Primordial Era: The Three Senior Brothers of the Taiqing Clan

Lao Tzu fought against a sage from beyond the realm. The Tai Chi diagram transformed into a golden bridge and pressed down. The sage fought back with all his might, but was tightly bound by the Yin and Yang energies and could not escape.

Yuanshi Tianzun fought against two opponents alone. The chaotic sword energy that shot out from the Pangu Banner was extremely fierce. Although the two extraterrestrial saints joined forces, they were still forced to retreat step by step.

The Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation of the Tongtian Sect Leader was even more terrifying. Four immortal swords stood in four directions, their sword intents intertwining to form a massive sword formation. The three extraterrestrial saints charged left and right within the formation, but could not break through. The saying that the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation could not be broken without four saints was not an exaggeration. Although Tongtian alone presided over the sword formation, its power was not as great as the four saints working together to break it, but it was more than enough to trap the three extraterrestrial saints.

Nuwa's Map of Mountains and Rivers is also a priceless treasure. The map forms its own world, and no matter how the extraterrestrial saint trapped within attacks, he cannot break free of the map's constraints.

The two disciples, Jieyin and Zhunti, worked together seamlessly. The Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus of Merit provided unparalleled defense, while the Seven Treasures Tree unleashed fierce attacks. Although the two extraterrestrial saints possessed considerable strength, they were unable to gain the upper hand.

Six primordial saints held off eight extraterrestrial saints.

Deep within the chaos, Chen Qing's battle with the man in black robes continued.

"Your saints have all arrived." The black-robed man slapped away Chen Qing's purple lightning hammer and said coldly, "But so what? I have eight saints on my side, while you only have six. Once I take you down, it will be a piece of cake for me to go back and deal with them."

Chen Qing said calmly, "That depends on whether you have the ability."

The man in black robes snorted coldly, and his chaotic power surged once more. He formed a hand seal, and a black beam of light shot out from his palms, heading straight for Chen Qing's chest.

Chen Qing neither dodged nor evaded, but unleashed the full power of his inner world, gathering the three thousand Great Dao Laws in his palm and transforming them into a punch to meet the attack head-on.

"boom--"

The two forces collided, causing the chaotic space to tremble violently. Chen Qing took several steps back, and the man in black robes also took a step back.

"Your strength is even greater than when we last met." A hint of seriousness flashed in the black-robed man's eyes.

Chen Qing said, "You too."

The man in black robes remained silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Chen Qing, I admire you greatly. With your talent, if you join my ranks, I can guarantee you'll become second only to me in that world. What do you say?"

Chen Qing laughed: "Join you? And then help you destroy the primordial world? Black-robed man, aren't you dreaming?"

The man in black robes frowned: "You don't know what's good for you."

Chen Qing said calmly, "It's not that I don't know what's good for me, but that we have different paths and cannot work together. For your own ambition, you don't hesitate to invade other worlds and slaughter innocent lives. I, Chen Qing, disdain to associate with such a person."

The man in black robes laughed in fury, "Fine, fine, fine! Since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish!"

His aura surged once more, and his body suddenly expanded, transforming into a colossal giant that stood tall and imposing. The giant was entirely black, with piercing eyes, radiating a terrifying aura that was suffocating.

"Chaotic True Form!" the black-robed man roared, slamming down with his palm.

This palm strike was more powerful than any of the previous ones; wherever the palm wind passed, the chaotic space shattered.

Chen Qing's expression was solemn. He pushed the power of his inner world to its limit, and the three thousand Great Dao Laws spun wildly around him, transforming into a huge pillar of light that shot into the sky.

"The Chaos Bell emerges!"

Chen Qing let out a low shout, and a large bell radiating boundless power appeared within his body; it was none other than the innate treasure, the Chaos Bell.

"You think you can stop me with just a supreme innate treasure?" The man in black sneered and struck out with his palm.

Chen Qing directly activated the Chaos Bell, unleashing the profound mysteries of time and space within that innate treasure, and engaged it in battle.

Meanwhile, the battles on the outskirts of the primordial wilderness also reached a fever pitch.

The battle between Lao Tzu and that extraterrestrial sage had been raging for a long time. Although the sage was not weak, he was constantly suppressed by Lao Tzu's Tai Chi diagram. The Yin and Yang energies circulated, binding him tightly and preventing him from escaping.

"Sage Taiqing, do you really intend to be an enemy of my Demon God Realm?" the sage asked through gritted teeth.

Lao Tzu said calmly, "It's not that I want to be your enemy, but that you want to invade the Primordial World. The Primordial World is the world created by the Great God Pangu, my root. How can I sit idly by and watch you trample on it?"

The sage snorted coldly and said no more, focusing all his energy on trying to break free from the shackles of the Taiji diagram.

On the other side, Yuanshi Tianzun was fighting two opponents with ease. The Pangu Banner in his hands was like a living thing, and chaotic sword energy shot out one after another, forcing the two extraterrestrial saints to retreat repeatedly.

"Sage Yuqing, although you are powerful, you cannot last long against two opponents!" a sage from beyond the realm said coldly.

Yuan Shi said calmly, "Whether it can withstand it or not, we'll find out soon enough."

He suddenly shook the Pangu Banner in his hand, and a thick burst of chaotic sword energy shot out, knocking one of the extraterrestrial saints away. The saint coughed up blood and his face turned deathly pale.

Upon seeing this, the other sage was greatly alarmed and quickly retreated.

Yuanshi did not pursue, but turned to look at the Zhuxian Sword Formation of the Tongtian Sect Master.

Within the sword formation, the three extraterrestrial saints had been trapped for a long time. The sword intent of the Four Swords of Zhuxian intertwined, transforming into an impenetrable sword net that tightly bound them. Although the three attacked with all their might, they were unable to break free from the sword formation's restraints.

"Junior brother, do you need any help?" Yuanshi asked.

Tongtian laughed heartily: "No need! I can handle these three by myself!"

Before he finished speaking, the four swords of the Immortal Executioner rang out in unison, and four sword lights simultaneously slashed towards the three saints in the formation. The three hurriedly tried to defend themselves, but were shaken by the sword lights, causing their blood and qi to surge.

In Nuwa's Map of Mountains and Rivers, the trapped sage from beyond the realm has given up struggling. He sits cross-legged in the scroll, eyes closed, seemingly awaiting rescue.

Nuwa was not in a hurry; she simply kept the Mountain and River Map running quietly.

On the other side, Jieyin and Zhunti, the two extraterrestrial saints, had also been beaten to the point of being powerless to fight back.

The twelve-petaled golden lotus of merit provided unparalleled defense, while the seven-treasure tree delivered fierce attacks. The two worked in perfect harmony, relentlessly suppressing the two extraterrestrial saints.

"Jieyin, Zhunti, haven't you Western religions always been known for your self-preservation? Why are you fighting so desperately today?" a saint from beyond the realm roared.

Zhunti sneered, "Putting yourself at the mercy of others? That was in the past. Now that someone wants to destroy our home, can we just sit idly by?"

With a sudden swipe of his Seven Treasures Tree, he sent the saint flying. Taking advantage of the moment, Jieyin activated the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus of Merit, its Buddha-light shining forth and suppressing the other saint beneath him.

The eight extraterrestrial saints were held back by the six primordial saints and could not break free.

Deep within the chaos, Chen Qing's battle with the man in black robes continued.

Although the black-robed man's Chaos True Body was powerful, it also consumed a great deal of energy. Each palm strike he unleashed required a massive amount of Chaos Power. Chen Qing, on the other hand, fared much better, as he possessed a primordial world within him to sustain his energy; he was far stronger than these saints.

"Chen Qing, do you really think that just because you have a supreme innate treasure, I can't do anything to you?" the black-robed man roared.

Chen Qing said calmly, "Heh, there's no point in saying more. If you've got the guts, then come and try."

The man in black robes snorted coldly and said no more. He then activated his Chaos True Body with all his might, attempting to defeat the Chaos Bell in one fell swoop.

However, this was the moment Chen Qing had been waiting for.

Just as the man in black robes was fully activating his Chaos True Body, Chen Qing made his move.

He flashed and instantly appeared behind the man in black robes. Lightning crackled on the purple lightning hammer, and the laws of the three thousand Great Daos converged on the hammer before he slammed it down.

"boom--"

The purple lightning hammer slammed heavily into the black-robed man's back. Blood gushed from his mouth, and his massive body staggered forward a few steps.

He suddenly turned around and struck Chen Qing with a palm, but Chen Qing easily dodged it.

"You..." The man in black robes turned pale, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Chen Qing said calmly, "Your Chaos True Body is powerful, but it's not without weaknesses. When you attack with all your might, your body becomes somewhat stiff. I've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time."

The man in black gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, fine, fine! I underestimated you."

He took a deep breath, forcibly stabilizing his injuries, and once again activated the power of chaos. This time, he did not use his true chaotic form, but instead returned to his normal size.

"Chen Qing, I admit you are strong. But you are no match for me. I am only here today to test you; the real battle is yet to come," the man in black robes said coldly.

With a wave of his hand, the eight extraterrestrial saints broke free from their opponents and converged on him.

"withdraw!"

The man in black robes, leading eight extraterrestrial saints, retreated towards the Demon God Realm. Countless extraterrestrial cultivators followed suit, retreating like a receding tide.

Chen Qing did not pursue. He knew the man in black was right. Today's battle was merely a test. The real decisive battle was yet to come.

Six primordial saints flew to Chen Qing's side, watching the retreating extraterrestrial army.

"Qing'er, are you alright?" Laozi asked with concern.

Chen Qing shook his head: "It's nothing. It's just that I've used up a lot of energy."

Tongtian laughed and said, "Little Qingzi, that hammer blow you delivered was truly beautiful! That man in black robes will probably need a long time to recover from his injury."

Chen Qing shook his head: "His injuries aren't serious. With his cultivation level, he should recover quickly."

Yuan Shi's expression was grave: "Next time, they will come in even larger numbers. We must be prepared."

Everyone nodded.

Chen Qing gazed towards the Demon God Realm, a resolute glint in his eyes: "No matter how many of them come, we will protect the Primordial World. This is our home."

The six sages nodded in unison.

The seven turned around and returned to the primordial world.

Inside the main hall of Penglai Immortal Island.

Chen Qing sat cross-legged on the cloud platform, the power of his inner world slowly circulating, repairing his damaged meridians. Xuan Ming stood beside him, his face filled with worry.

"You're badly injured," Xuanming said.

Chen Qing shook his head: "It's nothing, I'll be fine after some rest."

Xuanming said, "That man in black robes is very strong."

Chen Qing nodded: "He's very strong. But I'm not afraid of him."

Xuanming said, "I know you're not afraid. But you can't be careless."

Chen Qing smiled: "Don't worry, I won't be careless."

He closed his eyes and continued cultivating. The power of the world within his body surged like a tide, and the three thousand Great Dao Laws intertwined around him to form a giant net.

The crisis of the primordial era has temporarily passed.

But everyone knew this was only temporary. The man in black robes wouldn't give up easily; next time, he would surely return with even greater power.

Chen Qing, however, must become stronger before that happens.

The great battle ended, and the primordial world returned to silence.

On the East China Sea, the waves were as smooth as a mirror. On the beach of Penglai Island, several seabirds strolled leisurely, occasionally dipping their heads to peck at small fish washed ashore by the waves. Everything was so peaceful and serene, as if the earth-shattering battle that had just taken place had never happened.

However, everyone knew in their hearts that this was just the calm before the storm.

Inside the main hall of Penglai Immortal Island.

Chen Qing sat cross-legged on the cloud platform, the power of the world within his body slowly circulating, repairing the meridians damaged in the chaos. The Purple Lightning Hammer lay horizontally in front of his knees, the lightning on the hammer had subsided, leaving only a faint glow, like a sleeping beast.

Xuanming stood outside the hall, gazing at the vast sea in the distance, without uttering a word. Her ice magic flowed slowly around her, enveloping the entire hall in a cool embrace.

"Still worried?" a voice came from behind.

Xuanming turned around and saw that Chen Qing had already walked out of the main hall at some point. His expression was normal, and his breathing was steady, as if he had never been injured.

"Is your injury healed?" Xuanming asked.

Chen Qing nodded: "That's about it. The power of the world operates on its own; I don't need to deliberately manage it."

Xuanming said, "That's good."

Chen Qing walked to her side, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked at the horizon where the sea met the sky in the distance. He slowly said, "In this battle, although we repelled the black-robed man, we also exposed many of our trump cards."

Xuanming asked, "Do you think he'll bring even more people next time?"

Chen Qing nodded: "Definitely. This time he only brought eight Sages, but next time, there will probably be more than that."

Xuanming was silent for a moment, then asked, "What do you plan to do?"

Chen Qing said, "We'll meet force with force and water with earth. But we can't always be on the defensive. I plan to go into the Chaos again after my injuries have fully healed, figure out how to enter that world, and then take the initiative."

Xuanming frowned: "It's too dangerous. That man in black robes is no less powerful than you. If he discovers you, you'll have a hard time escaping."

Chen Qing laughed: "Danger? When do cultivators not deal with danger every day? If you're afraid of danger, you might as well go home and farm."

Xuanming didn't say anything more. She knew that once Chen Qing made up his mind, no one could stop him.

Shouyang Mountain, Bajing Palace.

Lao Tzu sat cross-legged before the alchemy furnace, gently fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan. The Six Ding Divine Fire burned fiercely within the furnace, and a new batch of Nine-Turn Golden Elixir was being refined.

Yuanshi Tianzun walked in from outside the door and sat down opposite Laozi.

"Brother, there's news from the Demon God Realm," Yuanshi said.

Lao Tzu paused slightly in the palm-leaf fan in his hand: "Speak."

Yuanshi said, "Qing'er's avatar left in the chaos sent a message that the man in black robes has been healing his injuries since he returned. The eight saints have also gone into seclusion and will not make any moves in the short term."

Laozi nodded: "This was expected. The man in black robes wasn't seriously injured, but he wasn't lightly wounded either. He won't be coming back anytime soon."

Yuanshi said, "But that day will come sooner or later. We must be prepared."

Lao Tzu asked, "What are your plans?"

Yuanshi said, "I want to go into the Chaos and talk to that man in black robes."

Laozi stopped fanning himself and looked up at Yuanshi: "What are you talking about?"

Yuanshi said, "Let's talk peace. If disputes can be resolved peacefully, why resort to fighting and killing?"

Laozi was silent for a moment, then said, "You can go, but be careful. That man in black robes is no good; don't let him trick you."

Yuan Shi nodded: "Don't worry, elder brother, I know what I'm doing."

Jin'ao Island, Biyou Palace.

The Tongtian Sect Leader stood in the center of the main hall, with the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords hovering around him, their sword intent soaring to the heavens. Before him stood a group of disciples of the Jie Sect, including Duobao, Jinling, and Wudang.

"Master, how should we deal with the next invasion from the Demon God Realm?" Duobao asked.

Tongtian said, "Fight as you see fit. When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it."

Duobao said, "But there are too many of them..."

Tongtian interrupted him: "What's the use of having more people? We're fighting on our own territory, with the blessing of Heaven and the support of all living beings in the primordial world. What about them? They're fighting on foreign soil, deep in enemy territory, and facing supply difficulties. Who will win and who will lose is still uncertain."

Duobao nodded thoughtfully.

Tongtian added, "Furthermore, don't forget, we still have the Dao Ancestor. After merging with the Dao, the Dao Ancestor's strength is unfathomable. No matter how strong that black-robed man is, can he surpass the Dao Ancestor?"

Upon hearing this, the disciples felt somewhat relieved.

Tongtian waved his hand: "All of you, go down. Cultivate diligently and don't embarrass your master."

"Yes!" The disciples withdrew.

In the west, Mount Sumeru.

Jieyin and Zhunti sat facing each other; they were the only two people in the hall.

"Junior brother, what are you thinking about?" Jieyin asked.

Zhunti raised his head, looked at the vast sea of ​​clouds outside the hall, and slowly said, "Senior brother, I'm wondering if we did something wrong."

The guide asked, "What do you mean?"

Zhunti said, "Back then, in order to become saints, we made forty-eight great vows and borrowed merit from the Heavenly Dao. Now, although we have become saints, those great vows have become a mountain weighing on us. Perhaps this is why the Western Sect has not made any progress."

After a moment of silence, Jieyin said, "Junior brother, you're overthinking it. Although the grand ambition is heavy, as long as we work hard, we will be able to accomplish it one day."

Zhunti smiled bitterly: "Someday? When is that day? A million years from now? Ten million years from now? Or will that day never come?"

Jieyin sighed and said nothing more.

Silence fell over the hall, broken only by the sound of the wind outside the window and the occasional chime of bells in the distance.