The golden-and-black spatial portal slowly revolved at the spot where the Ancestral Dragon's heart had been, radiating a steady, desolate aura. The familiar fluctuations of the Primordial World beyond it stirred an overwhelming excitement in Tongtian and the others, who had escaped certain death.
"We can finally go back!" Bixiao's eyes reddened, and her voice caught in her throat. Their journey through the void had been brief, but it was filled with the unknown and terror, far more nerve-racking than being suppressed in the Primordial World.
Tongtian took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions, and sharply surveyed the portal. Despite his joy, he had not let down his guard. This passage had formed from the resonance between the Ancestral Dragon's remnant soul and Pangu's broken-axe intent. Though it felt familiar, it had endured for countless ages. Where its other end led, and whether it was stable, remained unknown.
"This passage is ancient. There may be unforeseen complications. Stay close behind me, and do not let your guard down for even a moment." Tongtian spoke gravely, then stepped first into the golden-and-black light gate. Wudang, Sanxiao, and Kui Niu followed without hesitation.
The instant they entered the light gate, they felt no violent wrenching sensation of traveling through space as they had imagined. Instead, it was as if they had sunk into a warm, heavy ocean. Golden-and-black streamers flowed around them, containing two utterly different wills—the Ancestral Dragon's tragic desolation and Pangu's domineering power that had split the heavens and earth. Yet, wondrously, the two wills blended together, protecting them as they traveled.
But their good fortune did not last. Just as they had traveled halfway through the passage, a sudden change erupted! The golden-and-black streamers that had been stable along either side of the passage abruptly twisted and shook violently without warning! It was as if some external force had slammed into the passage itself!
Rumble! The entire passage began to shake wildly. The golden-and-black streamers flickered erratically, and fine cracks even appeared in them! Terrifying Space Storms roared in through the cracks, tearing at everything with destructive force!
"Not good! The passage has been struck and is about to collapse!" Tongtian's expression changed. He immediately channeled the Chaos Bead with all his might, sending down countless streams of Chaos Qi to protect the others behind him!
"Master!" Yun Xiao cried out. She could feel the very foundations of the passage shaking, while the two wills that sustained it rapidly weakened!
"Hold steady!" Tongtian growled. The veins on his forehead bulged as he pushed his Late Quasi-Saint cultivation to its limit. His Primordial Dao Fruit spun wildly, continually repairing the protective radiance torn apart by the Space Storms.
He tried to speed their way out of the passage, but the path ahead had already become warped and indistinct. It was impossible to make out the way!
"It's that One-Eyed Demon God! It followed us and is attacking the passage from outside!" Tongtian realized in an instant. He sensed that familiar, violent aura beyond the passage, brimming with resentment and a desire to devour! That fiend really hadn't given up—it meant to trap them forever in this Spatial Turbulence!
Attacked from both inside and out, the already ancient passage could no longer hold. It let out a groan of unbearable strain, then suddenly shattered completely!
Boom! The endless Spatial Turbulence swallowed them in an instant! "Hold on to me!" Tongtian managed to shout, then felt an irresistible force slam into him, as though it meant to tear him to pieces! The Chaos Bead's light flickered violently. It barely protected the people closest to him, but could do nothing to steady them. Like leaves caught in a storm, they were swept along by the chaotic spatial torrent and hurtled toward an unknown darkness!
The world spun around them, and space and time fell into disorder.
After what felt like countless collisions and wrenching pulls, a tremendous suction force suddenly came from ahead, along with an overwhelmingly dense surge of water and demonic qi!
Splash! As if they had smashed through some kind of watery barrier, the terrifying force tearing at space abruptly vanished. In its place came boundless cold and crushing pressure!
The Spatial Turbulence had thrown Tongtian and the others straight into a vast, seemingly endless ocean, black as ink!
The seawater was incredibly heavy, filled with astonishingly frigid power and chaotic demonic qi. An ordinary immortal body would have been frozen and corrupted in an instant. Fortunately, Tongtian promptly spread his Chaos Domain, forcing the seawater back and shielding everyone.
"Where is this...?" Tongtian steadied himself and immediately sent his divine sense rippling outward like a tide.
Cold! Lifeless! Vast! Thick with demonic qi! His divine sense could not reach the ocean's edge. He could only sense countless powerful, vicious sea monsters roaming the depths. Many were Golden Immortals, and some had even reached the level of Grand Unity Golden Immortals!
In the Primordial World, there was only one ocean of such a scale and nature: the Northern Darkness Sea! The Demon Master Kunpeng's lair!
"The Northern Darkness Sea..." Tongtian's heart sank. They had escaped the wolf's den only to enter the tiger's lair! That old devil Kunpeng was a veteran Quasi-Saint who had survived the Dragon-Han Initial Tribulation. His strength was unfathomable, and he was capricious and selfish—not someone to take lightly. There was no way he wouldn't notice their ragged entrance into his territory.
They had to leave at once! Yet before they could even determine which way to go, a vast, icy divine sense, thick with greed and scrutiny, spread over the sea like an invisible net and locked onto them!
This divine sense was far beyond that of an ordinary Quasi-Saint. It had already reached Quasi-Saint Peak! Its aura was also strange and changeable, as if it combined the qualities of demons, birds, and the sea. It could only belong to Demon Master Kunpeng!
"Mm? Which fellow Daoist has arrived in such a sorry state in my Northern Darkness territory?" A sinister voice, raspy and arrogant, rang directly in the minds of Tongtian and the others.
Before the words had faded, the seawater ahead silently parted to either side. A middle-aged Daoist in a black robe, with a sinister face and a hawkish gaze, appeared before them, riding atop a gigantic fish with bones of black ice.
His gaze flashed like lightning. First he looked over Wudang and Sanxiao, a trace of surprise crossing his eyes—four Grand Unity Golden Immortals?—then his gaze fell on Kui Niu—an ancient strange beast?—and finally settled on Tongtian, who stood at the front.
When Kunpeng sensed Tongtian's cultivation—Late Quasi-Saint, deliberately restrained but still unfathomable, carrying a trace of Chaos Aura that made him uneasy—his pupils contracted slightly. Some of the arrogance slipped from his face, but the greed in his eyes only grew.
"This poor Daoist is Kunpeng of the Northern Darkness. Greetings, fellow Daoist. Your face is unfamiliar. May I ask where you come from, and why you've appeared in my Northern Darkness Sea in such a... unique fashion?" Kunpeng clasped his hands with a false smile. His words seemed polite, but were full of probing and pressure. Suspicion had already arisen in his heart. In particular, the aura surrounding Tongtian, so different from ordinary immortal cultivation, made him both wary and covetous.
Thoughts raced through Tongtian's mind. Force his way out? Fighting Kunpeng in the Northern Darkness Sea would be foolish, especially since the collapse of the passage had cost him dearly and he was not at full strength. Try to talk his way out? That old fox Kunpeng was no easy mark.
As Tongtian considered how to respond, Kunpeng's gaze suddenly fixed on the faint traces of Dark Purple Devilish Qi still clinging to Tongtian, remnants of the One-Eyed Demon God, as well as the marks left by the Space Storms!
Kunpeng's expression changed abruptly. His feigned friendliness gave way to genuine shock and alarm!
"This is the aura of an Outer Realm Demon God?! And these are traces of a spatial annihilation storm?! Did you return from the Chaos beyond the heavens?!" His voice turned shrill with shock.
As an ancient survivor of the Dragon-Han Initial Tribulation, Kunpeng knew far more secrets than an ordinary Quasi-Saint! He knew how terrifying the Chaos beyond the heavens was, and that Outer Realm Demon Gods existed! They were a great terror even Dao Ancestor Hongjun spoke of only with great reserve!
Tongtian felt a flicker of wariness. This old monster really was well-informed; he had recognized their origins at a glance. In that case...
Tongtian abruptly changed his mind and decided to go along with it. His face took on just the right hint of "exhaustion" and "lingering fear," and he sighed. "The Demon Master's eyes are indeed keen. This poor Daoist did just escape from the ruins of an ancient battlefield beyond the realm. I nearly died in the jaws of a Demon God, then was swept up in a Space Storm. That is how I strayed into the Demon Master's domain. I hope you will forgive me."
He deliberately kept his origins vague, but confirmed that he had returned from beyond the realm.
Greed instantly overwhelmed the shock in Kunpeng's eyes, and his breathing quickened slightly! An ancient battlefield beyond the realm! It was a place that might contain great opportunities and fortune, as well as great terrors! If he could pry the secret of reaching it out of this man...
But Kunpeng was crafty and experienced. He did not immediately turn hostile; instead, he forced an even more "kindly" smile. "You're from beyond the heavens? What an extraordinary stroke of fortune! You must have gained something in that ancient battlefield, haven't you? I wonder..."
Before he could finish, Tongtian seemed to suddenly remember something terribly important. His face "changed," and he cut Kunpeng off. "No! I nearly forgot something important!"
Kunpeng froze. "What has you so alarmed, fellow Daoist?"
Tongtian looked "anxious" and "grave," his words hurried. "In that ancient battlefield, I encountered not only Demon Gods but also uncovered a shocking secret! A hostile Otherworld is drawing near the Primordial World. Its vanguard Demon Gods are already watching us from the Chaos, and a full-scale invasion may come before long! I risked my life to bring back this news. I must inform Dao Ancestor and the Saints at once so they can prepare! Demon Master, the fate of the Primordial World is at stake. Please do me the favor of opening the passage through the sea eye and helping us reach Zixiao Palace as quickly as possible!"
His words were half true and half false. He revealed the news of the Otherworld Great Tribulation and invoked Dao Ancestor and the Saints, leaving Kunpeng no room to demand a reward. Instead, he laid the burden of saving the Primordial World on him and forced him to choose.
Just as expected, Kunpeng's expression changed dramatically. Suspicion, greed, apprehension, and hesitation mingled in his eyes!
An Otherworld Invasion? The fate of the Primordial World? The news was so shocking that he couldn't immediately decide whether to believe it. If it was true, it was indeed a matter of immense importance, and obstructing this man would mean making an enemy of the entire Primordial World. If it was false... then the man had to be scheming for something even greater!
As Kunpeng's thoughts wavered and he hesitated, a glint of light flashed almost imperceptibly through Tongtian's eyes. He secretly activated another use of the Chaos Bead—stirring and magnifying the greed, anger, and ignorance in a living being's heart!
An intangible wave of Chaos silently enveloped Kunpeng.
Kunpeng already coveted the "opportunity beyond the realm" intensely. Now that this force had stirred his desire, the last trace of hesitation was instantly drowned in boundless greed!
"Heh, heh, heh..." Kunpeng suddenly let out a low laugh, his eyes turning cold and sharp. "Why such a hurry, fellow Daoist? Dao Ancestor's divine powers are boundless. Surely he has already seen the workings of fate. As for you, after all your travels, you carry a treasure and know so many secrets. Why not stay at my Northern Darkness Palace for a few days? Let me play host and hear all about the wonders beyond the realm...and the secrets you carry!"
He had finally revealed his true intentions! Since sweet talk wouldn't work, he would use force! In the Northern Darkness Sea, he was confident that even a Quasi-Saint at his peak wouldn't escape easily!
Tongtian sneered inwardly, but wore an expression of "anger and shock." "Demon Master! What do you mean by this? Do you intend to stop me from delivering this warning, disregarding the safety of the Primordial World?"
"The safety of the Primordial World is for those with broader shoulders to handle." Kunpeng gave a chilly smile and slowly raised his hand. The waters of the entire Northern Darkness Sea seemed to freeze as boundless demonic qi and the Law of Ice began to gather. "As for the opportunity you carry, I... would like to learn a thing or two about it today!"
Battle was about to erupt! Yet Tongtian did not attack at once. Instead, he seemed to give up resisting and sighed. "Since that's the case, then I'll give you this item in exchange for a chance to leave alive!"
He abruptly waved his hand. An object wrapped in Chaos Qi flew toward Kunpeng!
Kunpeng instinctively reached out and caught it. The Chaos Qi dispersed, revealing the object within: the severed claw of the One-Eyed Demon God, which Tongtian had refined. Though most of its demonic qi had been refined away, it still retained pure Otherworld Law and a trace of the One-Eyed Demon God's source mark!
The instant Kunpeng grasped the claw, far away in the Chaos beyond the heavens, the One-Eyed Demon God raised its head inside a concealed demon lair, where it had been licking its wounds and seething with resentment. Its single eye blazed with savagery!
"Roar!! My finger! I can sense the mark! It's in that world! Damn thief! It's in that black ocean!"
It tore through the void and raced after the trace of its source mark.
Meanwhile, in the Northern Darkness Sea, Kunpeng held the claw and felt its pure, unfamiliar Law. His heart surged with delight; he assumed Tongtian had capitulated and offered him a treasure.
But the next moment, Tongtian, standing before him, suddenly flashed a strange smile. "Demon Master, enjoy your 'gift.'"
With that, the Chaos Bead shone brightly, swept up Wudang, Sanxiao, and Kui Niu, and turned into a Chaos Streamer. Rather than heading for the surface, it fled into the deeper, darker trenches of the Northern Darkness Sea!
Kunpeng froze, then immediately realized what was happening. "Trying to run?!" He promptly activated the restrictions of the Northern Darkness Sea to stop them.
But at that very moment—crack! The sky above the Northern Darkness Sea ripped open like a curtain, revealing a gigantic fissure! A terrifying claw covered in Dark Purple scales, brimming with boundless resentment and a desire to devour, wrapped in destructive Chaos Demonic Qi, plunged toward the sea where Tongtian had just vanished!
The One-Eyed Demon God had come after them!
Kunpeng's face turned deathly pale! Feeling the terrifying power in that claw, no less than his own at full strength, and its pure malice toward all living things, how could he fail to realize that Tongtian had set him up?
"Tongtian! I'll curse your ancestors!" Kunpeng roared in fury, but he had no choice but to channel the full power of the Northern Darkness Sea Grand Formation and face the Demon God's claw as it tore through the sky!
Rumble!!!
The Demon God's claw slammed into the Northern Darkness Grand Formation! The entire Northern Darkness Sea seemed on the verge of being turned upside down!
Meanwhile, Tongtian, the one who had set everything in motion, had already used the sudden chaos to conceal all his auras and was quietly making his way toward the Northern Darkness Sea Eye.
He had diverted the calamity eastward and thrown the Northern Darkness into chaos!
His path back would be anything but peaceful. And with his return and the Otherworld Demon God's first appearance, the deep waters of the Primordial World began to stir with even greater waves!
Before you continue