Xuanhuang Wuwei

Pangu sat cross-legged in the chaos, communicating with the Sky-Opening Axe through his Spiritual Sense. He wanted to make better use of it and increase its spiritual nature. After a while, he was very satisfied.

Just then, a benevolent Spiritual Sense rapidly approached. Pangu's mood lifted, and he called out, "Greetings, fellow Daoist!" His voice boomed like thunder, rumbling toward the horizon.

The sound startled Pangu. Only then did he realize that, without noticing, he had grown enormous—nearly as large as Cang Dui. The Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art truly was the supreme body-refinement technique. He had probably reached the seventh revolution by now. He absently rubbed his muscles, which were as hard as metal, and felt even more satisfied.

At last, the figure appeared: a man in a yellow Daoist robe, with a kind expression. He bowed to Pangu. "I am Xuanhuang. Greetings, fellow Daoist."

Pangu studied the newcomer with interest. It was no wonder he had been discourteous; in the countless eons since his birth, this was the first living being he had met who could communicate with him.

Xuanhuang seemed embarrassed by Pangu's stare. "I sensed the aura of the Dao just now, so I came to investigate. I didn't expect to meet you, fellow Daoist."

Something stirred in Pangu's heart. Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang, Universe Primordial Era, sun and moon rise and set, stars array themselves. Xuanhuang and I must share a deep connection. The Great Dao's mission is for me to open the heavens and divide the earth. Could Xuanhuang have some Karma tied to this?

"What is the Dao?"

"Human follows the earth, the earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature."

Xuanhuang glanced at Pangu, who was deep in thought, and said slowly, "The Dao I pursue is Wuwei. The Dao's law is nature."

Pangu suddenly fell into confusion, his face contorted with pain. Xuanhuang was startled, but quickly understood. Everyone pursued a different Dao, though all paths led to the same destination. One had to follow the Great Dao and move along its course. Pangu, however, had become lost in his search for my Dao. Xuanhuang sent a strand of Xuanhuang Qi drifting toward Pangu. This pure Qi would support Heaven and Earth after the Sky Opening and could dispel all afflictions. Strangely, most of it was absorbed by the Chaos Green Lotus. He had no idea why.

After coming to his senses, Pangu thought for a moment, then shook his head. Who can say what my Dao is? He bowed. "Thank you, fellow Daoist. I am Pangu."

Though they pursued different paths, they still had much to discuss. Their Dao debate lasted one Yuanhui.

Xuanhuang seemed to have benefited greatly. His cultivation had made a huge breakthrough, and he had entered the realm of a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal. Pangu, on the other hand, seemed to have gained nothing. After all, Pangu's Dao of Strength required constant combat to advance, so a Dao debate was naturally of little help. Besides, Pangu had already reached the peak of the Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. Once he fully comprehended the Law of Strength, he would become a Saint without entrusting his Primordial Spirit to anything.

Pangu looked at Xuanhuang with a mischievous smile. "Sitting here cross-legged and discussing the Dao is rather dull. Why don't we try another approach?"

Xuanhuang's heart stirred, and he understood. Pangu needed constant tempering. His own spirits soared, and he declared, "Good! Let's have a match and see how much my magic power has grown."

He raised a hand, and a delicate pagoda flew into the air. Then he smiled mysteriously.

Pangu summoned the Sky-Opening Axe and swung it at Xuanhuang with a whoosh. To his annoyance, the strike—delivering nearly thirty percent of his strength—was held back by ripples radiating from the Exquisite Pagoda.

Xuanhuang laughed. "My Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Exquisite Pagoda is no ordinary treasure. It was nurtured by the Great Dao and has no offensive power, only a defensive function. You can go all out."

Pangu scoffed inwardly. I was only afraid of hurting you. Watch this.

Even when he increased his strength to fifty percent, then one hundred percent, the Exquisite Pagoda only swayed. Pangu relaxed and began tempering his Law of Strength.

The axe moved slowly as it cleaved forward, yet followed the course of the Dao, radiating its aura. Each strike traced a different path and carried a different force. He attacked again and again, comprehending with each blow, until the Three Sky-Opening Axes took shape.

"Sky Opening"

"Earth Splitting"

"Sky Rend"

A region of spacetime unlike the chaos formed, only to vanish under the crushing pressure of the boundless chaos.

The boundless chaos remained as tranquil as it had been for countless eons. Pangu and Xuanhuang sat cross-legged in the void, contemplating their respective Daos. The Chaos Green Lotus hovered beneath them. Streams of black and white Qi flowed into it, transforming into even purer Spiritual Qi to nourish the pair on the lotus. Above their heads, the Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Exquisite Pagoda hung like a canopy, shedding ten thousand streams of Xuanhuang Qi.

Far away in the chaos, the chaotic currents churned as two mighty auras burst forth.

"Kun Peng, you despicable coward! Why are you hounding me like this?" A middle-aged man in a red Daoist robe swept out both hands, turning the chaos into clouds that drifted toward a sinister-looking Daoist. The clouds seemed powerless, yet they were not to be underestimated. Though they looked light and airy, each weighed ten thousand gold. Anyone caught inside would turn to pus in moments.

Faced with a sea of clouds, the Daoist waved both hands. A gust of chaotic Xun Wind swept the oncoming gray clouds aside, sending them veering away just as they reached him.

Kun Peng sneered. "Jin Yun, we were born together. Clouds follow the wind; your attacks can't hurt me. Besides, we both obtained that Primordial Violet Qi. How can you claim it for yourself?"

Jin Yun smiled bitterly. "You've refined the body of Hong Hu and learned the Heavenly Gang Earthly Sha Mystic Transformation. We already got what we each wanted."

Kun Peng feigned fury. "Primordial Violet Qi is the foundation of the Great Dao! The Thirty-Six Heavenly Transformations and Seventy-Two Earthly Transformations are merely divine arts. You tricked me back then."

Jin Yun's heart sank. How could he have befriended such a man? He muttered, "I knew Hong Hu had the power to transform. We plotted against him so you could take on that half-fish, half-bird form."

Kun Peng had been born with a fish's body and a Bird Head, and wings on his back. He could swim as a fish and soar as a roc. He hated being mocked for his strange appearance. Furious, he shouted, "Jin Yun, you—you... I'll never rest until you're dead!"

"Kun Peng, let's settle this! Are you now trying to take the Primordial Violet Qi inside me, too? Fine!"

Jin Yun held nothing back, unleashing his understanding of the Law of Clouds and turning it into one divine art after another. Clouds had no fixed form, constantly shifting and changing unpredictably; their divine arts were just as inscrutable.

But perhaps fate had decreed it: his opponent was Xun Wind Essence, a longtime companion and a being born with the Wind Rule. As boundless Xun Wind swept through the area, Jin Yun's clouds couldn't even protect him.

Seeing that he was about to die, Jin Yun cried out in desperation, "If Heaven wants me dead, I'll make sure you suffer too! Hahaha!"

A thunderous BOOM rang out beside Kun Peng. Jin Yun had self-destructed. The self-destruction of a Chaos Demon God was no small matter. It was like creating a miniature primordial world; Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire surged forth. Kun Peng was badly shaken, covered in dust and grime, and nearly swept into that strange pocket of spacetime.

Once he had steadied himself, Kun Peng searched the area. Not only was Jin Yun's Primordial Violet Qi gone, but so was Hong Hu's. He muttered, "Could it have been destroyed in the blast? Impossible. It's an object of the Great Dao—no one can destroy it."

He sighed. "This... this!" After fighting for so long, he had gained nothing at all, and could only leave in disappointment.

None of this affected Pangu, who was still meditating tens of millions of miles away. But then the Chaos Green Lotus shuddered. A red cloud carrying two strands of Primordial Violet Qi appeared out of nowhere and merged into the lotus.

Xuanhuang was startled. Primordial Violet Qi! The Chaos Green Lotus had actually absorbed the foundation of the Great Dao. This... this...

Pangu slowly opened his eyes, which seemed not to have moved in ten thousand years. "What's wrong, Brother Xuanhuang? Is your Dao Heart unsettled?"

Xuanhuang shook his head and returned to meditation.

Perhaps by the Great Dao's design—or its decree—the balance between the Demon Gods had been broken for reasons unknown. Perhaps it had all been fated. The chaos gradually lost its peace. Perhaps it was because the night was dark and the heavens were high, making it a perfect time for robbery and murder. Primordial Qi kept flowing into the Chaos Green Lotus, and its twenty-four petals gradually turned a vivid red.

Who knew how many years passed? Chaos Demon Gods continued to fall from time to time.

An invisible ripple spread, and an unseen pressure swept across the entire chaos. The whole realm shuddered. Chaos broke out, all because of a command from the Dao.

"Tribulation Bearer," the same message appeared in the minds of the Chaos Demon Gods, guided by the Great Dao.

"Kill the Tribulation Bearer, and you can control the Great Dao and become the one and only master of the world." The Chaos Demon Gods were tempted. More than two thousand of them set out to roam the chaos, searching for the Chaos Demon God destined to face the tribulation.

Throughout the chaos, shouts rang out without end: "I'll kill him and become the master of the Great Dao!" "I'm about to become the master! Hahaha!"

The dream of becoming the Dao Controller drove the Chaos Demon Gods wild with greed. They searched for the Tribulation Bearer at all costs. For this one-of-a-kind opportunity—or perhaps simply because their minds had been thrown into disarray—the Demon Gods, many of whom had already held grudges against one another, once again began slaughtering each other.