Tantai Xuan had sealed the Netherworld.

  It was done quietly, and very few people across the Five Phoenix Continent even noticed. After all, he had only closed the paths that outsiders could use to enter; the natural pull of fallen souls and the reincarnation cycle remained undisturbed, so the operation of the Three Realms was unaffected.

  Thus, no great commotion arose.

  After sealing the Netherworld, Tantai Xuan began walking its vast lands. He intended to forge an Emperor Weapon of his own.

  Emperor Weapons were, in fact, one of the most important means of elevating a Golden Immortal’s combat power in the Emperor Realm.

  When that golden spear had been hurled from the void rift, if he had possessed an Emperor Weapon to block even a fraction of its force, they would not have been so helpless.

  Forging an Emperor Weapon, however, was no simple task.

  It required not only extremely rare materials but also a tremendous expenditure of effort and spirit.

  Tantai Xuan walked along the banks of the Yellow Springs. Flowers bloomed here and there, dotting the otherwise gloomy river with a strange, eerie beauty.

  These were flowers that grew on the path to death, each one carrying an ominous meaning.

  Yet Tantai Xuan seemed to have thought of something.

  With a single step, he sank into the Yellow Springs.

  Protected by vast karmic power and possessing a Golden Immortal body, Tantai Xuan had no fear of the corrosive power of the Yellow Springs.

  He walked freely within its depths.

  Soon, following the current toward the Sea of Bitterness, he gathered strands of fine white threads from the riverbed.

  Each thread was the condensed remnant soul of a sinful being after being eroded by the Yellow Springs—a single soul filament from each.

  Tantai Xuan continued on, traveling along the Yellow Springs toward the Sea of Bitterness, collecting a total of ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine such filaments.

  These were the remnants left behind by countless sinners who had been gradually corroded and refined over the years.

  Having gathered the filaments, Tantai Xuan emerged from the Sea of Bitterness and sat cross-legged on a small boat drifting across its surface.

  At the bow of the boat, he began weaving the white filaments together, forming pieces of pale cloth.

  Weaving these cloths consumed a great deal of his time and immense power.

  Throughout the process, vast amounts of karma were infused into the fabric.

  Finally, using the white filaments, Tantai Xuan wove them into a book.

  The book radiated immense power, as though it held the authority to decide life and death.

  With every page turned, torrents of karma surged forth, carrying a terrifying curse. Even a Golden Immortal would suffer greatly if they were careless.

  Yet more than anything, this book represented authority.

  With this book in hand, any evildoer in the world could be sentenced to death at the third watch and would not survive until the fifth.

  BOOM!

  The moment the book took shape,

  Lu also sensed it. He had not expected Tantai Xuan to forge an Innate Spiritual Treasure in such a unique way.

  With a casual wave of his hand, he summoned heavenly tribulation lightning, helping Tantai Xuan perfect the final flaws in the book during the crossing.

  The tribulation did not last long.

  But the process caused the entire Sea of Bitterness to boil and seethe.

  Tantai Xuan stood on the boat, clutching the book.

  The instant it was complete, he soared into the sky. His overwhelming aura seemed to illuminate the entire Netherworld.

  Countless departed souls were drawn toward the book.

  Moreover, the book could commune with the heavenly stars, drawing upon the power of the Heavenly Dao itself.

  The city lords of the various cities of the dead all appeared, bowing in congratulations for Tantai Xuan’s creation of an Emperor Weapon.

  …

  In the Ascended Realm,

  After finishing their study of the stele, Micah and Lu Jiulian both sensed the Emperor Weapons forged by Tantai Xuan and Zhu Long.

  They were surprised that the two had succeeded so quickly.

  For a Golden Immortal, an Innate Spiritual Treasure had to be perfectly suited to them.

  This realization brought a slight sense of urgency. After completing their study, they each began preparing to forge their own Emperor Weapons.

  Of course, they did not rush to the Netherworld.

  Although the lower volume of the Nine Revolutions Golden Immortal Scripture was located there, they were not in a hurry—after all, they had not yet finished cultivating the upper volume.

  Once they had completed the sixth revolution of their Golden Immortal bodies, they would head to the Netherworld.

  In truth, the Nine Revolutions Golden Immortal Scripture was not of paramount importance to them.

  If a Golden Immortal cultivated naturally and received the blessings of destiny, the end result would be roughly the same as following a scripture.

  The scripture’s main purpose was to delineate levels of strength.

  “It feels like the world is about to change.”

  Lu Jiulian sat cross-legged on his green lotus, sensing something, and murmured softly.

  But he also felt that, whatever was coming, it probably had little to do with him.

  As a Golden Immortal who avoided entanglement in karma, even the Heavenly Dao could do nothing to him.

  Yet after a long silence,

  Lu Jiulian opened his eyes again.

  “I hope so…” he whispered.

  On the other side,

  Micah also sensed the shifting of heaven and earth. A great calamity was approaching, but he did not care. His mindset was similar to Lu Jiulian’s.

  Besides, he had few ties to the Five Phoenix Continent.

  He was largely indifferent. As long as he stayed out of it, he would be fine.

  …

  On the Western Continent,

  The twelve tribes of the Witch Race gathered their armies and marched eastward. After crossing the vast sea, they set foot on Demon Race territory.

  The war between the Witch Race and the Demon Race had been raging for a long time.

  Ever since the initial spark ignited the conflict, at least four Witch Kings had been stationed outside the Demon Race’s royal court year-round.

  These were four Profound Immortal-level powerhouses, making the Demon Race feel as though they were sitting on pins and needles.

  But over time, the Demon Race had grown stronger. Those special-blooded ten-headed demon beasts who had once entered the Sermon Platform had matured.

  Under the turbulent destiny of the Demon Race, in just a few decades, many had completed their transformation and stepped into the Demon Saint realm.

  There was the Ox Demon Saint, and among the descendants of the Demon Monkey King, a little golden-furred monkey had achieved enlightenment and become the Golden-Furred Demon Saint.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  The Demon Race’s combat power was surging. They were gradually gaining the strength to resist the Witch Race.

  Yet this was only the beginning of the war between the two races.

  At night,

  Wu Qi stood atop a mountain peak, gazing in the direction of the Demon Race royal court.

  Sensing something, he narrowed his eyes and turned toward the vast sea.

  There, a bare-chested figure was slowly walking toward him—none other than Mo Tianyu.

  In this great tribulation, Mo Tianyu had chosen the Witch Race.

  His choice was based on nothing more than intuition.

  “I am Mo Tianyu, from Heavenly Secrets Peak…”

  Mo Tianyu introduced himself.

  Witch King Wu Qi narrowed his eyes.

  “I know you. That Hegemon fellow once mentioned there’s a human who specializes in casting poison hexes for heavenly secrets.”

  Wu Qi grinned broadly.

  At his words, Mo Tianyu’s mouth twitched.

  “I haven’t cast a poison hex in many years.”

  Mo Tianyu said seriously.

  “Did the Hegemon send you? That guy still has some loyalty. Not bad, considering we fought for so many years.”

  Wu Qi burst into laughter.

  When it came to wisdom, Wu Qi knew full well that the Witch Race still lagged behind the human race.

  If the humans were willing to help, conquering the Demon Race might become much easier.

  “Of course, if the Hegemon sent you here to mediate, then you’d better leave right now.”

  Wu Qi said.

  “I’m not here to mediate. I’m here to take a side. The great heavenly tribulation has already begun. You can’t step back even if you want to.”

  “This war must continue, and you must win. If you don’t win… the Witch Race will face a great disaster.”

  Mo Tianyu’s words caused Wu Qi’s pupils to shrink slightly. A Profound Immortal-level aura erupted from him.

  On the other side,

  In the Demon Race royal court,

  Lu Mudui arrived slowly, tapping his bamboo staff.

  He entered the palace.

  The Golden Crow Demon Saint personally came to greet him.

  Seeing no sign of Mo Tianyu, Lu Mudui understood: Mo Tianyu had chosen the Witch Race.

  He sighed softly. Now, Mo Tianyu stood on the opposite side.

  Lu Mudui explained his purpose: he would help the Demon Race win this war.

  The Golden Crow Demon Saint was overjoyed.

  Lu Mudui represented the current master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion—and behind him stood the White Jade Capital.

  With Lu Mudui’s assistance, facing those barbaric witches would surely be an easy victory!

  In terms of Profound Immortal powerhouses, the Demon Race was indeed slightly outnumbered.

  But the Demon Race was not so easily bullied.

  On the Five Phoenix Continent, the Demon Race was currently the undisputed largest faction.

  While humans and witches might have more top-tier experts,

  in terms of ordinary living beings, nothing could compare to the countless small demons scattered across the entire continent.

  What the Demon Race lacked was only peak combat power.

  Even within the Great Xuan Divine Dynasty, there were many traces of the Demon Race. Back during the world-ending catastrophe, humanity had been forcibly suppressed by the Demon Race.

  As dawn’s first light spread across the land,

  the war between the Witch Race and the Demon Race flared up again.

  On the battlefield, Mo Tianyu stood with the Witch Race while Lu Mudui stood with the Demon Race. The two looked at each other and gave a faint smile.

  After that smile, they would become enemies.

  BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

  The battle erupted. The Golden Crow Demon Saint led the Demon Saints in a fierce charge.

  Wu Qi leaped into the fray, and the other Witch Kings also appeared.

  The battle grew more and more intense.

  Great witches and great demons clashed violently across the plains.

  The earth was shattered, mountains were leveled, and countless demons and witches fell.

  The vast sea surged, and the landscape changed beyond recognition.

  Mo Tianyu and Lu Mudui watched the battle with grave expressions. They could feel that, with the fall of so many lives, the destiny of the Demon Race was undergoing massive changes.

  Mo Tianyu pinched his fingers, holding his copper coins, his expression solemn.

  “The Witch Race is untouched by destiny… Could it be that in the future, the Witch Race will become the protagonist of the world?”

  BOOM!

  The Witch Kings, including Wu Qi, returned.

  The Golden Crow led the other Demon Saints back to the palace.

  A battle between Profound Immortals was difficult to decide, and with the assistance of the Heavenly Origin Profound Immortal, the Demon Race showed no signs of defeat.

  This outcome made Mo Tianyu and Lu Mudui believe the great tribulation could still be controlled.

  But when a Demon King fell in battle, the conflict between the two sides instantly became irreconcilable.

  In the Demon Race royal court,

  the atmosphere was oppressively heavy.

  The Golden Crow Demon Saint stared at the body of the Thunder Eagle Demon King being carried back. His body trembled faintly, and an aura of terrifying suppression spread outward.

  The Thunder Eagle King was his father, the one who had once encouraged him.

  And now he had fallen—killed by a great witch.

  “Witches!”

  The Golden Crow Demon Saint’s eyes turned blood-red in an instant.

  Watching this scene, Lu Mudui sighed softly.

  Now, the grudge between the Witch Race and the Demon Race had become completely irreconcilable. The Thunder Eagle King’s death was very likely to become the true spark!

  Rage surged in the Golden Crow Demon Saint’s heart.

  All he could think of was revenge.

  Perhaps it was the hatred that ignited the solar divine fire within him. The Golden Crow Demon Saint shot out of the royal court.

  Though hatred made him want to become a blazing sun in the sky,

  he remained calm.

  He transformed into a streak of light, spread his wings, and soared high into the heavens, concealing his aura as he flew toward the Western Continent.

  He intended to strike deep into the Witch Race’s rear and make them feel pain from this moment onward.

  Lu Mudui pinched his fingers, sensing the increasingly violent destiny of the Demon Race. His expression changed slightly.

  The Golden Crow Demon Saint’s actions would make reconciliation impossible.

  A powerhouse was about to fall!

  Meanwhile, the Witch Race army erupted into celebration. They feasted on meat and drank heavily.

  In this battle, they had slain a Demon King—a joyous victory.

  Of course, it was also just an excuse to eat and drink.

  Mo Tianyu, however, looked grave. He held his copper coins and pointed toward the west, asking the nearest Witch King, Zhu Yan,

  “Is the Western Continent over there—the birthplace of your Witch Race?”

  Zhu Yan was gulping down wine. Hearing this, his eyes lit up.

  “Lord Mo wants to visit the Western Continent? The wine of my Fire God Tribe is the best in the West!”

  Zhu Yan laughed heartily.

  But Mo Tianyu shook his head.

  “The Western Continent… the hexagram is extremely auspicious…”

  “Witch King, you should hurry back and take a look.”

  Zhu Yan took another big gulp. “Auspicious? Then that’s good, isn’t it?”

  Yet he met Mo Tianyu’s strange expression.

  Suddenly, something clicked in Zhu Yan’s mind. The wine jar slipped from his hand and shattered on the ground.

  Didn’t you just say you hadn’t cast poison hexes in years?!

  Witch King Zhu Yan’s face flushed red, but he had no time to speak.

  BOOM!

  He turned into a streak of flame and shot across the sky, disappearing in an instant.

  At that very moment, on the Western Continent,

  the night was vast and dark.

  The Golden Crow spread its wings and descended upon the land.

  In an instant, it let out a resounding cry. Solar divine fire erupted, transforming into a brilliant sun hanging in the sky.

  As its wings swept wide, it was as though ten suns had appeared in the night sky.

  Below, entire Witch Race tribes were engulfed in raging flames in a single moment.

  A great witch from one tribe soared into the sky, roaring in fury.

  But the Golden Crow Demon Saint coldly extinguished him.

  The great witch was reduced to charred remains, falling to the earth.

  Guided by Mo Tianyu’s warning, Zhu Yan rushed back at full speed—just in time to witness the Golden Crow Demon Saint slaughtering the Fire God Tribe.

  BOOM!

  Divine fire erupted as Zhu Yan clashed with the Golden Crow Demon Saint.

  This was a true life-or-death battle between two Profound Immortal-level powerhouses.

  The Golden Crow Demon Saint pushed his bloodline to the extreme.

  Solar divine fire burned like an ocean of flames, incinerating everything.

  Many of his ten golden crow avatars were shattered by Witch King Zhu Yan.

  But Zhu Yan was also gravely wounded.

  Their battle raged from the Western Continent to the vast sea, causing seawater to boil and rise into thick fog.

  When the other Witch Kings learned of the situation, they rushed to the scene.

  After the Golden Crow Demon Saint left, the Demon Saints also realized the severity and joined the battlefield.

  Yet neither Zhu Yan nor the Golden Crow Demon Saint showed any intention of stopping—in fact, the battle grew more ferocious.

  Rumble!

  The clouds churned, and thunder rolled across the sky.

  Finally,

  the Golden Crow Demon Saint unleashed a forbidden technique, forcibly seizing the Demon Race’s destiny to empower himself. He launched a heaven-shaking strike—a spear forged of solar divine fire that pierced straight through Witch King Zhu Yan’s brow.

  In that instant, the world seemed to freeze.

  Witch King Zhu Yan’s eyes widened as he watched the dying Golden Crow Demon Saint flee.

  His body fell, crashing into the vast sea and evaporating countless tons of water.

  Witch King Zhu Yan became the first Witch King to fall in this war.

  High in the night sky, a bright star streaked across the darkness.

  The Golden Crow Demon Saint was cold and ruthless. Having killed a Witch King brought him no joy. Forcibly seizing the Demon Race’s destiny had left him gravely injured. If he could not return to the Demon Race lands, he might very well fall here like Zhu Yan.

  The fall of a Witch King sent shockwaves through the entire Witch Race.

  Wu Qi sensed it and let out a blood-curdling roar. The twelve Witch Kings were bound together; the death of even one was a devastating blow.

  Mo Tianyu stared at the fallen Witch King Zhu Yan, his heart heavy.

  It had begun. The true great tribulation… had begun.

  When Profound Immortals began to fall, the situation would spiral out of control.

  …

  At the Origin Lake, on the central island,

  Lu leaned back in his Thousand-Blade Chair. The Spirit-Pressure Chessboard displayed the current state of the “Calamity of Witches and Demons.”

  Too many lives had been lost in this battle—both demons and witches.

  But the essence of the great heavenly tribulation Lu had set up was not to destroy everything—it was to make the Five Phoenix Continent stronger, to give birth to supreme powerhouses amid the chaos.

  Those who fell were not failures; they simply hadn’t walked the path of strength to its end.

  To Lu, every powerhouse was a source of vast spiritual energy.

  He would never lift a stone only to drop it on his own foot. He would not let these people truly die.

  Lu raised his hand. The heavenly stars above reflected down, and countless rays of divine light gathered in his palm, shifting and coalescing.

  Soon, the power of the Heavenly Dao descended. In the purple bamboo grove, a stone stele took shape.

  The souls of countless beings who had perished in the great tribulation drifted toward the stele.

  “This stele shall be called the Conferred God Stele.”

  Lu said softly.

  As though with a single sentence, he had established a new rule of the Heavenly Dao.

  Those who fell in the great tribulation would not truly die. When the tribulation ended, a divine court would be established, and they would have the chance to receive divine titles.

  However, those who received a divine title would forever be bound by the Heavenly Dao, acting as its enforcers in place of Lu, and would lose the chance to become Ninth-Revolution Golden Immortals.

  Moreover, Lu had already decided who would confer the titles.

  Mo Tianyu and Lu Mudui were standing on opposite sides, weren’t they?

  Whichever one won would be the one to confer the divine titles and receive vast destiny as a reward.

  Buzz…

  As the Conferred God Stele was erected,

  countless departed souls floated in from across the vast sea.

  Ning Zhao, Ni Yu, and Yi Yue were all startled.

  The stele glowed softly.

  Soon, names began to appear engraved upon it.

  Thunder Eagle King, Witch King Zhu Yan, and others.

  Only those who had reached True Immortal level could leave their names on the Conferred God Stele.

  Having finished this task,

  Lu smiled faintly, took another sip of Heavenly Immortal Wine, and resumed placing pieces on the chessboard.

  …

  While the great tribulation spread rapidly across the Five Phoenix Continent,

  in the Ninth Heaven,

  before the Abyss of Nothingness,

  a void rift tens of thousands of miles long slowly tore open.

  An arm reached out from the depths of the rift.

  In its hand was an array disc, its surface flickering with profound array runes.

  “Since the Five Phoenix Continent has become a world of its own, it should bear the disasters it deserves.”

  A faint voice echoed from within the rift.

  The next moment, the array disc was hurled out, falling into the Abyss of Nothingness.