The Creation Stance Shocks the Realm

"Hmph." The Evergreen Sword Immortal felt himself completely fused with the Daofather Puppet. He could sense the immense power contained within it.

"That top-tier Karmic Punishment Deity's aura isn't weak, either. Nine thousand Celestial Immortals and eight hundred and ten thousand Loose Immortals as a formation—its aura is indeed no weaker than my Daofather Puppet." The Evergreen Sword Immortal was not flustered in the slightest; instead, he was disdainful. "Flashy and insubstantial. What use is it if it looks impressive? This Karmic Punishment Deity has tremendous power, but mobilizing that power is as difficult as ascending to the heavens! Even the simplified Karmic Punishment Deities are hard for Heavenly Gods and True Immortals to fully command, let alone this top-tier one."

Karmic Punishment Deities had three tiers.

One thousand Celestial Immortals and one hundred thousand Loose Immortals was the simplest level.

Three thousand Celestial Immortals and three hundred thousand Loose Immortals was already formidable.

Nine thousand Celestial Immortals and eight hundred and ten thousand Loose Immortals was the truly perfect level, with inconceivable power. Even if Ji Ning were a Pure Yang True Immortal, if he had merely reached major success in his Heartforce Soul techniques and was at the third level of Heartforce, being able to mobilize one-tenth of that power would be impressive. This showed how difficult it was to mobilize the power of this top-tier Karmic Punishment Deity.

"I'm different!"

"This is a Daofather Puppet. I have absolute control over all its power. Ji Ning is not a threat. That Seven Radiance Empyrean God, on the other hand, might seem slightly weaker in aura than me. But it is formed from seven Empyrean Gods united, and it also possesses absolute control." The Evergreen Sword Immortal, controlling the Daofather Puppet, was the fastest.

Swish, swish, swish.

Streaks of twisting light shot through the air, like a spider climbing across the web of heaven and earth, taking the lead as it charged straight towards the Crimsonbright Realmverse's side.

Aside from Daofather Crimsonbright, the Godking, and Daofather Ink Bamboo, over ninety percent of all Daofathers in the Three Realms were observing this battle.

In the Heaven Realm.

The Western Buddhist Pure Land.

Buddha Tathagata sat high on his lotus throne, radiating boundless light, so dazzling it was hard to look at. If one looked carefully, they could vaguely see the colors of the Five Elements. Below sat a congregation of Buddhist great powers, including Amitabha, Ksitigarbha, and Maitreya Buddha.

Buddha Tathagata, the supreme leader of the Buddhist faith in the Three Realms, possessed unfathomable power. His divine abilities, the 'Vairocana Dharma Body' and the 'Buddha's Palm,' were famous throughout the Three Realms. In the primordial era, he was already at the very pinnacle of power in the Three Realms, surpassed only perhaps by Mother Nuwa.

Each of the Buddhas below him was incredibly powerful.

Amitabha, for instance, had manifested countless incarnations, spreading the Dharma tirelessly throughout both the primordial era and the current era of the Three Realms. It could be said that many of the most formidable figures in Buddhism had received guidance from Amitabha. As the saying went, "Over half of the Bodhisattvas and Arhats in Buddhism were guided to success by Amitabha."

Naturally, countless Bodhisattvas and Arhats felt gratitude towards Amitabha Buddha.

Thus, Amitabha held a special position within Buddhism, known as the 'Buddha-Teacher' and also as the 'Buddha of Guidance,' signifying his role in guiding sentient beings to the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss. The precious light radiating from behind Amitabha was a form of immeasurable, gentle, and introspective light. Seeing it brought a sense of inner peace, making one involuntarily want to kneel and listen to his teachings.

"There have already been several Realm Wars in the Three Realms. All the great powers have been troubled and exhausted by them." Tathagata's gaze pierced through the endless void, seeing the war in the Grand Xia world. "Crimsonbright has exhausted every means for his realm. This Realm War is on a grander scale than the previous ones. Guide of Beings, who do you think will win?"

Amitabha, with his kindly features and compassionate eyes, pressed his palms together. "The key to this war lies in the Daofather Puppet and, on the Crimsonbright Realmverse's side, the Karmic Punishment Deity led by Ji Ning and the Seven Radiance Empyrean God led by Red Snow."

The other Buddhist great powers watched as well.

Of course, they were concerned.

Matters like the replacement of the Heavenly Court's Jade Emperor were trivial. Realm Wars affected the Qi of fortune. Now it was a struggle for this fortune. When both sides found the outcome of that struggle becoming clear and difficult to reverse, it would likely be time for the final battle. By then, these Buddhist great powers would have to risk their lives one by one.

"I wonder how many of this Mountain of Spirits will remain after the great tribulation." Tathagata looked at the congregation below, sighing silently in his heart. He could not forget the bloodshed of the primordial era's destruction. Even he had nearly perished before the Lord of All Demons, barely managing to hold on thanks to his 'Six-Foot Golden Body,' thereby stalling the Lord of All Demons.

That war was brutal.

Most of the Buddhist Patriarchs who fought in it had died. It was only thanks to Mother Nuwa's ultimate breakthrough that the tide was turned.

……

In the Heaven Realm.

East, the Dao Palace.

The Dao Lord of the Three Purities sat high aloft. Unlike Tathagata, his aura was more restrained. Yet, facing the Dao Lord of the Three Purities… one could occasionally feel a terrifying illusion of the Three Realms themselves being shattered.

Below sat a group of Daoist great powers.

"This Realm War is about to see its conclusion." The Dao Lord of the Three Purities spoke softly. "Zixiu, who do you think will win or lose?"

An old man with a broad robe and long beard sitting below said softly, "Fifty-fifty."

This old man was Daofather Carefree, also known as Zhuang Zhou, Zhuangzi Zixiu!

Back in the primordial chaos, two True Gods were born, and they were extremely close.

One was the Primal Originator, and the other was Daofather Carefree.

Later, they cultivated arduously. The Primal Originator mastered the 'Heavenly Dao of Yang' and the 'Heavenly Dao of Annihilation.' But among the Ten Heavenly Daos, the Heavenly Dao of Chaos was supreme, followed by the relative pairing of Life and Annihilation, and the pairing of Yin and Yang, with the Five Elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth coming last. To make a fundamental breakthrough, one had to comprehend a paired Heavenly Dao… which was exceptionally difficult. Comprehending the Heavenly Dao of Life would influence the cultivator, making it impossible to calmly comprehend the Heavenly Dao of Annihilation.

Take the Five Elements Heavenly Daos.

If one had fully comprehended Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire, attempting to comprehend 'Earth' would be interfered with. Thus, fully comprehending the complete Five Elements, or the complete Life and Annihilation, or the complete Yin and Yang, was incredibly difficult.

For instance, Tathagata had comprehended the complete Five Elements Heavenly Daos, which was why he could become the leader of Buddhism.

The Primal Originator possessed immense willpower and determination.

In the primordial era, he placed a seal within his own Truesoul, decreeing that he could only regain his memories upon comprehending the 'Heavenly Dao of Yin.' He then threw himself directly into the Six Paths of Reincarnation, simultaneously committed suicide, and his Truesoul entered reincarnation.

Life after life he reincarnated. In his ninth life, he became Laozi. In that life, he finally continuously broke through, until he mastered the 'Heavenly Dao of Yin' and became a Daofather. Then, his complete memories awakened… With Yin and Yang combined, his power immediately skyrocketed, placing him at the pinnacle of the Three Realms! At that time, Mother Nuwa had not yet become the Pangu God.

He created the technique 'One Qi Transforms into the Three Purities.' He could transform into three incarnations: Shangqing, Yuqing, and Taiqing. The divine bodies of the three incarnations each had their own unique characteristics, each best suited for their respective Heavenly Daos.

Yuqing Daoist was his original true body, mastering the Heavenly Dao of Yang.

Shangqing Daoist was Lord Lingbao, mastering the Heavenly Dao of Annihilation.

Taiqing Daoist was his reincarnated self, Laozi, mastering the Heavenly Dao of Yin.

Back then, when the Dao Lord of the Three Purities deployed the One Qi Transforms into the Three Purities technique, the combined might of his three incarnations was simply inconceivable. He had once fought a lengthy battle against that 'King' of the Seamless Gate.

Committing suicide and forcing a Truesoul into reincarnation was extremely dangerous. For example, if a cultivator reincarnated and cultivated to become a Celestial Immortal only to be killed and have their soul scatter, their Truesoul would directly enter the 'River of Fate.' That would be a true death! So, it was a huge gamble. The Primal Originator possessed astounding willpower and determination to dare such a thing.

Daofather Carefree did not have such determination, but he did split off an incarnation to enter reincarnation and experience everything. However, this type of reincarnation naturally made it impossible to comprehend a paired Dao! Yet, Daofather Carefree didn't care, and his strength still ranked him in the top five within the Daoist faith.

Lu Dongbin officially had two masters: one was the Dao Lord of the Three Purities, and the other was Daofather Carefree.

……

At the same time.

Within the palace of the Ancient Imperial Clan, and in places like the Chaos, figures like the Divine Farmer, even the ancient Suirenshi, and other ancient beings, even the old recluses of the Three Realms, were all watching this war. They had been in seclusion in the past, but now the great tribulation was upon them. They could not avoid it. They had to face the battle.

Everyone hoped that their own side would win.

Similarly…

The great powers of the Seamless Gate camp were scattered throughout the Three Realms. Some ancient beings were also watching. At this moment, it was a struggle for Qi of fortune, so they let the Godking lead the Seamless Gate. But when the final moment came, these old-timers would emerge. They had followed the 'King' back in the day… Compared to them, the Godking was still a junior.

"The key to the war lies in these three." Many great powers understood this.

On the battlefield.

The Daofather Puppet was the fastest, while the Seven Radiance Empyrean God and the top-tier Karmic Punishment Deity of the Crimsonbright Realmverse were equally fast.

The three of them were like the sharpest daggers of their respective camps, charging straight toward each other.

"Whoosh."

As the massive spider-like puppet darted forward, two of its slender legs swept out, and two blurry beams of light shot towards the Crimsonbright Realmverse's army.

"Block them. Watch out."

The group in that area immediately tried their best to counter.

Boom, boom, boom.

Although three Karmic Punishment Deities and a single Yinglong teamed up to block the attack, one Karmic Punishment Deity was still shattered by the strike. Fortunately, it was only a long-range attack from the Daofather Puppet, so the casualties among the Immortals within that Karmic Punishment Deity were minimal.

"Such formidable power. Ji Ning, let me test him first." Red Snow Empyrean God transmitted.

Swish.

The Seven Radiance Empyrean God, wielding a long spear, had snowflakes swirling around him. Time and space distorted as his speed dramatically increased, and he pounced directly at the Daofather Puppet.

If Ji Ning were to fully unleash the power of this top-tier Karmic Punishment Deity, he would likely be no slower than the erupting Seven Radiance Empyrean God. However, Ji Ning understood that if he were to unleash it now, the Daofather Puppet's controller, the Evergreen Sword Immortal, would be alerted. So, his best bet was to wait for the moment of contact, then suddenly erupt, catching them off guard for maximum effect.

"Red Snow, with such paltry strength, you dare to face a Daofather Puppet? Die!" The Evergreen Sword Immortal's voice, amplified through the Daofather Puppet, boomed across the battlefield.

"That damned Evergreen."

"Evergreen."

Emperor Xia and the others gritted their teeth, watching intently.

"Break." The Seven Radiance Empyrean God lashed out with his spear. In mid-air, even the spear's shaft bent, showing the immense power of the strike.

The Daofather Puppet directly swung two of its forelegs to block the incoming spear.

Boom!

A terrifying shockwave forced the Seven Radiance Empyrean God to stagger backward. As the space-time around him twisted, he instantly retreated several hundred li, narrowly avoiding the assault of the four follow-up leg strikes from the Daofather Puppet.

"Don't get cocky." The Seven Radiance Empyrean God retreated, and Ji Ning moved to meet the enemy.

"You're the one I want to kill!" The Daofather Puppet, piloted by the Evergreen Sword Immortal, was in full stride. He had easily repelled even the Seven Radiance Empyrean God; why would he fear Ji Ning, a mere façade of power? This top-tier Karmic Punishment Deity had a formidable aura, but how much of its power could Ji Ning actually control?

Ji Ning ran forward barefoot, wielding the two massive Swords of Universal Salvation of Ananda.

"Chop!"

He raised his swords high, as if Pangu were splitting apart heaven and earth, and brought them crashing down. This was the twelfth stance of the Three-Foot Sword, which Ji Ning had created after fully comprehending the Grand Dao of the Sword—a technique he had kept hidden all along, as he had been concealing his identity as a Pure Yang True Immortal. Now, he finally unleashed it.

The Twelfth Stance of the Three-Foot Sword — Creation!

The entire Three-Foot Sword technique was now perfected, from its beginning to the complete comprehension of the Grand Dao of the Sword. All twelve stances were complete. When Ji Ning had first named this stance 'Creation,' he had been brimming with youthful pride, his Heartforce at the 'Dominator' level, full of unbridled domination.

"Get lost!" The Daofather Puppet's controller, the Evergreen Sword Immortal, snarled. His two forelegs once again blocked the path, intending to send Ji Ning flying.

"Boom!"

The enormous swords cleaved against the two forelegs.

"Don't resist!"

"Watch out!"

It all happened in a flash. No sooner had the Seven Radiance Empyrean God retreated than Ji Ning's swords came crashing down. This shocked Red Snow Empyrean God and the others. Having just clashed with the Daofather Puppet, they believed Ji Ning could clearly see its terrifying power. Why was he foolishly fighting it head-on?

"Die—agh, how is this possible?!"

The Evergreen Sword Immortal, who had been overflowing with killing intent, felt an unimaginably vast power transmitted from the enormous swords. The force was so immense that even his Daofather Puppet seemed to buckle under its might.

Strong.

Too strong.

"Bam!" The barefoot Ji Ning, his sword crashing down with unchecked fury, actually drove the Daofather Puppet downwards! The ground around it caved in from the force.

"What?"

"The Daofather Puppet is at a disadvantage?!"

"How… this is impossible!"

The entire battlefield was stunned. The Seamless Gate side had been confident in the Daofather Puppet's power, as it was one hundred percent controlled. The top-tier Karmic Punishment Deity's power was terrifying, truly comparable to a True God Daofather. But how much of it could Ji Ning, controlling that Deity, actually unleash? How could he possibly suppress the Daofather Puppet?

"Impossible!!!" The Daofather Puppet's controller, the Evergreen Sword Immortal, raged in fury. He struggled to push back up, simultaneously using two more of his legs to resist Ji Ning's swords. Four legs braced against the ground, while four more legs tried to block the attack. This was the maximum power output the Daofather Puppet could achieve in its defensive stance.

"Go down!"

Ji Ning's second enormous sword descended once more.

Another execution of the Creation stance! In a daze, one could almost see the primordial Pangu, swinging his great axe toward the earth below.

"Boom!!!"

The Daofather Puppet, using all four of its blocking legs to desperately resist, buckled under the weight of a force that felt like an entire continent crashing down. The four legs supporting its body gave way, and the Daofather Puppet knelt to the ground.

Silence.

The two armies, which had been charging forward without having yet truly clashed, suddenly fell into a deathly stillness. Neither side—the Crimsonbright Realmverse nor the Seamless Gate—could believe what they were seeing.