Just as Randeng and the Three Pure Ones were refining the Plantain Fan in Buzhou Mountain, an uninvited guest arrived at the Sun Star.
The Sun Star was the foremost of the celestial stars. Its surface was a barren expanse, and its boundless laws of the sun were enough to deter most Taiyi Golden Immortals.
At the center of the Sun Star stood a towering mulberry tree, several hundred zhang tall. It had been formed from the sun's origin when the world was created, and the two had shared the same root ever since, supporting one another.
It was none other than the Fusang Tree, one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots.
Two young men sat cross-legged beneath the Fusang Tree, one a king and the other a tyrant. Their auras were domineering, and the laws of the sun swirled around them.
The brothers, Di Jun and Tai Yi, had both recently broken through to the early stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm and were consolidating their cultivation.
"We've finally broken through to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. I wonder what realm Randeng has reached now. At the same level, with the Chaos Bell, I'm sure I can defeat him."
Tai Yi spoke slowly, brimming with confidence. The last time they fought, he had only been a Taiyi Golden Immortal and had been defeated. No matter what, he had to win back his pride.
"Tai Yi, blame me, your elder brother. My cultivation wasn't strong enough back then. If it had been, you wouldn't have needed to fight."
Di Jun knew that being defeated by Randeng had become a thorn in Tai Yi's side. He was deeply frustrated by his own lack of strength.
Although they had both been born on the Sun Star, Tai Yi's talent far surpassed Di Jun's. Even their innate spiritual treasures reflected that: Tai Yi's was the stronger of the two.
Though Di Jun was the elder brother, he often had to rely on Tai Yi to resolve conflicts.
"What fine spirits of solar fire, in the form of Golden Crows!"
As the brothers lamented their lack of cultivation, a haughty voice rang out behind them.
Tai Yi and Di Jun's hair stood on end. This was the Sun Star, where the temperature was scorching and an Innate Great Formation guarded the surroundings. How had someone managed to appear behind them without their noticing?
"Who goes there?"
Tai Yi demanded, but his hand moved faster. He summoned the Chaos Bell, which surged with immense power as he hurled it toward the voice.
The brothers then retreated rapidly, putting distance between themselves and the voice. Only then did they get a clear look at the newcomer. He wore a black lotus Daoist robe, and a black lotus mark sat on his forehead. Strangely, his face looked exactly like Randeng's.
The Chaos Bell struck him, and he scattered into points of light before returning to his original form.
"Don't waste your effort. At present, I am merely an incarnation formed by borrowing a trace of authority from the Heavenly Dao. I have little power, but I am also indestructible."
"Who are you?"
Di Jun instinctively stepped forward, shielding Tai Yi behind him. Even Tai Yi's Innate Supreme Treasure, the Chaos Bell, couldn't harm this man.
"I am Demon Ancestor Rahu!"
The man uttered those words lightly, but Demon Ancestor Rahu's name carried immense weight in the Primordial World. Di Jun and Tai Yi's pupils contracted.
Had they still been Taiyi Golden Immortals, they might already have abandoned the Sun Star and fled to the Primordial World.
After all, Rahu's reputation in the Primordial World was fearsome, and his methods were so strange and unpredictable that it was impossible to guard against them.
"Are you two really so afraid of me? You're not half as interesting as that junior, Randeng."
Luohu shook his head. The two little Golden Crows on the Sun Star both had the fates of emperors, yet they were exceedingly cautious.
"Greetings, Senior Rahu. May I ask what you seek by coming to our Sun Star? My brother and I have no ties to the Devil Dao."
Di Jun still bowed. He was afraid of provoking the volatile Demon Ancestor.
"You both possess the fates of emperors. Have you ever considered taking a different path, one that leads straight to Hunyuan Grand Unity?"
Rahu had come because Randeng had rejected his method of achieving the Dao through destiny. After searching the Primordial World, he had found that the two little Golden Crows on the Sun Star were the most suitable candidates.
First, they both possessed the fates of emperors. Second, they had already established the Demon Clan, making them much like the Dragon and Phoenix Clans.
"May I ask what guidance you have for us, Senior?"
Tai Yi asked. He didn't know why Rahu had sought them out, but he was interested in the Hunyuan Dao Rahu had mentioned.
Unlike his approach with Randeng, Rahu now directly revealed his method of achieving the Dao through destiny, showing it to the two brothers.
Di Jun and Tai Yi were both top-tier Innate Divine Saints, and they quickly grasped the method's essence: unify the Primordial World, gather the destiny of the myriad races, combine it with one's own Dao, and break through to Hunyuan Grand Unity.
It relied on a shortcut, but it was also a path to the heavens.
"Why have you given us this method, Senior? What do you want in return?"
Di Jun understood that if this method of achieving the Dao were simply made known in the Primordial World, every Innate Divine Saint would clamor for it. Why, then, had Rahu sought out the two brothers in particular?
Rahu casually waved his sleeve and began looking around beneath the Fusang Tree.
"Do I need a reason for anything I do? I simply want to make the Primordial World more interesting. As it happens, you brothers possess the fates of emperors, making you ideal candidates to cultivate this method."
Rahu's expression was calm, as if the method he had given them were no more than a stone by the roadside.
For beings like Rahu and Hongjun, who had nearly completed Proving the Dao, every person who used their methods to reach Hunyuan Grand Unity would in turn nourish their own Dao, allowing them to advance further.
Tai Yi and Di Jun looked doubtful. Why would anyone hand over their own method of achieving the Dao for no reason, letting others use it?
"Believe it or not, the choice is yours. With your talents, you can tell that this method is genuine. Whether you take this path is up to you."
Rahu laughed heartily and gave Di Jun and Tai Yi a meaningful glance. Then his figure faded away.
The Heavenly Dao and Hongjun had joined forces to suppress Rahu in the Demon Realm he had created. He had sought to complete the Heavenly Dao through the methods of the Demon Clan, establishing a heart-demon tribulation for postcelestial beings who sought immortality. Yet this had also granted Rahu a trace of authority over the Heavenly Dao.
Di Jun and Tai Yi exchanged glances, each seeing the same trace of uncertainty in the other's eyes. Rahu's arrival had been inexplicable, and his departure just as sudden. It was as if he had come only to place the method of achieving the Dao in their hands.
"Elder brother, I think there's a trick to this. The method must have a flaw. It would be safer to rely on our own insights into the laws of the Dao."
Tai Yi longed for power, but he trusted the cultivation he had gained step by step through his own efforts more.
Di Jun didn't reply. His mind was immersed in the method of achieving the Dao through destiny. If he continued cultivating step by step, he might never surpass Tai Yi. As the elder brother, he would always have to be protected by his younger brother.
Yet this method had shown him a glimmer of possibility. The idea to establish the Demon Clan had been his in the first place. He had only meant to gather a force and obtain more cultivation resources, but after seeing this method, he was even more determined to expand the Demon Clan.
As for any flaws, once he achieved Hunyuan Grand Unity, they would all disappear.
Seeing his elder brother's absorbed expression, Tai Yi knew he wanted to cultivate this method.
He wanted to persuade his brother, but when he met that resolute gaze, he swallowed his words. Everyone had their own reasons for seeking power. Besides, he had seen no obvious flaws in the method of achieving the Dao.
"Elder brother, have you decided to cultivate this method?"
Tai Yi asked Di Jun.
Di Jun nodded.
"Tai Yi, I have a feeling that something major is about to happen in the Primordial World. If we want to achieve Hunyuan Grand Unity, we can only seek victory in the midst of danger."
Di Jun knew that tribulations arose in the Primordial World. Every brewing tribulation brought danger, but also opportunity. During the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation, the Dragon and Phoenix Clans had nearly been wiped out, and in the end, they had barely helped Hongjun and Rahu become Hunyuan beings.
Even if he knew that the method of achieving the Dao through destiny had some flaw, it was still better than hiding in fear through the great tribulation and missing out on the position of Hunyuan.