Destroy the Witch Clan, Gain Sainthood; Storm Clouds Gather

Wuchen's sermon was not as profound and mysterious as Hongjun's, but it had the advantage of being targeted.

The six laws of time, space, earth, fire, water, and wind corresponded precisely to Di Jiang, Zhu Rong, Houtu, and the other six ancestral witches.

The six of them rapidly deepened their comprehension of the laws.

Though the other six gained less than they did, guided by the power of the rules, they too entered a state of enlightenment and benefited greatly.

No one knew how much time passed before Wuchen stopped preaching.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches were still immersed in enlightenment, but after hearing this sermon, a gap had emerged between their realms.

Di Jiang, Houtu, and the others had already reached the late Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal stage and stood at the brink of a breakthrough.

The other six were only at the middle Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal stage. They might have a chance of breaking through to the late stage, but reaching the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal peak was absolutely impossible.

With nothing better to do, Wuchen began studying the twelve of them.

Di Jiang: a yellow sac for a body, crimson flesh, six legs and four wings, a faceless muddled form, his entire body as red as cinnabar fire.

Ju Mang: green as emerald bamboo, with a bird's body and human face, surrounded by verdant spiritual energy.

Zhu Rong: a beast's head atop a human body, clad in red scales, fire serpents hanging from his ears, blazing flames coiling around him.

Xuanming: a human face and bird's body, green serpents hanging from her ears, ice-blue all over, cold enough to chill the air.

Houtu: a human body with a serpent's tail, seven hands growing from her back and two hands before her chest, dignified and weighty.

Though Wuchen had long since ceased to be human, his memories of humanity had been his earliest enlightenment. Thus, he still retained human aesthetics.

To his eyes, the Twelve Ancestral Witches were uglier than the last.

Xuanming and Houtu were not bad if one looked only at their faces, but below the neck, they were utterly outside Wuchen's aesthetic preferences.

"Buzz!"

The various laws manifested from Di Jiang, Zhu Rong, and the other six. They had officially stepped into the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal peak realm.

They had perfectly mastered the laws they had comprehended.

Just as Di Jiang and the others were still consolidating their realms, Xuanming and the other six successively entered the late Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal stage as well.

However, their remaining momentum had been exhausted. In the short term, it would be difficult for them to find an opportunity to reach the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal peak.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches opened their eyes one after another.

Di Jiang could not wait to cup his hands and ask, "May I ask, Venerable, what realm lies above the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm, and how does one break through?"

Though Wuchen's sermon had not been as detailed as Hongjun's, he had still mentioned the name Zenith Heaven.

Thus, Di Jiang and the others now knew that their realm was called the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm, and they also understood the essentials of this realm.

Wuchen said calmly, "Laws are the foundation of rules, while rules stand above laws.

"Whether it is the Primordial Golden Immortal realm of the Chaos era, my Dao Venerable realm, or Hongjun's quasi-sage realm, the methods of cultivation may differ, yet all roads lead to the same destination.

"Once you begin to comprehend higher rules, you will have surpassed Zenith Heaven. As for what it is called, that depends entirely on one's path of cultivation.

"The Chaos Primordial Way emphasizes proving the Dao through force, using the power of laws to forcibly glimpse the Chaos Origin and attain the Primordial Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. Hence the name Primordial Golden Immortal.

"Hongjun slays the three corpses of goodness, evil, and obsession, drawing closer to the Heavenly Dao. In the end, his Primordial Spirit is entrusted to the Heavenly Dao, allowing him to attain the Sage fruit. Hence the name quasi-sage.

"My Dao Venerable realm takes laws as its foundation, linking heaven and earth to nurture rules from within. The rules are me, and I am the rules. That is the master of the Dao."

The Twelve Ancestral Witches immediately understood.

Whether it was the Primordial Way, the Way of Slaying the Three Corpses, or Wuchen's way of nurturing the Dao, each possessed its own profound mysteries.

Only two roads lay before them.

Either they chose one and cultivated it, or, like Wuchen and Hongjun, they created a Dao of their own and walked a path of their own.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches rose to their feet and bowed together toward Wuchen.

"Many thanks for the Venerable's guidance!"

Wuchen waved his sleeve and lifted them up. "The great tide is about to rise. You must return and make preparations early."

"We shall take our leave!"

Di Jiang and the others knew his words were true, so they did not linger. After bowing once more, they departed Abbot Island together and returned to the depths of the Blood Sea.

Not long after Wuchen's sermon ended, Hongjun's sermon at the Purple Cloud Palace also came to an end.

After a series of changes, Hongjun no longer appointed a leader of the male immortals or female immortals. A cold glint flickered in his gaze as he looked toward a certain place among the three thousand guests.

"The Witch Clan does not understand the heavenly order and is an aberration of the Primordial World.

"Whoever destroys the Witch Clan may obtain an opportunity for sainthood, become the Heavenly Emperor, and rule over all living beings of the Primordial World.

"The Purple Cloud Palace shall open again after three epochs."

Hongjun's figure vanished from the high platform, yet the three thousand guests below remained unable to recover from their shock for a long time.

Whoever destroyed the Witch Clan could obtain an opportunity for sainthood?

Though Hongjun had suffered some setbacks at Wuchen's hands, it did not diminish the weight of a Sage in the hearts of the three thousand guests in the slightest.

Wuchen merely relied on the advantage of a supreme treasure. How could he be mentioned in the same breath as a Sage?

Now that an opportunity for sainthood lay before them, how could they not be tempted?

Dijun stood up, his gaze sweeping across everyone present.

"Fellow Daoists, we intend to unite all living beings of the Primordial World and establish the Demon Court to fight the Witch Clan together. Are you willing to join my Demon Court?"

At those words, Taiyi, Bai Ze, and the others rose one after another and stood behind Dijun.

It was both a declaration of their position and a display of strength, meant to awe the various factions and let them know that joining the Demon Court was the right choice.

"Hah!"

Yuanshi could not help letting out a cold laugh.

"A pack of furred, horned creatures, born from dampness and hatched from eggs, thinks it is worthy of ruling all living beings of the Primordial World?

"If you ask me...

"We Three Pure Ones are Pangu's true orthodox lineage. We should be the ones honored to rule all living beings."

Before Dijun, Taiyi, and the others could react, Laozi and Tongtian rose first and declared that the Three Pure Ones would not participate in this matter.

Yuanshi immediately looked at the two of them with utter disbelief.

"Eldest Brother, Third Brother..."

Laozi raised a hand to interrupt him. "This matter is not as simple as you imagine. If you wish to participate, then go by yourself."

With that, Laozi was the first to leave the Purple Cloud Palace.

"Sigh!"

Tongtian could not help sighing. In the end, he silently followed Laozi out.

"Eldest Brother, Third Brother!"

Yuanshi had no time to be angry. After shouting, he hurried after them. He did not dare remain here alone and wait to be besieged.

Nuwa also rose and left.

Afterward, Zhen Yuanzi, Red Cloud, Dongwang Gong, and other innate great powers departed one after another.

Some, like Laozi and Tongtian, had no interest in taking part in this matter. Others intended to build their own forces and confront the Witch Clan alone.

There was only one opportunity for sainthood.

If they joined the Demon Court and won in the end, who would the opportunity belong to?

Were they supposed to count on Dijun and the others to yield it?

It would already be impressive if they could distribute it properly among themselves. Expecting them to hand such an opportunity to outsiders was nothing but a fool's dream.

Among the three thousand guests, not a single one joined the Demon Court in the end.

Dijun's face darkened like water. His fists clenched tightly, and the power of laws around him surged violently, stirring gust after gust of fierce wind within the Purple Cloud Palace.

Bai Ze said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, why be angry? The Witch Clan may be strong, but our Demon Court is not weak either. The Demon Court alone is already enough to contend with the Witch Clan."

Taiyi said coldly, "There is only one opportunity for sainthood. Before destroying the Witch Clan, we must first unify the Primordial World. Otherwise, who will the opportunity belong to in the end?"

Bai Ze was left speechless.

How could such words be spoken in public?

He discreetly glanced at the others and saw that their expressions had all changed. Bai Ze could only shake his head helplessly.