In Hundun, the long ages were the cheapest thing of all.
Thousands of Chaos Eras passed in the blink of an eye.
The gray-black Qi of the Tribulation had already spread across all of Hundun.
The moment of the Creation of Heaven drew ever closer.
Shichen had not been idle, either.
Over those thousands of eras, he had crossed Hundun's most perilous regions, gathering countless rare primordial metals and treasures of origin.
Pangu and Yang Mei had joined him. Together, the three had repeatedly tempered the materials with the fire of their origins, until at last they forged three replicas.
The Pseudo-Pangu Axe, the Pseudo-Creation Jade Butterfly, and the Pseudo-Chaos Green Lotus.
Though inferior to the genuine treasures, they had reached the level of Chaos Spirit Treasures. They would be enough to share the backlash from the Creation of Heaven.
Pangu hefted the Pseudo-Pangu Axe and gave it a casual swing, then nodded in satisfaction.
"Feels pretty good."
Yang Mei glanced at him. "That's for your Dao body, not for you to play with."
"I know, I know." Pangu chuckled and put the axe away.
Meanwhile, at the very center of Hundun, a colossal structure was rising.
Led by the Order Demon God, 2,997 Demon Gods had worked together for nearly a hundred Chaos Eras, finally completing the Hall of Gods.
The Divine Hall spanned quadrillions of light-years, with three thousand palaces arranged in orderly rows.
Each palace towered hundreds of millions of feet high, its carved beams and painted rafters resplendent in gold and jade.
Rare treasures of Hundun filled them inside and out. Star sand paved the floors, Chaos jade formed the walls, and crystals of time set into the domes shed a gentle glow.
Every palace had identical dimensions, materials, and formations, with not the slightest difference in treatment. This spared the Demon Gods any resentment over rank.
At the very center of the three thousand palaces stood an even grander Main Hall.
It rose somewhat higher than the others and was built entirely of Chaos gold. Above its roof floated a huge crystal of time, turning slowly and casting cyan light across the entire Hall of Gods.
That was Shichen's palace.
In that moment, his standing as the First Demon God could not have been clearer.
Before the Hall of Gods' main entrance stood a stone stele a million feet tall. Three ancient characters were carved upon it: Hall of Gods.
The Order Demon God stood beneath the gate, gazing up at those words. An uncharacteristic flush rose to her usually stern, rigid face.
Her Dao was order.
Hundun had once been loose and ungoverned, with every Demon God acting alone. So many ranked above her that her Dao had been unable to advance an inch.
Now the Hall of Gods stood, and its first rules had taken shape. She could almost see a road of order slowly unfolding beneath her feet.
"Order."
A gentle woman's voice came from behind her.
The Creation Demon God approached at an unhurried pace, dressed in white as pure as snow, a faint aura of life surrounding her. She gazed at the magnificent Divine Hall, admiration filling her eyes.
"Your Dao can finally flourish."
The Order Demon God turned. Seeing the Creation Demon God, she gave a rare smile. "Sister Creation."
Her expression was usually severe, and she seldom smiled before others. But now she could not contain her joy.
"Yes." She looked toward the depths of the palace complex, excitement trembling in her voice.
"At last, I can see hope for my Dao. Shichen said that after the Creation of Heaven, my Dao of Order could go even further in the new world."
Creation nodded softly, though uncertainty lingered in her eyes.
"I envy you. Will there be a path for my Dao of Creation in that new world?"
She raised her head and looked into the depths of Hundun, a trace of anticipation in her eyes. "I really am looking forward to it."
"Oh! Sister Order, Sister Creation! So this is where you were!"
A bright female voice drew closer. The World Demon God came skipping over, her skirts fluttering. At the sight of the palaces stretching into the distance, her eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands.
"Wow! It's magnificent! I want to see my palace!"
She turned and rushed inside, failing to notice the figure coming toward her.
Thud.
The World Demon God stumbled back two steps, clutching her forehead. She looked up into an expressionless face.
The newcomer wore a black robe and had a cold, forbidding air. A faint aura of destruction curled around him. It was the Destruction Demon God, ranked seventh.
"Little brat, don't block the way."
The Destruction Demon God frowned slightly, his voice cold as ice.
"You're the one who wasn't watching where you were going!" The World Demon God puffed out her cheeks. "Stone face!"
The Destruction Demon God gave her a look of open disdain.
"Finished refining your Dao body? All you do is wander around. Move. You're in my way."
With that, he strode past her without slowing for an instant.
"You!!!"
The World Demon God's cheeks reddened with anger. She stamped her foot, but there was nothing she could do about him.
"There, there. Don't be angry."
The Creation Demon God came over and offered her a gleaming white fruit with a smile. "Have a Creation Divine Fruit. It'll help you cool off."
The World Demon God took the fruit and bit off a large mouthful, muttering indistinctly:
"I hope he never has any friends! May he be lonely his whole life!"
Creation laughed and ruffled her hair. "Come on. The Tribulation is near. We should go back and refine our Dao bodies. Keep slacking off, and Shichen might beat you when he gets back."
At the mention of Shichen, the World Demon God immediately wilted.
She pouted and cast one last reluctant glance at the Hall of Gods, then obediently followed Creation and Order away.
Several hundred more Chaos Eras passed.
The Qi of the Tribulation in Hundun grew denser still.
Every Demon God had refined their Dao body to its peak. Each remained within their own Domain of Dao, holding their breath as they waited.
Then, one day—
Humm!!
Ten thousand Daos rang out together.
High above Hundun, the Eye of the Great Dao slowly opened.
Its indifferent gaze swept across all of Hundun before settling on Pangu's Domain of Dao.
A vast, incomparable voice rang clearly in the ears of every Demon God:
"Pangu."
"Create heaven."
As those four words fell, all of Hundun went suddenly still.
Then every Demon God opened their eyes at once.
Shichen stood atop the Time Domain, his cyan robe snapping in the wind. A sharp light flashed in his eyes.
It's here.
The Creation of Heaven has finally begun.
Before you continue