The mood in the West Sea Dragon Palace could only be described with one word, depressing. Zulong sat in silence on the western throne while those who had retreated nursed their wounds. The kingdom below the waves were all in all experiencing a period of turbulence. Even though no news have been released from the imperial court, the average civilians can sense something was wrong. One does not have a fight as big as what just happened without that happening.

Zulong was only thankful that no one of importance died. Now that his head was a lot clearer, he couldn't help but want to bash his skull against something hard for his lack of emotional control. Now based in the west sea, he finally felt somewhat normal again.

"Your majesty," a soft spoken voice called out to him. It was the main castellan of the west sea Chenghuang. Chenghuang was one of the strongest members of the empire but couldn't make it to Zulong's former war arrangements.

"Speak," Zulong said with a tone of tiredness.

"Xuanwu, Baihu arrived. Qinglong with them."

The innate god was as Laconian as ever. Zulong would find it strange if he wasn't. "And our guest?"

The white haired Chenghuang shrugged. "Well. Wants see you."

"And you've been blocking him."

Chenghuang nodded.

Zulong leaned back and sighed. "There's no need for that. Let him come as he wishes."

"Thank you for permitting me your majesty," Hongjun said immediately appearing in the throne hall. This was much to both Zulong and Chenghuang's irritation.

"I'm surprised you didn't barge in sooner," Zulong jabbed.

"Contrary to what you've been sold, I'm not an impolite man. I am a guest here and I follow your rules and I will address you with the correct curtesy you deserve," Hongjun explained. He settled himself quite well in his purple robes. His friendly vibes were so intoxicating that Zulong almost wanted to say his master had the wrong read on him.

"I'm sure you can imagine how bad things already are," Hongjun said. "What do you know of Luohu?"

Zulong considered his answer. For all intents and purposes Hongjun was supposed to be his enemy. But he had also aided him in his retreat. That was not to say they were friends, their attitudes were pretty hostile until now. But the average soldier who weren't too knowledgeable thought of him as an ally.

Ever since they took up residence in the west sea, Hongjun's presence had been a point of pressure for him. Knowing all he knows, Zulong couldn't just turn the old man away. Fighting Luohu had awoken him to the sad reality. Even a million years didn't bridge that gap.

"He was your friend," Zulong began. "Then you became enemies. You have clashing ideologies which led to your current situation. He is the Devil Ancestor who governs one section of the primitive world as one of the three great powers. He down all outside contact with the west continent for over a million years and only now showed his fangs. He and you alike are hated by my master. We are enemies."

"Quit a lot," Hongjun admitted. "Yes we were allies once, even friends. But Luohu had always been the sort to think of himself as the top. It was an uneven partnership one he kept trying to exploit at multiple points."

Hongjun had a look of annoyance on his face. Yet it also had some nostalgia. Zulong silently wondered what the chaos period was like. But he didn't dwell on it for long, bygone history was irrelevant information.

"But I digress. Luohu's improvements are comparable to my own. He commands the strongest army in the world."

"Strongest? Doubt sea's strength?" Chenghuang asked sounding almost offended.

"The strongest faction in the world," Hongjun emphasized once again. "You can confirm can't you Dragon Sovereign?"

"Hundreds of Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals, that's not counting lesser experts. Then there is also that formation," Zulong said nodding grimly.

"That is correct, the Immortal Extermination Four Swords are his biggest success and our highest priority. It is an invincible formation that requires…"

"Four cultivators of similar existence to himself to break," they said in unison.

Hongjun widened his eyes slightly at Zulong. But his surprise was quickly covered up and he returned to his passive expression. It was also then that the doors were pushed open and Qinglong stepped in along with a few others. Among them were Yinglong, Yi Fei'e, Xuanwu, and Baihu.

They cupped their hands and greeted Zulong then turned uneasily towards Hongjun.

"Stop that, Hongjun is a guest of ours," Zulong said in assurance. He then turned his attention back to Zulong, "Back to the topic at hand."

"I am aware of that formation's weaknesses. It is stable because it is layer out and anchored down with four points of extreme power. It does not require much resources and can be transported easily. It requires no other personnel other than the one user and was strong in both offense and defense. In order to destabilize and break it, the swords need to be taken out of the equation. But if one is attacked, the other three will interfere. The four needs to be struck simultaneously."

At the same time, the offensive prowess of the swords are extremely high. At this point in time only beings at the same power range of Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals like Luohu are able to withstand the swords' assault. This is why we'll need four individuals to break it."

When Zulong finished, the mood turned a lot more serious. Those who haven't heard the full details of what the dragons encountered grimaced at the prospects. They all had the same thought in their mind. Zulong was the only one who can consider himself to be on that scale of existence. Yi Fei'e, Qinglong and Yinglong might just qualify but non of them were comparable to the eldest dragon.

"I have known about that trump card of his for a while now," Hongjun said in confidence. "Do not worry, I have procured the aid of such individuals. They are ancient esteemed masters from the chaos godfiends who have all achieved the stage of Wuji in abilities and I must thank your master for showing us all the way."

"That's all well and good, but would Luohu not interfere with you four and fight you guys as well?" Baihu interrupted.

"Your worry is not without reason but ultimately irrelevant. There are Chaos Demon God, Sichen, masters Qiankun and Yingyang along with myself. We'll need the aid of you all to distract Luohu's followers while we deal with the primary threat. Is that agreeable?"

Qinglong bristled at his tone, as did Chenghuang and Baihu. They all had their own pride and to be commanded like such wasn't agreeable to them. But Yi Fei'e, Yinglong and Xuanwu held them back from acting. Zulong took notice of this quickly.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"We'll have to discuss among ourselves, give us some room?" Zulong said signalling for Hongjun to leave. The elderly immortal frowned slightly but did so anyway.

"Alright Zulong what the hell?"

As soon as Hongjun left Qinglong unleashed. To see his seemingly being so friendly to the Hongjun was fury inducing for someone taught to hate him. Qinglong marched up to beneath Zulong's frown and met his eyes in indignation.

"As much as I agree with you, we need him right now," Zulong said. "The tribulation has begun and we have already been dragged into it. Running isn't an option, we need to fight."

"And we need Hongjun?"

"Eldest brother is right," Yinglong said. "With the Immortal Extermination formation in play, we cannot handle something like that. We'll leave that to him and take care of the rest of the devils. I believe this is the smartest option."

"And the most pragmatic," Xuanwu added. "I can't claim to have a personal stake in this conflict between your parties, but my own master is trapped in the primitive world and I am a minister in this empire. I will take the most optimal option to ensure all our safeties. With that said letting him deal with the biggest threat is for the best."

"Hmph, I always wanted to tear those lofty devils off their pedestal," Baihu began sharing. "I personally don't care how we do it. Brother Zulong, whatever you think best I'll follow. You haven't led us astray so far."

"You two? I can't believe this brothers. Won't we be betraying master's wishes? Hongjun killed our uncle master!"

The uncle master referred to here was Huoyun the long deceased Daoist Fire Cloud and God of the Five Flements.

"Technically speaking Luohu killed our uncle master," Yi Fei'e said for the first time. "Even though master admits that Hongjun was the one who was behind injuring Huoyun, Luohu pursued and killed him."

"Who's side are you on? They're both responsible. I say we stay out of it for now and let them quarrel it out. I heard that Mara's words as well. Luohu may just ignore us," Qinglong argued back.

"Just pointing out facts."

"Brother enough," Zulong said with a sigh. "I am in full agreement with you."

Qinglong's face lit up. The Azure Dragon swallowed hard as he realised there was a 'but' coming.

"We cannot justify ever allying with Hongjun. But that doesn't mean we're enemies, at least for now. He'll deal with Luohu's Immortal Extermination Formation that much is guaranteed. We too will have to fight the rest of devils. They are a threat to my people and my lands, and I will never give them up."

"Stubborn," Yi Fei'e humphed. "It'll be a corporation that just happens to be against the same enemy. Anyway, I think we should focus on mustering our our forces first. I can collect my sisters and see if I can find some goodwill among the east continent and the rest of the East Sea."

"The north sea doesn't have as much as the others," Xuanwu said. "The waters may have not be death chilling but our development is still slower then yours. I predict maybe 30 billion immortal soldiers."

This number was counting immortals starting from True Immortal all the way up to Da Luo Golden Immortals. The only population of each preceding stage was exponentially higher. Those who had not passed the tribulation were not mentioned.

In the way the dragon's empire functioned, mortals didn't really exist. Everyone could fight to some extent. It was just that the disparity in strength was so high that those who had not become immortals were not even considered. They were kept back in the cities and operated machinery or whatever businesses they had.

"West sea, 90 billion, everyone considered," Chenghuang said simply.

"East and West sea if we squeeze out absolutely everyone comes to around 200 billion," Zulong finished. "Well we don't have enough of formation flags for all of them nowhere near close. And without formations, these immortals are practically worthless against the hundreds of Devil Emperors."

The group went back to discussing for several days before eventually, the announcement came.

In the sky, movements of heavenly bodies disappeared as stormy red lightning filled the sky. The waters that were already turbulent to begin with once again became a fierce storm. Across the world, everyone watched as Luohu announced his intentions.

The Devil Ancestor's words spread across all corners of creation.

"I am a kind individual so I'll give you all a warning. I am going to refine Pangu's chaos world so flee this primitive world while you can."

In these short sentences everything changed. Because he had also inadvertently announced where he'll appear.

To refine the universe in this day and age, there was only one location where this can be done. That was Mt Buzhou.

Mt Buzhou was Pangu's spine. At the top lay the remnants of his brain which contained the purest essence of the Heavenly Dao. At the bottom led to the pit formed from his belly button. Somewhere within was his heart which had transformed into a temple. That temple was the heart of the world.

When Pangu split heaven from earth, his very flesh became the world, his eyes the sun and moon. His spine a pillar which supported and stabilised creation. His brain contained that which governed the world. His heart contained the formations in which all things were built on as well as the last traces of his very being. The origin point which also served as a focal point where Luohu can conduct his ritual.

With it, he'll absorb Pangu's very essence and command the primitive world to return to Pangu. But in this case, they will return to Luohu.

The reaction from all living beings in this world became chaotic. Golden Immortals and above all considered running away. But many who were attached to their homes rejected such notion.

"Well, Luohu is many things. But I never said he was smart," Hongjun said to the ocean higher-ups in the aftermath. "He just made an enemy of the entire world. Worse, he dragged the entire world into an obligated war against himself."

"Whatever the case, if made everyone an ally," Zulong said. "Marshal all four seas, we head for Mt Buzhou."

In the south continent, in already rebuilt halls of Phoenix's Roost, Zufeng screeched in rage. "Fuck it call everyone, head for Mt Buzhou."

While all deities in the world made their way to the central continent, twelve living beings inside Mt Buzhou starred at each other in silence.

"We are so fucked," Di Jiang said.