Styx sneered, telling Kunpeng to go peacefully on his way, but Kunpeng's will to live was immense. He was not about to accept his end so easily.
His thoughts raced at a frantic pace, searching for any possible exit. Finally, in a flash of desperate inspiration, Kunpeng steeled his heart and forcibly expelled the Primordial Violet Qi from his body.
Using his remaining magic power, he pushed the treasure out. The Violet Qi seemed like a living thing, writhing and twisting in Kunpeng's hand. In that instant, the eyes of both Styx and the East King Duke turned scorching hot. Their hearts pounded—the foundation for achieving Sainthood was right before them.
How could they not be ecstatic?
"Styx, East King Duke! The Primordial Violet Qi is yours! If you have the skill, go and fight for it!"
Kunpeng let out a savage, borderline maddened laugh, throwing caution to the wind.
"Hmph! You seek death!"
What Kunpeng had not expected was that while the Duke and Styx reached for the Qi, they also unthinkingly unleashed a coordinated, devastating attack meant to obliterate him entirely.
"Ah! May you both meet a miserable end!"
Kunpeng's face was filled with terror. He hadn't expected that even after surrendering the treasure, the two would still swarm him. They were worse than beasts.
The aura of death descended. Kunpeng felt his heart go cold; he struggled with everything he had before being swallowed by a boundless wave of destructive energy.
"Hehe... a death well-deserved!" Styx sneered, a cold light flickering in his eyes.
Kunpeng was a treacherous, sinister, and ruthless foe. Facing such an enemy, one naturally had to eliminate the root cause to prevent any future retaliation. In this, Styx and the East King Duke were of one mind: fight for the Qi, but Kunpeng must die.
"Fellow Daoist Styx, I shall graciously accept this Primordial Violet Qi. Pray, do not make a mistake you'll regret."
The East King Duke brandished his Dragon Head Crutch, unleashing a brilliant, celestial radiance that caught Styx off guard. Seizing the opening, the Duke transformed into a streak of divine light, shattering the Void Realm and snatching the Violet Qi into his grasp.
Then, without looking back, he fled.
"East King Duke! Stand still!" Styx roared, his hair standing on end with fury. It was too sudden—they had just agreed to settle it with strength, yet the Duke had snatched the prize and bolted like a common thief, showing no dignity as a top-tier expert.
Styx's scalp tingled with rage. In a split second of negligence, he had watched his prize slip away. He had plotted for tens of thousands of years, followed Kunpeng in secret, only to have someone else reach the goal first.
The more he thought, the angrier he became. He transformed into a streak of blood-light and gave chase, his entire being seemingly ablaze with fury.
"Even if I must chase you to the ends of time, I will not stop!"
His resolve was firm, his eyes brimming with a murderous intent that shook the heavens. Everywhere he passed, blood-red omens filled the air.
This pursuit lasted for a long time. Eventually, the East King Duke proved to be more cunning. He veered toward the Wu Clan, using the threat of the Twelve Ancestral Witches to force Styx to retreat.
Styx was driven nearly to madness. He never imagined the Duke would find a way to make the Witches intervene on his behalf.
"I, Styx, will not give up!"
Leaving behind a final, vicious threat, Styx returned to the Sea of Blood.
The East King Duke had finally obtained the Primordial Violet Qi. At this moment, his spirit was high; he felt as though he had reached the peak of his life.
Pangu Temple.
"East King Duke, we have driven Styx away. Now, it is time for you to perform."
Di Jiang looked down at the Duke, speaking with a smile that carried an unreadable depth.
"Of course! As the Head of the Male Immortals appointed by the Dao Ancestor, I have a duty to maintain the Primordial Order. If the Wu Clan can unify the Great Desolation, the order of the world will naturally be stabilized!"
"I shall spare no effort in assisting the Wu Clan to unify the Honghuang World."
The East King Duke spoke with absolute conviction. At this moment, he had shifted his strategy. There were many ways to "maintain order," and global unification was certainly one of them. A unified world would naturally be peaceful and orderly.
He felt a sudden sense of clarity—a focus he had never experienced before.
This Primordial Violet Qi is truly a divine treasure. I have just obtained it, and yet I already feel its guidance! the Duke thought, his eyes glowing with an incredible luster.
He knew that letting the Witches unify the world might have many negative side effects, but to buy time, he had to do it.
He needed time to achieve Sainthood!
Once he became a Saint, all rules and order would naturally fall under his control. He knew the Ancestral Witches could almost certainly never reach that realm; all the "methods of Sainthood" he promised them were merely a ruse. Once he achieved the throne, the Witches would no longer be a threat—he could manipulate them as he pleased!
Hearing this, Di Jiang laughed heartily. "Excellent. According to you, what is our next move?"
It was a test of the Duke's loyalty and strategic value. In truth, with the current strength of the Wu Clan, they could crush almost anyone. The Duke's addition was merely "icing on the cake," but it made things easier—especially given his title as the Head of the Male Immortals.
"Naturally, we continue to expand!" the Duke responded without hesitation.
If he had suggested stopping, Di Jiang might have struck him down on the spot. Given the Witches' temperament, "low-key restraint" was not in their vocabulary.
"Hmm... exactly what I had in mind!" Di Jiang nodded, radiating the aura of an emperor ruling the heavens. "Then we shall trouble Fellow Daoist East King Duke to act as our vanguard."
The Duke's mouth twitched slightly. He, the dignified Head of the Male Immortals, had been reduced to a mere scout for the Witches. The irony was palpable.
I will endure!
For now, he had to obey. Those who aim for greatness do not obsess over minor slights. Everything was for the sake of achieving Sainthood.
"Fellow Daoist Di Jiang, rest easy. You can leave everything to me." The Duke patted his chest, looking every bit the loyal servant.
And so, the East King Duke became the vanguard of the Wu Clan.
The entire Northern Honghuang was soon covered in the footprints of the Witches as the surviving Yao Race's living space was relentlessly squeezed. Desperate, the remnants of the Yao began migrating toward the south and west.
One day, the East King Duke arrived at the East Sea, leading a group of Ancestral Witches and thousands of elite warriors.
Gazing toward the direction of the Three Immortals Island, a chilling, enigmatic sneer appeared on his face.
Once, he had tried to seize one of these islands, only to be beaten nearly to death by Ling Xiao. Now, he had returned with the Ancestral Witches. The result would be different. He would wash away the humiliation of the past.
"Fellow Daoists, these three immortal islands are formed from fragments of the Chaos. They contain countless Heaven and Earth Treasures and would serve as a magnificent base for the Wu Clan."
"If we seize this place as a springboard, we can strike at the East Sea whenever we please." The Duke pointed toward the islands, speaking with grand ambition.
Upon hearing this, the Ancestral Witches reacted in various ways.
"East King Duke, this is the territory of the Three Crows from the Sun Star. Are you trying to stir up a conflict between the Wu Clan and the Crows?"
Qiang Liang stepped forward, being the first to disagree, loudly rebuking the Duke.
"Fellow Daoist Qiang Liang... surely you aren't afraid?" The East King Duke asked with a look of feigned shock, his expression almost cartoonishly exaggerated.