[Detection: The Sanqing, Jieyin, and Zhunti have achieved Sainthood. They harbor lethal intent toward the Host. Please make a choice.]
[Option 1: Seclude yourself in the Chaos. Become the second "Raise Eyebrow" and never appear in the Great Desolation again. Reward: One Chaos Spirit Treasure.]
[Option 2: Continue the enmity, fighting until death. Reward: Eye of Divine Punishment.]
"Hm?"
Inside the Chaos Pearl, Ling Xiao's eyes snapped open, radiating an eternal, indestructible light. Simultaneously, the Six Paths of Reincarnation behind his head rotated, pouring boundless energy into his divine form. His aura surged once more, climbing even higher.
"Grand Unity Golden Immortal (Daluo) Third Heaven," Ling Xiao whispered, a flash of satisfaction in his eyes. He then turned his focus to the system's prompt.
"System, I choose Option 2."
There was no hesitation. To shrink away into the Chaos like Raise Eyebrow (Yangmei Daxian) was impossible for him. He was not a man who could simply abandon everything and live in isolation. Moreover, the Eye of Divine Punishment piqued his interest—the name alone carried an aura of supreme authority.
Upon accepting the reward, a sensation of both chilling cold and searing heat washed over his eyes. As the fusion completed, his vision transformed. He could now see the "Good and Evil" values of all things; the more malice an entity held, the more devastating the damage from the Eye would be. It was a domain unto itself, operating on its own unique laws.
Furthermore, as the Dominator of the Eye, Ling Xiao could manifest it in any location or space at will. It was the ultimate tool for seeing through illusions and perceiving the essence of reality.
"Excellent! A truly magnificent eye!"
To test it, he focused his mind. In the deep void of the Chaos Pearl, the space cracked open to reveal a single, cold, emotionless eye of the Great Dao. Lightning crackled instantly, and a suffocating aura of destruction filled the dimension. It was the gaze of a master—one who ruled over heaven, earth, and all living beings.
"Impressive," Ling Xiao remarked, withdrawing the eye with a thought. Even setting aside its power, its sheer presence was enough to dominate any battlefield. "I'll find an opportunity to test its true strength soon..."
Zixiao Palace
Hongjun sat upon his nine-layered cloud bed. His aura was flickering, appearing both present and infinitely distant. As he opened his eyes, his physical form seemed to solidify—a result of his Merging with the Dao (Dao). He was now a bridge between reality and the void.
"The Sanqing and the Western Duo have all ascended. The six ordained Saints have taken their places..."
A glint of satisfaction passed through Hongjun's deep eyes. Despite the "Variables," the core structure of the heavens was finally in place. From now on, these six would manage the world and suppress any further anomalies. He wouldn't have to handle every detail himself.
If they had ascended earlier, Ling Xiao would never have become such a problem. Even now, with six Saints, even an old rival like Raise Eyebrow would be easily handled.
"It is not too late," Hongjun mused, his eyes reflecting the orderly laws of the universe.
East Kunlun
"Big Brother, Third Brother, now that we are Saints, we should reclaim our own Immortal Caves. What do you think?" Yuanshi stood on the mountainside, addressing Laozi and Tongtian. They were currently using a Dao-site once favored by Hongjun; while it was a land of treasures, it didn't feel like theirs.
"Naturally," Laozi and Tongtian agreed.
They stepped out, appearing above East Kunlun. Their boundless Saintly pressure flooded the Mount Buzhou range. In the Pangu Temple, the Ancestral Witches shot to their feet, their faces turning pale.
"Is the reckoning starting?" "The pressure of a Saint is truly... terrifying."
They waited in agony, barely daring to breathe, expecting the end of their race at any moment.
Upon arriving at East Kunlun, Yuanshi raised a hand. With the effortless grace of a Saint, he reshaped the world. He didn't seem to exert much force, yet the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth converged. Rocks and trees shifted to clear the way, mountains were remade, and magnificent palaces rose from the earth amidst veils of mist and rainbows. White jade stairs spiraled down to the ground.
"The filth and bad luck have been removed. It is clean now," Yuanshi smiled. To him, the fact that the "innately flawed" Witches had occupied this place was a stain that had to be purged.
"We are now Saints; we cannot remain in the Great Desolation forever," Laozi remarked, stroking his beard. "We must open our own Dao-sites within the Chaos."
"Big Brother is right. We should follow the example of Fellow Daoist Nuwa—open worlds in the Chaos and preach the Great Dao to showcase the majesty of the Sanqing," Yuanshi said. His attitude toward Nuwa had shifted; since they had all used Merit to ascend, he no longer looked down on her method. However, he was convinced that no one could match the Sanqing when it came to preaching the Dao.
"Agreed," the others replied.
Yuanshi then turned his gaze toward the Sun Star, a cold sneer forming on his face. "Ling Xiao Treasure Hall... your very existence is an insult to me. But you are a fine structure; you will serve well as my new Dao-site."
He reached out. The power of the Heavenly Dao resonated with his movement, manifesting as a colossal hand that stretched toward the Sun Star. It was an terrifying sight—a hand so vast it blotted out the sky and made the four seas tremble.
Every Great Power in the world turned their gaze toward the Sun.
"Is the Yuqing Saint moving against the Golden Crows already?" "It makes sense. The grudge between them is deep... and now that he is a Saint, the reckoning has begun."
The giant hand, representing the absolute will of heaven and earth, descended toward the home of the Crows.