressed us, we each had our own methods to break through and resist it... The gap between our treasures only highlights our strength."

"And most importantly..." He shook the half of Qingyou Demon God in his hand. "Don't forget—he failed to complete his top priority on this trip!"

"He was supposed to rescue a great general of the Demon Clan, but could only take back half of him. And this was the result even with him personally coming out while wielding the Chaos Bell!"

"No one can protect the targets we want to teach a lesson. After this, won't those Demon Gods and Demon Generals lose a third of their courage the moment they see us Ancestral Witches?" Dijiang smiled. "The stronger Tai Yi becomes, doesn't that also demonstrate our strength?"

"All in all, we haven't lost out... In fact, looking at the bigger picture, the Witch Clan and Demon Clan have both won."

"They polished their signboard, while we forged our fearsome reputation..." the Space Ancestral Witch said meaningfully. "After this battle, the ones who should be most anxious and worried about their circumstances are those watching Great Luo Emperors and Innate Divine Beings!"

"They must consider—and have no choice but to consider—when the Witch-Demon War erupts and the two great factions tacitly clear the field solely to eliminate the fishermen who might profit, where will they go?"

Ancestral Witch Houtu was rendered speechless.

In a sense, Ancestral Witch Dijiang wasn't wrong.

The minor clash between the top powerhouses of the Witch Clan and Demon Clan seemed to have left no one victorious—

Dijiang and Houtu were disheveled, while Tai Yi looked dashing and invincible, yet hadn't even managed to protect his subordinate.

But in the current Primordial World, who would dare underestimate them?

Countless Great Luo spectators were trembling in fear, their faces full of worry... Aside from a handful of ancient divine beings powerful beyond measure, everyone had no choice but to seriously consider a fatal question—

If these two factions "cordially invited" them to join... would they join? Or would they join?

The question of which side to take could not be ignored.

If they refused to take a side, they might be reduced to ashes by someone... Oh, Great Luo couldn't die. At worst, they would be refined into an Innate Spiritual Treasure.

Just like now—

A flame ignited in one of Ancestral Witch Dijiang's hands, while his other hand reached into heaven and earth and seized. Countless shattered pieces of Qingyou Demon God's flesh gathered and mixed together with the Dao fruit.

The flames burned. They were the tangible manifestation of tens of millions of laws of order, while the fuel was chaotic energy. Using it to temper the remnants of the Dao fruit... gradually, a scroll took shape, radiating a grand and mighty aura.

Though the scroll had only just taken form, it already possessed an ancient, desolate charm... It resonated with an innate spiritual light in the darkness, bearing the transcendent attributes of Endless Space-time and Eternal Freedom.

"What a pity." Dijiang looked at it and suddenly sighed. "The original Dao fruit was split in two by Tai Yi... What a waste."

"One innate spiritual light now exists simultaneously within two Dao fruits... Its essence remains, but the unity of the Primordial has been broken. How could the resulting loss in power be less than tenfold?"

"A Great Divine Ability User refining a treasure would originally have had some hope of reaching the level of a supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. Now, even an upper-grade one is a stretch, and it will almost certainly fall below that level."

"It is tasteless to consume and a shame to discard. It is inferior to our physical bodies." Ancestral Witch Dijiang lost interest and casually tossed it to Feng Xi, the driver beside him. "Go, install it on the carriage seat."

"Use it as power to increase our speed and hasten our arrival at Phoenix Perch Mountain!"

"We weren't in a hurry at first, so we could have traveled leisurely... But after the Demon Clan's interference, we have to improve our efficiency."

Having witnessed the birth of an Innate Spiritual Treasure and deeply experienced the relationship between trade and killing, Feng Xi was already dumbfounded. He hurriedly held the scroll in both hands and carefully installed it according to the instructions.

At the same time, the two Ancestral Witches returned to their positions and sat securely in their respective seats.

A moment later, a buzzing sound rang out. The scroll burst with immortal light, and mighty space-time power flowed forth, causing the Witch Clan's diplomatic delegation to surge ahead at a speed a thousand or even ten thousand times greater than before!

Having a Great Luo as a laborer was naturally extraordinary!

Only after they had left did a golden phoenix arrive late and circle around this place.

A holy and flawless goddess stood atop the golden phoenix. Looking at the devastated surroundings, she blinked, then blinked again. "Am I late?"

"Well, being late is being late... It's not as if I can do nothing." She looked compassionately at the tragic battlefield, the corpses of the dead, and the wailing living beings, then sighed. "I can still clean up the battlefield for them."

"Manipulating heaven and earth, mysteriously bringing forth creation, creating something from nothing, bringing the dead back to life..."

This late divine being displayed supreme magic power and manifested supreme divine abilities. She manipulated creation, restoring the devastated heaven and earth to its former perfection and resurrecting the living beings who had perished miserably in the aftershocks of the battle!

Countless spirits and monsters witnessed this inconceivable scene with their own eyes. Some even watched their relatives, who had died tragically, return to life. Without exception, they all knelt and sincerely paid their respects.

"The most perfect goddess... You are so lofty and magnificent!"

"We beg you to leave behind your divine name, so that we may remember it for all eternity and spread your undying radiance!"

"My name is Nuwa!" The goddess atop the golden phoenix agreed to their request and spoke her divine name.

"Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Empress Nuwa!" The Myriad Spirits kowtowed reverently, their mountain-shaking, sea-roaring cries resounding throughout the eternal Azure Heaven.

The goddess watched this scene and smiled faintly. Riding the golden phoenix, she drifted away.