The Golden Cloud Crown Illuminated the Karma Threads; Demon Traces from Another World Shocked the Saints

After seeing off Maitreya Buddha, who had worn a smile that concealed a dagger, the atmosphere in the rear courtyard of Wuzhuang Temple had hardly eased. The invitation to the Ginseng Fruit Gathering was like a carefully woven snare, already cast.

"The Western Teachings are after more than a little. I fear this gathering will be no friendly feast." Zhen Yuanzi stroked his beard thoughtfully, then turned his gaze to Tongtian. "When the time comes, will you remain hidden, or...?"

Tongtian stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the Ginseng Fruit Tree in the courtyard, which glimmered with treasure-light. A cold curve tugged at his lips. "Since they've set the stage, how could I refuse to take my place and perform? This is the perfect chance to meet the friends of the Primordial World and let them know that I, Tongtian, have returned."

His tone was calm, yet brimmed with unmatched confidence and sharpness. Now that his cultivation had advanced greatly, he needed a whetstone to test the edge of the Chaos Great Dao! The Western Teachings had practically thrust their faces toward him. If he didn't strike, wouldn't that be wasting their "kindness"?

A hint of approval flashed through Zhen Yuanzi's eyes, though he still cautioned him. "Maitreya is nothing to fear, but Zhunti and Jieyin stand behind him. When the time comes, the Western Teachings may not be the only ones to make trouble. You should prepare in advance."

"Of course." Tongtian nodded. He had never placed his hopes in his enemies' mercy. Strength was the greatest assurance.

He returned to the Quiet Room in the west wing. Rather than continue cultivating his magic power, he sank his mind into the now-solid Primordial Dao Fruit and began to explore another profound divine ability recorded in the Chaos Derivation Scripture—Trace Causality, the art of Deduce Heavenly Secrets!

The Path of Chaos encompassed all things. It was not merely brute force; it excelled at calculation as well. Using the Chaos Dao Fruit as its foundation, one could disturb the secrets of heaven and, within the chaos, glimpse the most fundamental Karma Threads.

He intended to use the Ginseng Fruit Gathering not only to deal with the Western Teachings, but also to take the initiative and lay a trap. Perhaps he could seize this chance to save one or two more disciples destined for the Investiture of the Gods—and even stir up an even greater storm...

The Chaos Dao Fruit revolved slowly. Within it, the newly formed embryonic chaos quivered faintly, radiating an indistinct, primordial aura. Tongtian's mind rested upon it, following the countless Karma Threads that connected him to things beyond mortal sight, and began to trace them backward.

The clearest threads, naturally, were those tied to the Western Teachings, to Maitreya, and to the impending Ginseng Fruit Gathering. They were tangled and complicated, with hidden killing intent. Tongtian passed over them and focused on the faint but tenacious threads connected to the disciples on the Investiture of the Gods.

One thread, then two, then countless dim strands—all led to the Investiture of the Gods hanging high above the Thirty-Three Heavens, their other ends connected to one suffering true spirit after another.

Tracing these causes and effects consumed immense mental energy. Worse, it defied the will of heaven and could easily alert the Heavenly Court or even the Saints. But with the Earth Book concealing him, Tongtian had no qualms and gave it his all!

Gradually, fragments of hazy scenes began to flash before his "eyes"...

Golden Light Cave, the Eight Trigrams Furnace, the faint apparitions of magical treasures, and struggling true spirits.

The banks of the Heavenly River, the Chaos Flow, dim soul-lights, and an exceedingly subtle fluctuation resembling the Power of Salvation of the Western Teachings.

Tongtian's brow furrowed deeper and deeper. Through the Karma Threads, he could not only sense his disciples' suffering but also vaguely "see" that as their true spirits were extracted and used to fill the Heavenly River, some hidden force seemed to be tampering with them, imprinting them with marks almost impossible to detect! This was far more than mere torment. It seemed like some kind of vicious refinement—or perhaps... the preparation of vessels?

Just as his mind surged and he tried to see more clearly, an exceedingly faint Karma Thread, carrying a familiar, sharp aura, suddenly quivered!

This thread didn't connect to the Investiture of the Gods. It led to Chentang Pass—and seemed to be linked to the Golden Cloud Crown, a postcelestial spiritual treasure he had once admired?

Tongtian's heart stirred. He immediately focused his mind on that thread and followed it, tracing it onward.

The scene suddenly grew clearer!

Deep within the military governor Li Jing's residence in Chentang Pass, inside a secret chamber, Li Jing stood before a golden helmet offered on an incense table and bowed respectfully. Its rosy light shimmered brilliantly. It was the postcelestial spiritual treasure bestowed upon him by his master, True Master Du'e: the Golden Cloud Crown, which could release a golden radiance to envelop its wearer and conceal their whereabouts!

What made Tongtian's pupils contract was that deep within the crown's rosy glow, he saw a tiny fragment of a true spirit belonging to a disciple of the Interception Sect—Biyun, a servant of Empress Shiji! The true spirit was tightly imprisoned inside the crown, fused with the treasure and serving as "fuel" to enhance its spiritual nature!

Back then, Nezha had accidentally killed Empress Shiji's servant with the Heaven-Shaking Arrow. True Man Taiyi had shamelessly protected his disciple and killed Shiji, while her other servant had met an equally grim end. Tongtian had never imagined that True Master Du'e had secretly taken Biyun's lingering soul and refined it into the Golden Cloud Crown he had bestowed upon Li Jing!

"What a True Master Du'e! What a Li Jing!" A burst of icy light flashed in Tongtian's eyes. They had killed a disciple of the Interception Sect, refined his soul to strengthen their treasure, and still dared to offer it incense day and night? How was that any different from demonic conduct?!

Because of the connection between the Golden Cloud Crown and Li Jing's son, as well as a trace of lingering aura from when Tongtian had gathered the power of belief in Chentang Pass, the Chaos Dao Fruit had now precisely captured this Karma Thread and magnified it!

"In that case..." Tongtian's thoughts raced, and a plan took shape in an instant.

He immediately withdrew his mind and stopped tracing the thread, lest he alert them. Then he took out a blank Jade Slip and used his divine sense to record in detail what he had just seen: the Golden Cloud Crown, Biyun's lingering soul, and the deeds of True Master Du'e and Li Jing.

He left no trace of his own aura on the Jade Slip. Instead, he imitated an exceedingly faint fluctuation of the Jade Pure Immortal Method from Kunlun Mountain, mingling it with a trace of barely perceptible "disdain" for the Power of Salvation of the Western Teachings.

Once he had done all this, he stirred his thoughts and contacted the system. "System, deliver this anonymous Jade Slip to a specific target: the lingering obsession of Empress Shiji in the White Bone Cave of Skeleton Mountain."

[Instruction received. Scanning... A faint cluster of obsessions detected. Delivery successful.]

Tongtian sneered. Though Empress Shiji was dead, her Dao Field, the White Bone Cave of Skeleton Mountain, must surely still hold the resentment and obsession she had left behind. Once this "grand gift" arrived, the cluster of lingering obsessions would instinctively follow the Karma Threads and go after the Golden Cloud Crown!

Chaos would surely erupt in Chentang Pass! Li Jing and his sons, True Master Du'e, and even the Chan Sect and the Western Teachings behind them would all be caught up in the turmoil! This would drive a wedge between them and distract the Western Teachings from the Ginseng Fruit Gathering!

"Go on, make as much of a mess as you can!" A hint of satisfaction flashed through Tongtian's eyes.

Yet just as he finished making his arrangements and his mind relaxed slightly, a sudden change struck!

Through the vast web of Karma Threads, an exceedingly distant and dim thread—one carrying a horrifying aura of devouring and destruction—began to tremble violently without warning!

It was the thread connecting to the One-Eyed Demon God, and even to the terrifying otherworld behind him!

Tongtian's mind shook. Instinctively, he followed the thread and traced it with all his might!

Boom! His "sight" seemed to pierce boundless chaos in an instant, revealing a scene that made his very soul tremble:

It was a dark purple world whose vastness and terror defied description! Countless incomparably powerful Demon Gods swarmed through it like locusts, devouring and battling one another! At the heart of the world stood a colossal palace built from countless bones and twisted metal. Inside it, a terrifying presence beyond description had seemingly just awakened from its slumber. Even catching a glimpse of its outline nearly shattered Tongtian's Dao Heart!

A sliver of that being's will seemed to sense Tongtian's "gaze," peering across endless time and space. It turned toward him!

"Ant. World marker. Found..." A cold, greedy will, filled with an unending desire for destruction, surged along the Karma Thread and crashed into him!

Pfft! Tongtian took a brutal blow as if struck by a heavy hammer, and a mouthful of golden blood burst from him. His body rocked, and his face turned deathly pale! Even the Chaos Dao Fruit shook violently, its light dimming by a third!

That single clash of wills across the void had inflicted a serious wound on someone at the peak of the Late Quasi-Saint realm, armed with a Chaos Supreme Treasure!

The power of that otherworld's ruler was beyond all imagination! It might even surpass the Heavenly Dao Saints!

"Master!" Sensing the disturbance inside, Yun Xiao cried out and rushed in.

"I'm fine!" Tongtian forced down the surging blood in his veins and the turbulence in his Nascent Soul. Yet his eyes were filled with unprecedented gravity and shock!

His tracing had accidentally alarmed the terrifying ruler of that other world! Worse, it seemed that through their brief clash, the other being had pinpointed the Primordial World's coordinates with greater accuracy!

The calamity would arrive far sooner than expected!

What chilled him even more was what he had glimpsed in that fleeting moment. Beneath the ruler of that other world, several twisted figures had been prostrating themselves. They seemed vaguely familiar and radiated a faint aura of the Heavenly Dao.

Could they be some Great Powers who had vanished from the Primordial World years ago? Had they been corrupted and enslaved?! As Tongtian's mind roiled and he struggled to absorb this horrifying revelation...

Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, deep in the Chaos Depths, in Zixiao Palace.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, merged with the Dao, suddenly opened them. Endless Heavenly Dao Runes swirled wildly in his eyes, shattering and reforming!

"Anomaly! Variable! Calamity!"

He uttered three words without expression. His gaze seemed to pierce the boundless chaos and behold the terrifying shadow rushing closer, then turned toward the Primordial World. At last, he slowly closed his eyes again. Only the aura around him grew colder and more detached.

At Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain.

Venerable Lord of Primordial Beginning suddenly opened his eyes on the Cloud Bed and rapidly calculated with his fingers. His face turned grim. "The secrets of heaven have suddenly fallen into chaos! The Chaos is stirring! Could an outside force be interfering with the workings of the Heavenly Dao? Could it be...?"

At Eight Sceneries Palace on Shouyang Mountain.

Grand Supreme Elder Laozi's hand paused as he gently wiped his cudgel. He raised his eyes toward the void. A faint ripple crossed his placid face before it faded into an almost inaudible sigh.

At Western Spirit Mountain.

Zhunti and Jieyin awoke from meditation at the same time. They exchanged a glance, suspicion and unease in both their eyes.

Empress Nuwa, Empress Pingxin, and one top existence after another in the Primordial World all felt the disturbance at that moment. In unison, they turned their gazes toward the depths of boundless chaos!

Tongtian's unexpected clash during his tracing was like a boulder tossed into a still lake. Its ripples had already alarmed the most powerful beings in the Primordial World!

The clouds of the coming calamity instantly weighed on the hearts of all the Great Powers.

In the Quiet Room in the west wing, Tongtian slowly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes, however, had become sharper and more resolute than ever.

"There's even less time now..."

He looked toward the West, then toward the Heavenly Court.

"In that case, I'll make even more of a scene at the Ginseng Fruit Gathering!"

"Perhaps this is an opportunity—a chance to tear back the curtain on the truth of the calamity and reveal it to the world!"

The storm was now inevitable. And he would be the one to stir it up!