Purple Cloud Palace
The chaotic currents drifted slowly through the empty hall like frozen ribbons of ink. The cushion where Hongjun Dao Ancestor had once preached still floated at the center of the hall, but the Dao resonance on its lotus petals had long since faded,
replaced by an icy, bone-piercing, invisible pressure. It was the Heavenly Dao's will, spreading like a web and wrapping around the entire palace.
Nuwa stood before the cushion, the Mountain and River Diagram unfurled above her like the sky. Mountains surged and rivers roared within the image, while the faith of countless living beings became specks of spiritual light, weaving into a resilient barrier that resisted the crushing Dao principles from deep within the hall. "Heavenly Dao, you sought to destroy Great God Pangu's Will by using the Witch-Demon War as a smokescreen, and drove the Two Sages of the West to act as your lackeys, manipulating all living beings like chess pieces. Did you truly think the people of the Primordial World were all toys for you to control? You've grown selfish! I fear even Hongjun Dao Ancestor fell victim to your schemes!" Her voice rang clear as jade striking stone, piercing layer after layer of chaos to reach the heart of the Heavenly Dao.
Dense netherworld baleful energy swirled around Hou Tu, forming a strange balance with Nuwa's life force. The Netherworld Seal floated above her head, its carving of the Six Paths of Reincarnation slowly turning as it radiated a weighty aura that suppressed yin and yang, firmly locking down the chaotic temporal and spatial Dao principles within Purple Cloud Palace. "You sought to use the conflict between the Witches and Demons to throw the Primordial World into disorder. Then you used the Golden Crows as bait, hoping to ignite the remnants of Pangu's power in Buzhou Mountain and kill us, Pangu's descendants, so you could rule the Primordial World alone. You're nothing but a mere servant. How dare you defy your master!" Hou Tu's voice seethed with fury. Each word made the chaotic currents in the hall churn violently.
As soon as she finished speaking, Purple Cloud Palace shuddered violently. The chaotic currents above the hall surged wildly, transforming into countless vicious blades of Dao principles that slashed toward Nuwa and Hou Tu. The Mountain and River Diagram expanded in an instant, forming a wall of emerald light that blocked every blade, but a trace of blood still seeped from Nuwa's lips. The Heavenly Dao's pressure far exceeded their expectations. Even as a Sage, she struggled within Purple Cloud Palace, where the Heavenly Dao's core had manifested. Seeing this, Hou Tu expanded the Netherworld Seal to a thousand zhang and slammed it down, spreading the power of reincarnation and crushing every blade of Dao principles. At the same time, she said gravely, "Sister Nuwa, be careful. The Heavenly Dao is truly enraged."
Just then, messages flooded into the Heavenly Dao's consciousness like a tide: the Demon army had been routed, and Di Jun and Tai Yi were fleeing with their remaining forces; the Anti-Demon Alliance had ambushed the Demon Court, only to fall into a trap formation secretly laid by Primordial Heavenly Lord; the Two Sages of the West were trapped fast within the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, unable to escape even a sliver of their souls; Pangu's Will at Buzhou Mountain was growing ever more concentrated under the protection of Taiqing's Taiji Diagram... Every scheme had failed, and every backup plan had been destroyed. The fury that had been building finally burst free of Purple Cloud Palace.
"Roar—!"
A roar that shook the universe erupted from deep within Purple Cloud Palace. The entire Primordial World suddenly dimmed, and the sun, moon, and stars lost their light. Above the sky, chaotic clouds churned violently as an enormous eye, stretching tens of thousands of miles across, slowly opened. There were no pupils in it, only endless chaos and fury, as if it would devour the entire Primordial World. Wherever its gaze fell, mountains split apart and rivers reversed their course. Countless low-level cultivators turned to ash under its terrifying pressure, while even Quasi-Sage powerhouses could only cower on the ground, trembling.
"Nuwa, Taiqing, Yuanshi, Tongtian, Hou Tu... You dare defy Heaven's Mandate and ruin my grand designs!" The Heavenly Dao's voice was no human voice, but thunder formed from countless intertwined Dao principles. Every word struck the hearts and minds of the people of the Primordial World like a heavy hammer. "The Witch-Demon War was ordained, and the collapse of Buzhou Mountain and the fading of Pangu's Will were also part of the Heavenly Dao's cycle. You interfered by force. You must be executed!"
Two beams of chaotic light shot from the enormous eye toward Purple Cloud Palace. Space vanished inch by inch in their wake, and even time seemed to halt. Nuwa and Hou Tu were already prepared. The Mountain and River Diagram and the Netherworld Seal both unleashed their full power, weaving emerald life force and profound netherworld energy into a closed loop of yin and yang that forcibly caught the attack. Amid the thunderous crash, most of Purple Cloud Palace's walls shattered. Nuwa and Hou Tu were driven back again and again, their skirts torn and their lips stained with ever more blood.
"Fellow Daoists, today we must stand together against the Heavenly Dao!" Nuwa's voice rang across the Primordial World, resolute and undeniable.
At the summit of Buzhou Mountain, Grand Pure Laozi looked solemn as he unfurled the Taiji Diagram. Black and white energies spread like an endless canopy over the sky above the Primordial World, weakening the Heavenly Dao's pressure. "The Heavenly Dao has grown selfish. That is no blessing for the Primordial World. We of the Pangu Orthodox Lineage must uphold Father God's glory." He raised a hand and sent out a stream of primordial purity that became a bridge, linking his power with Nuwa and Hou Tu in Purple Cloud Palace.
Primordial Heavenly Lord had already abandoned his pursuit of the Demon remnants. He planted the Pangu Banner before him, and chaotic sword energy surged into the sky, answering Grand Pure Laozi's Taiji Diagram from afar. "Father God Pangu created the heavens and the earth, and thus the Primordial World came to be. The Heavenly Dao would destroy Father God's legacy for its own selfish desires. How could we, Sages of the Primordial World and descendants of the Pangu Orthodox Lineage, stand by and do nothing!" As he waved the Pangu Banner, countless streams of chaotic sword energy slashed toward the Heavenly Dao's eye. They could not wound it at its core, but they briefly checked its attack.
Toward Mount Sumeru, Sect Master Tongtian let out a long cry. The Immortal Slaying Sword Formation abruptly contracted, temporarily trapping the Two Sages of the West. Then the four swords transformed into streaks of light and shot toward the center of the Primordial World. "What Heaven's Mandate? What ordained fate? It's nothing but the selfish scheme of a thing like you!" Tongtian's voice rang out, wild and unrestrained. The Immortal Slaying Four Swords formed a new formation in the air, their sword energy stretching for millions of miles. Their power joined with Grand Pure Laozi's and Primordial Heavenly Lord's, forming an unbreakable defensive barrier. "Today, I'll show you whether we Sages can break this so-called Heavenly Dao of yours when we join forces!"
Jiang He had also arrived. True Sun Fire blazed around him, and the Sun Wheel hovered above his head as he unleashed the full force of his late Quasi-Sage cultivation. His power was as insignificant as an ant's before the Heavenly Dao, but he still poured his True Sun Fire into the Sages' defensive barrier without hesitation. Golden flames interwove with black and white energies and chaotic sword energy, making the barrier's light shine ever brighter. "The unjust Heavenly Dao deserves to be destroyed by all!" Jiang He's voice wasn't as loud as the Sages', but it carried the fearless resolve of a newborn calf facing a tiger.
Seeing the Sages dare to join forces against it, the Heavenly Dao's fury blazed even hotter in its eye. "Stubborn fools!" Chaotic beams of light shot out one after another. At the same time, the Dao principles throughout the Primordial World turned violent. Countless bolts of heavenly lightning and flames erupted, mountains collapsed, and rivers flooded backward. The entire Primordial World faced utter catastrophe.
Seeing this, Nuwa tossed the Mountain and River Diagram into the sky. The faith of the countless living beings within it erupted to its fullest, forming an enormous emerald barrier that covered the Primordial World and held back the lightning and flames. "The people of the Primordial World aren't offerings for you to take as you please!" Her voice held both sorrow and resolve.
Netherworld baleful energy surged around Hou Tu, and the Netherworld Seal transformed into an enormous mountain that suppressed the raging earth veins. At the same time, the power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation spread, soothing the hearts and minds of the people of the Primordial World and reducing the casualties. "Heavenly Dao, if you insist on this course, you'll bring disaster upon the Primordial World. When that happens, this so-called Heavenly Dao of yours will cease to exist!"
Grand Pure Laozi channeled the Taiji Diagram, using its black and white energies to continuously dispel the Heavenly Dao's chaotic beams. He spoke as he did so: "The Heavenly Dao should put the people of the Primordial World first, not its own selfish desires. What you're doing today has already strayed from the Heavenly Dao's original purpose."
Primordial Heavenly Lord unleashed the full power of the Pangu Banner, sending chaotic sword energy slashing again and again at the Heavenly Dao's eye. Though it left only faint marks, it still caused the Heavenly Dao's attacks to pause briefly. "Heavenly Dao! Take a look at my Way of Order. The Primordial World doesn't need you to protect it!"
Sect Master Tongtian's attacks with the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation grew fiercer and fiercer. The four swords rang in unison, and sword energy poured down like a waterfall, colliding with the Heavenly Dao's chaotic power and unleashing waves of energy capable of destroying the heavens and earth. "Enough talk. Let's settle this with our strength!"
Jiang He, meanwhile, darted across the Primordial World. Wherever his True Sun Fire passed, mountains on the verge of collapse were burned away, and overflowing rivers were scorched into separate channels. He did everything he could to protect the people of the Primordial World. He knew his power would not decide the outcome of this battle, but he could not back down. He had to protect the Human Race from harm, and as one of the people of the Primordial World, he also had to do his part.
A flicker of astonishment passed through the Heavenly Dao's eye, followed by even deeper fury. It had never expected these Sages to defy it so boldly—or even a mere Quasi-Sage to dare oppose it. The chaotic beams grew more violent, and deep within Purple Cloud Palace, the Dao principles began to resonate. An even more terrifying power was gathering, seeming poised to reset the entire Primordial World.
"Do you think you can defy the Heavenly Dao by joining forces?" The Heavenly Dao's voice was icy to the bone. "Today, I'll show you that Heaven's Mandate cannot be defied!"
As soon as it finished speaking, countless Dao principles intertwined above the Primordial World, forming an enormous web of laws that descended over the Sages and the land below. Space vanished completely wherever the web passed, and cracks began to appear even in the Sages' magical treasures.
Just then, Buzhou Mountain, protected by Grand Pure Laozi, shook once more, and a streak of golden light shot straight into the chaos!
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