Heavenly Road, Historic Meeting

As soon as Ancestral Witch Dijiang finished speaking, an anomaly occurred on Phoenix Perch Mountain.

Brilliant rays of light erupted from the mountainside of the entire range, shooting straight into the firmament!

This was like a signal, guiding the situation. At this moment, in addition to the divine birds already circling and flying in the sky, countless other exotic birds swarmed out from the mountains, joining the soaring ranks.

If those with profound cultivation could pierce through the sea of void worlds and perceive the great secrets of space, they would discover that these divine and exotic birds appearing later were not only those living and active on the Primordial Era land and nesting in the Phoenix Perch Mountain range, but also many more that had been dormant and hidden in pocket dimensions.

Of course, though they were called pocket dimensions... they were not small in reality.

They were all created by Great Divine Ability Users of the ancient Dragon-Phoenix Era, cleaving chaos, refining the four elements, and shaping three thousand great worlds!

The mountains and rivers of each world were boundless, far vaster and more magnificent than the entire Phoenix Perch Mountain range... thousands upon thousands of worlds, allowing the Feather Clan to multiply and... train their troops!

Even a starving phoenix is bigger than a common chicken.

What's more, the Phoenix Clan had not completely perished!

Although their dream of dominating the world had shattered, and they were no match for the Witch Clan or the Demon Clan, having exited the stage of the era and unable to play a leading role.

However, they still possessed the strength to protect themselves—an army, an army that had once been completely loyal to the Phoenix Clan, had retreated half-crippled from the world-ending calamity stirred up by Rahu, consolidating their forces on Phoenix Perch Mountain to guard the ancestors of the phoenixes.

At this moment, they reappeared, soaring together in the sky.

Their numbers were terrifying, endless, and boundless!

The army of the Feather Clan united their auras... trillions of True Immortals, and tens of thousands, millions of Grand Unity experts, made the solemn Witch Clan honor guard army, which witnessed this scene, feel a terrifying pressure.

"Listen to the years, illuminate history... In the past, when the ancestors of the Phoenix Clan went on inspection, the procession was immeasurably grand," Dijiang sighed lightly. He paid no mind to the display on Phoenix Perch Mountain—before the administrator, beings below Grand Unity, no matter how numerous, could be wiped out in an instant.

The Ancestral Witch was still in the mood to sigh, speaking of an ancient epoch, "The common saying is 'a hundred birds pay homage to the phoenix'... but when the Phoenix Ancestor moved, how could there be merely a hundred birds?"

"Hundreds of trillions, millions of trillions, far more than that!"

"At their peak, the nine great armies of the Feather Clan ruled nearly half of the Primordial Era world. Alas, now they can only field a remnant force, no longer the scene of countless divine birds filling the sky, obscuring the sun and moon of the Primordial Era... that was truly sky-shading!"

Feng Xi's eye twitched. He really wanted to say—forget nine armies, even now, it was already sky-shading!

The heavens and earth... were in darkness!

The divine birds piled up, too many and too dense, and they were endless... a thousand, ten thousand times more than before, causing even the dreamlike, hazy sea of colorful light that appeared due to the sunlight to dim and disappear.

Sky-shading... it truly was sky-shading!

But soon, new light sources were born.

Were any of those countless divine birds without cultivation?

Even the weakest could absorb the essence of the sun and moon and forge their innate divine abilities; the powerful ones were Grand Unity divine birds, capable of creating and destroying countless minuscule worlds with a single flap of their wings, shaking the sea of void worlds!

At this moment, the feathers on their bodies began to emit light, illuminating all directions.

Billions of divine birds were like billions of suns, shining together!

However, after a moment of dazzling brilliance, the light from their feathers, whether faint as starlight or shining as a great sun, underwent a new change—

They intertwined, overlapped, and finally... merged!

The various wondrous lights, instead of forming a colorful ocean as before, underwent a subtle and mysterious regulation. Eventually, all colors faded, or rather, were sublimated to the extreme, melting into a pure and flawless color—white!

The pure white light, far surpassing the great sun, spread and shone upon the heavens and earth. In a trance, Feng Xi saw a phoenix standing in the void, spreading its wings... as if embracing the entire world.

This scene seemed to be just his illusion, vanishing in a flash.

And what disappeared along with it was the sky-shading number of divine birds.

Yes, not a single divine bird could be seen now... only white light, and only pure white light remained.

It was as if those divine birds had completely melted into this light, becoming one with the light.

Existing with the light, traveling with the Dao!

The light was shining, flowing, and condensing.

The reason for saying this was because at the edge of Feng Xi's vision, the white light evolved, naturally differentiating into seven colors, shaping something—

It was an endless chain of palaces!

As if to recreate the spectacle of the ancient era, forging the grandeur of the Phoenix Clan's peak power... millions of magnificent halls stood tall, suspended in the firmament, collectively guarding a supreme palace!

That seemed to be the hall where gods deliberated, where the highest deities gathered, discussing the great trends of the universe, and deciding the rise and fall of epochs with a single thought.

"Myriad gods..."

Feng Xi's sharp ears caught something.

He couldn't help but turn his head, only to see Great Witch Yi, who seemed somewhat lost in thought and wistful, uttering that single word.

Sensing Feng Xi's gaze, Great Yi glanced at him and smiled slightly, as if his previous behavior had never happened.

Feng Xi felt a bit bewildered, scratching his head, and stopped thinking about it.

Because he no longer had the leisure to do so.

The soaring, magnificent palace complex, moving and arranging itself, revealed a wide and boundless magnificent avenue facing the Witch Clan's honor guard, and it spontaneously extended to their feet.

This avenue was like a celestial road.

It stretched from the distant heavens to the feet of the Witch Clan's visiting team, inviting them to step upon it.

At the end of the celestial road, two towering figures stood waiting, gazing toward this location.

"Quite the grand welcoming ceremony... or perhaps a show of force?" Ancestral Witch Dijiang rose from his carriage, his eyes gleaming as he looked toward the end of the celestial road, chuckling softly. "Fuxi, Nuwa, these two fellow Daoists have certainly been 'thoughtful' and 'enthusiastic' in their 'welcome' for our arrival."

"A hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, myriad gods presenting themselves... recreating a corner of the magnificent and vast ancient era, inviting us to advance along a path formed by countless avian beings."

"Innumerable True Immortals, tens of millions of Grand Unity cultivators... such a lineup for a display. If one were unworldly or had a fragile heart, coming here would surely make their legs tremble and their steps falter."

The two emperors of the Demon Clan were giving the Ancestral Witches a great deal of face for their visit.

Bringing out a heavyweight army to impress, to greet a Witch Clan team of only a few hundred thousand... Who could say they were impolite!

One could imagine that if not for constraints of time, conditions, and other factors, they might have even borrowed the Chaos Bell to strike it eighty-one times here; or borrowed the Tai Ji Diagram to unfurl a golden bridge as the celestial road.

Look!

How earnest and solemn the Demon Clan's Xi Huang and Wa Huang were for the Ancestral Witches' visit!

They had practically brought out all their treasures, as if wanting to offer a sincere heart to let the Ancestral Witches feel the warmth of this brother and sister.

Of course.

While Fuxi and Nuwa's enthusiastic welcome was genuine, if the Witch Clan were to falter, if any were unworldly, trembling with fear, their hands and feet going numb, their faces contorted in terror, and performed poorly... then to be made a laughingstock by the Innate Divine Beings and Grand Unity Supremes currently observing this place so intensely...

And then to have it publicized by certain unnamed Demon Gods, with all sorts of pictures and rumors flying everywhere, saying how weak and pathetic the Witch Clan was...

Then they couldn't be blamed, could they?

Fuxi and Nuwa meant well but caused unintended trouble, and they were also quite helpless!

"Nuwa is powerful, but not particularly skilled in strategy and planning. Therefore, this likely wasn't her doing," Dijiang frowned. "If not her, then it must be the work of Great Sage Fuxi."

"Hmm... wanting to subdue the enemy without a fight?" he mused slightly. "As expected of Xi Huang, his schemes are profound. To present such a soft challenge."

"Beneath the grand and upright facade, a sharp edge is hidden... Remarkable! Remarkable!"

He clapped his hands in admiration, lamenting that facing a worthy opponent and meeting a talented peer was one of life's great joys. "Fortunately, I am not lacking either... I had anticipated his move beforehand and made some small preparations."

Dijiang suddenly burst into laughter. "It's rare for Xi Huang and Wa Huang to welcome us with such a grand display, so our Witch Clan warriors must show our best spirit and demeanor for them to see!"

"Beat the drums!"

"Bolster our army's might!"

A large war drum was immediately erected.

A Great Witch personally took up the drumsticks and struck out a rhythm that shook the heavens and earth.

"Dong!"

The drumbeats were like thunder, as if the divine thunder that exploded during the creation of heaven and earth.

Every soldier in the Witch Clan's honor guard, empowered by the drumbeats, felt their blood surge... their spirits and wills were elevated by an inexplicable force, their already resolute and shining souls becoming even more indomitable.

With a spark of fighting spirit in their hearts, in rhythm with the drumbeats, they stepped onto that celestial road!

The celestial road, though appearing smooth, was fraught with hidden dangers.

This was not to say that someone would ambush them with hidden traps or weapons—

The Grand Unity cultivators, numbering at least a thousand, were constantly monitoring the Witch Clan's movements during their visit.

Even the powerful experts of the Demon Clan, who wished for this team to meet disaster and perish entirely... would not openly resort to base tactics and commit acts of treachery at a welcoming event like this on Phoenix Perch Mountain.

Setting aside whether they could succeed... even if they did, such behavior, exposed to the Great Divine Ability Users who were practically scrutinizing the area with magnifying glasses, would ruin the Demon Clan's reputation forever.

A race that relied on treachery to defeat its enemies would have no future!

The higher echelons of the Demon Clan had a clear understanding—damaging their reputation for meager gains was a business no one was willing to engage in.

However, even without ambushes, the celestial road was not easy to traverse.

Because, in essence, it was formed by the condensation of a terrifying army... their wills merged into one here!

Even without actively attacking, the inherent willpower and might present on the road were enough to shatter the souls of Golden Immortals, strike fear into the hearts of Grand Unity cultivators, and cause all sorts of embarrassing displays.

Fortunately, Ancestral Witch Dijiang, with his divine foresight, had already predicted this possibility and brought a war drum, which, when struck, could unleash the thunderous sound of heaven-cleaving!

This type of battle drum was specifically designed to break through all sorts of mysterious spiritual arts and divine abilities.

The drumbeats could push back immense willpower pressure and also ignite the soldiers' blood, allowing their spirits to become highly unified, perfect, and unshakeable.

At this moment, as the hundreds of thousands of Witch Clan soldiers took each step, a battle-hardened aura surged from them.

Their spirits and wills burned and manifested, reflecting in the heavens and earth, and resonating in people's hearts.

This era belonged to the Witches, this age to the Demons!

How could an army of the Phoenix Clan, remnants of an old era, make them bow their heads or retreat?!

Clanging swords and neighing horses, their might swallowing mountains and rivers!

The Witch Clan never feared challenges!

Whether the path ahead was a mountain of knives or a sea of fire... as long as it was where their hearts yearned, as long as it was their great aspiration, they would carve a path even if it meant sacrificing their bodies!

Hundreds of thousands of Witch soldiers, their fighting spirit blazing; the Great Witch leading them, his eyes sharp and bright; the Ancestral Witches seated in their carriages, sitting up straight.

A supreme, sharp will, capable of cleaving through all obstacles and opening a new era, condensed its edge and slashed down at the Heavenly Road!

"Buzz!"

The Heavenly Road quivered slightly; this was a confrontation between two wills in the void.

Ultimately, the Heavenly Road returned to stability, and the oppressive pressure vanished.

The Great Witch beating the war drums lowered his drumstick.

All pressure and anomalies disappeared completely.

The path ahead was smooth and uneventful.

Feng Xi watched all of this silently.

He knew... the power and will of the Witch Clan, from the highest to the lowest ranks, had earned the recognition of the master of Phoenix Perch Mountain, who was now listening to their voices and thoughts.

Their stances could be adversarial.

But respect for power was mutual!

Weak nations have no diplomacy; only by displaying sufficient will and power, bringing both sides to the same level, can a fair and equal exchange and cooperation take place.

The journey was smooth and peaceful.

After traversing an immensely long distance, the Witch Clan contingent arrived at the end of the Heavenly Road.

This place was strange; landscapes formed from white light overlapped with real things... there were indeed vast and magnificent palace complexes here, along with a supreme main hall surrounded and guarded by a multitude of stars.

As they set foot in this place, the Heavenly Road collapsed, the white light dispersed, and it regressed into countless terrifying and shudder-inducing feathered beings, scattering and circling.

Some retreated back into the Phoenix Perch Mountain range; others re-hid themselves in small worlds.

A portion of them also transformed, evolving into humanoid forms, and descended to receive the Witch Clan's honor guard, guiding them forward to rest on the other side.

The true discussion was only for the Ancestral Witches and Great Witches to participate in.

During this process, two tall and majestic divine beings arrived side-by-side... one had a human body and a dragon tail, and the other had a human body and a snake tail.

One of them was Nuwa, and the other could only be guessed—it was Fuxi!

These two Innate Divine Beings, the Emperors of the Demon Clan, met Dijiang and Houtu, the two Ancestral Witches... this was a historic meeting, destined to be etched in the annals of time!

Feng Xi, who was still driving the dragon carriage not far away, was fortunate enough to witness it.

As the Demon Clan and the Ancestral Witches approached, after a round of polite greetings, Xi Huang spoke, and his words were earth-shattering.