When Ao Guang broke through the surface of the ocean, he witnessed a scene that terrified him to his core. An aura unlike any he had felt approached from the northeastern direction. He was not alone, as even devils who were about to attack him suddenly halted in their tracks. All of those on the surface of the ocean could not describe what they were feeling.
An elderly man approached. His forearms were extremely hairy, he had a long beard waving in the air. His clothing appeared extremely primitive, made of archaic beast leather and a headset made of a carcass. It was not any creature, but the corpse of a primordial beast, something the Primitive World hadn't seen in generations.
Admits even the army of ghost devils who were so numerous, they blocked out the sky. This old man walked through them all like an unrivaled king.
He emitted the distinct aura of those who cultivated Luohu's techniques. But he did not feel like any of the devils present. The difference between him and the devils around him had were so stark, it was as if they were two separate species.
Ao Guang has never met a devil face to face, only the ghost devils who recently besieged his ancestral home. But even he could tell this new opponent was something completely else from the devils he'd thrown off.
What's more, he could tell that the difference between this old devil and the ghost devils had to do with their vitality. Ghost devils had a distinct lack of it, they were all cold, made up of yin qi, hollow inside. They were shells of their former selves.
Despite their great cultivation, the power they could output was only a fraction of their living counterparts. Ao Guang did not know this. Because of a lack of communication, he wasn't aware these devils were already deceased. Not to mention, he did not have time to ponder it.
This old man however, was alive.
'No, I have to shoot this message out first,' Ao Guang concluded. His uncle-emperor was so far away that communications via any other methods was impossible. Hopefully, this old man wasn't a threat.
If he was lucky, this newcomer was a helper who only practiced some devil spells. In his hopeful delusions, perhaps he was using a cloaking technique to move through these legions of ghost devils.
"Little dragon, stay where you are. I have need of the message."
And Ao Guang's hopes died.
A monstrous presence shrouded the East Sea. The sky was subject to numerous transformative phenomenas. The clouds in the sky twisted and turned, showcasing a primordial scene of brutality. Figures of ancient past fighting against monstrous creatures whose appearances did not match any innate creature clans of modern day.
Strings flowed throughout what must've been millions of scenes. In some, living beings triumphed, in most they were slaughtered. The figures of ancient True Immortals were nothing but lambs for slaughter. A food source for superior beings.
Across all these, titanic godlike figures stood aloof. Neither interfering, nor caring about these prehistoric people. They were even outright malicious, partaking in the slaughter or enslaving living beings.
But as the old devil approached, each step caused riveting vibrations. A nirvanic scene of paradise appeared as the destination for all these events. A tall figure standing atop a 12 petaled black lotus, wielding a long spear appeared.
Ghost devils who were and weren't fighting all noticed this haunting presence. 'The ancestral protector is here?'
Even the Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal Devil Great Emperor who tangled against Nii and Hong were startled. In their minds, they never thought this mythical being who'd always been content teaching the next generation to suddenly appear in war.
When they were alive, even the oldest among them who have existed for many yuanhui, they all saw him as a benevolent teacher. A man who did not partake in the cutthroat politics in devil society. But one who'd rather live in seclusion, comfortable in watching the youth move up in the world.
"Who is that?" The dragons and sea creatures fighting against the devils all felt a sinking feeling as the old devil walked across the sky. Even at their location, a great distance beneath the surface of the ocean, they could tell.
The enlightened aura of a great immortal. A cultivator who had achieved Primal Zenith in terms of achievements. No, slightly above that. It was as if the mysterious concept pertaining to Grand Dao was slipping in.
If Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal and Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal were two distinct realms. Then this old fellow can be described as half-step Limitless Supreme.
"So what? Dao enlightenment may have a positive correlation to strength, but the Dao realm is not decisive in combat ability," one of the experts defending the seas shouted. It was Suanni, who had shrugged off his opponents and jumped out of the sea. He trampled numerous Golden Immortal ghost devils in the process.
The old man paused. Tears welling up in his eyes.
"Ah…ah…oh woo woo woo."
Suanni was startled, was he crying?
"Ah little Nan, little Futing, little Shanshan, little Gui, little…" he kept uttering names. Name after name he chanted. Suanni realized it must've been the names of the devils he'd just destroyed. He turned to Ao Guang and roared at him to throw the message out already.
"Little bro! Throw…" but before he could finish that sentence, he got to see Ao Guang closely. It had been strange why Ao Guang had not moved for the past few minutes. The old devil wasn't exactly moving fast.
Ao Guang was frozen. His body constricted by little threads. They may seem small, but each strand had the ability to slash mountains and slit seas. Ao Guang's eyes were practically bugging out of their sockets in his binding.
"You," the old man spat. "You are a descendent of an innate god."
His eyes narrowed in contempt. Innate gods and first generation innate creatures were mostly the same thing. Divided only by the realm they were born at as they were both connate lifeforms, energy transformed into living beings. The only other difference was that innate creatures had fully organized DNA which dictated how their postnatal descendents would be. But they were clearly separated in the old devil's mind. No matter what anyone said, he always held them in contempt. Indifference at best.
Suanni's shape was unique. Zulong, the first 'dragon' in the Primitive World could not be described as a dragon in the same way as Hong, Leize, Jiang Koilong, or any other members of the Primordial Celestial Dragon clan. The correct way of describing him, was as a connate lifeform whose body shape appears to be a celestial dragon. He was primordial energy given form. His own DNA was also a confusing mess of primordial energy.
Gui Daiyu on the other hand was a postnatal lifeform. She was born long after the first generation of her clan. Their species had already been set as stone. The true forms of his progeny with her, all came out with their own weird quirks. That Qiu Niu was a dragon in shape was pure coincidence.
This understanding about innate gods was why no one in upper management thought terribly of Chao Feng. At most, it was only concern about what rumors might spread.
The old devil snorted. Suanni felt fear course through his body. A heavy force suddenly slammed into him, sending him rolling through the clouds.
"Avenge your brethren!" The old devil told the stunned ghost devils.
"Kill!" Majority of the ghost devils did not need further instructions. But the more powerful Chaos Immortals remained behind.
"Honored one, we had this handled. This vengeance belongs to us," a Great Principle devil said.
"I understand young one," the old devil said, addressing him as young out of habit. "But I too have my own grievances."
"Oh?"
The past of this old devil have always been shrouded in mystery. But people were all hesitant to ask. It was clearly a touchy subject for him.
"Let us honour our great patriarch and destroy these vile beasts who so readily trample our homes," the old devil said. "Did you know, millions of settlements have already been razed. Numerous sects full of youngsters decimated. Historical sites plundered. The West Continent have been transformed into a wasteland thanks to these people."
His speech caused great emotion to well up in these cold devils. Even the old devil was affected. "While our forefathers fight tirelessly to keep these invaders at bay. While our patriarch rests from his wounds. I shall aid in your task and alleviate the pressure upon them."
"My children, let us repay these invaders for what they inflicted upon our brethren!"
The residents of the East Sea, upon hearing this old devils words felt deeply aggrieved. He actually dares to paint them as the villains? Was he unaware of what Luohu tried to do not too long ago? Of how Mt Buzhou collapsed thanks to him? Of how the universe was nearly destroyed?
Gui Daiyu screamed in anger. Her father died during that battle as well as numerous friends. She couldn't believe the audacity of this intruder.
"You are delusional if you think that's accurate!" She said from beneath the waves.
"Empress of the seas? You insult our kind by marrying that filth," the old devil spat. He did not hesitate to launch a punch towards the King of Four Directions formation. His outstretched arm launched downwards, throwing his sleeve back.
His slim but extremely hairy arm was revealed, resembling that of a malnourished ape. But the power was genuine. His power manifested a gargantuan fist print from which a primordial world seemed to arise.
"Hold the line, redirect power to the outer shell." The dragons within the palace who commanded the formation tensed up.
As the old devil's fist print descended, the ocean gave way. Ghost devils, not fearful for their lives, grabbed hold of dragons and seafolk cultivators still within open ocean. Even if they were not the intended target, they still hopped that standing in the way of this attack will kill them.
The dragon head formed from Kailong Chen and East Sea Dragon Palace raised to face the sky. It transformed from the shape of a dragon head to a much smaller, but fully formed coiling dragon. The dragon constructs emerging out of it all dissipated as all of the formation's power was diverted to defense.
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BOOM!
The old devil split the ocean as simply as that. He grunted, seeing as how his attack failed to break the defensive formation. In his heart, he did somewhat praise Zulong's work. But this did not mean he didn't do damage.
Unlike the combined might of numerous ghost devils, the dragons controlling the formation felt the impact. Dozens of them keeled over to spit out mouthfuls of blood. Their appearances became gaunt, paling as the strain wracked up internal injuries.
Gui Daiyu who was swimming outside looked upwards in horror. From that one attack, she knew this person surpassed most Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals she knew.
"If one isn't enough to break it, then I will keep punching until I do!" The old devil said. His display of dominance was felt all across the East Sea. His cultivation base exerted itself to its utmost maximum as he displayed his million years of practice.
"Stop him!" A dragon tried to say. But he was held off as hundreds of devils began dogpiling him. "Gah get off me!"
"Your opponent is us!" The Devil Great Emperors who surrounded Nii and Hong said. Even Intoxicating Dream was harassing Gui Daiyu from pushing back the devilish tide.
The old hairy devil's attacks were horrifying for Ao Guang. Despite being a Chaos Immortal many yuanhui old as well, he felt like a hatchling again. Unlike with earlier realms, the power difference in the final realm varied so drastically.
Multiple fist prints, each representative of a primordial world pounded the King of Four Directions formation. The ocean was split again and again, exposing its hidden depths to the sky above.
Hundreds of dragons cried out in frustration. Numerous weaker cultivators also died just from the shockwaves.
Even the palace has started to collapse.
Collapse?
The dragons commanding the formation was alarmed. Despite suffering constant barrages, the interior of the formation shouldn't be harmed. Even Kailong Chen appeared fully intact.
But low and behold, a massive figure erupted from the palace. A serpent with a woman's head chasing a tiny figure within palace grounds.
"Wait, isn't that that guest his majesty invited?"
"Oh right, I've forgotten about her."
Nuwa and Shen Feng emerged into a scene of chaos. While Shen Feng knew exactly what was going on, Nuwa was confused. But it didn't take a genius to figure out there was an enemy invading.
Nuwa's feminine face scrunched. The scent she recognized from her time during Buzhou's battle reappeared. Needless to say, she was incredibly alarmed. 'I thought the plan was to lockdown those devils in the west.'
At first she thought Shen Feng was with them. But quickly dismissed that thought because Shen Feng was not a devil. Which only caused her more confusion. Who was this guy?
"That thing." The old devil frowned when Nuwa emerged. He could feel the chaotic power of heaven and earth from her. She was not from any species. Her existence, her very being was spawned complete through the clashing energies of heaven and earth. She lacked parents, she was a connate lifeform, she was an innate god. And so was that other figure.
"Honoured one, this is bad. Two Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals have appeared," a Great Unity Golden Immortal called. These ghost devils knew they could not do anything to Chaos Immortals, hence none of them liked the arrival of new ones.
Down below, Nuwa saw Shen Feng dashing away from the corner of her eye. She wanted to give chase were it not for telepathic messages. Within a second, she was updated about the situation.
Nuwa felt conflicted. On one hand, that wind guy ruined all her creative work within the Myriad Miles Rivers and Mountains painting. On the other hand, the people who offered her shelter and guidance were being attacked.
"Lady Nuwa, you have to save prince Ao Guang. I don't know why he hasn't been slain yet but it's to our advantage. You must free him," a dragon frantically said.
"Okay." Nuwa's true form shrunk back to her half humanoid half snake form. In truth, she wasn't certain about battle. Her progression was incredibly fast, too fast for her to get used to. Her seclusion had mitigated that, but it was not complete.
But her appearance did reinvigorate the defenders. It meant another powerhouse would join their cause. The only caveat was that the other guy seemed to be running away.
Shen Feng had no intention of staying anymore. Nuwa had scared him, and staying could create another unnecessary foe(devils) for him.
Yet as he ran, Gui Daiyu saw him. She was already clashing with Intoxicating Dream who seemed to ignore everyone else but her. The empress thought quickly.
Unlike Nuwa, she did recognize Shen Feng. She had never met him, but have seem images of him. As the empress of the four seas and a major player in global geopolitics, Zulong educated her on ancient figures who may still roam the Primitive World.
Before she was born, numerous innate gods controlled the land. Though most have since fallen, some did remain. Wether they kept to themselves, or lead a force in the world, it was crucial that she at least recognized them. So even if they've never met, she recognized Shen Feng's appearance.
"Great Venerable Divine Wind, it is good you've arrived!" she yelled. Her voice travelled all throughout the vast ocean, being heard by every ghost devil. She smirked evilly in her heart.
Zulong had stories about this innate god as well. He'd told her how he'd bullied him and his brothers during their youth, and that it was only by meeting Da Hai that they were saved. He'd also told her what Da Hai told him, that Shen Feng was a greedy opportunistic thief who hungered for spiritual treasures.
"Quick! We must turn the tide. We must defend our people!"
Shen Feng gasped at her audacity. This woman actually dared to scheme against him? Dare to pit him against her enemies? He wanted to butcher her right this instant.
"So another expert from the seas is here?" Ghost devils, formerly living devils naturally were not privy to Shen Feng's existence. He was not only extremely lowkey, but rarely ever appeared in history.
Only studious Devil Great Emperors would've been aware of his history, but even they had sketchy knowledge at best. It's not like Luohu frequently talked about the Chaos Godfiends. What's more, this was where Luohu's lockdown of the West Continent played against them.
While the west, over many years, have learned about extremely famous outsiders such as Chenghuang, the two sovereigns warring over the world, the Four Symbols Divine Beasts. They were not privy to all the minor names in the factions across the world.
To them, Shen Feng might've been a background minister, or a secluded expert working for the dragons. Hence they attacked him indiscriminately.
"Damn you, I'm not with them!" Shen Feng naturally had to defend himself. He was already a powerful figure, so Chaos Immortal ghost devils naturally tried to intercept him. He quickly became a living hurricane.
"That innate god, so many!" The old devil gritted his teeth. He temporarily halted his barrage. "You better be watching little dragon, deliver your great grandmaster the sight of me grinding his jewel to dust."
Ao Guang could only struggle in his bindings.
Meanwhile, Nuwa made her way into the heat of the fighting. Millions of ghost devils destroyed only meant millions more replaced them. With a swipe of her tail, hundreds of thousands of Golden Immortal, and Heavenly Immortal ghost devils were swept away.
The goddess created a green ball in her hand and shot it out in the form of arrows. Somehow, these devils felt odd to her. They were unlike any devils she'd seen before.
They were cold, hollow, and most importantly dead. They were not exactly the antithesis of her current Dao, but they were like incomplete beings who had parts of themselves missing. They were existing in state they should not've, and for some reason Nuwa felt offended by them.
'Second rate trash,' she concluded.
Even so, their numbers were concerning. To the dragons and seafolk stationed in the capital, it was too overwhelming to deal with. Nuwa had to think carefully. She had to alleviate the pressure on her allies. At the same time, Hong alone could not tie down every high tier Chaos Immortal.
"You know," she said while lifting the Myriad Miles Rivers and Mountains. "I'm honestly still testing these out. But why don't you weird devils try these toys on for size."
Her hand reached into the painting. Within its inner world, Nuwa's hand was the size of mountains. She dug her palm into the soft clay within her world and dragged out buried objects.
On the outside, devils, dragons, and seafolk alike watched in fascination. The top grade xiantian spiritual treasure in her hands vibrated. From it emerged humanoid figures, one after another.
Nuwa unleashed what must've been millions of clay figures. All of them were featureless and uncoloured. But they possessed the form closest to the most optimized form for cultivating the Dao. Resembling the Dao bodies of all cultivators, they possessed two arms, two legs, one head, and stood upright.
If Da Hai were here, he'd recognize them as proto-figurines of early humans. Only, they were soulless creations, more similar to golems then an actual living beings.
This was Nuwa's aid to the East Sea, her own army. Millions of clay figures who possessed the fighting capability of Immortals. They came with various grades due to how diligent Nuwa was when creating them.
The earliest ones, the ones she took the most care with had enough energy to battle Golden Immortals. The massed produced ones were little more than canon fodder for second order celestial beings. They would not help with Chaos Immortals, but they didn't need to. The serpent goddess will help with that.