Shouyang Mountain, Eight Sceneries Palace.
The Demon Race's Heavenly Court had only recently been established.
Di Jun and Tai Yi held sway over the Primordial Era, while the Witch Race occupied the land.
Though the two sides clashed constantly, an all-out war had yet to break out.
However, as Sages, they had already keenly sensed that something was amiss in the world.
"The Tribulation Qi has arisen once more."
Laozi sat cross-legged on his cushion, his eyes half-closed. A hint of resignation colored his voice.
"Since the Dragon-Han Primordial Tribulation, the world has enjoyed peace for only a few kalpas."
"Now the Demons rule the heavens, and the Witches rule the land. The fortunes of the two races clash, and their karmic ties are tangled together."
"This Qi of the Great Tribulation has already begun to corrode the spiritual ley lines of the Primordial Era."
Yuanshi Tianzun's expression was solemn as he spoke gravely.
"Under a Great Tribulation, all living beings suffer."
"Even a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, if not protected by merit,"
"may be driven mad by the Tribulation Qi at the slightest misstep. At best, they'll go astray in their cultivation; at worst, they'll die and have their Dao destroyed."
"As Sages, we must preserve the stability of the Primordial Era and not let the Tribulation Qi spread unchecked."
Sect Master Tongtian toyed with the Azure Pine Sword in his hand and curled his lip.
"That's all well and good, but the Tribulation Qi is the accumulation of all living beings' karma. Better to divert it than block it. This is a tough one."
Nearby, Jie Yin and Zhun Ti wore pained expressions and nodded in agreement.
Just as the Five Sages were discussing how to suppress the Tribulation Qi,
"Master, Martial Uncles, something terrible has happened!"
A panicked voice shattered the quiet of the Eight Sceneries Palace.
The Human Teachings' eldest disciple, Grand Master Xuandu, who was usually so composed,
came rushing in, his steps hurried and his expression anxious.
Laozi furrowed his brow.
"What's the matter? Why are you so alarmed?"
Xuandu caught his breath and spoke urgently.
"It's Junior Brother Huang Long of the Chan Sect!"
"He was cultivating in the plaza on Kunlun Mountain when the Tribulation Qi suddenly entered his body."
"He's lost all reason and is now in a frenzy!"
"Junior Brother Guang Chengzi is using the Soul-Quelling Bell to hold him back, but things look grim!"
Yuanshi Tianzun shot to his feet, his expression changing drastically.
"What? Huang Long?!"
"This is bad!"
"Huang Long has a special origin. He took form from the union of the Primordial Era's first wisp of Mysterious Yellow Qi and Ancestral Dragon Essence Blood."
"Though he joined my sect, Dragon Race blood still runs through his veins."
"During the Dragon-Han Primordial Tribulation, the Dragon Race bore too much karmic debt."
"Now that the Great Tribulation has begun anew, the Tribulation Qi has first sought out beings burdened by old karma!"
"I had him diligently cultivate the Jade Purity Immortal Method to cleanse his karmic debt. I never imagined he'd still fail to escape this!"
Laozi's expression was grave as well.
"Once the Tribulation Qi enters the body, it attacks the spirit directly."
"If it isn't driven out in time, at best, his cultivation will be completely ruined."
"At worst, he'll become a fiend who knows nothing but slaughter, and may even damage his Dao foundation."
"Come. We must go and see at once!"
Daoist Zhunti hurried after them, his expression grave.
"Senior Brother, don't worry. The Western Teachings excel at purification. Perhaps we can help."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Five Sages flashed away, vanishing from the Eight Sceneries Palace.
Kunlun Mountain, the plaza.
It was in chaos.
Disciples of the Three Teachings had formed a wide circle, every face filled with fear.
In the center, Yellow Dragon True Person stood disheveled, his eyes blood-red.
A violent black aura surrounded him, and he roared like a dragon.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
He had long since lost his reason and was attacking everything around him in a frenzy.
Guang Chengzi held the Soul-Quelling Bell, drenched in sweat.
He desperately urged the magic treasure to send out wave after wave of sound.
He tried to stun Huang Long's spirit and calm him down.
"Junior Brother Huang Long, wake up!"
The Tribulation Qi mixed with the Dragon Race's karmic debt was ferocious, and the Soul-Quelling Bell was growing less and less effective.
Humm—
The might of the Sages descended, and the Five Sages appeared.
Seeing the situation, Yuanshi Tianzun raised a hand and sent out a beam of Yuqing Immortal Light, which formed a cage around Huang Long.
But it could only restrain his body; it couldn't dispel the Tribulation Qi deep in his spirit.
"This is troublesome."
Sect Master Tongtian took one look and furrowed his brow.
"The Tribulation Qi has already seeped into his bones, entwined with his spirit."
"If we forcibly cleanse him, we'll inevitably damage the very foundation of his spirit."
"Then the Tribulation Qi will be gone, but he'll be ruined too."
Daoist Jieyin tried to send out a beam of Buddhist light.
But the black aura swallowed it in an instant. He could only shake his head with a sigh.
"This is the backlash of Heavenly Dao karma. It cannot be easily dispelled by outside forces, unless he can keep his mind clear on his own."
"Keep his mind clear?" Yuanshi Tianzun paced anxiously.
"His mind is full of nothing but slaughter right now. How is he supposed to stay clearheaded?"
"What can we do?"
Just as the Sages were at a loss,
Sect Master Tongtian swept his gaze over the crowd, then suddenly brightened.
His eyes settled on a figure snacking on sunflower seeds and watching the commotion.
"Gongming!"
Sect Master Tongtian called out.
"You're full of clever ideas, and the magic treasures you make are... well, they're rather unconventional."
"Can you think of a way to save your Senior Brother Huang Long?"
At his words, everyone's eyes immediately turned to Zhao Gongming.
The disciples of the Three Teachings nodded as well.
"Right! Senior Brother Zhao must have a way!"
"He even turned Senior Brother Cihang into a demonic immortal, and Senior Brother Medicine Master into a fountain. Senior Brother Zhao can surely work a miracle!"
"Senior Brother Zhao, please help! Senior Brother Huang Long is in such a terrible state!"
Called out, Zhao Gongming paused and spat out a sunflower seed shell.
He looked at the frenzied Huang Long and stroked his chin.
"A way... I might actually have one."
Zhao Gongming thought of the magic treasure he had just made for Medicine Master. An odd smile tugged at his lips.
"Actually, I just made a Wisdom-Reducing Rattle Drum for Junior Brother Medicine Master of the Western Teachings."
"This treasure has no offensive power, but it can forcibly reduce a person's intelligence to zero,"
"putting them in a state of great wisdom through seeming foolishness."
"When Junior Brother Maitreya tried it just now, his spirit became so clear, so pure, without a single distracting thought."
"If we use it on Senior Brother Huang Long, maybe he'll temporarily forget about slaughter and cleanse his spirit..."
Zhao Gongming hadn't finished speaking when
a round figure leaped out of the crowd.
It was Daoist Maitreya, who had just gone through the darkest moment of his life
and still hadn't recovered from the shadow of his social death.
Maitreya's eyes gleamed with a kind of almost frenzied excitement.
He pointed at Huang Long and bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"Use it!!!"
"We have to use it!!!"
"That magic treasure is amazing, seriously. You won't know until you try it!"
"That feeling of having an empty head and drooling is simply wonderful!"
"It's exactly what Senior Brother Huang Long needs right now!"
Seeing Maitreya leap about in excitement,
the disciples around him instinctively took two steps back.
Zhao Gongming's mouth twitched too.
Good grief, you got rained on, so now you want to tear everyone else's umbrella to shreds!
Was this what they meant by, as long as everyone else was stupid too, he wouldn't stand out?
Jie Yin and Zhun Ti looked at their usually cheerful disciple,
now so worked up that his face was twisted in a grimace, and felt their hearts sink.
"Senior Brother, I have a bad feeling about this,"
Zhun Ti sent telepathically.
"Judging by Maitreya's expression, it looks like he went through some inhuman torment and is now eager to find a scapegoat."
"Could it be that magic treasure Zhao Gongming made again?"
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