As the most ancient of the top forces, no one knows just how many things the Witch God Sect has plotted over these countless millennia, nor what plans they have set in motion behind the scenes.
Many assumed that the cultivators of Heaven's Secrets Lineage were the ones stirring the storm in many affairs, yet who could truly know what role the Witch God Sect played within them?
It was much like this Great World cycle, where, after the catastrophe of the Tang Dynasty, the cultivators of Heaven's Secrets Lineage divined that it might be an opportunity for "Becoming Immortal" in the golden age. However, the spread of this prophetic word was also pushed by the Witch God Sect.
The Witch God Sect Leader stood above the Central Sacrificial Altar, his aura intertwined with those of all the other Witch God Sect cultivators.
"Sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, arise!"
As his deep voice echoed between Heaven and Earth, the countless human sacrificial altars began to operate.
...
Boom!
An altar suddenly burst open, and the body of a supreme powerhouse from the Demon Race floated within the void. Even though this powerhouse had died, the formidable physique of the Demon Race cultivator was still not decayed and exuded a terrifying aura.
No one knew how long this Demon Race supreme powerhouse had been dead; ordinarily, even the bodies of such powerhouses would not remain unde-ayed for so long. However, seeing the strange runes engraved on the body, it was clear that this was certainly a method used by the Witch God Sect to preserve the body from decay.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
…
The sacrificial altars kept exploding one after another, and more bodies of supreme strong members of the Demon Race appeared in the void.
One, two, three, four… Seven, eight, nine.
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There were actually nine supreme powerhouses of the Demon Race whose bodies were left after their fall, a fact which would shake all the powers of the world if the news were to spread.
Supreme strong creatures had strong vitality, and in the thousands of years of struggles between the human race and the Demon Race in the Sky Wasteland, countless battles occurred. Yet, there had never been a case where a supreme strong had fallen.
Moreover, even in disasters like the great calamity of the Tang Dynasty, where supreme strong might fall, they would usually turn to ashes. They would not wish to retain their bodies.
For the Witch God Sect to be able to produce nine bodies of fallen supreme powers from the Demon Race all at once was almost unheard of. One couldn't fathom when they had started preparing for this plan, as simply collecting the bodies of these nine fallen supreme powers from the Demon Race would have surely cost a great price.
However, to sacrifice to Heaven and Earth and obtain the Taoist Fruit of True Immortal bestowed by Heaven and Earth, just the flesh and blood of nine supreme strong would not suffice. If it were that simple, the Witch God Sect would not have waited until now to carry out this plan.
The next moment, the Witch God Sect Leader waved his Wizard's Wand, and the illusory images of Luck Golden Dragons manifested, circling and flying around the Central Sacrificial Altar.
These were the illusory images of Divine Dynasty Luck Golden Dragons. Each illusion of the Luck Golden Dragon had a different form and color, yet the overwhelming Qi Luck they carried could not be concealed. And among them, the most intense was none other than the one that symbolized the Luck Golden Dragon of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty.
Since ancient times, with each new era of divine dynasties emerging, many sovereigns of divine dynasties went to the Witch God Sect. Many people thought they did so to gain recognition for the Human Tribe's Supreme Treasure Xuanyuan God Sword, which was kept by the Witch God Sect, not realizing that in addition to this, those Lords of Divine Dynasties were persuaded by the Witch God Sect to leave a part of the illusory images of the Luck Golden Dragons symbolic of the divine dynasties.
Apart from the Great Ming Divine Dynasty—after all, the rise of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty was too accidental, not yet worthy of actively seeking wisdom from the Witch God Sect at its peak—that's why the Witch God Sect took the initiative to seek cooperation with the Great Ming Divine Dynasty.
Now, their real purpose for actively cooperating had finally been revealed: it was to gain recognition from the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, to temporarily borrow the Qi Luck of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty for their use in offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth.
"Sacrifice!"
The Witch God Sect Leader roared, his voice shaking Heaven and Earth. The body of this supreme Demon Race strongman and the phantom images of various Divine Dynasty Luck Golden Dragons were all thrown into the Central Sacrificial Altar, transformed into their offerings to Heaven and Earth.
The Witch God Sect Leader chanted incessantly, and the Central Sacrificial Altar spun rapidly, an inexplicable Qi intermingling with Heaven and Earth. Afterwards, the Will of Heaven and Earth converged, continuously condensing as if forming a True Immortal Dao Fruit.
"Witch God Sect, you seek death by daring to use the bodies of Demon Race powerhouses as offerings. My Demon Race and your Witch God Sect are irreconcilable!" a Demon Race supreme powerhouse bellowed angrily.
The conflict between the Human Race and Demon Race had been entangled for thousands of years—temporary peace could not erase their inherent hatred.
At this moment, seeing the Witch God Sect actually take the bodies of nine Demon Race supreme powerhouses as sacrificial items, the Demon Race powerhouses who came to thwart them were full of rage. As supreme beings of the Demon Race, they enjoyed the utmost dignity. Even in death, they would absolutely not tolerate any provocation. The action of the Witch God Sect made them empathize, naturally infuriating them.
Roar!
A beastly roar shook Heaven and Earth, and the figure of the Demon Race monarch, the Scarlet Tiger King, appeared outside the Witch God Sect's grand sacrificial formation, accompanied by two other supreme Demon Race beings.
"The Witch God Sect uses supreme Demon Race beings as sacrifices, violating the iron law of our race; they must be executed!"
The Scarlet Tiger King yelled with an especially chilling tone, as if even the space around him could freeze.
The strong confrontation was imminent. At such a critical moment, no one would hold back, no one dared to hold back. Only the true strong had the right to survive.
The Witch God Sect's schemes that had lasted for countless years could not be allowed to fail. To this day, they no longer had a way out. Even if they had to stake everything, they needed to catalyze the birth of a True Immortal. Otherwise, the Witch God Sect would inevitably become the target of public criticism.
And the Demon Race's Scarlet Tiger King would not allow the Witch God Sect to succeed. The temptation of a True Immortal was incredibly strong, and such a route to immortality by the Witch God Sect was seen by the Scarlet Tiger King as a death knell for the Demon Race. If it were not eradicated and this method extinguished, if it were to spread someday, it was unknown how many supreme strong would, in a state of despair, turn their attention to their bodies, trying to sacrifice Demon Race powerhouses to Heaven and Earth to obtain the True Immortal Dao Fruit.
Therefore, the Witch God Sect must be extinguished today; this sacrificial method must not be leaked.
"Merely the Demon Race, yet you dare to be so arrogant in front of this Church Master!" the Witch God Sect Leader's expression was icy, a somber killing aura spreading. At this moment, the dignity of a supreme force that had been passed down for thousands of years was fully displayed.
The Witch God Sect, a force with an ancient inheritance, had led the rise of the Human Race by the thinnest of margins, alongside the Ancient Human Race Common Master against the Demon Race. Their enmity was a sea of blood deep. Otherwise, how could they have developed such a method for achieving immortality?
Now these Demons presumed to arrogantly threaten the annihilation of the Witch God Sect's inheritance. How could this not enrage the Witch God Sect Leader? The mere Scarlet Tiger King, though a strong being of the Demon Race, did not have the right to speak such words. Even the current Sovereign of the Demon Race, the Lion Emperor, would not dare to make such an audacious claim that he could obliterate the Witch God Sect.
"Let this Church Master see what kind of skills you possess, you little tiger," scoffed the Witch God Sect Leader.
The Witch God Sect invoked the Heavens and Earth with sacrificial methods and was favored by the Will of the Heaven and Earth. In return, they were bestowed with True Immortal Dao Fruit.
However, just as their grand achievement was within reach, the Scarlet Tiger King, a Supreme Strong of the Demon Race, descended alongside two other Supreme Strong from the Demon Race, obstructing the Witch God Sect from attaining enlightenment.
Furthermore, because the Witch God Sect's sacrificial method was relatively simple compared to other enlightenment methods, the Scarlet Tiger King saw how this way of enlightenment could endanger the Demon Race. Thus, he rose with the intent to eradicate the Witch God Sect and erase the method of becoming a Dao-Certifying True Immortal.
Yet, this move further enraged the Witch God Sect, which harbored deep-seated hatred for the Demon Race, leading both sides to unleash a world-shocking great war, deploying their various methods.
Even though the Witch God Sect had already dispatched their Supreme Strongs to accompany the Xuantian Sect to the Demon Race, to prevent the Demon Race Supreme Strongs from attaining enlightenment, these three Demon Race Supreme Strongs could not pose any threat to the Witch God Sect within a short frame of time.
"Be it as it may, one's fate is in one's own hands. It is not appropriate for me to intervene at this moment," thought Pei Xuanjing, his eyes shimmering with divine light.
...
At the moment, Pei Xuanjing's Divine Kingdom was still undergoing transformation and it wasn't the right time for him to take action. Although he could intervene if he truly wished to, it would mean delaying or even compromising the transformation of his Divine Kingdom, something Pei Xuanjing was unwilling to see happen.
As a fellow member of the human race, if other human race Supreme Strongs needed assistance, Pei Xuanjing would naturally not hesitate to lend a hand if he could. But the Witch God Sect was not at a disadvantage, so there was no need for Pei Xuanjing to interrupt his own cultivation for this endeavor.
Neither the three Supreme Strongs of the Demon Race that had appeared nor the Witch God Sect were weak. In fact, the Scarlet Tiger King of the Demon Race was even stronger than the Wolf King Cang Lang, whom Pei Xuanjing had just slain.
After all, even though the Lion Emperor was extremely wary of Pei Xuanjing, he still saw Pei Xuanjing as a lone figure and definitely not on par with the Supreme Strongs from other top forces who had many of their peers to guard their path to enlightenment. Therefore, dispatching three Supreme Strongs should have been sufficient, even if they couldn't take down Pei Xuanjing, they could still thwart his enlightenment.
For the Lion Emperor, as long as he ascended successfully this time, and Pei Xuanjing failed to seize this opportunity for ascension, then Pei Xuanjing wouldn't pose any hindrance to him in the future, even if he survived.
But even the Lion Emperor couldn't have anticipated that attaining the Dao-Certifying True Immortal status for Pei Xuanjing was a natural course of affairs, and that the three great Demon Race powerhouses he had sent would be so effortlessly slain by Pei Xuanjing.
"I'm very curious, over these myriad years, just how many trump cards the Witch God Sect has accumulated," murmured Pei Xuanjing.
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The methods of the Witch God Sect were anything but common. No one knew exactly what they had gone through or accumulated over the countless years. However, Pei Xuanjing was aware from the moment the Witch God Sect Leader faced many powerhouses with a cold and defiant attitude at the Shenxiao Debate Conference that the Witch God Sect was not to be underestimated.
"Church Master!" Wu Shijiu's eyes also displayed a complex expression.
Having grown and risen within the Witch God Sect and reaching the Eight-Layer Spirit Realm, he had thought that, aside from some Supreme Strongs, the Witch God Sect held no secrets from him.
But now, Wu Fa suddenly found that the Witch God Sect was extremely unfamiliar, as if he, living there for countless times, had never truly lifted the veil of mystery surrounding it.
"Do you need I to transport you over?" Pei Xuanjing's voice echoed in Wu Shijiu's ears.
Although his own Divine Kingdom was still in transformation and temporarily unable to take action, it didn't prevent Pei Xuanjing from sending Wu Shijiu there.
"No need!" Wu Shijiu's eyes shimmered with a divine light before he shook his head and said, "That place does not require my intervention."
He could see that at this moment, the struggle between the Witch God Sect and the three Supreme Strong ones of the Demon Race was not falling into a disadvantage. Moreover, he did not believe that even if the Witch God Sect were really at a disadvantage, his own intervention would be of any use, and at that time, Pei Xuanjing would certainly not stand by idly.
What's more, thinking about the years of meticulous planning by the Witch God Sect, if it were to be so easily destroyed by the three Supreme Strong ones of the Demon Race, Wu Shijiu would consider it a joke.
The Witch God Sect Leader must still have a trump card, Wu Shijiu was convinced of this without a doubt.
"Hehe, since that's the case, it wouldn't hurt to watch the spectacle of various parties striving for enlightenment; it will be of no small benefit to all of you," Pei Xuanjing said with a smile.
At this moment, while he was undergoing a transformation within the Divine Domain of the Divine Kingdom and could not leave, it did not mean that Pei Xuanjing lacked the spare capacity to pay attention to the various situations.
He gently stretched out his hand, and the Taixu Mirror, a top-tier Divine Weapon treasure, appeared in Pei Xuanjing's hand. This treasure, originally refined by the Taixu Venerable of the Taixu Sect at a great cost, had fully come under Pei Xuanjing's control after the Taixu Venerable was thoroughly refined by him.
Of course, for Pei Xuanjing, although the Taixu Mirror was extraordinary, most of the time it was only used when he split his avatars to traverse heaven and earth. To his true self, whether it was the Six-Color Sword, the Three Treasures and Ruyi or even the combat power brought by his own body, all were superior to this Taixu Mirror.
However, the Taixu Mirror was not completely without merit; at least its special property to illuminate the myriad worlds with its divine light and observe the eight directions with divine abilities was unmatched by other Divine Weapon treasures.
With Pei Xuanjing's current power, although he could not use the Taixu Mirror to peer into heaven and earth, the grand scene of the Dao-Certifying True Immortals was easily observable through it.
Splash!
When Pei Xuanjing's Immortal Qi was poured into the Taixu Mirror, the originally simple and unremarkable mirror immediately burst forth with dazzling divine light that shone throughout heaven and earth, as if encompassing the universe in all directions.
Immortal Qi, a symbol of the strong within the domain of the Immortal Path, is a kind of transformation of Primordial Qi, a high-quality manifestation.
The activation of Immortal Qi, even a trace for a top-tier Divine Weapon treasure like the Taixu Mirror, could exert terrifying power.
At this moment, with Immortal Qi activated, scenes of various powerhouses striving for enlightenment between heaven and earth were all captured within it, but what drew Pei Xuanjing's attention the most was a surge of blood color. He simply flicked his finger, projecting this blood-colored scene.
"Sea of Blood rises and falls, refining heaven and earth, I am the Ancestor of Blood, the Blood Path is undying, and so am I immortal," a thunderous shout resonated from within the Blood-colored Long River, which rolled in the sky. Each blood-colored stream inhaled the essence of heaven and earth, merging it into the Blood-colored Long River.
Within this Blood-colored Long River, countless figures flickered uncertainly. At the very center stood a muscular figure, chiseled as if by ax and chisel, like a demon god in the world, standing in the middle of the Blood River, his edge unstoppable by anyone.
This was the Blood Fiend Ancestor, a giant of the Demonic Way, certifying his True Immortal Realm with the River of Blood. As long as the river does not run dry, the Blood Fiend is immortal.
Blood Fiend Ancestor, a colossal figure of the Demonic Way and a famous powerhouse, had put everything he had into this attempt at the Way of Enlightenment.
Rolling down like a sweeping tide from heaven, the blood-colored flow engulfed the void. Blood Fiend Ancestor's flesh seemed to dissipate, merging into the River of Blood. From then on, he became the River of Blood, and the River of Blood was him.
The currents between Heaven and Earth swept violently, as if slapping and rolling, attempting to disperse the River of Blood. The howling Gang wind sliced through the void, nearly shattering the emptiness.
However, Blood Fiend Ancestor remained utterly indifferent. His silhouette manifested within the River of Blood. Though it was only a shadow, his divine eyes shone brilliantly, casting a red light that illuminated the eight directions, like a blood-colored Big Sun enveloping everything around it. A terrifying aura emanated from him, the sweeping essence of Heaven and Earth not only failed to scatter the River of Blood but was instead tainted red, forming wave after wave of blood.
"Dao-Certifying True Immortal, condensing the Blood River Dao Fruit begins at this moment!" The silhouette of Blood Fiend Ancestor emerged once again, his blood-red Daoist robe flaring and fluttering, his hair flying wildly, stirring the rolling Blood River.
"Blood Fiend Ancestor, your life is forfeit!"
...
Just then, the voice of a supreme Demon Race powerhouse resounded between Heaven and Earth, followed by several terrifying divine abilities descending upon the blood-colored long river, seemingly intent on annihilating Blood Fiend Ancestor and the River of Blood altogether.
"Evil demon, how dare you!"
"Evil demon, meet your demise!"
"Dastardly fiend!"
The powerhouses invited by Blood Fiend Ancestor to protect the Way reacted swiftly. The moment those supreme Demon Race powerhouses made their move, they too responded, striking fiercely to thwart the divine abilities aimed at Blood Fiend Ancestor.
At the critical moment of condensing the True Immortal Dao Fruit, Blood Fiend Ancestor saw the Demon King blocked and, without a second thought, focused entirely on condensing his own True Immortal Dao Fruit.
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…
The clash of the supreme powerhouses stirred Heaven and Earth, shattered the void, made mountains and rivers sway, and the stars twinkle.
Although these powerhouses of the Demonic Way were not as strong as those of the Demon Race, they had bought Blood Fiend Ancestor enough time.
Suddenly, Blood Fiend Ancestor opened his eyes, and the aura around him changed instantly. In a cold voice, he said, "Today, let these evil demons become the first group of Blood God's sons in my River of Blood!"
As his words ended, a vast expanse of blood fog enveloped the sky, falling upon those Demon Race powerhouses. Like demons from hell, messengers of death, it was as if they were grim reapers come to collect souls, utterly terrifying.
…
"Blood Path, as long as the River of Blood does not dry, Blood Fiend does not die, truly terrifying. To become a colossal figure of the Demonic Way is indeed no ordinary feat!" Zhu Houji watched the projection of Blood Fiend Ancestor demonstrate his divine might. Although the transformation was not yet complete, he could effortlessly suppress several supreme Demon Race powerhouses, and he spoke with a heavy tone.
Zhu Houji had a deep sense of wariness towards such a colossal figure of the Demonic Way, even if that person was a powerhouse of the human race. Especially the Blood God's sons that Blood Fiend Ancestor later deployed, they deeply alarmed Zhu Houji.
The terror of this Blood Fiend Son seemed boundless, as if one whose power was inferior and could not evade would be drained of their blood to wither into a dried corpse in the blink of an eye. Truly, it was exceedingly horrific.
The mere thought of coming face to face with such a demonic figure, causing unbridled mayhem within the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, could turn the entire dynasty into a blood-soaked hell, with all becoming avatars born of his Sea of Blood.
"The Sea of Blood does not dry, the Blood Fiend does not die?" Pei Xuanjing's eyes gleamed with a strange light as he muttered to himself, "Is this true, or is it false? Could there truly be a powerhouse who would so openly declare their weakness to the world without concern for others deliberately targeting it?"
Observing the process of the Blood Fiend Ancestor's Dao certification certainly reminded Pei Xuanjing of some legends and myths from a previous life. A primordial Demon God, born with the opening of Heaven and Earth, also resided within the Sea of Blood, becoming one with it, known as the one who does not perish as long as the Sea of Blood does not dry.
But whether this was indeed a true weakness or a deliberate misdirection, no one could say.
However, if one were to believe a great figure of the Demonic Way regarding their own weakness and not worry about others targeting them, that would be no small folly.
"Master Pei, are you implying this is a deliberate misdirection put forth by the adversary?" Zhu Houji's expression turned grave.
He naturally grasped Pei Xuanjing's meaning but was somewhat puzzled.
Pei Xuanjing shook his head, indicating he had no intention of further discussion. Instead, he signaled, "The Ancestor Celestial Master at Dragon Tiger Mountain has encountered some trouble, and perhaps you will need to intervene."
He intended to say more, but at this moment, through the Taixu Mirror, he saw certain events unfolding at Dragon Tiger Mountain. It appeared the Ancestor Celestial Master currently in the process of Dao certification was in trouble and might need the assistance of Wu Shijiu and others.
It was mentioned before that among the top forces in the world, without getting into the Demonic Way or Buddhism School, Dragon Tiger Mountain was the chief of the Taoist School. However, Dragon Tiger Mountain had the fewest top powerhouses, with only the Ancestor Celestial Master and the Second Generation Celestial Master besides. Even though not long ago, Dragon Tiger Mountain had invested a great deal to recreate another supreme powerhouse, this powerhouse still had to join forces with the human race's Righteous Path to head for the Demon Domain. In essence, the Ancestor Celestial Master only had the protection of the Second Generation Celestial Master for his Dao certification.
Three supreme powerhouses from the Demon Race had now come, equally representing the dispatched forces of the Demon Race, which represented an imminent crisis for Dragon Tiger Mountain—a structure on the verge of collapse.
In the past, three supreme powerhouses would not have been a concern, even if they faced only the Ancestor Celestial Master or the combined strength of the Ancestor Celestial Master and the Second Generation Celestial Master, either alone would have been sufficient to suppress them.
However, the current situation was different, with the Ancestor Celestial Master unable to divide his attention from his task. The method of the Ancestor Celestial Master's Dao certification was distinct from others; during the process of certifying as a True Immortal, he had to develop a Talismanic divine system to invite future devotees. It was now necessary for the Second Generation Celestial Master to halt the advance of the three supreme Demon Race powerhouses.
Despite holding a top-tier Divine Weapon like the Yin-Yang Evil-Slaying Treasure Sword, the Second Generation Celestial Master was not confident of holding back the three great Demon Kings before him.
After all, if it were a straightforward battle to the death, with a top-tier Divine Weapon and the divine power of the Five Thunder Righteous Law, he would have been entirely capable of delaying the adversaries for quite some time.
But the situation was indeed different; these three Demon Kings aimed to disrupt the Ancestor Celestial Master's Dao certification. They had no need to engage in a death match with the Second Generation Celestial Master; by simply tying him down, they could spare the strength to confront the Ancestor Celestial Master.
At this moment, the Ancestor Celestial Master was preoccupied with organizing the Divine Tao system for his tribulation, without spare capacity. And should there be an interruption, even if he ascended to True Immortal status, it would signify an incomplete Dao certification, later requiring countless efforts to remedy.
As the Second Generation Celestial Master was caught in his worrisome thoughts, a piercing cold voice came through, followed swiftly by a terrifying sword qi cleaving across ten thousand miles.
"What kind of evil demon dares to run wild on Dragon Tiger Mountain—seeking death, are you?"