Everyone Arrives, Think It Over Carefully
At the end of the stone steps lay a vast and open palace.
The dome is over ten zhang high and is made of a single piece of black crystal stone. It is engraved with totems of countless stars and Black Bird chasing the sun, and a faint golden halo flows deep in the patterns.
Nine bronze tripods, each as tall as a person, are arranged on both sides of the hall. Inside the tripods burn ever-burning flames of translucent seven colors, burning quietly without a trace of smoke.
In the very center of the hall, a three-zhang-long (approximately 10 meters) long black jade coffin lay silently.
The coffin is smooth and lustrous, covered with intricate bird-script inscriptions and totem patterns. On the coffin lid, a lifelike Black Bird with outstretched wings appears to break through the stone surface and soar into the heavens.
Three feet above the coffin, a perfectly round ball of light, about the size of a fist, was slowly floating and rotating.
This is the Primordial Dao Fruit.
It was more solid than it was in the Chaos Abyss, and the seven-colored halo spread out in circles like water ripples. With each rotation, it exuded a vast and gentle primordial aura.
The Spiritual Qi within the entire palace was so dense it was almost liquefied. Taking a breath of it, one felt nourished throughout the body, and even the bottleneck in one's cultivation showed signs of loosening.
Along with it, there was also an ancient, profound, and compassionate Daoist aura.
It was as if it were not a treasure to be stolen, but an observer who had looked down over 100,000 years, quietly watching the people coming and going in their struggle.
"This is the Primordial Dao Fruit..."
Fang Hexuan stood beside Li Yunjing, muttering to himself, his eyes filled with shock.
They emerged from the secret passage and landed in the shadows on the side of the main hall.
Yuanchu gazed at the ball of light, his brows furrowing slightly. A complex emotion flickered in his clear eyes—familiarity, pity, and a hint of barely perceptible weariness.
"It's more stable than before," Yuanchu said in a low voice. "The great formation here is nurturing it."
Looking at the black jade coffin, Zhenyangzi sighed, "Biyuan Ancestor Black Bird, who sacrificed his own life to Heaven-Burying Grand Formation and seal his Dao Fruit, such magnanimity is truly admirable."
Zhi Qianshu led the warriors of Biyuan to kneel on the ground and respectfully kowtow three times to the coffin, their eyes red-rimmed.
Although the vision of the resurrection of the First Ancestor was shattered, this ancestor who sacrificed himself to protect the world still deserves their eternal reverence.
Just then,
Boom!
The heavy stone door at the main entrance of the main hall was smashed to pieces by tremendous force.
A white spiritual light surged in like a tide. Zhang Jianchen, dressed in a white robe, entered side by side with the two Loose Immortal, Xuanjizi and Yunyouzi. Behind them were the leaders and elders of the seven core sects, and thousands of elite disciples filed in, instantly occupying the east side of the main hall.
Almost simultaneously, the western wall of the palace also collapsed with a roar.
Heavenly Devil energy surged in, Yan Tianjin, dressed in a black dragon-patterned demonic robe, with a cold and stern face, exuded a terrifying aura of the Loose Immortal Realm.
The three great demon generals, Blood Baleful Intent, Bone Spirit, and Yin Corpse, followed closely behind, and experts from the Thirty-Six Devil Sects filed in, filling the western hall with a dense, dark mass.
Both sides arrived at almost the same time.
Their gazes met in mid-air, and a murderous intent instantly filled the air.
"Zhang Jianchen," Yan Tianjin spoke, his voice icy, "Ten thousand years have passed, and your righteous path remains as persistent as ever."
"Yan Tianjin." Zhang Jianchen's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness, "The Dao Fruit is a public treasure of Heaven and Earth. If it falls into the hands of the demonic path, it will only bring devastation to the world. Naturally, I must come."
"Public property?" Yan Tianjin scoffed, his gaze fixed on the Dao Fruit above the coffin, a burning greed flashing in his eyes. "Whoever gets it, it's theirs. Enough talk, let's see who's the best!"
Before he finished speaking, he moved.
Yan Tianjin's figure flickered, transforming into a black lightning bolt, rushing straight towards the Dao Fruit in the center.
With his right hand raised, a colossal handprint, capable of blotting out the sky, materialized out of thin air, carrying the power to destroy everything, and was about to seize the coffin and the Dao Fruit together.
"Yan Tianjin, how dare you!"
Xuanjizi and Yunyouzi moved at the same time.
Two streaks of light, one white and one purple, instantly blocked the path to the Dao Fruit.
Xuanjizi, the Rogue Person, flicked his whisk, and thousands of white threads wove together to form a thick shield of light.
The Yunyouzi Rogue Person his divine sword high, and purple divine lightning gathered into a sea of thunder, meeting the giant handprint.
Boom!!!
The moment the three collided, the entire main hall trembled violently.
The rubble from the dome fell in a flurry, the ancient bronze cauldrons on both sides hummed, and the low-level cultivators near the battlefield retreated, their faces pale.
The shockwave dissipated, Dao Fruit trembled violently. Its seven-colored light flickered intensely a few times, showing faint signs of dissipating and escaping.
"Stop!!"
Xuanjizi shouted sternly.
Yan Tianjin also stopped his attack, frowning as he stared at the unstable Dao Fruit.
He could clearly feel that the spatial fluctuations of the Dao Fruit were intensifying. If it were to be impacted a few more times, it would probably Rend Space and escape, just like last time.
"Yan Tianjin, do you want Dao Fruit to escape again?" Yunyouzi stood with his sword, surrounded by lightning. "An opportunity only comes once every ten thousand years. If you want to wait another ten thousand years, I'll accompany you to the end."
Yan Tianjin's face was gloomy.
He certainly didn't want to wait.
After the Demonic Path was defeated 100,000 years ago, he became the Demon Emperor and naturally led the Demonic Path to the top. However, he was sealed by the Righteous Path for 10,000 years, and the Demonic Path was forced to hide.
Now that we've finally waited for the Dao Fruit to appear in the world, if we let it escape again, who knows when the next one will come?
But he was unwilling to give up just like that.
Zhang Jianchen spoke up at this moment, his voice steady. "Yan Tianjin, you and I both know that the Dao Fruit has a spirit and cannot withstand violent impacts. If we really frighten it away, neither of us will be able to obtain it."
"In my opinion, before we find a way to stabilize the Dao Fruit, neither of us should resort to fighting to seize it, nor should we engage in a full-scale battle within the hall. Otherwise, it will be a lose-lose situation, and neither of us will escape unscathed."
Yan Tianjin narrowed his eyes and weighed the options for a moment.
He knew Zhang Jianchen was telling the truth.
The last time Chaos Abyss was because he attacked in anger, which startled the Dao Fruit away.
If a fight breaks out again in the closed Burial Ground palace this time, Dao Fruit will probably escape even faster.
"Alright," Yan Tianjin said slowly, "We won't make a move for now, but no one is allowed to secretly covet the Dao Fruit. Anyone who dares to touch it will face my wrath."
"That's exactly right." Xuanjizi nodded.
The two sides reached a fragile agreement.
The righteous and the demonic factions retreated to their respective east and west sides, clearly separated, and stood in distant confrontation.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the Dao Fruit in the center, their gazes burning with desire, yet no one dared to cross the line.
The atmosphere inside the hall was oppressive, as if frozen in time; murderous intent lurked everywhere, yet there was an eerie calm.
Zhang Jianchen glanced around and spotted Li Yunjing and his group in the shadows of the side hall. He nodded slightly, signaling them to come over.
Li Yunjing led everyone to the righteous faction's camp and bowed respectfully. "Alliance Leader, Two Ancestors."
"Sect Leader Li, it's good that you're all alright." Zhang Jianchen nodded, his gaze sweeping over Zhenyangzi and Yuanchu before returning to Li Yunjing. "I heard you were swept away by the teleportation array. Did you find anything along the way?"
Li Yunjing looked up at the menacing demonic cultivators opposite him, then at the Dao Fruit floating in the center of the hall, and said in a deep voice, "Alliance Leader, Elders, I have discovered the truth about the Dao Fruit in the secret chamber. This matter is of utmost importance, concerning the lives of everyone. I request that you all dismiss yourselves."
"Oh?" A hint of surprise flashed in Zhang Jianchen's eyes.
Xuanjizi stroked his beard and said, "Speak freely. These are all core personnel; they are trustworthy."