Hongjun's Birth, the Scheme of Dao Bodies

At the edge of Chaos, a white-haired figure stood in the void. The old man's white hair was gathered beneath a Daoist crown, his face lean and refined, three strands of long beard hanging over his chest. His Daoist robes were immaculate and neat.

Yet his eyes were exceptionally bright. As his gaze shifted, they revealed a trace of shrewdness, as though he had been born knowing how to weigh gains against losses and calculate every advantage.

The old man was Hongjun.

Hongjun swept his gaze around, sensing the still-shallow Law of Immortality within his body, and gave a slight nod.

He had been born late. His cultivation was merely at the second level of the Primordial Unity Realm, placing him near the bottom among the Demon Gods. His most urgent task was to carve out a Dao Domain and cultivate in peace.

Just as his fingers were about to form a seal and begin arranging it, a faint aura suddenly descended from above.

Hongjun's heart tightened, and he abruptly looked up.

A figure in azure robes stood in the void with his hands behind his back. Flickering shadows of time flowed around him as he looked down at Hongjun. Hongjun had never seen that face before, yet it was incomparably familiar. Before he had even been born, the Great Dao had engraved the information of every Demon God into his imprint.

The most ancient Demon God, wielder of the Dao of Time—Shichen.

Hongjun did not dare neglect him. He immediately bowed deeply, lowering his stance as much as possible.

"Hongjun greets Dao Venerable Shichen."

Shichen watched him in silence. In the original course of events, Hongjun's true form had been a Nine-Sectioned Cricket. Though he had been grievously wounded in the Heaven-Opening Calamity, he had still narrowly escaped. With his cultivation reduced, he had recultivated in the Primordial World, spread the Dao of Immortality, plotted against all living beings, and become the Dao Ancestor.

Only after a long while did Shichen let out a soft laugh.

"Dao Venerable? This is the first time anyone has called me that. Why?"

Hongjun lowered his head, his tone respectful. "You are the foremost Demon God of Chaos, standing at the pinnacle of the Dao of Time and the most ancient among all Demon Gods. Calling you Dao Venerable is only fitting."

His words were neither servile nor overbearing. They flattered Shichen while also making him seem prudent enough to read the winds.

Shichen laughed inwardly. As expected of the Dao Ancestor who would one day scheme against the entire Primordial World—his mind turned quickly.

"May I ask why Dao Venerable has come in person?" Hongjun raised his head and asked cautiously.

"It's nothing important." A mischievous smile curled at Shichen's lips. "I merely came to tell you that Chaos has a tradition."

"A tradition?" Hongjun froze. "What tradition?"

Before his words had even faded, he felt the flow of time around him suddenly stagnate.

His body instantly lost all control, as though he had been nailed into the void. He could not even move a finger. Hongjun's pupils constricted sharply. Just as he was about to activate the Law of Immortality, Shichen raised a hand and casually brought it down.

"Ah—!"

A miserable scream rang out at the edge of Chaos.

A moment later, Shichen withdrew his hand.

Hongjun stood there clutching his face. Half his cheek was swollen, and the corner of his mouth had split open. He dared not voice his anger and could only lower his head, but he firmly committed this newcomer-welcoming tradition to memory.

Just wait. Once Demon Gods who had been born even later appeared, he would make sure to carry this tradition forward in full force.

"Do you understand the tradition now?" Shichen stood with his hands behind his back, his tone calm.

Hongjun hurriedly nodded, his voice slightly muffled. "I understand, I understand. Many thanks to Dao Venerable... for your guidance."

Yet inwardly, he grumbled, So beating someone up counts as guidance? Chaos's traditions are far too barbaric.

At that moment, the void overhead rippled slightly.

A figure appeared out of thin air. Faint phantom musical notes lingered around him, giving him an air of considerable elegance.

When he looked down, he happened to see Hongjun's bruised and battered face. He first froze, then noticed Shichen nearby and immediately understood.

"Shichen, I didn't expect you to personally come and tell the newcomer about the tradition."

The man cupped his hands toward Shichen, his tone carrying a hint of awkwardness.

"Then I shall not disturb you."

After saying that and tossing out those words, his figure flashed and vanished.

From beginning to end, he had not even had time to introduce himself.

Hongjun stood where he was, the corner of his mouth twitching repeatedly.

He recognized the man. He was the Sound Demon God, ranked two thousand nine hundred and ninety-seventh—exactly one rank above him.

Judging by the situation, the other party had most likely heard of his birth and specially rushed over to educate him, only for Shichen to beat him to it.

Hongjun's feelings were a tangled mess. So even if Shichen had not come, he would not have escaped this beating today? This tradition of Chaos was far too deeply ingrained...

"Alright, the idle matter is done. Let's discuss business."

Shichen's expression turned solemn, and the teasing air around him faded.

Hongjun also gathered his thoughts and raised his head to listen seriously. He could tell that a Chaos Realm Demon God like Shichen had made this trip for far more than simply beating him up.

Shichen did not beat around the bush. He briefly explained how the aura of calamity had spread, how the origin of Chaos was declining, how the Great Dao wished to open Heaven and refine everything anew, and how all three thousand Demon Gods would have to return to the Dao and perish.

The more Hongjun listened, the tighter his brows drew together.

He had only just been born and had not even experienced the good days of Chaos, yet he was already facing the fate of death and dissolution? No one could accept that.

He lowered his eyes in thought, unconsciously stroking his beard with his fingers. For a long time, he said nothing.

Shichen did not urge him, merely watching in silence.

He wanted to see what solution this Dao Ancestor, famed for his schemes, could devise.

After a long while, Hongjun raised his head, and his eyes held a little more certainty.

"Dao Venerable, if the decline of the origin is already inevitable, then opening Heaven and refining everything anew is the Great Dao's unavoidable choice. Since opening Heaven cannot be avoided, why... can't we open it another way?"

"Oh? Tell me." Shichen was intrigued.

"What the Great Dao seeks is for the origin to return after Heaven is opened and for the world to evolve. It does not necessarily require every Demon God to perish." Hongjun spoke at an unhurried pace, yet his logic was exceptionally clear. "We can contact all the Demon Gods and have each of them condense a Dao Body. The Dao Bodies can bear our respective laws and join forces to assist Pangu in opening Heaven."

"The backlash from opening Heaven will fall only upon the Dao Bodies. When the Dao Bodies shatter, their laws will merge into the new world. That will both aid the evolution of the Primordial World and leave the Demon Gods' true bodies unharmed.

"In this way, Heaven can be opened, and the Demon Gods can be preserved as well. Killing two birds with one stone."

Shichen silently praised him.

It was indeed exactly the direction he had anticipated. Hongjun had found this path in such a short time—he truly deserved to be called someone adept at laying plans.

"It is a good method." Shichen nodded. "What are the difficulties?"

"There are two." Hongjun raised two fingers. "First, we must persuade every Demon God to condense a Dao Body. The Demon Gods are proud and arrogant; they may not be willing to divide their origins and weaken themselves to do this.

"Second, and most crucially, will the Great Dao acknowledge this method? If the Great Dao insists that the Demon Gods must return to the Dao, then no matter how we plan, it will all be in vain."

"You are right."

Shichen looked at him, and there was a little more appreciation in his eyes.

Not only was Hongjun quick-witted, but he also saw things clearly. Both issues struck directly at the heart of the matter.

After a moment of silence, Shichen slowly spoke.

"I wish to unite Chaos and fight for a new future for the Chaos Demon Gods. Are you willing to walk this path with me?"

Hongjun froze where he stood.

He thought he had heard wrong.

It was not that he lacked ambition, but he knew his place well. Ranked two thousand nine hundred and ninety-eighth, he belonged to the bottom tier among the three thousand Demon Gods.

Under normal circumstances, an existence of Shichen's stature would not even spare him a second glance.

Yet now, Shichen actually wanted to bring him along in planning something so earth-shaking.

Hongjun suddenly came back to himself and immediately bowed deeply, unable to conceal the excitement in his voice.

"I, Hongjun, Immortal Demon God, am willing to follow Dao Venerable Shichen and explore the path ahead together. Even if it means dying ten thousand deaths, I shall not refuse!"

To walk alongside the most ancient Demon God would not only grant him protection, but also allow him to come into contact with a higher level of the Dao. For a Demon God ranked near the bottom like him, this was an opportunity he would not have dared dream of.

Shichen nodded, a smile rising at the corner of his mouth.

He had gained a capable assistant.

And this assistant would one day become the Dao Ancestor of the Primordial World, scheme against the heavens, and preside over the Investiture of the Gods.

With him here, the plan to unite Chaos would proceed far more smoothly.

"Come. Follow me back to the Time Domain first."

"Some matters require long-term deliberation."

Hongjun hurriedly followed, his heart full of anticipation.