Chapter 488
Capturing the Ancestral Witch Zhurong Alive! Di Jun Forces the Witch Clan to Make a Ten-
Bai Ze, Ji Meng, and other powerful demons, covered in blood and weak, still managed to channel their power into Di Jun to help him suppress Zhu Rong!
Capture him alive!
After paying an unimaginable price, and under the siege of the six Ancestral Witches, Di Jun Taiyi actually led the demon race to severely injure and capture the Ancestral Witch Zhu Rong alive!
"Blessing!"
Gonggong's eyes were bloodshot, and the blood-red ocean beneath his feet was completely boiling!
Qiang Liang was surrounded by extremely violent lightning, and the crackling electric net emitted a piercing shriek. The blood-red glacier beneath Xuan Ming's feet emitted a chilling aura that soared into the sky!
For the first time, a real rage ignited in Zhu Jiuyin's cold pupils!
The Eye of Time shone brightly, and the flow of time around it began to become extremely unstable!
The five Ancestral Witches erupted in fury, their terrifying auras locking onto Di Jun, Tai Yi, and Zhu Rong under their claws!
They were about to launch a devastating attack without regard for anything else!
"stop!"
Di Jun's voice was as cold as ancient ice, echoing through the void!
He tightened his grip on Zhu Rong's neck with his giant claws, and the scorching heat of the sun caused Zhu Rong to let out a shrill scream, and golden blood splattered down!
Di Jun's eyes, burning with golden flames, were fixed on the ancestral witches, including Zhu Jiuyin and Gonggong, who were about to pounce on him. Every word he spoke was like a thunderclap:
"If he dares to take another step forward, I will crush his Ancestral Witch Heart! I will make him perish here! Do you want to try?!"
"Swear an oath? Don't even think about it!"
Zhu Jiuyin's voice was like ice that had stood for millennia, and a chilling killing intent flowed in his eyes of time.
"Why should the Witch Clan compromise with you ants? Release Zhu Rong immediately, or we will wipe out your demon race here today!"
Di Jun tightened his grip on Zhu Rong's neck with his giant claws, and the True Fire of the Sun burned fiercely on the deep, bone-revealing wound on Zhu Rong's neck!
Golden blood of the Ancestral Witch erupted like molten lava, and Zhu Rong let out a heart-wrenching scream. His massive fiery form convulsed violently, and his aura visibly weakened!
"Then let him be buried with us!"
Di Jun's voice was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation, and the eyes of his Golden Crow True Form burned with resolute golden flames.
"A million years! The Wu tribe swears that it will not launch an attack or slaughter against our demon race for a million years! Otherwise, Zhu Rong will immediately perish and his Dao will be destroyed, and the heart of the Ancestral Wu will be reduced to dust!"
"A million years? Wishful thinking!"
The crimson ocean beneath Gonggong's feet surged with towering, furious waves. The lightning around Qiangliang leaped violently, the crackling electric net emitted a piercing shriek, and the chilling aura of Xuanming almost froze time and space!
Millions of years?
This is enough to allow the demon race to recuperate and possibly even make a comeback! The witch race will never agree to this!
"Ten thousand years!"
Di Jun's voice rang out again, carrying an undeniable pressure.
"The Witch Clan swears an oath that for ten thousand years, they will not initiate attacks or massacres against our Demon Clan! This is the bottom line! If they refuse again..."
The true fire of the sun on his giant claws suddenly surged, almost completely engulfing Zhu Rong's head.
"I, the Emperor, will perish together with him, and drag down the billions of demons of the Sun Star, to shatter one of your Witch Clan's Ancestral Witches!"
Ten thousand years!
This moment caused the enraged Ancestral Witches to pause slightly.
Ten thousand years is but a fleeting moment for the great beings of the primordial era. While it is insufficient for the demon race to recover its vitality, it also cannot cause too much of a stir.
More importantly, Zhu Rong's agonizing screams and the rapidly fading life force struck the hearts of every ancestral witch like a heavy hammer.
The twelve ancestral witches are of the same origin. If Zhu Rong were to truly perish here, it would be an unbearable blow to the witch clan!
Zhu Jiuyin's Eye of Time stared intently at Di Jun, then looked at Zhu Rong, who was on the verge of death and in excruciating pain.
Deep within those cold pupils lay a fierce struggle of anger and weighing of options.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment, and only Zhu Rong's painful howls and the hissing sound of the true fire of the sun burning the body of the ancestral witch remained in the void.
"it is good!"
Zhu Jiuyin's voice sounded as if it were squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying endless humiliation and coldness.
"Ten thousand years! The Wu Clan swears that for ten thousand years, they will not initiate attacks or slaughter of the demon race! If they break this oath, may heaven and earth forsake them!"
"If I break this oath, may heaven and earth forsake me!"
Gonggong, Qiangliang, Xizi, and Xuanming also spoke at the same time, their voices shaking the laws of heaven!
An invisible power of Heaven descended, and the oath was fulfilled!
A golden light flashed in Di Jun's eyes, and without the slightest hesitation, he suddenly loosened the giant claw that was gripping Zhu Rong's neck!
However, just as Zhu Rong's enormous fiery form was about to escape control, Di Jun opened his mouth and spat out a condensed crimson-gold solar fire!
This true fire did not attack Zhu Rong's body surface, but rather, with unparalleled precision, it followed the huge wound on Zhu Rong's neck and instantly burrowed into his body, heading straight for the beating heart of the Ancestral Witch!
"what--!!!"
Zhu Rong let out an unprecedentedly shrill scream, and his entire body convulsed violently!
His heart, which was formed from the pure laws of fire, was struck hard by the true fire of the sun, which contained the full force of Di Jun's attack!
Golden flames exploded inside its heart, burning and destroying the very essence of the Ancestral Witch's Heart!
"Di Jun! You're asking for death!"
Zhu Jiuyin's eyes widened in fury, and his Eye of Time suddenly burst forth with blinding light!
An invisible force of time instantly enveloped Zhu Rong!
Under this force, the destructive speed of the rampant solar fire in Zhurong's heart was forcibly reduced by ten thousand times!
It was as if time had frozen in that small area!
"go!"
With a roar, Gonggong's massive water form took a step forward, his enormous hand grabbing Zhurong, who was barely breathing, his heart enveloped in golden flames, and temporarily "frozen" by the power of time, and hoisting him onto his shoulder!
Qiangliang, Xizi, and Xuanming stood guard on both sides. Zhujiuyin gave Dijun and Taiyi a deep look, his gaze so cold it could freeze their souls.
The Eye of Time turned again, and the figures of the six Ancestral Witches, along with Zhu Rong who was being carried, vanished instantly into the distorted void, leaving behind only the overwhelming killing intent and humiliation that lingered for a long time.
Outside the Sun Star, there was a deathly silence.
Only the shattered void, the floating corpses of demons and fragments of magical artifacts, and the thick, overwhelming stench of blood and malevolent energy silently recounted the extremely brutal battle that had just taken place.
Throughout the primordial wilderness, the divine senses that were spying on the situation fluctuated violently, and discussions arose one after another.
"After ten thousand years of gasping for breath... the demon race has been spared a life."
"The price is too high! Billions of demons have perished, and less than one-tenth of their core strength remains! Ten thousand years? That will pass in the blink of an eye! The Witch Clan has a deep foundation; ten thousand years from now, what will the demons use to resist?"
"Di Jun was too ruthless! That last move almost destroyed Zhu Rong's Ancestral Witch Heart! If Zhu Jiuyin's power of time had been even a fraction slower, Zhu Rong would probably have been crippled!"
"What good is ruthlessness? It's ultimately a case of drinking poison to quench thirst. Ten thousand years later, the Witch Clan will return with overwhelming fury, and the Demon Clan will likely face annihilation."
"What about the Celestial Court? Will the Eastern King Duke just stand by and watch the demon race be wiped out?"
"It's hard to say... Under the great calamity, even we ourselves will be unable to protect ourselves..."
On the Sun Star, the demon cultivators who survived the calamity looked at their devastated homeland and the countless fallen comrades around them, their grief and bewilderment intertwined.
Ten thousand years? This brief peace was bought with the blood of countless kin.
Emperor Jun's Golden Crow true form withdrew its light and transformed into human form. His face was as pale as paper, and his aura was weak, indicating that he had consumed a great deal of energy.
Taiyi, Bai Ze, Ji Meng and other powerful figures were all injured and their auras were weak.
Di Jun's gaze swept over the demon race below, who had survived the calamity but whose morale was low. His voice carried an undeniable authority.
"Pass on the order!"
All demons, rest here for three days! After three days, break camp and migrate as a whole—our destination: the Hundred Thousand Mountains!
"The Ten Thousand Mountains?" Upon hearing this, the demon race below erupted in an uproar. Many demon cultivators showed resistance and confusion on their faces.
"Your Majesty! The Sun Star is the birthplace of our demon race. How can we easily abandon it?"
"Yes! The Ten Thousand Mountains are a wild and dangerous place, filled with miasma and teeming with ferocious beasts. How can it serve as a foundation?"
"We would rather defend the Sun Star to the death and fight the Witch Clan to the death!"
Di Jun's gaze swept over the excited demons with lightning speed, and his voice suddenly turned cold.
"Defend to the death? What can we use to defend? With the twelve ancestral witches of the Witch Clan all present, and the Dutian Divine Fiend Formation activated, the Sun Star will be reduced to ashes in an instant! Do you want this last bloodline to be buried here as well?"
He paused, his voice softening slightly, yet carrying a deeper meaning.
"The Ten Thousand Mountains are treacherous, with countless natural restrictions and ancient malevolent energy that can block the divine sense of powerful beings from probing them!"
The Witch Clan is large in size and has limited mobility, making it difficult for them to fight on a large scale! Our Demon Clan, on the other hand, can break into smaller groups, rely on the treacherous terrain, disperse and hide, and recuperate!
This is a strategy of trading space for time, accumulating strength, and waiting for the opportune moment! Do you all understand?!
Despite his injuries, Bai Ze spoke loudly.
"Your Majesty is absolutely right! The Hundred Thousand Mountains may seem treacherous, but they are the only way out for our demon race! Only by preserving our seed can we have a future! Fellow comrades, do you really want the millions of our kin who have perished today to have sacrificed themselves in vain?"
Di Jun and Bai Ze's words were like a wake-up call, gradually calming down the initially agitated and resistant demon cultivators.
Looking at the shattered landscape around them, feeling the blood of their kin permeating the air, and then thinking of the terrifying, world-destroying power of the Witch Clan…
Holding onto the Sun Star would indeed only lead to certain death.
Although the environment in the Ten Thousand Mountains is harsh, at least... there is still hope for survival! There is still a possibility of making a comeback!
"I will obey Your Majesty's decree!"
Ji Meng was the first to kneel down on one knee and respond in a hoarse voice.
"I will obey Your Majesty's decree!"
Powerful beings such as Yingzhao, Feilian, and Jiuying followed closely behind.
"I will obey Your Majesty's decree!"
Hundreds of millions of demon cultivators, filled with sorrow and determination, shouted in unison!
The sounds converged, and although they were not as earth-shattering as those of the previous battle-spirited behemoth, they carried a greater sense of heaviness and resilience.
Inside the Pangu Hall on Mount Buzhou, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the calm before a storm.
"One Hundred Thousand Mountains?!"
Dijiang Zuwu slammed his hand on the stone seat, and the hard Pangu Stone was cracked!
His eyes blazed with fury.
"What a brilliant move by Di Jun! What a masterful escape from danger!"
Zhu Jiuyin's face was so gloomy it could drip water, and a cold light flashed in his Eyes of Time.
"The Ten Thousand Mountains... an ancient and malevolent land, with countless natural restrictions and an endless expanse... If the demon race were to disperse and hide within it, it would be like a drop of water falling into the ocean. To completely eradicate them would be difficult! difficult! difficult!"
Gonggong carefully placed Zhurong, whose breath was weak and whose heart was sealed with golden flames by the power of time, in the pool of evil energy to nurture him. Upon hearing this, he became even more furious.
"It's all because of that reckless Zhu Rong! If he hadn't been so greedy for merit and reckless, and hadn't been captured by Di Jun, would we have made that humiliating oath? And would we have given the demon race the chance to escape into the Hundred Thousand Mountains!"
Qiang Liang was surrounded by violent lightning.
"Ten thousand years! We can't take the initiative for ten thousand years! Are we just going to watch those hairy beasts hide away and lick their wounds?"
Houtu looked at Zhurong, who was unconscious in the pool of evil energy, with worry in her eyes, and said softly.
"The oath has been made, and Heaven bears witness; it cannot be broken. However... the demon race's retreat into the Ten Thousand Mountains will indeed pose an endless threat to our Wu clan. We must make plans as soon as possible."
Zhu Jiuyin suppressed the murderous intent surging in his heart, his voice icy cold.
"The oath only said not to launch attacks and massacres, but it didn't say they weren't allowed to come out! Pass down the order to closely monitor all exits of the Ten Thousand Mountains!"
Any demon daring to take a single step forward will be killed without mercy! At the same time, intensify the training of our warriors and practice the Heavenly Divine Fiend Formation! When the ten thousand years are up, the demon race will be utterly annihilated!
At the summit of Mount Sumeru, demonic energy surged.
Di Jun (his clone) stood quietly, with the miniature palace floating in front of him, filled with chaotic energy—the Heavenly Mystery Palace.
His gaze seemed to pierce through the palace, landing on the distant sun star, on the Golden Crow who was leading his remaining forces, carrying the hopes and burdens of the entire demon race, and trudging arduously towards the Ten Thousand Mountains.
An indescribable sense of constraint, like an invisible shackle, entwined around his Dao heart.
The identity of a time traveler, the mysterious "system," the innate treasure "Tianji Palace" from the Primordial Era, Hongjun's schemes, the trajectory of the Lich War...
It all seemed as if an invisible hand was manipulating it.
Is he the player? Or... a carefully placed piece?
This feeling of having his fate controlled and his future planned out caused his Dao heart to fluctuate violently, his aura to become slightly unstable, and he even began to doubt and waver about his own existence.
"Humph!"
A cold, mocking laugh rang out beside him, and Rahu glanced at him with his scarlet eyes.
"What? Are you terrified by the Witch Clan? Or have you been bewitched by that old man Hongjun's methods? An unstable Dao heart is a major taboo in cultivation!"
That sneer instantly jolted Di Jun (his clone) awake from his nearly lost state of mind!
He snapped back to reality, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.
Just now, he almost lost his Dao heart and fell into the trap of self-doubt!
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the chaotic thoughts churning in his mind, and his eyes regained their depth and determination.
He looked at Luo Hou, a complex smile curving his lips.
"Scared out of my wits? Not really. It's just... I feel more and more that the waters of this primordial world are unfathomable. However," he changed the subject, casting his gaze upon the primordial land as if he could see the demon race struggling to migrate.
"The protagonist of this great calamity is naturally protected by destiny. Ten thousand years is enough time for many things to change."
Hongjun will not allow the demon race to be easily destroyed, and I…”
He paused, his voice lowering, carrying a doubt that only he could hear.
"It may not necessarily follow the trajectory set by others."
The Heavenly Palace rotated slightly in his palm, and the chaotic energy swirled around it, completely obscuring the final whisper.
The ancient times have passed in the long, primordial era. Countless years have gone by since that fierce first war between the lich and the demons.
Deep within the Ten Thousand Mountains, miasma permeates the air, ferocious beasts lurk in the shadows, and the billions of demons that once gathered here have completely vanished without a trace.
Relying on the treacherous mountain terrain and natural barriers, they broke into smaller groups and recuperated amidst hardship, healing the deep wounds left by that great battle.
Meanwhile, the Wu tribe, like a silent behemoth, was accumulating power in the ancestral land of Buzhou Mountain, while simultaneously pushing and gathering countless Wu tribes towards the outer perimeter of the Ten Thousand Mountains!
Once the ten thousand-year period arrives, we will unleash a thunderous force to completely annihilate the demons hiding there and eliminate any future troubles!
However, at this moment, the focus of attention in the primordial world was not the silent struggle in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, but the Purple Cloud Palace floating in the chaos above the nine heavens!
The time for the second sermon by Dao Ancestor Hongjun is fast approaching!
The last time Zixiao Palace held a lecture, it transmitted the Great Luo Dao, enlightened countless Golden Immortals, and laid the foundation for the current cultivation landscape of the primordial world. (End of this chapter)