Chapter Thirty-One: The Appearance of Hongjun, The Battle Ceases

An immense army from both sides faced off outside Mount Buzhou, stretching as far as the eye could see, covering tens of thousands of miles. The Heavenly Court's forces alone numbered in the tens of billions, densely packed together—enough to make anyone with a fear of crowds faint at a single glance.

The twelve Ancestral Witches, led by Emperor Jiang, stood before the ranks of the Wu tribe. As they witnessed the sheer number of soldiers from the Heavenly Court, their expressions darkened. They had not expected the Heavenly Court’s power to have grown to such an extent; it seemed a bloody battle was inevitable. Yet, none of them harbored thoughts of retreat, for it was clear to anyone who was not a fool that the Heavenly Court posed a grave threat. If left unchecked, who knew what heights it might reach in the future? This was the greatest danger to their ambitions of ruling the world.

Just then, a burst of multicolored light flashed across the sky above Mount Buzhou, accompanied by the sound of dragon roars. Li Tian arrived at the battlefield, riding his Nine-Dragon Chariot.

"Heavenly Emperor! Heavenly Emperor!"

The tens of billions in the Heavenly Court’s army were awed by Li Tian’s formidable and commanding entrance. Led by several demon kings, they chanted his title in unison. The combined roar of billions surged skyward, shaking the heavens and causing even the ancient earth itself to tremble.

Li Tian stood atop his chariot, brimming with confidence. Even the nine five-clawed golden dragons pulling the chariot, stirred by the atmosphere, let out excited, thunderous cries.

The Nine-Dragon Chariot came to rest at the forefront of the Heavenly Court's forces. Li Tian rose, raised his hand, and the shouts ceased abruptly.

A faint smile played at Li Tian’s lips; he relished this sensation.

Surrounded by the demon kings, Li Tian gazed toward the Wu tribe's ranks.

"My Heavenly Court has neither old grudges nor new enmity with your tribe. For what reason do you come to challenge us today?"

Zhurong stepped forward with a cold snort and replied, "Mount Buzhou is the transformed spine of our Father Pangu. How could such a place be occupied by lowly feathered beasts like you?"

At these words, rage erupted among the demon kings and even the lowest-ranking soldiers, all clamoring for the Wu tribe to pay for their insolence.

A flash of anger passed through Li Tian’s eyes—no one would be pleased to be called a ‘feathered beast’.

He was surprised by the Wu tribe’s utter lack of subtlety. Were they intent on provoking hatred?

He had intended to negotiate and perhaps avoid this senseless conflict. But now, he resolved to teach the Wu tribe a harsh lesson—at the very least, they would feel pain.

Knowing that Hongjun would ultimately intervene, Li Tian had no fear of an uncontrollable outcome or mutual destruction.

Without hesitation, he raised his arm and shouted, "The Wu tribe flouts law and order, showing contempt for the majesty of the Heavenly Court. All forces, follow me—attack!"

"Kill!"

Tens of billions of the Heavenly Court’s soldiers surged forward in a torrent, thundering toward the Wu tribe’s positions.

"Warriors of the Wu tribe, follow me to battle!"

"Slay these foul, egg-born beasts!"

The twelve Ancestral Witches led their great witches and clansmen to meet the charge. The battlefield erupted into a cacophony of battle cries, echoing across the land.

Li Tian soared into the sky, retracting his chariot as he did so. At his command, the nine golden dragons transformed into nine streaks of golden light, shooting toward the Wu tribe. Each boasted the cultivation of a Golden Immortal, and so long as they avoided the Ancestral Witches and great witches, they would be safe—or could escape if needed.

At the same time, Li Tian summoned the Chaos Bell, fortifying himself with the Book of the Earth and charging into the Wu tribe’s ranks. Nuwa and Fuxi accompanied him; Nuwa was now at the mid-stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal, and Fuxi at the late stage—together, they could hold their own even against the Ancestral Witches.

"Ha!"

The twelve Ancestral Witches leapt skyward with a roar, each transforming into their true forms and charging into the ranks of the Heavenly Court. Their bodies were formidable, each wielding their unique divine powers. The ordinary soldiers of the Heavenly Court were like grass before a scythe, cut down in swathes by the Ancestral Witches.

Li Tian, Nuwa, and Fuxi could not stand idly by. They too transformed into their true forms and joined the fray, stabilizing the situation. Li Tian’s body stretched a hundred and eight thousand miles, ablaze with endless Solar True Fire—those below the Taiyi Golden Immortal were burned at a touch, even the Wu tribe with their mighty bodies stood little chance.

Thus began Li Tian’s merciless onslaught against the Wu tribe. Seeing this, the twelve Ancestral Witches were filled with fury. Unlike Li Tian, each member of the Wu tribe was precious, painstakingly created at great cost of essence and blood—they could not afford such losses.

With enraged roars, the twelve Ancestral Witches surrounded Li Tian, and Nuwa and Fuxi hurried over to help, barely managing to hold the line.

As time passed, the war grew ever more brutal, its devastation spreading for millions of miles. Fortunately, local creatures, hearing the commotion, had long since fled; otherwise, countless innocents would have perished.

As the battle intensified, most of the Heavenly Court’s soldiers revealed their true forms, while those among the Wu tribe without a true form summoned their dharma bodies, towering to immense proportions. The resulting destruction was staggering.

Under the barrage of magical arts and divine powers, the battlefield became a wasteland, pitted with countless craters and strewn with corpses.

...

Within the Purple Cloud Palace, Hongjun sighed and appeared upon his meditation mat. Gazing through layers of barriers, he could clearly see the scene unfolding beneath Mount Buzhou.

"A great war cannot be permitted any longer."

He murmured softly, then vanished from his mat. In the next instant, he appeared above Mount Buzhou, surveying the warring armies below. Suddenly, he unleashed a terrifying pressure—the divine might of a Sage.

Instantly, everyone, including Li Tian and even the twelve Ancestral Witches, found themselves unable to move. As they wondered in alarm, Hongjun’s voice rang out:

"This battle offends the will of Heaven. Cease at once."

Li Tian felt a wave of relief—so it was Hongjun. As soon as he regained control of his body, he withdrew from the battlefield.

Li Tian was unfazed, but the twelve Ancestral Witches were anything but calm. The might of a Sage was far beyond their imagination—they found themselves utterly powerless to resist. Until now, the Wu tribe had regarded no one save Pangu himself as their equal, not even the so-called Sages. But now, having experienced a Sage’s might firsthand, how could they maintain their pride as the “True Heirs of Pangu”?

"Within this kalpa, there shall be no more war between you," Hongjun declared. Seeing the battle had been halted, he offered no further explanation and vanished soundlessly.

"From now on, the Eastern side of Mount Buzhou shall be governed by the Heavenly Court, while the Western side shall belong to the Wu tribe. Do you have any objections?" Li Tian immediately proposed to the twelve Ancestral Witches.

"Agreed," Emperor Jiang responded without hesitation. The Western expanse of Mount Buzhou was vast, more than enough for the Wu tribe to thrive. Most importantly, Li Tian was Hongjun’s chief disciple; Emperor Jiang subconsciously believed Hongjun’s intervention was to support Li Tian.

Having witnessed the might of a Sage, he no longer dared to treat them lightly.

"Very well," Li Tian nodded.

This was the best possible outcome. As for the myriad peoples suffering under the Wu tribe’s rule, that was no longer his concern. Li Tian admitted his abilities were limited—he could not save everyone.