Yuanshi Fell into Self-Doubt

Lu Chen and Nuwa returned to Kunlun Mountain with Tongtian, and a momentous event made the entire Primordial World tremble three times over.

The Witch Clan, the sole overlord of the Primordial World, had not expanded in all directions at the height of its prestige. Instead, it had actually relinquished the Heavenly Court, leaving only a small contingent of Witches to guard Buzhou Mountain while the rest, led by the twelve—no, eleven—Ancestral Witches, departed for the Netherworld.

Could the Netherworld be better than the Primordial World?

Some great powers went to inspect the Blood Sea and discovered that... for the Witch Clan, the Blood Sea's environment truly was better than that of the Primordial World.

The Blood Sea contained boundless Killing Intent; one could say that resentful thoughts and Killing Intent were what it lacked least.

Killing Intent was a great calamity to cultivators, but to the Witch Clan, it was a cultivation resource.

The Solar Star was blanketed in Solar True Fire, and a crimson-gold palace stood deep within the Solar Star.

The palace had clearly been refined from exceptional materials and was utterly unafraid of the scorching Solar True Fire.

A scarlet rainbow streaked through the Solar True Fire and entered the palace.

"Big Brother, why did the Witch Clan withdraw from the Heavenly Court at a time like this, surrendering the position of sovereigns of Heaven and Earth? Why did they move to a small world instead? Could it be that they wish to retire from the world?"

Taiyi flew into the palace in a blazing hurry, telling Dijun the news from the Primordial World, his face brimming with excitement.

If the Witch Clan truly retired from the world, then once the Demon Race emerged from the stars, who in the Primordial World could stop them?

"This should have been Houtu's plan."

After digesting Taiyi's information, Dijun immediately guessed whose handiwork lay behind the Witch Clan's actions. As for Taiyi's later words, Dijun did not answer them. Instead, he threw out a question.

"Taiyi, why do you think the Witch Clan wishes to withdraw from the world?"

That question truly stumped Taiyi.

"Big Brother, I do not know."

"The Demon Race has already been defeated. Do not think about contending for supremacy any longer."

Dijun had not expected Taiyi to understand all the twists and turns involved. Taiyi's cultivation was high, and with the Chaos Bell, his combat strength was fierce beyond measure, but in terms of wisdom... he was only a little better than the Ancestral Witches, and not by much.

Dijun did not explain it to Taiyi. He was only guessing himself and had reached no conclusion, so he simply changed the subject.

"How is the exploration of the starry sky proceeding?"

"The three hundred and sixty-five primary stars have been fully occupied, and thirty percent of the surrounding stars have been developed."

"Oh, right, Big Brother. I wish to make a trip to the Lunar Star. If we can bring them into the Demon Race, we can take the Lunar Star under our command without shedding a drop of blood."

"Xihe and Changxi?"

Ever since bringing the Demon Race into the starry sky, Dijun had remained behind the scenes on the Solar Star, overseeing the larger picture while Taiyi led the Demon Race's people to open up territory.

The Lunar Star stood on equal footing with the Solar Star they occupied. Naturally, he had looked into it before.

Bringing the Lunar Star under their command would naturally be a good thing, but...

Taiyi had actually said negotiate rather than fight!

That shocked Dijun somewhat. Since when had his younger brother become so gentle?

Something was off...

Dijun took out the River Diagram and Luo Writing and began making deductions.

!

He... had actually calculated a destined marriage?

And it was fated!!!!

"Taiyi, you want to go to the Lunar Star, yes? Your elder brother will go with you."

Dijun rose from his meditation cushion.

"Oh, all right."

Still dazed, Taiyi was pulled along by Dijun toward the Lunar Star.

"Heavenly Dao above, a lone yang cannot flourish, and a lone yin cannot be born. I, Dijun of the Solar Star, am willing to become Dao companions with Xihe of the Lunar Star, our branches joined in season, cultivating the Great Dao together. Heavenly Dao, bear witness!"

"I, Taiyi of the Solar Star, am willing to become Dao companions with Changxi of the Lunar Star, sharing life and death, cultivating the Great Dao together. Heavenly Dao, bear witness!"

The two oaths spread throughout the Primordial World. As a Heavenly Marriage, the Heavenly Dao bestowed merit as a reward.

Kunlun Mountain.

Lu Chen was awakened by Dijun and Taiyi's declarations. He simply emerged from seclusion, stroking his chin as he sorted through his thoughts.

"Originally, the Heavenly Marriage was supposed to be Dijun marrying two wives. Who would have thought the two brothers would each take one instead?

"It seems that after losing his chance to contend for supremacy, Taiyi's mind has shifted from cultivation to matters of love as well."

"The Witch Clan's dramatic exit and the Demon Race's shift in focus from the land of the Primordial World to the starry sky have spared the Human Race quite a few hardships in its rise this time. The Human Dao has awakened, the Earthly Dao has emerged, and this is no longer an age where the Heavenly Dao covers the sky with one hand. Though the Witch-Demon Calamity ended with a whimper after a roaring start, and Buzhou Mountain was not knocked down by Gonggong, Houtu still transformed into reincarnation, the Witch Clan withdrew from the world, and by this account, the Witch-Demon Calamity should have simply passed by just like that."

"Next will be the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. With the Kongtong Seal in my hands, I can be said to have seized every advantage. I should make proper plans for my junior brothers and sisters."

In the past, Lu Chen had been too weak and could only be a bystander, but now he could at least be considered a player moving pieces on the board.

What followed would be the era of the Human Race, and he was the Human Race's Holy Father, with the Kongtong Seal in hand.

If the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were to take their rightful places, there was no way around him.

"The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors come next? Since that rebellious disciple has made plans, I can enter seclusion with peace of mind."

In the Upper Clarity Palace, Tongtian was helping Nuwa sort through the Primordial Unity Path when he heard Lu Chen's inner voice. His Dao voice paused for a moment before resuming.

Nuwa slowly opened her eyes. "What is it, Senior Brother Tongtian?"

"Nothing. Continue."

Within the Yuqing Palace.

Yuanshi was expounding the Dao to Ran Deng and the Twelve Golden Immortals.

Golden lotuses surged from the earth, Dao sounds filled the air, and the Twelve Golden Immortals listened as though intoxicated. Ran Deng, meanwhile, continuously absorbed the golden lotuses to strengthen his mana and deepen his foundation.

Ran Deng had originally returned to his own Daoist abode, Cosmos Cave, but after hearing that the Twelve Golden Immortals had taken up long-term residence in the Yuqing Palace, he shamelessly came crawling back.

His Cosmos Cave might have been good, but it could not compare to the Yuqing Palace.

After finishing his lecture, Yuanshi glanced toward the Upper Clarity Palace, then at the Twelve Golden Immortals, whose cultivation had not improved much. A trace of gloom could not help appearing in his eyes.

"Cultivation fears impatience most. The road must be walked one step at a time; it cannot be rushed."

Seeing the gloom in Yuanshi's eyes, Laozi knew why it had arisen and spoke to comfort him.

"Eldest Brother, I am unwilling to accept this. Tongtian has many disciples and teaches the Dao once every ten thousand years. I have only these twelve direct disciples, and I too teach them once every ten thousand years. Why, then, is their cultivation weaker than Tongtian's disciples?"

Yuanshi could not accept it. The disciples he had taken in possessed excellent aptitude, so how could they lose to Tongtian's disciples?

He was not even comparing Guangchengzi to Lu Chen or Duobao; he knew there was no comparison to be made. But why were they inferior even to Jin Ling?

Jin Ling was now at the Middle Primordial Unity Stage, while Guangchengzi, the strongest among his Twelve Golden Immortals, had only barely reached the Early Taiyi Stage. The others lagged a level behind Guangchengzi and were merely at the Peak Golden Immortal stage.

Since Tongtian had embarked on the Primordial Unity Path and attained the Dao, Yuanshi knew that he would have no chance in this lifetime to surpass Tongtian.

But he would not admit that he was weaker than Tongtian. His defeat at Tongtian's hands had only been because the Three Corpses Method had led him into a pit and shaken his true heart.

In other aspects, he had to prove that he was stronger than Tongtian.

Had his elite path been wrong? Could it be that he truly was inferior to Tongtian in every respect?