The Lingxiao Court Assembly

Chapter 4: Lingxiao Palace Court Assembly

The light had just spilled over the edge of the sea of clouds when Taiyi stepped onto the cloud path that led to the heavens.

Beneath his feet was the spiritual mist that had simmered for ten thousand years; each step pressed down, sending shallow ripples spreading outward, like treading on water. The fabric of his dark imperial robe was heavy—woven from Northern Darkness cold-silk silkworm threads mixed with Sun Star gold threads, exorbitantly expensive and unbearably heavy. Wearing it felt like being sheathed in a suit of armor. The hem of the robe swept across the jade stone path, producing an extremely faint rustling sound. He had heard this sound for over ten thousand years, yet today it felt strangely unfamiliar.

Shang Yang followed half a step behind him to the right, abnormally quiet.

This demon sage, famed for her omens, was usually not one for many words, yet she would always offer a few sentences at the opportune moment. Today, however, was different. From the moment they left the Sun Palace until now, she had not uttered a single sound. The flowing light of her blue-green feathered robe was even dimmer than usual, and her gaze kept drifting toward the back of Taiyi's neck, as if searching for something invisible to the naked eye.

"Your Majesty."

Shang Yang finally spoke, her voice low, nearly scattered by the morning wind.

Taiyi did not stop walking. He grunted in acknowledgment from his throat, indicating he was listening.

"Lord Bai Ze submitted the Star Chart last night," she said slowly, leaving gaps between her words, making one's heart tighten. "In the northern border region, near the edge of the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, three auxiliary stars have been dim for three full days now."

The mist on either side of the cloud path was slowly dispersing, revealing the layered outlines of palaces and towers below. Those halls, with white jade foundations and glazed roofs, floated in the sea of clouds. Under the morning light, they shone so brightly it was dazzling. In the distance, a crane carrying jade slips flew past, the mist stirred up by its wings swirling slowly before dissipating after a long while.

Taiyi did not respond.

He searched through his mind—not flipping through Lin Yuan's pitifully meager memories, but through the family assets Eastern Emperor Taiyi had accumulated over countless kalpas. Information about this kind of report from Shang Yang, about the northern border, about those inconspicuous auxiliary stars near the edge of the Purple Forbidden Enclosure. The fragments of memory surged up, still carrying warmth: yes, Shang Yang never came to ask for advice; she simply laid the matter out clearly and then waited for a definitive word from above.

There had been a similar instance three thousand years ago.

Back then, the Star Dipper Grand Formation had just been completed. He and Di Jun stood side by side on the peak of Buzhou Mountain, the mountain wind making their robes flap loudly. Below, three hundred and sixty-five Star Dipper Banners rolled and unfurled in the night, the formation patterns slicing the night sky into segments, each star blazing with terrifying brightness.

Di Jun pointed at the stars filling the sky and said, "With this formation, the Heavenly Court can finally be defended."

What had he replied back then?

Oh, he said: "Defend? What I want is to make those brutes of the Witch Race never dare to look up at the sky again."

Thinking about it now, it was arrogance without bounds.

But that arrogance hadn't come from nowhere—it was the foundation of having taken form after enduring ten thousand years within the Sun Star, the confidence from when the Chaos Bell acknowledged its master and shook half the void to collapse, and even more so, the capital earned by fighting alongside Di Jun from being two Golden Crows all the way to establishing the Heavenly Court, wading through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. This wasn't acting; this was something carved into the bone. Even if the core had been swapped, the shell still remembered how to be arrogant.

"Tell Bai Ze," Taiyi said, his voice flat as a stagnant pool, "send Fei Lian. The Wind Division under his command has fast legs. If something really happens in the north, they can be there in half a day."

"Understood."

Shang Yang's reply was crisp, not a single extra question, as if she had long expected this answer.

The cloud path came to an end.

The view suddenly opened up before him—though "suddenly" wasn't quite right. Taiyi had walked this Lingxiao Palace no fewer than ten thousand times; he could find the third scale on the ninth coiled-dragon pillar with his eyes closed. But today was different. Today, he, "Lin Yuan," was making his first formal appearance in the shell of "Taiyi."

He had to act well.

He recited this silently in his mind, yet not a single ripple of emotion showed on his face.

Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine jade steps grew out of the sea of clouds, each one carved with Dao patterns, dizzying to look at for too long. On either side of the steps stood thirty-six coiled-dragon pillars. What coiled around the pillars were not carvings, but true dragon souls. Those ancient dragons were trapped here to guard the gate, usually keeping their eyes closed, pretending to sleep. Only when someone passed by would they lazily crack open a slit and look at you with the gaze of one sizing up a corpse.

Taiyi stepped onto the first step.

Thirty-six pairs of dragon eyes opened simultaneously.

Their golden, vertical pupils were like knives tempered in fire, scraping over his entire body from the tips of his hair to the soles of his feet, inch by inch. The oppressive pressure was heavy; if it were some other Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, they would probably be kneeling by now. But Taiyi just furrowed his brow slightly—not pretending, but genuinely a bit annoyed. This inspection had to be endured every single day. The original owner had probably long gotten used to it, but his newly swapped core was still sensitive. Being stared at like this made him feel uncomfortable all over.

The dragon eyes closed again, without a sound.

He continued walking upward. The jade steps were wide, enough for ten people to walk side by side, but aside from the Heavenly Emperor and the Eastern Emperor, no one else had the right to walk in the middle. His dark robe dragged behind him, making a thin scraping sound against the steps, a monotonous noise that could lull one to sleep. The higher he went, the heavier the air became—not a physical weight, but Dao resonance, so thick it was almost tangible. Breathing it in felt heavy, as if it wanted to nail him to these steps.

Halfway up, Shang Yang stopped.

That was an invisible line. The demon sage stopped here. Further up was a platform that only the two brothers could ascend.

Taiyi did not look back. He walked the remaining steps alone. When his foot landed on the final step, the full view of Lingxiao Palace finally crashed into his eyes—actually, "crash" wasn't the right word. He should have been used to the sight, but still, he was momentarily stunned. A crude phrase popped into his mind: this hall... was absurdly huge.

From the outside, though majestic, it was nowhere near as outrageous as the inside. Space had been forcibly stretched by the laws. The dome was a projection of a real starry sky. Three hundred and sixty-five main stars slowly revolved according to the trajectory of the Star Dipper Grand Formation. Starlight spilled down, casting flickering patches of light and shadow on the floor. Beneath his feet was a single, whole piece of Chaos Jade Marrow. When he stepped on it, a ring of light would bloom under his sole, like stepping into a pond, the ripples spreading far and wide.

The hall was already full of people.

On the left was the martial general sequence. Ji Meng's dragon head was very conspicuous among the crowd. Beside him, Ying Zhao's tiger stripes were faintly visible. Fei Lian stood straight with his wings folded. Jiu Ying only revealed three of his nine heads today—this was a court assembly; rules had to be followed. These great demons were all wrapped in a thick, choking aura of blood and slaughter, accumulated from fighting all the way from the Dragon-Han Tribulation to the standoff between the Witch Race and the Demon Race. The smell of rust could be detected from far away.

On the right was the civil official line. Bai Ze led them, holding a jade slip, his moon-white robe spotless, not even a single crease. Behind him were Kui Niu, in charge of heavenly law; the Golden Toad, overseeing the treasury; and the Black Tortoise, managing resource allocation. They all looked refined, but calculation lurked in their eyes, a calculation sharper than blades.

And at the deepest part of the hall, upon a nine-tiered high platform—

Di Jun sat there.

His dark-gold imperial robe, his twelve-strand crown, the hanging jade beads covering half his face. But Taiyi still saw clearly. He saw the exhaustion that his elder brother couldn't quite hide, and beneath that exhaustion, a trace of barely perceptible worry.

Their gazes met in the air for an instant.

Di Jun gave an extremely slight nod, a movement so small it was almost invisible.

Taiyi walked straight toward the seat on the left side of the high platform—that was the Eastern Emperor's seat, one rank lower than the Heavenly Emperor, yet one rank higher than everyone below. He flicked his sleeves and sat down, the movement fluid and natural. Behind him, the phantom of the Chaos Bell flashed and vanished, accompanied by a single, clear clang. The lingering sound rolled between the hall's beams and pillars for half a circuit before slowly fading away.

"The court assembly begins—"

Xihe's voice rang out from beside Di Jun, clear and crisp, like a mountain spring flowing over jade, bringing a moment of stillness to one's heart.

The hundreds of figures in the hall bowed in unison: "Greetings to the Heavenly Emperor, greetings to the Eastern Emperor."

The sound waves crashed against the Chaos Jade Marrow floor and rebounded, buzzing and humming, making one's eardrums tingle.

"Rise." Di Jun spoke. His voice, amplified by the hall's formation, sounded distant and heavy, as if transmitted from the Ninth Heaven. "What is on the agenda today? Bai Ze, you report."

Bai Ze stepped forward, the jade slip slowly unfurling in his hands.

"Reporting to the Heavenly Emperor, three matters have arisen recently." He spoke as always, unhurried, each word enunciated clearly, as if afraid someone might miss it. "First, the auxiliary star of the Purple Forbidden Enclosure in the northern border has dimmed, suspected to be Witch Race turbid qi seeping into the foundations of the Star Dipper Grand Formation. Your subject recommends reinforcing the garrison."

Di Jun tapped his fingers on the armrest, the sound cutting through the silent hall with stark clarity: "Approved. Fei Lian, your Wind Division will handle it."

Fei Lian, standing below, bowed to accept the order, the outline of his wings tensing beneath his robes for an instant—a man of few words but swift actions, not a single syllable wasted. He accepted the command and retreated back into the ranks without so much as lifting an eyelid.

"Second matter." Bai Ze continued, "A secret realm has appeared at the edge of the Eastern Sea, bearing traces left by the Qilin Race during the Dragon-Han Tribulation. It is shrouded in an Innate Restriction, which has already wounded seven demon generals sent to scout. Whether to assault it directly or seek another method awaits the Heavenly Emperor's decision."

A stir rippled through the hall.

A Qilin Race secret realm—those four words were enough to ignite ambition in many hearts. Within could lie Xiantian Spirit Treasures, ancient inheritances, or at the very least, some heavenly materials and earthly treasures. With the Heavenly Court's resources growing tighter by the day and allocations for each division repeatedly slashed, everyone wanted a bite of this meat.

But an Innate Restriction was no joke. A direct assault? How many lives would have to be fed into it? Every one present was an old fox who had lived through countless kalpas—they all knew how to tally that account.

Several demon generals exchanged glances. Ji Meng took half a step forward, as if about to speak, but Di Jun had already opened his mouth: "This matter is postponed. An Innate Restriction must not be trifled with. Bai Ze, draft a proper plan and bring it up at the next court session."

"Yes." Bai Ze bowed and continued to the third matter, "The last one, and the most urgent today—West Kunlun has sent a missive. The Queen Mother of the West will host a Peach Banquet a century from now, inviting all great powers of the Great Wilderness. The invitation arrived at South Heaven Gate three days ago. We seek instruction on what protocol to follow in response and whom to send."

This time, the stir could not be suppressed.

The Peach Banquet!

The Queen Mother of the West, West Kunlun, the Innate Spiritual Root Peach Tree—three thousand years to bloom, three thousand to bear fruit, another three thousand to ripen. Eating one could extend lifespan and boost cultivation, but the occasion itself was even more critical: a gathering where all forces of the Great Wilderness showed their faces, formed alliances, exchanged intelligence. Every previous Peach Banquet, the Heavenly Emperor had attended in person, leading the finest ceremonial guard, a spectacle that could dazzle the eyes.

But this time...

"Your Majesty!" Ji Meng suddenly stepped out of the ranks, his dragon head held high, his voice like thunder, shaking dust from the beams above, "Your subject believes that this time, you must not go!"

"Oh?" Di Jun's tone did not change, but the temperature in the hall dropped a few degrees.

"The Witch Race's recent movements are off." Ji Meng spoke urgently, his dragon whiskers trembling, "The Houtu Tribe is massing troops in the southwest, a dark sea of them, at least a hundred thousand witch warriors; the Gonggong Tribe prowls daily around Buzhou Mountain, already clashing three times with our patrols; the Gou Mang Tribe even reached the Eastern Sea three days ago and fought with our Sea Patrol Yakshas—Your subject suspects they are plotting something major! If Your Majesty leaves the Heavenly Court at this time, what if..."

"What if what?" Ying Zhao cut him off, tiger eyes wide, tiger stripes faintly glowing on his back, "If His Majesty does not go, won't the entire Great Wilderness think we fear the Witch Race? Where will the Queen Mother of the West's face be? Who will respect the Heavenly Court after this?"

"Is face more important than life?!"

"How can we rule the Great Wilderness by cowering?!"

They were at each other's throats.

The military officials mostly sided with Ji Meng—men who had fought the Witch Race to the bone saw traps everywhere, wishing the Heavenly Emperor would sit tight in the Heavenly Court and never leave. The civil officials leaned toward Ying Zhao, thinking of the Heavenly Court's prestige, diplomatic dignity, and those intricate, winding rules.

The two sides argued fiercely, spittle nearly flying into each other's faces.

Di Jun said nothing.

His gaze swept over the quarreling ministers below, his face expressionless, before finally landing on Taiyi and pausing.

"Taiyi." Di Jun spoke, his voice not loud, yet it silenced the entire hall instantly, "What do you think?"

Shua—

All eyes converged on him.

Those gazes carried curiosity, expectation, calculation, and a love for watching the drama unfold. Taiyi could feel those stares piercing him like needles, but not a ripple showed on his face. He even leisurely adjusted his sleeve.

Then he slowly raised his eyes.

Now.

He stood, the hem of his dark imperial robe stirring without wind. Behind him, the phantom of the Chaos Bell solidified a fraction, emitting a low hum like a war drum from ancient times. He did not answer immediately but descended the Jade Steps, step by step, steady and slow, until he reached the very center of the hall and stopped.

His foot pressed down on the Chaos Jade Marrow, ripples of light spreading outward like a stone dropped into water.

"The Peach Banquet? West Kunlun?" Taiyi spoke, his voice not loud, yet it crushed all other noise, every word terrifyingly clear. He paused, then suddenly laughed—a laugh devoid of any warmth, carrying only a near-cruel mockery that sent chills down spines, "Brother, honored ministers, have you all forgotten something of utmost importance?"

Bai Ze's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

Di Jun leaned slightly forward in his seat, the jade beads on his crown clinking softly.

Taiyi turned, facing the dark mass of people below. His gaze scraped across faces both familiar and unfamiliar, like a knife scraping scales off a fish, before finally lifting to Di Jun above, his eyes sharp as a freshly honed blade.

"We established the Heavenly Court, unified the stars of the week, set the laws of heaven and the decrees of the stars—" Taiyi's voice began to rise, carrying a pent-up rancor that had been suppressed too long and was finally about to explode, burning so hot it hurt the eardrums, "Not to go to some Peach Banquet and clink cups with a bunch of so-called 'great powers' hiding in their caves, cultivating longevity and scraping by!"

"Eastern Emperor Your Majesty!" a civil minister cried out, his face turning white.

Taiyi ignored him, as if he hadn't heard, and pressed on, his tone growing more urgent, more aggressive: "The Witch Race? What are they? A bunch of savages who only train their bodies, not their Primordial Spirits, who don't recognize the Heavenly Dao or the Great Dao! Their brains are good for nothing but fighting, like beasts in the mountains! So what if they mass troops? So what if they probe?"

He suddenly flung his sleeve, and the phantom of the Chaos Bell behind him shook violently!

Dong—

The bell's sound exploded, so loud it seemed ready to tear off the roof, shaking even the star projections on the dome, a few stars nearly falling from their tracks.

"If they want war, then war it is!" Taiyi's voice was like iron tempered in fire, each word hammering into the ears of the demon officials, making their hearts tremble, "Pass my order: activate the Star Dipper Grand Formation fully, raise all the All-Heaven Star Banners, have all three hundred and sixty-five Demon Gods take their positions at the formation eyes! Within ten days, I want the heads of at least three Witch Race tribal chieftains hanging from South Heaven Gate! I want everyone who passes by to see clearly what happens when you oppose the Demon Race!"

Dead silence.

Absolute dead silence.

Even the most war-hungry Ji Meng stared wide-eyed, his mouth hanging open as if he'd forgotten how to close it. The way he looked at Taiyi was like looking at a madman—this wasn't advocating war, this was total war, leaving no retreat, no room for mercy! It was dragging both the Heavenly Court and the Witch Race into a sea of blood to see who drowned first!

"Taiyi!" Di Jun shot up from his throne, the jade beads on his crown clattering wildly in a cascade of sharp sounds. The weariness on his face was gone, replaced by shock and fury, "Do you know what you're saying?!"

"Of course I do." Taiyi looked up at his brother, the arrogance on his face not slackening a bit, even growing stronger, two flames burning in his eyes, "Brother, we've endured long enough. So long that the Witch Race truly thinks the Demon Race is easy to bully, so long that the entire Great Wilderness has forgotten—this world was born to be ruled by our Demon Race! The Sun Star gave birth to us, the stars of the week guard us—why should we bow to those savages?!"

He turned back, facing the assembled ministers, and spoke each word like a nail driven into wood:

"From today onward, the Heavenly Court enters war readiness. All resources go to military stockpiles, all Demon Gods halt their secluded cultivation, all tribes assemble and await orders. I don't just want to repel the Witch Race—"

Taiyi paused, took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently, then let out the words that made everyone's scalp tingle and spines chill:

"What I want is to carve the Demon Race's heavenly laws into every inch of soil, every stone, every river of this Great Wilderness! I want future beings, when they think of this world, to remember not Pangu splitting the heavens, nor the Dao Ancestor transmitting the Dao, but the glorious era of the Demon Race ruling the Great Wilderness!"

[Ding—]

The system's prompt rang in his mind, and amidst the reverberation, there was a hint of... satisfaction? Like a teacher seeing a student finally solve a problem correctly.

[Detected host making a speech at Lingxiao Palace (one of the cores of Heavenly Dao order) that completely defies the "Balanced Heavenly Dao," successfully roleplaying as "Arrogant Eastern Emperor"]

[Sign-in behavior judgment: Extremely dangerous (openly disrupting the Wu-Demon balance under the Heavenly Dao's nose, provoking the predetermined script)]

[Defiance degree judgment: Extremely high (directly challenging the "calm before the Calamity" phase in the Heavenly Dao's script, attempting to trigger conflict early)]

[Comprehensive reward tier: Forbidden A]

[Now absorbing extant forbidden origins of the Great Wilderness... Locking target: Chaos Demon God's Blood of Ferocity (originally belonging to the "Ferocity Demon God," slain by Pangu during the Great Calamity of Creation, its essence scattered across the Great Wilderness; this drop suppressed deep beneath Lingxiao Palace's foundation, sealed by Heavenly Dao order)]

[Extracting...]

Taiyi suddenly felt a tremor beneath his feet.

Not a real tremor—something deeper. Laws quivered, space shook, as if some ancient beast that had slept for countless eons was turning over underground. At the very bottom of the palace foundation, the seal that had been crushed by Heavenly Dao order cracked open.

"This is..." Bai Ze was the first to sense something wrong. The jade slip in his hand clattered to the ground, and he didn't even bother to pick it up.

Then, all Demon Race cultivators above the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm felt it.

A pure, extreme "ferocity."

Not Sha Qi, not killing intent—something more primordial. The mode of existence belonging to a Chaos Demon God. It was violent, manic, chaotic, filled with nothing but the urge to destroy everything in sight, yet wrapped within it was the most primal, savage power of the Chaos Era—so ancient it made one's heart crawl.

A strand of dark red blood seeped up from the Chaos Jade Marble floor.

It moved like a living thing, writhing and twisting, evading the residual sealing patterns of Heavenly Dao order. The golden Dao patterns tried to block it, but it easily corroded and pierced through them. The blood strand gathered toward Taiyi, leaving scorched black marks on the jade surface, hissing and emitting green smoke—even the innate material of Chaos Jade Marble couldn't withstand its corrosion.

"A Chaos Demon God's aura!" a Demon General blurted out, instinctively stepping back half a pace.

Di Jun had already stepped down from the high platform in a flash, leaving only an afterimage, blocking Taiyi. With a flick of his sleeve, he set up three layers of golden light barriers: "Fall back! You can't touch that—"

Before he finished.

The blood strand suddenly accelerated, shooting up like a venomous snake, bypassing Di Jun's barriers, slipping past his outstretched hand, tracing a bizarre arc through the air, and then—plunging straight into Taiyi's brow!

"Urgh—!"

Taiyi grunted, dropping to one knee, hands bracing against the ground, his knuckles white from gripping.

Pain.

Indescribable pain.

Not physical—it was the tearing sensation of having another form of existence forcibly crammed into his soul. The remnant will of the Demon God in that drop of ferocious blood was like a red-hot branding iron, searing into his Primordial Spirit, madly battering his consciousness, trying to reshape this body into a suitable shell. Countless chaotic, violent, destruction-driven thoughts flooded his mind, dragging him toward the abyss of madness.

His vision turned blood-red.

His ears were filled with the roar of the Chaos Demon God—a hatred that spanned the Great Calamity of Creation, a loathing for Pangu, for the Heavenly Dao, for all order—a venom that even billions of years of annihilation couldn't erode. Those voices overlapped, shrieking, cursing, trying to drag him into eternal chaos.

But amidst the chaos, the system's voice remained clear, unnervingly calm:

[Suppressing Demon God's remnant will... consuming 0.01% of forbidden origin... suppression complete.]

[Beginning refinement of Ferocious Blood... fusion progress 1%... 2%... 3%...]

Taiyi braced himself on the ground, panting heavily, veins bulging on his forehead, sweat pouring down like rain, leaving dark spots on the Chaos Jade Marble. He could feel the drop of ferocious blood being forcibly crushed and scattered by a more dominant force, then slowly squeezed into his True Sun Fire origin.

The violent Chaos aura and the supreme, blazing True Sun Fire collided like oil and water in a pot, tearing at each other, devouring, neither yielding. But the system's power forcibly pressed them together, grinding, stirring, and finally... fused them into one.

A new power was born.

A bizarre, contradictory force—yet so powerful it made one's heart tremble. It had both the purifying, blazing majesty of True Sun Fire and the violent, chaotic destructiveness of a Chaos Demon God. These two forces, which should have been irreconcilable, now eerily merged, like a vortex woven from light and darkness.

[Fusion complete.]

[Acquired: Chaos Sun Fire (Nascent Form)]

[Traits: Additional destructive power against order-type laws; can ignite and burn abstract existences such as luck, karma, and merit; growth potential: Forbidden-tier.]

[Warning: Host Anomaly Value +15. Current Anomaly Value: 23 (Heavenly Dao Attention Threshold: 100).]

[Special Note: Lingxiao Palace foundation seal damaged. Heavenly Dao has detected the anomaly. It is recommended that the host leave the Heavenly Court core area within three days to avoid direct investigation.]

The pain receded like an ebbing tide.

Taiyi slowly raised his head, sweat still clinging to his lashes, his vision blurry. He blinked a few times before he could see clearly—the entire hall was deathly silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

All the Demon Race—including Di Jun—were staring at him, their expressions a tangled mess. Shock, fear, confusion, worry, calculation... and a deeply hidden, instinctive dread of the Chaos aura that had erupted and then vanished. It was fear of the unknown, wariness of power beyond comprehension.

"Taiyi." Di Jun spoke first, his voice low, as if afraid to stir something. "What was that just now..."

Taiyi pushed himself up from his knees, his legs still weak, but he straightened his back and didn't let himself sway. The new power inside him was still surging, like a just-awakened beast rampaging through his meridians, making him want to roar to the heavens, to burn away all order, rules, and constraints before him. But he held it back—held it down with all his might, his nails digging into his palms, leaving deep marks.

The system's warning still rang in his ears. Now was not the time to let loose.

"It's nothing." Taiyi waved a hand, his voice still a bit hoarse, as if smoked. "A minor mishap in my cultivation stirred up some old wounds. I've suppressed it."

No one believed that.

Cultivation could draw out the aura of a Chaos Demon God? Could stir the seal beneath Lingxiao Palace's foundations? Could make even Bai Ze, that old monster who had seen it all, change color?

But no one dared to press further.

Because at this moment, Taiyi—though his face was still a bit pale, his aura still unsteady—those eyes, deep in those golden pupils, seemed to have dark red flames flickering, faint and cold. Stare too long and even one's Primordial Spirit would feel hot, as if about to catch fire from those flames.

"The morning court continues." Taiyi turned and ascended the Jade Steps, sitting back on the Eastern Emperor's Throne, his tone as calm as if nothing had happened. He even smoothed out his slightly rumpled sleeves. "What I said just now was not an angry outburst. The Peach Banquet—brother, don't go. As for the Witch Race, no need to wait for them to strike first."

He swept his gaze across the hall. Wherever his eyes landed, the demons and monsters bowed their heads: "Anyone else have something to say?"

Silence.

Even Bai Ze shut his mouth, only giving Taiyi a long, deep look. That look held inquiry, worry, and also... the focused attention of a historian witnessing an anomaly, as if silently recording a note in his mind.

Di Jun looked at his younger brother, looked for a long time—so long that the sun outside the hall had climbed higher, light leaking through the dome's gaps, casting long patches of brightness on the ground. He finally nodded slowly, his movements somewhat stiff: "...As you say. Ji Meng, pass the order to all divisions: effective immediately, enter combat readiness. But—"

He paused, his tone hardening, each word enunciated clearly: "Without my command, no one is to cross the Buzhou Mountain Defense Line. Taiyi, you must promise me this."

Taiyi met his elder brother's gaze.

In Di Jun's eyes, he saw too many things—the worry of an older brother for his younger, that helpless "what are you up to now" feeling; the Heavenly Emperor's caution toward the situation, that "one wrong step and the whole game is lost" anxiety; and a trace of barely perceptible exhaustion, the fatigue of carrying the entire Demon Race forward, almost unable to bear the load any longer.

This contradiction was precisely Di Jun's most genuine side.

"...Fine." Taiyi finally nodded, saying no more.

The morning court continued in a strange atmosphere.

The subsequent agenda items became utterly bland—with Taiyi's words hanging in the air and that aura of chaos lingering behind, matters of resource allocation, secret realm exploration, and personnel appointments all seemed irrelevant. The demons' minds had already drifted to the impending great war, to the eerie power emanating from His Majesty the Eastern Emperor, and to that wild declaration about "carving heavenly laws into every inch of the Great Wilderness."

Half an hour later, the court finally adjourned.

The demons bowed and withdrew, each walking swiftly, as if afraid of being called back if they lingered. Taiyi noticed that Bai Ze gave him another deep look before leaving, a look so complex he couldn't read it at once. Many other civil and military officials also wore peculiar expressions, whispering among themselves as they departed.

Soon, only the two brothers remained in the hall.

Di Jun descended from the high platform, his steps heavy. He waved his hand to set up a soundproof barrier—a golden light screen rose, separating the inside and outside into two worlds. Then he walked up to Taiyi, stared into his brother's eyes, and after a long moment, spoke: "No outsiders now. Tell me the truth—what exactly happened just now?"

Taiyi had long expected this question.

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he raised his right hand, palm up, and moved his mind. A wisp of flame rose from his palm. The core of the fire was pure gold, blazing and brilliant—the true nature of the Sun True Fire. But around the flame coiled a layer of dark red light, a red so deep it looked like congealed blood. The two colors twisted together, interpenetrating, exuding a chillingly eerie aura—sacred yet sinister, orderly yet chaotic.

"I touched something... I shouldn't have." Taiyi spoke half-truthfully, his tone perfectly calibrated—three parts frank, three parts grave, and four parts that stubborn "I know it's dangerous but I'm touching it anyway" attitude. "While cultivating the Chaos Bell, I sensed some remnants from the Chaos Era. Probably lingering demonic thoughts stuck to the bell, too old to have fully dissipated. When my emotions surged just now, my blood and qi roiled, and I accidentally drew out a thread."

Di Jun's brow furrowed even tighter, almost into a knot: "Remnants from the Chaos Era... a Demon God's legacy?"

"Something like that." Taiyi extinguished the flame, the lingering heat in his palm refusing to fade. "This thing is violent, sure, but the power is real. After refining it, my Sun True Fire seems to have... changed flavor."

"Too dangerous." Di Jun shook his head, reaching out to press down on Taiyi's shoulder, his grip heavy. "Those Chaos Demon Gods died countless eons ago, their lingering thoughts filled with nothing but venom and madness—they can't be judged by common sense. If you rush into touching them, you might get your mind devoured. Even I wouldn't be able to save you then."

"I know what I'm doing." Taiyi didn't dodge, letting his brother hold him, even flashing a smile tinged with reckless arrogance. "And besides... brother, don't you think we could use a little 'forbidden' power too?"

Di Jun was taken aback.

"The Heavenly Dao's fixed fate, the Witch-Demon Calamity." Taiyi spoke slowly, each word striking Di Jun's heart, making his eyes flicker. "Everyone says it's destiny, a predetermined ending, a script written when Pangu split the heavens. That's what the one in the Purple Cloud Palace says, what the fortune-tellers of the Great Wilderness say, and even we ourselves... believed it a little, didn't we?"

Di Jun said nothing, but the hand on Taiyi's shoulder trembled slightly.

"But I don't believe it." Taiyi lifted his head, his gaze sharp as a freshly honed blade, fire tempered on its edge. "If it's truly fated that we die, fated that we lose, fated that we yield this world—then I'll use the most forbidden methods, the most improper power, to carve out a path to survival. The Heavenly Dao won't allow it? Then I'll overturn the Heavenly Dao itself!"

When he said this, the arrogance wasn't an act—at least not entirely.

In that moment of speaking, Taiyi suddenly realized clearly—this shell of "Eastern Emperor Taiyi" was truly fusing with the core of "Lin Yuan." That unwillingness, that anger, that rebellious drive against predetermined fate—it could no longer be distinguished as the inertia of Eastern Emperor Taiyi's memories or the heartfelt cry of Lin Yuan, the transmigrator. Perhaps it was both, perhaps it had always been one and the same: to live, to live by any means.

Di Jun was silent for a long time.

So long that the sun outside the hall had climbed to its zenith, its blazing light streaming through the dome's star projections, casting glaring white patches on the ground that stung the eyes. Within the light beams, tiny specks of dust danced slowly, as if time itself.

"Go back." Di Jun finally patted his brother's shoulder, the motion heavy, his voice carrying a weariness he couldn't hide. "Meditate properly. Refine that power completely—don't leave any hidden dangers. In three days... come to my bedchamber. We'll talk in detail."

"Alright."

Taiyi nodded, said no more, and turned to walk out of the hall.

The moment he stepped out of Lingxiao Palace, the noonday sun poured down like a waterfall, unobstructed, forcing him to squint instinctively. The sea of clouds churned and surged beneath his feet; the distant palaces blurred into hazy outlines in the intense light, their glazed roofs reflecting blinding rays that made his vision swim if he looked too long.

[Chapter 4 Sign-in Task Complete]

[Reward Distributed]

[Next Sign-in Location Hint: Three days later, Sun Star Core (Recommended to fully refine the Blood of Wrath before proceeding. Location Danger Level: ★★★★☆)]

[Detected fundamental change in host's power system. Chaos True Fire (Nascent Form) has stabilized. Partial permissions for the "Taboo Points"-based exchange mechanism unlocked.]

[Current Taboo Points: 57 (50 points from this sign-in, 7 points from historical accumulation)]

The system's voice rang in his mind, calm and flat, but the last two lines stirred something in Taiyi's heart.

Exchange mechanism?

As he transformed into a golden rainbow streaking toward the Sun Palace, he tentatively probed in his consciousness: "System, what exactly is this exchange mechanism you mentioned?"

No immediate answer.

Not until he passed through the Sun Palace's protective grand formation and landed before his own bedchamber, carved from a single block of Sun Divine Wood, did the system's voice ring out again. This time, the reverberation seemed to carry a hint of... human-like consideration?

[Based on the host's current cognitive level and permissions, explanation follows:]

[This system is not a device for creating something from nothing. What is called "exchange" is, in reality, using the "Taboo Points" the host has obtained—that is, the "variable permissions" accumulated by defying the Heavenly Dao's fixed fate—as a guide. It mobilizes the "Forbidden Relic law information" and "Chaos Demon God knowledge inheritance" recorded by this system over the long years, combining them with the real energy and matter of the host's environment to perform temporary law reconstruction, knowledge infusion, or item synthesis.]

Taiyi pushed open the heavy wooden door of the bedchamber and stepped into the empty inner room. The hall had no excess furnishings—only a jade couch, an incense burner, and a star chart hanging on the wall: the Celestial Star Circulation Chart drawn personally by Di Jun.

He sat cross-legged on the jade couch, closed his eyes, and looked inward.

[For example,] the system's voice continued, [if the host wishes to exchange for "Witch Blood Powder" (a temporary item to simulate Witch Race aura), the required steps are:]

[1. Host pays Taboo Points (representing the authority to exercise variable power).]

[2. System retrieves the "Great Witch Essence Blood Law Structure" and "Illusionary Herb Property Information" from the database.]

[3. Using the host's own Chaos True Sun Fire as a catalyst, extract Earth Vein Turbid Qi from the current environment (if on the ground) or Tribulation Sha Qi (if on a battlefield) as raw materials.]

[4. Perform a temporary synthesis at the law level, generating a counterfeit item effective for three shichen.]

[Note: This process will consume the Demon God Origin stored in the system (from the host's task rewards) and may leave faint Causal Traces.]

Taiyi opened his eyes, a glimmer of understanding flashing in them.

So that's how it was.

Not some cheat that appeared out of thin air, but a special ability based on real-world laws, with a price, requiring clever application. The system was like a "partner" with a vast repository of forbidden knowledge and a certain degree of authority to interfere with reality, while "Taboo Points" were the "operational quota" he earned.

This actually made him more at ease—he had never believed in pies falling from the sky.

[Currently browsable exchange list (basic authority).]

[Note: Exchanging high-level items requires meeting environmental energy requirements, host cultivation realm requirements, and may trigger greater causal fluctuations.]

A semi-transparent interface unfolded in his consciousness, its style eerie—the background was a deep chaotic color, and the text was twisted dark-gold runes that made one dizzy after looking too long.

Taiyi focused his gaze.

[Law Knowledge Category:]

· Chaotic Divine Script (Basic Ten Characters) - 20 Points: Writing used by Chaos Demon Gods; when inscribed, can slightly disrupt local law order for ten breaths.

· Breath Concealment Art (Chaos Chapter Fragment) - 15 Points: A concealment method based on chaotic aura, offering some shielding against orderly perception.

· Causality Vision (Temporary Activation) - 10 Points/Use: Briefly see the causal threads connecting oneself and surrounding things, lasting thirty breaths.

[Temporary Item Category:]

· Witch Blood Powder (Three Shichen) - 8 Points: Simulates a Great Witch's aura, effective up to Golden Immortal level.

· Illusionary Form Talisman (One Use) - 12 Points: Can alter one's appearance and aura to a level undetectable by early Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals.

· Turbid Qi Pill (Three Pills) - 5 Points: Contains Earth Vein Turbid Qi; temporarily strengthens the physical body after consumption (use with caution by the Demon Race).

[Special Service Category:]

· Heavenly Mystery Disruption (Small Range) - 30 Points: Interferes with heavenly mystery calculations within a hundred li radius, lasting one day.

· Taboo Resonance (One Use) - 25 Points: Greatly enhances resonance with the Chaos Bell, lasting a hundred breaths.

· Crisis Warning (Passive) - Unlocked: When the host is about to encounter fatal danger, the system will provide a basic alert (precision increases with system recovery level).

The list wasn't long, but every item carried the flavor of "unconventional."

Taiyi's gaze lingered on "Causality Vision" and "Heavenly Mystery Disruption." The former would let him see cause and effect more intuitively—a domain in the Great Wilderness only sages could touch; the latter was a good life-saving tool, though expensive.

But he didn't rush to exchange.

The system had made it clear: exchanges consumed the Demon God Origin stored in the system and left Causal Traces. Right now, he was at the core of the Heavenly Court, with Di Jun not far away, and Bai Ze's eyes watching who knew where. Exchanging rashly was too risky.

And besides... he glanced at his pitiful 57 points.

He had to use them sparingly.

"System," Taiyi asked in his mind, "besides checking in, what other ways are there to earn points?"

[Secondary acquisition methods:]

[1. Daily rebellious behavior: Any words or actions by the host that defy Heavenly Dao fate or conventional logic will settle trace points based on the "ripple effect" generated (0.1-5 points, varying).]

[2. Exploration and discovery: When the host discovers and contacts unrecorded "Forbidden Relics" or knowledge, the system will record and reward points (1-50 points, depending on value).]

[3. Interference at major nodes: Substantial interference at major fate nodes such as the Witch-Demon Calamity will yield a large number of points (100 points and above).]

[Note: Point acquisition difficulty will increase as the host's "Anomaly Value" rises.]

Taiyi understood.

This was encouragement to keep courting death, to keep being the variable that stirred up the Great Wilderness script. Points weren't given for free—they were the "operational authority" he earned with his life.

He closed the exchange interface.

Now wasn't the time. In three days, he had to go to the Sun Star's core to check in. That place had a danger rating of four and a half stars; he'd definitely need some preparation. But exchanging items required combining environmental energy—the Sun Star's core had plenty of energy, but it was all pure, extreme yang True Sun Fire. What would be suitable to exchange there?

Taiyi pondered, then suddenly thought of something: "System, if I exchange items at the Sun Star's core, can I use the True Sun Fire there as raw material?"

[Yes. But note:] the system's voice was calm and flat, [True Sun Fire belongs to the orderly side's extreme yang power, which has an essential conflict with the forbidden power of Chaos Demon Gods. Using it directly as raw material may cause the synthesized item to be unstable, with halved effectiveness or greatly shortened duration. It is recommended that the host use his own Chaos True Sun Fire as a medium for harmonization.]

"Understood."

Taiyi nodded, a plan forming in his mind.

Three days. He needed to fully refine the violent blood in his body and stabilize the Chaos True Sun Fire. Then, with that power, he would go to the Sun Star's core—his birthplace, and the place where the Chaos Bell was first nurtured.

He should be able to check in and get something good.

As for the exchange... I'll wait until we get there and see how things stand.

He closed his eyes again and began circulating his cultivation technique.

The Chaos True Sun Fire within him flowed along his meridians, and wherever it passed, the originally pure True Sun Fire essence was tinged with a dark red halo. The two forces were still slowly merging, the process somewhat sluggish, like water and oil that hadn't yet fully emulsified.

But Taiyi could feel that with every cycle completed, the fusion deepened by another fraction.

And as he immersed himself in cultivation, the system's voice gently echoed in the depths of his consciousness, like a murmur to itself, or perhaps like some kind of declaration:

[Host's acceptance of forbidden power: Good]
[Chaos Demon God inheritance compatibility: Increased to 12%]
[System personification progress: 3.1%]
[Distance to full awakening of "Forbidden Essence": Still a long road ahead]
[But the first step has already been taken]

The voice was very soft, quickly dissipating into the rhythm of cultivation.

Taiyi did not hear it.

At this moment, his entire mind was immersed in the fusion of power, in the unknown sign-in three days hence, in the chess game he had laid out for himself, for the Demon Race, and for this gamble to defy fate and change the heavens.

Outside the hall, the sun wheel slowly slanted westward.

The sea of clouds was dyed gold and red, layer upon layer, spreading like overlapping mountain ranges into the distance.

And deep within that sea of clouds, beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, in an unknowable, unfathomable supreme place—

The Heavenly Dao quietly shifted its "gaze."

Though only for an instant.

But some things had already begun to change.