In the entire Primordial World, beneath the Saints, aside from Eastern Emperor Taiyi himself, which other Quasi-Saint could this ancestor fear in a one-on-one fight?!
A sharp glint flashed through Kunpeng's eyes. "Swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao that after you kill Zhunti, you will join me in besieging Jieyin and must not flee!"
"Rest assured, this ancestor is not like you. You must also swear a great oath to the Heavenly Dao to risk your life holding Jieyin back, giving this ancestor time to kill Zhunti!"
"It's a deal!"
Kunpeng's eyes lit up, and the two each swore their respective oaths.
They then discussed and decided that Ancestor Minghe would use the Sea of Blood to flood Mount Sumeru, kill Jieyin and Zhunti, and seize the Hongmeng Purple Qi!
While the two were discussing this, Ancestor Hongjun slowly opened his eyes in the Purple Cloud Palace.
"Alas, can't you settle down for a while?"
As his words fell, Ancestor Hongjun raised a hand and pointed. A speck of mysterious light crossed the chaos and flew westward.
If the Sea of Blood truly flooded Mount Sumeru, bolstered by the Sea of Blood, coupled with the two swords of slaughter, Yuantu and Abi, as well as the Karma Red Lotus, Zhunti would most likely be in trouble.
Among the Six Saints of the Heavenly Dao, the Three Pure Ones had Pangu's creation merit as their foundation, along with the merit of enlightenment and instruction. Their merit was complete. Nuwa's Human Creation Merit was also substantial. In the end, there had to be two people who would work for the Heavenly Dao.
Jieyin and Zhunti were neither especially strong nor especially weak, and they did not care much for appearances. The two of them were the most suitable candidates and could not be lost.
Hongjun glanced down at Minghe. The murderous aura of the Sea of Blood was too heavy; attaining the Dao through it would harm the harmony of Heaven. As for Kunpeng, his Dao was not impossible, but he was alone and lacked support.
Originally, in Hongjun's heart, Hongyun and Kunpeng had been the first choices. Otherwise, the two of them would not have arrived so early.
Of the Three Thousand Guests of Zixiao Palace, there were only six seats. Who arrived first and who arrived later had always been under Hongjun's control.
Once one entered the chaos, speed of travel did not entirely depend on the strength of one's cultivation. It also depended on the Saints' intentions. If a Saint did not want you to arrive early, no amount of strength would help.
Kunpeng was much like Zhunti, unconcerned with appearances, while Hongyun had a generous nature and deep blessings. The two would have made a suitable pair.
Yet the two could not work together, and the spots were instead taken by the two from the West. Fate was simply like that and could not be forced. This was also a good chance to repay the West for a karmic debt.
After doing all this, Ancestor Hongjun closed his eyes once more. Profound Dao essence spread around him, the Three Thousand Great Daos circling his body as he continued comprehending the Dao.
In the Primordial World, the two settled on their strategy and immediately transformed into streaks of light, flying toward the Sea of Blood. The Western Two Sages were ultimately at the peak of the Quasi-Saint Realm. They had to make full preparations. Without the Sea of Blood's blessing, killing peak Quasi-Saints would likely be difficult!
The two transformed into mysterious light and entered the Netherworld Sea of Blood. The instant Ancestor Minghe stepped into the Sea of Blood, towering waves surged within it. His aura abruptly rose by thirty percent, instantly surpassing Kunpeng's.
Ancestor Minghe extended his hand, and two long swords overflowing with chilling killing intent appeared in it. One was blood-red, the other black as night. The moment he grasped the swords, his aura changed dramatically. The terrifying killing intent made Kunpeng's soul tremble, and his entire body felt as though it were being pierced by needles!
Seeing this, Kunpeng was secretly alarmed. As expected of Ancestor Minghe, who sought the Dao through slaughter, one of the most vicious figures in the Primordial World. With such might, even without him, Ancestor Minghe might have dared to charge Mount Sumeru alone!
Killing intent surged around Ancestor Minghe, yet it remained entirely within the Netherworld Sea of Blood, without the slightest trace spilling into the Primordial World.
"Go!"
Ancestor Minghe immediately soared into the sky. The Sea of Blood below rose alongside him, like a blood-colored pillar connecting Heaven and Earth, spreading toward the Primordial World.
Wherever the Sea of Blood passed, killing intent filled the air, and all things were corroded by it. Just as it was about to leave the Netherworld and enter the Primordial World—
A vast voice resounded between Heaven and Earth.
"I, Jieyin!"
"I, Zhunti!"
"Moved by the barrenness of the West and the suffering of its countless beings, we establish the Western Teaching to enlighten all living beings. We use the Twelve-Grade Golden Lotus of Merit to suppress its fortune. We ask the Heavenly Dao to bear witness!"
As their words fell, an indifferent will emerged between Heaven and Earth. A vast pillar of merit descended from the void, reaching from Heaven to Earth. Boundless merit flowed into Jieyin and Zhunti's bodies, their auras rising layer by layer as a transcendent presence radiated from them. The entire Primordial World shook.
Yet in the next moment, the overwhelming Saintly Might everyone expected did not arrive. Their auras actually stopped rising, while the Hongmeng Purple Qi within their souls had fused only halfway, with the remaining half unable to merge.
The two exchanged glances. Just as expected, they immediately spoke together:
"If I attain sainthood!"
"First vow: when I attain the Dao, if there are hells, hungry ghosts, or beasts in my land, I shall not attain perfect enlightenment."
"Second vow: when I attain the Dao, if heavenly beings in my land, after their lives end, are reborn into the three evil paths, I shall not attain perfect enlightenment."
"Third vow: when I attain the Dao, if the heavenly beings in my land are not all of true golden hue, I shall not attain perfect enlightenment."
"Fourth vow: when I attain the Dao, if the heavenly beings in my land differ in form and appearance, with beauty and ugliness among them, I shall not attain perfect enlightenment."
"Fifth vow: when I attain the Dao, if the heavenly beings in my land do not know their past lives, down to knowing the affairs of hundreds of billions of nayutas of kalpas, I shall not attain perfect enlightenment."
"..."
"Forty-fifth vow: when I attain the Dao, if the bodhisattvas of other lands hear my name, they shall all attain the Samadhi of Universal Equality. Abiding in this samadhi until they attain the Dao, they shall constantly see immeasurable, inconceivable, all-encompassing Tathagatas. If this is not so, I shall not attain perfect enlightenment."
"Forty-sixth vow: when I attain the Dao, the bodhisattvas in my land shall naturally hear whatever Dharma they wish to hear according to their aspirations. If this is not so, I shall not attain perfect enlightenment."
"Forty-seventh vow: when I attain the Dao, if bodhisattvas from other lands hear my name and do not immediately attain the state of non-retrogression, I shall not attain perfect enlightenment."
"Forty-eighth vow: when I attain the Dao, if bodhisattvas from other lands hear my name and do not immediately attain the first, second, and third forbearance of Dharma, and cannot immediately attain non-retrogression in all dharmas, I shall not attain perfect enlightenment."
With every great vow they made, merit descended from the heavens. Only after all forty-eight great vows had been established did the merit bestowed by the Heavenly Dao barely become sufficient for the two to attain sainthood. As the forty-eighth vow was completed, the Hongmeng Purple Qi in Jieyin and Zhunti's minds finally fused completely into their bodies.
In an instant, Heaven and Earth trembled. Endless golden and rosy light swept across the land, and terrifying Saintly Might that transcended everything enveloped the Primordial World.
The final two Saints among the Heaven-ordained Six Saints took their places. From this point onward, the Primordial World had completely entered the era of Saints!
"We pay respects to the Saints!"
Across the vast Primordial World, countless living beings respectfully bowed.
Within the Netherworld Sea of Blood, Ancestor Minghe and Kunpeng froze on the spot. The Sea of Blood, which had been rising toward the sky, fell back down.
Damn it, they had been one step too late!
Both of their expressions turned exceedingly ugly, especially Ancestor Minghe's. The six Saints designated by the Dao Ancestor had all attained sainthood. From now on, the chance to attain the Dao was vanishingly small.
Thinking of how the two people he could have just killed had now become lofty Saints, Ancestor Minghe felt deeply displeased.
Suddenly, two terrifying wills descended upon the Netherworld Sea of Blood. Their thoughts took form, becoming the appearances of Jieyin and Zhunti. At this moment, both their faces were as dark as the bottom of a pot.
The moment they attained sainthood, the secrets of Heaven became clear. While they had both been Quasi-Saints, they naturally could not deduce Ancestor Minghe and Kunpeng. But the instant they became Saints, aside from Saints and Innate Supreme Treasures, no one could conceal the secrets of Heaven from their eyes.
Ancestor Minghe and Kunpeng's plot to kill them and seize the Hongmeng Purple Qi was immediately discovered by the two.
It instantly frightened both of them into breaking out in cold sweat. With Ancestor Minghe's strength, combined with Ancestor Kunpeng, if they had been caught unprepared, the two truly might have followed in Hongyun's footsteps.
Seeing that the Saints had learned of their scheme, both their expressions changed drastically. Kunpeng's face instantly turned deathly pale, and he cursed Ancestor Minghe fiercely in his heart.
The greatest benefit of this expedition was the Hongmeng Purple Qi, while the greatest risk was failing to kill them and being remembered by Saints. Well, now they had not even left the Sea of Blood before being remembered by Saints.
If they had at least tried and failed to kill them, they would have put their plan into action. But now, they had done nothing and still incurred such a world-shattering karmic debt.
Today, he was likely doomed to be reduced to ashes. For a moment, Kunpeng's heart was utterly despairing.
Ancestor Minghe's expression was also extremely ugly. Seeing the increasingly unfriendly looks in the eyes of the two Saints, along with the irresistible powerful aura in the void, Ancestor Minghe hardened his heart and immediately used every prepared method at his disposal.
With a thought from Ancestor Minghe, the Sea of Blood below instantly erupted in towering waves.
Kunpeng was stunned. Was Minghe going to fight the Saints? Yet in the next instant, a trace of killing intent flashed through Kunpeng's eyes. True enough, at this point, they had no choice but to fight.
Kunpeng's aura abruptly changed, his robes fluttering without wind. In the sky, a terrifying black shadow that seemed capable of shaking Heaven and covering the sun faintly appeared, and a savage ancient aura swept forth.
But in the next moment, Minghe's voice reached Kunpeng's ears.
"I, Minghe, sense that Heaven and Earth are incomplete. Today, I create the Asura Clan of the Sea of Blood, completing the Dao of Slaughter in the Primordial World. I ask the Heavenly Dao to bear witness!"
Kunpeng instantly froze, staring wide-eyed at Minghe. His eyes held three parts bewilderment, three parts astonishment, and four parts panic, an exceedingly complicated expression.
As Ancestor Minghe's words fell, the Sea of Blood churned, and three thousand blood-colored beings were born. There were fifteen hundred men and fifteen hundred women. The men had ugly faces and towering builds, while every woman was remarkably beautiful. These three thousand innate Asuras, sustained by the origin of the Sea of Blood, were born directly into the Golden Immortal Realm!
At the same time, the indifferent will between Heaven and Earth appeared again. A thick pillar of merit descended from the heavens. Forty percent flowed into Ancestor Minghe's body, thirty percent into the three thousand Asuras, and thirty percent into the Sea of Blood below.
Ancestor Minghe did not hesitate in the slightest. The instant the merit entered his body, he chose to raise his cultivation. For a time, his cultivation, which had already reached the peak of the Quasi-Saint Realm and could advance no further, rose somewhat again. Though it was not much and insufficient to cause a qualitative change, it had still improved.
He took one step beyond the peak of the Quasi-Saint Realm!
As the merit descended, Ancestor Minghe showed no hesitation and spoke again. "I, Minghe, establish the Asura Teaching to enlighten the Asura Clan. I use the Twelve-Grade Karma Red Lotus to suppress the fortune of the Asura Teaching. I ask the Heavenly Dao to bear witness!"
His voice spread throughout the Primordial World. Another thick pillar of merit descended and merged into Ancestor Minghe's body. Ancestor Minghe's fortune strengthened greatly once more, yet he still remained within the scope of a Quasi-Saint.
Ancestor Minghe's face became incomparably ugly!
The Heavenly Dao was unfair!
Why was there so little merit?
This ancestor's Asura Clan was countless times stronger than the human race. It would have been one thing if its merit were not greater than that of the human race, but it was actually so much less. The combined merit from creating the Asura Clan and establishing a Great Sect was not even as much as Nuwa creating humans!
How could this be?!
The Heavenly Dao was unfair!
Aura surged within Ancestor Minghe's body, and towering waves rose in the Sea of Blood. His face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
Ancestor Minghe's original plan had been to first kill Jieyin and Zhunti, seize the Hongmeng Purple Qi, then use the Sea of Blood as support to create a race stronger than the human race. After creating the race, he would establish a teaching to enlighten it and gather all the merit for himself, becoming in one stroke the strongest Saint beneath Hongjun, surpassing the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa.
Yet Jieyin and Zhunti had not been killed. The Asura Clan and Asura Teaching had been successfully created, but the merit he received was far less than he had imagined.
None of his plans had achieved their intended results.
Zhunti saw through Minghe's scheme and immediately sneered inwardly. What a lovely dream. The human race is the eternal protagonist of Heaven and Earth, the race best suited to the development of the Primordial World. How could the Asura Clan possibly compare?
Before you continue