Chapter Twenty-Three: The Battle Between Dao and Demon

Ancestor Hongjun looked at the three patriarchs and said softly, “Let us depart.” The four of them then rode the clear wind and flew toward the Western Spirit Mountain. Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, they found the entire Spirit Mountain shrouded in a baleful aura.

Four immortal swords stood tall at the four corners, forming the renowned Immortal Execution Sword Array. Luo Hou had cultivated to the level of Great Golden Immortal; thus, breaking this formidable array required four Great Golden Immortals.

Luo Hou had summoned all the transformed rogue cultivators of the West to maintain the spiritual energy of the array. “So you have come after all. How does my grandeur compare to that of the three clans?” Luo Hou, aware of their arrival, appeared above the array and addressed Ancestor Hongjun and the others. “You know the Boundless Calamity has ended. Why do you still set this evil array to hinder the Mandate of Heaven?” Ancestor Hongjun rebuked him. Clearly, Ancestor Hongjun wished for peace, yet events rarely align with one's desires.

“You must fight me, only then will you know who is truly the greatest in the primordial world!” Without waiting for a reply, Luo Hou returned to the array, ensuring its integrity.

The four flew to their respective positions, each controlling an immortal sword to maintain balance. The swords flashed with a stream of light, and the sword energy refined by the baleful aura was incomparably thick and sharp.

The Ancestral Dragon sought to break the Immortal Execution Sword, engaging in a fierce contest of magical power in the sky. As his strength waned, the Ancestral Dragon found himself at a disadvantage. He then opened his heart, charging straight at the Immortal Execution Sword. The blade pierced his body, and the baleful aura entered him, ravaging his form.

Luo Hou laughed heartily. With one slain, the array would remain unbroken. Yet he did not realize that the Ancestral Dragon, in desperation, manifested a colossal dragon tens of thousands of feet long, tightly coiling around the sword.

The other two patriarchs used their own methods to anchor themselves, preventing the swords from unleashing their full power. The cultivators within the array desperately poured their magical power to mobilize the swords and resist the control of the three clans, resulting in a fierce tug-of-war.

Ancestor Hongjun effortlessly seized the Absolute Immortal Sword and nodded to the three clans.

In a bid to free the swords, Luo Hou himself stepped out of the array to strike down the three clans, but Ancestor Hongjun appeared before him. Ancestor Hongjun produced a diagram and placed it on the ground; instantly, black and white rays surged toward Luo Hou. Luo Hou, standing atop the World-Destroying Black Lotus and wielding the God-Slaying Spear, spun the spear to dissolve Hongjun’s attack. Ancestor Hongjun countered with a jade butterfly.

This jade butterfly was the famed Creation Jade Butterfly, the very origin of the primordial world and the foundation of enlightenment. Once revealed, it immobilized Luo Hou.

The Creation Jade Butterfly emitted a violet light that struck Luo Hou, whose screams echoed as his body reverted to its original form—a white tiger. The white tiger, by its very nature, incited bloodlust in living beings, which enabled Luo Hou to set the Immortal Execution Array.

The violet rays surged toward the rogue cultivators sustaining the array, turning them into nourishment for heaven and earth without so much as a cry. Only Luo Hou’s primordial spirit remained, glaring at Ancestor Hongjun, while the swords entwined by the patriarchs drifted down from the sky and were collected by Ancestor Hongjun.

Witnessing this, Luo Hou could not help but let out a long howl to the heavens: “Let the Great Dao bear witness! Since the rebirth of us three thousand demon gods in the primordial world, we have fought for a single chance at survival, leading to today. Here, I establish a sect named the Demon Sect. From now on, when the Dao flourishes, demons wane; when demons flourish, the Dao wanes, thus maintaining balance.”

This grand array severed the Western region’s fortune and baleful aura from itself; defeat was inevitable. Luo Hou knew his days were numbered, and unless he gambled, he would have no more chances.

Ancestor Hongjun understood that the baleful aura and Western fortune clung to Luo Hou, so he placed a diagram to suppress them, preparing to resolve Luo Hou. Yet Luo Hou’s declaration surprised him, and he shook his head.

Since when has the Great Dao been so merciful? You’ve slaughtered countless living beings—how could you not pay with your life! The Western fortune began to converge upon the diagram and flow toward Luo Hou; seeing this, Ancestor Hongjun knew the Great Dao had been moved.

Auspicious clouds gathered in the sky, and the Wheel of Heavenly Law appeared. A voice rang out: “You demon gods perished in the calamity of creation, yet now you establish a sect. When the Dao flourishes, demons wane; when demons flourish, the Dao wanes. The two sects depend on each other, so the primordial world does not relapse into chaos. As for the three clans of Dragon, Qilin, and Phoenix, you are sacred beasts; forever fulfill your duties and do not lightly entangle yourselves in karma. The clan leaders shall guard their own clans and may not emerge except during the Three Calamities.” With that, Heavenly Law vanished without a trace.

Luo Hou’s primordial spirit, holding the God-Slaying Spear, entered the World-Destroying Black Lotus and said to Ancestor Hongjun, “You are defeated, haha!” The Black Lotus slowly sank beneath Spirit Mountain.

The patriarchs of the three clans, hearing this, abandoned further action and returned to their abodes to recover. Observing these events, Ancestor Hongjun realized there were matters beyond the reach of Heavenly Law—its completeness remained lacking.

Ancestor Hongjun used the Creation Jade Butterfly to transform Luo Hou’s remaining skin into a diagram, pairing it with the four Immortal Execution Swords. Just then, at the mountain’s summit, a pool appeared at its very center. Eight treasures guarded the eight directions; within the pool, innate water essence merged with vast spiritual energy, purging karmic impurities.

In the pool bloomed two lotuses, one black and one white, known as the Twin Lotus. Soon, the black lotus vanished, and the white lotus absorbed spiritual energy, gradually producing twelve white blossoms—the Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus.

Watching the unfolding changes within the pool, Ancestor Hongjun spoke not a word, but with a wave of his hand, reduced all the cultivators on the mountain to dust.

He set up another array to protect the pool. From the assault on Spirit Mountain to its conclusion, three thousand years passed before the matter was resolved.

Ancestor Hongjun sensed a loosening in his cultivation and then rode the clouds eastward. Within the array, Tongtian realized the Early Dragon-Han Calamity had ended; he needed to emerge before Ancestor Hongjun achieved enlightenment. Two thousand more years remained before he could leave.

Meanwhile, the little mouse beside Tongtian had transformed into a human, now called Daobao Daoist.

In the depths beneath Buzhou Mountain, the Jade Qilin continued to suppress the ascending innate turbid air as usual, yet now could not control it.

The turbid air surged upward, and at that moment, twelve baleful stars flickered in the sky beyond the heavens.

Within the Sun Star, two golden crows radiated golden light. “The three clans have lost their power; now is our time to emerge.” The sun burst forth in dazzling brilliance.

On Jade Capital Mountain, Lord Taishang and Primordial Heavenly Venerable gazed at the celestial signs. Lord Taishang spoke to Primordial Heavenly Venerable: “A new calamity is about to begin. I wonder how Little Lingbao fares.”

Primordial Heavenly Venerable replied, “No worries. When our teacher attains enlightenment, it will be easy to divine Little Lingbao’s whereabouts.” Lord Taishang nodded, “Let us hope so.”