When faced with uncertainty, divine a hexagram first!
As a cultivator of Heavenly Machine divine abilities, Zhou Yuan placed great faith in the Heavenly Machine Chessboard.
With a thought, the black and white chessboard bloomed with radiant light, evolving all manner of scenes.
Karmic fate and fortune intertwined.
He saw the earth sink beneath the waves, saw blood flow into rivers, yet what ultimately entered his mind was a streak of the purest azure blue.
"How strange, how strange."
"The road ahead is paved with corpses, yet within mountains of corpses and seas of blood lies a Great Creation."
"Fortune is sought amid danger."
"Cannot see through it, cannot see through it."
"Has a Great Divine Ability User concealed the karmic fate and heavenly secrets?"
Zhou Yuan stroked his chin and muttered to himself.
"Staying here poses little danger for now."
"Only after leaving the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range will I be entering a dragon's pool and tiger's den."
In that case, he needed to make preparations early.
"With this wisp of Southern Bright Leaving Fire provided by Guizhenzi."
"That Demon Refining Supreme Treasure can also begin to be refined."
A great upheaval would occur within this One Yuan Assembly.
That old turtle surely knew something.
Moreover, this change was surely caused by the Myriad Races Alliance.
The demon clan.
The Witch Gate.
The Divine Demon Dao Lineage.
What a tangled web of relationships...
Zhou Yuan's gaze deepened.
In the end, it was still because his strength was insufficient.
Otherwise, whether it was the witches and demons or the Divine Demon Imperial Dynasty, he could simply crush them all the way through.
He shook his head, dispelling the stray thoughts in his mind.
Zhou Yuan took out a bronze lamp shining with golden radiance.
"By pioneering the Marketplace, completing the acquired Dao of commerce, and promoting exchanges among the beings of the Primordial World, Heavenly Dao Merit naturally descended as well."
A faint golden radiance emanated from Zhou Yuan's body, gathering into an illusory Merit Golden Wheel.
"Unfortunately, with my current capabilities, it is difficult to promote the Marketplace throughout the entire Primordial World."
"Otherwise, it would be an immense merit."
"Even if I lay in my cave abode every day, merit would continuously flow into my account."
Zhou Yuan sighed.
But he quickly came to terms with it.
One should handle matters according to one's abilities.
Taking too big a step made it easy to pull a muscle.
"Besides, this merit is enough to refine a Merit Spirit Treasure."
Zhou Yuan looked at the bronze lamp before him, a thoughtful glint flashing through his eyes.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yuan was planning to refine an artifact within his cave abode on Chessboard Mountain in preparation for the coming upheaval.
Guizhenzi left the region around Chessboard Mountain, mounted a cloud, and flew directly east of the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range.
Before long, he arrived at a place filled with dense spiritual energy and surrounded by clear qi.
It was as though the master of that mountain already knew of his arrival.
The mountain-protecting formation opened wide.
Guizhenzi entered through the mountain gate and headed straight for the cave abode at the summit.
There, he saw three figures shrouded in divine light seated high upon meditation cushions.
They were, astonishingly, three Grand Unity Great Sages.
"Guizhenzi pays respects to the three envoys."
"Fellow Daoist, there is no need for such formality. Please, take a seat."
The figure in the center spoke, her voice clear and cool as a mountain spring.
After cupping his hands in thanks, Guizhenzi slowly recounted the results of his efforts over these past days.
"This old man visited thirty-six grottos, seventy-two residences, for a total of one hundred and eight divine mountains."
"In all, I found eighteen True One Realm Fellow Daoists, one hundred and fifty-six Heavenly Human Realm cultivators, and countless cultivators of the Grotto-heaven Realm and below."
"All these beings are willing to join our Myriad Races Alliance."
"The list is here. I ask the three envoys to examine it."
Having said that, Guizhenzi took out a jade slip and presented it to them.
The Grand Unity Great Sage seated in the center lightly waved her hand, drawing the jade slip over.
With just a slight sweep of her divine sense, she had already grasped its contents.
"Not bad."
"That Tianchen Wanderer of Tianchen Peak is exceptional in formations, while Daoist Taiyuan of Chessboard Mountain excels in both alchemy and artifact refining."
"The Heavenly Court will soon be established. The master and Her Ladyship should have some foundations within it as well."
As she thought this, the Great Sage's gaze toward Guizhenzi softened considerably.
This was someone capable of getting things done.
With a wave of her hand, she bestowed a pile of spiritual materials and Daoist scriptures.
"Fellow Daoist has handled matters diligently."
"The master and Her Ladyship have both seen it and will certainly not treat you poorly."
"Fellow Daoist, accept these rewards for now."
"Once the great undertaking succeeds, that will be the time for true rewards based on merit."
Guizhenzi said gratefully,
"We beings of the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range have already received immeasurable grace from Her Ladyship and the exalted ones teaching the Dao."
"It is this old Daoist's honor to serve Phoenix Perch Mountain."
"How could I dare claim credit and seek reward?"
"If only everyone understood propriety and gratitude as well as you do."
One of the beings seated on a meditation cushion suddenly spoke, her tone inscrutable.
Guizhenzi did not know what this exalted one meant, so he could only lower his head and refrain from speaking rashly.
Fortunately, the three had no intention of making things difficult for him.
After offering a few words of reassurance, they sent Guizhenzi away.
After Guizhenzi departed, the divine light within the cave abode faded, revealing the true forms of the three Grand Unity Great Sages.
The one in the center wore multicolored immortal robes and possessed an elegant, noble bearing. The aura of the Five Virtues manifested around her, giving rise to all kinds of splendid scenes.
The one on the left wore a black robe. She had a human body and snake tail, a cold expression, and a fiery red vertical mark flickering on her forehead.
The one on the right likewise had a human body and snake tail. She wore a white dress, held a jade flute glimmering with spiritual light, and smiled sweetly.
"Sister Cai Feng, the task Her Ladyship assigned us has now been successfully completed. The day our Demon Clan Heavenly Court is established is right before us."
Holding a bamboo flute, Bai Xi spoke with some excitement.
As a Grand Unity Great Sage of the Phoenix Perch Mountain lineage, once the Demon Clan Heavenly Court was established, she would certainly occupy an exalted position.
At that time, cultivating through the demon clan's fortune, even the realm of an Innate Dao Lord would not be beyond her reach.
Although Fairy Cai Feng was equally excited, she had lived through the great calamity of the three clans and naturally possessed considerable composure.
"Her Ladyship, the master, and the exalted ones wish to establish the demon clan, create the Heavenly Court, and seize the fortune of heaven and earth."
"The gods of the Witch Gate, the many Divine Demon Dao Lineages, and even the Divine Court upon the Eastern Sea will not merely stand by and watch."
Fairy Cai Feng's expression was solemn, and a faint killing intent rose within her golden eyes.
"That is why the exalted ones have already made their plans."
"We must first fight a battle and prove that our Myriad Races Alliance possesses such strength."
When virtue did not match one's position, disaster was bound to follow.
In the Primordial World, virtue meant strength.
Only by proving that the Myriad Races Alliance had strength and was qualified to establish the Heavenly Court would the various factions remain on the sidelines.
Otherwise, the many Great Divine Ability Users would surely enter the fray and destroy the Myriad Races Alliance in one stroke.
After all, who would be willing to see another colossal power arise in the Primordial World to compete with them for resources and fortune?
"Then we shall fight a battle."
Teng She spoke from the side, her tone filled with killing intent.
The sounds of weapons clashing rang out in the surroundings.
Streaks of scorching firelight flickered unsteadily through the void.
"We of the myriad races were born from humble origins, unlike those Divine Demon Dao Lineages that stand high above."
"But we are not cowards who cling to life and fear death."
"The struggle for the fortune of heaven and earth, the struggle for the Dao path—there is only killing."
Fairy Cai Feng nodded slightly after hearing this.
"Her Ladyship, the master, and the several exalted ones are all Great Divine Ability Users. With them present, there is naturally nothing to fear."
"But we must also display the bearing of our Myriad Races Alliance."
"You two, return to Phoenix Perch Mountain at once. Invite fellow Daoists far and wide, and mobilize the Dao soldiers."
"This Myriad Spirit Mountain Range shall be our battlefield."
Upon hearing this, Teng She and Bai Xi gave a slight bow toward Fairy Cai Feng in the center.
"Then we shall depart at once."
With that, the two transformed into streams of light and vanished without a trace.
Fairy Cai Feng looked down over the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range.
All kinds of information flashed through her mind.
"The Dao soldiers have already been arranged in an orderly fashion."
"Yet the cave abodes and mountain gates of those Fellow Daoists who have joined our Phoenix Perch Mountain lineage cannot be left unprotected."
Fairy Cai Feng murmured softly.
The Myriad Spirit Mountain Range was immensely vast.
Even if all the Fellow Daoists of Phoenix Perch Mountain were mobilized, they could not protect every inch of territory.
In that case, those cultivators who had not joined Phoenix Perch Mountain could only rely on their own fortune and leave their fate to heaven upon the battlefield.
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