The grand spectacle of the Demon Clan's founding and the vast merit bestowed by the Heavenly Dao were like a boulder thrown into a tranquil lake. The ripples spread across the entire Primordial World in an instant!
After slipping out of Pangu Divine Hall and watching the vast sea of merit clouds disperse, Di Jiang paid the matter no further attention. Candle Dragon had succeeded; whatever infighting followed within the Demon Clan had nothing to do with him!
As he carefully pondered the Yin-Yang Law patterns that had recently merged into his bloodline, he felt how naturally they fit with his Ancestral Witch body, as effortlessly as moving his own arm. A thought stirred in his mind.
Strange. These laws are imprinted directly in my bloodline. That seems more direct than slowly comprehending them with my Primordial Spirit. Could this be the proper way to use an Ancestral Witch body?
A wondrous hypothesis came to him! With a thought, Di Jiang appeared at the southern foot of Mount Buzhou. He sought out a lower-grade Innate Spiritual Root, lush with life and containing pure essence of the Yi Wood element.
Di Jiang drew it straight to him, channeled the power of his bloodline, and swallowed the Spiritual Root as if it were ordinary food.
In an instant, his violent bloodline power crushed, refined, and absorbed the vast essence of Yi Wood. The bloodline patterns representing the Law of Wood within him grew noticeably stronger and a little clearer!
Just as I thought! An Ancestral Witch body is itself the embodiment of the Great Dao's laws! By devouring an Origin Item corresponding to a law, I can directly strengthen that law within myself! No wonder the Ancestral Witches, who had no Primordial Spirits, could cultivate a single law to its utmost in the legends of my past life. They'd found this unorthodox method of eating what they wanted to strengthen!
This revelation, like discovering a whole new world, gave Di Jiang a deeper understanding of the mysteries of the Ancestral Witch body. It truly was a shortcut to greater strength.
However, this predatory method of cultivation ultimately goes against the natural order. It runs counter to my original desire to protect this world. It's fine as an occasional emergency measure, but I won't make it my primary method of cultivation. I have a Primordial Spirit, after all. I'm a civilized man who believes in reason.
Di Jiang shook his head, cast the temptation aside, and decided to keep comprehending the Great Dao as his main path. He would use this devouring method only as a last resort in a crisis.
As he pondered, Di Jiang's figure vanished once more. He headed beyond Mount Buzhou and had no intention of returning to Pangu Divine Hall until those few treasures had fully taken shape.
East Sea, Penglai Immortal Island! East Prince Gong was busy making preparations for the Immortal Court when he felt the tremendous surges of fortune and merit coming from the direction of the East Sea. His face darkened until it looked ready to drip water.
"The Demon Clan. Candle Dragon!"
He gripped the Dragon-Head Golden Staff in his hand, his knuckles tightening as humiliation and resentment surged within him.
The Immortal Court had yet to be officially announced, and Candle Dragon had already beaten him to the punch, founding the Demon Clan and gathering the fortune of countless clans. He had even won the Heavenly Dao's recognition and received immeasurable merit!
It was as if Candle Dragon were announcing to the whole Primordial World: Look, this is the true authority that rules over all living beings. You, East Prince Gong, and your title as leader of the male immortals are nothing but a joke!
"First Queen Mother of the West refused to show me the respect I deserve, and now Candle Dragon has gone too far!"
Anger churned in East Prince Gong's chest. His grand ambitions had yet to begin, and already they were shrouded in a thick shadow. The founding of the Demon Clan would undoubtedly become a major obstacle and rival to the Immortal Court in the future.
Phoenix Perch Mountain, in a secluded valley where streams trickled and immortal cranes gathered. Di Jun and Taiyi were visiting, discussing the Dao with Fuxi and Nuwa.
But when the surge of fortune from the Demon Clan's founding reached them, Di Jun's usually composed and detached expression abruptly changed. The jade cup in his hand paused in midair.
Taiyi's brow furrowed, and Solar True Fire stirred faintly around him, betraying his unease. Di Jun's feelings were tangled; beneath them lay a hard-to-describe ache and sense of loss.
With his companion treasures He Tu Luo Shu, he had long used divination to glimpse that the world's order would one day need to be established, and that uniting all living beings was an inevitable trend. He had also begun to consider founding a power of his own, to unite the myriad clans or something along similar lines.
However, he felt his cultivation was still shallow, and the revelations from He Tu Luo Shu were vague, giving him only a general direction. So he had come to Phoenix Perch Mountain for two reasons: first, to ask Fuxi, widely recognized throughout the Primordial World as a master diviner, to help him calculate the secrets of Heaven; second, to take the opportunity to recruit Fuxi and Nuwa, two mighty beings, into the ranks of his Sun Palace and work with him toward a great undertaking.
But he had never imagined that while he was still making plans, Candle Dragon would establish the Demon Clan in one decisive move! And on such a grand scale, with such tremendous fortune!
One step behind, and you fall behind at every step. The merit for founding a clan, the fortune of the myriad clans... Di Jun sighed inwardly, feeling as though someone had stolen the opportunity meant for him. Frustration and anger smoldered within him.
Most importantly, Candle Dragon clearly hadn't intended to include him in the Demon Clan. Even if Candle Dragon had invited him, Di Jun's pride would never have allowed him to serve under another or join forces as an equal partner. Still, being shut out and ignored left him displeased.
Fuxi noticed every change in Di Jun's expression. He and Di Jun and Taiyi had known one another for a long time, and he greatly admired Di Jun's ambitions and breadth of vision. Seeing him dispirited by the Demon Clan's founding, Fuxi gently brushed the ancient zither before him. A clear note rang out, breaking the somewhat gloomy silence.
"Fellow Daoist Di Jun, why let this trouble you? The Demon Clan may be established and appear powerful, but it already has hidden dangers."
Di Jun looked up at Fuxi, his expression questioning.
Fuxi spoke at length. "First, though the newly founded Demon Clan has great fortune, it has no supreme treasure to keep that fortune secure. Fortune is like flowing water. Without a supreme treasure to anchor it, it gathers quickly and disperses just as quickly. It cannot last."
"Second, and most important: although Candle Dragon's side has gathered the myriad clans, it has no true sovereign! Candle Dragon is a remnant of ancient times. He commands respect, but he lacks the Imperial Dao. Yuanfeng is confined to the Immortal Volcano, and Kong Xuan is not up to the task. As for Kunpeng, he is a wandering recluse, not a leader. But you, fellow Daoist..."
Fuxi's tone grew more emphatic, carrying a note of certainty. "You bear the destiny of the Supreme Sovereign, and were born to be the Demon Emperor! For now, Candle Dragon has simply acted first, claiming the merit of founding the clan and some of its fortune. But the path of a sovereign is not decided in a day! When the time is ripe, you need only rally the others and reorganize the Demon Clan in the name of a sovereign. How could your great ambition fail?"
Fuxi's words were like a sudden awakening, instantly sweeping away the gloom in Di Jun's heart! That was right! Candle Dragon had merely put up the framework and taken the initiative.
But the heart of the Demon Clan—the Demon Emperor—was still missing! He bore the destiny of an emperor and possessed He Tu Luo Shu. He was the one truly destined to lead the Demon Clan to glory!
The lost merit was regrettable, of course, but what was it compared to the future throne of the Demon Emperor? A sharp light returned to Di Jun's eyes. He cupped his hands solemnly toward Fuxi. "Fellow Daoist Fuxi, your words have cleared my mind! Thank you for showing me the way!"
The frustration and anger in Di Jun's heart vanished, replaced by a clearer goal and surging resolve. Candle Dragon's founding of the Demon Clan wasn't the end. It was more like he had built the stage in advance for Di Jun, the future Demon Emperor!
The atmosphere at Phoenix Perch Mountain grew warm again. In his heart, Di Jun had already begun plotting how to make the decisive move that would secure victory on the newly established board of the Demon Clan.
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