C15 Guest!

Hongjun's brow furrowed as he witnessed the Ancestral Witch's arrival. Instinctively, he sensed something amiss.

The Twelve Ancestral Wizards weren't supposed to make their entrance at this juncture. The Wizard Demon conflict was ongoing, yet they hadn't reached the point of an outright break.

Should the Twelve Ancestral Wizards intervene now, forcibly seizing the Ten Great Golden Crows to coerce the Demon Court, the consequences would be dire. Forget the Immeasurable Eon; reigniting the conflict between the Wizard Clan and the Demon Court would be a disaster.

The prospect of the Ten Great Golden Crows overpowering the Twelve Ancestral Wizards wasn't even a consideration for Hongjun.

"Who dares to disrupt the Heavenly Order?"

With a furrowed brow, Hongjun sought answers through divination, only to find the Heavenly Secrets shrouded in turmoil. Even with the Creation Jade Plate at his command, clarity eluded him.

Then, in a flurry of action, eleven Ancestral Witches struck in succession, their assault leaving the Ten Great Golden Crows in anguished cries as feathers scattered across the ground.

"The Immeasurable Eon is decreed by the heavens, and it shall not be obstructed by anyone!"

With a lift of his eyebrows, Hongjun unleashed a profound force from his fingertips, channeling it into the Ten Great Golden Crows.

Defeat was not an option for the Ten Great Golden Crows, not now.

Under the influence of this enigmatic force, the beleaguered Golden Crows swelled to over ten times their size, blazing like true suns.

Boom! The ten Golden Crows unleashed a deluge of flames, refining even the void itself as chaos energy permeated and ignited.

"What?" The Ancestral Witches' faces contorted in shock. The flames were domineering; even Zhuh Rong, the preeminent master of fire among them, struggled to withstand the scorching heat of the Golden Crow flames, his brow creased in discomfort.

"Hehe, all is falling into place."

With a slight smile at the unfolding scene, Hongjun's form flickered out of sight.

In the arena, the clash between the Ancestral Witches and the Golden Crows raged on, but the tide had turned. The Witches' attacks now proved futile against the Golden Crows, whose flames inflicted damage upon the Witches themselves.

"How has it come to this? How can these ten little birds be so formidable?"

An Ancestral Witch's voice rose in anger, filled with confusion.

"…"

Dijiang remained silent. Then, a sudden insight struck him, recalling Houtu's words within Pangu Hall.

"Behind the Wizard Demon war, a Sage schemes!"

This revelation hit him like a bolt of lightning, clarifying everything in an instant.

No wonder, no wonder!

No wonder the Golden Crow had grown so formidable—it was the Sage's doing!

Dijiang felt the urge to bellow his fury. Did the Sage also resent the Wizard Clan's dominion over the world?

But his anger quickly gave way to a sense of helplessness. The Sage was an undying, transcendent being, beyond all spirits. What could he, even as an Ancestral Witch, possibly do against such partiality?

"Big brother, I'm here to support you!"

Amidst Dijiang's turmoil, a fierce cry rang out. A demon god with the body of a human and the tail of a snake, two arms before her and seven behind, charged into the fray.

"Houtu..."

Regret washed over Dijiang. If only he had heeded his younger sister's advice to cease the battle earlier, they might not have conquered the primordial world, but they could have saved many of their kin.

But now... it was all too late... Wait!

Dijiang's eyes snapped open as he suddenly remembered why Houtu was at the frontlines.

The enigmatic figure who had revealed the Sage's plot and taught Houtu to harness her earth powers!

Dijiang's mind raced, his thoughts sharper and quicker than any Ancestral Witch's ought to be.

If that venerable figure had the audacity to inform Houtu of the Sage's machinations, he must not fear the Sage and likely even supported the Wizard Clan. If they could persuade him to intervene...

The Wizard Clan might yet find salvation!

"Houtu, do not join the battle. Have Dayi escort you back to Buzhou Mountain!"

Dijiang commanded with urgency.

He left his instructions vague, fearing the Sage might intercept and eliminate Houtu if his plans were uncovered.

He hoped his sister would grasp his intent.

Dijiang held onto hope.

Since Houtu's spirit had awakened, her intellect had sharpened considerably. She paused briefly at Dijiang's command, but then quickly grasped the intent behind his words.

"Yes, big brother!"

Houtu spun on her heel and departed without a moment's hesitation. Trailing closely behind her was a Great Wizard, none other than Dayi.

A flicker of joy passed through Dijiang's eyes, but he quickly subdued it and turned to the remaining Ancestral Witches with a fierce command.

"Give it everything you've got, and take down those ten firebirds!"

"Kill!"

The Ancestral Witches clashed with the Golden Crows once more, their battle so fierce that mountains crumbled and the sun and moon dimmed.

...

Amidst the tumultuous Wizard Demon war, Fuxi and Nuwa found themselves back in the quaint courtyard on Buzhou Mountain. The purple grandmist aura had cleared a direct path for them.

In just over ten days, both Fuxi and Nuwa had slain their Three Corpses, teetering on the brink of sainthood.

"Brother, we've returned!"

Nuwa called out as they stepped into the courtyard.

"Huh? Big brother isn't home?"

When no response came, surprise washed over Fuxi and Nuwa, prompting them to venture further inside.

A cursory glance revealed an enormous cage.

"Huh?" The siblings exchanged looks of astonishment. This cage was as imperceptible to their spiritual sense as their big brother, visible only to the naked eye.

While the Quasi Saint siblings were taken aback, the Kunpeng inside the cage was utterly astounded.

Recognized as one of the three thousand guests of the Purple Heaven Palace, he was well-acquainted with Fuxi and Nuwa, the esteemed direct disciples of the Dao Ancestor, each carrying the revered Purple Qi of Hongmeng.

Yet, they referred to the master of this courtyard as big brother?

A spark of realization lit up within the Kunpeng as he recalled an incident during a lecture at the Purple Heaven Palace.

The Dao Ancestor had initially withheld the Purple Qi of Hongmeng from the Quasi Saint known as Fuxi, only to unexpectedly bestow it upon him later.

Kunpeng, with his exceptional speed and unique vision, had witnessed a moment during the Dao Ancestor's change of heart—a terrifying ray of light emanating from Fuxi, which the Dao Ancestor had then absorbed.

At the time, I was too absorbed in my pursuit of enlightenment to take much notice.

Reflecting on it now, the faint essence of that beam of light bears a striking resemblance to the aura of the Chaos Extreme Treasure's Divine Axe.

The thought of a certain possibility sent the Roc's heart racing; it seemed to have glimpsed a deal involving the most formidable beings.

"Roc?"

Fuxi and Nuwa peered through the bars of the cage, their surprise palpable upon spotting the Roc.

"How did you end up here? And inside this... cage?"

The Roc was a notable force to be reckoned with among those below the Quasi Saint level. It had previously been under the watchful eye of the Fuxi siblings in front of the Purple Heaven Palace.

The Roc managed an uncomfortable smile as it addressed the two, "Fellow Daoists, all is well, I trust?"

"My esteemed elder brother extended a warm invitation for me to visit as a guest."

Fuxi and Nuwa exchanged glances. Did this really look like a social call?

Nuwa couldn't help but tease with a sly grin, "Surely you weren't brought here against your will by my elder brother?"

The Roc fumbled for words, "Please, no jests. I truly am here as a guest... indeed, a guest!"

Nuwa's laughter echoed, tapering off only when Fuxi shot her a stern look.

"My brother is unaware of your status and may have inadvertently caused offense. Upon his return, I'll make sure to inform him and arrange for your release."

Fuxi's reassuring words caught the Roc off guard, prompting a vigorous shake of its head.

"Leave? Oh no, not at all! Your elder brother has been most gracious to me; I couldn't possibly think of leaving."

The Roc had long abandoned any thoughts of escape. The allure of Hongyun's purple grandmist aura, still in the possession of that individual, was too great. What did it matter if he remained caged?

Besides, having learned of the equal footing this individual held with the Dao Ancestor, why would he ever let go of such a powerful ally?

Only a fool would dream of such a thing!