Each one's methods

Suddenly, he sensed that something was wrong.

A flash of blood-red light flickered in Bai Ze's eyes.

Then a Blood Hand broke straight through Wang Shi's defenses.

It punched through his chest.

And in that hand was a stone heart.

It was the source of Wang Shi's power.

Wang Shi's eyes instantly turned blood-red.

The man he had saved was actually attacking him. Rage erupted within him.

"You court death!"

He spread his hands and instantly seized Bai Ze's head. At that moment, he even wanted to crush it.

But reason soon overcame his anger.

He frowned at Bai Ze and realized that the man's mental state was deeply disturbed. He seemed to be under someone's control.

So that was it. This really was a trap, deliberately baited to lure powerful cultivators onto the hook.

Fortunately, his body had a unique structure. The heart was only there to mislead his enemies.

He was a Stone Spirit to begin with and had none of the vulnerabilities of ordinary living beings.

Killing him was simple enough: destroy his soul.

As for shattering his body, that was a joke. His body was like a magical treasure; ordinary people could not break it at all.

Even Bai Ze had only succeeded because he had used a special method, and Wang Shi had been completely unguarded.

Clearly, these fellows were deliberately targeting Wang Shi.

With a light squeeze, Wang Shi knocked Bai Ze unconscious.

He slung Bai Ze over his shoulder and returned to the Three Pure Ones.

"He's being controlled. Whoever did it used a very subtle method. Even I didn't notice at first."

"I suspect it might be the Beast Emperor. That fellow is still nearby, but I don't know why he's targeting me."

The Three Pure Ones looked grave. Taishang Laozi lightly brushed a hand over Bai Ze, sending a strand of the power of nonaction into his body.

He soon figured out what was happening.

"It isn't a particularly profound method of control. It uses Blood Fiendish Qi, with a hint of the Beast Emperor's aura. It seems the Beast Emperor is manipulating him from the shadows."

Then he looked around, fixing his gaze on one direction.

"Fellow Daoist, skulking about like this, too ashamed to show yourself, hardly befits an emperor's dignity."

"You are, after all, the emperor of the Beast Race. Isn't this rather petty of you?"

An ethereal phantom appeared in the sky.

"This was merely to teach that Stone Spirit a lesson. Back then, he killed several of my avatars, delaying my revival by many years. This time, it was only a lesson. In the future, I will take his life myself. You would all do well to watch yourselves."

His figure slowly faded, then vanished.

Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi and Sect Master Tongtian wanted to give chase. He had threatened their disciple right in front of them. Did their dignity count for nothing?

But Laozi quickly stopped them.

"There is no need to pursue him. He's already gone."

"This fellow is no simple adversary. He has already reached the peak of the quasi-saint realm, and the blood fiendish qi within him is exceptionally dense. I'm afraid he isn't far from becoming a Sage."

"I wonder who is backing them. Who could possess such ability that they can nurture a Sage?"

At Laozi's words,

everyone was utterly shocked.

"Impossible."

That was everyone's first reaction.

How could that be possible? A mighty Sage could actually be nurtured into existence?

Besides, Beast Emperor Shen Ni had only just revived. How could he possess such extraordinary talent that he was already on the verge of becoming a Sage?

"Senior Laozi, could you have sensed it incorrectly? Is Beast Emperor Shen Ni really that powerful?"

Laozi nodded gravely.

"He may be even stronger than what I sensed."

"This matter is already beyond our ability to resolve. Unless the venerable Dao Ancestor intervenes, the Primordial World will surely fall."

His words were as decisive as severed nails and cut iron. Clearly, even he had no confidence in dealing with Beast Emperor Shen Ni.

That shocked everyone even more. If this was truly the case, they were in serious trouble.

Wang Shi was also puzzled. In truth, he had initially suspected that Hongjun was orchestrating this from behind the scenes.

After all, there had been no warning whatsoever before such an enormous calamity. And as a Heavenly Dao Sage, Hongjun had shown no reaction at all. That alone was deeply abnormal.

But after hearing Laozi's words, he was no longer so certain.

Could it really be that no Sage was pulling the strings?

Their group searched the surrounding area and found many corpses from the Demon Tribe.

They even found Ci Tie, one of the Ten Great Demon Marshals. He was already a corpse. Had they not arrived in time, and had his body not been so difficult to deal with, the Fierce Beasts would probably have devoured him down to the last scrap.

Seeing the Demon Marshal dead, Wang Shi fell completely silent.

This time, the problem really was enormous.

Even a mighty Demon Marshal had died, a figure who played a vital role in the great calamity of the shamans and demons.

At that moment, everything had changed. There was no returning to its normal course.

Inside the Purple Firmament Palace.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun looked grave.

The Purple Firmament Palace was now surrounded by countless clouds of black mist, filled with endless Baleful Qi.

"Has Demon Ancestor Luohu returned to life? You and I know each other so well. Why bother with these petty tricks?"

Sure enough, a familiar figure emerged from the black mist.

"Dao Ancestor Hongjun. You've become a founder and patriarch, and you're living so well these days. How enviable."

Hongjun frowned at him.

"No. You aren't Luohu. At least, you aren't the Luohu of this world."

Light flickered continuously in his hands as he examined the entire history of the Primordial World. Luohu was definitely dead, and Hongjun himself had killed him. There was absolutely no doubt about that.

When exactly had things begun to go awry?

His face was full of bewilderment.

He could see through the entire Primordial World, but not what lay beyond it.

"Oh? As expected of a Sage. You actually saw through my identity."

"Now you have two choices. First, surrender the Primordial World and make it one of our subordinate worlds."

"Second, become a departed soul beneath my God-Slaying Spear, and let me seize your position as a Sage."

Dao Ancestor Hongjun did not even look at him.

It was not that he thought little of him. He simply disdained him.

As long as the Primordial World endured, the Dao Ancestor would never die.

Expecting a few casual words to make him submit was far too great an underestimation of Hongjun.

After all his years of cultivation, he was not someone who could be frightened into submission.

"So your objective is the Primordial World? In that case, Beast Emperor Shen Ni was also raised up with your support."

"But there is something I don't understand. Why didn't you simply send people to surround and kill me? Is it because you can't?"

"Why act at this particular moment? Is it because more Sages will emerge in the Primordial World soon, and that will affect you?"

Hongjun thought for a moment.

"I see. You must still be unable to invade the Primordial World, but you don't want it to settle onto its proper course either. That is why you resorted to this tactic."

Demon Ancestor Luohu laughed heartily.

"As expected of Old Ancestor Hongjun. You certainly see things clearly, but I still have to tell you that your guess is wrong."

"It doesn't matter whether the Primordial World is in chaos. As long as we keep you trapped here, the entire Primordial World will inevitably fall into our hands."

"Beast Emperor Shen Ni is about to become a Sage. Once he does, no one in this world will be able to stand against him."