Hongjun's face was a mask of cold fury, his gaze icy yet tinged with a growing doubt.
"What exactly was that?"
"How could it carry the resonance of both the Great Dao and the Heavenly Dao?"
"Acting as a punisher of Heaven? Where did this come from?"
The more Hongjun dwelled on it, the more his anger boiled. For someone to enact "Divine Punishment" right under his nose was a blatant disregard for his authority as the Dao Ancestor! What galled him more was Yuanshi—a Saint of his own lineage—actually mistaking that thing for the Heavenly Dao and offering a disciple's salute. It was a farce of the highest order.
"You seek death!"
With a cold snort, Hongjun pointed a finger. Instantly, the Heavenly Dao roared throughout the Primordial World, channeling an infinite, crushing force toward the Eye of Divine Punishment.
The entire firmament became a blur of destructive energy. The visual reality was isolated by a mysterious force, a clash transcending the understanding of billions of living beings. It was like ants trying to comprehend the combat of True Dragons—it was simply beyond the reach of their imagination. Only those at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal (Daluo) rank or above could vaguely sense the magnitude of the storm.
The Sanqing were left in a wretched state. They had been battered by the lightning, their hair disheveled and their pride wounded. Yuanshi, the primary target, was in the worst condition; his skin was flayed, and one arm had been nearly vaporized. This level of Divine Punishment possessed a mysterious power capable of truly harming a Saint.
"If that eye wasn't the Heavenly Dao... then who was it?" Yuanshi's rage was eclipsed only by his sense of humiliation. It wasn't just a physical wound; it was a psychological scar. He had bowed and offered a disciple's salute to that eye in front of the entire world.
He had been played.
The Heavenly Dao was now locked in a struggle with that eye, proving the eye was an enemy, not his Teacher.
Rumble...
For millions of miles, the sky roared as if the world were being remade. Chaos Qi spilled out, accompanied by staggering anomalies. After several breaths of absolute chaos, the world suddenly fell silent. Everything returned to a terrifying stillness, as if the storm had never happened.
Zixiao Palace
Hongjun withdrew his gaze as the apocalyptic mirages vanished. He let out a cold snort, his expression darkening with suspicion.
"Who was it...?"
He could not deduce the source of that strange eye. It appeared as if it had materialized from nothingness.
"Could it be Ling Xiao?"
The thought flickered in his mind, but he quickly shook his head. He had traded blows with Ling Xiao briefly before; by his judgment, Ling Xiao wasn't nearly strong enough to manifest such a phenomenon.
"If not him, then who?"
A possibility struck him, making his expression shift. "Could it be Raise Eyebrow (Yangmei)?"
His old rival was the most likely candidate to be stirring the pot again. Raise Eyebrow possessed the capability to trouble him in ways Ling Xiao could not. He was a far greater threat, operating on a level that actually challenged Hongjun's dominance.
A new thought emerged: Could Raise Eyebrow and Ling Xiao have already joined forces?
"If they have, this might actually become a nuisance," Hongjun whispered. He turned his gaze back toward the Primordial Great Earth, his mind racing. "The Witch-Demon Calamity must be accelerated..."
The Chaos
Somewhere in the infinite Chaos, Ling Xiao's figure slowly materialized. His left eye was bloodshot, swirling with images of collapsing stars and the birth and death of worlds. Since the Eye of Divine Punishment was linked to his physical body, the damage it sustained naturally recoiled upon him.
"The old man has no etiquette," Ling Xiao muttered, rubbing his eye. The bloodshot state began to ease, but the sensation was akin to pulling a three-day gaming marathon—he felt on the verge of total exhaustion.
Fortunately, the durability of the Eye of Divine Punishment exceeded his expectations; its strength was likely comparable to an Innate Supreme Treasure. However, the energy consumption was staggering. In just that brief exchange, half of his mana had been drained. It was a high-damage skill with an equally high "blue cost."
He tapped into the power of the Chaos Pearl to begin his recovery.
The Great Desolation
As the Great Desolation settled after the storm, the hearts of the billion living beings remained in turmoil. Inside the Pangu Temple, the Ancestral Witches felt as if they were on a roller coaster. When the Eye attacked the Sanqing, they thought they were saved. When the Heavenly Dao intervened, they realized the Sanqing were still standing. It had been a joy for nothing.
"That giant eye... it felt familiar," Di Jun said on the Sun Star, standing beside Tai Yi. They gazed up into the void, and after a long silence, Di Jun spoke with suspicion.
Tai Yi nodded, a strange glint passing through his eyes before a smile touched his lips. "I know who it was..."
"Who?" Di Jun turned to him.
Tai Yi gave a mysterious smile and a knowing wink. Di Jun froze, then reached an epiphany. Given their eons of brotherhood, he knew exactly what Tai Yi meant. The master of that eye was Ling Xiao. Who else would risk everything to save them?
Instead of joy, however, Di Jun felt a prickle of shame. As the elder brother, he found it intolerable that he constantly needed his younger brother to bail them out.
"Brother, we must work harder. The alarm has been sounded. We cannot rely on him to save us every time!"
Tai Yi nodded heavily. "Of course. Brother, shall we race to see who reaches the next Breakthrough first?"
Di Jun's face immediately hardened into a mask of stern rebuke. "Nonsense! Cultivation is not a game of vanity! Such a competitive heart leads to Heart Demons (Heart Demon) and harms one's path. Especially at the moment of breaking through to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal (Daluo) rank—this is no time for foolishness!"
Tai Yi shot him a look of pure disdain and turned to leave.
Western Mount Sumeru
"A golden opportunity! The Sanqing have taken a massive blow. We should take this chance to preach the Great Dao and recruit disciples."
At Mount Sumeru, Zhunti rejoiced. Seeing the Sanqing humiliated and battered made him feel that the West's time had finally come. Their Western Sect was newly established and needed elite disciples. By preaching and showcasing their power, they could draw the masses to their banner.
"What exactly was that eye?" Unlike the excited Zhunti, Jieyin was deep in thought.
"Who cares? Teacher struck it down, didn't he?" Zhunti laughed, dismissive.
Jieyin remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Prepare the Sermon!"
Soon, the news that Jieyin and Zhunti were to preach the Dao swept across the Primordial World.
At East Kunlun, Yuanshi had finished healing his wounds. When he heard the Western Duo were planning a sermon, his face flushed with anger.
"A joke for the ears! Brother, we should also prepare."
Yuanshi stood up, regaining his Saintly poise. Laozi didn't answer immediately. He paused, his gaze thoughtful. "I am trying to deduce if that Heavenly Eye was related to Ling Xiao. If we recklessly open a world in the Chaos to preach, we might be walking into a trap."