The moment Jieyin and Zhunti sensed that Laozi had slain his second corpse, their mental state underwent a violent shift.
How could this be?
Just moments ago, they were in a state of relative parity with the Sanqing. Now, the entire balance had been disrupted.
Laozi's sudden, silent breakthrough felt like a physical slap to the faces of the Western Duo, making it impossible for them to sit still.
The weight of the world's expectations had shifted entirely to them.
Did this not imply that of the six great Disciples of the Dao Ancestor, the two from the West were now the most incompetent?
"Senior Brother... are you close to slaying your second corpse as well?"
Zhunti found his voice, speaking up to seize the initiative.
Laozi was the eldest of the Sanqing. Jieyin was the elder of the Western Duo. If the leader did not slay his corpse, who would?
Jieyin's expression stiffened for a heartbeat. "Soon. I have eighty percent confidence. The second corpse will be slain sooner or later!"
He spoke the words with a practiced ease, offering a vague, calculated estimation. It was a fuzzy, almost nonsensical answer born of necessity.
Zhunti nodded, a forced smile appearing on his face. "That is good. We brothers must not allow ourselves to be eclipsed by the Sanqing!"
Hearing this, Jieyin shot him a sideways glance, grumbling in the depths of his mind: If you don't want to be eclipsed, then why aren't you working harder yourself?!
Laozi's breakthrough had indeed placed an immense pressure on Jieyin, far exceeding the pressure brought by Nuwa.
Nuwa had utilized Karma to slay her corpse, which held an element of taking a shortcut. But Laozi had achieved this through pure, raw Cultivation. Even so, he had managed to keep pace with Nuwa—this was a testament to Laozi's terrifying talent.
"Senior Brother, do you think it is possible for us to also utilize Karma to slay our corpses?"
Zhunti spoke again, his voice rising with excitement at his own suggestion.
Jieyin's eyes flickered. He remained silent for a long moment before slowly speaking.
"Your idea is not entirely impossible. However, Heavenly Dao Karma is not so easily obtained. In the past, we unified the Luck of the West to reach the Perfection of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm. If we seek to obtain more Karma now, where exactly should we begin?"
These words acted as a cold splash of water, calming Zhunti down. As Jieyin had noted, Heavenly Dao Karma was notoriously difficult to secure; one had to consider countless factors and whether the act aligned with the Will of Heaven.
Otherwise, it was all for naught.
"Focus on your Cultivation. We must slay our corpses before Yuanshi and Tongtian!" Jieyin commanded, laying down the heavy burden.
Fortunately, Yuanshi and Tongtian had not yet made their breakthroughs. This granted the Western Duo a small window of opportunity to catch up. Otherwise, they would have no face left to show the world.
Zhunti nodded heavily. Forgetting the dream of easy Karma for the moment, he sank back into a deep, meditative state.
Pangu Temple.
The Ancestral Witches had naturally sensed the massive upheaval within the Yao Race. Di Jiang gazed toward the horizon, speaking slowly:
"Nuwa has actually created the Demon Script. The Heavenly Dao has bestowed its Karma, and the Luck of the Yao Race has surged significantly!"
"Struggling even as they face their own demise... how amusing."
As the words fell, the remaining Ancestral Witches let out a chorus of cold laughs. They did not hold the Yao Race's increase in Luck in any regard.
The constant warfare of the past millennia had only made the Wu Clan stronger and more battle-hardened. They did not fear the Yao Race becoming more powerful; in their eyes, no matter how strong the enemy became, they would never be the peers of the Wu Clan.
"Since the Yao Race has created a Demon Script, I wonder... can we not follow suit and create a Wu Script?"
Unlike the other Witches, Houtu was considering the feasibility of imitating the Demon Script to create a unique written language for her own clan.
At those words, the other Ancestral Witches wore strange expressions, appearing shocked by Houtu's suggestion.
"Sister Houtu, we Witches live for the battle. What possible use would we have for a script?" Zhu Rong, the God of Fire, said with a laugh. He felt that for the Wu Clan to use such a thing would be a redundant waste of effort. They were warriors and men of action; they had no need for such delicate, academic work.
"Indeed. We revere only our Father God. We have no need for Heavenly Dao Karma; creating a script is simply a pointless gesture," Candle Nine Nethers noted coolly. He held a deep disdain for the so-called Heavenly Dao Karma; even if it were delivered to his doorstep, he would not accept it.
"In my view, creating the Demon Script was a waste of effort as well. The destruction of the Yao Race is only a matter of time," Xuan Ming added with a cold arrogance. Her immense strength gave her the foundation for such confidence. Over the past tens of thousands of years, she had ascended to the Middle Stage of the Quasi-Saint realm, second only to Di Jiang.
Though she was the youngest aside from Houtu, her strength was already among the top tier, surpassing several of her older brothers.
Di Jiang listened to the banter of his siblings, a look of contemplation appearing on his face. The words of Candle Nine Nethers had provided him with a spark, reminding him of a long-neglected issue.
The worship of Father Pangu!
Long ago, the East King Duke had suggested that the Ancestral Witches had two paths to power: worshipping their Father God, and collecting the remnants of his legacy.
Eons had passed, yet he had never put the first plan into action. Now that the Yao Race was leveraging Heavenly Dao Karma to bolster their Luck, a new idea began to take shape in his mind.
"Wait... is there an anomaly in the Blood Pool? Could it be that Gonggong and the others have finally recovered?"
Zhu Rong's sudden exclamation drew the attention of the others. One by one, the Ancestral Witches sensed the shift.
Since the battle at the Three Immortals Island, Gonggong, Ju Mang, and Xi Zi had remained submerged in the Blood Pool to heal their wounds. There had been no movement until now, but the sudden agitation of the pool suggested they were about to emerge.
Immediately, the nine Ancestral Witches rushed to the edge of the pool. They saw three pillars of blood-red, malevolent Qi surging upward.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Three powerful, rhythmic heartbeats thundered like heavenly drums. The Blood Pool began to boil and surge with a violent intensity, looking like a vast ocean whipped into a storm.
Then, three gargantuan figures rose from the depths, radiating a terrifying, primeval Evil Qi.
Gonggong, Ju Mang, and Xi Zi had awakened completely. Through their destruction and subsequent rebirth, their cultivation had even managed to take a step forward.
"Haha! Excellent! My brothers have finally returned!" Qiang Liang let out a roar like a thunderclap. Seeing that the three were unharmed brought him a surge of intense joy.
After all, they had ventured to the Three Immortals Island together. If Gonggong and the others had perished, Qiang Liang would have carried the weight of that guilt forever.
Gonggong, Ju Mang, and Xi Zi strode toward their siblings. Having slept for tens of thousands of years, the sight of their brothers and sisters brought a surreal feeling, as if they were seeing them across several lifetimes.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Gonggong recalled the culprit who had nearly extinguished his life. The memory of that grievance caused his dormant blood to boil once more, and he was quickly consumed by a mounting, uncontrollable rage.
"Big Brother! The debt for our three brothers must be paid! I am going to the Sun Star to tear those three Golden Crows into bloody shreds!"
He roared with fury, appearing as if he could not wait for another second.
"Enough! You have only just recovered. Do you truly wish to go and seek your own death again?"
Zhu Rong blocked Gonggong's path, his face solemn as he commanded him to stop.
This act immediately drew Gonggong's ire. He glared at his brother with burning eyes. "Zhu Rong! What is the meaning of this? Do you look down upon me?"
Zhu Rong spread his hands. "I harbor no such intent. But if you insist on interpreting it that way, there is nothing I can do!"
Gonggong was enraged, his Aura surging outward. Just as it appeared they would come to blows, Di Jiang's voice thundered through the hall.
"Enough! Both of you, settle down! The matter of revenge shall be set aside for the moment. We have far more important business to attend to!"
"What business?" The Ancestral Witches turned their gaze toward their eldest brother.
"The worship of our Father God!" Di Jiang announced in a deep, heavy voice.
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