Looking at the group of Chaos Demon Gods, all of them seeming to have gone mad, a kind-faced old man sighed softly. "Alas, how ignorant! They haven't even found the Chosen One, and they're already turning on one another. Besides, how could the Heaven's Chosen Calamity Bearer be someone you could simply kill? I only wonder how many of us Three Thousand Demon Gods will remain after this great tribulation passes. Alas..."
"Haha, Great Immortal Yang Mei, don't you want to become the Dao Controller?"
"I have never liked fighting. I only wish to peacefully comprehend the Great Dao amid this chaos. As for killing that Chaos God Demon, I don't believe I'm capable of it. Dao Lord, what about you?" Yang Mei quietly looked at the middle-aged man, who seemed to exude an imperial aura.
"Of course not. I, Lu Ya, would much rather discuss the Dao with the Great Immortal. As long as the Dao doesn't destroy me, why involve myself in that turbulent world?" A bitter smile played at Lu Ya's lips. He murmured, "Perhaps this is the Dao's will. We Chaos Demon Gods may be too powerful. Every one of us could aspire to master the Great Dao, so naturally the Dao would regard us with suspicion. Alas! I only wonder how many of us Three Thousand Demon Gods will remain after this great tribulation. Surely fewer than one in ten."
Lu Ya and Yang Mei gazed blankly into the depths of chaos. Would the Great Dao let them go? Just because you didn't want something didn't mean you could escape it. As long as you were caught up in this tribulation, the Great Dao would drive you forward, one way or another.
A murderous aura filled all of chaos. Even Xuanhuang, usually so calm and steady, was beginning to panic.
"Pangu is the Heaven's Chosen Calamity Bearer. Is he the source of this slaughter in chaos? I have no desire to become the Dao Controller, but I don't want to see all living beings suffer, either. Where should I go from here?" Xuanhuang stood there, dazed. "If I stay by Pangu's side, will he think I have some ulterior motive? Forget it. I'd better leave."
"Fellow Daoist, it seems our time together has come to an end. I've benefited greatly from our discussions over the years. Take care." Xuanhuang bowed to Pangu.
Pangu had grown even more robust. His bulging muscles trembled faintly, each movement radiating immense strength. Over the years, he had often discussed and sparred with Xuanhuang, and had long since mastered the Law of Strength. Every swing of the Sky-Opening Axe now carried the power of the Dao. He had already passed the threshold of a Heavenly Dao Saint and reached the late stage of a Primordial Saint, close to the peak.
He had also cultivated the Nine Revolutions Chaos Golden Body Art to its ninth revolution. His body was so tough that it could withstand a blow from the Sky-Opening Axe without a scratch—though only if he didn't use the power of the Dao.
Pangu's presence had grown even more ancient and desolate. He sighed. "I understand how you feel, fellow Daoist. Perhaps our paths will cross again."
Watching Xuanhuang slowly depart, Pangu let out a roar to vent his pent-up feelings. "I, Pangu, am here! Come at me!"
His voice rang like thunder, and his Spiritual Sense, along with an imposing might rivaling the Great Dao's, instantly spread across chaos.
Two Daoists came speeding through chaos, but the pressure stopped them in their tracks. The one in front said, "Brother You Ming, this Heaven's Chosen Calamity Bearer is indeed no ordinary opponent. He's already reached the peak of the Primordial stage. He won't be easy to deal with."
The man dressed in black replied confidently, "Big Brother Yellow Springs, we've both reached the mid-stage of the Primordial level. With my Law of Annihilation and your Law of Death, who could survive when the two of us join forces? Haha!"
Yellow Springs couldn't help but feel pleased, but said, "Brother, don't underestimate him. The Tribulation Bearer surely has some powerful abilities."
"Big Brother, don't give the other side a boost at our expense. Who can stand against your Nine Bends Yellow Springs Great Formation? I say, the moment that man enters it, he'll turn into Corpse Water in no time."
Yellow Springs was quite pleased by You Ming's flattery and replied smugly, "Of course. Heaven has put us in charge of death and annihilation. We can decide who lives and who dies. And we have to thank you for that, brother—your Netherworld Heavenly Book will be a great help."
The two raced onward, drawing closer and closer to Pangu. The pressure grew stronger, and since the two of them controlled death, they were more sensitive to its presence than anyone else.
"Big Brother, I have a feeling the aura of death ahead is incredibly strong. Could it be..."
Yellow Springs cut him off. "Brother, you're worrying too much. That aura of death tells me the man's days are numbered. Haha!"
In the chaos, heaven and earth were indistinct and the Heavenly Secrets were unclear. Finding someone was no easy task. Even with Pangu's pressure to guide them, they still had to travel there. The two were still drawing closer to Pangu in the primordial world.
Before them, some lucky ones had already found Pangu.
Three Chaos Demon Gods surrounded him. It was hard to tell whether they were intimidated by his presence or waiting for an opening. One of them was Kun Peng, who had fought Jin Yun. As it turned out, Kun Peng was a speed-type Chaos God Demon, and had refined Hong Hu into a flying magic artifact. On the way, he had also sweet-talked two other Gods Demons into carrying him there.
Kun Peng looked at Pangu. Though he was somewhat unnerved, the temptation of becoming the Dao Controller gave him the courage to take Pangu down. He shouted, "Brothers, let's attack together! If we kill this man, we'll be able to control the Great Dao!"
The two other Gods Demons seemed to be under his spell. They raised their innate spirit treasures, wielded their respective Laws, and attacked Pangu. Wind and clouds surged, and chaos descended into turmoil. Starlight appeared from nowhere, and light shone forth.
"The Law of Light still isn't enough. Break!" Pangu watched the starlight rushing toward him and swept the Sky-Opening Axe across. "Sky Rend!" This divine ability was simply a single, unadorned swing of the axe. It had no flourish, only plain, honest force, yet it contained a profoundly mysterious trajectory and tremendous power.
Chaos twisted violently. The starlight shattered across the sky, and the light vanished. The two Gods Demons were far beneath Pangu in cultivation, and couldn't withstand that single strike. Their Dao was extinguished, and they perished. Two streams of Primordial Violet Qi were absorbed by the Green Lotus.
Kun Peng stared at the Green Lotus, overcome with excitement. So that treasure could be used like this! What a treasure! It seemed that the Primordial Violet Qi of the Chaos Demon Gods who had fallen in chaos was gathering inside that Green Lotus.
Pangu looked at Kun Peng and said calmly, "You're quite the schemer, fellow Daoist." It turned out that after shouting for them to attack together, Kun Peng hadn't moved at all. He had even edged backward, letting the other two serve as sacrificial pawns to test Pangu's strength.
Kun Peng had the thickest skin imaginable. "They made their own choices. No one forced them. Fellow Daoist, you cultivate the Dao through strength, breaking all things in the world. But can you break my formless wind? Besides, the Great Dao appointed you as the Tribulation Bearer because it fears our power and can't control us, so it wants us to slaughter one another. Why should we fall for that? I say you should hand over the Primordial Violet Qi so we can comprehend it together and attain the Great Dao. Then we can deal with the other Demon Gods together."
Pangu glanced at Kun Peng. "I understand what you want, fellow Daoist. Let's settle this with a fight."
Kun Peng replied, "Fine. Then let's discuss the Dao and see whether I'm worthy." He thought, As long as I can get those foundations of the Great Dao, I'll comprehend them, then join forces with everyone to kill you. Wouldn't that make me the strongest?
After bowing, Kun Peng said, "I have the Law of Wind. The power of Xun Wind lies in its swirling, its movement, its formlessness. Be careful, fellow Daoist."
A gale like a tornado, carrying countless razor-sharp Wind Blades and overwhelming force, rushed toward Pangu. But then, an unexpected change occurred. A streak of red light shot out of the Chaos Green Lotus and suddenly slipped into Hong Hu, who had already been refined into a magic artifact.
Red light flashed. Hong Hu turned to ash, but at the same time, an imposing aura that made Kun Peng's heart tremble emerged from the depths of chaos. Yet he had the feeling that danger was right beside him.
A streak of red light flashed past. Kun Peng felt a sharp pain, and his mind seemed to split apart. When he looked back, he realized he was gravely wounded. Shock filled him. What... what kind of divine ability is this? It can injure someone without a trace!
A voice rang out in his Spiritual Sense. "Kun Peng, you little brat! Look at you now. I'm the one who hurt you! Hahaha!"
Kun Peng could hardly believe it. He stammered, "Jin Yun? Jin Yun, weren't you dead?"
Jin Yun appeared before him, in the form of Hong Hu. Staring at Kun Peng, his eyes gleamed with a predatory light. Through gritted teeth, he said, "I have Hong Hu to thank for his method of rebirth. I was reborn through nirvana! Hahaha!"
Kun Peng's heart sank. It looked as if he couldn't escape death. As it turned out, he had attacked Hong Hu not only to steal his Primordial Violet Qi and transformation ability, but because Kun Peng's true form was that of a Fish Peng—ultimately, a fish—while Hong Hu was a bird. Their forms were natural enemies. And now that he was gravely wounded, he stood no chance. Before, he might have managed to fight back.
Hong Hu let out a shrill cry and charged at Kun Peng, swallowing him whole. Then Hong Hu gave a mournful cry and self-destructed.
In truth, Kun Peng was to blame. The moment he was swallowed, he sensed something was wrong. Hong Hu had Jin Yun's power of clouds, as well as the ability to dissolve all things. Kun Peng chose to self-destruct, and Hong Hu naturally couldn't escape unharmed.
A stream of Primordial Violet Qi floated into the Chaos Green Lotus. From within the chaos came Kun Peng's final thought: Could this be Karma?
Pangu stared blankly as it all unfolded. He didn't know why the Chaos Green Lotus had sent out a streak of red light that became a Hong Hu and swallowed Kun Peng. He sent his Spiritual Sense into the Chaos Green Lotus and found only endless darkness, along with countless points of violet light, brilliant as stars. He learned nothing else. Yet among those violet stars were many methods for cultivating Laws and divine abilities, and Pangu knew they were Primordial Violet Qi.
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