Beyond the thirty-six layers of heaven.

Vast primordial chaos, mists intertwining.

In this boundless chaos, Taixu Heaven floats like a soap bubble, rising and sinking amidst the chaotic fog.

Within this vast and infinite Great Thousand World, Nuwa Saint sits cross-legged on a cloud bed, eyes slightly closed, her body surrounded by an endless flow of the grand dao's essence.

All of a sudden.

Her eyes gently open, gazing towards a lotus pond not far away, her slender willow-leaf eyebrows furrowing slightly.

Under the gentle breeze, the surface of the lotus pond ripples, and thin mists rise, adding an especially serene and elegant charm.

Though called a lotus pond, in truth, there is only a single lotus plant within.

That one lotus is pure and unsullied like jade, immaculately white, fully blooming, grand as a sea bowl, releasing a faint fragrance that intoxicates the heart and spleen.

What's peculiar is that at the heart of that lotus flower, there is a point of dazzling, colorful light, as if all the colors of the world have converged into this lotus core.

But at this moment, what Nuwa Saint is looking at is not this lotus flower, but rather a golden, gleaming gourd by the side of the pond.

This Golden Gourd is trembling slightly, as if in fear, or perhaps in sorrow.

The last time the Golden Gourd behaved like this was during the great war between Witch Demons.

Whenever a significant figure from the Demon Clan fell, this Golden Gourd would tremble violently.

With a slight thought from her, the Golden Gourd soars into the air, landing beside the cloud bed, and soon after, the gourd's lid opens on its own, and from its mouth rises a beam of white light, towering four or five zhang high.

Above the white light, there hangs a large banner, its light splitting into five colors, radiantly reflecting thousands of strands.

This banner is called the "Evil Summoning Banner".

In ancient past, upon proving her Dao, Nuwa Saint became the first Heavenly Dao Merit Saint of Primordial, creating Taixu Heaven in the chaos outside of heaven as her place of cultivation. Countless Immortal Gods and Witch Demons came to congratulate and listen to the Saint's teachings of the Dao.

This Evil Summoning Banner was a congratulatory gift from Emperor Jun, the Demon Emperor of that time.

Once this banner is raised, all demons under heaven dare not disobey!

From this alone, one can see that this banner is definitely not merely a Spiritual Treasure.

It is closely related to the fate of the Demon Clan, almost linked to every demon in the clan.

By offering this treasure to Nuwa Saint, the Demon Emperor's intention was to closely connect the Demon Clan with Nuwa Saint through it.

Regrettably, Nuwa Saint has always treated the Golden Gourd as a mere decoration, and even after the demise of the Demon Clan Heavenly Court, it was never used.

At this moment, Nuwa Saint releases the Evil Summoning Banner, and with a slight perception, she already knows what has happened.

Her beautiful eyes swirl with extraordinary colors.

"Could it be Ying Zhao who has fallen?"

"Assuming he stays in the Northern Continent, his life should be without worries..."

"Who is plotting against him?"

Nuwa Saint mutters to herself.

Since the destruction of the Demon Clan Heavenly Court and the shattering of the Celestial Stars Formation, the Demon Clan has lost the dominance over Primordial, forced to hide and barely survive in the Northern Continent.

During this time, Bai Ze Demon Saint Ying Zhao shielded a great many demons, opening up several "Cave Heaven Blessed Lands" amidst the poison miasmas, allowing many lesser demons to live on.

This action would of course bring merit to Primordial Heaven and Earth, and the Heavenly Dao would likewise bestow it. It would not remain indifferent simply because of his profound karmic force.

As long as he honestly stayed in the Northern Continent and slowly accumulated, there would eventually come a day when he would wash away all his karmic force, able to roam freely between the heaven and earth like Bai Ze Demon Saint.

As long as he did not seek his own death, he would no longer suffer the backlash of karmic force.

However, Ying Zhao Demon Saint did not wait for that day and left the Northern Continent.

And then, he was gone.

"Who is plotting?"

"Is it Kunpeng or Bai Ze, or is it one of those Saints?"

Nuwa Saint was somewhat puzzled.

She wanted to get to the bottom of this.

After the fall of Ying Zhao Demon Saint, the Demon Clan in the Northern Continent was left leaderless and could likely be exploited by those with intentions.

Although she did not wish to meddle in the affairs of the Demon Clan, among them were many who worshipped her, and since the Ancient Era, her incense worship within the Demon Clan had never ceased.

Keep in mind that to this day, even the Human Race she had personally created hardly worshipped her anymore.

Looking across the Four Great Continents, only the Southern Continent still maintained a trace of her incense worship, and even that was pitifully little, merely a drop in the ocean compared to other Saints.

Of course, she knew the reasons for this.

The Human Race was not a long-lived species, and especially towards the end of the Witch Demon Calamity in the Ancient Era, because of the Saint Blood within them, the Human Race was slaughtered en masse by the Witch Demon clans, and the initial humans were nearly all exterminated.

Additionally, with the teachings and guidance of various Saints' sects among the humans, today there are very few within the Human Race who still remember her, the Holy Mother of the Human Race.

This is also why she only created humans but did not establish a sect.

After all, having the merit of creation but not the virtue of teaching, that her worship had extended within the short-lived Human Race from the Ancient Era until today is quite an accomplishment.

However, compared to that, those within the Demon Clan who have never received her blessings but worship her generation after generation also seem especially precious.

Thus, if the Demon Clan encountered danger from outsiders, and it was not due to their own folly, Nuwa Saint would not mind protecting those little demons of the Northern Continent.

It could also be considered as returning the favor for that incense worship.

If Emperor Jun, the Demon Emperor who had long perished, knew her thoughts, he would probably be depressed enough to cough up blood.

Ever since he had established the Demon Court, he had been trying to associate himself with the siblings Fu Xi and Nuwa, even revering them as Emperor Xi and Wa Emperor from afar.

Especially after Nuwa achieved sainthood, he would run to Taixu Heaven every few days and even offered the important and symbolic Spiritual Treasure, the Evil Summoning Banner, just to seek Nuwa Saint's protection over the Demon Clan.

Now, this Saint who had refused him numerous times, was moved by the worship of those little demons and wanted to actively protect the remaining Demon Clan.

Nuwa Saint calculated with her fingers but could only feel that the Heavenly Mechanism was obscure, the cause and effect chaotic, and she couldn't begin to deduce it.

She didn't even know who killed Ying Zhao, nor why Ying Zhao suddenly left the Northern Continent.

"Calamity, oh calamity…"

Nuwa Saint sighed softly.

She called her maid Cai Feng, "Go to Primordial and find out who is plotting against the Demon Clan and who killed Ying Zhao."

Ying Zhao has fallen?

Cai Feng looked up in surprise.

Then she bowed her head and said respectfully, "I shall obey your divine decree, My Lady!"

...

A Quasi-Saint's mighty existence thus perished, and Heaven and Earth lamented for it.

Above the North Sea, the howling wind turned furious, clouds rolled and gathered, covering the sun, moon, and stars, darkness so thick one could not see their own hand before them.

Among the Primordial Heaven and Earth, many with profound Dao Xing felt a response.

Countless immortals, demons, gods, and witches rushed to this place to investigate the situation, only able to deduce from the residual aura that a powerful being with extremely profound cultivation had self-detonated their Primordial Spirit here...

The Jade Shattering Technique of the Demon Clan Heavenly Court is widely known.

It has almost become a tradition of the Demon Clan.

Even today, many demons, when facing certain defeat and death, use the self-detonation of their Primordial Spirit to inflict maximum damage upon their enemies.

However, the one using the Jade Shattering Technique now was a mighty existence.

And it's very likely that it was Ying Zhao, the Demon Saint who vanished without a trace after leaving the North Sea years ago!

All the Immortal Gods were shocked and bewildered, their minds unsettled.

When was the last time a mighty being fell?

It seems it was during the Witch Demon Calamity!

The Primordial has been peaceful for too long.

Now, with the fall of a Quasi-Saint in the North Sea, the entire Primordial suddenly burst into activity.

Numerous Immortal Gods eagerly discussed the impact of Ying Zhao's demise.

Could the witch and demon clans of the Northern Continent still maintain their current structure?

Will the Demon Clan disappear without the protection of this Quasi-Saint?

Even more, people were concerned about who exactly forced Ying Zhao, the Demon Saint, to self-detonate his Primordial Spirit?

...

"Since that day, Ying Zhao fled far northward, ostensibly heading to Beiming... Could the one who killed him be Kunpeng Ancestor?"

Inside Biyou Palace, Duobao Taoist sat cross-legged behind a stone chessboard, simultaneously making a move and casting an inquiring glance at Sect Hierarch Tongtian.

"Who should I ask if you ask me?"

Sect Hierarch Tongtian replied irritably: "Don't you know..."

"I know, disciple knows." Duobao Taoist hastened to answer: "The Heavenly Mechanism is obscure, causality is chaotic, even Saints cannot calculate, right?"

"Knowing that and you still ask, you're asking for it!"

Sect Hierarch Tongtian, annoyed, flicked his finger in the air.

Duobao Taoist cried out in pain as a small bump quickly swelled on his head.

"You really hit me?"

Duobao Taoist touched the small swelling, finding it isn't subsiding, and couldn't help but say with a bitter smile: "Master, don't joke with your disciple, it would look bad if others saw this.

Besides, the reason I'm asking you this question is also that you've had contact with Kunpeng Ancestor before."

"Hm?"

Sect Hierarch Tongtian gave him a glance.

"Grilled wings."

Duobao Taoist whispered in reminder.

Not long after Ying Zhao, the Demon Saint, fled that day, Yu Yuan came to join them with the Chaos Bell, and afterward, everyone used the power of the Curved Realm Ark to return to Golden Turtle Island.

During the journey of the Curved Realm Ark through the spatial rifts, Yu Yuan, in gratitude to everyone, took out the Enlightenment Tea Tree, Star Fruits, and secretly roasted Kunpeng Wings, and held a small but remarkably high-standard feast, to which all attendees were full of praise.

"Cough cough."

Sect Hierarch Tongtian coughed twice, shifting the topic: "Where's that lad, Yu Yuan?"

"He should still be in seclusion, right?" Duobao Taoist replied: "After coming back that day, he went straight to his Tian Yuan Palace and has not come out since... It seems he was stimulated in the Northern Continent, determined to focus on cultivation."

Towards the end, Duobao Taoist's voice contained a hint of gratification.

"Well, that is indeed rare."

Sect Hierarch Tongtian nodded as well.

"Master, you haven't answered my question yet."

"I told you I don't know, and yet you ask, you're asking for it!"

...

Penglai Holy Realm.

Yu Yuan used the Chaos Bell to conceal the Heavenly Mechanism, and just like when he left, he quietly returned to Tian Yuan Palace.

He first checked the Arrays he had set before leaving and, finding none had been triggered, he felt relieved.

The demise of a Quasi-Saint could always shake the entire Primordial.

Yu Yuan did not want others to know it was his doing.

The obscurity of the Heavenly Mechanism during the Calamity had given him the opportunity to hide this deed.

Thus, that day he first hurried back to Penglai with everyone, then declined the intent of his master, the Golden Spirit Saint Mother, to speak with him, using seclusion as an excuse to hide in Tian Yuan Palace.

Later, he used the power of the Chaos Bell to sneak out of Penglai quietly, traveling through space directly to the North Sea to intercept Ying Zhao, the Demon Saint.

This way, he had a perfect alibi, and the years he hadn't appeared were explained.

As long as no one found out he had left Tian Yuan Palace, no one would suspect him.

After all, in everyone's eyes, the only ones capable of killing a Quasi-Saint must also be another Quasi-Saint.

He had gone to these lengths just in case, to avoid attracting the attention of the vigilant.

'Now is not the time to come out of seclusion just after Ying Zhao had fallen... with this time, it's a good opportunity to test how much my time-space travel ability has improved.'

With that in mind, Yu Yuan summoned the Chaos Bell.

"Dang!"

The bell trembled slightly, emitting a long, ethereal chime.

A multifaceted Chaotic Divine Light flashed past, and Yu Yuan vanished in an instant.

After his disappearance, a slender figure slowly emerged from the air, her pale golden skirts trailing on the ground, her black hair pinned up elegantly, golden ornaments adorning her neck, and a golden motif on her brow, exuding both grace and vitality.

At this moment, she silently gazed at the place where Yu Yuan had disappeared, her eyes flashing with deep puzzlement.

...

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