Traversing countless worlds from the primordial era

"I never expected Fellow Daoist Hongyun to grace us with his presence at the Peach Banquet," Haotian said politely.

Hongyun Patriarch smiled and said, "I love these delicacies. Peaches of Immortality are rare and precious fruits in the Immortal Realm. How could I not try them?"

Haotian laughed heartily: "Since Fellow Daoist Hongyun is here, there will naturally be plenty of peaches. Since we parted ways at Zixiao Palace back then, Fellow Daoist Hongyun has now reached the peak of Quasi-Saint. We would like to offer our congratulations in advance on Fellow Daoist Hongyun's attainment of the Dao."

Ancestor Hongyun waved his hand and looked down: "In the primordial world, many powerful figures have emerged. Although we attained the Dao early, we may not be able to take the lead on the path of cultivation. Leaving aside the fellow Daoists in Zixiao Palace, let's just talk about the disciples of the three religions, Fellow Daoist Duobao, Fellow Daoist Guangchengzi, and the other quasi-saints... The one with the most potential to attain the Dao is Fellow Daoist Leiming. Not only does he possess two innate supreme treasures, but his Five Elements Laws are also close to perfection."

After Hongyun Patriarch said that, everyone looked at Lei Ming again, and Haotian's expression turned sour once more.

"Two innate treasures?" Apart from a few people, everyone else looked at Lei Ming in astonishment.

"Fellow Daoist Hongyun, you flatter me. When it comes to proving the Dao, you are far more confident than I am. Not only have you reached the peak of Quasi-Sainthood and possess the innate treasure, the God-Slaying Spear, but most importantly, you have Primordial Purple Qi. Primordial Purple Qi is the foundation for becoming a Saint; refining Primordial Purple Qi will make you a Saint," Lei Ming said, raising his wine cup.

The smile on Ancestor Hongyun's face vanished instantly. He had deliberately elevated Lei Ming to create enemies for him, but Lei Ming's few words had unexpectedly revealed his trump card. Moreover, Lei Ming's mention of Primordial Purple Qi immediately caught people's attention.

"Is the Primordial Purple Qi still in Fellow Daoist Hongyun's hands?" Haotian couldn't help but ask.

Lei Ming laughed again: "This has to be said that Fellow Daoist Hongyun's methods are truly remarkable. Back then, when he was ambushed by Ancestor Kunpeng and the demon race, the Primordial Purple Qi had already been left in the Fire Cloud Cave. Speaking of which, I was also the master of the Fire Cloud Cave for a period of time, and I didn't discover anything about it. Fellow Daoist Hongyun's methods are truly admirable!"

Lei Ming's wistful expression infuriated Hongyun Patriarch. With such nonchalance, Lei Ming had stirred up the others' vigilance and covetousness towards Hongyun Patriarch. Only then did Hongyun Patriarch realize that Lei Ming was not only unparalleled in cultivation but also incredibly cunning.

At this point, the others gradually came to believe Lei Ming's words, their gazes towards Ancestor Hongyun burning with fervor. Who wouldn't want the Primordial Purple Qi? Don't be fooled by Haotian's current attempt to win over Ancestor Hongyun; if he had to choose between the Primordial Purple Qi and his relationship with Ancestor Hongyun, Haotian would choose the Primordial Purple Qi without hesitation.

Seeing this, Ancestor Hongyun couldn't help but snort coldly. A powerful aura spread out, causing everyone's expression to change, and they withdrew their gazes. Lei Ming found it amusing and drank another cup of wine.

After the minor incident, the Peach Banquet continued, and everyone enjoyed the peaches to their heart's content. These sacred peaches were unique to the Heavenly Court; they could enhance magical power and extend lifespan, so everyone ate them with great pleasure.

The Peach Banquet wasn't just about eating peaches; there were also song and dance performances. Before long, a group of fairies, led by Chang'e, floated in, leaving some less steadfast immortals dumbfounded. Among these fairies, the most dazzling was undoubtedly Chang'e. Chang'e's beauty was truly extraordinary, and even some immortals who had attained enlightenment early on felt a surge of greed.

Lei Ming had no romantic feelings for Chang'e, only a deep sadness. Chang'e was not human, but a member of the witch clan. She was Hou Yi's wife, but was born with a connection to the moon. After the war between the witches and demons, she went to the moon and became the Moon Goddess. Later, the Heavenly Court ruled the three realms, and Haotian coveted Chang'e's beauty, frequently making her perform songs and dances. Unable to refuse Haotian, Chang'e became a celestial dancer and singer in the Heavenly Court.

While drinking, Lei Ming observed Haotian. Haotian held this Peach Banquet to show off his strength, and there would definitely be other arrangements to follow.

Just as the Jade Pool Wonderland was filled with the sounds of singing and dancing, a loud bang suddenly came from below, followed by the shaking of the entire Heavenly Court. Before anyone could figure out what was happening, a golden arrow shot down from below, piercing through the spatial barrier of the Heavenly Court and heading straight for Haotian. Haotian immediately regained his senses, pointed a finger at the golden arrow, and it was instantly frozen in place.

Chang'e, who was dancing, stopped. She stared blankly at the golden arrow, and then two lines of tears streamed down her face.

"Hou Yi!" Chang'e called out the two words.

Lei Ming's heart skipped a beat: "Has Hou Yi returned as well?"

Of the Wu tribe members who perished in the Lich War, only the Ancestral Witch, possessing the characteristic of immortality, could be resurrected—only Hou Yi. Hou Yi shot down nine golden crows, thus performing a great service to the primordial world.

Sure enough, after the golden arrow, a burly figure appeared in the Jade Pool Wonderland. The man held a longbow and carried long arrows on his back, his fighting spirit soaring to the sky. He was none other than Hou Yi, the former God of Archery.

Hou Yi walked to Chang'e's side and hugged her tightly. Chang'e was overjoyed and cried tears of joy. However, Haotian, who was sitting at the main table, crushed a wine cup.

The matter was not over yet. The Heavenly Court was shaken once again, and a heroic voice rang out.

"The Heavenly Court is holding a Peach Banquet, yet they didn't invite my Witch Clan!" Zhu Rong's voice rang out.

"It doesn't matter whether he invites us or not. If he doesn't invite us, we'll come ourselves," Gonggong interjected.

"Indeed, we've come uninvited, but we'll eat our fill of peaches, or we won't rest until we've had our fill." Dijiang appeared with a smile, followed by the other Ancestral Witches. Twelve powerful auras surged into the sky, overwhelming even cultivators below the Golden Immortal level.

Lei Ming wasn't surprised to see the Ancestral Witch appear; it had been resurrected for tens of thousands of years, so its re-emergence was due. What interested Lei Ming was that they had chosen this particular occasion.

"It seems the Ancestral Witches have a deep obsession with the Heavenly Court!" Lei Ming thought to himself with a smile.

The appearance of the Ancestral Witch completely disrupted Haotian's plans. Seeing Chang'e being taken away by Hou Yi, Haotian had a bad feeling.

"I never expected that all the Ancestral Witches would grace the Heavenly Court with their presence today. Guards, quickly prepare seating for the Ancestral Witches," Haotian said with a forced smile.

The Ancestral Witches looked at Haotian with disdain.

"Aren't you just a pageboy by Hongjun's side? How come you've managed to sit in the position of the Lord of Heaven?" Zhurong cursed.

"How dare you, Zhu Rong, disrespect the Dao Ancestor!" Haotian roared in anger. Hongjun Ancestor was the source of his power, so he naturally had to do his utmost to protect him.

Zhu Rong scoffed, "So what if you disrespect Hongjun? You're just a lowly attendant. You think you can rule the primordial world just because you've ascended to the throne of the Heavenly Emperor? Hongjun can only resort to underhanded methods, let alone you! You lecherous attendant dared to make a woman from your Wu tribe a singer in your Heavenly Court! You deserve to die!"

Hou Yi clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Lord Ancestral Witch, Hou Yi requests to fight!"

Dijiang said, "Houyi, although Haotian is only Hongjun's attendant, he still possesses the strength of a late-stage Quasi-Saint. You are no match for him. However, Haotian has insulted our Wu Clan, a crime deserving of death. Today, we will use his life to announce the return of the Wu Clan to the Three Realms."

After Dijiang finished speaking, the twelve Ancestral Witches immediately formed the Great Array of Heavenly Gods and Demons, and the phantom of Pangu appeared above the Heavenly Court.

After ten thousand years of healing, the twelve Ancestral Witches have all recovered to the strength of the early Quasi-Saint stage. They are certainly no match for Haotian in a one-on-one fight, and they know this, so they did not hesitate to use the Dutian Divine Fiend Formation.

Facing the phantom of Pangu, Haotian felt immense pressure, but he was not afraid. Countless beams of starlight descended, arranged in mysterious trajectories, forming a fragmented Zhou Tian Star Array.

"The Heavenly Star Gods return to their positions!" Haotian shouted. Some of the Star Gods merged with the stars, while the Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Heavenly Gang, the Earthly Fiends, and other Star Gods all looked at Lei Ming. These were all disciples of the Jie Sect.

Lei Ming was still drinking, seemingly oblivious to what was happening. The disciples of the Jie Sect, seeing this, understood and remained rooted to the spot. Haotian was even angrier, but fortunately, he had prepared in advance. He and Yaochi, having cultivated their power for many years, had used the authority of the Heavenly Court to control a portion of the stellar power, helping Haotian complete the Zhou Tian Star Array.

A voice came from within the phantom of Pangu: "I never expected that you, boy, would not only obtain the position of Heavenly Emperor, but also the method of setting up the Zhou Tian Star Array. However, your array is far inferior to that of the demon race back then."

Haotian resides at the very center of the Zhou Tian Star Array, absorbing the array's power into himself, becoming a giant comparable to the phantom of Pangu.

"Although my grand formation is not as powerful as the demon race's, you are not at your peak strength either," Haotian said coldly.

"Even if we are weak, this axe is enough to kill you!" Pangu's phantom shouted and slashed at Haotian.

Countless stellar forces lashed out, meteors crashing into the Pangu phantom before exploding and shattering. The Heavenly Emperor Sword in Haotian's hand also fell continuously. This Heavenly Emperor Sword was not the sword of Emperor Jun, but a gift from the Dao Ancestor Hongjun, making it exceptionally sharp. Several strikes annihilated some of the divine and malevolent energy, and the Pangu phantom was also injured.

Of course, Haotian was not having an easy time either. Under the attack of the Nine Forms of Creation, one-third of the Zhou Tian Star Array collapsed, and Haotian and Yaochi lost most of the power they had carefully cultivated. Moreover, these immortals were not on the Investiture of the Gods and could not be resurrected after death. This loss alone made Haotian vomit blood.

"It seems that the Ancestral Witch can only exert the power of a Quasi-Saint at the peak of her current formation, while Haotian, with the power of heaven and earth in the Heavenly Court and the incomplete Zhou Tian Star Array, can barely also reach the strength of a Quasi-Saint at the peak of his current state. However, his Haotian Tower has been taken away by me, and his defense is not as good as the Ancestral Witch's. He will still be defeated in time," Lei Ming thought to himself.

Lei Ming's prediction was correct. Hao Tian was quickly suppressed by the Ancestral Witches. The Nine Forms of Creation were too powerful, and even Lei Ming dared not directly confront them. The Ancestral Witches were inherently warlike, growing stronger with each battle, while Hao Tian grew timid and retreated step by step. Finally, with a single axe blow, the Zhou Tian Star Array completely collapsed, and Hao Tian was utterly defeated.

"Haotian Boy, die!" Pangu's phantom roared, and a beam of axe light shot straight toward Haotian. Haotian, with disheveled hair and spitting blood, was powerless to resist.