As the saints spoke, thunderclouds rolled in from the horizon. A terrifying will descended, and a pair of eyes of heavenly punishment opened, looking down upon the seven saints before finally settling on Qing Ling.
Reversing the cycle of reincarnation, completing the great tribulation, and seizing the Investiture of the Gods – each of these acts challenged the authority of the Heavenly Dao.
The Heavenly Dao sought to punish the saints!
The faces of the six saints grew heavy. Even saints had to be cautious of the Heavenly Dao's power, as their own authority was intrinsically linked to it.
Qing Ling, however, was unfazed. Gazing at the eyes of heavenly punishment, he slowly drew a golden saber. Its blade swirled with Xuan Huang energy, imbued with immeasurable Xuan Huang merit.
“The Heavenly Dao is flawed, unjust, and unmerciful. Now, I, as a saint of all beings, call upon all under heaven: will you join me in slaying the heavens?”
The mighty voice of the saint echoed through all realms, awakening countless hearts and stirring ancient beings from their slumber in darkness. A saint, audacious enough to challenge the heavens, wished to lead them in such a feat?
Before the beings could fully react, Nuwa spoke first: “I, Nuwa, shall follow the saint of all beings and join in slaying the heavens!”
Tong Tian, upon hearing this, let out a hearty laugh. “I, Tong Tian, shall follow the saint of all beings and join in slaying the heavens!”
Qing Ling smiled with relief. It was difficult enough to find even one saint willing to defy the heavens.
The God Slaying Saber, carrying infinite power, slashed towards the eyes of heavenly punishment and the source of the Heavenly Dao. Boundless Xuan Huang merit flowed unceasingly, breaking the shackles of the Heavenly Dao and forging a path through the heavens for all beings.
The Red Sleeve Saber brought forth a sky full of celestial rainbows. Its strike was resolute, its might overbearing, its intent piercing the heavens, threatening to stain even the heavens with blood!
The Qing Ping Sword’s intent shot through the heavens and earth, unifying all sword dao into one. If a sword could reach the heavens, it would be a sword aimed at the Heavenly Dao, its sharpness unparalleled, its purpose to slay the heavens!
Laozi fell silent. He turned and rode his green ox away.
Zhunti and Jieyin clasped their hands in prayer and left empty-handed.
Yuanshi Tianzun stood there, watching them quietly, not moving.
Not every saint harbored the thought of defying the heavens. Of course, they did not lack the courage, but rather the necessity.
The Heavenly Dao roared in fury. Saints dared to defy it! Terrifying primordial divine lightning split the thirty-three layers of the Primordial World, striking directly at the saints.
Qing Ling raised an ancient jade green umbrella above his head. Its brilliance was like that of wood, absorbing the heavenly light. The spirits of countless plants and trees gathered, preventing even the primordial divine lightning from breaking through.
Nuwa snorted coldly, showing no sign of retreat. Instead, she wielded her saber and cleaved at the divine lightning. The explosion reverberated through the three realms. Nuwa flicked her slightly numb wrist, a murderous intent rising in her eyes. She flung the Qiankun Cauldron, a supreme treasure of creation, towards the Heavenly Dao. Rivers and mountains were etched upon Nuwa’s crimson robes. Clad in the Great Rivers and Mountains tapestry, and wielding the Red Sleeve twin sabers, she ferociously tore open the eyes of heavenly punishment, stepping alone into the boundless domain of the Heavenly Dao.
The so-called grand momentum of the Heavenly Dao, the so-called worship of all beings – in Nuwa’s eyes, these were the machinations of the insidious beings who had calculated against her brother, annihilated the glorious splendor of her demon race, and massacred her billions of demon subjects.
Throughout the world, as the Empress Wa lived, the hearts of countless demons boiled with passion, and old demons shed tears of joy. In the demon realm, the Demon Emperor pointed his sword at the heavens and declared, “I, the Demon Emperor, shall lead all demons to follow the saint of all beings and wage war against the heavens!”
Countless demons throughout the world, filled with rage or exhilaration, rose to fight the heavens. Whether they were genuine participants or opportunists, at this moment, their strength was all directed towards defying the heavens.
The shackles of transformation that the Heavenly Dao had placed upon the countless demons were to be shattered!
The Great Sun rose in the east, and the Tai Yin appeared in the west. This was the will of the Sun God and the will of the Moon Lord.
Chang’e stood up and looked towards the Heavenly Dao. “Sister, I have come to save you!”
The sun and moon shone together, and the heavens and earth were renewed! Innumerable殿殿使 of the beings shouted in unison to defy the heavens. From Mount Fuyu, dragon roars shook the sky. The Azure Dragon defied the heavens, and the disciples followed suit.
In the demon realm plane, ten thousand demons emerged, dancing wildly. The Demon Lord Wutian stood at the pinnacle of the demons and declared, “I, the ruler of the demon realm, in accordance with the last wishes of Patriarch Luohu, shall follow the saint of all beings and join in slaying the heavens!”
“Roar~”
Dragon roars, tiger cries, and phoenix calls filled the heavens and earth. The ancient Three Clans reappeared. The rulers of two great planes declared in unison their defiance of the heavens.
The Buddhist realm, with its three thousand worlds and flowing Sanskrit chants, remained detached from worldly conflicts.
In the Western Kunlun Loose Immortal Realm, the immortals looked up, wishing for the success of the collective defiance of the heavens, but they did not act. For the Queen Mother of the West sat enthroned in the Heavenly Court.
The Great Northern Sea churned with colossal waves. Old demons, like aged steeds with ambitions to traverse a thousand miles, sent their aged and indignant voices echoing through all realms. They had once roamed through the ages, possessing unparalleled talent, yet due to the schemes of the Heavenly Dao, they had been forced to endure a meager existence. Now, at this very moment, they finally harbored the will to defy the heavens!
“A roc on a wind, rising a thousand miles in a day, surely dare to be the first in heaven and earth.” Patriarch Kun Peng transformed into his massive鲲鹏 form, opening his immeasurable maw, ready to devour the heavens!
In the Asura Realm, Patriarch Styx watched the unfolding scene of gods rising and myriad races defying the heavens with excitement. However, he glanced at the cycle of reincarnation of the Earthly Dao.
The faint voice of the Earthly Dao arose, carrying the words of Empress Houtu: “The Heavenly Dao has lost its virtue and seized all the grand momentum of heaven and earth. Now, as the Heavenly Dao reaches its peak and begins to decline, heaven and earth shall be rearranged. The Earthly Dao shall ascend, and the Heavenly Dao shall descend. I, the Lord of the Earthly Dao, shall follow the saint of all beings and join in slaying the heavens!”
Styx chuckled. Just as he was about to speak, he was startled by a world-shattering, turbid sound.
“Witch!”
“Witch!”
“Witch!”
In Pangu’s Heaven, one by one, the Wu shouted hoarsely, their roars filled with fury, proclaiming “Witch!” They were meant to be the masters of this primordial land, yet they had lost everything because of the Heavenly Dao.
In the chaos beyond the heavens, an old man in red robes, carrying a gourd, had come to settle accounts with the Heavenly Dao.
From within a colossal ancient coffin, an old beast emerged to cause trouble for the Heavenly Dao.
From a boundless world, a white-haired old man emerged, trembling. He muttered to himself, “It’s finally here, it’s finally here! I will reclaim my Tai Shen origin! I will reclaim my Tai Shen origin!”
At Wuzhuang Temple, Zhen Yuanzi also wished to seek an explanation from the Heavenly Dao. Why was the Heavenly Dao so unfair, denying him the opportunity for Hunyuan and sealing his path to the Great Dao!
…
One by one, the disciples of Jie School followed their sect leader, raising their swords to the heavens and joining in the act of slaying them!
Dragons roared towards the heavens, phoenixes glared at the sky, and qilin let out sorrowful cries. Old demons, old witches, they were all defying the heavens!
“Kill!”
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
In the Sea of Blood, countless Asuras roared and emerged, killing heavens and killing earth, killing all beings. They had killed the living beings of the world, they had killed the earth, but they had never killed the heavens, and thus their path of killing was incomplete!
The Asura banners fluttered in the wind, and clusters of red lotuses burned with karmic fire, engulfing the heavens.
The giant demons of the Northern Sea, ten thousand demons in a frenzy, their鲲 bodies and fish mouths, devoured the Heavenly Dao.
In Pangu’s Heaven, standing tall and erect, the true form of the great witches, like Pangu opening the heavens once more!
Such a magnificent and grand scene would forever be etched into the hearts of all beings in heaven and earth!
At Shouyang Mountain, Laozi sighed. He knew that the era of saints had ended. A new era, an era created by all beings, was about to dawn.
He stood up, walked out of the heavens, and headed towards the great hall in the depths of the chaos.
Yuanshi Tianzun quietly watched the countless beings unite to defy the heavens. He mocked himself, “So, the Heavenly Dao is nothing more than this.”
He felt an unprecedented clarity of mind, a sense of lightness and freedom from all burdens.
“Rumble~~~”
The Heavenly Dao roared in fury. Endless primordial divine lightning descended. It sought to strike dead these audacious, heaven-defying, and ignorant ants. It also yearned to suppress that madwoman wielding the red saber who dared to attack it, to exterminate that old enemy who had chipped away at its dominion over heaven and earth with every strike, and to kill that Pangu primordial spirit whose sword pierced the heavens with joyous abandon.
Furious as it was, it was going mad. Yet, it also felt its authority being slowly dismantled, its body being consumed bit by bit by that stinky peng-fish that had hidden from it for countless years, being shattered piece by piece by that old dragon who had once dared to defy it, and having its body repeatedly pierced by that madman wielding twin swords.
The Heavenly Dao was unwilling, the Heavenly Dao was enraged. It wished to annihilate these beings!
It once again pleaded with the Great Heavenly Dao for authority, to suppress the Earthly Dao, and to obliterate the Human Dao.
In Zixiao Palace, Laozi bowed his head. “Greetings, Master!”
In the empty and silent great hall, on the high platform, the Dao Ancestor reappeared, unchanged, just as he had been when he lectured on the Great Dao in Zixiao Palace.
“Master, will you still stand idly by?”
Hongjun’s expression remained as indifferent as ever. “As the Great Heavenly Dao goes, so shall I.”
Laozi sighed. “Master, you said that severing the three corpses leads to emotionlessness. I have severed the fourth corpse, Taishang Wuxin, but the three Pure Ones still possess emotions. Master, you are mistaken.”