Surging Calamity Aura

Four Ancestral Witches held back the Demon Race's three Demon Emperors. Zhurong, who had been blasted away by the Chaos Bell, returned to the battlefield with a face full of defiance.

Zhurong had intended to seek out Eastern Emperor Taiyi again, but Ru Shou stopped him. "Zhurong, Second Brother and Little Sister can handle Eastern Emperor Taiyi. We should deal with those Demon Sages instead—the Great Witches of our clan cannot stand against them."

Though unwilling, Zhurong understood the priorities and joined Ru Shou in fighting the Demon Race's Demon Sages.

After Nine Infants and Ghost Chariot were casually sent flying by Xuanming, they no longer dared interfere in the battle between Xuanming and Fuxi. The two instead joined the other Demon Sages in slaughtering the Witch Clan.

Yet they soon discovered that the Demon Race army, which had previously swept all before it, was actually no match in combat strength for the far less numerous Witch Clan army.

Their ten Demon Sages were utterly suppressed by six Ancestral Witches. They could only struggle to fend off the Ancestral Witches' attacks, let alone counterattack; one moment of carelessness could leave them severely wounded.

Tian Wu, the Wind Ancestral Witch and the fastest among the Ancestral Witches, faced Kunpeng. This was likely the only place on the entire battlefield where an Ancestral Witch had fallen into a disadvantage.

Though Tian Wu was swift, he still fell somewhat short compared to Kunpeng.

Shebi Shi had no need to deal with either Demon Emperors or Demon Sages. He moved alone through the Demon Race's battle formations, effortlessly slaughtering swath after swath of demons.

Watching from the side, Bai Jing thought, For now, it seems that only Dijun, Taiyi, Fuxi, and Kunpeng among the Demon Race can contend with an Ancestral Witch alone.

Even the ten Demon Sages can only be beaten down by the Ancestral Witches. Unless at least two of them join forces, defeating an Ancestral Witch is out of the question—they cannot even hold one back.

And there is still Shebi Shi, whom no one can handle. Together with the Great Witches, the Demon Race's defeat is already set in stone.

The toll of a bell interrupted Bai Jing's thoughts. He turned to look toward the battlefield where Eastern Emperor Taiyi fought Zhu Jiuyin and Houtu.

Besieged by two Ancestral Witches a full realm above him, Eastern Emperor Taiyi had already taken more than a dozen punches despite the Chaos Bell protecting him. He looked utterly wretched.

After Houtu sent him flying with a punch, Taiyi's face showed unwillingness, but he knew he was no match for the two working together.

He tossed the Chaos Bell into the sky and poured all his power into it, temporarily forcing the two Ancestral Witches back. Then he suspended the Chaos Bell above his head and shouted, "Freeze!"

The Chaos Bell immediately shone with brilliant light. In an instant, heaven and earth lost their color, and the cosmos trembled.

Zhu Jiuyin and Houtu immediately felt the power of laws around them becoming increasingly difficult to wield.

"Second Brother, it seems Eastern Emperor Taiyi's Chaos Bell has fixed earth, wind, water, and fire in place, completely suppressing the power of laws," Houtu said.

"What is he trying to do? He cultivates the power of laws too. If we cannot use the power of laws, then wouldn't he be unable to—" Before Zhu Jiuyin finished speaking, he saw the Chaos Bell cover Eastern Emperor Taiyi.

Houtu had not expected Eastern Emperor Taiyi to choose to hide beneath the Chaos Bell.

Was Eastern Emperor Taiyi not supposed to be immensely proud?

Yet Zhu Jiuyin became excited at the sight. "Little Sister, he's already cowered into this state. Quickly, let's press our advantage!"

Houtu nodded. Relying on the might of their physical bodies, they surrounded Eastern Emperor Taiyi and hammered at him.

Eastern Emperor Taiyi knew he was no match for them and could only hide beneath the Chaos Bell, relying on it to block Zhu Jiuyin and Houtu's attacks.

Though Ancestral Witches possessed formidable physical bodies, they could not easily break through the defense of the innate supreme treasure, the Chaos Bell. For a time, they could do nothing to him.

Although Eastern Emperor Taiyi could only passively endure the beating, he had truly tied down two Ancestral Witches at the late stage of the Primordial Golden Immortal realm. Otherwise, the Demon Race would likely have been routed long ago.

While the top experts of the two races fought, the lower and middle-tier forces below had long since descended into a chaotic melee.

At first, the Demon Race army held the advantage in numbers and nearly drowned the Witch Clan beneath their masses. But the Witch Clan had been born for battle, and in individual strength, they far surpassed the Demon Race.

A single Witch Clan warrior could handle more than a dozen Demon Race soldiers of the same realm.

Moreover, with Shebi Shi and the Great Witches charging through the Demon Race's formations, the Demon Race, despite their numerical advantage, was slaughtered into a retreat again and again.

The great battle continued for more than a decade. Not only did countless low-level cultivators at the Earth Immortal and Heavenly Immortal realms die, even quite a few Golden Immortals and Taiyi cultivators perished.

The Mount Buzhou of today had long lost the appearance of the immortal paradise it once was.

Countless members of the Witch and Demon Races fell every moment. The foot of Mount Buzhou had long been carpeted in blood, and even Bai Jing was alarmed by the blood aura soaring into the heavens!

"In merely a dozen years, the calamity aura here has grown several hundredfold. Fellow Daoist Bai Jing, will you not intervene?" Nuwa's voice sounded beside Bai Jing.

"Why does Fellow Daoist Nuwa not intervene?" Bai Jing asked in return.

"If I possessed your ability to purify all things, I would have acted long ago."

Bai Jing smiled but said nothing.

Seeing that Bai Jing remained unmoved, Nuwa grew somewhat anxious. "Fellow Daoist Bai Jing, I possess Primordial Purple Qi, and you are the transformed form of the Twelfth-Grade Pure World White Lotus. This calamity aura cannot affect either of us.

"But can you not see it? The great calamity aura on this Witch-Demon battlefield had been increasing rapidly ever since the battle was about to begin. Now, after merely a dozen short years, its density is already not far from what it was when the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin races fought their final battle during the Dragon-Han Great Calamity.

"If this continues, the two races may very well grow increasingly frenzied under the calamity aura's influence, until they both emerge battered and broken like the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin races. They may even devastate the land of the Primordial World.

"Setting aside the calamity aura, the Witch Clan indeed holds the advantage now, but nearly thirty percent of their members have already been killed or injured. From what I know of Xuanming, even if the Witch Clan wins, she would not wish to see so many of her clansmen fall.

"Moreover, more than half of the millet the Witch Clan spent over two yuanhui cultivating has been destroyed because of this war. Can you truly bear to watch the Witch Clan's efforts of so many years go up in smoke?"

Bai Jing was somewhat shaken by her words. He had not wished to stop this war because the Witch Clan held a considerable advantage. If the fighting continued, the Witch Clan would certainly win.

But Nuwa was right as well. Under the influence of the calamity aura, it was inevitable that the two races might do something extreme.

Thinking this, Bai Jing looked deeply at Nuwa. "Fellow Daoist Nuwa, I alone cannot stop this battle. Besides, intervening at this time would entangle me in immense karma."

"I know. Rest assured, Fellow Daoist, I will bear the karma of this matter myself. It will not affect you. You need only use the Great Dao of Purification to temporarily purify the minds of those from both races affected by the calamity aura. Leave the rest to me. If you are willing to act, I will owe you a favor."

Bai Jing looked deeply at Nuwa once more. He truly could not understand why Nuwa wished to act now and take upon herself the karma of the world.

But since Nuwa had already said so much, Bai Jing could not easily refuse. He gave a sound of agreement, transforming into a streak of escaping light and flying into the sky. Then Bai Jing returned to his true form as the Twelfth-Grade Pure World White Lotus, and soft white light, accompanied by the Great Dao of Purification, spread across the entire battlefield.

Other than the area frozen by the Chaos Bell, where the power of laws could not reach, everyone from both races on the battlefield felt their desire for slaughter rapidly fading. Those below the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm felt their spiritual platforms become utterly clear.