After breaking through to the late stage of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm, East King Duke left Mount Fang Island once more.
It had been over ten thousand years since the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Tribes had formally established themselves after making a Heavenly Dao Oath. As they expanded in every direction, the cultivators of the Three Tribes had committed countless atrocities, yet they remained completely unaware that Karmic Sin clung to them.
The Three Tribes' fate was tragic, but they were also a case of people being pitiful because of their own hateful deeds.
It was not only the four seas. Calamity Qi had grown extremely dense across the Primordial Continent as well. Under its influence, any living being caught in the tribulation who lacked a protective treasure would be affected and become bloodthirsty. Those with weak souls might even lose their minds.
However, most of those affected by Calamity Qi were Primordial World creatures who had yet to attain the Dao. For a Great Supernatural Being like East King Duke, who had already attained the Dao, it had no effect at all.
Given how dense the Calamity Qi had become, the war between the Three Tribes would likely erupt soon. East King Duke knew that the Demon Tribe was manipulating events behind the scenes. Even the Three Pure Ones and other Innate Divine Demons were lying low, but he had left his sanctuary. Though he knew full well that Luohu's cultivation was so profound that he was no match for him, he had still decided to enter the tribulation alone.
He planned to travel to the western part of the Primordial Continent and make preparations for what was to come.
At the border between the eastern and western parts of the Primordial Continent, a streak of light flashed by. A lotus formed from a cluster of purple, clear qi touched down and transformed into a True Immortal with an extraordinary bearing. It was East King Duke, who had come from the East Sea.
With a sweep of his sleeve, the lotus of Daoist magic around him vanished. After reaching the late stage of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm, he had comprehended the Supreme Yang Lotus Escape Technique from the Supreme Yang Dao Scripture. It could carry him millions of miles in an instant, making it ideal for travel.
He had now reached the vicinity of the Western Continent, but he could no longer use such a conspicuous escape technique. He had come to investigate in secret and make some arrangements; he had no desire to face Luohu directly. The Demon Ancestor's destined opponent was not him, but the one at Mount Yujing.
At this time, the boundary between east and west was not as distinct as it would be in later ages. Both were part of the Primordial Continent, with beautiful scenery and abundant Innate Spiritual Qi. It was only after the great battle to come that the Western Continent's Earth Veins would be damaged and its Spiritual Qi depleted, leaving its cultivation environment far inferior to that of the east. It would take several Yuan Hui to recover.
As a result, in the era of the Saints, the two in the west nearly failed to become Saints because their foundations were too weak. In the end, they made Great Grand Vows and borrowed their Saint Positions from the Heavenly Dao in advance.
Once he entered the western part of the Primordial Continent, East King Duke found that, though the Innate Spiritual Qi was not much different, the Calamity Qi was considerably denser. He understood why. The Demon Tribe's cultivators were naturally bloodthirsty, and they had instigated the war between the Three Tribes, so this state of affairs was only to be expected.
When he reached a certain place, East King Duke descended from the clouds and spread out his Spiritual Sense to investigate the course of the Earth Veins.
Aside from probing the Demon Tribe's strength, his most important task was to map out the Western Continent's Earth Veins and protect them. When the Dao Demon War began, he hoped to preserve as much of the western spiritual land as possible.
The great war to come would damage the Earth Veins, and all who took part would inevitably incur Karma and Karmic Sin. By protecting the veins, he hoped to reduce his own Karmic Sin, and his efforts would also benefit the Primordial World. He ought to earn some Heavenly Dao Merit for it.
One day, at the foot of an immortal mountain, East King Duke was setting up a Supreme Yang Array to protect the Earth Vein. His Spiritual Sense detected a group of several Demon Tribe cultivators approaching from afar. He considered the matter, but did not evade them. Instead, he sat cross-legged where he was.
They only noticed him when they had drawn within a hundred miles, then flew straight toward him.
"Who are you, and what are you doing in Demon Tribe territory?"
There were eight Demon Tribe cultivators, none of them highly skilled. Even their leader was only a Mysterious Immortal, yet all wore vicious expressions and were wreathed in Malevolent Qi.
East King Duke watched them with interest. Before he could speak, the Demon Tribe cultivators drew their spiritual treasures and charged at him.
Just as expected of the Demon Tribe: they were quick to kill. But in East King Duke's eyes, cultivators of such a level were no more than ants. He remained motionless and gave a soft shout.
Purple qi shot forth, pinning the Demon Tribe cultivators in place. With Supreme Yang Refinement, the entire group was refined into drifting ash in the blink of an eye.
Suddenly, several wisps of Merit Qi descended. East King Duke was surprised. He knew that the Demon Tribe had committed many atrocities and was disliked by the Heavenly Dao, but he had not expected that killing even minor demons like these would bring him merit, however little.
It was better than nothing, so he accepted the merit.
Demon Tribe cultivators tempered their bodies with Malevolent Qi, making them physically powerful. At the same level, they were considerably stronger than cultivators of the Daoist Sect. East King Duke pondered for a moment, then continued the work he had yet to finish.
For a hundred years, East King Duke flew through the western lands on his cloud, sometimes using his Spiritual Sense to examine the spiritual veins, sometimes descending to make arrangements. During this journey, he established nine hundred Supreme Yang Arrays. They had no power to kill or ability to conceal; he had comprehended them from his cultivation method, and their sole purpose was to protect the spiritual veins.
Nine hundred arrays were a mere drop in the ocean across the vast western lands of the Primordial World. But for the living beings there, they were already a great act of merit.
Besides setting up the arrays, East King Duke had refined and slain many Demon Tribe cultivators along the way during those hundred years. Daoist cultivators did not incur Karma by killing demons, so he had nothing to worry about.
He had protected several million miles of spiritual veins, which was the limit of what he could manage at the late stage of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm. He no longer wished to linger in the west and planned to return to await the outbreak of war. But before he had gone far, his soul suddenly issued a warning.
A wave of dread seized him, and he immediately brought out the Twelve-grade Yin-Yang Dao Lotus.
The moment the Yin-Yang Two Qi rose, black light flashed, and a sword came from the west.
The sword's momentum was like a rainbow, its Malevolent Qi soaring to the heavens. East King Duke had never witnessed such overwhelming power since his birth.
His expression turned gravely solemn. He channeled Supreme Yang Power to activate the Dao Lotus and drove the Yin-Yang Two Qi to its utmost.
Boom!
The mountain shook with a thunderous crash. Light flickered across the Dao Lotus as East King Duke darted back a hundred miles, only then dispelling the sword's overwhelming force.
"A mere Great Luo Golden Immortal has taken my sword without a scratch. Youngster, who are you?"
After a cold voice rang out, ripples spread through the space before him. Then space itself split open, and a figure clad in black robes, standing atop an Ink-colored Treasure Map and wreathed in demonic qi, emerged from the void.
Seeing his appearance and bearing, East King Duke suddenly thought of someone. His expression changed drastically.
"Luohu!"
"You know my name?"
Luohu was greatly surprised. He had not expected this junior to be formidable in battle and well-informed as well.
"Since you know my name, why not surrender and accept your death?"
Luohu spoke calmly, yet his aura was so overwhelming that it seemed he could control life and death.
East King Duke was utterly aghast. Though his combat strength was extraordinary, he knew perfectly well that he was no match for a mighty figure like Luohu, a Late Quasi-Saint. Yet, somewhere deep within, he sensed that his chance of survival had not vanished.
As he pondered, inspiration struck, and the words escaped his lips.
"No, you haven't transcended the Great Luo realm. You aren't Luohu himself—you're merely a spiritual-sense clone!"
"Youngster, you do have some insight."
Luohu replied calmly, then spoke sharply.
"Even if I am merely a clone, do you think you can escape me?"
"Only one way to find out."
East King Duke's Battle Intent surged. He reached out, and the Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Pure Yang Sword, appeared in his hand.
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