A pair of beautiful eyes stared fixedly at Haotian.
She weighed Haotian's intentions over and over.
At the same time, she prepared to have Kunpeng step in and block Haotian.
Hmph!
The River Diagram and Lo Shu Square wouldn't be that easy to take.
Meanwhile, Haotian glanced up at the Demon Race on a distant mountaintop.
He couldn't help sighing to himself.
The Northern Region really was different!
He'd only just entered the Northern Region, and already he'd run into a Demon Race member at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level.
At last, he could recruit some decent hands for his Investiture of the Gods.
With that thought,
Haotian blurred and appeared right outside an Array Formation.
Looking at the Array Formation before him, Haotian nodded to himself.
Not bad!
Not bad!
They could even put together a Mountain Protection Array.
As expected of a Demon Race member at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level. They were definitely better than the trash he'd encountered before.
Haotian flicked his sleeve, and the Mountain Protection Array instantly melted away.
That was the advantage of a higher cultivation realm.
With such a vast gulf between their realms, this kind of acquired Array Formation
was something Haotian could casually dismantle in a single stroke.
The instant the Array Formation broke, an angry roar came from the cave dwelling.
"Who?
Who broke my—"
Before the words were out, a burly man with a blue face and tusks appeared before Haotian.
The moment the man saw Haotian's face, the rest of his shout died in his throat.
The Demon Race members in the Northern Region who had reached the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm
were mostly remnants of the old Demon Race Heavenly Court.
Though everyone called them remnants of the Demon Race,
that didn't stop them from having a respectable background.
To put it plainly, Demon Master Kunpeng stood behind them.
More broadly speaking, Empress Nuwa stood behind them.
These Grand Unity Golden Immortals knew what Haotian looked like.
The saying that gods had no fixed form applied only to ordinary mortals.
It was precisely because the man recognized Haotian that he stopped himself from saying more.
You had to be kidding!
The events at the Heavenly Court that day had spread throughout the upper echelons of the Primordial World's cultivation community.
He didn't want to lose his life over a single remark.
He'd finally survived the calamity; now all he wanted was to stay alive.
The man clasped his hands and said, "Ying Zhao of the Demon Race greets the Heavenly Emperor!
May I ask what brings the Heavenly Emperor here?"
Hearing Ying Zhao's words, Haotian couldn't help feeling surprised.
Ying Zhao?
One of the old Demon Race Heavenly Court's Demon Marshals.
He'd assumed that the Demon Race member he'd meet just after entering the Northern Region wouldn't be anyone formidable.
He hadn't expected to run into one of the old Demon Marshals.
His luck really was...
Forget it!
No point thinking about it!
If he kept going, he wouldn't be able to hold back his grin.
Ying Zhao's presence here suggested someone wanted him to guard the Northern Region's Southern Gate.
He just didn't know whether that someone was Nuwa or Kunpeng.
But none of that mattered now.
Since Ying Zhao had run into Haotian, he could only go to the Heavenly Court and guard its gates.
Haotian spoke up. "Oh!
So you're Demon Marshal Ying Zhao!
I was wondering why, from far away, I could see this place was so burdened with Karmic Debt.
It clearly wasn't a place of goodness.
Tsk!
I spoke without thinking. Don't take it to heart, Demon Marshal."
Hearing Haotian's words, Ying Zhao's face twitched.
He was clearly struggling to hold himself back.
When had Ying Zhao ever had to endure such an insult?
Haotian's words were practically calling him a beast to his face.
But after considering Haotian's strength, Ying Zhao forced down his anger.
He had no choice.
If he truly angered this man, he'd probably have to spend the rest of his life in Wa Imperial Palace.
And if he dared set foot in the Primordial World again, this man would surely hunt him down.
As for using Empress Nuwa's name to scare Haotian off?
Ying Zhao didn't think that would work.
The man hadn't backed down even when facing the Six Sages.
In fact, he'd exposed all the Six Sages' secrets in the course of their conversation.
Given what he'd done—and the fact that he was still standing right in front of him—
Ying Zhao didn't dare take any chances.
Ying Zhao replied, "I didn't expect the Heavenly Emperor to be so witty.
I'm here at Empress Nuwa's command, guarding the Northern Region's Southern Gate.
I'm preventing any Demon Race members from leaving the Northern Region without permission.
I imagine the Heavenly Emperor has business in the Northern Region as well.
I won't hold you up.
Please, go ahead!"
Hearing this, Haotian waved a hand. "Ah!
I did come to the Northern Region on business.
But it happens to have a little something to do with the Demon Marshal."
"Oh?
Please enlighten me, Heavenly Emperor!"
By the time Ying Zhao said this, he was already on high alert.
Haotian's business here was related to him?
But the two of them had never crossed paths before. What could Haotian want from him?
Was he going to ask him to serve at the Heavenly Court?
That was hardly good news!
He'd only just escaped the Heavenly Court's whirlpool.
If he went back, what would he do when the next Measure Calamity came?
Given the current state of the Primordial World, there was no force besides the Heavenly Court
that could even qualify to set off a Measure Calamity.
Even those who merely watched a Measure Calamity trembled in terror.
Ying Zhao had experienced one firsthand.
If his luck had been just a little worse during the calamity,
the Ancestral Witches' self-destruction would have turned him to dust along with them.
He had no desire to experience that kind of horror again.
Ying Zhao gave a strained laugh. "The Heavenly Emperor must be joking!
With your cultivation realm, why would you need my help?
Besides, I still have a task assigned by a Sage.
I truly can't leave. Please find another way, Heavenly Emperor."
Hearing this, Haotian's smile didn't fade in the slightest.
He continued to speak with a beaming expression. "No, no, no!
Demon Marshal Ying Zhao should be able to handle what I have in mind.
I can see that you're burdened with too much Karmic Debt, so I'd like to ask you to lighten that burden.
That would also ease some of the pressure on the Primordial World's Heavenly Dao.
Although one Demon Marshal alone won't have much impact on the Heavenly Dao,
the impact of the Demon Race as a whole is considerable.
As it happens, I have a few ways to help you dispel your Karmic Debt.
It's up to you whether you're willing."
Looking at Haotian's smiling face,
and hearing his tone,
Ying Zhao felt a chill rise inexplicably in his heart.
Was Haotian trying to recruit him into the Heavenly Court?
And he'd already invoked Empress Nuwa's name—
yet this guy didn't look the least bit intimidated.
Had he already decided that Ying Zhao was his?
At that thought, Ying Zhao's heart tightened.
He put on what he considered a courteous smile and refused. "There's no need to trouble yourself over this, Heavenly Emperor.
The Demon Race has a Sage to look after us. The Sage will find a way to resolve the matter."
Hearing Ying Zhao's answer, Haotian's expression darkened.
"So the Demon Marshal is refusing my kind offer?
Very well!
A forcibly plucked flower won't be sweet.
Since you don't want to accept my offer, I'll assume you've chosen the other path."
As soon as Haotian finished speaking, Ying Zhao felt murderous intent descend upon him.
He hurriedly asked, "What do you mean by that, Heavenly Emperor?"
Haotian replied coldly, "Did you really think I came here to discuss it with you?
Now that I've run into someone like you, burdened with Karmic Debt,
and you're unwilling to turn over a new leaf and ease the burden on the Primordial World,
I have no choice but to eliminate evil and uphold the Dao, restoring peace to the Primordial World.
The Demon Race isn't the only people in the Primordial World.
How can other living beings be made to suffer because of you?"
Before you continue