Chapter 23

He was puzzled, then suddenly spat out a mouthful of dark golden Buddha's blood, realizing that the White Tiger Divine Race might be facing a crisis of extinction.

Meanwhile, the White Tiger Divine Venerable also sensed something amiss. After multiple calculations, he concluded that the destiny of the Primordial World was targeting them—perhaps a punishment for the chaos and disorder they had brought to the Western Land.

The White Tiger Divine Venerable decided to seize the Western Land, no longer fearing the will of heaven.

At the same time, Demon Ancestor Rahu sensed the anomaly as well. He saw more—it seemed a new Chosen of Destiny was scheming behind the scenes.

Rahu was not shaken by this change. Instead, as if he had guessed something, he watched with interest, waiting for the story behind it to unfold.

As time passed, the situation in the Western Land did not change drastically. It remained utterly chaotic, with endless battles and a growing number of fallen Grand Unity Venerable Gods.

The Western Land endured the fall of countless Grand Unity Venerable Gods, giving rise to a sliver of hope while undercurrents surged.

It seemed as if a hidden hand was at work. The corpses and remains on the ancient battlefields vanished without a trace, and the number of chaotic wandering souls decreased.

Tai Ming, an existence with Hunyuan characteristics, feared no detection from these beings.

He collected the last wandering souls left behind by the Grand Unity Venerable Gods after their enlightenment, planning to plunge his enemies from heaven into hell during the great battle.

His Ghost Dao was so terrifying it would be etched into memory forever.

Though Tai Ming's strength rivaled that of a Grand Unity Venerable God, he still faced challenges from nearly half the living beings of the Western Land in the Demonic Dao, Mount Sumeru, and the White Tiger Divine Race.

He spent a thousand years traversing the Western Land, using the Netherworld Ghost Seal to transform the dead and wandering souls into Ghost Soldiers and Ghost Gods.

An unexpected gain was the wandering souls left by the Grand Unity Venerable Gods after their enlightenment. These souls bore the traits of Grand Unity beings, making them excellent materials for Ghost Gods.

He also discovered that Ghost Soldiers and Ghost Gods would become far stronger if they could reclaim their original bodies, providing a boost to the Corpse Dao.

Now, even Tai Ming himself did not know how many Ghost Gods were within the Netherworld Ghost Seal. He only knew that the numbers of Ghost Generals and Ghost Kings were immense.

Today, at the ancestral land of the White Tiger Divine Race in the Land of the Far West—the very vein of the Essence of Metal—a breathtaking decisive battle unfolded.

A Grand Unity Venerable God on routine patrol suddenly saw a boundless void rift tear open in the sky. Then, demonic energy surged forth like a sky-covering tide.

Before that Grand Unity Venerable God could react, countless Demonic Dao armies had already appeared before his eyes.

The White Tiger Grand Unity let out a heaven-shaking roar, instantly spreading the news of the enemy's attack across the entire White Tiger ancestral land.

At that moment, a figure as mighty as a god or devil appeared at the forefront of the White Tiger Clan. It was the progenitor of the White Tiger Divine Race—the White Tiger Divine Venerable! His wild white hair and the White Tiger divine patterns on his body released the profound meaning of the Divine Dao, instantly stunning the entire void and even forcing the Devil Race army to retreat half a step.

Then, a cold, emotionless voice rang out from nowhere.

It turned out that a black-clad figure had been standing right before the White Tiger Divine Venerable all along—that was Rahu.

He was as unfathomable as an abyss. With just a single glance, he seemed capable of devouring the White Tiger.

His pressure shook the entire White Tiger Divine Race, and their momentum was instantly suppressed by the Demonic Dao army.

The White Tiger Divine Venerable's face darkened. He had never expected that the White Tiger Divine Race under his command would be so thoroughly suppressed.

Faced with this, he snorted coldly and said, "All just cheap tricks!"

But Rahu merely narrowed his eyes slightly, the corners of his mouth curling upward as he replied, "A trick is a trick. As long as it works, it's fine."

He then brought up the White Tiger Divine Venerable's past defeat: "I wonder, after losing to me last time and forfeiting the White Emperor Throne, have you improved at all? Can you entertain me?"

At this moment, Rahu seemed to control the entire battlefield. His very existence placed immense pressure on the entire White Tiger Divine Race.

And this great battle had only just begun. What the future held was still impossible to predict.

The White Tiger Divine Venerable suddenly felt a sharp pain. His expression shifted drastically, and then he erupted with terrifying pressure, surging toward Rahu.

Rahu taunted him with contempt. The White Tiger Divine Venerable responded in fury, vowing to wash away the shame.

The two vanished from their spots in an instant, their fight transcending the understanding of all onlookers.

Within the Demonic Dao, the First Demon God Jidu announced the Demon Ancestor's orders, stirring the emotions of the Demonic Dao masses as they launched a full assault on the White Tiger Divine Race.

The White Tiger Divine Race's ancestral land activated its grand defensive formation, and both sides engaged in fierce combat.

The Land of the Far West was reduced to ruins. The White Tiger Divine Race shrank their defensive lines, while the Demonic Dao still held back thirty percent of their forces.

The Demonic Dao's power was eerie and specifically countered the White Tiger Divine Race, causing heavy losses. Some clan members, weak of will, fell into the Demonic Dao.

Facing the attacks of the Demonic Dao masses, the White Tiger Divine Race not only had to deal with enemies all around but also had to watch for their own kin succumbing to the Demonic Dao.

Under this pressure, the Demonic Dao steadily suppressed the White Tiger Divine Race.

Just as the grand formation of the White Tiger ancestral land was on the verge of collapse and the Demonic Dao masses were arrogantly jeering, something unexpected happened.

A deafening tiger roar suddenly came from beneath the Land of the Far West.

The once-despairing White Tiger Divine Race suddenly rallied. They knelt down and chanted in unison, welcoming the awakening of a crucial figure—Jian Bing Divine Lord.

At that moment, it felt as if all directions were heralding the awakening of Jian Bing Divine Lord.

The Demonic Dao masses began to pull back, led by the First Demon God Jidu.

Jian Bing Divine Lord was one of the Four True Spirits born from the Wind of Creation, the origin power of the Four Symbols. He was also the true trump card of the White Tiger Clan.

The so-called Four True Spirits were the symbols of the four original origin powers of the Primordial World: Eternal Water, Annihilation Fire, Wind of Creation, and Infinite Land.

Later, these Four Symbols Origin Powers gave birth to all things in the Primordial World and left behind the Four True Spirits, which became the Four Directional Creation Divine Beasts, guarding the four extremes of the Primordial World. They were known as the Tianyi Four Spirits.

Among them, the Azure Dragon Divine Beast, also known as Mengzhang Divine Lord, was born from Eternal Water; the Vermilion Bird Divine Beast, also known as Lingguang Divine Lord, was born from Annihilation Fire; the White Tiger Divine Beast was Jian Bing Divine Lord, born from the Wind of Creation; and the Xuanwu Divine Beast, also known as Zhiming Divine Lord, was born from Infinite Land.

When the Kirin Zhonghuang Divine Lord, one of the Five Directions Divine Lords, made his appearance, the majesty of the Five Directions Divine Race became even more pronounced.

He is not born of the Tianyi Four Spirits, but transformed from the two feet of the Pangu Clan, originating from Buzhou Mountain.

Among the Primal Kirin and the Ancestor Kirin, the Ancestor Kirin is the Kirin Zhonghuang Divine Lord.

It is precisely because of these primordial divine beasts that the Five Directions Divine Race could become the overlords of the five directions.

At this moment, the Jianbing Divine Lord of the White Tiger Divine Race awakens, even as the White Tiger Clan is already mired in dire straits.

His voice is vast and carries sorrow: "A new epoch has finally arrived—why must I bear the twists of this fate?"

His words are distant, echoing between heaven and earth; only the voice is heard, no figure seen.

The entire Land of the Far West was once part of the Jianbing Divine Lord's back—a staggering truth. The shattered divine mountains and sacred peaks before him are as insignificant as his own fur.

The mighty cultivators of the Demonic Dao are all shaken and pale at this sight. The might of this White Tiger Jianbing Divine Lord is enough to terrify every Life Instinct into fear.

Yet he turns his head to gaze in another direction.

This is the moment of stillness before the appearance of another supreme being of the West, aside from Luohu—the Nameless Ascetic Monk of Mount Sumeru.

"A fellow Daoist taking part in this action leaves This Divine Lord somewhat puzzled."

The ascetic monk responds to the Jianbing Divine Lord's confusion, explaining that his alliance with Luohu is not merely using the Tai Ming incident as a pretext.

"In truth, it is to balance the power dynamics between us."

Hidden deeper in his heart lies a darker secret: neither he nor Luohu could withstand the combined strength of two divine races. Thus, before the White Tiger Clan is completely eradicated, their conflict is merely a facade.

True cooperation stems from a calculation of mutual strength.

The story behind this great war is twisted and complex, with many undercurrents yet to surface.

As the White Tiger Jianbing Divine Lord listens to the ascetic monk's words, he deeply realizes that only a stronger White Tiger Divine Race can truly face the challenges ahead.

But now... it is not strong enough! That is the real problem.

Facing the current situation, the Divine Lord should understand the ** of the Western Land's circumstances.

As long as we reach a consensus and no longer interfere in Western affairs, we will not oppose the White Tiger Divine Race.

In such a scenario, the Nameless Ascetic Monk leans toward watching from the sidelines, knowing that both the Demonic Dao and the White Tiger Divine Race have suffered severe blows, while only the Mount Sumeru lineage remains unscathed.

Thus, if war breaks out rashly now, it would undoubtedly expose Mount Sumeru to attacks from both sides.

But if he can persuade the Jianbing Divine Lord to cease hostilities, he can reap the benefits of the conflict, and even secure Mount Sumeru's rise as the hegemon of the Western Land in the future.

The Jianbing Divine Lord falls into deep thought upon hearing this proposal.

After a long time, he responds: "The fellow Daoist's vision is fine, but I no longer meddle in the affairs of the White Tiger Divine Race.

Had it not been for the White Tiger Clan's crisis this time, I would not have appeared.

Thus, the power to decide war or peace lies with the White Tiger Divine Venerable."

His tone reveals a deep wariness of Luohu. "Moreover, even if I were willing to withdraw the White Tiger Divine Race from battle, Luohu's stance remains unknown."

When speaking of Luohu, a flicker of unease crosses the Jianbing Divine Lord's eyes.

Just then, two figures descend from the void.

One stands calmly in the wind as usual, while the other, heavily wounded, plummets toward the Jianbing Divine Lord's true body.

Seeing this, both the Nameless Ascetic Monk and the Jianbing Divine Lord are shocked.

"How is this possible?"

They had anticipated Luohu's strength, but never imagined he could reduce the White Tiger Divine Venerable to such a state in so short a time.

For beings of their level, unless struck by a Great Dao Injury, recovery is instantaneous.

Yet the White Tiger Divine Venerable now seems to have suffered an unimaginable blow, unable to recover at all.

This shows that Luohu's true power far exceeds their expectations and guesses.

At this moment, the Nameless Ascetic Monk seems to hear a voice.

Ascetic monk, now is the perfect opportunity.

The White Tiger Divine Venerable is no longer a threat.

We should join forces against the Jianbing Divine Lord—victory will be easy.

In an instant, the Nameless Ascetic Monk realizes this is Luohu's scheme.

He guesses that the Jianbing Divine Lord has also heard these words, and thus the two are wary of each other, unwilling to rashly ally against Luohu.

Sure enough, he feels the Jianbing Divine Lord's gaze fall upon him.

Yet, at that very moment, a massive change occurs on the field.

A deafening roar erupts—┗|｀O|┛ROAR~~~~—as the Jianbing Divine Lord's colossal true body seems to have discovered something.

The Nameless Ascetic Monk is horrified to find that the White Tiger Divine Venerable, who should have been grievously wounded and unable to recover, has somehow delivered a fatal strike, tearing a terrifying wound into the Jianbing Divine Lord's true body.

Even stranger, a black aura surges from the wound, spreading rapidly, causing the Jianbing Divine Lord's flesh to spawn chaotic, aberrant laws.

This sight terrifies everyone.

The Nameless Ascetic Monk and the Jianbing Divine Lord, suspecting Luohu's involvement, turn pale and glare at him.

It's you? They realized that aside from Luohu, no one else could have done this to such an extent.

They shuddered at the thought that Luohu could control the White Tiger Divine Venerable's power, and worried whether someone around them might also be under Luohu's control.

At this moment, Luohu spoke a single sentence: "When did you ever think you were on the same level as me? And what gave you the illusion that you weren't being controlled?"

His attitude now was utterly domineering, as if even the Nameless Ascetic Monk and the Jian Bing Divine Lord were beneath his notice.

Unlike his previous low-key scheming, Luohu now revealed a far more terrifying and overbearing side.

The White Tiger Divine Venerable's figure appeared beside the straggler, sending the Jian Bing Divine Lord into extreme shock.