Outside the Immortal Volcano in the Southern Wilderness, the outcome of the much-anticipated battle came as little surprise.
Though Di Jun had used He Tu Luo Shu to lay the River Luo Formation, drawing on the power of the Southern Wilderness's mountains, rivers, and seas to create endless shifts in the terrain, he had hoped to use the land's might to fight against time.
The formation was profound indeed, providing the people of the Sun Palace with powerful protection and support. It allowed the Ten Great Divine Generals and their forces to hold on under pressure from the Demon Clan's allied army.
Yet no matter how wondrous the formation, it could not turn the tide in the face of an overwhelming gap in strength.
Candle Dragon did not even let Kunpeng, Kong Xuan, or the other Demon Clan powerhouses interfere in his central battle against Di Jun and Taiyi. He meant to make a triumphant return and show all the beings of the Primordial World the absolute power of the Demon Clan's leader, an ancient powerhouse!
Candle Dragon strode forward alone, taking on Di Jun, Taiyi, and two others. Time runes flowed in his dragon eyes, which held the weight of ages. He performed no earth-shattering divine art; he merely summoned the domain of his own Time Law.
In an instant, an absolute domain of time descended, centered on him! The River Luo Formation, which drew on the mountains, rivers, and seas and should have flowed without pause, sometimes moved as if mired in a swamp, slowing tenfold or even a hundredfold!
At other moments, it suddenly accelerated to the extreme at a single point, causing its cycles to collapse and the formation to teeter on the brink! Taiyi's fierce, blazing Sun Gold Wheel attacks veered strangely off course as they neared Candle Dragon, or their power was inexplicably diminished by the passage of time.
This was what made an ancient Primordial Origin Golden Immortal so terrifying! His understanding and use of the laws had reached perfection. No Spirit Treasure or formation could easily make up the difference. Only an Innate Supreme Treasure or a Magic Treasure capable of suppressing time could do so!
Without either, one would need to surpass Candle Dragon in cultivation and possess one's own Law Dao. Otherwise, before his Time Law, anything could be toyed with at will.
Without a supreme treasure like the Chaos Bell, which could suppress primordial chaos and stabilize space-time, Di Jun, Taiyi, and the others had no chance of victory.
Candle Dragon unleashed his full strength, breaking through the core of the River Luo Formation in an instant. The power of time became invisible shackles, binding Di Jun, Taiyi, Nuwa, and Fuxi firmly in place. They could not move. The battle was decided!
A cold gleam flashed in Candle Dragon's eyes, his killing intent exposed. Di Jun and the others were defiant and immensely talented, the greatest obstacle to unifying the Demon Clan in the future. Candle Dragon resolved to seize this chance to kill them and eliminate the threat once and for all!
Just as Candle Dragon gathered the power of the laws to wipe out the four of them—
An intangible yet boundless, supreme force quietly intervened! It did not attack Candle Dragon directly. Instead, it subtly disrupted space-time in that one instant and stirred a thread of fate hidden in the unseen.
It was Hongjun, who sat in seclusion at Purple Heaven Palace, making his move!
Nuwa was destined to create humanity and become a Saint; she absolutely could not perish here. Di Jun, too, was destined to become the Heavenly Emperor in a future life. His death now would also go against Heaven's Mandate. So Hongjun intervened in secret, giving the four of them a chance to survive.
The time shackles binding Di Jun and the others loosened for the briefest instant! Di Jun and Taiyi exchanged a glance. Though they had no idea what had happened, their instinct to survive made them seize the fleeting opportunity!
"Go!"
The two burned their Origin Blood Essence without hesitation and drove Solar True Fire to its utmost limit. Carrying Nuwa and Fuxi with them, they became four Golden Crow streaks that tore through the sky, fleeing toward the Sun Star above the Nine Heavens at a speed beyond their limits!
Candle Dragon was about to pursue them when he suddenly faltered. The four vanished in an instant. By the time he recovered, they had already escaped into the Sun Star's domain.
The Sun Star had been formed from Pangu's left eye. It was supreme and utterly yang, containing boundless power. It was also the birthplace of Di Jun and Taiyi, its origin linked to theirs.
Even Candle Dragon, powerful as he was, did not dare casually enter the Sun Star's core to hunt them down. That would be tantamount to making an enemy of the entire Sun Star, at far too great a cost.
Candle Dragon watched the four streaks disappear into the Sun Star's radiance, his brow furrowing slightly. The strange occurrence just now had felt wrong. With his control, the four should not have escaped so easily.
As a Primordial Origin Golden Immortal, he should not have been caught off guard, either. But after searching carefully, he found no trace of an outside force. He could only assume that Di Jun and Taiyi's desperate burst of power had stirred the Sun Star's response, saving them!
Candle Dragon was unwilling to let the matter go, but for now, he had no choice but to stop.
With Di Jun, Taiyi, and the other leaders gone, the remnants of the Sun Palace were left without a leader. Faced with the overwhelming strength of the Demon Clan's allied army, they ultimately chose to submit. The Ten Great Divine Generals, led by Bai Ze, and all their forces joined the Demon Clan.
From that moment on, the Southern Wilderness fell completely under the Demon Clan's control. The Phoenix Clan's crisis was resolved, and the Demon Clan's Fortune grew ever more prosperous as it absorbed the remnants of the Sun Palace. Its prestige shook the heavens!
On Penglai Immortal Island, East Prince Gong had been keeping a close eye on the battlefield at the Immortal Volcano. When he heard that Di Jun and Taiyi had been defeated by Candle Dragon outside the volcano, that the River Luo Formation had been broken, and that they had fled back to the Sun Star in disgrace, the hand stroking his long beard paused. A glint flashed in his eyes!
Then East Prince Gong dismissed his attendants and gazed toward the Sun Star, burning eternally at the center of the Primordial World's starry sky. His heart surged.
"The time has come!"
East Prince Gong cried out inwardly, his thoughts racing!
"Di Jun and Taiyi had relied on their extraordinary origins and powerful Spirit Treasures to gather the Ten Great Divine Generals and establish the Sun Palace, making themselves a force to be reckoned with. But after their defeat in the Southern Wilderness, they have lost their foundation. The Ten Great Divine Generals have joined the Demon Clan. They are nothing but strays, trapped on a lonely star!"
"I want to establish the Immortal Court and rule over all the immortals of the Primordial World. I lack people with their strength and reputation to assist me. Though Di Jun and Taiyi have been defeated, they are still formidable, and they possess Innate Spiritual Treasures. If I can recruit them into my Immortal Court, wouldn't that make it all the stronger?"
The more East Prince Gong thought about it, the more convinced he became that it would work.
In his eyes, Di Jun and Taiyi were now at the end of their rope. As the leader of the male immortals, he would personally go to recruit them, offer them high positions, and promise to help them avenge themselves against Candle Dragon and unify the Demon Clan...
What reason would they have to refuse? The protection of his Immortal Court would surely be better than barely scraping by on the Sun Star!
Excitement at the thought of recruiting powerful allies and strengthening himself filled East Prince Gong's heart. He could already see Di Jun and Taiyi taking orders at his side, the Immortal Court's armies marching against the Demon Clan, and himself eventually replacing Candle Dragon as the overlord of the Primordial World.
"When the time comes, I'll rule the Immortal Court and hold authority over all immortals. Di Jun, Taiyi, Fuxi, Nuwa, and the others can each become immortal kings... second only to me, but above all others. That's a fitting reward for them."
East Prince Gong felt that this arrangement was already an immense favor. With that in mind, he quickly summoned several trusted attendants, mounted an immortal cloud, and headed toward the blazing Sun Star.
He would offer them this opportunity at their lowest point and make them grateful to him.
At the heart of the Sun Star stood the Sun Palace. Though it still gleamed with golden splendor and brimmed with concentrated solar essence, it could not conceal the desolate air left by defeat.
Di Jun sat quietly in the main seat of the great hall, his face calm. Yet in his deep eyes burned resentment and pride more fierce than Solar True Fire.
Taiyi stood beside him, his face dark. The Sun Gold Wheel floated at his side, emitting faint, mournful cries that seemed to reflect its master's unrest. Fuxi and Nuwa were recovering from their injuries in the depths of a side hall and did not appear.
Losing to Candle Dragon was a humiliation, but also a spur. Di Jun's mind replayed the irresistible might of the Time Law and the way the River Luo Formation had been so easily twisted and dismantled.
But his Dao Heart remained firm. He did not sink into despair. Instead, he turned this defeat into a longing for a higher realm and greater power. The Sun Star was his birthplace and the source of his strength. He believed that if he were given time, he could surely make a comeback!
Just then, he sensed an outsider entering the Sun Star's domain and furrowed his brow.
Soon, East Prince Gong's voice rang out, carrying a touch of deliberate restraint:
"The lord of Penglai has come to visit. Di Jun, Taiyi, fellow Daoists, how have you been?"
Without waiting for Di Jun's permission, East Prince Gong led his attendants into the Sun Palace, which had no wards set around it.
East Prince Gong's gaze swept across the somewhat empty hall and the only two people there, Di Jun and Taiyi. His sense of superiority at arriving to rescue them in their hour of need grew stronger.
Di Jun merely gave a slight nod and did not rise. Taiyi looked a little displeased. East Prince Gong seemed not to notice. Eager to get to the point, he began describing his plans for establishing the Immortal Court, elaborating on its grand prospects. At last, he fixed a fervent gaze on Di Jun!
"Fellow Daoist Di Jun, Candle Dragon is powerful, and the Demon Clan is riding high. Your former forces in the Sun Palace have already joined them. Remaining here in isolation is no long-term solution. Why not join my Immortal Court with fellow Daoist Taiyi?"
"I pledge to you in my capacity as lord of Penglai and leader of all immortals: once the Immortal Court has grown stronger, I will do everything in my power to help you take revenge, defeat Candle Dragon, and unify the Demon Clan! Then you can be the Immortal Court's king, second only to me and above all other immortals. What could be better?"
East Prince Gong spoke with impassioned conviction, certain that he had offered terms no one could refuse. He waited for Di Jun to accept gratefully.
Di Jun simply watched him, his gaze calm and still. Deep in his eyes, the stars seemed to revolve, and he carried an innate air of pride. After a long pause, he spoke slowly.
"Di Jun appreciates your kindness, fellow Daoist. But my brother and I were born on the Sun Star and stand upon the Sun Star. Though we may suffer a temporary setback, we will not live under another's roof. You are free to pursue your ambition for the Immortal Court, but forgive me—I cannot join you!"
Di Jun answered decisively, leaving no room for negotiation.
The smile on East Prince Gong's face froze. He had expected Di Jun to bargain, perhaps, but he had never imagined he would reject him so outright—with not the slightest hesitation!
A surge of anger at being slighted and humiliated welled up in him. He had met with setbacks throughout the Primordial World, and now even Di Jun, a stray dog, dared to treat him, the leader of the male immortals, with such disdain!
"You!"
East Prince Gong's face darkened as he sprang to his feet!
"Di Jun! Don't bring ruin upon yourself! You're nothing but a lonely soul now. You're neither one of the Three Pure Ones, Pangu's True Lineage, nor an ancient powerhouse like Candle Dragon! I took pity on you and your brother after all your years of cultivation, kindly offered to recruit you, and promised you a high position. Yet you're too ungrateful to know what's good for you!"
East Prince Gong was so furious that his aura wavered. But when he felt the omnipresent pressure of the Sun Star, saw the murderous look in Taiyi's eyes, and sensed the Sun Gold Wheel locking onto him, he ultimately did not dare let his anger fully erupt.
"Hmph! If that's how it is, then fend for yourselves. Stay here on the Sun Star and play at being turtles hiding in their shells!"
Furious, East Prince Gong turned on his heel and swept out, taking his attendants with him as they transformed into streaks of light and shot off the Sun Star. He feared that if he stayed another moment, he would no longer be able to restrain his anger, yet he knew full well that starting a fight here would bring him nothing.
Watching the direction in which East Prince Gong disappeared, Solar True Fire around Taiyi nearly flared out of control. He shouted, "Brother! That scoundrel has gone too far! Why won't you let me—"
Di Jun raised a hand, stopping Taiyi before he could finish. His gaze remained calm as he looked into the depths of the starry sky, as if he could see through the endless void to their lurking enemies and the road ahead.
"He's a mere clown. Why get angry? He is, after all, an immortal leader appointed by a Saint. We shouldn't make too many enemies just yet. We can settle accounts with him later!"
Di Jun's voice was cold, his resolve absolute!
The pride of the Golden Crows was rooted deep in Di Jun's blood. No temporary defeat could diminish it, and no handout from the likes of East Prince Gong could shake it!
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