On the shores of the East Sea, endless blue waves stretched to the horizon!
While East Prince Gong was still making preparations for the Immortal Court, Candle Dragon had already made ready to found a clan! Di Jiang had also helped in his own way, enabling Candle Dragon to fully unite the Beast Clan. With the precedent set by the other three great clans, founding a clan would naturally be easier.
That day, the vast sea lost its former tranquility. In its place was a grand atmosphere, solemn and dignified, yet simmering with excitement. Auspicious clouds gathered in the sky, their colors brilliant, while rays of rosy light filled the heavens. Beneath the waves, countless elite aquatic beings stood in formation, banners fluttering as sunlight glinted off their scales and armor.
A majestic, nine-tiered altar, built from countless precious materials and jades, stood in the heart of the East Sea, reaching straight into the clouds. Figures from every corner of the Primordial World had already gathered around it. Their auras were diverse yet mighty, representing many different races and factions.
Standing atop the altar was Candle Dragon, tall and lean, clad in a dark robe embroidered with dragon patterns. His features were ancient, his gaze as deep as the stars across the ages. Though he made no deliberate show of his Primordial Origin Golden Immortal might, the invisible majesty of an ancient overlord and master of time already enveloped the entire gathering, inspiring awe in every being present.
Slightly behind him on his left stood a dignified figure wreathed in seven-colored radiance. Her features were noble, and though weariness lingered between her brows, she remained every inch a regal presence. This was not Yuanfeng in person, but a projection she had sent here through her divine powers!
Though her true form could not leave the Immortal Volcano, her very presence represented the will of the Flying Bird Clan.
On his right stood Kunpeng! His expression was solemn, but deep in his eyes flickered excitement and ambition. His decision to join the Dragon Clan was one he had made after careful consideration.
First, he urgently needed a spiritual treasure to behead a corpse, but had been unable to find one! The Dragon Clan had deep reserves and could meet his needs. Second, he had offended the Three Pure Ones and needed powerful allies like Candle Dragon and the Dragon Clan behind him. Third, he had keenly sensed that the Dragon Clan would gather great fortune by founding a clan, and that a tremendous opportunity was sure to follow!
Farther back stood several representatives, each with a powerful aura and a distinct appearance:
Kong Xuan, handsome beyond compare and bearing the Five-Colored Divine Light, represented the Flying Bird Clan as well. His cold expression reflected the pride of the Phoenix Clan.
Old Ancestor Heavenly Tiger, powerfully built and wreathed in baleful energy, represented the Tiger Clan among the beasts. Nine-headed Lion Ancestor, with nine heads and a disdainful gaze, represented the Lion Clan. And Howling Moon Wolf King, clad in white and sharp-eyed with a cunning glint, represented the Wolf Clan among the beasts...
Several ancient Beast Clan elders together represented the ancient beasts' decision to join! Huoyun, watching the ceremony below, felt little about it and remained as calm as ever!
Farther behind them stood a densely packed host of beings from countless races, stretching beyond sight: scaled creatures, feathered and furred beasts, and all manner of lesser beings. Their auras ranged from primeval to savage to gentle, yet now they all held their breath and gazed toward the altar's summit.
All was silent save for the howling sea wind. Candle Dragon drew a deep breath and stepped forward, facing the heavens. His voice seemed to come from the distant past, carrying the weight of time and supreme authority as it resounded in the depths of every being's heart throughout the Primordial World:
"Heavenly Dao above, today, the myriad beings of the Primordial World—scaled creatures, beasts, flying birds...—have felt that the world lacks order and that all living things struggle beneath karma and cause and effect, with no clear path ahead. I, Candle Dragon, inheriting the legacy of the three ancient clans and answering the great wish of the beings of the Primordial World, vow to unite the myriad beings and found a clan known as the Demon Clan!"
"Demons are the spirits of Heaven and Earth, the essence of all things! From this day forward, every being that has awakened its intelligence, drawn in the light of the sun and moon, and cultivated the Great Dao may join the Demon Clan, receive the protection of its fortune, and explore the mysteries of the Great Dao together!"
"I, Candle Dragon, shall be Clan Leader of the Demon Clan! Yuanfeng shall be its Deputy Clan Leader! Kunpeng shall be its Great Elder!"
"From this day forward, the Demon Clan is founded! May the myriad beings unite, order take root, and fortune flourish forever!"
As his words fell, Candle Dragon drew upon his own blood essence and soul imprint, mixing them with the sliver of innate fortune offered by the representatives of the myriad races below. The result was a dazzling pillar of light, imbued with the will of countless beings, that shot into the heavens and reached the unfathomable Heavenly Dao!
Rumble!!!
The entire Primordial World seemed to tremble!
In the Nine Heavens, the winds and clouds changed. Boundless Xuanhuang Qi began gathering wildly, as if rivers were flowing backward, until it formed a vast, brilliant pillar of Mysterious Yellow Merit. It came crashing down from beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens and poured precisely onto the altar in the East Sea!
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Merit descended upon them! Candle Dragon, who bore the brunt of it, felt the vast karma that had tormented him for countless epochs like a cold shackle rapidly melt beneath the cleansing power of the blazing, supremely creative Merit Golden Light, like snow beneath the spring sun!
A feeling of ease and clarity unlike any he had known washed over him. It was as if he had set down a mountain he had carried for countless ages, and even the cultivation bottleneck that had long held him back showed signs of loosening! He was overcome with excitement and emotion!
"My karma has finally been cleansed! Fellow Daoist Di Jiang, I will remember this kindness!"
At the same time, the immense torrent of merit flowed toward the other core members in accordance with their cultivation and contributions to founding the clan.
Next after Candle Dragon was Deputy Clan Leader Yuanfeng, who had arrived through a divine projection while her true form remained at the Immortal Volcano in the Southern Wilderness!
The dazzling Merit Golden Light crossed the barriers of space, ignored the blazing defenses of the Immortal Volcano, and poured precisely onto Yuanfeng's dignified, seven-colored projection. Through its inseparable connection to her true form, it acted directly upon her body in the heart of the Immortal Volcano!
"Bzz—"
Far away, deep within the Immortal Volcano in the Southern Wilderness, Yuanfeng's true form, wrapped in endless Southern Bright Leaving Fire, suddenly shuddered! A warm, mighty energy filled with boundless life and creative power flowed into her origin like refreshing rain, nourishing it after it had been ravaged by crushing karma.
The tangled karma wrapped around her like countless millions of black chains, nearly snuffing out even her phoenix flames, let out a silent wail beneath the cleansing of the purest, most righteous Merit Golden Light!
The total burden of karma was simply too terrifying for the merit from founding the clan to cleanse it completely. Yet Yuanfeng could feel the heavy shackles that had kept her from daring to leave the Immortal Volcano had loosened considerably!
This merit from founding the clan had cleansed roughly a fifth of her karma, at least! For the first time, she saw hope of breaking free and starting anew!
Next came Kunpeng! Not only had he taken part in the clan-founding ceremony, but his cultivation was second only to Candle Dragon and Yuanfeng. Vast amounts of merit poured into him and merged with his power, which had already reached Peak Da Luo. Then there was the High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Candle Dragon had bestowed upon him beforehand, the Xunfeng Feather Fan, a treasure perfectly suited to him and ideal for entrusting a corpse...
Kunpeng's aura surged. A figure identical to him, yet even more carefree and detached, stepped out from the top of his head. It bowed slightly to Kunpeng, Candle Dragon, and the others, then vanished into the void. The mighty pressure of a Quasi-Saint burst from Kunpeng without restraint!
"Ha ha ha! Quasi-Saint! My Dao is achieved!"
Kunpeng was overjoyed as he felt this unprecedented power. The humiliation he had suffered and the choices he had made had all been worth it! When he looked at Candle Dragon, his eyes held even more awe and gratitude.
Kong Xuan, Old Ancestor Heavenly Tiger, and the other representatives, along with countless Demon Clan beings below, all received their share of the merit from founding the clan. Their auras grew stronger, and smiles spread across their faces. Their sense of belonging and unity with the Demon Clan reached its peak in an instant!
"Greetings, Clan Leader! Greetings, Deputy Clan Leader! Greetings, Great Elder!"
"May the Demon Clan flourish forever!"
Their cries of worship rose like a tidal wave from the shores of the East Sea, sweeping across the land and announcing that a colossal power known as the Demon Clan had officially taken the stage in the Primordial World!
Standing atop the altar amid the remaining Merit Golden Light and the worship of the myriad demons, Candle Dragon gazed down at the newly founded Demon Clan, magnificent in its splendor and with fortune coiling around it like a dragon. His heart brimmed with ambition.
"Fellow Daoist Di Jiang, you said, 'The overlords of the Primordial World will be none other than you and Jiang!' Now I have founded the Demon Clan. Next, it will be time for the two of us to show our skills upon this chessboard that is the Primordial World!"
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