Chapter 2

These two are the supreme figures of the Buddhist and Daoist sects. In terms of actual age, both have already surpassed two hundred years, but Xuan Miaochu still has the appearance of a child, as if he has never grown up. While Tan Huazang, though in the form of an adult, shows no signs of aging.

As the various demons in the great formation began to appear, this peculiar monk and Daoist seemed to sense something. Tan Huazang raised his sword-like eyebrows, and the black knife on his back emitted a resounding low hum, as if it was about to fly out of its sheath. Xuan Miaochu, however, let out a "hmm" in a childlike voice, seemingly surprised and questioning, and finally sighed, saying, "May fortune and misfortune be balanced, and may the Heavenly Way always protect us!"

Tan Huazang took a step forward and said, "The Heavenly Mirror, Earth Balance, Great Yin Pearl, Subtle Wood, Mountain Whip, Summoning Pestle, Surprised Command, and Love Bell—these ten demons have arranged the formation using the eight great Daoist treasures. They drive mountains and transform winds, using the power of the earth to lock and bind, gather clouds to generate thunder, and use the might of heaven to strike... It looks awe-inspiring and terrifying, but it has not truly unleashed the true power of the Daoist treasures."

Xuan Miaochu waved the duster in his hand, his voice incredibly clear, and said, "Venerable Tan, you have a keen eye! Among these ten demons, eight were born from the primordial chaos when the heavens and earth first opened, and they are known as the eight ancient tribes. These eight types of demons are blessed by heaven, with deep good fortune, unlike cultivators who do not need to undergo the trials of supernatural powers. Their supernatural abilities naturally grow stronger with age, making each of them immensely powerful. However, as the Heavenly Way balances fortune and misfortune, they cannot enter the trials of cultivation and ultimately cannot achieve liberation. Therefore, they do not know the true wonders of these eight treasures."

This supreme figure of the Daoist sect, despite having the appearance of a child, spoke with a mature tone that harmonized strangely with his lively and adorable appearance.

Tan Huazang's face was expressionless, his long, half-opened Dharma eyes said, "All things, all laws, all conditions, though listed as the 'Three Realms of Liberation,' the gap between each realm is vast. The current formation is still within the realm of laws, while Xuan Huang has already reached a realm beyond the laws. Such a great formation cannot harm him in the slightest."

Upon hearing the words "beyond the laws," Xuan Miaochu furrowed his fine brows, lowered his head, and sighed, his voice lower and more somber than before, "If we only consider supernatural powers, Xuan Huang already possesses near-Buddhist power! In the human world, what can harm him? Ha ha, congratulations, Venerable Tan, for teaching such an excellent disciple!" He praised, but his words were followed by a bitter laugh, showing deep concern.

Tan Huazang's sword-like eyebrows rose, a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes, but his face remained unchanged as he said, "I also congratulate Daoist Brother for teaching such an outstanding successor! Although Xuan Huang first cultivated in the Buddhist Mountain, he ultimately achieved the realm beyond the laws in the Daoist Sea. It seems that Daoist Brother is more skilled!"

Xuan Miaochu raised his hand, flicked the duster over his shoulder, and wrinkled his nose, saying, "Venerable Tan, there's no need for us to mock each other. We are both in the realm beyond things. Talking about being more skilled in front of that brat would only make us look ridiculous! Now that the Buddhist Mountain is destroyed and the Daoist Sea is in ruins, various demon races are rampaging and slaughtering innocents. The destruction of the human world is imminent, and no one could have predicted that it would come to this! The last hope lies in that brat!"

Tan Huazang replied, "Daoist Brother Xuan Miao, the Buddhist Mountain is destroyed, but the Three Mountains of the Daoist Sea are not completely destroyed! The survival of the human world is at stake, and we can only hope that the one who bears this hope will not let us down. However, if his heart..." At this, he turned his head and glanced at the black knife on his back.

Xuan Miaochu understood his thoughts, looked at the formation, and his eyes seemed to penetrate the ancient and unparalleled great formation, seeing the white figure within. His fine brows furrowed even more, and he said, "According to my knowledge, among the ten demons, Zhu Jiuyin has the highest cultivation, showing signs of breaking through the realm beyond things, which is a great anomaly. The other four evil beasts—Qiongqi, Taowu, Hun Dun, and Tuantie—and the four sacred beasts—Qinglong, Baihu, Zhuque, and Xuanwu—though they do not undergo the trials of cultivation and cannot enter the Three Realms of Liberation, possess the primordial chaos energy, making their supernatural powers formidable and not to be underestimated.

However, what I am most concerned about is the last demon among the ten. Its origin is mysterious, and even my divination techniques cannot reveal its background, which is a significant variable. But even without this variable, with such a formation, if we were to join forces, our chances of victory would be less than thirty percent. Unless their combat strength is halved, we would have no chance... Moreover, they possess the eight great Daoist treasures. When these treasures are fully activated, they can combine into one, unleashing a devastating blow that can 'destroy heaven and earth,' which we cannot withstand."

Upon hearing this, Tan Huazang's expression changed for the first time, his eyes flickering as he stared at Xuan Miaochu, and after a moment, he slowly said, "Beyond the laws is still not beyond the conditions... Destroying heaven and earth means the conditions cease to exist, and even the realm beyond the laws will be extinguished in the human world due to the lack of conditions to sustain it! As the current Daoist Sea's Forgetful Heaven, Daoist Brother is the most knowledgeable about the wonders and mysteries of these eight treasures. But who would have thought that these eight treasures would fall into the hands of the eight ancient tribes, truly the will of heaven!" For some reason, Tan Huazang emphasized the words "will of heaven."

Xuan Miaochu avoided his gaze, turned away from the formation he had been observing for a long time, and instead looked in another direction. With his supernatural vision, he could see the desolation and suffering in the human world, the abandoned villages, the ruined markets, the countless corpses and bones in the overgrown fields, and the birds and beasts roaming everywhere. Although the demons had temporarily retreated from the human world, it was already in ruins and desolation. Even with his supernatural vision, he could only find a dozen people within a hundred miles after searching for a long time.

Xuan Miaochu retracted his supernatural vision, turned around, and his eyes showed determination. His voice returned to its clear and bright tone, and he waved the duster, pointing to the distant formation, saying, "This great battle between humans and demons is a calamity for all living beings. But I firmly believe that this calamity is about to pass, and the human world will be reborn from the calamity. This calamity will be known in the future as the Demon Extermination Calamity! We must ensure that all demons are destroyed in this calamity!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the black knife on Tan Huazang's back began to tremble, his red Dharma robe fluttered without wind, adding a touch of blood red to the sky!

In the Taiji Formation, Xuan Huang emerged from the Heavenly Mirror, dressed in white, his appearance so handsome that it made one marvel at the ingenuity of nature! The moment Xuan Huang revealed his true form, Zhu Jiuyin, far away, trembled slightly, and the other demons were all startled.

Xuan Huang's appearance was not just beautiful; it was harmonious in a way that extended to his every movement, making him seem comfortable and pleasant to be around. Even the naturally chaotic Hun Dun felt a sense of harmony and comfort! For a moment, all the demons in the formation focused on Xuan Huang, and no one spoke.

Xuan Huang's lips curved into a warm smile, and his movements were free and easy, yet dignified. He scanned the demons present, bowed to Zhu Jiuyin, the only one who had transformed into a human form, and then bowed to the eight demons gathered around, saying, "Elders of the eight ancient tribes, Xuan Huang greets you! Elder Tuantie, please show yourself!" As he spoke, he bowed again to the west, where Tuantie's voice had come from.

After Xuan Huang bowed, the space in the west distorted like water, and a figure emerged, resembling a buffalo with two giant spiral horns on its head, curved toward the sky. Its mouth was incredibly large, with lips turned outward and two large teeth exposed, and its nostrils were constantly spewing white vapor, looking extremely angry!

This Tuantie did not appear because Xuan Huang bowed but because Xuan Huang used his great power to pull him out of the Taiji Formation. The other demons present were all taken aback. They knew Tuantie's abilities well, and among the ten demons, he was probably in the top five in terms of supernatural power. Yet, even in the formation he had set up and while hiding his presence, Tuantie was easily pulled out by Xuan Huang! It was common for supernatural experts to be defeated, but to be pulled out without any resistance could only mean one thing: the gap in their supernatural realms was too great!

Xuan Huang's display of power without any visible effort was clearly a warning to them. The demons began to speculate and their gazes gradually focused on Zhu Jiuyin. Zhu Jiuyin flicked his sleeve, stepped forward, and said, "Xuan Huang, today's formation is not a bet between you and us, but a bet between cultivators and demons..."

Xuan Huang turned to Zhu Jiuyin and said, "Miss Zhu, I understand what you mean. But I also want the elders of the eight tribes to understand that what I want to achieve is for demons and humans to coexist without conflict, living in harmony in the world. This century-long conflict has truly harmed the beauty of creation!"

Upon hearing this, the four evil beasts and four sacred beasts of the eight ancient tribes all exclaimed in surprise, "Ah! You're a woman!"

Zhu Jiuyin, whose identity was revealed, swept her gaze coldly over the eight demons, and with a delicate snort, said, "Who just called me a woman?" Her voice was clearly that of a woman, completely different from the deep and cold voice she had used before.

Under the pressure of her authority, the eight demons all shrank back, none daring to speak. Xuan Huang was also taken aback. Although Zhu Jiuyin's face was hidden by her long hair, and she was surrounded by an indescribable aura that formed a mysterious barrier, preventing anyone's divine senses from approaching, Xuan Huang, with his realm beyond the laws, could see that Zhu Jiuyin was a woman. However, he did not expect that she was deliberately hiding her identity and spoke without thinking.

At this moment, Zhu Jiuyin's voice suddenly became deep and cold again, and she shouted, "Heavenly Mirror!"

Xuan Huang was about to apologize, but the Heavenly Mirror, which had been hanging under the dark clouds, disappeared and reappeared beside Zhu Jiuyin, as she recalled it with her magic. The Heavenly Mirror circled around her, like a bright moon. Without further ado, she raised her hand and pointed, and the Heavenly Mirror shot out rays of five-colored divine light, striking Xuan Huang.

The five-colored divine light shot out, radiating in all directions. Wherever the light touched, the void began to burn, as if the air was ignited, and the temperature rose sharply. The entire formation turned into a sea of fire, with several huge tongues of fire licking out, driving the entire sea of fire toward Xuan Huang!

The demons, seeing this, knew that this was the five-colored divine flame from the Heavenly Mirror, the most powerful yang fire in the world. Zhu Jiuyin had directly used the five-colored divine flame, indicating that the battle was about to begin. They all retreated into the formation, disappearing from sight.

Seeing the five-colored divine flames fiercely rushing toward him, Xuan Huang remained calm, standing in the void without any movement. Zhu Jiuyin, seeing his arrogance, was even more angry, and she urged the Heavenly Mirror, causing the sea of fire to surge forward with a fierce explosion, rising hundreds of feet high, the flames reaching the sky. Several tongues of fire licked out from the sea of fire, and the entire sea of fire surged forward, instantly engulfing Xuan Huang.

Zhu Jiuyin was taken aback; Xuan Huang had not resisted at all and was easily engulfed by the flames. Her brows furrowed, and her eyes showed a complex expression. She was hesitating whether to withdraw the divine light. Suddenly, a more intense explosion sounded from the center of the sea of fire, shaking her spirit. She