"Fellow Daoists, you have truly misunderstood my heart. I, Bai Ze, swear upon the Heavenly Dao that I harbor no such treacherous intentions!"
Bai Ze spoke with a heavy, earnest weight to his voice. As a creature born of auspicious omens, the very idea of such a low-handed betrayal was anathema to him. He was Bai Ze, the spirit of light—not 'Hei Ze,' the spirit of shadow.
"Let this be the final time," Nuwa said, her voice cool. She didn't press the point further, choosing for the moment to take his word at face value.
With the tension broken, the atmosphere in the cavern eased, and they turned their focus toward the grueling task of forging a singular identity for the Myriad Races. Outside, the Honghuang world remained a boiling cauldron of conflict, and time flowed like a river in flood.
Then, the peace of the North Sea was shattered. The previously tranquil waters erupted into monstrous, mountain-high waves as an aura of terrifying intensity surged toward the firmament.
The massive phantom of a Divine Bird manifested in the sky, its wingspan so vast it eclipsed the sun and smothered the stars. With a single, earth-shaking flap, it stirred up astral winds so violent they leveled mountain ranges and shredded the clouds.
Hidden masters across the world looked north, their faces pale with shock.
"Kunpeng has ascended!"
He was the first of the sermon-listeners to cross the threshold, second only to the Sanqing in his speed.
"From this day forward," a faint, chilling whisper echoed from the depths of the North Sea, "where in this heaven or earth can I not go?"
The self-confidence in the voice was as sharp as a blade.
Not long after, the Western horizon ignited. Two pillars of auspicious light rushed toward the sky from Mount Sumeru, dragging the Luck of the entire West with them. Jieyin and Zhunti had successfully severed their second corpses, stepping firmly into the Quasi-Saint realm.
"Hmph! To think that old bird managed to beat us to it," Zhunti muttered, pulling the clouds of light back into his form. He had expected to be the first after the Sanqing; the delay caused by his past injuries still tasted like ash in his mouth.
Their celebration was cut short by a third eruption. From Wuzhuang Temple in the West, a profound, heavy aura burst forth. It was as complete and unwavering as the earth itself. Zhenyuanzi had also stepped into the Quasi-Saint domain.
Over the next millennium, the sky was a constant canvas of ascending auras. From the Sea of Blood to West Kunlun, from the Fire Cloud Cave to Zifu Island, the titans who had sat in Zixiao Palace were finally reaping their harvest. The Honghuang world had officially entered the Era of the Quasi-Saints.
The Witch Clan felt the shift instantly. Sensing the closing gap, their offensive became a frenzy of violence, their warriors pushing harder than ever to secure their dominance before the new Quasi-Saints could consolidate their power.
The leaders of the Ten Thousand Races—Bai Ze, Ji Meng, and their peers—abandoned the front lines and hurried toward Mount Buzhou. It was time for Nuwa and Fuxi to make their own breakthroughs and finally weld the Yao Race into a single weapon.
Even the East King Duke was in a state of manic activity. Having reached the Quasi-Saint level himself, he was frantically trying to enforce the 'primordial order,' desperate to present a perfect record to the Saint during the third sermon in hopes of securing a formal discipleship.
On the Sun Star, Ling Xiao opened his eyes. Within his pupils, the rise and fall of celestial bodies seemed to play out in an endless cycle of birth and death.
During this seclusion, he had successfully integrated the Law of Rain and the Law of Metal. Of the Five Elements, he now held Metal, Fire, and Earth. If he could secure Water and Wood, he would master the Five Elements Law—a power that stood at the absolute pinnacle of the Three Thousand Great Dao.
Furthermore, his Law of Yang had reached the Hun Yuan Golden Immortal level. If he could grasp its counterpart, the Law of Yin, he would hold the keys to the Law of Yin and Yang itself.
"I wonder how my brothers are faring," Ling Xiao murmured.
He looked toward the deep core of the Sun Star. To avoid any distraction, Dijun and Tai Yi had burrowed into the very heart of the star—a space larger than a Major Thousand World. He could feel their hidden, roiling auras; they were attempting the impossible: a breakthrough to the Hun Yuan Golden Immortal realm through the Law itself.
It was a path a thousand times more arduous than the Saint's method of corpse-severing. Without the fragments of the Creation Jade Butterfly and the Chaos Pearl, it would have been a fool's errand.
"And now, my own treasure..."
Ling Xiao sank his consciousness into the Chaos Pearl. He felt like a creator god as he surveyed the boundless, grey void. There, floating amidst the astral winds and the Nine-Layered Thunder, he saw a black gourd quietly maturing, its internal universe inhaling and exhaling the primal Qi of Chaos.
He suppressed the urge to split it open to see what it was nurturing and turned his attention to the structure suspended in the firmament.
He beckoned, and the treasure hall flew into his hand.
"An Innate Spirit Treasure?" Ling Xiao's eyes widened with genuine surprise. "It actually evolved."
With a thought, he brought the hall out into the reality of the Sun Star. He pointed a finger, and the structure landed near the Fusang tree, expanding until it was a majestic, towering palace that radiated a boundless, golden light.
"Good," he nodded.
Ziwei Boy, sensing the massive shift in energy, rushed over. He stopped dead, staring at the palace. "Master... is this another of your treasures?"
"It is," Ling Xiao said with a smile. "I shall cultivate here from now on. If you need me, you will find me within."
He noted Ziwei's progress—the boy was now a Middle-Stage Grand Unity immortal, his foundation solid and deep. His potential was truly staggering.
Ziwei Boy bowed respectfully, but his eyes drifted to the four bold characters inscribed on the plaque above the entrance: Ling Xiao Treasure Hall.
A strange look crossed the boy's face. He hadn't realized his master was quite so fond of his own name.
Ling Xiao entered the hall, settling into the central seat. He could feel the tension in the world tightening like a bowstring.
[Ding! Detected that Nuwa, with the assistance of Bai Ze, has integrated the Myriad Races. The Yao Race has officially been born. Please make the following choice!]
[Choice One: Go and offer congratulations, gain Nuwa's favor. Reward: Twelve-Grade World-Destroying Black Lotus!]
[Choice Two: Remain unmoved. Reward: One random Law fragment.]
[Choice Three: Go and cause trouble, establish your own Yao Race. Reward: One random Chaos Spirit Treasure.]