Enmity with Karma, the Heaven-Opening Tribulation

Handsome guys, assemble!

Pretty girls, assemble!

Perverts, assemble!

Over these countless years, he had rarely encountered any living beings.

The ones he occasionally encountered were all Chaos Beings, but most of them had yet to develop intelligence and were like wild beasts, pouncing on him to claw and bite the moment they saw him.

At first, Zhou Xiaoqin was afraid and tried to dodge. Later, there was one time when he failed to evade, and he thought he would be injured by the attack.

Instead, silver-gray and pale golden Dao Patterns emerged on his Primordial Spirit, and the Chaos Being could not touch him at all.

From then on, he no longer had to worry about Chaos Beings and began traveling through Chaos openly.

Then one day, a thin crimson thread shot toward him from afar. A Chaos Demon God had attacked him.

But the instant the thread touched his Primordial Spirit, a flash of Pale Golden Light directly annihilated the incoming attack.

That Chaos Demon God seemed to have become angry, sending several more threads at him.

Pale Golden Light flickered from Zhou Xiaoqin's Primordial Spirit, and a ray of Golden Light shot directly along the Karma Line toward the boundless distance.

"Is that bastard Karma causing trouble in Chaos again?"

An old Daoist suddenly appeared before Zhou Xiaoqin. On closer inspection, his two eyebrows hung extraordinarily long, and he was using the Law of Space. He had to be Yang Mei, the Space Demon God.

"Impressive methods, Fellow Daoist. I am Yang Mei, the Space Demon God. Greetings, Fellow Daoist."

"I..."

He suddenly stopped. He could not say that. In Chaos, everyone addressed themselves as "I," in the archaic sense; there was no such casual form of address.

He hurriedly tried to change his words, only to realize that he did not have a Dao title, nor had the Great Dao bestowed a name upon him.

He had inherited a trace of Supreme Destiny and part of Time and Space's Origin. It was essentially a hybrid, and he had no Law passed down by the Great Dao.

After thinking it over, he realized that the Dao titles of Chaos Demon Gods were bestowed by the Great Dao. He had to think up his own Dao title, but he could not make one up carelessly. Perhaps it would cause him to become entangled in Karma somehow.

He remembered a saying from the Dao Scripture: "Mysterious and ever more mysterious, the gateway to all wonders." It would make him seem as though he had been born in a later age.

Within Chaos, the Chaos Green Lotus was the most precious of all. Even Pangu had been nurtured by Chaos. After Heaven-Opening, the Chaos Green Lotus shattered and ceased to exist entirely.

Then he might as well take the risk. He should be able to bear such Karma.

"I am Xuan Qing. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Yang Mei."

After Xuan Qing spoke, he cautiously glanced around. Seeing that the Great Dao showed no reaction, he knew this Dao title was acceptable.

"I saw Fellow Daoist use the Law of Destiny just now. In Chaos, only the Destiny Demon God controls the Law of Destiny. Fellow Daoist is truly remarkable!"

Zhou Xiaoqin was shocked inwardly. This old Daoist Yang Mei was indeed formidable, but he did not know how to answer. He wanted to say something, yet the words would not leave his mouth.

Yang Mei understood at once.

"I understand. It cannot be spoken of, cannot be spoken of."

The Great Dao did not permit such taboos to be spoken aloud, and Yang Mei instantly filled in the gaps himself. How could he know that Zhou Xiaoqin had made it all up?

"Fellow Daoist, that bastard Karma relies on the Law of Karma to recklessly stir up the Karma of countless beings in Chaos, using it as nourishment to improve his Law.

"This has caused countless Chaos Demon Gods to slaughter one another. He is truly unworthy of being a Chaos Demon God."

As one of the same kind, Yang Mei deeply detested what Karma had done. Although Karma was pursuing his own Dao, Yang Mei truly disliked such behavior.

Those leading Chaos Demon Gods could not kill one another. At most, they could fight to vent their anger, but after the battle, they would have to endure the other party's endless harassment. He had no way to deal with Karma.

"Why is Fellow Daoist in the state of an Indestructible Primordial Spirit? Was your physical body destroyed? Who possessed such ability?"

Seeing that Yang Mei still bore him goodwill, Zhou Xiaoqin lowered his guard. After all, he had no way to deal with Yang Mei either.

Chaos was infinitely vast, yet living beings were sparse. Those who had developed intelligence were even fewer.

There was nothing for them to compete over. After countless years, they could not even find many people to talk to. There truly were no conflicts between them. Moreover, they had only recently been born and needed to comprehend their own Great Dao, so none of them had yet developed any schemes or cunning.

Other than those with strong fighting instincts and beings like Karma, no Demon God dared form a grudge with Yang Mei. Thus, Yang Mei was fairly easygoing.

"Fellow Daoist Yang Mei, I have been like this ever since I gained intelligence. I have no Great Dao inheritance. What is going on? Does Fellow Daoist have any insight?"

Zhou Xiaoqin could only ask Yang Mei for an explanation.

"Fellow Daoist, after Chaos Demon Gods are born, each naturally possesses a Great Dao. By comprehending our own Laws, we can improve our cultivation. I do not understand your situation very well. I fear even Shichen would not understand it."

Yang Mei had no answer to Zhou Xiaoqin's question.

"Fellow Daoist, may I learn your Law? Otherwise, I fear I will remain like this forever. Would that be possible?"

"No. Our Laws were bestowed by the Great Dao. Without the Great Dao's permission, they cannot be learned. Furthermore, I do not know how to transmit a Law."

Zhou Xiaoqin understood. In Chaos, there were no vessels that carried Dao teachings, aside from Companion Spiritual Treasures. Moreover, every Demon God possessed their own Law and had no need to learn another's. Thus, there was no need to lecture on the Dao and transmit teachings as in the Prehistoric Era.

Suddenly, Yang Mei used Space Imprisonment on Zhou Xiaoqin. Pale Golden Light flashed over Zhou Xiaoqin's Primordial Spirit, blocking Yang Mei's technique.

"Did Fellow Daoist feel anything?"

"I did not feel anything at all."

"Then Fellow Daoist has no way of learning our Laws."

Just as expected, Yang Mei said so.

It seemed Yang Mei truly had no solution, but Zhou Xiaoqin possessed the Dao Coffin of Time and Space and a fragment of Supreme Destiny, so he was not afraid of any methods.

In the Chaos of an immeasurable distance away, Karma was suddenly struck by a ray of Pale Golden Light.

Before he could retaliate, a hole was ripped directly through the Chaos Demon God's body. The Demon God of Karma used the Law of Karma to guide Chaos Qi and repair his body, but the effect was minimal.

This was the power of Destiny, yet something seemed wrong. Karma was far too familiar with Destiny. This did not seem like Destiny's method.

It would likely take many Kalpas to recover. Even the Karma Lines were gone, and he could not trace Karma to its end. The Demon God of Karma suffered in silence.

Unable to learn the Laws of other Demon Gods, Zhou Xiaoqin could only part ways with Yang Mei and continue drifting through Chaos.

Over these years, he finally encountered a Chaos Spiritual Root, though unfortunately, it bore no fruit.

It was a Spiritual Root that only bloomed and never bore fruit. It was useless to Chaos Demon Gods, which was why it had survived.

Zhou Xiaoqin did not know what kind of Spiritual Root it was, but he still found a way to collect it. There was even a clump of Chaos Breathing Soil beneath it. Everything in Chaos was good stuff.

After spending dozens of Kalpas, he used the power of the Dao Coffin of Time and Space to store it away.

Until one day, Chaos trembled, and a Dao Sound rang out.

"I am Pangu, bearer of the Creation Dao Body, master of the Three Thousand Great Dao Laws. Guided by the Great Dao and Supreme Destiny... I shall open Heaven and create the world!"

Countless Demon Gods and beings in Chaos were instantly startled. Before they could react, another declaration resounded:

"Chaos has nurtured Three Thousand Chaos Demon Gods, as well as a Kalpa's worth of Chaos Beings. All shall answer the Heaven-Opening Tribulation and fulfill the fruit of my Heaven-Opening Creation."

"Pangu, you deserve death!"

All Chaos Demon Gods and beings were enraged. Enormous terror shrouded Chaos. This was the Great Dao's guidance.

They had to stop Pangu from opening Heaven, or they would surely die.

Zhou Xiaoqin also rushed toward Pangu. He did not know whether he counted as Pangu's enemy, but he had to witness the Heaven-Opening Battle Against Three Thousand Demon Gods.

Otherwise, it would be too great a regret. He had been too lonely through Chaos's countless years and was nearly forgetting whether he was still human. Whether he lived or died no longer mattered.

Forty-nine Kalpas passed. Countless Chaos Demon Gods had already encountered Pangu. Zhou Xiaoqin could only watch their battle from far away, afraid that he would be blasted apart.

Pangu held the Sky-Opening Axe, stood upon the Chaos Green Lotus, and bore the Jade Butterfly of Creation above his head. With a single axe strike, he slashed at the Time Demon God, who had charged ahead first, sending Shichen flying.

"How is this possible? I am at the peak of the Primordial Limitless Golden Immortal Realm. How can I not block you?"

Looking closer, he noticed the three great Chaos Supreme Treasures around Pangu. Shichen could not help but curse inwardly. How could the Great Dao favor Pangu alone?

That Chaos Demon Ape truly had no brains. With a burst of reckless ferocity, he charged at Pangu.

"Pangu, die!"

The Law of War fused into his body as he struck at Pangu. Pangu casually swung his axe in return. Crack! The Chaos Demon Ape's Origin was split into four, scattering in every direction. What a fool—he actually dared to face a Chaos Supreme Treasure head-on.

The other Chaos Demon Gods were all stunned. How could Pangu be so fierce?

A single axe strike could overwhelm a Mid-stage Primordial Limitless Golden Immortal. Was this still the Primordial Limitless realm? Pangu's Heaven-Opening proof of the Dao was likely about to reach the Great Dao Realm.

Pangu did not care about any of that. Whoever blocked him would die. He charged directly into the crowd of Demon Gods, fusing the Three Thousand Great Dao Laws into one and evolving the Law of Strength, which he used to slash at the Chaos Demon Gods.

All the Chaos Demon Gods could only join forces to resist Pangu. Many Chaos Demon Gods' Companion Spiritual Treasures were damaged.

Some of the weakest ones shattered outright and scattered into Chaos. These Chaos Supreme Treasures were truly terrifying.

The battle lasted an entire Chaos Tribulation. Nearly all Chaos Beings died, while only the foremost few among the Three Thousand Chaos Demon Gods survived.

More than half of Yang Mei's body had been chopped away. Yang Mei had no Companion Spiritual Treasure; his true body was the Chaos Spiritual Root known as the Space Willow.

Shichen's body had faded considerably, and the Chaos Spiritual Treasure, the Time Spirit Disk, had also shattered by half. The Spiritual Treasures of other Demon Gods, such as the Cauldron of Creation belonging to the Creation Demon God, were nearly completely destroyed.

Shichen was sustaining himself with a strand of his Origin. The Spiritual Treasures of the other Demon Gods had either shattered or completely collapsed, leaving them in far more miserable states than Shichen.

After the battle had reached such a point, Pangu barely had any injuries. It felt as though Pangu would slaughter all the Demon Gods without suffering a scratch.

Was Great God Pangu just toying with them? Zhou Xiaoqin watched in stunned disbelief.

"Hmm?"

Pangu's gaze swept over him.

This is an anomaly of the Great Dao. Pangu was surprised, then immediately charged at the last few Chaos Demon Gods again. In less than fifty Kalpas, every Demon God had died.

Yet a strand of Yang Mei's Primordial Spirit, carrying a trace of Origin, fled into a Chaos Storm.

Pangu directly drew all the Origins and Spiritual Treasure fragments of the Chaos Demon Gods toward himself.

Then Pangu looked directly at Zhou Xiaoqin, who immediately felt overwhelming terror envelop him.

Just as he thought he was about to die, Pangu saw his Primordial Spirit and suddenly smiled.

An anomaly of the Great Dao? The existence of Time and Space is truly wondrous. It has even fused with a fragment of Supreme Destiny. Even the Great Dao must be troubled by this. Hahaha!!!

"Great God Pangu, what is happening to me?" He knew Pangu had seen through him.

"You are an anomaly of the Great Dao, and also a miracle beneath the Great Dao. I cannot see through you completely.

"But it should be a good thing. It is a good thing for me. You need not worry. Everything is as destiny decrees. Since I am about to open Heaven, watch carefully."

"Great God, then what is Supreme Destiny? And what is going on with the Destiny Demon God?"

"Beneath the Great Dao are Supreme Laws. The first is Creation, the Law-body I inherited from the Great Dao, which creates all things;

"The second is Supreme Destiny, which controls everything. Every living being beneath the Great Dao exists within its ordained fate;

"The third is Chaos. We were born within Chaos, and Chaos evolves all things;

"The fourth is Infinite. Infinite is everything: boundlessness, the past, and the future;

"The fifth is Annihilation, corresponding to Creation, which destroys all things;

"The sixth is Reincarnation. From Creation to Annihilation is one cycle of Reincarnation, with everything repeating endlessly."

Zhou Xiaoqin suddenly thought of the legendary Return to Void in the Prehistoric Era. Could Chaos have one as well? Was all of this another cycle of Reincarnation?

Had he traveled through the River of Time and Space to Chaos at the time of Heaven-Opening, or was this the beginning of Creation in the next cycle of Reincarnation? What about his family and friends?

(Things will get much better after Pangu opens Heaven. I will not torture everyone like this anymore. Before Heaven-Opening, it really was a little boring.)