Hongjun's avatar shifted his indifferent gaze away from Zhou Ming and slowly swept it over everyone present.
"Indeed. It is time for this tribulation to end."
He finally spoke, bringing to an end the catastrophe that had swept across the entire Primordial Wilderness, claimed countless lives, and made even Sages spill blood.
At those words, Taiqing, Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti all felt a slight easing in their hearts.
Yet Hongjun's next words instantly sent their hearts leaping back into their throats.
"But you fought endlessly among yourselves for selfish gain, shattering the Primordial Wilderness, upsetting the balance of heaven and earth, and plunging all living beings into misery. Such a crime cannot go unpunished."
Everyone's heart tightened.
Here it comes.
Though they all knew this was merely a high-sounding excuse, they could not refute it.
For it was indeed their struggles that had left the Primordial Wilderness riddled with wounds.
None of them could escape this karma.
Zhou Ming looked calmly at Hongjun and asked,
"How do you intend to deal with them, fellow Daoist?"
Hongjun's gaze slowly settled on Venerable Lord Yuanshi and Sect Master Tongtian.
"Yuanshi, Tongtian, the disciples of yours who perished need not enter the Investiture of the Gods. They may enter the cycle of reincarnation."
At these words, joy surged through both Venerable Lord Yuanshi and Sect Master Tongtian, and they abruptly raised their heads.
They need not enter the Investiture of the Gods?
They could... enter the cycle of reincarnation?
Had the goal they had exhausted every scheme to achieve, even at the cost of shattering the Primordial Wilderness, finally been realized?
Yet before the joy on their faces could fully bloom, Hongjun's next words froze it solid.
"But after their reincarnation, once they attain success in cultivation, they must enter the Heavenly Court