Primordial Era: The Sun Emperor

The light of the Queen Mother of the West's Kunlun Mirror was no longer as dazzling as it had been at the beginning. The long battle had greatly depleted her magical power, but she still gritted her teeth and persevered.

Houtu, whom she faced, was in no better condition. Her Ancestral Witch form was covered in bruises, clearly indicating that she had suffered internal injuries.

The ten demon generals were all injured, but none of them retreated a single step.

They knew that behind them lay Penglai, the very foundation of the Celestial Court.

Taking a step back means utter ruin.

The lower-ranking demon soldiers suffered even heavier casualties.

The Great Formation of Ten Thousand Immortals continuously replenished its forces, and each batch of new recruits would lose more than half their strength in less than half an hour.

The sea and islands were littered with the corpses of demon warriors, their blood flowing into the East China Sea and turning the vast blue waves dark red.

The dragons below didn't even have time to collect the corpses, and countless shrimp soldiers and crab generals also joined the cleanup. However, they were all at the bottom and dared not float up, for fear of encountering an undeserved disaster.

The Wu tribe also suffered heavy casualties.

The charge of the lower-class witch tribe's sons never ceased, yet never succeeded.

The divine beams of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation were taking the lives of the Wu Clan soldiers every moment.

The sea was covered with countless corpses of the witch clan, intertwined with the corpses of the demon clan, making them indistinguishable from one another.

Zhu Rong fought for a while, then looked back and his expression changed drastically.

On the sea, the corpses of the Wu tribe soldiers had formed a thick layer, and their blood had stained the East China Sea dark red.

Most of the soldiers who once charged into battle with him have now fallen and can never get up again.

"Brother!" Zhu Rong roared, "We can't continue fighting like this! Too many of our men have been killed or wounded!"

Dijiang was engaged in a fierce battle with Dongwanggong when he heard this. He frowned, glanced at the sea, and felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

The casualties were far more severe than he had imagined.

Although the lower-level witch clan members were brave, the divine beams of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation were too powerful, causing numerous casualties each time.

If the fighting continues like this, even if they eventually conquer Penglai, the core strength of the Wu tribe will be exhausted.

However, if they did not break the formation together with these young men, the power of the entire Ten Thousand Immortals Formation would be concentrated on them, and they would find it difficult to resist.

Dijiang forced Dongwanggong back with a single sword strike and said in a deep voice, "All troops, listen to my command—suspend the attack for now!"

The Wu tribe army retreated like the tide, leaving behind an endless sea of ​​corpses.

On the Celestial Court side, the music of Fuxi's zither finally ceased, and the light of the Myriad Immortals Array slowly dimmed.

The demon soldiers collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, their eyes filled with relief at surviving the ordeal.

Dijiang summoned the twelve ancestral witches to discuss the matter.

The atmosphere was heavy, and everyone's expressions varied.

Zhu Rong was covered in blood, his face filled with anger and resentment; Gong Gong's face was ashen, and he remained silent; Hou Tu sighed softly, her eyes filled with pity; Zhu Jiuyin's face was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Dijiang asked in a deep voice, "What were the casualties in this battle?"

Xuanming stood up and reported the casualty figures.

Silence fell inside the tent.

This number far exceeded everyone's expectations.

Since the establishment of the Divine Court, the Wu tribe has never suffered such heavy casualties.

The number of those who died was in the millions. Each of these men was an elite member of the Wu tribe and a descendant of the father god Pangu.

Today, their blood has stained the East China Sea red!

Upon hearing this, Zhu Rong slammed his fist on the table, roaring, "I refuse to believe we can't break through that broken formation! Brother, give me another chance, I'll personally lead the charge, and we'll definitely raze Penglai to the ground!"

Gonggong, unusually, did not oppose Zhurong, coldly stating, "My Water Department is also willing to fight again. No matter how many of those demons there are, I will wipe them out!!!"

Jumang shook his head and said, "Calm down. You've all seen the power of the Myriad Immortals Formation; our men have suffered heavy casualties!"

If this continues, even if we capture Penglai, the core strength of the Witch Clan will be exhausted. If the Heavenly Court seizes the opportunity to attack then, what will we use to resist?"

Upon hearing this, the ancestral witches fell silent once more.

Jumang is right.

The Heavenly Court is still watching from the sidelines.

Taiyi, that guy, didn't say a word on the surface, but he was actually watching the battle the whole time. They all sensed his eyes staring directly at them from the Thirty-Third Heaven.

If the Wu Clan is severely weakened, he may take action at any time.

At that time, the Divine Court will face annihilation.

Zhu Jiuyin slowly opened his eyes, a deep glint flashing in his silver-white Time Pupil.

"Brother, Jumang is right. This battle cannot continue."

Dijiang looked at him: "You mean... withdraw the troops?"

Zhu Jiuyin nodded: "Withdraw the troops, but not in vain. Make the Celestial Court cede territory and promise never to set foot on the continent again! In this way, we save face, the Celestial Court saves substance, and both sides have a way out."

Zhu Rong angrily retorted, "Cease territory and pay reparations? Wouldn't that just benefit that spineless coward, Dong Wang Gong?"

Zhu Jiuyin said calmly, "Do you want our men to continue going to their deaths?"

Zhu Rong was speechless.

After pondering for a long time, Dijiang finally made a decision.

"Send word to halt the attack. Send someone to Penglai and demand that the Eastern King Duke cede territory!"

On the other side, on Penglai Island.

The Eastern King Duke sat in the celestial palace, his face ashen.

The Queen Mother of the West sat beside him, her face also pale.

Fuxi sat cross-legged to one side, his fingers still trembling slightly.

The ten demon generals stood on both sides, each bearing injuries and with solemn expressions.

Bai Ze hurriedly entered from outside the hall, cupped his hands, and said, "Immortal Emperor, the Witch Clan has sent envoys. They demand that we cede territory and pay reparations, otherwise they will mobilize their entire army to annihilate us."

"Cease territory and pay reparations? At worst, we'll sink the Three Immortal Islands!"

Upon hearing this, the Eastern King was initially furious, but before anyone could persuade him, he sighed and said, "Peace talks... are fine."

Fuxi raised his eyes and said softly, "Immortal Emperor, the fact that the Wu Clan has taken the initiative to negotiate peace means that they can no longer continue fighting. This is a good thing. But the terms of the peace negotiations will probably not be very merciful."

The Eastern King smiled bitterly: "I know. But now, the Celestial Court has no room for negotiation."

The conditions offered by the Wu Clan were very harsh: the Celestial Court had to cede all its territories along the East Sea coast and withdraw from the Primordial Continent; the Celestial Court promised not to expand further onto the continent and to reside permanently in the Four Seas; and the Eastern King had to swear an oath by the Heavenly Dao that he would never take the initiative to invade the Celestial Court.

Dongwanggong wanted to refuse, but Fuxi stopped him.

"Immortal Emperor, agree to their request." Fuxi's voice was soft but firm. He said, "What the Immortal Court needs now is time, not face."

As long as we preserve the three islands of Penglai and the foundation of the Celestial Court, we can reclaim what we have lost once we have recovered our strength.

This battle tested the Myriad Immortals Formation. Its power was sufficient to contend with the Divine Court, though the casualties were greater.

This is not a difficult task for the demon race; the longer it is delayed, the more advantageous it will be for the Celestial Court.

After a long silence, the Eastern King Duke finally gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Very well, I agree."

The moment the peace agreement was signed, the dark clouds over the East China Sea finally dissipated, and the sun shone on the sea once more.

The Divine Court army retreated, and the Wu tribe warriors, filled with resentment, left the sea they had paid a heavy price for but failed to conquer.

This time, the servants had different thoughts. Many of them could see that although the witch clan was very strong, they could not completely wipe out the demon clan.

Regardless of the reason, if they are unable to do so, it means they can seek refuge with the Celestial Court.

If there's a way to survive, who would willingly be a dog?

The soldiers of the Celestial Court watched the departing army of the Witch Clan, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.

They defended Penglai and the Celestial Court, but their losses far exceeded those of the Witch Clan.

Standing atop Penglai, the Eastern King Duke gazed at the direction the divine army had departed, his face ashen.

That peace agreement was like a hand, tightly gripping his heart.

Every word he remembered was like a knife, cutting into his heart again and again.

Territory ceded, and the Celestial Court will never expand to the mainland.

He, the Eastern King Duke, a dignified Immortal Emperor, has actually fallen to such a state. Countless innate gods are secretly laughing at him.

"The Witch Clan..." The Eastern King gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with hatred, and said, "I will remember this humiliation. The day I become a saint will be the day the Witch Clan is destroyed!"

The Queen Mother of the West stood beside him and said softly, "Immortal Emperor, as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood. The Celestial Court still exists, Penglai still exists, we still have a chance."

Dongwanggong took a deep breath, turned around and walked back to the Immortal Palace.