Primordial Era: Starting with the repair of Penglai Immortal Island

The demonic energy was still surging, and it seemed to be spreading towards the Western Heavenly Gate.

Just as Huanglong was about to speak to remind Haotian, two beams of golden light suddenly burst forth from the direction of Mount Sumeru.

One strand is gold, the other is amber.

Two beams of light shot into the sky from Mount Sumeru, piercing through the dark purple demonic mist above Xiniuhe Continent and turning half the sky gold.

The guides and the prodigies have made their move!

After the demonic energy had covered all areas outside Mount Sumeru, and after Haotian and Huanglong knew that they had caused the demonic energy, they could no longer pretend not to know.

"All living beings suffer!"

A voice came from Mount Sumeru, hoarse and deep, yet containing supreme magical power at the level of a saint.

The sound transformed into countless golden lotuses in the void, drifting in all directions.

Each lotus flower radiated dazzling golden light, like tiny suns floating above Xiniuhezhou.

The golden lotus emitted a violent hissing sound the moment it came into contact with the demonic energy. The golden light was dispelling the demonic energy, while the demonic energy was also corroding the golden light. However, the saint's power far exceeded that of the demonic energy which had no source. The golden lotus slowly advanced through the dark purple mist, forcibly purifying wave after wave of demonic energy.

At the same time, Daoist Zhunti made his move.

With a wave of his Seven Treasures Tree, it swept away the boundless demonic energy like a giant broom.

The two sages were indeed remarkable; the all-consuming demonic energy began to slowly recede, returning to the earth.

But Huanglong noticed something... beads of sweat were seeping from Zhunti's forehead.

Sweat beaded on the saint's forehead.

This is an insult to the intelligence of all the quasi-saints present.

The sage is in harmony with the Way of Heaven, and his power is indestructible and boundless.

Let alone suppressing a patch of demonic energy, even a battle between several saints wouldn't exhaust a saint to the point of sweating.

The few beads of sweat on Zhunti's forehead were more glaring to Huanglong than the demonic energy.

The receptionists were equally impressive.

The usually stoic and sorrowful saint was now pale and his lips were tightly pressed together, as if he were enduring a great deal of exhaustion.

The light emanating from the golden lotus beside him flickered, giving the illusion that he might be exhausted at any moment.

Coupled with his already gaunt and sorrowful face, it was indeed very convincing... if he wasn't a saint.

"These two actors deserve an Oscar for their acting skills," Huang Long thought to himself.

But he didn't say it aloud, because he saw guilt on the faces of Haotian and Yaochi.

The two celestial rulers were clearly taken aback by Jieyin and Zhunti's performance and were feeling deeply uneasy about the trouble they had caused.

When the Western Heavenly Gate was completely secured.

Golden runes flowed endlessly through the Heavenly Passage, the spatial coordinates were firmly locked, and the three large characters "Western Heavenly Gate" on the plaque shone brightly.

At the same time, Jieyin and Zhunti "finally" suppressed the demonic energy back underground.

The golden lotus and the giant "broom" slowly dissipated into the void, and ninety percent of the dark purple mist on the land of Xiniu Hezhou was dispelled, leaving only some residual demonic energy drifting among the mountains.

Saint Zhunti withdrew his mudra and exhaled a long breath.

The breath he exhaled was long and heavy, and combined with the beads of sweat on his forehead and his slightly pale face, it did create the visual effect of "I have just exerted a great deal of energy and barely managed to suppress the demonic energy."

Jieyin clasped his hands together, his eyes lowered, and his already thin and sorrowful face showed even more weariness, like an old man who had just carried the entire Mount Sumeru around.

Haotian's lips twitched slightly as he looked at the two saints' expressions.

But he didn't point it out.

Regardless of whether Jieyin and Zhunti were acting, one thing remains unchanged: the evil aura of the Zhuxian Sword was indeed the direct cause of the explosion of demonic energy, and the Zhuxian Sword opened the Western Heaven Gate.

The Heavenly Court is in the wrong in this matter.

When you are in the wrong, it is unwise to question whether the victim's performance was overdone.

Huanglong stood behind Haotian, his gaze sweeping over the faces of Jieyin and Zhunti.

His expression was calm, but in his mind he had already gone through the whole story from beginning to end.

These two saints were fishing the whole time.

They knew all along that the evil energy of the Zhuxian Sword would ignite the demonic energy beneath the earth, but they said nothing and allowed the Heavenly Court to open the Heavenly Gate above Xiniu Hezhou.

Once the malevolent energy manifests in the void and the demonic energy surges, they will then suppress it and negotiate with the Heavenly Court as the victims.

The steps are all interconnected and leave no room for error.

Even the few beads of sweat on Zhunti's forehead were carefully calculated; there couldn't be too many, or it would look fake.

It can't be too little, otherwise the fatigue won't be noticeable.

A few drops at just the right amount, paired with a slightly pale complexion, were enough to make Haotian and Yaochi feel guilty.

Just as Huanglong was pondering this, Jieyin spoke.

"Junior Brother Haotian," the guide's voice was hoarse and deep, carrying a tone of compassion, "the Western Heavenly Gate is now secure, a blessing for the Heavenly Court and for our West. You have all come from afar, expending your magical power to open the Heavenly Gate; you must be tired. Why not enter Mount Sumeru to rest for a while, have a cup of Bodhi tea, and let my junior brother and I extend our hospitality?"

As they spoke, golden lotus flowers locked onto Huang Long and his companions.

The words were polite, but clearly left no room for refusal.

Haotian instinctively wanted to refuse.

Just as he was about to decline, he saw that Master Zhunti's gentle eyes, tinged with a hint of sadness, were looking at him.

Their eyes were filled with a silent accusation: "We've worked so hard to clean up your mess, and you won't even come in and sit down."

Haotian's words caught in his throat, and his desire to refuse vanished at that moment.

He turned his head and looked at Yaochi.

Yaochi's expression was just as troubled as his, but she eventually nodded slightly.

The Heavenly Court was indeed in the wrong regarding the demonic energy riot. The two saints had worked so hard to help suppress the demonic energy, yet the Heavenly Court refused even an invitation to come in for a cup of tea. What face would the Heavenly Court have if word got out?

"I'd rather not refuse." Haotian cupped his hands in greeting, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Jieyin nodded slightly, then turned and flew towards Mount Sumeru.

Zhunti made a "please" gesture and then followed Jieyin.

Haotian, Yaochi, Huanglong, Xuandu, and Duobao followed behind, passing through the restrictive barrier on Mount Sumeru and entering the Daoist temple of the two sages.

The moment he passed through the barrier, Huanglong felt a strange transformation.

Beyond Mount Sumeru lies Xiniuhe Continent, a pitch-black wasteland corrupted by demonic energy.

But the interior of Mount Sumeru is a completely different world. It is full of spiritual energy, and the mountains are covered with exotic flowers and herbs. Golden Udumbara flowers bloom by the roadside, their petals shimmering with a faint golden light.

In the distance, a waterfall cascades down the cliff, its roar echoing, and a rainbow arches across the mist.

At the mountain peak, a twelve-petaled golden lotus of merit blooms, its light illuminating the void. Beside the lotus pond, a Bodhi tree casts down beams of mysterious spiritual light...!