Journey to the West: I have Nine Golden Crows Inside Me
Chapter 1698 - 1098 join hands

Chapter 1698: 1098 join hands

Taiyi was perplexed, for in the era he lived, the term "Saint" had only recently emerged, symbolizing the supreme position and unmatched power.

At that time, everyone only saw the benefits of becoming a Saint but failed to consider the responsibilities that came with it.

After becoming a Saint, one indeed attained supreme authority and privilege, but freedom was the price to pay.

Exchanging freedom for power—if one was ignorant of this, perhaps it didn’t matter; but once aware, the realm of the Daluo Jinxian of the Primordial was naturally far more enticing.

During the Ancient Era, everyone aspired to achieve sainthood, even figures like Di Jun, who held sovereignty over Heaven and Earth, could not resist the allure. But after the Ancient Era, fewer sought to become Saints.

Because the lack of freedom associated with being a Saint had, over the years, been witnessed by countless Great Divine Transcendents.

Knowing the drawbacks of achieving sainthood, who would foolishly pursue it? Naturally, fewer aspired to it.

But Taiyi had died early and was unaware of these changes. Witnessing the scene before him, he couldn’t help but feel out of step with the times.

For the first time, the two expressed their thoughts publicly, leaving the Saint of Taiqing and the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign momentarily silent, while Jieyin and Zhunti displayed peculiar expressions.

Seeing this, Taiyi was startled once again.

How could Jieyin Saint’s expression reveal a hint of abandoning sainthood?

This...

Was there some hidden danger to sainthood? Among the mere six Saints, three now seemed unwilling to continue. Evidently, being a Saint was not as desirable as it appeared.

Although curious, Taiyi knew that such matters were not for him to meddle in. Without stopping, he left the Outer Chaos and headed toward Dongsheng Divine Continent.

...

...

Let us not discuss Jiang Chen after his departure; instead, after leaving the Outer Chaos, he swiftly returned to Mount Tai.

This time, with Taiyi resurrected, even Pangu Taiching did not leave the Netherworld. Yet, after Jiang Chen departed, he did not seize the chance to sever the connection between the Netherworld and Mount Tai.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to—it was that he couldn’t.

With the Saint of Taiqing alerted, Mother Earth found herself free to act, watching Pangu Taiching closely from the Palace of Reincarnation. Any excessive move he made would be met with her utmost aggression.

"Fellow Taoist, the Netherworld is not a place for you to linger; you’d best leave early,"

Jiang Chen said to Pangu Taiching as he approached the Netherworld.

For unknown reasons, the group of Great Divine Transcendents from Dongsheng Divine Continent had not returned, and without their aid, Pangu Taiching found himself in peril.

In front of him was Jiang Chen, behind him was Xuanming; caught between the two, preserving oneself seemed as daunting as guarding the Netherworld itself.

Two supreme figures, advancing jointly toward Pangu Taiching, rendered the situation increasingly precarious.

But in such dire moments, Pangu Taiching suddenly laughed.

"You have allies; I am not without mine."

As his voice fell, an ethereal chime resonated throughout Heaven and Earth, echoing across the past, present, and future.

In the next instant, the newly resurrected Donghuang Taiyi appeared beside Pangu Taiching in the Netherworld.

"Greetings, fellow Taoist. Who would have thought that in this lifetime, you and I would have the opportunity to collaborate?"

Taiyi remarked poignantly to Pangu Taiching. The scenario unfolding today was entirely unforeseen by him.

All along, he and his brother had been adversarial toward the Sanqing. By their original plan, after eliminating the Witch Clan, the Sanqing were next in line.

With that mindset, Taiyi had never imagined that he would one day cooperate with the Saint of Taiqing. Yet today, to counter Jiang Chen, he had no choice but to partner with him.

Life, it must be said, is truly enigmatic.

"Ah!"

Taiyi sighed, deeply reflective. The years following his demise had seen the world change in countless ways.

The once-unassailable unity of the Sanqing had long fractured. The deeply scheming Western pair had ultimately sought to leave their religion.

Time had undeniably altered much.

"Taiyi, are you planning to involve yourself in this matter too?"

Jiang Chen stopped in his tracks and fixed his gaze on the suddenly reappeared Taiyi.

On the other side, with Taiyi’s presence revealed, Xuanming, the Ancestral Witch, could no longer contain her emotions. Her overwhelming wrath surged forth, shaking the entirety of the Netherworld.

In an instant, torrential rain began to fall in the Netherworld, accompanied by a soul-piercing chill that seemed to freeze Heaven and Earth itself.

Xuanming, though revered as the Ancestral Witch of Rain, wielded the power of frost, capable of encasing the world in ice.

"Taiyi, you’re courting death!"

Xuanming roared, releasing infinite Innate Ice Soul Divine Light that shot toward Taiyi simultaneously from past, present, and future.

Meanwhile, deep within the Netherworld, at the seat of the Palace of Reincarnation, a dormant force of reincarnation was silently gathering, ready to unleash a deadly strike at any moment.

Taiyi’s resurrection aside, his brazen appearance in the Netherworld was an open challenge to Hou Tu and Xuanming. How could they tolerate this?

"Stop!"

The Chaos Bell, now devoid of its golden sheen and restored to its primordial hue, appeared in Taiyi’s grasp. Facing Xuanming Ancestral Witch’s furious assault, he gently shook the Chaos Bell in his hand.

Immediately, the ethereal chime sounded forth, spreading ripples unseen. The tempestuous River of Time instantly calmed, and Xuanming Ancestral Witch’s Divine Ability was immobilized by an inexplicable force.

The Chaos Bell, the supreme treasure forged during the dawn of creation, possessed unparalleled might to suppress past, present, and future.

Among the Three Treasures of Opening Heaven, the Chaos Bell was the most versatile, capable of offense, defense, restraint, and suppression, earning its reputation as all-rounded.

"The Chaos Bell?"

"Using the Chaos Bell against me—do you not regard me as worthy?"

Had Taiyi adopted other methods, Jiang Chen might not have been angered. But deploying the Chaos Bell incited in him a sense of disdain, as though Taiyi did not consider him formidable.

Rising rage compelled Jiang Chen into action. With a wave of his hand, radiant starlight converged into a brilliant Star River.

As the Star River shimmered, a Dao Bell began to materialize within its depths, adorned with the interplay of the Cycle of Sun, Moon, and Stars, the evolution of natural phenomena, and the fusion of elemental forces like earth, fire, water, and wind. Phenomena emerged and vanished in succession.

Eventually, all these visions disintegrated, leaving the surface of the Dao Bell swirling in primordial hues, draped with strands of primordial chaos.

"Go!"

This supreme Divine Ability of the Chaos Bell Jiang Chen had developed, drawing insight from the Boundless Starry Sky, not only mirrored all its abilities but also subverted them.

The Dao Bell reverberated; its Dao Sound lingered deeply!

The Chaos Bell in Taiyi’s hand faced its adversary and instantly weakened, its power diminished.

Yet in the next moment, Pangu Taiching made his move, unleashing beams of Pangu’s primordial soul light that shattered Jiang Chen’s Dao Bell Divine Ability.

"Fellow Taoist, beware; his Divine Ability specifically counters your Chaos Bell."

Knowing that Taiyi had only just been resurrected and was unaware of the exposed vulnerabilities of the Three Treasures of Opening Heaven, Pangu Taiching offered his caution.

Though Taiyi was strong, his abilities, having not yet adapted to the advancements of the era, lagged behind.

For instance, the Way of Divine Abilities had fundamentally transformed under Jiang Chen’s influence, rendering contemporary techniques more formidable than the ones Taiyi had previously mastered.

Though Taiyi would rapidly grasp this evolved Way of Divine Abilities, until then, remained far from being on par with the current tide of advancements. This lag extended to his understanding of the Great Dao, placing him out of step with the times.

In a world that had collectively progressed further, Taiyi’s static power was tantamount to regression.

Whoosh~~

Seizing the moment, Xuanming Ancestral Witch unleashed her Innate Ice Soul Divine Light, freezing Taiyi entirely into ice.

But swiftly enough, he broke free.

"Supreme Saint!"

"I hadn’t expected, fellow Taoist, that you too have ascended to this realm."

From the perspective of others, Xuanming Ancestral Witch, as a Supreme Saint, was immensely formidable. Yet in Taiyi’s eyes, she was merely ordinary—the gap between their realms was too vast.

Whoosh~~

Yet before Taiyi could finish speaking, another transformation occurred. From above the Thirty-Three Heavens, a radiant beam from a mirror descended vertically, targeting Taiyi directly.