Demon Court's Tyranny, Immortal Court Established Later

Terrifying power of the Heavenly Dao surged along Wuchen's divine sense and into his body, seeking to disrupt his Dao heart and batter his meridians.

Wuchen hastily withdrew his divine sense, and Purifying Divine Light blazed around him.

"Buzzz!"

The power of the Heavenly Dao collided with the Purifying Divine Light. The Purifying Divine Light, which had always swept aside all obstacles, was rapidly extinguished at this moment.

Fortunately, the power of the Heavenly Dao contained within the Primordial Purple Qi was not particularly strong.

Just as the Purifying Divine Light around Wuchen was about to go out completely, that force of the Heavenly Dao dissipated as well.

Wuchen's expression grew somewhat grave.

He had nearly failed to withstand merely the power of the Heavenly Dao contained within the Primordial Purple Qi. After Hongjun merged with the Dao, how was he supposed to resist him?

"Dao Venerable?"

Seeing Wuchen's grave expression and unsteady aura, Nuwa and the other two hurriedly asked. The hope in their eyes dimmed further.

Wuchen waved a hand, indicating that he was unharmed.

He slowly closed his eyes and calmed the turbulent Dao power within him, his heart filled with gravity and helplessness.

The Heavenly Dao was, after all, not Hongjun. Trying to resist it with only the strength of a Dao Venerable was no different from a fool dreaming in broad daylight.

A moment later, Wuchen reopened his eyes, a trace of helplessness in his voice.

"Perhaps I will be able to resolve this once I take another step forward, but for now, there is nothing I can do. If I force it, your Primordial Spirits will certainly be destroyed, and your souls will scatter."

Upon hearing this, the little hope remaining in the three of them was utterly crushed.

How could attaining the Dao be easy?

Wuchen might be powerful, but attaining the Dao was clearly not something he could accomplish in a short time. By the time he attained the Dao, who knew how many ages would have passed?

Could they truly only become chess pieces of the Heavenly Dao, controlled by Hongjun for the rest of their lives?

Wuchen looked at Nuwa and said, "It is not entirely without hope. You must know that beyond the heavens, there are still heavens.

"Though the Great Dao has withdrawn, it may still be summoned by the greater tide of destiny.

"When the opportunity for you to attain the Dao arrives, you may be able to use the Great Dao to strip away that purple qi. Whether it succeeds, however, is uncertain."

After Houtu attained the Dao, she might also have the ability to help them strip away the Primordial Purple Qi.

But Hongjun had already made his move. He might not give them the chance to wait until Houtu attained the Dao. In the end, some matters could only be handled by themselves.

At Wuchen's words, hope once more flared in Nuwa's heart.

Seeing that Wuchen had spoken only to Nuwa, Laozi knew that the same method might not work for him and Tongtian.

Thus, he asked, "May I ask, Dao Venerable, what of the two of us?"

Wuchen patiently explained, "The opportunity for you two to attain the Dao will certainly come after Nuwa's. If she succeeds, the two of you will naturally be safe."

Laozi and Tongtian were both startled.

They had not expected Nuwa's opportunity to attain the Dao to come before theirs, even though they were Pangu's orthodox lineage. They had underestimated her.

But no matter what, it was still a glimmer of hope, was it not?

With hope, the three no longer felt quite so despairing.

The three then asked about the realm above Great Luo. Wuchen repeated what he had once told the Twelve Ancestral Witches.

"You must remember: cultivation is the cultivation of oneself, the cultivation of the one and only.

"Even the Way of Slaying the Three Corpses will one day return to oneness. Yet hidden arrangements may lie within it; one careless move, and the entire game is lost."

Without realizing it, Wuchen put in a few bad words about Hongjun.

Though the three firmly committed Wuchen's candid words to heart, they did not pay them much heed. It was impossible for them to cultivate Hongjun's Way of Slaying the Three Corpses.

Hongjun had harmed them to this extent. How could they walk his path?

They would rather follow the old path of the Primordial Unity, rather try the path of nurturing the Dao; they would never touch Hongjun's damned path of Slaying the Three Corpses.

Of course, if possible, they still wished to try and see whether they could forge a path of their own.

They had asked what needed asking and received the answers they sought. Laozi and the other two could not remain on Abbot Island for long, so they rose to take their leave.

After the three departed, Wuchen took out the Pangu Banner and began refining it.

The Pangu Banner had been formed from the blade of the Pangu Axe. It was one of the few supreme innate treasures in the Primordial World, containing the complete Law of Strength as well as the Dao resonance of Opening Heaven.

Unfortunately, it contained only laws, not rules.

Wuchen entered secluded cultivation, ignoring the affairs of the Primordial World as he focused on refining the Pangu Banner he had just acquired and comprehending the laws within it.

As all three thousand guests of the Purple Cloud Palace returned, the Primordial World continent, which had been quiet for so long, became lively once more.

The first to stir the tides of the Primordial World's landscape were Dijun, Taiyi, and the others.

The Witch Clan had withdrawn from Mount Buzhou, so Dijun and the others established the Demon Court upon this foremost divine mountain of the Primordial World, preparing to formally found it.

On this day, Dijun's oath to the Heavenly Dao resounded throughout the entire Primordial World.

"Heavenly Dao above!"

"I, Dijun; I, Taiyi, perceive that the order of the Primordial World is incomplete and that the myriad spirits have no one to rely upon. Today, we establish the Demon Court, to govern the myriad spirits of the Primordial World and uphold the order of Heaven and Earth."

"We use the River Chart and Luo Writing, and the Eastern Sovereign Bell, to suppress our fortune. May the Heavenly Dao bear witness."

"The Demon Court, arise!"

As Dijun and Taiyi's voices fell, Heaven and Earth abruptly changed color.

Boundless merit descended from the heavens.

Though no voice of the Dao rang out, that boundless merit was the finest answer.

The boundless merit split into five portions.

The two largest portions entered Dijun and Taiyi respectively. If not for the uncertainty of the path ahead, the two could have immediately used this merit to break through the Great Luo realm in one stroke.

Two more portions of merit entered the Eastern Sovereign Bell and the River Chart and Luo Writing respectively.

The final portion scattered among every member of the Demon Court.

The golden radiance of merit filled the sky, dazzling beyond measure. It made the myriad spirits of the Primordial World stop and look upward, their eyes brimming with envy and greed.

It was only because merit had an owner and could not be seized that there was no lack of bold and fierce figures attempting to take it.

Dijun and Taiyi stood before the recently refined Myriad Demon Hall, gazing at the Ten Demon Commanders, the Demon Race's mighty experts, and the countless demon soldiers. Not a trace of self-satisfaction showed in their eyes.

They knew well that there was only one opportunity to become a Saint. To seize that opportunity, they had to clear away every obstacle and snuff out every potential competitor.

Thus, less than three thousand years after the Demon Court was founded, it embarked upon a campaign to sweep across the Primordial World.

Dijun and Taiyi personally led the Demon Court's army, while the Ten Demon Commanders each led their own divisions. Wherever they passed, every Primordial World creature unwilling to submit was slaughtered to the last.

The Demon Court acted with tyrannical ruthlessness, surpassing even the Witch Clan of old. Wherever it went, living beings were left in misery, and the innate beings of every race cried out in resentment.

For a time, the myriad spirits of the Primordial World were seething with indignation.

Dongwang Gong of Penglai Immortal Island in the East Sea seized this once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity and immediately spoke out, calling upon the myriad spirits of the Primordial World.

He did not speak of attacking the Witch Clan, only of the Demon Court's brutality and its desire to swallow up the myriad spirits of the Primordial World. Only by joining hands to resist the Demon Court, he said, could the beings of every race preserve the foundations of their own clans.

The moment these words were spoken, they struck right at the hearts of the myriad spirits of the Primordial World. Those innate beings who had suffered under the Demon Court's harassment came with their clans one after another and joined Dongwang Gong's ranks.

The Demon Court's tyranny instead fulfilled Dongwang Gong's ambitions.

Countless mighty experts swiftly gathered beneath his command, and his power suddenly swelled.

Seeing that the greater tide of destiny had taken shape.

Dongwang Gong imitated Dijun and Taiyi, constructing immortal palaces and divine halls upon Penglai Immortal Island. He intended to formally establish the Immortal Court, proclaim himself its master, and command the living beings of the Primordial World.

"Heavenly Dao above..."

Dongwang Gong's oath resounded through the Primordial World, infuriating Dijun and the others, who had just freed their hands and were preparing to come deal with them.