Though there were several sacred realms in the boundless Chaos, Yang Mei's was superior in both scale and function. It was a world in its embryonic form. Aside from lacking the natural reproduction of life, it had everything else.
Yet Great Immortal Yang Mei remained dissatisfied. He wanted to perfect it, bit by bit.
Now he had a chance—a chance to give his little world a steady source of vitality.
Great Immortal Yang Mei had never expected this. He was overwhelmed with excitement.
Could his long-held wish finally come true today?
With a faint tremble in his voice, Great Immortal Yang Mei asked the Four Spirits of Heaven and Earth, "Fellow Daoists, are you ready?"
Golden Crow Daoist stepped forward and saluted. "We await your instructions, Great Immortal."
Great Immortal Yang Mei addressed the Chaos Demon Gods in the hall. "Bring out the Star Banners. Form the array."
A rumbling thundered without end as 365 enormous banners, each a thousand zhang tall, rose from the ground. A Chaos Demon God floated above each banner, and they all shouted in unison! In an instant, 365 beams of starlight were drawn from beyond the starry sky. The whole world blazed like a river of stars, shimmering with iridescent light. Bathed in that brilliant starlight, everyone felt a sensation unlike any they had ever known. The Star Power filled them with strength, and their muscles absorbed the starlight bit by bit, bringing their power to its peak.
The people beneath the banners felt the power of pure yin, pure yang, the Five Elements, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. Some could revive withered trees; others could extinguish all life. Each of the 365 beams of starlight had a different nature.
The 365 stars of the Zhou Tian Star Dou and the 84,000 Stars in this world were drawn in by the Grand Formation of the Myriad Stars, beginning to move along profound, set trajectories. Countless stars glittered overhead, growing larger and radiating ever brighter light. Some even hurtled toward the ground like meteors, growing larger and drawing closer until they seemed almost within reach.
Great Immortal Yang Mei was startled. "This is bad. These stars have no roots, and they're becoming unstable. I ask the Four Spirits to lend their aid."
Golden Crow Daoist released his imperial avatar, then transformed into his true form, the Three-legged Golden Crow. With a resounding cry, he became a sea of flames, every strand imbued with his origin power, and sent them flying among the countless stars. The largest flames gathered into a sun, providing this world with an endless supply of yang energy.
Long Ming did the same. Every drop of water he sent among the stars carried the origin of water, and a frigid power of yin gathered into a moon. It was not formed from Taiyin's power, but through constant evolution, it would one day reach perfection.
E Xiao and Xuanwu also gave their origin power without hesitation, one sustaining the sky, the other the earth. The Four Spirits of Heaven and Earth took their positions in the four directions—above, below, left, and right—forming the Four Symbols Formation.
Great Immortal Yang Mei and Dao Lord Lu Ya exchanged smiles. Together with the gods and demons gathered before them, they called out as one: "Pangu, do you dare fight us?"
Pangu, who had been watching everything, used his Dharma Heaven Dharma Earth ability and strode quickly into Yang Mei's world, laughing heartily. "Why wouldn't I?"
Great Immortal Yang Mei said, "Activate the formation. Let Pangu in. Let's see what he can do!"
Someone waved the main Star Banner and formed the Hand Seal to control it. A deafening crack rang out, its roar rushing straight into Pangu's ears like a thunderbolt from the heavens, shaking the whole world!
Great Immortal Yang Mei warned them, "Once Pangu enters the formation, don't act rashly. We'll use the formation to deal with him."
Some cultivators refused to heed the warning. As soon as Pangu entered the formation, they attacked him. These gods and demons were laughably overestimating themselves. They had lost even their innate treasures, yet still dared to show off. Under Pangu's Law of Strength, the starlight had no time to protect them before the overwhelming force tore them to pieces!
"Long Star Pierces the Moon!"
The stars hung low as countless meteors appeared overhead, forming a gigantic, glittering Fire Dragon. They hissed as they flew, sometimes bursting with explosions. A long, cloudlike trail followed their path, making a magnificent sight.
Countless meteors, each carrying tremendous explosive power, attacked Pangu at once.
Pangu glanced at the meteors bearing down on him and laughed. "A pitiful trick!" He held them back with his mighty body. Each meteor came screaming down, but all it left on him was a faint mark.
Only a body nearing the ninth turn could withstand them head-on. Yet without a powerful body, one would have no choice but to take the hit—and the result would be quite different. Even if one survived, they would be badly battered. In such a cramped formation, where could anyone dodge?
"Starlight Illuminates the Earth!"
Three hundred and sixty-five bright stars appeared in the boundless firmament, each casting a cluster of rays. The beams intertwined, shining so brilliantly they stung the eyes. An aura of destruction accompanied each one. Like lasers from the modern world, they held boundless energy and could slice through stone as easily as tofu.
Pangu tested the edge of one beam with his palm, and it immediately cut him. How terrifying was this power? Pangu raced about, trying only to avoid the deadly rays. But how could he evade all 365 interwoven beams? Starlight kept grazing him, leaving wound after wound. Even the restrictions he continually set around himself were useless against the beams' penetrating force.
The gods and demons attacking him cheered. Was this all Pangu could do? They laughed wildly, again and again.
Great Immortal Yang Mei, however, was somewhat surprised. The starlight was tremendously powerful, and though it could hurt Pangu, his terrifying recovery was simply too abnormal. Pangu only looked to be in a sorry state because he had been caught off guard. The starlight had pinned him down, forcing him to dodge.
Pangu could still attack—and his attacks were the most fearsome in the world.
Like a little boat tossed by wind and rain, Pangu rocked from side to side. He didn't know whether he could withstand the starlight, and he didn't dare try. Nor could he find time to attack. Pangu had always believed that attack was the best defense, but now there was no opening. He feared the starlight would catch him.
Just then, the Chaos Green Lotus emitted a hazy gray-white mist that wrapped around Pangu in layer after layer. The starlight vanished from view. It could not pierce the mist, but it broke through it at incredible speed. Each collision between the mist and the starlight tore away a large chunk.
Still, it gave Pangu a chance to attack. He roared, "Sky Rend!"
A gigantic Axe Shadow appeared from nowhere, ancient and desolate. It drew back to strike, and a destructive aura filled the air. The world grew unsteady, as if it were trembling.
Great Immortal Yang Mei cried out in alarm, "Stop him!"
"Stars Gather in Nine Heavens!"
The 365 beams of starlight quickly converged, forming a galaxy that stretched across the heavens. It met the Axe Shadow head-on. The shadow struck a length of white silk and faltered, unable to bring its full force to bear. It began to disintegrate, but the Law of Strength itself did not fade; it pierced straight through the white ribbon.
Yet without the destructive momentum behind it, the attack could not shatter the galaxy. The starlight shifted and returned to its original form.
Pangu seized the opportunity to strengthen the Chaos Green Lotus's defense. Chaotic light swirled around the lotus as he silently studied the starry sky.
Seeing the galaxy withstand the Axe Shadow, everyone felt relieved. The aura of world-ending destruction had left them shaken to their cores. They had the formidable starlight to thank for holding it back.
When Great Immortal Yang Mei saw Pangu stop and sit cross-legged on the lotus, deep in thought, he couldn't help wondering how much power Pangu had put into that strike. It was better to assume Pangu had held back than to risk provoking another devastating blow.
"Myriad Stars Grinding Mill!"
The starlight in the heavens seemed to possess boundless life. It shifted according to the yin-yang changes of the world, transforming into two millstones, one black and one white. Their rough surfaces bore marks like those left by time, and each stone had a hole in its center. The two millstones drew toward each other, turning in opposite directions.
The enormous millstones filled the entire world. Whenever their openings aligned, they generated a powerful suction, drawing everything beneath them into the mill. Chaos energy poured out through the hole in the upper millstone.
The grinding stones pinned Pangu in midair. He struggled to his feet, resisting their pull. The veins in his body bulged, his muscles rose like small mountains, and his form grew larger. He stamped both feet down, sinking them deep into the earth.
The two feet transformed Xuanwu into an earth spirit. His mind jolted, as if struck hard, and he nearly fainted.
Pangu was suffering in silence, but the Chaos Demon Gods supporting the Myriad Stars Grinding Mill were no better off. They felt their Essence, Qi, and Spirit being rapidly drained by the mill. This was truly a case of killing a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of their own!
The Chaos Green Lotus blossomed into its complete form: a swaying green lotus with a red flower, green leaves, and white roots, hovering above Pangu's head. The pressure on him eased at once. He wanted to swing his axe, but both arms felt as if they were filled with molten iron—heavy and rigid, unable to move at all.
The two sides seemed locked in place. Neither could overcome the other.
Golden Crow Daoist was terrified now. The Myriad Stars Grinding Mill was draining his Essence, Qi, and Spirit far more intensely than it drained those of ordinary gods and demons. As the most yang being in the world, he felt his essence streaming into the white millstone, keeping it turning. Every rotation felt as if a piece of his flesh were being torn away. He couldn't help cursing, "Yang Mei, you bastard! Stop it! If Pangu doesn't die, we gods and demons will all be reduced to ashes!"
Long Ming felt the same way, suffering through the same ordeal. In a word: agony. He kept drawing on the water elements in Chaos to replenish the spiritual power he was losing.
Great Immortal Yang Mei grimaced. "The mill is resisting Pangu on its own. I can't control it!" He kept forming Hand Seals, hoping to control the Myriad Stars Grinding Mill, though it seemed useless.
Golden Crow Daoist swore at him. "You bastard! You're going to get us all killed!" He transformed into his innate Golden Crow form and continued struggling against the Myriad Stars Grinding Mill's pull.
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