The Founding of the Demon Race

Nuwa and Fuxi were in seclusion, digesting what they had learned from listening to the Dao in Zixiao Palace.

Fengqi Mountain's dojo returned to its usual tranquility.

Only Qing Xuan, the salted fish, remained, continuing his grand endeavor of slacking off.

However, the Great Desolation began to stir and churn as the first Preaching of the Dao in Zixiao Palace concluded.

After returning to the Great Desolation, Dong Wang Gong did not go back to his own dojo. Instead, guided by the Heavenly Dao, he arrived at the East Sea.

The East Sea, vast and surging with blue waves.

Upon the East Sea lay three immortal islands, formed from fragments of chaos that fell into the East Sea when Great God Pangu created the heavens and earth.

Dong Wang Gong followed the guidance of the Heavenly Dao and arrived before Penglai Island.

Dong Wang Gong's heart surged with excitement. He had just become the Head of Male Immortals, and the Heavenly Dao had already sent him guidance. Didn't this mean the Heavenly Dao also acknowledged his leadership over the Great Desolation?

Looking at the Grand Formation protecting the island before him, Dong Wang Gong did not hesitate and began to break the formation.

Ten thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Nuwa and Fuxi had just emerged from their seclusion.

Although they had faintly touched the realm above Grand Unity, there was still a thin veil separating them. No matter how hard the siblings tried, they were still a hair's breadth away.

Just then, Dong Wang Gong's voice, amplified by the power of the Heavenly Dao, echoed throughout the Great Desolation.

"I am Dong Wang Gong. I have received the Sage's edict and am the Head of Male Immortals. Today, I establish Zizhou Prefecture on Penglai Island in the East Sea to maintain order in the Great Desolation. All beings are welcome to join my Zizhou Prefecture. I am Emperor Donghua, and I will use a Supreme Innate Spiritual Treasure to suppress the destiny of Zizhou Prefecture. I hope the Heavenly Dao bears witness!"

As soon as Dong Wang Gong finished speaking, a golden cloud rapidly condensed in the sky.

Heavenly Dao Merit!

In the Primordial World, as long as one did something beneficial for the development of the Great Desolation, the Heavenly Dao would bestow Heavenly Dao Merit.

Merit could not only be used for cultivation and artifact forging but could also transform into a Golden Wheel of Merit. Those who killed those with great merit would inevitably incur the Heavenly Dao's displeasure. At best, their cultivation would drop; at worst, their destiny would backlash, leading to their death and disappearance from the Dao.

The merit was divided into three parts.

Two parts fell upon Dong Wang Gong, successfully elevating his cultivation to Grand Unity completion. Three parts fell upon the dragon-headed staff, suppressing the destiny of Zizhou Prefecture. Three parts fell upon the rogue cultivators who had previously joined Dong Wang Gong's banner, also successfully allowing several Grand Unity Golden Immortals to break through to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.

Seeing the benefits, some rogue immortals and spirits who didn't understand what was happening or were weak and sought a powerful backer flocked to him. Zizhou Prefecture became lively for a while.

Dong Wang Gong watched the growing number of followers under his command and listened to the respectful titles of "Emperor" echoing around him. The frustration he felt from being ignored by the top powers gradually dissipated, replaced by an ever-expanding desire for power.

He began to truly see himself as the ruler of the Great Desolation, believing that under the Dao Ancestor's edict, all immortals should submit.

Seeing that the top powers like the Three Pure Ones and Di Jun were completely unresponsive, Dong Wang Gong turned his attention to those races and cultivators without powerful backing.

He dispatched envoys, carrying an "edict," to various parts of the Great Desolation, ordering the leaders of each race and various rogue cultivators to go to Zizhou Prefecture to pay homage to the Emperor, register, and accept his jurisdiction.

If they refused, they would be accused of "disobeying the Dao Ancestor's edict." At best, they would be reprimanded and punished; at worst, they would be directly killed, and their spiritual veins and cave dwellings would be plundered.

For a time, many weak tribes and rogue cultivators in the Great Desolation suffered immensely.

The cultivators of Zizhou Prefecture, relying on Dong Wang Gong's name and power, acted tyrannically, extorting offerings, causing widespread resentment and a foul atmosphere throughout the Great Desolation.

[Tsk, Dong Wang Gong has gotten too carried away. Does he really think he can wave a chicken feather as a command token?]

[Hongjun told you to be the Head of Male Immortals, not the ruler of the Great Desolation. With this IQ, no wonder he died so miserably later.]

[He can't win over the top powers, so he starts bullying the smaller races and rogue cultivators. This is too ugly to watch.]

Although Qing Xuan was slacking off in his dojo, his consciousness, through the System, occasionally swept across the Great Desolation, taking in everything and silently complaining.

Meanwhile, on the Sun Star, Di Jun and Tai Yi had also finished digesting the gains from listening to the Dao in Zixiao Palace.

They had personally witnessed Dong Wang Gong's foolish actions and saw the resentment and chaotic order that arose in the Great Desolation due to Zizhou Prefecture's tyranny.

"Brother, Dong Wang Gong's actions are going against the natural order. This is precisely our opportunity!"

Tai Yi's eyes blazed, clutching the Chaos Bell, his fighting spirit soaring.

Di Jun nodded, his eyes flashing with wisdom and ambition.

"Indeed. Dong Wang Gong is not capable of great things. In the current world, all beings are in turmoil, rogue cultivators are without support, and various races are in danger. A new force is needed to unite all beings and establish a new order."

After some planning, the two sent out invitations, using their identities as guests of Zixiao Palace and Lords of the Sun Star, to invite the leaders of various races and powerful cultivators in the Great Desolation who were oppressed by Zizhou Prefecture or dissatisfied with the current situation to the Sun Star to discuss important matters.

On this day, the Sun Star was filled with distinguished guests and powerful individuals.

Most of them were representatives of tribes such as birds, beasts, and spirits of plants and trees, who did not have innate Dao bodies and were often marginalized. They had long harbored dissatisfaction with Dong Wang Gong's "Zizhou Prefecture."

Di Jun stood before them, his voice booming like a great bell, and spoke with passion:

"Fellow Daoists! Today in the Great Desolation, the Three Clans have retreated, order has collapsed, villains are acting tyrannically under the guise of a Sage's name, and all beings are suffering! My brother and I, favored by the Dao Ancestor, heard the Great Dao in Zixiao Palace and deeply feel the pain of the Great Desolation's disorder!"

"Under the Heavenly Dao, all beings should have a place to exist and a path to follow! But looking at the current situation, rogue cultivators are adrift, races are bullied, how can this be resolved? Only by uniting as one and building order together!"

"I observe the beings of the Great Desolation. Anyone who has awakened their intelligence and embarked on the path of cultivation, regardless of their origin or foundation, can be called a 'demon'! My brother Tai Yi and I are willing to step forward and establish the Demon Race, to fight for a pure land for all demons in the world and forge a path forward!"

"Once the Demon Race is established, it shall have laws, rewards for merit, and punishments for transgressions. It will protect the weak and resist strong enemies! It will be nothing like those who only know how to exploit and oppress!"

Di Jun's speech made the leaders of many races present's blood boil with excitement.

Compared to Dong Wang Gong's blatant coercion and plunder, the concept of the "Demon Race" proposed by Di Jun gave them a sense of belonging and hope. The promised order and protection precisely met their needs.

"We are willing to follow Emperor Di Jun, Eastern Emperor!"

"Let us build the Demon Race together and reorder the universe!"

The crowd was impassioned, and many responded.

[Look at Di Jun and Tai Yi, now that's a professional team. They know how to unite the majority and establish order. Although it's also for destiny and power, at least they do it with a good public image and can give the lower-class demons some tangible benefits.]

Not long after, the Sun Star shone brilliantly, destiny converged, and the spectral images of two Three-legged Golden Crows soared into the sky, announcing it to the Great Desolation.

"I am Di Jun. Today, I establish a race called the Demon Race. All sentient beings in the Great Desolation who awaken their spiritual intelligence and embark on the path of cultivation, regardless of their origin or background, can be called demons. I shall be the Demon Emperor, and Tai Yi shall be the Eastern Emperor. We shall use the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Eastern Emperor Bell, to suppress the destiny of the Demon Race. We pray that the Heavenly Dao bears witness!"

Rumble—

In the distant sky, a golden cloud of merit, even larger than the one that appeared when Dong Wang Gong established Zizhou Prefecture, drifted towards the Sun Star.

The Demon Race was officially established!

Di Jun was the Demon Emperor, and Tai Yi was the Eastern Emperor, jointly ruling the Demon Race!

When the news spread, the Great Desolation was shaken.

Those tribes and rogue cultivators who had been oppressed by the Zifu Prefecture flocked to the Sun Star to pledge allegiance. The Demon Race's influence grew like a snowball, quickly becoming a behemoth that could rival Dong Wang Gong's Zifu Prefecture, and even subtly surpass it.

The Great Desolation officially entered an era of confrontation between the Zifu Prefecture and the Demon Race, with conflicts gradually escalating.