The atmosphere of the still unsettled Heaven and Earth was slightly rigid.

The Whistling Snake God forcefully protected Ling Xiaolan, shattering Qiong Qi's palm with effortless ease, her casualness forming an overwhelming presence.

Wu Wang appeared silently beside Fire Plume. He held the Yan Emperor's Order in his hand, summoning the remnants of the deceased in the area to make up for Fire Plume's losses.

Fire Plume's aura soared at a rapid pace!

The spirits of the cultivators were greatly shaken; they wanted to cheer Wu Wangzi's name, but the crisscrossing pressures of several Divine Spirits in the area restrained them.

The Kui Ox stared at the Whistling Snake God, an old friend, astonished by her powerful aura at that moment.

Qiong Qi's eyes narrowed into slits, the Blood Escape Great Method ready. All it needed was for the two gods beside it to fight the Whistling Snake God and, in the process, restrain Wu Wangzi. Then, it could find a chance to escape this troublesome place.

If you encounter Wu Wangzi, no matter what, flee at once, regardless of enemy strength or weakness!

This was the bloody lesson Qiong Qi had learned!

Suddenly, a voice was heard:

"Whistling Snake God! You traitor to the Heaven Palace!"

The wood-attributed Divine Spirit Mu Wei roared angrily. His handsome features contorted, his divine aura burned around him like flames, and his presence surged layer upon layer.

"The Heaven Palace fostered you, this Divine Spirit, with Divine Power! Yet you use your Dao of Heaven and Earth to serve as a mount for a weak creature! The shame of it! What a tremendous shame!"

Qiong Qi: ... Mighty indeed. Go on, my lord.

A fierce light shone in the Whistling Snake God's eyes, and the still-recovering Heaven and Earth suddenly showed signs of cracking.

Her voice was like a cold wind from the ninth hell: "You say, who is the weak creature?"

Mu Wei shouted angrily, "The one I refer to is Wu Wangzi, indeed!"

WHOOSH!

The Whistling Snake God's figure vanished eerily from the spot. Mu Wei's figure in the air was flung far away!

After a moment of trembling black light, two afterimages first appeared at the original locations of the Whistling Snake God and Mu Wei. Then, one afterimage dissipated, and the other solidified into the form of the Whistling Snake God.

With a flick of her Spiritual Whip, dark thunderbolts rained down from a clear sky.

Her long hair danced wildly. Beneath her black dress, her legs transformed into a serpent's tail. The four wings of her true form emerged behind her, quivering with the sound of boulders striking each other.

"Master?" The Whistling Snake God turned her head to ask.

"Go," Wu Wang said indifferently. "But don't stray too far from Xiaolan."

This was the first time the Whistling Snake God did not respond to her master's words. Her face cold, she used a series of teleports to chase after the Prehistoric God Mu Wei.

The latter had regained his footing and was roaring furiously. Out of thin air, he pulled out two exceedingly heavy wooden sticks. Wielding the force of rushing thunder, he summoned thousands of bolts to clash with the Whistling Snake God!

Amid the thunderous roar and the bursting lightning!

The two of them moved a hundred li away, yet they still made the cultivators' hearts tremble and left them restless.

The already 'sparse' Dao rules of Heaven and Earth were again thrown into disarray. Colorful lights appeared everywhere, as if the fierce battle between the two Divine Spirits could shatter this Heaven and Earth at any moment...

Those eight hundred-plus Human Domain cultivators were somewhat dazed at the moment.

They turned their heads towards Wu Wang and then looked at the Evil God and Heavenly God battling in the east.

Old friend Xu Mu was about to greet Wu Wang. Just as the word "Wu" left his lips, the figures of Qiong Qi and Kui Ox suddenly turned into two streaks of light.

But the directions of these two streaks of light were entirely different!

Qiong Qi fled towards the north.

Kui Ox glared at Qiong Qi, then continued to pounce towards the crowd, his gaze locked firmly on Fire Plume.

SWISH! SWISH! Two figures darted out of the crowd at incredible speed.

To the left was Wu Wang, shrouded in silvery-white starlight, hot on Qiong Qi's heels!

And on the right stood Fire Plume.

A ring of fire ignited around her, coalescing into a phoenix that shrieked at the sky, its aura climbing yet again!

THUD!

A heavy sound boomed from Kui Ox's chest!

The sound, like a hammer blow, struck directly at Fire Plume's Primordial Spirit!

Fire Plume was no longer in her previous weakened state; the Yan Emperor's Order that Wu Wang produced easily linked to the Dao of Fuel and Fire, allowing the power of Fuel and Fire born from this land to pour into her.

Fire Plume was limited by her current severe injuries and the insufficient power of Fuel and Fire here, so she could not be as powerful as when she fought the Gold God. However, Kui Ox was also not as strong as the Gold God.

As they charged at each other head-on, the spear clashed with the giant axe, and the vertical shockwave burst forth towards Heaven and Earth.

Fire Plume went from extreme speed to a dead stop, standing motionless and quiet at the point of impact.

Kui Ox, however, plummeted diagonally towards the ground like a meteor, carving a ravine dozens of li long.

Fire Plume immediately looked towards the direction where Wu Wang had given chase, intending to assist out of concern, but then she suddenly spotted the starlight exploding across the sky...

It was as if two Milky Ways had burst their banks, unleashing a torrential downpour where every raindrop was a star.

Boundless starlight swirled towards Qiong Qi's fleeing figure.

The power Wu Wang displayed... was this truly just the mid-stage of the Heavenly Immortal Realm?

This alone wasn't enough to prove Wu Wang could contend with Qiong Qi directly.

But the Eight Trigrams Picture emerged behind Wu Wang, the Star Sword was in his hand, and a dense aura of blood emanated from his Dao body. These inspired Fire Plume with the thought: Perhaps he *can* deal with Qiong Qi.

"AH—"

Kui Ox bellowed loudly, springing up from the crater he had created. His body swelled again, his aura becoming more ferocious, as he lifted his double axes and launched a fierce attack on Fire Plume.

"Hmph!"

Fire Plume closed the gap swiftly. Her long spear struck like a dragon, her body moving like a swift gust. The fierceness of her assault was incomparable to her prior tentative defense, a complete transformation from her former self!

She had to win quickly, before the newly acquired power of the Dao of Fuel and Fire was exhausted!

In the distance, the Whistling Snake God was in direct confrontation with the Heavenly Palace Main God.

Although the Ten Evil Gods' status was far inferior to that of the Heavenly Palace Main Gods, each one had been personally selected and cultivated by the Head Manager from the unique beasts of the Great Wilderness. They were infused with Divine Power and had awakened to the Great Dao. Consequently, their combat prowess surpassed that of the Heavenly Palace Main Gods who were not adept in dueling.

However, Mu Wei considered himself exceptionally strong, an influential figure within the divine circles...

Yet at this moment, he was being completely suppressed by a mere Evil God!

The Whistling Snake God's pseudo Dao of Heaven and Earth was known for its proficiency in duels. It would have been normal for Mu Wei to be suppressed if his own Dao was simply inferior in combat.

But Mu Wei had come to realize that the Divine Power within the Whistling Snake God was even more formidable than his own as a Main God!

This was the true reason he was being so thoroughly bested!

How could this be possible?

Wasn't Divine Power exclusive to the Heavenly Palace? Wasn't it born from the Divine Pool, brought into existence by the collective wishes and prayers of living beings, a grace bestowed upon the gods by His Majesty?

The shock in Mu Wei's heart transformed into anger.

It was an unspeakable rage.

His offensives turned wild, determined to overpower the Whistling Snake God head-on.

But the Whistling Snake God suddenly switched to a mix of offense and defense, easily dodging Mu Wei's assaults and responding with steady counterattacks.

Back and forth the exchanges went, and wounds began to accumulate on Mu Wei's body.

A strand of the Whistling Snake God's spiritual consciousness constantly enveloped Ling Xiaolan.

This was an order from her master, and Ling Xiaolan was someone her master cared for.

She was not worried about Wu Wang's safety, nor did she pay much attention to the duel between Wu Wang and Qiong Qi.

It was simple.

The Sleep God, powerful and unfathomably mysterious, had been hiding in the shadows at her master's feet from beginning to end, never once leaving.

「In the blink of an eye, Wu Wang had chased for hundreds of li, along with Qiong Qi, who was entangled by the Milky Way.」

The two of them attracted the gazes of most cultivators, many of whom used their Immortal Consciousness to probe the area of their duel.

Now several hundreds of li away from Fire Plume and the Whistling Snake God, Qiong Qi had gained confidence in his ability to escape unscathed. He even felt a new surge of reassurance.

Unexpectedly, Qiong Qi no longer seemed in a hurry to leave.

He suddenly turned around, fixing a complex gaze on the relentlessly pursuing Wu Wang.

"God of Spring!"

Without waiting for Wu Wang's attack to reach him, Qiong Qi immediately called out via voice transmission, "I think there might be some misunderstandings between us."

Misunderstandings? Go to hell!

Wu Wang said nothing as he advanced forcefully, the Star Sword in his hand bursting forth with starlight.

Qiong Qi lightly tapped his feet, spreading his arms wide. His figure, like a bat flying backward, rapidly fled northward as he continued to send voice transmissions to Wu Wang.

"Please, God of Spring, don't be so relentless.

"Just like the Whistling Snake God, I am merely a servant of the Heavenly Palace. When the Heavenly Palace issues orders, we have no choice but to obey.

"Though I have committed many misdeeds against the Human Domain, these were all under the Head Manager's orders.

"I actually have a great admiration for the human race. Having been defeated by you, God of Spring, several times, I have deeply reflected on my actions. If you could spare a few words of guidance, I would be most grateful."

Wu Wang's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Is the Heavenly Palace bureaucracy really this intense?

As if unwilling to endure any more of these nauseating words, Wu Wang's forward speed suddenly increased manifold!

His muscles bulged, exuding an even more ferocious blood qi, and the vast power of the stars around him converged on Wu Wang!

The Star Sword was now just for show, a catalyst, a Dao weapon that purely amplified the power of the stars.

Close-quarters combat was now Wu Wang's strongest method of engaging enemies!

He clenched his left fist and aimed a ferocious punch at Qiong Qi's abdomen, in his humanoid form!

Qiong Qi, caught off guard, couldn't dodge in time as Wu Wang closed in.

But Qiong Qi didn't panic. In fact, at this moment, he even felt a bit... Amused.

Qiong Qi knew perfectly well who Wu Wangzi was, perhaps even more clearly than most of the Innate Gods of the Heavenly Palace.

This was the Human Emperor's son-in-law.

Although the Human Emperor's daughter was not the new Tianyan Saintess.

Wu Wangzi hailed from the Northern Wilderness and had just recently advanced to the mid-stage of the Heavenly Immortal Realm there. He was likely favored by the Star God. With the Star God's blessing, he had awakened the Star God's bloodline.

This was tantamount to being the Star God's godson.

Then, through some coincidental fortune—the specifics of which Qiong Qi wasn't clear on—Wu Wang had become acquainted with the Heavenly Emperor, who had once experienced mortal life in the Human Domain to temper his heart.

This made him an unlikely friend of the Heavenly Emperor, despite their age difference.

With these three identities layered upon Wu Wangzi, if he, Qiong Qi, were to harm even a finger of Wu Wangzi today, it would be akin to the Head Manager seeking his own death—his life would be forfeit!

But Qiong Qi understood even more clearly that Wu Wangzi was still young; his power had yet to mature. Today, Wu Wang's strength, at its peak, was comparable to an ordinary Transcendent Realm expert from the Human Domain.

And ordinary Transcendents from the Human Domain? Over the years, Qiong Qi had killed scores of them; if not a hundred, then at least seventy or eighty. What harm would there be in taking a blow from Wu Wang head-on?

Just let Wu Wangzi vent his anger. Then I'll show some goodwill, making it easier to cultivate a new backer in the future... back...

BOOM!

Wu Wang's fist landed on Qiong Qi's abdomen.

In the first quarter of a heartbeat, Qiong Qi's expression turned extremely serious.

For the next half heartbeat, Qiong Qi's entire being was stunned.

The final quarter of a heartbeat passed, and Qiong Qi's expression began to contort in pain.

PUFF! PUFF! A spray of blood mist erupted from Qiong Qi's back. The force of the punch had pierced his divine body, scattering a shower of blood!

Critically injured!

Qiong Qi looked up in disbelief, only to meet Wu Wang's stern expression.

Wu Wang's arm quivered slightly. Qiong Qi's figure, like a torn rag, was sent flying, tumbling several times on the ground; he momentarily forgot to even try to get up.

At this moment, Wu Wang, the newly appointed steward of the nascent Heavenly Dao, also felt some bewilderment.

Could it be that Qiong Qi could only manipulate spiritual minds, and his combat prowess was this weak? He didn't block, dodge, or counterattack just now, allowing me to land a solid punch... And to tell the truth, that punch was quite satisfying.

"UGH—"

Qiong Qi looked down and spurted a mouthful of fresh blood, his eyes filled with astonishment. Clutching his abdomen, he staggered to his feet, his face a mask of horror as he stared at Wu Wang.

"God of Spring, I truly haven't harmed... cough, harmed you... How can you possess such strength!"

On Wu Wang's fist, tiny Yin-Yang Fish appeared.

He walked forward, surrounded by the Dao rhythm of the Great Dao of Yin and Yang. Realization dawned in Qiong Qi's eyes, and he no longer had any desire to stay.

Escape, he must escape!

"Qiong Qi, the debts between us are far too many."

Wu Wang spoke calmly, then with a light shake of his left hand, several streaks of light shot out, sealing off Qiong Qi's escape routes to the front, back, left, and right.

He then stepped forward, surging forward like an Azure Dragon from water, pouncing like a starving tiger, lunging at Qiong Qi!

Qiong Qi's figure spun around, seemingly aiming to launch a fierce attack on Wu Wang, but his advancing silhouette split into two: the one in front an illusion, the one behind a streak of blood light!

The illusion, carrying the full force of Qiong Qi's blow, hurtled straight towards Wu Wang.

The blood light shot backward at a speed comparable to the Whistling Snake God!

Even then, Qiong Qi didn't forget to send a telepathic message to Wu Wang: "God of Spring, I had no choice!"

Wu Wang shattered the illusion with one punch; it was slightly too late to pursue the blood light.

But Wu Wang showed no sign of urgency. Instead, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Brother."

In the distance, within the area where the blood light hastily passed, dozens of streaks of light materialized from nowhere, intertwining into a vast net that descended upon the blood light Qiong Qi had become.

ROAR!

Qiong Qi quickly morphed back into his true form, attempting to break through the net.

But the net actually harnessed the power of Heaven and Earth. It not only accurately ensnared Qiong Qi but also contracted rapidly, trapping him tightly.

Subsequently, the net revealed its physical form: it turned out to be a ragged fishing net.

Each time divine light flowed over the fishing net, Qiong Qi's form shrank, and Wu Wang would appear more fatigued.

Raising his hand to pop several elixirs into his mouth, Wu Wang leaped up, landing precisely above Qiong Qi's head, clenching his iron fist once more.

At this moment, Qiong Qi couldn't contain the rage in his heart and glared furiously at Wu Wang. He had just opened his mouth, but before he could make a sound, the ragged fishing net snagged his tongue.

"Did you really think I was just watching from the sidelines for my own amusement?" Wu Wang spoke calmly, then delivered a punch to the crown of Qiong Qi's head, shattering his Scale Armor and making his Divine Soul tremble.

Qiong Qi roared, "You're despicable!"

"Not as much as you are."

Wu Wang took a deep breath. Seeing that both the Whistling Snake God and Fire Plume had gained the upper hand, he punched again unhurriedly.

Qiong Qi shook all over from the blow, his four sturdy paws scrambling in vain, now compressed by the ragged fishing net to the size of a tiger or lion.

Wu Wang sat astride him, raining down a relentless barrage of punches on Qiong Qi's head.

This fishing net was a gift from Yun Zhongjun, a treasure from the previous divine era. Not many living Innate Gods knew the origins of this net.

In any case, if Yun Zhongjun dared to give it, Wu Wang dared to use it.

What Wu Wang now relied on was the immense Divine Power looted from the Western Wilderness. He used the Great Dao of Yin and Yang to conceal his unique traits, attributing his sudden surge in strength entirely to the legacy of Emperor Fu Xi.

No choice, Emperor Fu Xi was truly formidable, and the explanation couldn't be more fitting.

Looking at Qiong Qi, Wu Wang felt his anger rising unchecked.

Needless to say, the Liu Family matter was definitely orchestrated by this creature! The shadow of this scoundrel was behind the conflict between Immortals and Demons in the Human Domain! During several upheavals in the Human Domain, countless cultivators died or were injured without cause, as jealousy pervaded the Human Domain! And then there's the Lin Family—Lin Nuhao, a mighty general of his generation; the Lin Family's future potential could have been unparalleled, but it was destroyed by Qiong Qi's fierce onslaught and Lin Nuhao's momentary negligence... His crimes were simply too numerous to record! So you enjoy prying into the minds of living beings? You enjoy watching people lose their composure?

As Wu Wang smashed down with his fist, he suddenly heard the sound of bones crushing. Upon closer examination, Qiong Qi had already fainted. A small part of his head was shattered, and a projection of the ragged fishing net was wrapped around his Divine Soul.

Killed him?

Wu Wang snorted.

That would have been letting Qiong Qi off too easily.

He leaped up and with a wave of his hand, retracted the fishing net directly into his sleeve.

"Brother, he's all yours now."

"Hmm... Fancy a mount?"

"He's not worthy!" Wu Wang cursed. "Train him to be a mount for the Whistling Snake God! From now on, let him serve the Human Domain and find the weaknesses of the Innate Gods!"

"Alright!" Yun Zhongjun chuckled and gave Wu Wang a few more instructions.

Wu Wang dared not treat the matter lightly. His figure leaped into the air, his left hand scattered several streaks of Liu Guang.

These streaks of Liu Guang transformed into large nets, blocking the escape routes of Mu Wei and the Kui Ox. Immediately following, he raised his right hand high, and the Yin-Yang Diagram soared into the air, rapidly expanding.

He was blustering at this moment.

Yun Zhongjun only possessed one such Divine Net capable of capturing Qiong Qi, and each use hastened its deterioration. If it captured a strong god, the god could destroy the net and escape given enough time.

After all, it was just some junk Yun Zhongjun had picked up casually in the past.

Wu Wang was merely cultivating an image of himself as 'clever and resourceful, always three steps ahead'.

He would do everything possible to prevent others from associating him with the ghost from the Western Wilderness.

After completing these actions, Wu Wang let out a sharp whistle. His figure shot straight toward the battle between the Whistling Snake God and Mu Wei, not forgetting to shout, "Qiong Qi has been captured by me! Surrender at once!"

Break their morale, break their morale.

The Human Domain cultivators cheered in unison.

Mu Wei's expression flickered multiple times. After launching a fierce, futile attack on the Whistling Snake God—who already had him fully suppressed and injured—he turned and shot towards the sky.

The Whistling Snake God's figure flickered. The wings on her back vibrated, creating two sonic booms, as she effortlessly intercepted Mu Wei.

"Down you go!"

The Spiritual Whip in her hand danced like a Spiritual Snake. It bypassed the streaks of Liu Guang scattered by Mu Wei, pierced his protective Divine Light, and viciously struck his shoulder.

Mu Wei's eyes filled with rage. His figure plummeted straight down, kicking up a vast cloud of dust.

Detestable; Detestable! That he was humiliated like this by a dog of the Heavenly Palace!

"Whistling Snake God, you won't die a good death!"

The Whistling Snake God snorted coldly but remained in midair, responsible for sealing off the Void Zone.

Because her master had arrived, such Innate Gods were her master's prey; how could she steal his spotlight...

However, Wu Wang, who was speeding over, suddenly halted in mid-air.

Below, amidst the dust, a faint glimmer of golden light flickered.

Yun Zhongjun sent a warning: Be careful! The Whistling Snake God's expression became extremely grave, and she immediately shot towards Wu Wang.

"HAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHA!"

This familiar laughter.

Wu Wang raised his hand and pushed out with his palm. The swirling dust immediately stilled and settled, revealing the scene within.

A petite figure now stood beside Mu Wei, her left hand slowly retracting from Mu Wei's shoulder.

The Gold God!

And it was the Gold God, her strength recovered to an unknown extent!

Looking again at Mu Wei, he now had white hair and a wrinkled face. His entire being exuded an aura of decay, his Divine Power almost completely depleted.

"Not bad at all. A wood-attributed god came," the Gold God remarked.

Her little tongue swept across her lips. She glanced down at Mu Wei and said indifferently, "Replenish your Divine Power yourself when you return to the Heavenly Palace. As for your current Divine Power, I'm borrowing it for now."

Mu Wei's body trembled lightly, his face showing sorrow and anger, but he just lowered his head and responded with a "Yes" in a trembling voice.

"Kui Ox, come back. Take this fellow away. I'll handle things here."

"Yes!" The Kui Ox spoke in a deep tone. He endured a sweeping blow from Fire Plume's spear, his body blood-soaked and gasping for breath. He then hopped before the Gold God, picked up Mu Wei, tucked him under his arm, and turned to depart.

Wu Wang narrowed his eyes slightly but displayed no hesitation at the moment.

"Whistling Snake God, kill that wood-attributed Divine Spirit."

"As you wish, Master." With a look full of worry in her eyes, the Whistling Snake God hesitated not an instant in carrying out Wu Wang's command; she bypassed the Gold God and immediately gave chase.

The Gold God eyed the Whistling Snake God. Six ethereal arms materialized behind her. Together with her own two hands, they grasped eight Divine Weapons.

"So, you're Wu Wangzi? Today, I will take you back to the Heavenly Palace."

"Hmph!" Fire Plume's eyes blazed with divine light.

Wu Wang's left palm slowly opened. A flickering flame gently pulsed. It appeared directly on Fire Plume's forehead, merging with the Fire Phoenix power she already possessed.

Simultaneously, Wu Wang began to slowly undo his robe. The sky above him filled with countless stars. Streams of pure stellar power poured into his body, and his physique even seemed to expand by ten or twenty percent.

The Gold God said indifferently, "The Star God of old was my equal in battle. You are merely a descendant with the Star God's bloodline; you can be considered my junior."

"Is that so?"

Wu Wang slowly closed his eyes. Two wisps of wind, one positive and one negative, began to swirl around him.

He opened his eyes. His long hair fluttered, streaks of silver-white lightning entwined about him, and his eyes each revealed a black and white Yin-Yang Fish.

For no apparent reason, Wu Wang suddenly brimmed with fighting spirit, the flame in his heart burning ever brighter.

An irrelevant question rose from the depths of his heart.

Can we, beings of flesh and blood, truly establish the Heavenly Dao?

He craved the answer to this question. Thus, from this moment forward, he resolved to crush all enemies, to become the strongest in the Great Wilderness. He would use absolute power to safeguard the blueprint he envisioned. The Unfeeling Heavenly Dao must be realized!

"Fight."