The Eternal God Emperor and the Demon Ancestor

Chapter 29 The Primordial World

"Hey Shang, why are you running so fast? Don't worry, Zhenyu knows what he's doing and won't hurt your son."

A lazy voice echoed from the void, and then the Taoist's figure solidified, standing with his hands behind his back beside Dao Shen Ling Che, his clothes fluttering without wind, and his whole body exuding Taoist charm.

Shang Zu's face was ashen, but he did not argue with the Taoist. His gaze swept over Yi Tianjun, who was dressed in tattered clothes and looked weak, and he angrily rebuked him: "Useless! Fighting against someone of the same realm, you couldn't even force out half of your opponent's strength. So easily defeated, you have utterly disgraced me and are not worthy of being my son!"

"Hehehe, Shang the Bearded, your teaching methods are far too boring. All you do is scare children all day." The Taoist stroked his unruly beard, pointed to himself, then pulled Ling Che aside, saying smugly, "Look at me! With just a few pointers to Zhenyu, he instantly grasped the profound mysteries of the Five Elements Dao and broke through to a higher realm. Do you see? That's the difference between a master teacher and a mediocre one. You have to admit it!"

Shang Zu's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he said in a deep voice, "Jing Daoren, Zhenyu is a disciple of your Five Elements Temple. He has massacred the Yin-Yang Realm, causing my Heavenly Realm to lose all prestige. I must escort him to Shangqiu to be punished! Otherwise, who in the myriad realms will still respect the orders of my Heavenly Realm? You insist on obstructing me; do you intend to represent the Five Elements Temple and become an enemy of my Heavenly Realm?"

Its power was like a thunderclap, carrying an undeniable domineering aura. Since the decline of the Kunlun Realm, the gods of the Heavenly Court have devoted themselves to supporting the Western Universe, which directly borders the Yellow Springs Star Region. Over tens of thousands of years, the Heavenly Realm, as the ruler of the Western Universe, has expanded its power to the extreme, enough to rival the Heavenly Court. Even the Five Elements Temple, a sacred Taoist site, dares not easily confront it.

The playful expression on Jing Daoren's face vanished, replaced by a serious one: "The Five Elements Temple has always refrained from interfering in the conflicts between different realms and never initiates trouble. This time, it was the Yin-Yang Realm that first offended Zhenyu, and the fact that he showed mercy and did not exterminate them is already a consideration for the overall situation."

His tone abruptly shifted, his gaze sharp as a knife as he stared directly at Shang Zu: "But you, secretly dispatching a Boundless Realm expert to intercept and kill my Five Elements Temple Great God, what were you plotting? If Zhen Yu hadn't already broken through to the Boundless Realm, wouldn't you have fallen into your hands today?"

Shang Zu's expression changed slightly. He had indeed been unaware that Zhen Yu had broken through to the Boundless Realm, assuming that the other party was still a Great God of the Void Realm, and had not instructed Yi Tianjun to take action. If the divine sense left on Yi Tianjun had not suddenly been severed, he would not have come here personally.

The starfield battlefield outside Kunlun Realm is already engulfed in flames, with frequent divine battles. Several Hell Realm Gods and God Kings who were originally stationed in the Boundless Divine Sea have all come to the battlefield outside Kunlun Realm. They have been fighting with others several times in recent days. If they were not worried about the life and death of their adopted son, they would not have bothered to deal with such trivial matters.

After a moment's hesitation, Shang Zu's tone softened somewhat: "Your Five Elements Temple hasn't suffered any loss in today's matter. Why don't we just let it go, and both of us can compromise?"

He was unwilling to completely break ties with the Five Elements Temple. Both the Well Daoist and the Five Elements Temple Master were not easy to deal with. It would be a loss to make a deadly enemy over such a trivial matter.

Upon hearing this, the Well Daoist turned to look at Ling Che's Dao Body, his gaze carrying a profound meaning. Ling Che instantly understood and nodded slightly. This was the heart of the Western Universe, the territory of the Heavenly Realm, and it was not advisable to linger here. Moreover, a great war between Hell and Heaven was imminent. To fight the Ancestor of Merchant to the death at this time would only allow the Hell Realm to reap the benefits. Weighing the pros and cons, it was indeed not advisable to get entangled any longer.

"Since Mr. Shang has said so, then Zhenyu and I naturally have no objections."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shang Zu snorted coldly, glanced at Yi Tianjun, and turned into a streak of light, disappearing into the distance. Yi Tianjun dared not be negligent in the slightest and hurriedly followed in a disheveled state.

After the Shang family ancestors left, Daoist Ling Che turned to the unkempt Jing Daoren beside him, a smile playing on his lips: "Uncle-Master, why have you come out of seclusion too? Did Master really trust you to venture out on your own?"

Jing Daoren, who was stroking his stubble beard, paused upon hearing this, rolled his eyes, and said irritably, "You still have the nerve to talk back! You've only just broken through to the Boundless Realm, and you dare to provoke the Heavenly Realm? Do you think you're some kind of Celestial Venerable? The Merchant Ancestor of the Heavenly Realm, and Koro of the Temple of Light—neither of them are easy to mess with! If it weren't for my senior brother worrying about your safety and sending me to protect you, you'd probably be dead today!"

"Hehe, your reputation is far-reaching. Even though you haven't appeared in the world for a long time, you still awe the heavens. Even someone like the Ancestor of the Shang Dynasty has to be wary of you." Daoist Ling Che looked at Jing Dao Ren with admiration and gave him a thumbs up. His words were full of flattery.

Well Daoist was beaming with delight at these flattering words, his slight dissatisfaction vanishing instantly. He arrogantly declared, "Of course! What is Shang the Bearded One? His so-called Eight Heavenly Techniques are nothing but empty boasts. How can they compare to my Divine Path of Domination? Even if I only had one hand left, I could still utterly crush him!"

Recalling the past, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions, his tone tinged with melancholy: "If I hadn't taken the blame for so many things for that old ghost Xu back then, ruining my reputation, would my senior brother have been the head of the Five Elements Temple? It should have been mine long ago!"

In the Underworld, there are four beings with supreme spiritual power: "Yama, the Supreme Heavenly King; the Void Calamity Palace; the Starry Sea Fisherman; and the Southern Ruins of Life and Death." Among them, "the Void Calamity Palace" refers to Xu Fengjin, the Void God Venerable of the Temple of Destiny. Years ago, Xu Fengjin cultivated the Path of Truth at the Temple of Truth in the Heavenly Court, where he was taken as a disciple by the old temple master. During that time, Jing Daoren met him, and the two traveled together, causing quite a stir in the Heavenly Court. It is precisely because of this relationship with Xu Fengjin that Jing Daoren has maintained a low profile for the past ten thousand years, rarely appearing in the world.

Seeing that he was once again boasting about his past glories, Dao Shen Ling Che couldn't help but laugh and said, "Uncle-Master is one of the top figures in our Heavenly Court. How can someone like the Ancestor of Merchants be compared to you?"

"Of course!" Jing Daoren stroked his beard, looking pleased.

Immediately, his expression turned serious, his gaze falling on Ling Che, and his tone solemn: "Zhenyu, although you have now broken through to the Boundless Realm, you still need to consider the overall situation when you act. The Five Elements Sect is not invincible among the heavens. Right now, the war between the Heavenly Court and the Hell Realm is escalating, and both the Sect Master and I are deeply worried. Fortunately, you have successfully broken through, which can also relieve some of the pressure on the sect."

Dao Shenling shook his head slightly, a hint of worry in his eyes: "My teacher carries too heavy a burden on his shoulders. Only figures like Haotian and my teacher are capable of managing this mess in the Heavenly Court. The four dominant worlds each have their own agendas, hindering each other. This game is far too treacherous; a moment's carelessness and one could become a pawn. Ultimately, improving one's own cultivation is the key. If Haotian could reach the level of the Great Venerable of yesteryear, would the myriad realms be in such turmoil?"

Upon hearing this, Daoist Jing also sighed, "The Great Venerable Realm is the pinnacle of all time. Over countless ages, how many people have been able to reach it? It is already extremely difficult for Haotian to step forward and lead the heroes of the Heavenly Court."

"How the situation develops is beyond our control. What we can do is protect ourselves and our sect in this chaotic world."

Before the words were finished, a deafening roar suddenly came from the depths of the star field.

Jing Daoren and Ling Che's expressions changed drastically, and they hurriedly circulated their divine soul power to perceive with all their might. They saw that at the boundary between the Western Universe and the Yellow Springs Star Region, a star region suddenly dimmed, and endless corpse energy surged like a tide. A ferocious god-like figure, tens of millions of miles tall, suddenly appeared in the void. With a single grab of its massive hand, the god-like figure forcibly extracted an entire world.

The corpse poison surged like a long river, causing everything to wither and die wherever it passed. In an instant, that star field was transformed into a desolate wasteland of corpses.

This scene was witnessed by the top experts from all the major worlds of the Heavenly Court.

Inside the Lingxiao Palace, Haotian gazed solemnly towards the western universe, let out a long sigh, and then took out a golden divine decree, handing it to the divine general beside him: "Pass down the order to strengthen the defenses throughout the western universe and guard against the invasion of the Hell Realm army."

In the Realm of Truth, atop the Divine Mountain of Truth, the Lord of the Temple of Truth stood with his hands behind his back. Beside him stood a towering man, his body radiating demonic energy. Both men gazed intently westward, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes.

Above the Milky Way, a colossal Dharma image materialized, none other than the figure of War God Bian Zhuang. Holding a battle bell, he gazed westward, his expression extremely solemn, his entire being exuding a chilling battle intent, yet also carrying a hint of heaviness.

Upon seeing this, the Well Daoist's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in shock, "It's the Taiwei Realm! Judging from this aura, it's actually the Three Fiend Emperors who have made their move!"

Taiwei Realm is one of the top ten great worlds in the Western Universe, and Taiwei God Venerable is a renowned powerhouse among all the heavens. I never expected that he would end up like this today.

Ling Che's heart sank, and he said in a deep voice, "In the Kunlun Realm War fifty thousand years ago, the Taiwei God Venerable helped Biluozi protect Kunlun, but was severely injured by the Nine Deaths Heavenly Emperor. Although he escaped by chance, his injuries have lingered to this day and have never fully healed. The Taiwei Realm and the Hell Realm are directly adjacent, a thorn planted by the Heavenly Court. Could it be that today, this thorn has finally been removed?"

The War of the Gods in Kunlun Realm back then was incredibly fierce. On the endless abyss battlefield, more than ten top-tier God-Emperor level powerhouses fought relentlessly, annihilating an entire star field and even affecting the Void World. Powerhouses like Biluozi and Kongchengzi perished in that great battle. On the Hell Realm side, the allied forces led by the Nine Deaths Heavenly Emperor and Gong Xuanzang also paid a heavy price, remaining elusive for tens of thousands of years. Now that the Three Fiend Emperors have appeared on the battlefield, Gong Xuanzang and the others must have already recovered from their injuries and are ready to unleash even greater storms.

"It will be no easy task for the Three Fiend Emperors to kill the Taiwei Divine Lord; they must have other powerful figures from the Hell Realm assisting them." The Well Daoist's eyes were grave. Before he finished speaking, his figure transformed into a streak of light. "This old Daoist should also head to the Star Domain Battlefield! Zhenyu, you must quickly handle the affairs of the Primordial Realm; the Great War of the Heavens is likely about to begin!"

As his voice faded, his figure vanished into nothingness, speeding towards the battlefield.

Ling Che's expression was solemn. Sensing the pervasive war atmosphere throughout the heavens, he dared not delay for a moment. He immediately returned to the divine ship, personally urging it to transform into a dazzling stream of light, traversing between various star fields and speeding towards the Heavenly Court Realm.

At the boundary between the Western and Northern Universes, a chaotic energy surged, within which a new great world was being born: the "Primordial Realm".

Although this realm is relatively new, its name has already resounded throughout the ears of the gods in the Heavenly Court. This is solely because this Primordial Realm was personally created by the Venerable Mingde.

Within the primordial realm stand three spiritual roots of heaven and earth, standing proudly. The Confucian and Taoist spiritual root, the Timeless Locust Tree, is lush and verdant, its branches cascading with countless Daoist charms; the Taoist spiritual root, the Cloud Sun Divine Tree, radiates countless rays of light, exuding vibrant vitality; and the Buddhist and Taoist spiritual root, the Calamity Wave Divine Tree, stands solemnly, emanating a peaceful Buddhist light. The three divine trees complement each other, their emanating power weaving into a vast Daoist net, stabilizing the space and heaven of the primordial realm.

The entire primordial world is divided into four seas and eight wastelands, with divine veins crisscrossing and sacred veins winding everywhere. It is in a golden age of primordial creation, where all things flourish. Rare birds and beasts roam freely in the mountains and forests, and sacred trees and spiritual flowers bloom on the land, creating a vibrant scene of life everywhere.

Within the Primordial Realm, in the Divine Wilderness Land.

Beneath the Cloud Sun Divine Tree, two figures stood facing each other, their bodies radiating divine might, their divine energy rising like clouds and mist, clearly indicating that they were already powerful figures in the Divine Path.

A man dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, embroidered with lifelike five-clawed golden dragons that seemed poised to burst forth at any moment. On his left thumb wore a sky-blue jade thumb ring, its surface covered in sacred runes, radiating the oppressive aura of a supreme artifact. This man was none other than the Ming Emperor of the Holy Bright Empire in the Central Region of the Kunlun Realm, a middle-aged man with a strikingly handsome face and an innate imperial air about him.

The other person was the current leader of the Tai Chi Dao, the True Emperor. He wore a gray-blue Daoist robe, had a dignified face and a solemn expression. His aura was as vast as an abyss, and his voice was powerful and carried an air of integrity.

The two were discussing the resettlement arrangements for the saints who had migrated from Kunlun Realm.

Emperor Zhenqing spoke first, his tone grave: "Emperor Ming, the Demon Emperor has ordered that the two of us be responsible for allocating bases for the various forces in the Kunlun Realm. This matter is of great importance. What do you think should be done?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Ming glanced across the mountains and rivers of the Primordial World and slowly said, "Currently, in the Primordial World, only the five lands of Divine Wilderness, Profound Wilderness, Nether Wilderness, Eastern Wilderness, and Northern Wilderness have completely stabilized their ley lines, sufficient to accommodate living beings to live and cultivate. Among the seas, only the Eastern Sea has fully evolved; the other lands and seas are still undergoing evolution and their spaces are unstable."

He paused, his expression calm, and said, word by word, "In my opinion, we should follow the division of the Kunlun Realm into five regions, which corresponds perfectly to these five desolate lands. My Holy Ming Empire will be stationed in the Netherworld."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhenqing frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Emperor Ming, do you know what kind of place the Netherworld is? It was formed from the corpse of a Netherworld god slain by the Demon Emperor. Evil and dark energy rages within, and countless ferocious Netherworld beasts breed there. It is no place where ordinary beings can survive. You have placed the Holy Ming Empire here; how will you explain this to the Zhang family descendants in the future?"

The Primordial Realm is a newly born great world, containing four divine veins and hundreds of sacred veins, all painstakingly collected by the Demon Emperor from countless realms. Compared to the currently sealed Kunlun Realm, the cultivation environment here is immeasurably superior, more than enough to accommodate the various forces of the Kunlun Realm. All forces desire to occupy this sacred land, and even for the sake of fairness, the Bright Emperor had no reason to choose the most dangerous Netherworld.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Ming's eyes flashed with determination, and his tone was firm and resolute: "The Son of Heaven guards the nation's gates, the monarch dies for the state! This is the ancestral precept of my Holy Ming Empire, and also the responsibility of my Zhang imperial family. Although the environment of the Netherworld is harsh, there is a divine vein and dozens of sacred veins running through its territory. As long as the descendants of the Zhang family work together, we will surely be able to transform this desolate land into a paradise on earth!"

As the rule-maker, he must lead by example. If everyone scrambles for fertile divine lands and ignores dangerous ones, how can the primordial world truly develop and grow strong?

Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhenqing felt a surge of admiration and nodded solemnly: "Emperor Ming's noble character is truly admirable!"

Tai Chi Taoist practitioners don't have high requirements for their cultivation environment. As long as the basic conditions for cultivation are met and one can cultivate in a calm mind, that's sufficient. The most important thing about Taoism is to follow the natural way and govern by non-action. Therefore, they don't have too many requirements for the choice of where to stay.

At that very moment, in a star field beyond the Primordial Realm, a divine ship tore through the void and slowly sailed in. Daoist Ling Che stood at the bow of the ship, followed by countless cultivators from the Kunlun Realm, all gazing excitedly at the vibrant new world below.