Of them all, Dijun was the smoothest talker. He hurriedly said, "Where do you think you're going? The Sun Star and Moon Star were both formed from our father Pangu's body. One is yin, and the other is yang—we share the same roots. We should be together in life, and even in death, we should die together!"
"I, Dijun, swear to the Heavenly Dao today: if I fail to defeat the black dragon Mo Yuan and the Moon Goddess Xihe, we shall be buried together, bound in death, never to part. If I defeat the black dragon Mo Yuan, I will take Xihe as my wife, stay by her side every day, and never betray her for the rest of my life!"
As Dijun made his vow, the Heavenly Dao answered. A vast weight of karma descended from the void.
As the karma fell, Mo Yuan seemed to sense that something was wrong. His dragon face changed, and a hint of apprehension showed in his eyes.
Hearing the sincerity in his vow, Xihe's eyes brimmed with tears. "You wretched Three-legged Bird! At a time like this, all you know is how to bully me! Why are you making vows now?"
"Stupid dragon-bird, you make a vow too! I want you to swear as well!"
To his surprise, Changxi beamed. "I think Big Brother Dijun is right. The two of us share the same roots, so we should live and die together. Stupid dragon-bird, you should tell the Heavenly Dao the vow we're making too!"
"Oh! Right, I understand!"
Taiyi smacked his lips and repeated Dijun's words from earlier, replacing Xihe's name with Changxi's.
At once, the karma of the Heavenly Dao descended upon them as well, invisibly changing their fates.
After the vows were made, Xihe stared blankly at Changxi, who was all smiles. The black dragon Mo Yuan, meanwhile, was utterly enraged.
"Fine! You four are something else. Even now, you're still putting on an act for me! Then I'll grant your wish and tear you limb from limb, so you can be buried together after you die!"
Mo Yuan let out a furious roar. He was a bachelor of ten thousand years, and he'd never expected to be force-fed two servings of public affection today. He'd had enough.
A torrent of dense black dragon aura surged toward them again, blasting at the Two Crows.
The dragon aura erupted with the power of a peak mid-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal, completely overwhelming all four of them.
"It's over," Xihe said with a bitter smile.
"Big Brother!" Dijun stared fixedly at the Heaven Measuring Ruler.
Countless secrets of Hongmeng spun through Dijun's mind. Without hesitation, he channeled his spiritual sense into the ruler, then aimed it at the black dragon and hurled it.
Buzz!
A deep hum rang out. In an instant, the heavens and earth spun, and the Moon Star seemed to flip upside down.
At the same time, the entire expanse of the sky seemed to turn over, coming under the ruler's suppression and control.
With the Primordial Heaven-Measuring Ruler in Dijun's grasp, streams of Hongmeng Purple Qi surged forth, slashing through everything in their path as they met the black dragon's world-ending black light.
Bang!
The world-ending black light shattered. The black dragon was sent flying a hundred yards, looking like a big black mud loach on the Moon Star.
"Huh?" Changxi gaped. "Sister, Big Brother Dijun's treasure is amazing!"
"It's the Primordial Heaven-Measuring Ruler!"
Xihe let out a long breath. She knew the Moon Star was saved.
"That Three-legged Bird didn't just obtain the Primordial Heaven-Measuring Ruler—he's also comprehended the mysteries of its restrictions and can wield this supreme-grade spiritual treasure!" Xihe couldn't help praising him. What an incredible stroke of fortune.
"The Heaven-Measuring Ruler!"
Mo Yuan climbed to his feet, blood staining the corner of his mouth. "Golden Crow, how did you get the Heaven-Measuring Ruler?"
"Don't ask. You dared bully my companion, you black dragon. You're asking for death!"
Without another word, Dijun raised the River Map and Luo Book. Streams of power from the stars of the heavens poured into the Primordial Heaven-Measuring Ruler, making it much easier for him to wield.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ruler struck Mo Yuan again and again, smashing apart his dragon aura and sending dragon saliva splattering all over the ground.
"Strange. He's taken several blows from the Heaven-Measuring Ruler, yet he hasn't died?" Xihe's eyes filled with doubt. "This World-Ending Black Dragon must have a great stroke of fortune too!"
"My sister's Moon Profound Light Mirror couldn't hurt him earlier, and my Divine Annihilation Orb couldn't defeat him either. It seems he has an even more powerful treasure inside him!"
As soon as Changxi finished speaking, Mo Yuan parted his lips and spat out a pitch-black petal.
The petal quickly transformed into a black lotus. It spun gently in midair, radiating the power to destroy the world.
"It's the World-Destroying Black Lotus!" Xihe furrowed her brow.
"When we came here, my master also said this dragon had the World-Destroying Black Lotus. What is it?"
Dijun asked, putting on an air of utter ignorance.
"Three-legged Bird, you know so little. Haven't you heard of the Demon Ancestor, Luohu?" Xihe said. "The Demon Ancestor, Luohu, is one of the few great powers to have reached the Quasi-Saint realm. He has three treasures: the World-Destroying Black Lotus, the God-Slaying Spear, and the Nine Demon Pagoda. All three are terrifying, especially the World-Destroying Black Lotus, whose world-ending power once shook the prehistoric world!"
"Although the black dragon Mo Yuan only has a remnant petal of the World-Destroying Black Lotus, it's still extremely powerful. No wonder our treasures couldn't hurt him!"
Only then did Xihe understand. The World-Ending Black Dragon Mo Yuan wasn't powerful because of his own strength; his power came from swallowing a remnant petal of the World-Destroying Black Lotus.
"Hahaha! After the Dragon-Phoenix Initial Tribulation ended, the Demon Ancestor Luohu was absorbing the resentment and blood essence of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Tribes when he happened upon me. We formed a bond, so he spared my life and gifted me this petal!"
"With this remnant petal of the World-Destroying Black Lotus in my possession, even the Primordial Heaven-Measuring Ruler is no match for it!"
Mo Yuan saw that Dijun didn't seem very practiced in wielding the Primordial Heaven-Measuring Ruler, and he grew smug. He immediately sent the remnant petal of the World-Destroying Black Lotus flying.
The remnant petal had already transformed into a complete lotus. As it spun, it rapidly absorbed the countless violent energies on the Moon Star. The lotus formed an incredibly powerful defense, as solid as a fortress, while the force of its attacks shook the starfield!
Remembering Beichen's warning, Dijun didn't dare let down his guard. He steadied himself and slowly pushed the Primordial Heaven-Measuring Ruler to its utmost power!
A gigantic ruler flashed across the void, turning space and time upside down and making heaven and earth tilt.
The ruler and the lotus clashed again and again. The sky crumbled, and divine light flew in all directions.
They fought for dozens of rounds. Dijun's control over the ruler grew steadier, and its power more and more violent. Faint cracks began to appear on the black lotus.
Rumble!
Suddenly, the Primordial Heaven-Measuring Ruler plunged down in one final strike. Chains of purple qi flashed, and the black lotus shattered on the spot.
A fragment fell from the shattered lotus and entered the black dragon's body.
Mo Yuan groaned and flew a hundred miles before crashing hard into the cliff on the side of the Moon Star. A mass of flames billowed up and shot straight into the clouds.
"Changxi, I'll avenge you too!"
Seeing the black dragon wounded by the Heaven-Measuring Ruler, Taiyi lifted the Eastern Emperor Bell and went to stand before him.
As the bell came down, it struck the black dragon right in the face. After several blows, Mo Yuan's old face was badly deformed.
Changxi felt a rush of satisfaction. "Stupid dragon-bird, you really do care about me. Heehee!"
Dijun had already put away the Heaven-Measuring Ruler. Mo Yuan was badly injured now, and Taiyi's Eastern Emperor Bell was more than enough to kill him.
"Disciple, please show restraint and let the black dragon return to the East Sea!"
Just then, Beichen's voice rang out like a great bell, descending from the Sun Star.
"Why?" Taiyi paused, but he still stopped.
Before you continue