Xuanhuang sat cross-legged in a stone pavilion amid the Taiyin's scenic splendor, quietly waiting for Pangu.
Perhaps the battles of the past year had taught the Demon Gods that Pangu was no easy opponent. For all the years Pangu had spent comprehending the Dao, not one of them had dared come here and disturb his cultivation.
Pangu comprehended the Dao, while Xuanhuang guarded him. And so 108,000 years passed. Over those 108,000 years, Pangu had found his opportunity. Though it was not yet fully realized, he had at least found his direction.
When Pangu awoke, an air of calm and peace radiated from him. He was like spring itself, no longer overbearing and rough as before. All that remained was a serene, peaceful aura.
The moment Pangu awoke, Xuanhuang sensed it. He opened his eyes and watched Pangu quietly, his own eyes full of delight.
Pangu smiled faintly as well and bowed to Xuanhuang. "Thank you, fellow Daoist. But there is one thing I still don't understand. Even now, I can't see through this Chaos Green Lotus. I only sense that it is transforming the Primordial Violet Qi it absorbed, and that it is nurturing a treasure."
Xuanhuang replied, "Fellow Daoist, the Chaos Green Lotus was born alongside you. It can only benefit you. I've been watching it too. In particular, the twenty-four lotus leaves seem to be showing signs of being drawn inside the lotus. I tried to divine its nature, but a veil of violet qi blocked my calculations. Whatever is taking shape must be extraordinary."
Pangu said, "You already know my Dao, fellow Daoist: the Path of Creation. To walk this path, I must open up a world and use it to evolve all things, thereby proving the Great Dao."
Xuanhuang said, "The evolution of all things may seem simple, but it is anything but. What kind of world is suitable for all creatures to live in? Will they be able to endure? Creatures that cannot sustain themselves contribute nothing to creation or the Great Dao."
"Indeed. In Tai Xuan's dreamscape, I saw Great Immortal Yang Mei's world and thought it should be like that, but it still seemed to lack many things. Those are the ideas I've been pursuing. Perhaps by following them, I can bring it to completion."
Xuanhuang praised him. "Great Immortal Yang Mei was born as the God of Space, and he has the Chaos Bead to transform into a world of his own. He is indeed extraordinary."
Pangu said, "The creatures in that world seemed full of life, each one strange and different. But in truth, they were all much the same, without any real differences. It seemed far from what the Great Dao demands."
Xuanhuang said, "They were forcibly condensed from spiritual energy, not the result of evolution. They seem to lack emotions of their own. Only with the seven emotions and six desires can they be complete. This world is rather dull as well."
Pangu said, "There are too many variables in this Chaos. If we don't resolve them, then even if I split the heavens and evolve all things, there will still be a great hidden danger."
He paused for a long while, then continued, enunciating each word: "The Karma with the Chaos Demon Gods must be settled. I must settle the Karma with the Three Thousand Demon Gods to prevent other changes in the future. More than that, only by settling it completely at the moment I open the heavens can my heart and mind be made whole."
Pangu roared. As the words "Sky Opening" left his mouth, the giant axe beside him flashed with golden light. The words "Sky Opening" appeared on its blade, imbued with immense power and the Great Dao's divine runes. Pangu stroked the Sky-Opening Axe and murmured, "So this is your true form. You'll accomplish great things in the future." When he finished speaking, an overbearing aura burst from his body. In an instant, it spread throughout the entire Chaos. At that moment, every surviving Chaos Demon God learned of Pangu's message.
"My name is Primordial Heavenly King. Today, I shall open the heavens and prove the Great Dao. I hereby announce to the Chaos that I will fight all you Chaos Demon Gods and settle our Karma once and for all!" His deep voice, like thunder, instantly resounded throughout the Chaos. Whether they were in seclusion comprehending the Dao or simply wandering about, all the Chaos Demon Gods listened in silence.
The remaining fewer than a thousand Chaos Demon Gods were nearly all seized by dread. Some paced back and forth in their domains, panic-stricken, while others could no longer restrain themselves and flew straight toward Pangu and Xuanhuang.
Yet one thought arose in the hearts of all the Gods and Demons: They must not let Pangu prove the Dao. That was the only conviction in their minds at that moment.
Even Great Immortal Yang Mei, usually as unruffled as still water, felt his heart skip. It was a sense of mortal peril. He murmured to himself, "So there's no escaping it?"
Dao Lord Lu Ya was also extremely alarmed. "Great Immortal, what should we do? This time is different from before. I think Pangu will come straight to our door."
Great Immortal Yang Mei forced himself to calm down and said, "The Great Dao has fifty paths, while Heaven's evolution accounts for forty-nine, leaving one to escape. That means there is still a glimmer of hope for us. We can't just sit here and wait to die. We must fight for that chance."
Dao Lord Lu Ya said, "Exactly. We should join forces. We can't remain scattered like loose sand, or we'll only be defeated one by one."
Great Immortal Yang Mei nodded. "That's right. No one can match Pangu's individual strength. Only a powerful formation can harm him. For many years, knowing that my Immortal Spirit World was incomplete, I have been searching for an opportunity. I have devised a great formation: the Grand Formation of the Myriad Stars."
Lu Ya asked, "What are the Myriad Stars?"
Great Immortal Yang Mei said, "My world has a realm above called Heaven and a realm below called Earth. Heaven should have the sun, moon, and stars, scattering Star Power to nourish the creatures and all things on Earth, allowing them to grow and cultivate."
Dao Lord Lu Ya said, "Since you already know this formation, Daoist brother, why not complete your world with it?"
Great Immortal Yang Mei sighed. "It is incredibly easy to condense these stars, but making them produce Star Power is not so simple. The sun and moon, for instance, need solar qi and Taiyin Qi to be nurtured. The other stars should also embody the Five Elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—as well as the forces of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. Only the Great Dao can accomplish this. I am still far from capable."
Dao Lord Lu Ya said, "Then the Grand Formation of the Myriad Stars can't be put into practice?"
Great Immortal Yang Mei said, "Not necessarily. It is, after all, a formation. We can join forces with the other Gods and Demons and use our innate attributes to imitate the power of the stars. It may be far from the real thing, but we can still put up a fight."
Lu Ya said, "I'll contact a few friends and announce it throughout the prehistoric world, so we can unite to fight Pangu."
"Dao Lord is right. We must stop Pangu from proving the Dao. If he succeeds, there will be no place left in the Chaos for us Chaos Demon Gods to survive."
For the sake of survival, all the Chaos Demon Gods went mad with desperation.
"We'll follow your every command, Dao Lord. Please give us your orders."
Great Immortal Yang Mei looked at the eager crowd and nodded deeply. He carefully explained the Grand Formation of the Myriad Stars. Heaven should have the Stars, which followed fixed paths and were divided into the four directions—east, west, south, and north—with seven constellations in each direction corresponding to the sun, moon, metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The seven eastern constellations were Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Winnowing Basket; the seven northern constellations were Dipper, Ox, Girl, Emptiness, Rooftop, Encampment, and Wall; the seven western constellations were Legs, Bond, Stomach, Hairy Head, Net, Turtle Beak, and Three Stars; the seven southern constellations were Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wings, and Chariot.
Each direction would have seven leaders, and each leader would command thirteen Demon Gods, for a total of 364. One more person would serve as the Formation Eye, or pivot, bringing the total to 365, in accordance with the number of stars in the celestial cycle. Together, they could imitate the power of the stars to attack their enemies or defend themselves.
One of them asked, "What is this formation capable of?"
Great Immortal Yang Mei said, "The Myriad Stars shine upon one another. Their fearsome power lies in the Great Dao's laws contained within them. They are part of the Great Dao's evolution, and no one can stop that evolution."
Lu Ya furrowed his brow. "But there isn't even a star field in this Chaos yet. Does that mean we Chaos God Demons are merely one stage in the Great Dao's evolution?" He cried out in alarm, "D-Does that mean we're doomed to perish?"
Great Immortal Yang Mei lowered his head in thought. "Perhaps. But there is still that glimmer of hope."
Lu Ya let out a long sigh. "That glimmer of hope may be hard to grasp, but for now, we must face Pangu in battle. Please give us your orders, Great Immortal."
The other Gods and Demons also shouted, "We await your orders, Great Immortal!"
Great Immortal Yang Mei raised his head and gave a long cry. Then, focusing his mind, he said, "To set up this formation, we need to forge 365 Great Zhou Tian Star Banners and condense 365 main stars. Then we must infuse them with the Power of God Demon. Each person will represent one star, forming the peerless Grand Formation of the Myriad Stars. But even if you fellow Daoists can imitate the power of the stars, without the forces of the four directions to sustain them, the formation will not last. The stars will not shine upon one another. Though you will wield Star Power, you will still only be fighting individually."
Everyone looked bewildered and asked of their own accord, "Is there really no way?"
Great Immortal Yang Mei pondered. "The Chaos contains four elements—earth, water, wind, and fire—which are all extremely violent. Four Spirits should have been born to correspond with them. If these Four Spirits are willing to merge into my world, then it may be possible."
A burly man stood forward, his chest bare and a pair of octagonal bronze hammers in his hands. "What must be done? I won't so much as furrow a brow."
The crowd looked at the man before them and couldn't help marveling. He seemed so ordinary, yet he was one of the Four Spirits of Heaven and Earth, and not a single person recognized him. They couldn't help wondering where he had come from.
The man's voice boomed like thunder. As he opened and closed his mouth, a fierce wind burst forth, dark and surging like a raging flood. Countless small whirlwinds swirled around him. Each seemed weak, but the Spiritual Sense they used to probe him was sucked into a boundless black hole. Some even let out a scream.
Those who tried to gauge his cultivation were punished by the wind.
Everyone cried out in alarm, "Wind! This man must be Wind Spirit!"
Before you continue