Styx Establishes a Sect

Heavenly Dao merit poured into Jieyin and Zhunti's bodies. The Primordial Violet Qi within them was instantly activated, transforming into bridges that connected to the very source of heaven and earth in the primordial world. Complete laws of heaven and earth unfolded before them, allowing them to comprehend them at will.

Moments later, Jieyin and Zhunti's auras suddenly merged with heaven and earth.

"I, Jieyin—" "I, Zhunti—today attain the Dao and become Saints! Let the Heavenly Dao bear witness to our great vows!" The voices of the two Saints, carrying the solemnity of liberation and the weight of responsibility, resounded throughout the west.

Two towering Saint Dharma manifestations were reflected across the skies of the primordial world.

Golden lotuses sprang from the earth, golden flowers rained from the heavens, and purple qi blanketed the sky!

The same scene played out across the primordial world once more.

As if by habit, all living beings bent at the waist beneath the Saints' might, offering their respects and crying out, "Praise be to Saint Jieyin!" "Praise be to Saint Zhunti!"

The twelve-petaled Merit Golden Lotus slowly descended into a lotus pool atop Mount Sumeru. A vast amount of merit fell into the pool, transforming into golden waters of merit that nourished the Merit Golden Lotus.

The Jieyin Treasure Banner and the Seven Treasures Wondrous Tree intertwined their radiance. Once the light of merit receded, the two Daoists stood atop Mount Sumeru, their bodies emanating dense Saintly brilliance. Though they lacked the profound grandeur of the Three Pure Ones opening heaven and earth, they possessed an added measure of compassion and steadfastness earned through immense vows and unyielding perseverance.

Their gazes turned toward Kunlun Mountain, colliding with the gazes of the Three Pure Ones watching from there. Bolts of lightning crackled through the void. Jieyin and Zhunti bowed to the Three Pure Ones. Supreme Pure gave a slight nod, Yuanshi maintained a stern expression without responding, while the Green Duckweed Sword in Tongtian's hand gave a soft tremble.

Before the Supreme Pure Palace, the Three Pure Ones watched the two figures in the west slowly fade away. Laozi calmly swept his gaze over his two junior brothers before slowly speaking. "Since we have established sects and attained the Saintly fruition, we must shoulder the duty of enlightening all living beings!"

Yuanshi and Tongtian, the two Saints, likewise understood that since they had established sects among the myriad spirits and attained the Dao through heaven and earth, they must enlighten the myriad spirits and spread the Dao throughout the primordial world. Only then could they stabilize their Saintly positions. Otherwise, should they break faith with the Heavenly Dao, their Saintly cultivation would find it difficult to advance any further.

Kunlun Mountain, Five Elements Grotto-Heaven.

As the towering Dharma manifestations of the two western Saints reflected in the void slowly dissipated, Yellow Dragon straightened up. Although the might of those two Saints could not affect Kunlun Mountain, much less him, a Saint's disciple, proper respect for Saints was still necessary. Bowing would not cost him a wisp of spiritual qi.

"Come swiftly to the Supreme Pure Palace on Three Purities Peak!"

At that moment, a voice sounded beside Yellow Dragon's ear. It was his master, Yuanshi.

Yellow Dragon answered the void, "Yes!"

After instructing Ziling to look after the spiritual roots and immortal plants within the grotto-heaven, he rode a streak of escape light toward Three Purities Peak.

Among the disciples, Yellow Dragon's grotto-heaven was the farthest from Three Purities Peak. Aside from Xuandu, his cultivation was also the lowest, while Xuandu happened to be the closest to Three Purities Peak. Thus, by the time Yellow Dragon arrived at Three Purities Peak, South Pole Immortal Elder, Duobao, and the others were already seated cross-legged before the Three Pure Ones.

He landed upon the preaching platform of Three Purities Peak, where the Three Pure Ones usually expounded the Dao to their disciples—hence its name, the preaching platform.

He performed a standard ritual of three kneelings and nine kowtows before the seated Three Pure Ones. "This disciple, Yellow Dragon, pays respects to Master, to Eldest Martial Uncle, and to Third Martial Uncle!"

"This disciple arrived late and has kept the three elders and all my senior brothers waiting!"

The Three Pure Ones looked at Yellow Dragon and nodded slightly without saying much. Yuanshi flicked a finger, and a meditation cushion appeared beside Guangchengzi, signaling Yellow Dragon to sit.

Yellow Dragon bowed once more to the three Saints before walking to Guangchengzi's side and sitting cross-legged upon the cushion.

Seeing that all their disciples had arrived, the Three Pure Ones exchanged glances. Supreme Pure slowly spoke. "We summoned you here for three matters!"

"First, we Three Pure Ones have established sects and attained Saintly positions, and so we must follow the path of enlightening others. A thousand years from now, the three of us shall expound the Saintly Great Dao at Kunlun Mountain for all living beings of the primordial world. Any being in the primordial world may come and listen to the Dao!"

Following Supreme Pure's words, Yuanshi said, "Second, after the sermon, our three sects shall establish three trials before Kunlun Mountain. Any who pass them may join one of our three sects and cultivate the Great Dao of the Three Teachings!"

Once Yuanshi finished speaking, the Three Pure Ones acted at once, erecting three passes at Kunlun Mountain's entrance. The first tested an applicant's heart in seeking the Dao; the second tested their blessings and foundations; the last tested their comprehension of the Great Dao.

After Yuanshi finished, Tongtian's voice rang out. "The third matter is that while you are the disciples of us three and have not been lax upon the path of cultivation, you still have shortcomings."

"Today, we shall first expound the Dao for you. May you cultivate diligently, inherit the Great Dao of our Three Teachings, and fulfill the duty of enlightening all living beings!"

Yellow Dragon and the other disciples rose in unison and respectfully bowed to the Three Pure Ones. "This disciple shall heed the teachings of the three elders!"

Supreme Pure looked upon the disciples and lightly swept his whisk. The disciples all sat down together.

The Three Pure Ones exchanged glances and were just about to begin expounding the Dao to their disciples.

"Heavenly Dao above! Let the Blood Sea bear witness!"

A voice brimming with bloody killing intent rang through heaven and earth, as though it had raised waves of blood ten thousand zhang high. Carrying the resolve to slaughter all beings, it entered the ears of every living creature in the primordial world with perfect clarity!

Hearing the murderous voice from the void, Yellow Dragon muttered, "This one again...!"

Yet everyone present—whether the three Saints or South Pole Immortal Elder and the others—possessed cultivation far surpassing Yellow Dragon's. Every word he spoke reached their ears clearly.

The Three Pure Ones, South Pole Immortal Elder, and the others all turned to look at Yellow Dragon. Feeling the pressure abruptly intensify, Yellow Dragon hurriedly rose and cupped his fists toward the Three Pure Ones. "This disciple spoke out of turn. I ask Master, Martial Uncle, and Third Martial Uncle to punish me!"

Yuanshi said, "No matter."

But Tongtian smiled at Yellow Dragon. "Tell your senior brothers and sisters of this fellow Daoist Styx's deeds."

Yellow Dragon could only steel himself and say, "Back when Lady Nuwa created humanity, I was by her side. Styx Ancestor imitated Lady Nuwa's creation of humanity and created the Rakshasa Race. He, too, received an immense amount of merit bestowed by the Heavenly Dao. Yet whether because the merit he obtained was insufficient or because he lacked Primordial Violet Qi, he failed to attain the Dao and become a Saint. Now that he has seen the three elders and those two martial uncles from the west establish sects and become Saints, he thinks he has what it takes again!"

After hearing Yellow Dragon's account, Duobao and the other disciples developed a keen interest in this top-tier innate divine being of the primordial world.

The Three Pure Ones were in no hurry to expound the Dao either. They also wished to see what Styx, without Primordial Violet Qi in hand, could stir up.

Seeing the baffled expressions of disciples such as Duobao below, Tongtian said teasingly, "Do you want to know what happened?"

Yellow Dragon rose and bowed to Tongtian. "May Third Martial Uncle display his divine ability and let us observe Senior Styx's grand occasion of establishing a sect!"

Tongtian smiled and nodded. The Green Duckweed Sword in his hand flew from its sheath, drawing arc after arc through the void and releasing wisps of astonishing Sword Qi. The Sword Qi wove together in the void to form a circle, within which a sea of blood slowly emerged.

A massive figure stood above the Blood Sea!

"I am Styx, Lord of the Blood Sea! I have observed the ceaseless slaughter in the primordial world. The souls of the myriad spirits return to the Blood Sea, their obsessions difficult to dispel and resentments endlessly breeding!"

"Today, above the Blood Sea, I establish a sect, named the 'Asura Sect'!"

As the words "Asura Sect" left his mouth, heaven and earth shook, and the Blood Sea churned!

Bloodwater surged tens of thousands of zhang into the void, forming countless colossal pillars of blood that linked heaven and earth!

"The doctrine of my sect: attain the Dao through slaughter! Gather the karmic sins of the myriad spirits and burn away the cause and effect of all beings! So long as karmic fire remains unextinguished, killing intent shall never die!"

"I use the two innate spirit treasures, Primordial Slaughter and Avici, as treasures to prove the Dao, bearing the Great Dao of slaughter!"