Forcing Back Hongjun

Wuchen streaked forward like a flash of flowing light, instantly taking his stand before the Twelve Ancestral Witches. The Purifying Divine Light around him suddenly surged.

The Purifying Divine Light swept toward Hongjun's great hand seal of laws like a tidal wave.

Wherever the divine light passed, the great hand of laws dissolved inch by inch. That hand seal containing the mighty power of a Saint was scoured away completely in an instant.

Not even a trace of residual law power remained; it vanished into the void.

Wuchen stood with lowered eyes, an air of casual indifference between his brows, yet undisguised contempt surfaced on his face. The mockery in his voice pierced the void like icy blades.

"An exalted Heavenly Dao Saint, yet your vision is so narrow. Relying on your cultivation to bully juniors of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm—Hongjun, you truly have no shame at all."

The power of laws around Hongjun churned, and his formerly placid aura instantly became sharp as a blade.

Those eyes that had seen through ages untold were now so piercing they seemed capable of seeing through chaos itself. His voice traveled through the air, carrying unquestionable majesty and rage.

"Dan Yangzi, do you truly think there is nothing I can do to you?"

Hearing this, Wuchen showed not the slightest fear. Instead, a faint composure and smile filled his face.

His tone was calm yet mocking, every word entering Hongjun's ears with perfect clarity.

"First, I am the Wuchen Exalted Lord. A dignified Heavenly Dao Saint, yet you cannot even see through my false body, and you still dare to boast so shamelessly here."

After a brief pause, he raised his eyes toward Hongjun, the sarcasm in his voice growing even stronger.

"Second, if you have any other capabilities, feel free to use them. There is no need to play mysterious games and put on a show here."

"Especially spiritual treasures—the more, the better. Even if I have no use for them, I can still give them away."

Hongjun finally could not hold himself back. Boundless fury erupted from him, causing even the heavens to change.

Heavy black clouds blanketed the entire Primordial World, pressing down so hard that all living beings within it could scarcely breathe.

"Heh!"

"If he truly had such heaven-reaching ability, he would not have dawdled until we arrived at the battlefield, only to still be unable to do the Exalted Lord the slightest harm."

Di Jiang's words were like needles, viciously stabbing at Hongjun's pride.

"Hehe..."

Hongjun gave an inexplicable low laugh. Yet there was not a shred of warmth in it, only endless humiliation and cold malice.

A dignified Heavenly Dao Saint had been reduced to such a sorry state by a few juniors.

The face he had lost today could not be recovered through a few verbal clashes. That would only make him the laughingstock of all.

"What a Wuchen. What a Witch Clan. We shall see."

Hongjun's smile gradually faded, and the radiant glow of laws around him dimmed somewhat. His sharp gaze remained fixed on Wuchen.

The moment his words fell, his figure abruptly vanished.

Chaos was a state in which concepts such as time and space had yet to be born. Even Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals could only rely on escape arts to travel through chaos.

Thus, though the battle within the Primordial World had already ended, the Three Pure Ones and the others had yet to rush out of chaos.

Before they could react, an irresistible power of laws enveloped them, and they were returned to Purple Cloud Palace.

And not outside Purple Cloud Palace, but within it.

Whether it was the Three Pure Ones, the innate great powers still searching through chaos for Purple Cloud Palace, or even the two forgotten earlier, Jieyin and Zhunti—

All of them were brought by Hongjun into Purple Cloud Palace.

The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti were directly seated upon six prayer mats, skipping the entire struggle for seats.

After experiencing this series of unforeseen changes, Hongjun had lost all patience.

Seeing this, Laozi, Tongtian, and Nuwa's expressions immediately darkened. Yet upon sensing the pressure emanating from Hongjun, they did not dare say anything further.

"Saint..."

"Hmm?"

Jieyin and Zhunti were both utterly bewildered. They had originally wanted to say something, but a cold glance from Hongjun silenced them.

"This sermon shall last three eras. Listen with care."

Hongjun sat upright upon the high platform, dense Heavenly Dao aura winding around him. His voice was cold and detached, devoid of any superfluous emotion.

"Dao!"

Hongjun began with the word "Dao." Every word that followed no longer formed prose, but manifested as laws themselves, like the voice of the Great Dao.

Within Purple Cloud Palace, heavenly flowers rained down while golden lotuses sprang from the earth.

Laozi, Tongtian, and Nuwa instinctively sealed their five senses, refusing to listen to the Dao, yet they could not stop those Dao sounds from entering their minds.

The three of them gradually sank into it.

Hongjun's first sermon was not profound. Beginning from the Heavenly Immortal realm, he gave an analytical explanation of every subsequent realm.

While helping the three thousand guests of the mortal world stabilize their cultivation, he also established the foundation for each realm.

From then on, the Primordial World had distinctions such as Heavenly Immortal, True Immortal, Golden Immortal, and more, breaking free from that barbaric age where superiority was judged solely by magical power and Dao attainment.

And when he spoke of the Great Luo realm, the cultivation of the three thousand guests of the mortal world also began to steadily rise.

Primordial World, Abbot Island.

Having gained the ability to protect himself, Wuchen finally returned to his own Dao field. Di Jiang and the other Twelve Ancestral Witches followed him to Abbot Island as well.

At the center of the island.

With a wave of Wuchen's hand, the power of laws surged. All manner of innate and acquired mineral materials rose from the soil, gradually refined into a majestic palace.

The palace descended.

Three vigorous, forceful characters radiating the divine charm of laws emerged upon the palace plaque.

Wuchen Palace!

Wuchen could not be bothered to spend effort thinking of a name, so he simply named it after his Dao title.

Entering Wuchen Palace.

The palace's dome rose nine hundred zhang high, supported by not a single beam or pillar. The gleaming white jade walls were carved with inscriptions brimming with Dao rhythm.

At the end of the main hall stood a nine-tiered platform, while the entire palace was otherwise empty.

Wuchen took a single step, and his figure appeared atop the platform. A phantom of an azure lotus condensed beneath him, holding him aloft in the air.

Then, with a flick of his sleeve, twelve prayer mats solidified below.

"Please."

Wuchen extended a hand in invitation. After Di Jiang and the others returned the gesture, they took their seats on the twelve prayer mats.

"You must be careful from now on. Hongjun will certainly not spare the Witch Clan, and I cannot deal with him at present.

"However, I can guarantee that he will be unable to act personally."

Though Hongjun could not do anything to Wuchen now, that might not remain the case after he merged with the Dao and gained the authority of the Heavenly Dao.

Wuchen was not confident that he could break through to the level of Dao Master before Hongjun merged with the Dao.

Therefore, Houtu attaining the Dao and the awakening of the Earthly Dao were crucial.

Only when Houtu attained the Dao and awakened the Earthly Dao could they truly contend against Hongjun, the spokesperson of the Heavenly Dao.

Wuchen was helping the Witch Clan now, and when Houtu attained the Dao and the Earthly Dao awakened, it would be the Witch Clan's turn to shield him from wind and rain.

The relationship between both sides was mutual.

Di Jiang cupped his hands and said, "With those words from the Exalted Lord, that is enough. Looking across the entire Primordial World, aside from Hongjun, my Witch Clan fears no one."

Wuchen nodded slightly, agreeing with his words.

With the Twelve Capitals Divine Fiend Formation, the Witch Clan could summon Pangu's Dharma Aspect and indeed feared no one other than Hongjun.

"Next, I shall give you a sermon. I hope you will gain something from it."

Most of the Dao Wuchen had comprehended overlapped with that of the Twelve Ancestral Witches. Helping some among them reach the peak of the Great Luo realm would not be difficult.