Outside Zixiao Palace.
Di Jun saw this scene and had no intention of stopping it.
"Tsk, tsk. Looks like there's going to be a good show!"
Nuwa watched with interest, while the other Great Powers merely looked on coldly, showing no intention of offering a word of advice.
It seemed they wanted to use this chance to gauge East King Duke's strength and decide where to stand in the future.
East King Duke moved. Even though this was Dao Ancestor Hongjun's dojo, he had no qualms whatsoever.
He had already offended Hongjun long ago, so he didn't care about offending him a little more.
Besides, almost every Great Power in the Primordial World was gathered here. This was the perfect opportunity to display some strength and lay the groundwork for establishing the Immortal Court.
East King Duke, dressed in white as pure as snow, didn't use a Magic Treasure. He simply bared his fair fists and charged at Jiu Ying.
Heavenly Emperor Aura spread through the air. Almost the instant he made his move, Chaos Qi churned, and the Great Dao Laws roared. Even the distant Primordial World could feel the terrifying aura coming from beyond the heavens.
The Great Desolation Beings trembled and instinctively prostrated themselves.
"Hmph. Die!"
Seeing this, Jiu Ying's eyes filled with killing intent. He reverted to his true form, and his nine heads roared. Flames and True Water merged, forming enormous fireballs in its mouths.
A dazzling light erupted from the pitch-black chaos.
"Boom!"
After charging up, its nine heads combined the nine fireballs into one. A fireball radiating a temperature of countless trillions sped toward East King Duke. Chaos Qi fled wildly in its wake, and the void was scorched into a white streak, with sparks left burning along the way.
East King Duke remained unfazed. A purple-gold aura of supremacy appeared around his hand, and he actually intended to catch the scorching fireball with his bare hands.
Under the searing blaze, even chaos shattered. Yet East King Duke's long hair fluttered as he stood perfectly still, as immovable as a boulder.
"I'll help you!"
Seeing what was happening, Ji Meng let out a long shout and charged into the fray.
He wielded a long sword that unleashed dazzling sword energy, like a river of stars pouring down from the heavens. All that met the eye were the Laws of the Sword.
"Pathetic. How dare an ant defy Heaven!"
East King Duke merely sneered.
His magic power surged, and his fist seal shifted.
Heavenly Emperor Fist!
"Bang!"
Great sound has no sound. Chaos fell into utter silence, and fragments of the Great Dao Laws drifted everywhere.
As the crowd stared in shock, an enormous nine-headed corpse lay stretched out across the chaos.
Its body was covered in countless tiny sword marks. Blood streamed from them, soaking its entire form. Every drop could pierce the void and destroy stars.
"Ah!"
A miserable wail rang out. The crowd tore their eyes away from the corpse and looked into the distance.
Only the hilt remained of Ji Meng's Houtian Spiritual Treasure Divine Sword. Half his body had been wrecked, and golden power coiled around him, still preventing him from recovering. He looked utterly wretched.
He continued coughing up blood as he flew toward the crowd, terror written all over his face.
"He took out Jiu Ying and crippled Ji Meng in a single move? They're Great Luo Golden Immortals!"
"He shattered a Houtian Spiritual Treasure with his bare hands. And judging by Ji Meng's condition, his Dao Heart has been tainted. He probably won't be able to advance his cultivation any further for the rest of his life!"
"Am I dreaming? How did East King Duke become so powerful?!"
Only then did Taiyi come to his senses amid the crowd's astonished chatter.
He pulled the Eastern Emperor Bell from his waist and hurled it out.
Then he shouted furiously.
"East King Duke, how dare you kill my Yao God General!"
The bell rang out, and laws cascaded from the Eastern Emperor Bell, as if it carried the entire chaotic world with it as it descended to suppress East King Duke.
"Taiyi, do you think you're the only one with an Innate Supreme Treasure?"
As East King Duke spoke, the Heavenly Emperor Seal appeared, showering him with divine light and shielding him beneath it.
The aura of an Innate Supreme Treasure left the many Great Powers aghast.
"How is this possible? The Innate Supreme Treasure that appeared in the Primordial World is actually in his hands!"
Di Jun's face turned livid. His hand clenched into a fist, veins bulging across it.
The Three Pure Ones and the others also looked wary.
East King Duke had gained overwhelming momentum!
The thought appeared in all their minds at once.
In the chaos.
Just as the Eastern Emperor Bell was about to collide with the Heavenly Emperor Seal, a strange ripple came from within Zixiao Palace. Space and time seemed to freeze, and the Eastern Emperor Bell lost its momentum. It spun in place, as if trying to break free, but to no avail.
Creak!
Everyone turned to look. The gates of Zixiao Palace were slowly opening.
A Golden Boy and a Jade Girl emerged from within.
"By the Old Master's command, the second lecture is about to begin! We invite everyone to enter and listen to the Dao."
At this, Taiyi's face shifted between pale and flushed.
It was obvious that Hongjun Dao Ancestor wanted to mediate the battle between them.
But his side had suffered the loss. If they simply let it go, wouldn't that be a blow to their pride?
"What are you looking at? Didn't you hear the Dao Ancestor's decree? Are you thinking of defying him?"
East King Duke turned to Taiyi and taunted him arrogantly.
Then, without paying anyone else any mind, he swaggered through the crowd and went inside.
The interior of Zixiao Palace was still arranged as it had been before.
Six Cushions stood at the very front of the hall.
They were reserved for the Three Pure Ones and the others. Sitting on them made comprehending the Dao much easier.
East King Duke didn't envy them at all. He simply found a place and sat down.
As more and more Great Powers entered, more and more gazes gathered on him.
Some were jealous, some confused, some ingratiating, and some filled with murderous intent.
"Did I make the wrong choice?"
West Queen Mother watched East King Duke from nearby, asking herself in a daze.
Her situation had once been exactly the same as his.
East King Duke was Heaven's chosen Head of Male Immortals.
She, meanwhile, was Heaven's chosen Chief of Female Immortals.
But East King Duke had risked everything to fight for his own interests, and in the end, he had obtained the Heavenly Emperor Position.
She had her reservations and could only go with the flow.
Though she had hidden it at the time, in her heart she had also believed East King Duke had grown arrogant and would surely be punished sooner or later.
But after today's battle, he had firmly secured his position as Heavenly Emperor.
She, meanwhile, was still guarding her own little patch of land.
Even as Chief of Female Immortals, she didn't dare truly govern the Great Powers of the Primordial World.
Nuwa and Houtu, for example, were Ancient Great Gods.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help taking one more deep look at East King Duke. Then she turned away, but she had already made up her mind.
East King Duke sensed her gaze and glanced at West Queen Mother.
He could guess, more or less, what she was thinking.
If she truly made up her mind, he wouldn't mind giving her a hand.
After all, he would be busy with matters concerning the myriad worlds in the future, and the Immortal Court in the Primordial World would need someone to oversee it.
As the Chief of Female Immortals, West Queen Mother held a position recognized by the Heavenly Dao, so she was also a suitable choice to manage it.
Above the Cloud Platform, Hongjun's figure appeared without warning.
The Great Powers below gradually stopped their discussions and fell silent.
"The time for the second lecture has arrived."
"This lecture will cover the Path of the Quasi-Saint!"
"The Great Dao is formless, profound and mysterious. The Dao of the Three Bodies, ever-changing and without..."
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