Dijun Breaks Through, the Witches and Demons Prepare for War

Eastern Emperor Taiyi sat cross-legged atop a cloud couch, faint Dao rhythms winding around him as he contemplated deeper laws of the Great Dao. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and two beams of golden light shot from his pupils, piercing several towering pillars before the hall.

"My mark... has been erased."

He could sense that the mark had not dissipated naturally, but had been forcibly obliterated by an exceptionally domineering force.

"Capital-Heaven Divine Thunder... Qiang Liang."

Eastern Emperor Taiyi murmured under his breath, his fingers lightly tapping the edge of the cloud couch with crisp clicks.

Though the mark he had left on Lei Xiao was exquisite, it had its limitations.

Now that the mark had been erased, and even its final trace of sensation had been cut off by the Capital-Heaven Divine Thunder, he had no way of knowing what exactly had happened to Lei Xiao.

"Still, that man was merely a Golden Immortal. He must have died beneath the Capital-Heaven Divine Thunder as well."

The corners of Eastern Emperor Taiyi's lips curled slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

No one knew the might of the Capital-Heaven Divine Thunder better than he did. It was the supreme divine thunder Pangu had used when he cleaved heaven and earth apart. Even a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal would have their soul scattered and spirit dispersed after taking a single strike, much less a mere Golden Immortal.

In his eyes, Lei Xiao was already a dead man.

"I only wonder whether Tongtian will seek revenge on Qiang Liang for his disciple."

Eastern Emperor Taiyi leaned back against the cloud couch, a hint of amusement flashing through his eyes.

That was what he truly cared about.

Among the Three Pure Ones, Tongtian had the most straightforward temperament and was the most protective of his own. More importantly, his strength was formidable. In a one-on-one fight, Qiang Liang would absolutely be no match for Tongtian.

"Taiyi, what happened? Why is your aura somewhat unstable?"

At that moment, a voice suddenly rang through the hall.

Eastern Emperor Taiyi's gaze shifted slightly as he looked toward the hall entrance.

A tall figure strode slowly into the hall. His dark imperial robe seemed dyed in ink, its hem embroidered with sun, moon, and stars. Every star had been woven with golden thread, faintly flowing with his steps as if it had come alive.

The Demon Emperor, Dijun.

The newcomer was Eastern Emperor Taiyi's elder brother and the true ruler of the Demon Race Heavenly Court.

"Brother." Eastern Emperor Taiyi rose and inclined his head slightly in greeting.

"Mm."

Dijun sat opposite him, his gaze falling upon his face as though observing something.

"Taiyi, are you injured?" Dijun asked with a frown.

"No."

Eastern Emperor Taiyi shook his head slightly. "A mark was merely destroyed, and I suffered a slight backlash. I will recover soon enough."

"But Brother, you have emerged from seclusion now. Have you already broken through to the perfected Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm?"

At those words, a deep gleam flashed through Dijun's eyes, and a smile rose to his lips.

He slowly lifted an arm and spread his five fingers.

In an instant, the entire Million Demon Mountains trembled.

The boundless fortune of the Demon Race surged and gathered like a vast golden sea, pouring layer upon layer into the Demon Emperor Palace.

Golden fortune billowed like beacon smoke, coiling around his body. The star patterns upon his dark imperial robe all lit up, each point of starlight shining brilliantly, as though an entire galaxy had been embroidered upon his robes.

Bolstered by the Demon Race's fortune, the aura Dijun radiated had already surpassed the realm of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

"Indeed. Through my years of seclusion, borrowing the fortune of my Demon Race's countless clans, I have finally broken through the shackles."

"The Demon Race should celebrate."

With that, Dijun swept his sleeve, and the ancient, weighty River Chart and Luo Script flew from within it, hovering beneath the vault of the Demon Emperor Palace.

In an instant, its pages began turning without wind, producing a clear rustling sound. Countless incomparably intricate formation patterns spread from the book, transforming into a brilliant net of stars that blanketed the entire Million Demon Mountains.

"Today, my Demon Race rises in prosperity. Its grace shall nourish all races!"

As Dijun's words fell, countless stars lit up with dazzling radiance. Boundless stellar power descended from the nine heavens, transforming into a sky full of glittering silver sweet rain that poured over every inch of the Million Demon Mountains.

Boom—!!!

Streams of demon aura shot into the sky one after another. Demons were breaking through.

Even the plants and beasts in the mountains that had yet to take form awakened their spiritual intelligence beneath the nourishment of this power of creation, shedding their mortal shells.

For a time, all the demons of the Million Demon Mountains cried out in unison. Their cheers converged into a torrent of fortune visible to the naked eye, soaring straight into the nine heavens.

Standing to one side, Eastern Emperor Taiyi felt this majestic power, enough to make heaven and earth change color, and a trace of shock could not help flashing through his eyes.

"With Brother's current strength, even if the Twelve Ancestral Witches joined hands, they likely would not be a match for you."

Hearing this, Dijun looked toward Mount Buzhou. "The Demon Race shall rise, and the Witch Race shall perish!"

Thunder Marsh.

Qiang Liang sensed something and abruptly looked toward the Million Demon Mountains, snorting coldly. "He merely broke through to the perfected Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm, yet he is already impatient to declare war on my Witch Race. He is simply courting death."

After all, the Witch Race now possessed the Twelve-Capital-Heaven Divine Baleful Formation as their trump card. Even against a Saint, the Twelve Ancestral Witches were confident they could fight.

"Little fellow, my eldest brother is summoning me back. I'm leaving."

Qiang Liang's gaze lingered on Lei Xiao for a moment. "I'll leave the innate spirit treasure deep within Thunder Marsh to you. Consider it compensation for attacking you earlier. You may retrieve it yourself."

"Ancestral Witch Qiang Liang, please wait."

Seeing that Qiang Liang was about to leave, Lei Xiao hurriedly spoke to stop him.

Qiang Liang paused and turned his head toward Lei Xiao, one thick brow lifting.

"What else is it?"

Lei Xiao took a deep breath and cupped his hands. "This junior has a request. I hope Senior will grant it."

After a slight pause, and before Qiang Liang could ask, he continued, "This junior wishes to ask Ancestral Witch Qiang Liang for a strand of Capital-Heaven Divine Thunder origin."

Lei Xiao vaguely felt that the Capital-Heaven Divine Thunder origin was immensely important to him. That was why he had dared to ask Qiang Liang for it.

"You want the Capital-Heaven Divine Thunder origin?"

He looked Lei Xiao up and down, as though looking at a greenhorn who did not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth.

"Boy, do you know what you are saying?"

Lei Xiao met his gaze, his expression calm and unwavering.

"This junior knows that the Capital-Heaven Divine Thunder origin is Senior's natal possession. Asking for it so abruptly is indeed presumptuous. But Senior just said that the innate spirit treasure was compensation. This junior boldly wishes to exchange that compensation for a strand of Capital-Heaven Divine Thunder origin."

"You truly have great courage."

Qiang Liang burst into laughter. Seeing this, Lei Xiao felt that the matter was eight or nine parts settled, and he laughed as well. Yet Qiang Liang suddenly changed the subject.

"Do you know why, in the entire Witch Race, only I control the Capital-Heaven Divine Thunder?"

"This junior does not. I ask Senior for guidance." Not a trace of retreat showed on Lei Xiao's face.

"I do not know either. There were Great Witches in my Witch Race who wished to refine the Capital-Heaven Divine Thunder origin and thereby gain control over the Capital-Heaven Divine Thunder, but without exception, every one of them died."

Qiang Liang's tone became incomparably cold. A chilling glimmer flashed through the serpent eyes on his tiger head.

"It was not an ordinary death. I experimented on Demon Race Demon Kings. The Capital-Heaven Divine Thunder did not merely destroy their bodies and Primordial Spirits—it even erased their true spirits along with them."