In the Central Honghuang, the great war between the Wu and Yao erupted with full force. Every one of the Twelve Ancestral Witches was on the field, representing a uniform wall of Quasi-Saint combat power.
Di Jiang, Candle Nine Nethers, Xuan Ming, Ru Shou, and the God of Fire (Zhu Rong) had already ascended to the Middle Stage of the Quasi-Saint Realm or higher; their individual strength was staggering.
On the side of the Yao Race, the addition of the Sanqing meant their strength was not a shred inferior. With five "Two-Corpse" Quasi-Saints and the addition of Innate Supreme Treasures, their paper-strength actually appeared more formidable than that of the Wu Clan.
Rumble!
The most terrifying tier of combat exploded. The sky turned a brilliant, scorching white as Evil Qi billowed. Various divine lights flashed, piercing the firmament and carrying terrifying shockwaves.
Orbs of radiance bloomed and burned with a fierce intensity, instantly crowding the celestial vaults. The blinding light and monumental pressure blanketed the entire universe.
Endless waves of light swept out like a tsunami.
The God of Fire let out a savage laugh and was the first to strike. He rubbed his hands together to forge a solar orb of fire, detonating it within the Yao ranks. The resulting Heavenly God Fire stretched across the horizon without end.
"Bastards!" A titan of the Yao host struck back. Even though they parried the majority of the blast, tens of thousands of Yao soldiers were still consumed by the sea of fire, vaporizing instantly and scattering into the wind.
"Kill!" Zhu Rong roared. Ignoring all else, he draped himself in flames and charged headlong into the Yao formation.
Since this was a war of racial extermination, the only goal was the destruction of the enemy. He gave no thought to "single combat" or "fair duels"; his only intent was to kill as many as he could reach.
"You seek death. Do you think we are invisible?" Yuanshi shook the Pangu Banner, unleashing the Chaos Celestial Light. The impact was violent; the world trembled, and the Void Realm shattered into a dense web of fissures that rapidly tore across the long sky.
Bang!
Zhu Rong suffered a massive jolt. His million-foot-tall frame shuddered. A mere casual strike from the banner caused his blood-Qi to churn and his Physical Body to become unstable.
"Yuanshi, you useless waste! Do you dare to put down that Pangu Banner and face me in a head-on collision?" the God of Fire roared. He opened his mouth and exhaled a Fire Dragon, sending it hurtling toward his foe.
Yuanshi merely shook the banner again, instantly dispersing the dragon with a look of calm indifference. He remained entirely uninjured.
"You Innate incomplete creature, what could you possibly know of the miraculous utility of Magic Treasures? A treasure is an extension of one's own power. If you cannot use one, it merely highlights your own incompetence!"
He spoke with a light smile, his eyes filled with a haughty pride. He felt vindicated; after two previous crushing defeats at the hands of the Witches, he could finally vent his frustration.
"Die for me!" Zhu Rong was enraged. Flames erupted from his eyes as he transformed into a gargantuan titan of fire. Everywhere there was flame, there was his silhouette, as the entire environment turned into an attack intended to swallow Yuanshi whole.
"Hehe. A minor trick. I have heard that Father Pangu granted you a unique blessing; is this rumor true?"
Yuanshi let out a soft laugh. The Pangu Banner wrapped around his form like a protective cocoon, allowing him to glide through the endless sea of fire with an effortless, almost rhythmic grace.
He chose not to strike back immediately, instead probing with words in the hopes of uncovering the nature of the Father's gift.
"Hmph! There is no such thing! Furthermore, this is none of your business. Only we Witches are the true Orthodox Lineage of Pangu. What right does the likes of the Sanqing have to question us?"
The God of Fire shouted coldly, launching a relentless, frantic offensive.
"There isn't?" Yuanshi's eyes flickered. While Zhu Rong denied it, Yuanshi could see the holes in his logic. If there were no gift, Zhu Rong wouldn't be this defensive.
It had to be something magnificent—something the Witches were hiding because they feared it would be stolen.
"Hehe. Zhu Rong, you cannot deceive me. Do not be so stubborn as to invite your own suffering."
Yuanshi laughed, expressing his deep interest. His intuition told him that Father Pangu had indeed given the Twelve Ancestral Witches something extraordinary.
"Who are you calling 'stubborn'? I'll electrocute you!" A roar came from the side as Xi Zi, seeing that Zhu Rong was being suppressed, rushed to assist his brother.
He raised a hand and summoned a bolt of lightning from the Nine Heavens, which hung like an inverted silver river. The pressure was staggering.
"A pack of barbarians. You seek death!" Yuanshi was incensed. A cold light flashed in his eyes as he brandished the Pangu Banner and began the real battle.
Though he had not yet fully mastered the banner—having refined only a portion of it—the Divine Might he could manifest was still unfathomable.
In just a few exchanges, he struck Xi Zi with such force that the Witch coughed up blood, his Physical Body beginning to fracture.
Similar clashes were erupting across the entire battlefield.
A Great Witch brandished a massive bow, his form draped in Evil Qi. As the bowstring snapped, the sound vibrated through the firmament!
The sound was soul-chilling, echoing like a thunderclap for millions of miles.
The Great Witch bent his back and nocked an arrow, drawing the string until it was as round as a full moon.
Swish!
The divine arrow was peerless, its Killing Intent unmatched.
Splurt!
A Yao titan was struck. In a single heartbeat, he detonated; his body exploded, and even his Primordial Spirit was unmade into feathers of light. He died instantly.
The shot left the surrounding living beings in a state of shock. They were terrified by the Great Witch; to kill a titan with a single arrow was a terrifying display of raw power.
"Kill him! Do not let him fire again!" the Yao warriors roared, charging forward to swarm the Great Witch.
"Hmph! I will kill as many as come!"
Streaks of blood bloomed like fireworks as the battle turned into a massacre. Everyone had entered a state of blood-red frenzy.
In the starry battlefield, the duel between Laozi and Di Jiang continued. The Taiji Diagram stabilized the elements of fire, water, earth, and wind, ordering the rotation of Yin and Yang.
Di Jiang used space to manifest entire worlds, conjuring three thousand Major Thousand Worlds with a flick of his wrist. Yet Laozi, with only a single Taiji Diagram, suppressed everything.
As the respective leaders of the Twelve Ancestral Witches and the Sanqing, their battle was beyond horrific.
Di Jiang had long possessed the combat power of a Quasi-Saint Middle Stage; over these millennia, he had even approached the threshold of the Late Stage. His strength was not to be trifled with.
However, facing Laozi and his Taiji Diagram, he remained at a disadvantage. He was simply not his peer.
Di Jiang's face was solemn, his heart shaken. From his previous absolute dominance to his current inability to win—the Sanqing's growth had been far too rapid.
Most infuriatingly, they wielded Innate Supreme Treasures, standing in a position of "Innate Invincibility." To Di Jiang, it felt like they were cheating.
"Di Jiang, I am truly curious. What exactly did Father Pangu grant you? Could you solve this riddle for me?"
Laozi asked in an unhurried, pleasant manner. He wasn't using his full strength; his goal was to coax out the secret.
This was the primary reason they had agreed to help the Yao Race. As the "Orthodox Lineage of Pangu," they felt entitled to understand any legacy the Father had left behind.
"If I say there is nothing, would you believe me?" Di Jiang asked with absolute seriousness.
"Naturally, I would not," Laozi shook his head.
"It is a gift given to us by the Father. As for what it is, it has nothing to do with the Sanqing. I suggest you stop worrying about it," Di Jiang replied coolly, appearing unbothered.
"I merely harbor a curiosity; I have no intent to steal it. Why is Fellow Daoist Di Jiang so concerned?"
Laozi stood atop the Taiji Diagram. Though his form appeared elderly with his snow-white hair and beard, he still radiated an aura of "I am invincible."
"Do you truly wish to see it?"
A sudden smile appeared on Di Jiang's solemn face. He glanced at the roiling Evil Qi permeating the heavens and the earth.
"Do not be in a hurry. You shall witness it very soon!"