Primordial Heavenly Demon
As the dark clouds dispersed over the desolate Wild Frontier, the moment the four Pills were placed into the warm Jade Bottle, every inch of the Tianyan Continent trembled subtly. The tremor was as light as a butterfly fluttering its wings across a petal, yet as deep as the pulse originating from the core of a planet, causing the rock layers that had slumbered for billions of years to emit an almost inaudible hum. Even the roots of ancient trees buried deep underground gently stretched out, and the minerals absorbed by the roots detached slightly during the tremor.
This tremor was not a violent roar, but rather a gentle response from a mother to her newborn child—on the vast Vast Sea Desert of the Far West Land, sand dunes that were originally cracked like old tree bark suddenly began to seep out fine water droplets. The water droplets slowly seeped out from deep within the sand grains, condensing into a thin film on the scorching surface of the dunes. They meandered along the gaps between the sand grains, weaving a silver net between the gullies. Tiny Sand Worms could be seen peeking out from between the meshes of the net. Finally, they converged into silvery streams, the rushing streams carrying the rustling sound of rolling sand grains, a sound that held the joy of rain after a long drought.
Where the stream flows, pale green grass sprouts push aside the sharply defined pebbles. The tips of the sprouts are covered with tender yellow down, and as they push through the sand, tiny roots can be seen quietly spreading beneath. The down on the grass blades is covered with fine golden sand, shimmering like diamonds in the midday sun. Even the rustling of the grass in the wind carries the joy of new life. The raging waves of the East Sea Coast have long since transformed into shimmering ripples. On the site of the fishing village swept away by the tsunami, pink and white coral reefs are growing at a visible speed. Coral polyps inhale and exhale colorful bubbles, and in the splashes of water when the bubbles burst, the most stubborn traces of the dissipating Sea Fiend Qi are hidden—that... The dark gray Sha Qi was transforming into a sky full of rosy light, within which countless phantoms of fish and shrimp could be seen frolicking. Schools of silver-scaled fish swayed their tails, leaving translucent water trails. Even giant whales from the deep sea surfaced, their jets of water refracting rainbows in the sunlight. Within the halo of the rainbow, tiny water vapors could be seen dancing, turning into sweet dew that nourished the mudflats when they landed. In the Miasma Swamp of the Southern Region, the dark gray poisonous fog was being peeled away layer by layer by an invisible force, revealing clear, oily mudflats beneath. Several tender green duckweeds floated on the surface of the mudflats, and on the leaves of the duckweeds, beetles the size of grains of rice were preening their antennae with their slender legs.
Several tender yellow lotus roots emerged from the mud, their nodes still clinging to damp clumps of mud mixed with tiny snail shells, attracting egrets to fly low and circle. As the tips of their wings skimmed the water's surface, they created delicate ripples that spread outwards, blending the reflected blue sky and white clouds into flowing Light Spots of light. It was as if the world was gently enveloped by this vibrant life, and even the sunlight seemed to slow its pace, scattering golden Light Spots of light across the water's surface. Within these Light Spots, one could see waterweeds swaying gently at the bottom, their movements perfectly synchronized with the rhythm of the ripples.
This tremor, originating from the very source of the continent, eventually condensed into a golden ray that pierced through heaven and earth in the highest heavens. When the golden ray first appeared, it was just a thin thread of light, like the first ray of dawn breaking through the darkness at sunrise. In an instant, it spread out like the Milky Way rolling back, dyeing the entire sky a warm gold, and even the last wisp of cloud on the horizon was dyed golden red.
The golden light was over a thousand feet wide, like the wings of a god spreading out, with flowing seven-colored halos around its edges. Within the halo, one could see the trajectory of the Star Circulation, and the handle of the Big Dipper slowly rotated within the halo, falling straight down from the depths of the clouds, completely enveloping Ren Xiaoyao. Even his hair was wrapped in fine golden light, which danced like elves as it leaped at the tips of his hair.
Countless tiny runes flowing within the golden light, upon closer inspection, revealed themselves to be the grateful sentiments of billions of living beings—a farmer kneels before his revived fields, his rough hands stroking the plump ears of wheat, the fine hairs on the grains trembling gently in his palms, each hair glistening with morning dew. The light reflecting off the tears in his eyes holds memories of past famines, the withered yellow fields of yesteryear a stark contrast to the golden fields before him; a white-haired cultivator sits cross-legged beside the reunited Spirit Vein, his fingertips touching the warm Spiritual Qi, a faint light emanating from his trembling knuckles merging into his white beard, still glistening with morning dew, dripping down and leaving tiny damp marks on the ground; even the splashes of water from a school of deep-sea fish shatter into countless joyful Light Spots under the sunlight, each Light Spots carrying the cheers of a life, the soft "plop" of joy hitting the earth as it Light Spots.
This is the Merit Power bestowed by the Heaven and Earth Laws, as gentle as spring water thawing in March. When the water flows over the frozen river, it carries the crisp sound of melting Ice Crystals. As soon as it touches Ren Xiaoyao's cyan-gold robes, it seeps into his soul along the Life and Death Patterns embroidered with gold thread on the fabric. The gold thread in the patterns seems to be infused with life, and begins to slowly wriggle. Every inch of wriggling makes the patterns of life and death on the robes more vivid, as if one can see the moment when tender buds break through the soil and the trajectory of autumn leaves falling.
The Life and Death Imprint between his brows suddenly lit up, its azure and gold light swirling and intertwining with the Merit Golden Radiance to form a fine net of light. Each mesh of the net reflected a tiny world—some experiencing the birth of spring, with tender willow buds still carrying fragments of Ice Crystals, the fragments refracting rainbows in the sunlight; others enacting the death of autumn, with maple leaves falling and carrying the fragrance of ripe fruit, the sweetness of apples and the crispness of pears discernible within the fragrance; even the lingering Chaos Aura of the Chaos Pearl was smoothed by this power, becoming as gentle as distant mountains in the morning mist, the silhouette of a woodcutter still faintly visible in the mountain shadows, the firewood on his shoulder seemingly still exuding the scent of Pine Resin.
He could clearly hear the pulse emanating from the depths of the earth, a joyous celebration of the reunion of Spirit Vein. Each beat made the Laws of Life and Death more harmonious, as if even his breathing was in sync with the rhythm of heaven and earth. When he inhaled, he could smell the fragrance of flowers from thousands of miles away, the scent of morning dew on the petals mingling with the sweet fragrance of the stamens in his lungs; when he exhaled, he could expel the Spiritual Qi that nourished the grass and trees. The Spiritual Qi fell on the withered grass leaves, and he could see the faint glow of the grass cells slowly reviving in the Spiritual Qi.
Just as the Merit Golden Radiance was about to completely merge with his soul, a pitch-black rift suddenly opened in the western sky. Dark red light swirled around the edge of the rift, like the viscous blood seeping from a wound before it congeals. Even space itself was slightly distorted on both sides of the rift, and in the distorted light and shadow, the reflections of distant mountains could be seen stretched into strange shapes.
Thick, inky demonic energy surged from the crevices. Wherever the demonic energy passed, newly blooming wildflowers instantly withered into charred powder. The curled petals still retained the joy of their bloom, and the lingering fragrance on the flower stems mingled eerily with the smell of burnt flesh. Even the edges of the Merit Golden Radiance were scorched, and the golden light at the scorched spots curled slightly like scorched silk. A pungent smell of sulfur and decay filled the air, causing the newly unfurled leaves of the plants to curl up involuntarily, and the dewdrops on the tips of the buds shrank into balls in fright, as if they would roll off at any moment.
A figure clad in Mysterious Black Dragon Robe stepped out of the air; it was none other than the Primordial Demon Lord. The dragon patterns on the hem of the robe were faintly visible amidst the demonic energy, and gray-black mist flowed within the patterns of the dragon scales. Crimson light flickered in the dragon's eyes, and with each flicker of the light, the surrounding demonic energy became more concentrated, as if it might break free from the constraints of the fabric at any moment and transform into a true Demon Dragon to devour the heavens and the earth.
A cold smile played on his pale face, a smile tinged with an unyielding frost. His withered, claw-like hand slowly rose. The Demonic Runes gathering in his palm distorted the surrounding light, even casting distorted shadows of distant mountains. The mountains in his shadows were being devoured by Invisible Power, and even the Merit Golden Radiance was being pulled by this evil power, tracing a strange arc in the air. The end of the arc pointed towards the all-consuming darkness, as if it would be completely swallowed up in the next second.
"Ren Xiaoyao, you've gotten a huge advantage by using the Four Fierce Origins to repair the continent." Every word seemed to have been pulled from a frozen pool that had been frozen for ten thousand years, carrying a chill that could freeze blood. When the words fell to the ground, even the hard rocks formed a thin layer of ice.
The Devil Master's voice was like the howls of countless wronged souls in the Nine Netherworlds Hell, each word carrying a chilling coldness. "Such merits of heaven and earth should rightfully be borne by me!" The last syllable was drawn out, transforming into countless tiny demonic sounds that burrowed into people's ears. As the demonic sounds swirled in the ear canal, they could evoke the deepest fears in the listener's heart, making their scalp tingle and their fingertips tremble uncontrollably.
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly crushed the dark purple Demonic Crystal in his palm. The moment the Demonic Crystal shattered, it emitted a shrill scream, within which countless different voices could be discerned, as if countless vengeful spirits were being released at the same time, echoing wildly between heaven and earth.
The instant the Demonic Crystal shattered, billions of black Demonic Threads emerged from the void. These Demonic Threads were covered in barbs, their tips gleaming with a ghostly green poisonous light. Wherever the poisonous light passed, the air crackled with a subtle corrosive sound, like venomous snakes just emerging from a poisonous swamp, their forked tongues flicking, viscous venom dripping from them. As the venom dripped, it corroded tiny Black Hole in the void, frantically rushing towards the golden light.
The moment the Demonic Threads touched the light of merit, they sizzled and emitted wisps of black smoke. Within the smoke, distorted ghostly faces could be seen screaming, their expressions filled with pain and resentment, yet they still relentlessly coiled around it, their barbs digging deep into the golden halo. When the venom at the tips of the barbs came into contact with the golden light, it produced an even more violent crackling sound, attempting to drag this Sacred Power into the crack behind the Devil Master. Each struggle of the Demonic Threads was filled with a death-defying madness, as if even mutual destruction was necessary to taint a trace of holiness.
Ren Xiaoyao's eyes narrowed, his pupils reflecting the clash between the Demonic Threads and the golden light. The Laws of Life and Death in his left hand suddenly transformed into Cyan-Gold Shield. The edges of the shield continued to form and dissipate, rising and falling like the tides. When it formed, it was accompanied by the crisp sound of grass sprouting and when it dissipated, it was accompanied by the soft murmur of Fallen Leaves Return to Roots.
The shield swirled with the illusory images of tender shoots breaking through the soil and autumn leaves withering. Within these images, one could see the stubbornness of grass sprouts pushing against the stubborn rocks, with traces of powder squeezed out by the grass sprouts remaining in the cracks, the powder slowly drifting away in the illusory image. One could also see the serene fall of withered leaves, their veins clearly visible, each line recording the trajectory of life, firmly protecting the Merit Golden Radiance at its center. The Emerald Green Staff tightly gripped in the right hand pointed directly at the Devil Master, the vine patterns on the staff suddenly expanding, like a giant umbrella opening, the dewdrops on the vines transforming into countless A thin arrow of light, each trailing a trail of afterimages imbued with the Power of Life and Death —afterimages that captured the splendor of blooming flowers, their petals unfolding with perfect grace, even the trembling of their stamens clearly visible; and the serene beauty of falling petals, their trajectories like meticulously designed dance steps, carrying a deep longing for the earth. The arrowheads shimmered with azure and gold light, precisely striking the densest part of the Demonic Threads. The moment the arrowheads pierced the Demonic Threads, a shrill shriek could be heard as the evil spirits dissipated, a shriek carrying a complex mix of relief and resentment.
The collision of golden light and Demonic Threads caused the void to tremble violently, as if the entire world was shaking. Distant mountain peaks shuddered slightly, their snow-capped summits cascading down, forming small avalanches. The roar of these avalanches mingled with the sounds of energy colliding in the air, creating a grand symphony. The purification of Merit Power and the corrosive power of demonic energy clashed continuously in mid-air. Occasionally, golden rain pierced through the demonic mist, landing on withered vegetation, causing charred branches to sprout tender green buds, each tipped with a glistening dewdrop. The dewdrop reflected a shrunken sky, with drifting clouds moving slowly across it, their shadows shimmering gently in the droplets. Occasionally, Black Demonic Flame scorched the golden light, causing the newly healed earth to crack open again with spiderweb-like fissures. From these cracks seeped a murky, grayish-black vapor, within which clung tiny skulls. The skulls' eye sockets flickered with eerie green flames, causing the perched birds to flee in terror. The sound of their wings flapping was filled with fear, and even their feathers bristled like fluffy dandelions.
Upon seeing this, the Primordial Demon Lord's eyes flashed with a ruthless glint. His pupils instantly contracted to the size of pinpoints, and a madness capable of destroying everything surged deep within his eyes. He directly tore apart a wisp of his own essence. As that wisp of essence left his body, his body trembled violently, his face turned even paler, as if all the color had been drained from his skin in an instant. A trace of Black Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and the blood transformed into a demonic shadow in the shape of a bat in the air.
That wisp of origin transformed into a jet-black Demon Blade, its body engraved with runes of the Devouring Laws. The runes writhed like living creatures, each writhing dimming the surrounding light, as if devouring the light itself. It emitted a chilling, malevolent light, accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore at the soul. The shriek was mixed with the wails of countless devoured beings—the screams of cultivators, the cries of wild beasts, the groans of plants and trees—as it slashed directly at the life-and- Life and Death Imprint between Ren Xiaoyao's brows. He knew very well that as long as he severed the connection between Ren Xiaoyao and the Merit Power, this power would dissipate due to the loss of its host, and then he could collect it at will.
Ren Xiaoyao neither dodged nor evaded, his eyes calm as still as an ancient well. The Power of Life and Death and death within his body suddenly resonated with the Merit Golden Radiance. Ripples spread around him, and within these ripples, countless scenes of birth and death could be seen flashing by rapidly, from the birth of single-celled organisms to the Annihilation of interstellar space, condensing the cycle of the universe.
The mark between the eyebrows burst forth with a brilliant light of cyan and gold, within which countless phantoms of living beings emerged: in a village burned down by the Four Fierce Beasts, reborn children laughed joyfully, clutching plump ears of wheat; sunlight shone in their dimples, and tiny dust motes danced in the sunlight, their movements filled with the joy of surviving a catastrophe; in an ancient tribe frozen in ice, awakened tribespeople danced around a campfire, the flames reflecting on their bronze skin, the beads of sweat glistening in the firelight like embedded diamonds, each movement melting a bit of the ice on the ground; even beasts that had regained life in the mountains and forests raised their heads and roared joyfully, their voices filled with reverence for life, the roars shaking the leaves to the ground, the fallen leaves tracing golden arcs in the air, like Hymn of Life.
These illusory figures spread their arms, transforming into an indestructible barrier. A faint golden light flowed across the surface of the barrier, within which countless hands could be seen supporting it—the soft little hands of an infant, the withered palms of an old man, and the rough, large hands of a warrior. It was more solid than the hardest Mysterious Iron, and even the wind could not penetrate this barrier that embodied hope. When the wind collided with the barrier, it could only helplessly detour, stirring up fallen leaves on the ground to form swirling eddies.
The Demon Blade struck the barrier, unleashing a deafening roar. Amidst the roar, the crisp sound of metal shattering could be heard, as if thousands of iron objects were breaking simultaneously. The shockwave instantly dispersed the surrounding clouds, revealing the azure sky below. Traces of torn clouds remained in the sky, like cotton wool swept by a gale, yet not a single crack was left. The golden light on the barrier, on the contrary, shone even brighter.
Instead, it was devoured by the will of the phantoms. The runes on the Demon Blade shattered inch by inch, making a crisp sound like breaking glass. Each fragment was accompanied by black Mars, which burned out tiny Black Hole when Mars landed. The blade was covered with spiderweb-like cracks, from which black liquid seeped out. When the liquid landed, it continued to corrode the ground, forming smoking pits, like a wounded beast dripping blood. Each drop of liquid carried the painful aura of damage to its very essence.
"Impossible!" The three words were almost squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with disbelief and terror, his voice trembling slightly from shock, as if he had heard a truth that overturned his understanding.
For the first time, the Primordial Demon Lord showed surprise. His pale face twisted in shock, and tiny bloody cracks even appeared at the corners of his eyes, from which Black Blood seeped. The blood congealed in the air into tiny bat shapes, flapping their wings but unable to fly far, eventually turning into black smoke and dissipating. He could clearly feel that this barrier was not Ren Xiaoyao's power, but the will of the entire Tianyan Continent protecting merit, a bulwark formed by the beliefs of billions of living beings. Even his Origin Power could not shake it. That power was warm and firm, like the rising sun dispelling darkness, making his demonic energy feel a fear from the depths of his soul.
In the instant he was distracted, Ren Xiaoyao had already drawn the Merit Golden Radiance, which transformed into a golden dragon. Each scale of the dragon seemed to be made of pure gold, and the edges of the scales were shimmering with a faint seven-colored halo. The halo was filled with the blessings of living beings. The curve of the dragon's horns carried both majesty and compassion, and the dragon's whiskers scattered golden light as they fluttered.
The golden dragon's scales shimmered with the smiling faces of living beings, each face carrying a different joy—the satisfaction of a farmer's bountiful harvest, the excitement of a student passing the imperial examination, the sweetness of lovers embracing; the dragon's eyes reflected the magnificent scene of the continent's revival—from desert to oasis, the curves of the dunes softened in the greenery; from raging waves to calm waters, the rise and fall of the waves carried a soothing rhythm; with a flick of the dragon's tail, a thunderous force struck the Devil Master's chest, a dull thud resounding in the air, like a giant hammer hitting leather, causing the surrounding energy flow to fluctuate violently.
"Pfft--" When the Black Blood spurted out, it formed an arc of blood mist. The blood mist was mixed with fragments of broken internal organs. The fragments were wrapped with gray-black demonic energy, but they quickly melted away and turned into green smoke when they came into contact with the golden light of the golden dragon.
The Devil Master spat out a mouthful of Black Blood, which transformed into hissing demonic energy in the air. As the demonic energy landed, it corroded small pits, from which black smoke still rose. Within the smoke, the Devil Master's pained, grotesque face could be seen. He was slammed into the Black Cracks like a kite with a broken string, crashing into and shattering Demonic Qi Mass along his path. The explosions of these Demonic Qi Mass produced dull thuds, like countless balloons bursting simultaneously, yet they could not slow his backward flight.
Even as he was sent flying backward, he still reached out to grab the golden dragon with resentment. His fingernails drew five black claw marks in the air, the marks flowing with demonic energy that corroded everything. Yet, he only managed to tear off a piece of dragon scale that felt like it was burning. The dragon scale landed in the Devil Master's palm, burning through his flesh like a red-hot iron, leaving a charred mark. The shape of the mark perfectly matched the dragon scale, and its edges were still faintly glowing. The mark still retained the residual warmth of the Merit Power. That temperature was like a bone-deep infection, preventing his demonic energy from healing the Dao Wound. The skin around the wound continued to fester, revealing the muscle tissue flowing with demonic energy beneath.
As the rift closed, his venomous voice pierced the void. "Ren Xiaoyao, the matter between us is not over yet!" Each word was like a poisoned steel needle, carrying a hatred that wanted to tear the other person apart. His voice echoed in the void for a long time, as if foreshadowing the next confrontation.
The golden dragon circled once in mid-air, its body stirring the surrounding clouds to form a huge vortex. Golden light and cloud wisps intertwined within the vortex, like Tai Chi Symbol between heaven and earth. It let out a dragon roar that shook the heavens and earth, a roar filled with the joy of new life, like a thousand thunderclaps yet containing vitality. Even the clouds were shaken by this roar, rolling and churning. Fragments of the clouds flew everywhere like waves, falling to the ground and turning into sweet rain that nourished all things.
Finally, the golden dragon transformed into specks of golden light, falling like a meteor shower into Ren Xiaoyao's brow. As the golden light entered, his body trembled slightly, and the Life and Death Imprint on his brow became even brighter. The blue and gold light flickered alternately like breathing, and a faint halo appeared around the mark. Within the halo, countless tiny stars could be seen moving, as if an entire universe had been incorporated into his brow.
He could clearly feel that the Spirit Vein of the entire Tianyan Continent resonated with him, and the ground beneath his feet pulsated with warmth, gradually synchronizing with his heartbeat. Each beat made the vitality within his body even more intense.