Jieyin was overjoyed. Watching the massive Chaos hand strike out and pursue Ling Xiao into the depths of time and space, he knew he was safe. In this world, only their Teacher had the power to stop such a monster.
At that moment, Laozi and Tongtian arrived. They had initially assumed Ling Xiao fled because of their approach, only to realize it was the Dao Ancestor's intervention that had forced the "Variable" to retreat.
The Chaos hand obliterated everything in its path. Even from a vast distance, the Saints could feel the heart-stopping resonance of the battle in the remote reaches of space-time. Order collapsed, time interlaced, and the sound of world-creation echoed alongside indestructible divine light. Everything was simultaneously being destroyed and reborn.
After an eternity of seconds, the turbulence settled.
"The battle is over!"
The Saints braced themselves, filled with a mixture of dread and anticipation for the result. Suddenly, a voice rang out in their ears simultaneously:
"Come to Zixiao Palace (Zixiao Palace) and meet me!"
Hearing this, Laozi and Tongtian froze. Their minds raced—the Dao Ancestor had returned, but what of Ling Xiao? Had he been slain? With these questions burning, they hurried toward the palace. Jieyin, too, followed with high hopes, assuming that since Hongjun was calling them, Ling Xiao likely didn't survive. After all, with the Dao Ancestor's power, there was no reason Ling Xiao could have escaped.
Even Nuwa received the decree and dared not delay, heading straight for the ancestral hall.
Zixiao Palace
"I did not expect this evil creature to have grown so strong once again!"
Hongjun sat upon his nine-layered cloud bed. His expression flickered with a rare shadow of annoyance as his terrifying aura gradually settled into the void. He had realized that since their last encounter, Ling Xiao had evolved significantly.
Since Hongjun began his Merging with the Dao (Dao), his realm had transcended common understanding. Even without drawing on the Heavenly Dao's power, he could crush ordinary Saints with ease. What made Ling Xiao a headache was his cunning; the Variable knew he couldn't win a direct confrontation, so he took every opportunity to slip away. Moreover, Ling Xiao possessed treasures that masked his karma and aura, making him nearly impossible to track once he vanished.
"What secrets does he hold that I still cannot perceive...?" Hongjun's eyes flashed. Ling Xiao was a variable that was becoming increasingly unpredictable.
What angered him most was the incompetence of his disciples. He had assumed that once the Five Saints ascended, they would stabilize the world and handle all anomalies without his personal intervention. Instead, the five of them combined couldn't even hold their own, nearly being wiped out by a single man.
As Hongjun's face darkened, the very heavens seemed to grow overcast.
"Enter..." Hongjun spoke as the four Saints arrived at the gates.
Laozi, Tongtian, Jieyin, and Nuwa entered and performed the disciple's salute. Even as Saints, they felt a chilling sense of inferiority before the Dao Ancestor. The gap was still immense—they were no longer ants looking at a dragon, but they were still birds looking up at a phoenix. They occupied the same domain of "flight," but the hierarchy was absolute.
Jieyin, unable to contain his curiosity, was the first to ask: "Teacher... what happened to Ling Xiao?"
Hongjun's eyes twitched. If you don't ask, I'm fine; if you ask, I get angry.
"He narrowly escaped with a heavy injury, paying a massive price!" Hongjun pivoted the conversation quickly. "Wait here for Yuanshi and Zhunti to return before we discuss this further."
With a flick of his finger, two figures manifested from the depths of the palace: Yuanshi and Zhunti. Though they appeared composed, a lingering terror resided in the depths of their eyes. They had been beaten to death by Ling Xiao; if their spirits hadn't been anchored to the Heavenly Dao, they would be gone forever. This was the first time they had truly felt the cold reality of death.
The Critique
With the Six Ordained Saints (Six Saints) now present, Hongjun swept his gaze over them. His voice was flat but piercing.
"Do you know why you lost?"
The Saints' expressions shifted. They knew exactly what he was referring to.
Nuwa's face was the most peculiar—she hadn't even participated, yet she was being lumped into the "loss." Does watching count as an assist? she wondered. Laozi and Tongtian were equally speechless; they hadn't even had the chance to strike before the battle ended.
"The height of your stupidity," Hongjun continued, "was fighting Ling Xiao within the Chaos. Furthermore, you allowed yourselves to be picked off one by one."
A few of the Saints had already realized this, while others, like Yuanshi and Zhunti, felt a sudden surge of clarity—and a renewed sense of confidence. They convinced themselves that their defeat wasn't a lack of ability, but a disadvantage of the environment. If we were outside the Chaos, we wouldn't have lost.
"Thank you for the guidance, Teacher," they bowed, their fear replaced by a renewed, albeit hubristic, ego.
Hongjun glanced at them and moved to the heart of the matter. "Now that you have achieved Sainthood, you must shoulder the responsibility of guiding all living beings. When I am away, you must work in harmony. Do not engage in petty infighting."
"Remember: the Primordial World follows the Great Trend of the Heavenly Dao (great trend of the heavenly dao). No living being may defy it."
"The small trends can be altered, but the Great Trend is irreversible. You must act in accordance with it."
The Saints exchanged looks. The "Great Trend" was clear: the total destruction of the Witch and Demon Races to clear the way for the next era.
To the Saints, this seemed easy. While they couldn't grasp Ling Xiao, manipulating the Witch and Demon Races was child's play. They merely needed to pull a few strings to force Di Jun and Tai Yi back onto the path of destiny.
In their minds, the Golden Crows on the Sun Star were still just "tools" for the Calamity—they just didn't realize that Ling Xiao had already rewired the brains of his brothers.