Planning

After that battle, the Chaos World remained quiet for a long time.

Of course, "quiet" was relative—if one ignored the Chaos Demon Ape.

Ever since Pangu had split his Dao body apart with one swing of his axe, it was as if a door to a new world had opened for him. Every few days, he would grab his staff and head for Pangu's Domain of Dao.

"Pangu! Come out and fight me!"

"No."

"Just one fight! I'll give you a one-handed advantage!"

"I said no."

"Are you scared?"

"Get lost."

Conversations like this rang through the Chaos World from time to time. The Chaos Demon Ape kept seeking Pangu out for sparring matches.

Pangu found him so irritating that he even moved several times.

As for Pangu himself, he often came to discuss the Dao with Shichen after that battle. Over time, the two grew closer and closer. They truly had become friends through fighting.

Sometimes, when they tired of discussing the Dao, Pangu would drag Shichen to Yang Mei's Domain of Dao to drink his wine. The wine Yang Mei brewed from Chaos Spirit Liquid was unrivaled throughout the Chaos World; even Shichen could not stop praising it.

In Yang Mei's Domain of Dao, beneath the Willow Tree.

"Come on, Shichen, have another cup!"

Pangu raised his enormous wine cup, insisting on clinking it against Shichen's. Shichen smiled helplessly and lifted his own cup to meet it.

Yang Mei leaned against the Willow Tree and watched his two uninvited guests, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.

"You two... are you treating my Domain of Dao like a tavern again?"

"Oh, come on, Brother Yang Mei, don't be so stingy!" Pangu waved a hand carelessly. "The scenery is beautiful here, and the wine is this good. Where else would I go?"

Yang Mei's mouth twitched. "That's wine I brewed myself."

"That's why it tastes so good!" Pangu declared, as though that settled everything. "Your wine is one of a kind in the entire Chaos World!"

Yang Mei drew a deep breath and suppressed the urge to throw both of them out.

Those days went on for a long time.

Long enough for Yang Mei to go from resisting their visits, to helpless resignation, and finally to numb acceptance. He even grew used to the two showing up uninvited every so often to drink and boast beneath his Willow Tree.

Time flew, and tens of thousands of Chaos Eras slipped quietly by.

In the Chaos World, all the Lower Demon Gods had finally come into being.

They numbered over a hundred million.

The once-empty, deathly still Chaos World suddenly became bustling with activity. Laws intertwined and collided, Domains of Dao rose from the ground, and newly born Demon Gods traveled to and fro, filling it with life.

After cultivating for those tens of thousands of eras, Shichen had reached the third heaven of the Chaos Realm.

The Time Dao-Mark Pearl hanging high above the Chaos World shone ever more brilliantly, like an eternal, undying star illuminating the whole of the Chaos World and proclaiming the Dao of Time's dominion.

One day, Shichen, Pangu, and Yang Mei gathered beneath the Willow Tree to drink as usual.

Suddenly—

Boom!!!

The entire Chaos World shook violently without warning!

All three put down their wine cups at once.

Yang Mei's expression turned grave. He closed his eyes, and the Law of Space spread outward, probing into the depths of the Chaos World.

A moment later, he opened his eyes and said in a low voice:

"The Chaos Origin... has degraded."

"Degraded?" Pangu frowned. "What does that mean?"

"The Chaos Origin has degraded into Chaos Spiritual Qi," Yang Mei said heavily. "From now on, no new Origin will be born in the Chaos World."

Shichen set down his cup and gazed into the depths of the Chaos World. He spoke slowly:

"All the Lower Demon Gods have come into being. The Chaos Origin can no longer bear the burden. Its degradation was inevitable."

Yang Mei fell silent for a moment, then suddenly turned to Pangu.

"Another Tribulation is coming."

Pangu stared at him in confusion. "Why are you looking at me?"

Yang Mei did not answer. He only gave him a meaningful look.

Pangu froze, then understood. His expression immediately darkened.

Over all this time, he had pieced together the truth of the Tribulation from what Shichen had told him. According to the Great Dao's plan, he, Pangu, would once again stand at the heart of the next Tribulation.

He was to slay every Demon God, split open the Chaos World with the Dao of Strength, turn his own body into all things, and carry out the Creation of Heaven and Earth.

The more Pangu thought about it, the angrier he became. He slammed a hand on the table, sprang to his feet, and roared:

"I'm not creating any damned heavens! If the Great Dao tries to make me do it, I'll charge into the Land of Great Dao Origin and cleave It to death with one swing of my axe!"

Yang Mei jumped at his words and hurriedly said, "Keep your voice down! The Great Dao can hear you!"

"So what if It hears me? I want It to hear me!"

Pangu stuck out his neck, looking afraid of neither heaven nor earth.

Shichen shook his head helplessly. He stood, patted Pangu on the shoulder, and motioned for him to sit.

"Calm down first."

Pangu sat down with an angry huff, though his face was still full of defiance.

Shichen looked at him, fell silent for a moment, then said slowly, "The Creation of Heaven cannot be stopped."

Pangu's head snapped up. He was about to speak, but Shichen raised a hand to stop him.

"If the heavens are not created, the Chaos World will reset. When that happens, every Demon God will return to nothingness, and everything will begin again."

Pangu opened his mouth to argue, but no words came. He knew Shichen was telling the truth.

"But..." Pangu's voice came out muffled. "I don't want to kill you."

Then, as if something had suddenly occurred to him, he added through gritted teeth:

"Except that damned monkey."

Shichen looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"Who says creating the heavens means every Demon God must die?"

Pangu froze. "What do you mean?"

Shichen did not answer at once. He lifted his cup, took a slow sip, and began to explain the plan he had long been preparing.

They would forge Dao bodies to bear their laws, then join forces to create the heavens. That way, the Demon Gods' true bodies would survive, and the Creation of Heaven could still be completed. Both aims would be fulfilled.

Pangu's eyes grew brighter and brighter as he listened. He slapped his thigh and sprang to his feet.

"Good! That's a good plan! We'll do it! If anyone objects, I'll take the Pangu Axe over for a little visit!"

Yang Mei did not commit himself right away. He frowned and pondered for a long while before speaking slowly. "Will the Great Dao... agree?"

"It had better!" Pangu cut in at once.

"I'll go find It in the Land of Great Dao Origin!"

Yang Mei rolled his eyes. Rather than argue with the brute, he turned straight to Shichen.

Shichen lifted his cup and took a sip before answering calmly:

"All the Great Dao wants is for the Chaos World to endure. It won't care how that happens. I'll go speak with It."

Yang Mei was silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

"In that case, let's summon every Demon God to discuss it."

Shichen set down his cup and stood, his gaze turning toward the depths of the Chaos World.

"Good."

The three figures vanished from beneath the Willow Tree at the same time.