Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Cataclysm of Dragon and Phoenix Ends, The Great War Between Gods and Demons Begins

The bloody war among the three great clans of the Primeval Age had already lasted a hundred years. Countless beings had perished in this cataclysm, reduced to ashes. Now, with each clan having exhausted the depths of their heritage and holding nothing back, all sought to carve out a future for their people through annihilation. Yet none noticed the men in black lurking amidst the battlefield, slaughtering indiscriminately without regard for clan or kin.

As the carnage raged on and Luo Hou watched in secret, delighted by the chaos, none perceived the hidden figures concealed within the void—Hongjun, Fuxi, and their companions, who had been biding their time. The three clans had reached their final battle, and as the mantis stalked the cicada, Luo Hou, the oriole, was certain to appear. That would be the moment for them to strike.

With the fall of billions, the evil miasma that had arisen from the great calamity gradually lessened, and those of the three clans who had been ensnared by its madness began to regain their senses. At last, the clan chiefs, who had fought ceaselessly for a century, noticed the black-clad figures wantonly massacring their kin and saw the wisps of baleful energy coalescing above the corpses, flowing toward a single direction. The three leaders halted, exchanged glances, and realized with grief and fury that they had fallen prey to a sinister plot.

Knowing they were the protagonists of this tribulation, the three clans had fought without fear, willing to perish for the survival of their lineages. Such was the destiny they had chosen to bear. But to have their souls and residual baleful energy secretly harvested after death, to be erased entirely from the world with no trace or mark remaining, was an outrage beyond endurance.

With a thunderous rage, the Ancestral Dragon let loose a roar that shook heaven and earth: “Enough! All of you, cease at once!” As his cry echoed, the Ancestral Phoenix and Ancestral Qilin also shouted in fury. At once, the three clans halted their slaughter and turned to their leaders for guidance.

Seeing their people cease fighting while the black-clad figures continued their butchery, the three chiefs flew into a violent wrath and together tore the interlopers limb from limb. When the last of the black-clad assassins had fallen, the three stood in the void, gazing upon the devastation—their once-mighty clans now reduced to a mere fraction, each with scarcely a million survivors left. Sorrow filled their hearts.

With a dark expression, the Ancestral Dragon bellowed, “Are you not coming out, even now?”

A chilling, sinister voice echoed across the battlefield: “Heh heh heh… Why must you force me from the shadows? Since you three clans are destined to withdraw from this world, let your souls and baleful energy nourish my Sword Formation!”

As the voice faded, countless black-clad figures emerged, surrounding the three clans. A figure dressed in black, wielding a jet-black spear, appeared in the void—his eyes cold and merciless as he stared at the three leaders.

“Luo Hou!” The Ancestral Dragon spat the name through gritted teeth, as if wishing to tear him apart.

Though they had long suspected the existence of a demonic sect in the West, and sensed that someone was stirring up strife among the clans, the chiefs had never been able to determine the mastermind, for the Demon Clan was protected by the supreme Twelve-Petal World-Destroying Black Lotus. Trusting in their own might, they had paid little heed—never imagining Luo Hou would strike so ruthlessly from the shadows.

“Since your time has come, why not fulfill my wishes? With your souls and malice, I shall forge the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation!” Luo Hou hissed. With a wave of his hand, legions of demons surged forward, and once more the land echoed with screams and slaughter.

The Ancestral Phoenix let out a bitter laugh and turned to the other two: “Now we must fight to the death. If we yield, our races will vanish from the world.” With that, she soared at Luo Hou, golden flames blazing from her body as if to incinerate all evil.

“Kill!” roared the Ancestral Dragon and Ancestral Qilin, charging after her.

Luo Hou, too, was frustrated. The baleful energy was all but gathered, and the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation nearly complete—yet now it seemed he must fight the three to the bitter end. Eyes flashing with murderous intent, he summoned the Twelve-Petal World-Destroying Black Lotus for defense and brandished the God-Smiting Spear. In that instant, the void blazed with a myriad of lights as these supreme powers clashed—their raging force threatening to rend the heavens and return the world to chaos, leaving devastation in their wake.

Though Luo Hou and the three chiefs were all peak quasi-saints, Luo Hou wielded two supreme treasures, and his spear was the most powerful weapon in existence. For a time, the battle was deadlocked.

Realizing they could not quickly defeat Luo Hou, the three chiefs grew anxious. Their forces were overmatched, and if not for the valiant resistance of quasi-saints like Candle Dragon, their clans would already have been annihilated. Yet the demon clan possessed quasi-saints as well, and defeat seemed inevitable.

Despair weighed upon them, and as they resolved to perish together with Luo Hou, a sudden voice whispered in the Ancestral Phoenix’s ear. Startled, then elated, she unleashed a desperate attack to force Luo Hou back and broke away, ascending to the heavens.

Luo Hou and the other two were stunned, unable to fathom her intent.

Then, the Ancestral Phoenix’s voice resounded from the Ninth Heaven: “The Phoenix Clan has brought calamity upon the land and wrought untold suffering. I vow to lead my people to guard the Immortal Volcano in the South for all eternity, never returning, and to protect the world’s creatures in atonement. Let Heaven bear witness!”

As her words faded, a violet light flashed from the void, enveloping the remaining Phoenixes and carrying them away from sight.

The Ancestral Dragon and Ancestral Qilin, understanding at once, also ascended and proclaimed, “I, Ancestral Dragon, am indebted to Heaven and the earth. To atone for the harm my clan has wrought, I lead the dragons to guard the Four Seas for all eternity, bringing rain and fair weather to the world, so that the land may flourish. Let Heaven bear witness!”

“I, Ancestral Qilin, am ashamed before Heaven. In gratitude, I vow that the Qilin shall guard the central lands of the world forever, embodying auspiciousness and ensuring peace for all beings. Let Heaven bear witness!”

As their oaths echoed, violet light shimmered and, before the eyes of the demon horde, the remaining members of both clans vanished from the battlefield.

Luo Hou, witnessing all this, was consumed by rage. Seeing his Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation miss completion by a hair’s breadth, he howled to the sky, “Heaven is unjust! Why do you block my path? Is the Way of Demons not the rightful path of this world?”

Hongjun and the others, who had watched from the shadows, now knew the time had come. They revealed themselves, and Hongjun bowed to Luo Hou, saying, “Greetings, fellow cultivator. Do you not know that there are three thousand paths, all leading to the supreme? Yet you have brought devastation and suffering to the world—how can you blame Heaven for injustice?”

Luo Hou sneered, “At last you emerge. Spare me your sanctimonious words. Today, if you fall, my way is fulfilled; if I perish, you shall become the Dao Ancestor. Why feign compassion?”

“Luo Hou!” thundered the Lord of Yin and Yang, “You have brought suffering to all beings. By Heaven’s mandate, you must perish here!”

Luo Hou sneered again, knowing that escape was nearly impossible. Unlike the previous clan chiefs, these opponents wielded treasures equal to his own. He realized he had no choice but to fight with all his might.

Secretly forming a spell, he filled the land for ten thousand miles around with black miasma. In an instant, all the demons were reduced to dust, their malice streaming toward the heart of the battlefield.

Hongjun, alarmed, shouted, “Fellow cultivators, strike now! We cannot let him complete the Sword Formation!” With that, he was first to unleash the Creation Jade Disc, hurling it at Luo Hou.