Above the heavens.
Rahou had already fled tens of millions of miles away, yet he still heard Hongjun's warning.
Naturally, he dismissed it with disdain.
Kill him? He wanted to see just how capable Hongjun truly was!
"Then come if you have the skill!"
"When the time comes, it remains to be seen who will die!"
After leaving those words behind, Rahou vanished without a trace.
At the same time, as he departed, he sent voice transmissions to the other Demon Clan experts.
Once they learned that Rahou had left, the Demon Clan experts no longer had any intention of continuing their entanglement with Tongtian.
Of course, Tongtian had already scared the wits out of them.
He had faced their million-strong army alone, yet he seemed tireless.
Meanwhile, half of their clansmen had fallen at his hands.
Such combat power was simply too monstrous.
Thus, no one dared linger. They all accelerated their escape.
Seeing this, Tongtian understood that the battle between Hongjun and Rahou must have ended.
Otherwise, with Rahou's ruthless nature, even if every member of the Demon Clan died, he would not feel the slightest reluctance so long as he could achieve his goal.
The massive Demon Clan army departed, and Tongtian had no intention of pursuing them.
If Rahou launched a sneak attack, even Hongjun might not be able to guarantee an unscathed retreat.
Besides, his gains from this journey had already been substantial.
One could not be too greedy.
At that moment, boundless golden light suddenly filled the nine heavens, blotting out the sky and sun.
Tongtian's expression brightened with delight. The Demon Clan had only just left, yet the Heavenly Dao had already bestowed its reward.
So much Heavenly Dao Merit! He wondered how much of it he would receive.
The Demon Clan had sought to wreak havoc upon the Primordial World, and he had contributed no small amount to stopping them.
Of course, the lion's share would certainly belong to Hongjun.
After all, if Hongjun had not held Rahou back, neither Tongtian nor the Three Clans would likely have escaped.
Buzz!
The vast Heavenly Dao Merit divided itself in the heavens, and one portion poured directly into Tongtian's body.
Bathed in the endless golden radiance, Tongtian trembled all over in bliss.
Amazing! Absolutely amazing!
Though he already possessed quite a bit of Heaven-Opening Merit, who would ever complain about having more of such a versatile treasure?
At the same time, he noticed that roughly thirty percent of the Heavenly Dao Merit had gone to him.
As for the remaining seventy percent, it naturally all belonged to Hongjun, who had done the most.
"Relying on a powerful backer really is great!"
"I did not even fight a hard battle. I only killed some Demon Clan creatures, yet I received so much Heavenly Dao Merit!"
Tongtian was delighted. Clinging to Hongjun's thigh had truly been worth it.
The Three Clans' experts looked at the immense amount of merit, their eyes reddening with envy.
Unfortunately, it was all Tongtian's gain.
It had nothing whatsoever to do with them.
Thus, they could only watch as Tongtian accepted it all.
"Fellow Daoist Tongtian, after this battle, your name will surely resound throughout the Primordial World!"
"If you had not given your all in this battle, my Qilin Clan would certainly have suffered grievous losses."
"I offer you my thanks here!"
Ink Qilin stepped forward at this moment, intending to strengthen his relationship with Tongtian further.
Colorful Phoenix also stepped forward and cupped her hands. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for coming to our aid."
Ink Qilin glanced at her but said nothing.
Among the Three Clans, the Dragon Clan was the strongest in both power and foundation.
If the Phoenix Clan and Qilin Clan had not long ago formed an alliance to stand against the Dragon Clan together,
the Primordial World would likely have long since been unified by the Dragon Clan.
Tongtian also cupped his hands. "You are too polite, Fellow Daoist!"
"In such a great battle, why have the Three Clan Leaders yet to appear?"
He was curious. He had initially thought that First Dragon and the other two had gone beyond the heavens to fight.
But if he remembered correctly, although First Dragon and the other two were also supreme experts, they had not reached the Primordial Golden Immortal realm.
Neither Hongjun nor Rahou had gone beyond the heavens, so the three of them naturally could not have done so either.
"Fellow Daoist, you do not know this, but the battle has already ended."
Ink Qilin wore a bitter expression. "In this battle, the Three Clans were all severely wounded. There was no victor."
Tongtian immediately understood upon hearing this.
So part of the calamity had already ended!
First Dragon and the other two had likely already dissolved themselves into heaven and earth.
Thinking of this, Tongtian could not help but feel regretful. Even such mighty Primordial Golden Immortals had no power to resist beneath a calamity.
"By the way, why have we not seen the Dragon Clan's Torch Dragon?"
"First Dragon has already dissolved into heaven and earth, yet he has not appeared to lead the remaining Dragon Clan?"
Colorful Phoenix frowned as she spoke.
Ink Qilin had noticed this as well. The Demon Clan army had already retreated, so why had Torch Dragon not returned?
If he remembered correctly, Torch Dragon should have gone to pursue their two clans' experts.
Now that the experts of the two clans had not returned, it meant they had most likely fallen.
Then why had Torch Dragon not returned in triumph?
Tongtian understood the reason, but he did not say it aloud.
The enmity between him and the Dragon Clan had already become as deep as the sea.
If they learned that he had personally witnessed Torch Dragon's death, unforeseen trouble might arise.
Furthermore, Torch Dragon had not died by his hand. Rahou had been the one to kill him.
At that moment, Hongjun appeared between heaven and earth as well.
The Three Clans' experts naturally knew Hongjun's identity.
They immediately cupped their hands and saluted him.
Hongjun looked at Tongtian, who was surrounded by the Three Clans, with surprise on his face.
He had not expected Tongtian to be even more popular than himself.
However, after this battle, Tongtian's reputation would indeed resound throughout the Primordial World.
Seeing that Hongjun and Tongtian had a close relationship, the Three Clans' experts were all deeply shocked.
Could Fellow Daoist Tongtian's backer be the great expert Hongjun?
No wonder the Dragon Clan had been helpless against Fellow Daoist Tongtian.
Even if First Dragon were still alive, he likely would not dare offend the great expert Hongjun lightly.
After all, he was an ancient expert who had become famous during the Ferocious Beast Calamity!
Knowing that the two had matters to discuss, the Three Clans' experts said no more and departed directly.
"Senior Hongjun, what do you plan to do next?"
"Will you go directly to the Western World to find Rahou?"
After saluting, Tongtian asked with curiosity.
Hongjun and Rahou had yet to determine a victor.
He was very curious about what Hongjun would do next.
There was no need to say more about the relationship between the two. Only one of them could survive.
Hongjun shook his head. "Rahou was not defeated. He merely saw that his plan could not succeed and temporarily withdrew."
"To attack him now would be too hasty."
As he spoke, his eyes flickered. "Rahou believes that the trump card he arranged in the Western World can escape my notice."
"In truth, I have long known of the Four Swords of Zhuxian he arranged."
"These Four Swords of Zhuxian can form the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation."
"On my own, I fear it will be difficult to break the formation. To eliminate Rahou completely, I will need several Fellow Daoists to lend their aid."
Tongtian's heart trembled upon hearing this.
Hongjun already knew what Rahou's trump card was?!
No wonder he intended to gather other Innate Demon Gods to join him in besieging Rahou.
Rahou probably still did not know that the trump card he had painstakingly prepared had already been completely seen through by Hongjun.
"Since that is the case, I shall not disturb you further, Senior."
"I gained a little from this battle and intend to return to Kunlun Mountain to cultivate."
Tongtian spoke.
He also wanted more gains, but for now, it seemed the battle between Hongjun and Rahou would not resume.
In that case, he might as well return to Kunlun Mountain to cultivate.
If he could successfully attain the Primordial Golden Immortal realm,
then when the Dao-Demon War finally erupted, perhaps he could obtain further benefits.
Hongjun nodded. "Very well!"
"Then let us return to Kunlun Mountain first!"
He was in no hurry. Moreover, Tongtian had come out under his guidance.
It was only proper for him to send Tongtian back to Kunlun Mountain.
That would bring things full circle.
With Hongjun guiding the way, it did not take long for the two of them to return to Kunlun Mountain.
The moment they arrived at the mountain peak, Laozi and Yuanshi impatiently appeared before them.
Laozi was somewhat surprised by their return.
After all, only a few thousand years had passed.
What gains could they possibly have made in such a short time?
Could the Heaven and Earth Calamity have already ended?!
"Third Brother, how were your gains these past years?"
"Has the war between the Three Clans ended?"
Yuanshi asked with a face full of curiosity.
Tongtian shook his head. "My gains were decent!"
"The war among the Three Clans has ended."
"However, I did not see the Three Clan Leaders. I heard they had already dissolved into heaven and earth."
"Furthermore, the Western Demon Clan appeared. I killed quite a few Demon Clan members and gained a fair amount of Heavenly Dao Merit."
Laozi and Yuanshi's faces were filled with envy upon hearing this.
On such a chaotic battlefield, so long as one's cultivation was sufficient, it was the perfect opportunity to quietly make a fortune!
It seemed Third Brother's gains were certainly more than merely decent.
Unfortunately, their cultivation was insufficient, and they could not follow their master there.
Otherwise, it would surely have been far better than remaining in seclusion.
Hongjun spoke at that moment. "The two of you are still somewhat weak in cultivation."
"While the calamity has not completely erupted, seize the time to cultivate diligently!"
After giving Laozi and Yuanshi this instruction,
Hongjun continued, "I still have important matters to attend to, so I will not remain here."
While Rahou was still making preparations, he too needed to begin setting his plan in motion.
His most urgent task was to find other like-minded Fellow Daoists.
He needed to persuade them to join him in taking action against Rahou.
Only then could he thoroughly eliminate the trouble that was Rahou!
Thus, after making his arrangements, Hongjun departed directly.
Tongtian considered things for a moment before sending voice transmissions to Ao Li and Xihe.
Before long, the three of them arrived at the mountain peak.
Tongtian's gaze swept over them, and he could sense that both of their cultivations had improved.
After pondering briefly, Tongtian said, "I intend to expound the Dao to you for a time."
"I hope you will all gain something from it."
He was only one step away from naturally attaining the Primordial Golden Immortal realm.
It was certainly enough for him to expound the Dao to Laozi and the others.
However, the results would undoubtedly not be as good as Hongjun's.
After all, Hongjun's explanation of the Great Dao was exceptionally complete.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist!"
"Then we shall trouble you, Third Brother."
Laozi and Yuanshi exchanged a glance. Neither of them had any objection.
Although Tongtian was the third brother, his cultivation was indeed stronger than theirs.
Besides, they were all brothers, so there was no need to feel embarrassed.
As for Ao Li and the other two women, there was even less to say. Naturally, they all hoped to advance their cultivation further.
Thus, Tongtian expounded the Dao to them for three hundred years.
After listening, everyone felt that they had gained many new insights and went into seclusion to comprehend the Dao and cultivate.
Tongtian, however, was in no hurry. His great battle with the Demon Clan had only ended recently.
He needed time to settle himself.
As for cultivation, he had no method for attaining the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, so there was no need to rush.
Kunlun Mountain was so vast, yet he had never properly explored it.
Now that he had the time, he naturally wanted to take a look around.
Moreover, Kunlun Mountain was the ancestor of all mountains, and the Three Pure Ones were not the only Innate Great Beings within it.
There were still several neighbors nearby.
The closest was the Queen Mother of the West in West Kunlun.
If he remembered correctly, the Queen Mother of the West possessed the top-grade Innate Spiritual Root, the Ren Water Peach Tree.
It would not be excessive for him to pay her a visit and ask for a few Ren Water Peaches of Immortality to taste, would it?
The Queen Mother of the West was not the same person as Wangmu of Yaochi in the Heavenly Court of later generations.
The Ren Water Peach Tree was also not the same spiritual root as the peaches in the Peach Orchard of later generations.
The Ren Water Peach Tree was a top-grade Innate Spiritual Root, while the peaches in the Peach Orchard were, at most, merely Innate Spiritual Roots.
The difference between them was immense.
After admiring the scenery along the paths of Kunlun Mountain for a while, Tongtian rode the clouds toward West Kunlun.
When he arrived at West Kunlun, he was surprised to find a hazy, mist-like layer covering its exterior.
It was as though it protected the entirety of West Kunlun within.
Without a doubt, this was an array!
"I never expected West Kunlun to be protected by a grand array. Could this be the Queen Mother of the West's handiwork?"
Tongtian's eyes flickered. He truly did not know whether the Queen Mother of the West was skilled in arrays.
He only remembered that the Head of Female Immortals conducted herself with great discretion.
Fortunately, the power of this grand array was not overly complicated. After observing it for a moment, Tongtian had already found a way to break it.
However, he did not do so. He merely opened a gap in it.
He silently passed through that gap and entered West Kunlun directly.
Though it was also part of Kunlun Mountain, its scenery naturally differed little from that of East Kunlun.
The trees cast deep shade, while peaks and ravines stretched across the land.
Immortal cranes circled overhead, and spiritual energy drifted through the air.
It truly was an earthly paradise.
Tongtian chose the largest mountain among them and started walking up its slope.
After walking for an unknown length of time, a patch of watery mist suddenly appeared before him.
The mist completely shrouded the mountaintop. Tongtian's eyes lit up. Could there be a treasure in West Kunlun as well?
Filled with curiosity and confusion, he quickly stepped forward.
Within the depths of the mist lay a pool, where a graceful figure was bathing.
Before he had time to think, a flash of snowy white had already entered his vision.
Only one thought remained in his mind: They were truly so white and so big!
He was startled. Every gesture of the figure in the pool carried an air of elegance and nobility.
No matter how slow-witted Tongtian was, he knew that things had taken an improper turn.
This was not the emergence of some treasure. Someone was clearly bathing here.
This was West Kunlun. Who else could bathe atop a mountain here?!
Realizing this, Tongtian did not dare linger. He immediately circulated his mana, and his figure vanished without a trace.
At the same time, the Queen Mother of the West, who had been leisurely bathing, sensed a fluctuation of spiritual power.
She roared furiously, "Who dares be so insolent?!"
The next instant, a streak of light violently struck the spot where Tongtian had disappeared.
However, Tongtian had already fled without a trace, so the attack naturally hit nothing.
The Queen Mother of the West also sensed that the other party had left, and she was utterly ashamed and enraged.
She had never expected someone to dare secretly peep at her while she bathed!
This was her Daoist grounds, and a grand array protected it from the outside world.
By all rights, outsiders should have been completely unable to enter.
Unless this person was highly proficient in arrays. And the fact that he could sneak in without a sound meant that his cultivation was certainly not low.
"The closest people to this palace are the three from East Kunlun Mountain!"
"Could it have been one of them?"
Before you continue