The battle in the sky raged on!
Their fight was truly spectacular. Their moves, magical power, and divine abilities were exactly alike.
It was as if each of them were fighting themselves!
One wielded golden-red Vermilion Bird Sacred Fire, while the other wielded black Vermilion Bird Demonic Flame. The two flames clashed again and again in the sky.
There was little that was flashy about their battle. It was all about the ultimate laws, the ultimate Great Dao, and the ultimate magical power.
They used the Vermilion Bird's flames to unleash all kinds of techniques—simple and effective.
The only difference between them was that Vermilion Bird could draw on Heavenly Dao Power through her Positional Authority. For a time, Shen Ni was driven back again and again.
But Shen Ni suddenly unleashed a stream of gray energy. It countered Vermilion Bird's Heavenly Dao Power, and the two were once again evenly matched.
Donghua and the others grew more and more alarmed as they watched. Divine abilities that could alter one's appearance were nothing unusual in the Primordial Wilderness. Everyone present knew such techniques.
But to copy another's Great Dao as well, and reproduce it with such perfect accuracy—not only had they never seen anything like it, they had never even heard of it. This was no longer a divine ability. It was the Dao itself.
The battle continued to escalate. The Volcano of Immortality, which had finally settled down, began to tremble once more. Faintly, they heard a clear, ringing cry of a phoenix.
Nuwa said, "We can't let them keep fighting here. This space can't withstand a clash between two Peak Quasi-Saints. If this continues, all our efforts will have been for nothing."
Fuxi said anxiously, "Our strength is far beneath hers, and her methods are unfathomable. If we recklessly join the fight, something may go wrong."
Tongtian stared at the sky and said gravely, "That gray energy is World-Destroying Power."
"World-Destroying Power?"
Tongtian nodded gravely. "I once heard Master speak of World-Destroying Power. It stands opposed to Heavenly Dao Power, and it is terrifying. I am Pangu; when the heavens were opened, I witnessed this World-Destroying Power."
The Three Pure Ones had been formed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit, so it was not wrong for them to call themselves Pangu. The Primordial World's Innate Deities could also call themselves Pangu. Pangu was not a person—Pangu was the Dao, and the Dao was everywhere.
Donghua used his abilities to seal off the area, then had his Primordial Spirit create a separate space. He sent his voice to the others: "Her transformation technique is unfathomable. We should attack from a distance and avoid direct contact. We need only support Vermilion Bird from here. What do you think?"
"Agreed!"
Donghua said, "We'll use this formation to set up the Four Symbols Great Array and trap her. Fellow Daoist Tongtian carries the Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda. At the crucial moment, he can use it to seal her again."
Fuxi praised him. "Fellow Daoist Tai Wei is brilliant. The Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda bears the Mysterious Yellow aura of Creation, making it the perfect counter to this beast's World-Destroying Power."
Once they had settled on a plan, they quickly took their positions and waited for their chance.
The battle in the sky continued to rage. As time passed, Vermilion Bird grew more and more agitated.
If they kept fighting, this world would surely shatter. By then, they would have no way to explain themselves.
Vermilion Bird took human form and wielded a long spear. Drawing on Heavenly Dao Power, she sent streaks of white light straight at Shen Ni.
Shen Ni's attacks were exactly the same as Vermilion Bird's. World-Destroying Power formed a spear, and the two clashed.
Boom!
After that strike, they retreated in opposite directions. The volcanic world began to shake, and the phantom of Yuanfeng's true form appeared, once again forcing the volcanic world back into stability.
"Now!"
Donghua shouted and empowered himself with the laws of Pure Yang.
Taizhen and the others followed at once. The forces of the sun and moon, Lesser Yang and Lesser Yin, converged, forming an enormous Tai Chi Yin Yang Diagram.
The diagram swept across the sky and wrapped around Shen Ni as he retreated.
Tongtian channeled Shangqing's magical power. The Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda rapidly grew, carrying boundless Mysterious Yellow energy as it descended onto the Tai Chi Yin Yang Diagram.
They struck all at once, unleashing their techniques in an instant. Shen Ni had no time to react before she was completely trapped.
"You brats dare attack me? You're asking to die!"
Shen Ni was furious. World-Destroying Power gathered in his hand and roared outward, but the Mysterious Yellow energy of Creation released by the Exquisite Pagoda stopped it.
World-Destroying Power and the Mysterious Yellow energy of Creation collided violently.
One opened, the other closed—each the ultimate in its own way.
Donghua paid no heed to the clash and quickly called out, "Tighten the formation! Seal her in!"
They tightened the formation again and again, until it became a square space.
Vermilion Bird seized the perfect opportunity. She put away her spear, gathered Heavenly Dao Power, and brought the Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda and the Tai Chi Yin Yang Diagram together, sealing Shen Ni inside the pagoda.
Then she formed a series of hand seals and sealed him completely.
Vermilion Bird landed and bowed deeply. "My fellow Daoists, Vermilion Bird thanks you."
"Think nothing of it. She is a Fierce Beast, so it is only right that we, as Innate Deities, step in."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Vermilion Bird said:
"Fellow Daoist Tongtian, I need to borrow the Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda to send her somewhere. I'll return it as soon as this is over, and I'll make sure you're rewarded."
Tongtian agreed. Though the Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda belonged to his eldest brother, they couldn't very well let Shen Ni out again.
They left the volcanic world beneath the earth.
Back aboveground, they bade Yuanfeng farewell. Vermilion Bird carried the Exquisite Pagoda and flew away.
As soon as they left the Volcano of Immortality, the world stirred. A vast measure of Heavenly Dao Mysterious Yellow Merit descended and split into six shares, granting each of them a portion.
They had come to face their tribulation, resolved the trouble at the Volcano of Immortality, and sealed away Shen Ni's lingering remnant. The Heavenly Dao had sensed their deeds and naturally bestowed merit.
As for Luohu's clone, that didn't count as a meritorious deed. Even if they killed Luohu himself ten times, the Heavenly Dao would not grant them merit.
Heavenly Dao merit rewarded those who made great contributions to the Primordial World and the Heavenly Dao.
It did not reward you simply for doing good deeds, nor did it punish you for doing bad ones. The only condition was that those bad deeds must not harm the world. The Heavenly Dao did not concern itself with the wrongs people did to one another, nor could it do anything about them.
In the Heavenly Dao's eyes, all beings were alike; none were good or evil. It was both emotionless and compassionate.
It was emotionless toward living beings, yet compassionate toward the Primordial World.
If one day the Heavenly Dao began judging the good and evil of living beings by its own standards, it would become a sentient Heavenly Dao.
The story that unfolded then would probably no longer be about the Primordial Wilderness, but about the grand and tumultuous God Tomb.
Donghua took the Heavenly Dao Mysterious Yellow Merit and absorbed it directly. His cultivation and comprehension of the Great Dao were already sufficient, so he could break through by absorbing it.
Taizhen and Fuxi also absorbed their Mysterious Yellow Merit directly. Nuwa and Tongtian, however, had already reached the Mid Quasi-Saint stage. They did not absorb their merit, instead collecting it in their spirit treasures.
They left the Volcano of Immortality and went to the Phoenix Clan's territory to cultivate in seclusion.
Donghua drew out the merit granted by the Heavenly Dao and converted it into pure Pure Yang magical power, circulating it through his body.
The Purple Mansion Immortal Path centered on the Purple Mansion and derived a world from it. It could be divided into three cultivation methods, corresponding to the Primordial Spirit, body, and magical power.
The Primordial Spirit method was the Purple Mansion Pure Yang Primordial Spirit: an immaculate Primordial Spirit and the orthodox method of cultivating an Immortal Dao Primordial Spirit.
The method for refining magical power was the Purple Mansion Qi Cultivation Method, also known as the Purple Mansion World. Its 108 celestial cycles represented the Purple Mansion's One Hundred and Eight Heavens. The heavens evolved into a world—the Purple Mansion World—whose magical power was inexhaustible.
The body-cultivation method was the Pure Yang Profound Technique. Donghua had created it while cultivating the Divine Dao. Later, when the Divine and Immortal Daos merged, he drew on the Pure Yang Great Dao to forge the Pure Yang True Body.
The original Donghua had focused on cultivating his Primordial Spirit and magical power, paying little attention to his physical body. He was hardly alone in this; nearly all those who cultivated the Immortal Dao thought the same way.
Daoist Zhunti of the Western Region, however, had created the Golden Body Cultivation Method and spread it far and wide. He was an exception.
Donghua couldn't help but marvel at what an unparalleled genius his original self had been. If he had never taken part in the struggle for supremacy over the Primordial Wilderness and had simply kept cultivating, he might truly have reached the Hun Yuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.
Hongjun's foresight had been extraordinary. He had appointed Donghua Head of Male Immortals in his Immortal Dao. But he had not expected Donghua to become so arrogant and set his sights on dominion over the Primordial Wilderness.
Fortune and misfortune did not come unbidden; people brought them upon themselves. Hongjun's decision had instead brought ruin upon Donghua. Being Head of Male Immortals had brought him nothing but death, with no benefit at all.
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