Chapter 503
: The Third Lecture at Zixiao Palace Reveals Shocking News! The Sage is Actually a Puppet
"Very well. I wish to borrow the Hetu and Luoshu from the Demon Emperor Jun to study and comprehend them for ten years. After ten years, I will return them to you. If you agree, I will show the demon race a way to survive. If not... then you can pray for your own good fortune."
Borrowing the Hetu and Luoshu diagrams?! Ten years of study?!
Bai Ze's pupils constricted sharply! The Hetu Luoshu was Emperor Jun's innate treasure, and also the core foundation of the Demon Court's Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array!
If this treasure is lost, the Demon Court's defenses will be rendered useless!
This demand... is practically threatening the very lifeblood of the demon race!
However, Bai Ze hesitated for only a moment before suddenly kowtowing.
"Your request is granted on behalf of His Majesty! Please wait a moment, senior! I will immediately send word to His Majesty!"
Without hesitation, he activated a secret technique, and a divine thought traversed endless space, instantly arriving at the Sun Star Demon Court!
The Sun Star, the Demon Court Palace.
Di Jun and Tai Yi are overwhelmed with worries about the rise of the Wu Clan and the perilous situation of the Demon Court.
Upon receiving Bai Ze's divine message, Di Jun's expression instantly turned extremely ugly!
"The Hetu and Luoshu?!"
He wants to borrow the Hetu and Luoshu?!
Taiyi was furious.
"This is the foundation of my Demon Court! How dare we lend it out?! This old scoundrel is clearly trying to take advantage of our misfortune!"
Di Jun's eyes flashed intensely, his fingers digging deeply into his palms. He understood the importance of the Hetu and Luoshu better than anyone!
But... the life and death of the demon race is right before our eyes!
Without the guidance of the Celestial Mystery Taoist, facing the army of the Witch Clan led by the Twelve Quasi-Saint Ancestral Witches, the Demon Court... is doomed!
Give it to him!
Di Jun suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with a resolute madness.
"Bai Ze! Tell him! I have granted your permission! The Hetu and Luoshu will be delivered immediately!"
"Big brother!"
Taiichi exclaimed in surprise.
"No need for further words!"
Di Jun waved his hand to interrupt, his voice hoarse.
"Compared to the survival of the Demon Court, what is a supreme treasure?! Besides... it's only a ten-year loan! I want to see what this Heavenly Mystery Daoist can glean from it!"
Without further hesitation, with a thought, the Hetu Luoshu, which was suspended at the core of the Demon Court, transformed into a stream of light, tore through space, and disappeared instantly!
Outside Tianji Palace.
A streak of light pierced through the air and landed in Bai Ze's hand; it was the Hetu Luoshu scroll that exuded the aura of stars and mountains!
"Senior! The Hetu and Luoshu are here! Please take a look!"
Bai Ze raised both hands high and presented the precious book.
A slight crack appeared in the Xuanhuang light membrane, and an invisible force swept up the Hetu Luoshu and drew it into the Tianji Palace.
"Come and collect it in ten years."
The voice of the Taoist Master Tianji drifted over faintly.
"The way out for the demon race will be revealed to me after I have figured it out."
"Thank you, senior!"
Bai Ze kowtowed heavily, feeling a huge weight lifted from his heart, yet also filled with trepidation.
He had no idea what he would gain in return for these ten years of lending out the foundation of the Demon Court.
Ten years have passed quietly amidst the undercurrents of time.
In these ten years, the Witch Clan has been at its zenith! The twelve Quasi-Holy Ancestral Witches have taken up residence at Mount Buzhou, and hundreds of millions of Witch Clan warriors have been training day and night, their strength increasing rapidly!
Dijiang kept his promise and personally delivered twelve drops of the precious blood essence of the Ancestral Witch to the front of the Heavenly Mystery Palace, where Bai Ze handed them over.
Although the Wu Clan no longer received guidance from the Heavenly Mystery Daoist, they have become the undisputed number one power in the prehistoric world thanks to the power of their activated bloodline!
They are preparing for war, waiting for the right moment to crush the Sun Star and destroy the Demon Court!
The Demon Court, meanwhile, cowered on the Sun Star, relying on the Zhou Tian Star Array for full-scale defense, like a frightened bird.
Di Jun, Tai Yi, and Bai Ze were worried day and night, waiting for news from Tianji Palace.
The ten-year period has come to an end.
Outside the Heavenly Mystery Palace, Bai Ze knelt on the ground once again, with countless demon cultivators watching him with tense and expectant eyes.
"Bai Ze, the Demon Master of the Demon Clan, respectfully requests that you return the Hetu and Luoshu! And... I humbly beg you to grant the Demon Clan a way to survive!"
The gate of Tianji Palace slowly opened a crack, and the ancient Hetu Luoshu scroll transformed into a stream of light and flew out, landing in Bai Ze's hand.
Bai Ze scanned the area with his divine sense and confirmed that everything was correct, which put his mind at ease.
Immediately afterwards, the voice of the Celestial Mystery Taoist rang out again, carrying an air of profound mystery:
"The Hetu and Luoshu are indeed profound. I have already gained some insights from observing the movement of stars and the shifting of mountains and rivers and deducing the mechanisms of all things."
He paused, then his voice suddenly became loud and clear, resounding throughout the primordial world:
"The path to survival for the demon race lies within this book! I have deduced and perfected an unparalleled grand formation from it—the Zhou Tian Star Array! This array is based on the He Tu and Luo Shu, drawing upon the power of the Zhou Tian stars to control the fortune of all demons. It can transform stars into weapons and condense star power into armor!"
It is both offensive and defensive, and its power is boundless! If this formation can be set up and relies on the source of the Sun Star, even if all twelve Quasi-Saint Ancestor Witches were to arrive, they would find it difficult to break!
This formation can ensure the safety of the demon race!
The Zhou Tian Star Array?! Perfected and refined?!
Bai Ze trembled violently! His eyes flashed with unbelievable, ecstatic light! Di Jun and Tai Yi, through Bai Ze's senses, instantly understood the meaning!
This...this is simply a miraculous escape from a desperate situation!
On the Sun Star, Di Jun held the newly returned Hetu Luoshu in his hand, and his divine sense sank into it!
In an instant, a vast and powerful array of profound knowledge, far exceeding what he had previously comprehended, surged into his sea of consciousness!
That was the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array, which was perfected to the extreme, as mentioned by the Heavenly Mystery Daoist!
Its exquisite and profound aspects far surpass Di Jun's previous deductions!
If this formation can be set up, the Demon Court's defenses will be as solid as a rock!
"Hahaha! Heaven has not forsaken my demon race! Heaven has not forsaken my demon court!"
Di Jun laughed wildly, his whole body trembling with excitement!
He bowed deeply towards the direction of Tianji Palace, his voice filled with heartfelt gratitude.
"Thank you so much, Senior, for bestowing this formation upon us! On behalf of countless demon race beings, Di Jun expresses his deepest gratitude for your life-saving grace!"
The beings of the primordial world were once again awestruck!
The Celestial Mystery Master actually deduced and perfected the Zhou Tian Star Array from the Hetu and Luoshu?! And he even bestowed it upon the demon race?!
Doesn't this mean that the war between the liches and demons will once again reach a stalemate?!
The primordial order of things was once again reversed by this mysterious being!
A century has passed quietly amidst the undercurrents of time.
Outside the Sun Star, the starlight curtain formed by the Zhou Tian Star Array has been completely stabilized!
The power of billions of stars intertwined and flowed, transforming into an indestructible barrier that enveloped the entire solar star field!
Above the light screen, the phantom images of stars flickered, mountains and rivers appeared and disappeared, and profound runes flowed endlessly, emitting a terrifying pressure that could make even a quasi-saint tremble!
Within the Demon Court, cheers shook the heavens!
Hundreds of millions of demon cultivators looked up at the dazzling starlight curtain, their eyes filled with the ecstasy of surviving a calamity and boundless hope for the future!
Standing atop the Demon Court, Di Jun felt the immense power of the perfect fusion between the great formation and the origin of the Sun Star, and his heart was filled with boundless pride!
"Senior Tianji! Your bestowal of this formation is a great favor that the demon race will never forget!"
Di Jun's voice was loud and clear, echoing throughout the Demon Court.
"By imperial decree! Erect a statue of the venerable Tianji at the core of the Demon Court on the Sun Star! May all demons worship him for generations to come! To express our gratitude for his life-saving grace!"
"I will obey Your Majesty's decree!"
Bai Ze, Ji Meng, and other demon gods responded in unison, their eyes also filled with gratitude.
Soon, a towering statue, its face blurred yet radiating supreme majesty, rose from the ground in the heart of the Demon Court!
Hundreds of millions of demon cultivators worship devoutly every day, their pure faith and vows transcending space and converging on the distant central continent!
Buzhou Mountain is the ancestral home of Pangu.
The twelve Ancestral Witches gathered at the Pangu Temple, their auras profound, all at the Quasi-Saint level!
They gazed at the dazzling starlight curtain beyond the Sun Star, sensing the terrifying defensive power contained within it, their expressions grave.
"The Zhou Tian Star Array... has been perfected to this extent..."
The light from Zhujiuyin's Eye of Time flickered.
"This formation is complete, relying on the essence of the Sun Star, it is indestructible! Even if we have the power of twelve Quasi-Saints, we would have little chance of winning if we tried to attack it by force, and we would certainly pay a heavy price!"
"What's even more troublesome is... that Daoist Tianji!"
Dijiang's voice was low and deep, filled with profound apprehension. "He can guide our clan to activate our bloodline and perfect the Demon Court's grand formation... His stance is unfathomable, and his strength is unfathomable! If we launch a forceful attack on the Demon Court and anger him... the consequences will be unimaginable!"
Houtu gently stroked the mark on her wrist, which had returned to calm, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
"Senior Tianji... He not only absorbed the essence of my clan to settle the karmic debt, but also helped the demon race set up a great formation... Perhaps... he intended to maintain balance? He didn't want to see the lich and demon race completely wiped out?"
"balance?"
Zhu Rong snorted coldly, flames flickering in his eyes.
"Are we just going to let the demon race cower in their shells? Are we just going to let our witch clan's blood feud go unpunished?!"
"Revenge must be avenged!"
A cold glint flashed in Dijiang's eyes.
"But now is not the time! The Heavenly Mystery Daoist's attitude is unclear, so we cannot act rashly! Pass down the order! The entire Witch Clan should recuperate and focus all their efforts on stabilizing their bloodline power and increasing their strength! We will discuss the matter of exterminating the demon when the time is right!"
The Witch Clan's thirst for revenge was temporarily suppressed due to their fear of the Heavenly Mystery Daoist.
Because of this delicate balance, the primordial world has achieved a rare and brief period of peace since the Dragon-Han Great Calamity!
All forces lay dormant, and cultivators focused on their practice, as if it were the calm before a storm.
Inside the Purple Cloud Palace.
Hongjun Daozu sat cross-legged on a cloud bed, the Creation Jade Disc slowly turning, reflecting the scenes of the primordial world.
He looked at the impregnable Sun Star, at the temporarily dormant Witch Clan, and at the still towering Heavenly Mystery Palace on the Central Continent. Finally, an unyielding gloom settled over his usually calm face!
"The Taoist Master of Heavenly Secrets..."
Hongjun's voice was icy cold, carrying an uncontrollable killing intent.
"You ruined my strategy! You disrupted my game! You stole my luck! This fiend... deserves to die!"
He activated the Jade Disc of Creation, frantically deducing with his divine sense, attempting to uncover the Heavenly Mystery Daoist's background, origins, and weaknesses!
However, the result remained the same! The mysterious yellow light membrane outside the Heavenly Mystery Palace was like the ultimate barrier that isolated all laws, distorting, devouring, and isolating all deductive power!
He couldn't even grasp the causal relationship related to himself!
This Taoist of Heavenly Secrets seems to be a ghost that jumped in from beyond the primordial world, without roots or origin, and without any trace to be found!
"A chaotic spiritual treasure... concealing the secrets of heaven... humph!"
A cold light flashed in Hongjun's eyes.
"Once I have finished my three lectures at Zixiao Palace, comprehended the Dao of the Primordial Saint, and broken through to a higher realm, I will personally tear open your tortoise shell! I will annihilate your soul and spirit, eliminating any future trouble!"
Tianji Daoren has been placed at the top of his kill list!
A thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Outside the Heavenly Mystery Palace on the Central Continent, countless beings still gather, kneeling in devout worship, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Heavenly Mystery Daoist and obtain a sliver of opportunity.
For a thousand years, although the gates of Tianji Palace have not been opened again, the mysterious and yellow energy permeates the area outside the palace, and the Daoist rhyme flows. Occasionally, the great Daoist pronouncements are heard, which lead to sudden enlightenment and great gains for those who listen.
Countless cultivators broke through their bottlenecks and gained enlightenment here, and their gratitude and awe for the Heavenly Mystery Daoist grew day by day.
On this day, as usual, countless cultivators sat cross-legged outside the Heavenly Mystery Palace, comprehending the Dao. Suddenly—
The Heavenly Mystery Palace trembled slightly! The flowing, dark yellow light membrane suddenly contracted!
Immediately afterwards, the entire majestic palace, along with the supreme majesty and Taoist aura it exuded, rippled outwards and quickly became transparent and illusory!
Under the gaze of countless astonished, reluctant, and bewildered eyes, the Heavenly Mystery Palace finally transformed into a wisp of chaotic energy, completely dissipating into the world without a trace!
Tianji Palace... has vanished!
"senior!"
"Tianji Palace... is gone?!"
"The senior has left?!"
"how so?!"
After a brief silence, came a deafening roar of exclamations and a sense of loss!
Countless cultivators knelt on the ground, bowing devoutly in the direction where the Heavenly Mystery Palace had disappeared, their hearts filled with gratitude and a profound sense of loss.
As all living beings in the primordial world know, a legendary era seems to have temporarily come to an end.
At the summit of Mount Sumeru.
Demonic energy surged, and Luo Hou (Yuan Feng) stared at the scene of Tianji Palace dissipating in the water mirror with his scarlet eyes, a meaningful smile curving his lips.
"Gone? Or... temporarily gone into hiding? Ling Yun... you've really gone all out this time!"
The boy named Qinglian stood to one side, his eyes also filled with emotion.
"Demon Ancestor, Fellow Daoist Di Jun's gains this time are truly earth-shattering!"
"yes……"
Luo Hou turned his gaze to the depths of the mountain peak, to the palace shrouded in chaotic demonic energy.
Deep within the palace, Emperor Jun's figure slowly emerged.
His aura was restrained, and his eyes were deep and unfathomable, as if he had experienced a thousand years of sedimentation and baptism.
At this moment, within Di Jun's sea of consciousness, he was taking stock of the rich harvest he had reaped during his thousand-year career as the "Celestial Mystery Daoist":
1. Chaos Spiritual Treasure Repair Card (Used): Successfully repaired the Heavenly Mystery Palace to the level of Chaos Spiritual Treasure, bringing its ability to protect and conceal heavenly secrets to its peak, becoming one of its greatest trump cards.
2. Twelve drops of the Ancestral Witch's Heart Essence Blood: The primordial essence blood from twelve Quasi-Saint Ancestral Witches! Each drop contains the immense power of Pangu's bloodline!
This is a priceless treasure! If it can be successfully fused, it is highly likely that the true essence of Pangu's blood can be extracted!
By tempering his physical body in this way, his Chaos Demon God body is expected to break through its shackles and reach an unprecedentedly terrifying realm!
3. The perfected version of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array: After borrowing the He Tu and Luo Shu for ten years, not only was it returned, but its core array was also perfected!
This formation is infinitely profound, combining offense and defense, and its power is astonishing!
He already has a plan to integrate this formation into the origin of the demon realm of Mount Sumeru, and improve it by combining it with the characteristics of the demon realm, so as to create his own "Chaotic Zhou Tian Demon Battle Formation"!
At that time, the Demon Realm's defenses will be impregnable, and it may even be able to launch a counterattack against the Primordial World!
4. The cause and effect, fortune and will of the Wu and Yao races: Guiding the Wu race to activate their bloodline and granting the Yao race a way to survive! Although it seems to be balanced, it actually secretly intercepted Hongjun's plan to promote the Great Tribulation and reap the fortune!
5. Whether the Lich and Demon races were genuinely grateful or filled with awe and fear, they had created a huge causal connection with him!
They also gained a massive amount of faith, willpower, and intangible blessings!
These are all valuable resources for reaching even higher levels in the future!
5. The disguise of Tianji Daoren: Successfully created the image of the mysterious and powerful "Tianji Daoren"! Not only did he disrupt Hongjun's chess game, but he also planted the seeds of awe in the hearts of all living beings in the prehistoric world!
This disguise will become an important piece in his future plans, enough to confuse the public and make Hongjun hesitate to act against him!
6. Opportunities gained from a thousand years of seeking the Dao: Although he did not directly preach the Dao over the past thousand years, the Daoist aura permeated the area outside the palace, and the feedback from all living beings allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of the myriad Daos of the primordial world. He accumulated a wealth of insights and cultivation experience, and his Daoist practice improved considerably.
"Hongjun... do you want to kill me as soon as possible?"
Di Jun's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Unfortunately, you can't even figure out who I am or where I am!"
His gaze swept over the twelve drops of ancestral witch blood essence floating in front of him, radiating a dazzling golden light and containing terrifying bloodline fluctuations, and a blazing flame ignited in his eyes.
"Pangu's essence blood... the ultimate transformation of the Chaos Demon God's body... is right before our eyes!"
"Azure Lotus!"
Di Jun said in a deep voice.
"Your subordinate is here!"
The Green Lotus Boy bowed.
"Send word to the Demon Realm! Seal Mount Sumeru! Activate the highest alert! I... am going into seclusion!"
"As ordered!"
The Azure Lotus Boy solemnly accepted the order, and his figure vanished instantly.
Di Jun took one last look at the primordial land, his eyes deep and profound.
Then, he stepped into the depths of the palace, shrouded in chaotic demonic energy. The heavy palace doors slowly closed, isolating the inside from the outside.
A vast and powerful aura, yet perfectly contained, began to brew and rise deep within the palace!
Digest the harvest! Merge the essence and blood! Improve the grand formation! Push the limits of your physical body!
A transformation concerning one's own destiny and even the future primordial order has officially begun!
But how long can the peace of the primordial world last?
After the three lectures at Zixiao Palace, Hongjun's murderous intent... will surely descend! (End of Chapter)