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Over the East Sea.

Penglai Immortal Island.

Since Dao Ancestor Hongjun had established the leaders of the male and female immortals in the Purple Cloud Palace,

East King Duke, born from Innate Pure Yang One Qi, had founded a Dao Court on Penglai Island, gathering independent cultivators from the Four Seas and building a formidable reputation.

Boundless emerald waves swallowed the setting sun, while raging billows swept up the lingering radiance.

At the edge of the sea, at the far end of the immortal island, a Daoist clad in a robe of purple qi watched the battle in the heavens, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Chengying, is Queen Mother of the West still unwilling to join the Dao Court?"

Chengying Daoist Lord, dressed in white, gave a bitter smile upon hearing this.

"When I went to West Kunlun, I did not see Empress Golden Mother."

"The Azure Bird under her command said that Empress Golden Mother's cultivation has reached a critical juncture."

"She is in secluded cultivation."

"I fear she cannot come to see you."

East King Duke sneered.

"Does she think that by closing her palace gates and sealing off West Kunlun, the turmoil of this world will have nothing to do with her?"

"Since the Dao Ancestor personally appointed her and me as the leaders of the male and female immortals,"

"she should understand that countless Great Divine Ability Users in the Primordial World regard the two of us as thorns in their flesh."

Leader of the immortals?

East King Duke stood with his hands behind his back, the sea breeze tossing his silver hair and concealing the complicated look in his eyes.

Though he was wildly ambitious, he also knew that the Primordial World was filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

With only himself and the independent cultivators of the Four Seas, he could safely hold a territory and rule as its king.

But to contend for supremacy over the Primordial World and vie for the supreme karmic position was nothing but a fool's dream.

If Tai Zhen Queen Mother of the West were willing to help him, he might still have some chance of success.

Otherwise...

East King Duke clenched his fist.

He looked out over the vast East Sea, a complicated gleam flashing through his eyes.

If Queen Mother of the West had no such intention, he could only seek another way.

Seeing this, Chengying Daoist Lord could only persuade him.

"Dao Master, you were born from Innate Pure Yang One Qi, while Empress Golden Mother was born from West Flower Supreme Wonderful Qi and is the Dominator of the Yin."

"Now, the two of you are also honored as the leaders of the male and female immortals."

"From every perspective, Empress Golden Mother is the one meant to occupy the position of the Lunar Yin in the Dao Palace."

"I believe Empress Golden Mother will come around."

East King Duke neither agreed nor disagreed.

Chengying did not know Queen Mother of the West's true nature, but East King Duke had known her for years and understood exactly what kind of being she was.

Though she was the ruler of Lunar Yin, she governed calamities and plagues and controlled the supreme metal qi of West Flower. She was incomparably domineering.

Once she made up her mind, how could it be changed so easily?

"Dao Master, Di Jun of the demon race intends to go to the Thirty-three Heavenly Palaces to refine the origin of Worldly Heaven."

"Should we intervene?"

Seeing the chaos unfolding in the heavens, one of the Dao Court's elder veterans could no longer restrain himself.

He spoke up.

Now that both the witch and demon races, along with the Star God Lineage, had entered the fray,

it was precisely the right time for the Dao Court to rise with the tide.

East King Duke possessed great ambitions and had the legitimacy bestowed by the Dao Ancestor.

Why could they not contend for the position of Heavenly Emperor?

East King Duke smiled faintly.

"Fellow Daoist Kunpeng and the two ladies have come in person."

"I am truly honored beyond measure."

Chengying Daoist Lord and the members of the Dao Court were all startled.

They looked up.

They saw an enormous Kun Fish, vast as the cosmos, roaming the boundless sea. At times it soared into the sky and transformed into a peng; at times it entered the waters as a great kun. With a single spread of its wings, endless Dao essence gave rise to all manner of phenomena.

Hearing East King Duke's words, Kunpeng gave a hoarse laugh and said in an ancient voice,

"Mu Gong has sharp eyes."

"This old man had grown restless after too much stillness in the North Sea."

"This East Sea is vast, and its scenery is quite pleasant."

"You do not mind this old man coming here for a visit, do you, Fellow Daoist?"

Seeing Old Ancestor Kunpeng, the people of the Dao Court felt their hearts grow even heavier.

Had even such a Great Divine Ability User joined the demon race?

East King Duke, however, looked toward the two figures seated beneath the osmanthus tree in the heavens.

He slowly closed his eyes.

The greater tide was lost!

Three Sovereigns Palace.

Several vast auras soared into the sky.

"A mere demon race, formed from nothing more than Postnatal Beings."

"How dare they covet the position of Lord of the Era?"

Several ancient divine sovereigns, dressed in archaic divine robes, revealed chilling killing intent in their eyes.

They watched Di Jun fly toward the Thirty-three Heavenly Palaces, while spirit treasures floating in the void stirred restlessly.

But at that moment,

the void trembled. Three supreme treasures emitting the aura of the Great Dao displayed their divine might, as though they were about to create Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind.

They were a diagram, a banner, and a sword.

"The Three Pure Ones!"

An elder of the divine race gritted his teeth as he stared at the Innate Supreme Treasures that had suddenly appeared in the void, his eyes filled with apprehension.

Though the Three Pure Ones had only emerged in the New Era,

they had been transformed from the primordial spirit of the Pangu Clan.

Their teacher was the First Saint of Heaven and Earth.

The Three Pure Ones were one entity, with countless supreme treasures.

They were among the most powerful beings between Heaven and Earth.

Even Three Sovereigns Palace had to think twice before confronting Kunlun Mountain.

"Why?"

"Why are you stopping us?!"

The void fell silent.

The Taiji Diagram, Pangu Banner, and Qingping Sword said nothing, merely radiating endless divine light.

Kunlun Mountain.

The ancestral vein of the Primordial World, the immortal homeland of all gods.

Within Jade Void Palace.

Three figures shrouded in Chaos Aura sat upon cloud couches. In the void, scenes of creation, existence, and destruction unfolded. Every instant seemed to witness the birth and end of a great cosmos.

"Eldest Brother, can Di Jun be trusted?"

Jade Pure Daoist held the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi as he slowly asked.

Upper Pure Daoist raised a brow and lightly flicked his wide sleeve.

"If he does not follow the rules, my Four Swords of Zhu Xian are not so easy to deal with."

Grand Pure Daoist slowly opened his eyes.

"The Primordial Divine Court spanned the heavens for several eras."

"If not for the struggle between the Black Emperor and Flame Emperor for the throne in the late primordial era, which ultimately developed into the Crimson Bright Dragon-Han Calamity and dragged all three races into it,"

"this world would likely still belong to the Primordial Divine Race."

"Since Di Jun has taken Postnatal Beings as demons and founded the Heavenly Court upon the demon race,"

"then the Primordial Divine Race will be the first problem he must resolve."

"He still has many places where he must rely on our Mystic Gate Immortal Path. How could he make such an unwise move?"

Taiji yin-yang profound light flowed through Grand Pure Daoist's eyes.

A thoughtful look flashed through them.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun had founded the Mystic Gate Immortal Path and taken the Three Pure Ones as the Mystic Gate's direct disciples.

He sought to use the Mystic Gate Immortal Path to replace the Turbid Fiend God-Demon Path.

But after the Dao Ancestor became a saint, he had remained in the Purple Cloud Palace, and now had even merged with the Dao of the Primordial World. He would not emerge except during a great calamity.

Without Dao Ancestor Hongjun's deterrence, the path of spreading the Mystic Gate Immortal Path was fraught with difficulties.

By now, it had not even spread beyond the borders of Kunlun Mountain.

At its root, this was because the various Divine Demon Dao Lineages of the Primordial World obstructed it.

The Turbid Fiend God-Demon Path valued one's origins and foundations and required the expenditure of vast resources.

Thus, the Primordial Divine Race, with its illustrious birth and deep foundations, could seize every advantage, passing their inheritance down through the generations while monopolizing a great amount of the Primordial World's cultivation resources.

The Mystic Gate Immortal Path, however, cultivated the primordial spirit and placed greater value on a cultivator's understanding of the Great Dao Laws, with fewer demands on external things.

This severely impacted the established classes of interest.

It was therefore inevitable that the Divine Demon Dao Lineages would strike back.

Though the Three Pure Ones possessed profound Dao Cultivation and divine abilities,

they were not yet saints like those of later ages.

For the Kunlun Mountain lineage to oppose the entire Divine Demon Dao Lineage...

would inevitably damage the foundations of the Mystic Gate.

"Di Jun exchanged the condition of spreading the Mystic Gate's cultivation methods for our support in establishing himself as Heavenly Emperor."

"It is quite fitting."

Grand Pure Daoist closed his eyes and said calmly,

"The Great Flourishing of the Mystic Gate is the greater tide."

"Rest assured, my two worthy brothers. Di Jun will make the right choice."