An End to the Old

Unbelievable.

It was an unbelievable sight.

As simple as the gentle breeze blowing during the onset of spring. Da Hai was completely eviscerated. No trace of him, down to from the most minute of particles that had once made up his existence.

In an instant, the Chaos Sea was drawn into Silence. There as an expectation of one to hear remnant sounds. Since Da Hai was an immortal born from the sea and cultivated a Dao that originated from water, one would expect the hear crashing waves. These were the last echoes of his existence.

But there was nothing.

Just empty silence.

No grand spectacle when Hongjun made his move. Just a dimple, "blink and you'd miss it," moment when the short burst of light occurred. It was so simple, so easy that the mighty beings who'd fought an entire war to kill a single Chaos Immortal in Luohu couldn't believe their eyes.

There was power. Then there was Power. Then there was POWER!

No, it couldn't even be defined like that anymore. It was utterly ludicrous how immense the difference was. From the eyes of any Chaos Immortal who watched this particular confrontation, it looked as if crushing Da Hai was easier then a human would accidentally crush an inspect.

"Unreal."

"This is, beyond the Chaos Immortal realm?"

The living beings of the Primitive World had long gotten used to Chaos Immortals being the summit. Great Principle Chaos Immorals were mighty figures, Primal Origin Chaos Immortals were towering rulers, Zenith Heaven Chaos Immortals were untouchable absolute existences. Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals were nigh unheard of until the tribulation.

But fundamentally, they were all Chaos Immortals.

These experts watching, the third generation of innate gods, rogue experts who'd cultivated to the summit, dragon elders, avian elders, demons and divinities higher ups. All of them understood somewhat that Hongjun existence had transcended theirs.

Yet they never could've imagined that the gap would be so big.

Zulong was silent the whole time. His gigantic eyes resembled discs with how wide they stretched. His whiskers flickered in the wild wind of the Chaos Sea as he watched where his master once was.

Wangshu, who visibly gasped at how quickly Da Hai had fallen was in a similar state. But unlike the dragon, she recovered quicker and tucked the orb she had received into a many times folded pocket dimension.

She turned her eyes to Hongjun but couldn't release her breath. He may've not been looking her way, but she could sense that he probably knew exactly what she was doing even if she hid the act. In fact, even the many layers she'd just added to her pocket dimension could be unraveled by him flicking his eyelids.

In the air, the damaged form of the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag floated pitifully. A xianxia spiritual treasure beaten to a near breaking state. It's bond to the master who'd refined it were furiously destroyed before anyone could blink.

Though as if magnetically attracted, it made for Hongjun's still outstretched hand. Hongjun saw this and turned his hand up into a palm, accepting the treasure into his grasp. As sudden as this occurred, the flag disappeared out of sight, no doubt into whatever place Hongjun would store his belongings.

With that accomplished, everyone waited with breath as to what he'd do next. However, the old man only retracted his hand to clasp it behind his back like a seasoned respectable gentleman. She could not tell what he was thinking after finishing off Da Hai.

But as for Zulong? His own gaze rose to a floating object. The handle attached to the lower half of the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword with the 12 Petals White Lotus.

The butterfly standing on the sword turned its body around and faced the dragon with an unreadable look. Zulong had no words to offer the treasure spirit as he too was coming to terms with Da Hai's quick demise.

"…"

Zulong's claw grabbed hold of the sword's handle. Not long ago, it was a magnificent work of craftsmanship and a deadly weapon. But now its just seemed like a decayed relic found in some archaeological dig site.

"Ahem…well," Hongjun coughed. "Quite a shame, a shame indeed. Let this be a warning to all juniors who shall embark on the road of cultivation. It is a cruel path and one must also be cruel to oneself. Lest one be caught up in useless karmic ties, thereby leading to unnecessary thoughts and emotions that lead to inevitably pointless confrontations."

He turned to look at his dear disciple Haotian who had a look of perplexity. Haotian's gaze wasn't focused on him, but where Da Hai used to be. Hongjun didn't need to use his powers to know his awe at how easily he destroyed a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal.

Then Haotian's attention turned to Hongjun. However, his line of sight trailed slightly off as his attention was caught by something. Hongjun quickly realized what as he hurriedly moved his hands to a fold in front of his chest.

He underestimated Haotian's observational ability. The hand that had destroyed Da Hai, the one that had unleashed his powers just now. That hand was trembling.

His lips turned to a slight frown at that realization. He'd have to think of something later on else he might lose some respect from his disciple. But it was Haotian, hence Hongjun didn't think the lad would think lesser of him.

"Haotian?"

"Huh…ah yes." The white robed cultivator did not meet Hongjun's eyes nor respond in full.

"I plan to announce something. You and your junior sister should go and prepare Zixiao Palace for guests."

"I se…"

He could not stop his stuttering response. On the other side of the Chaos Sea, a dragonic roar thundered throughout heaven and earth.

The Dragon Sovereign, the former ruler of all seas in the Primitive World arched his head back and roared an anguish sound. It was so deafeningly powerful that even the landmasses within the Primitive World were vibrating violently.

Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao narrowed their attentions his way. It was overly dramatic in Hongjun's opinion. However the Heavenly Dao thought lesser of its former chosen.

He was a ruler wasn't he? Where is the dignity to show such a public display of emotions? The Heavenly Dao scoffed thinking he pathetic. Naturally, despite his dutiful role until now, he was tainted by that filth Da Hai.

The Heavenly Dao expected him to turn tail and run now that he'd lost everything. There was no point to his existence anymore. He should be thankful he was allowed his life after such a poor performance in stopping Luohu.

That it was the same conflict that allowed so many to feed the Heavenly Dao and allowed not only its recovery, but also its evolution was lost on it. The fact that without Zulong's efforts, the Heavenly Dao's entire existence would've been erased was also lost on it.

Nevertheless, the Heavenly Dao commanded Hongjun to get things in order.

The old man's already vexing frown turned downward ever so slightly. A feeling of irritation flowed through his mind but he forcibly crushed it.

"Hm?"

Hongjun paused seeing a titanic tail stretch towards the Primitive World. The body of Zulong manifested an even larger snarling dragon filled to the brim with killing intent.

'Idiot, he cannot possibly be this stupid.' Hongjun felt astounded by the dragon's sudden lack of judgement. He felt compelled to annihilate the dragon now that he's bit the hand that fed him.

But he then realized the attack was not meant for him. Zulong roared and raved, but his ill intent headed towards the chaotic Primitive World. An act curious enough for Hongjun to momentarily halt himself.

The denizens within saw the attack and were all startled. The dragons and seafolk stared in confusion at their former ruler's actions, the avians felt fear for this may be the dragon releasing the last bit of resentment he had for their kind.

The Heavenly Dao turned its focus around feeling Zulong's weight crash into the Great Wilderness' exposed edges. As its will spread across all of Pangu's creation, the Primitive World in its entirety could be considered its body.

It was sorta like the equivalent of a mosquito bitting into a person's skin.

In the apocalyptic scene of the Great Wilderness, Zulong's attack broke through the heavens and into the sea. A trench was dug so deep that it ripped out a whole portion of the Great Wilderness' East Sea's seafloor.

Just like that, the eastern side of the Great Wilderness was losing its structural integrity. More and more earthquakes occurred while legions of soil and water fell through the void.

The cataclysmic whirlpool that was the Sea Eye shook. The dragons within flinched, nearly vomiting at the natural disasters that assaulted them. But being Chaos Immortals, they held firmly onto their charge even as the sea around them broke into the void.

"What is happening?" A dragon elder who had not received word from the outside world exclaimed. The Sea Eye, unlike may chunks of the Great Wilderness did not drift into the void. It held onto whatever remaining land the archaic world had despite everything going on.

Instead, Zulong's attack dug out another pile of water and soil out from the breaking areas that fell into the void. Within a huge dragon claw, water and sediment parted from the gaps of his fingers leaving behind a single landmass.

The celestial island Yingzhou was the only thing left in that claw.

"This sacred place shall not suffer the taint of you any longer," Zulong growled towards the shining echoes of the Heavenly Dao. "You are an ungrateful, shirtsighted, petulant child. I am ashamed to share an origin with you."

As a connate lifeform born directly out of Pangu's yang qi, Zulong was an innate god directly spawned from Pangu. But he was also born directly out of the heaven and earth of the Primitive World. In this regard, he and the Heavenly Dao were somewhat related.

Retracting his claw, Zulong turned to leave.

But the Heavenly Dao scoffed at what he had done. Sure, Yingzhou alone was not a great loss. But the dragon had struck it and needed to be punished. In the centre of the Chaos World, numerous folds of clouds manifested around a single shining temple. A vague figure cursed from within that structure.

Then, pillars of light shot into the sky, uniting into a single phoenix shaped being. The wrath of the heavens shot out into the Chaos Sea.

"Hm?" Zulong turned his body around with gritted teeth. The treasures of his belonging manifested around him to protect him.

The Heavenly Dao has been feeding off of all the conflict all this time. It was said that what arose from the earth must return to the earth. Cultivators weren't really different. Really, cultivators were more like investments.

Born from the Chaos World under the purview of heaven. They gather energy from the world, then transcend to become immortals before finally breaking free of the Chaos World by becoming Golden Immortals. At that stage, they become their own producers and no longer need energy from their origin. Then they cultivate the Dao becoming even more exquisite.

When they perish, all the things they've gathered were released back out and absorbed by the Heavenly Dao for the sake of the Primitive World. All their achievements post Golden Immortality were all new, incredibly nourishing substances. If they cultivated a Dao fruit that the world had not seen? That was even better.

Like this, the Heavenly Dao devoured every deceased that from the tribulation. Their Dao fruits broke down into fundamental essences and empowered the Heavenly Dao. In its current state, it was no longer what it was many years ago.

Being it's spokesperson who made a deal with it in order to gain the necessary ability to reach the Dao, Hongjun understood where this current Heavenly Dao stood on the hierarchy.

While the Heavenly Dao absorbed many things, a large portion of it all went into Pangu's Chaos World. The Heavenly Dao, being also a form of life inhabiting this Chaos World, albeit one with great authority, could summon a large portion of it but not all.

In terms of power, if all of the Primitive World was factored in, it was essentially Dao realm being like him. Perhaps not as refined, nor as knowledgeable, nor could could it unleash all that omnipotent power. But it was still powerful, easily surpassing the vast majority of Chaos Immortals. It's power tunnelled throughout the Chaos Sea easily catching up to the dragon.

Zulong roared holding his pearl and Da Hai's sword in his clutches. But the Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearls shot out alongside his master's longtime treasure, the 12 Petals White Lotus of Purification. Both treasures had suffered greatly in the war but still manifested in full.

Blooming alongside the pearls, the white lotus and the other treasures formed a strong shield in the phoenix creature's way.

BOOM!

The clash ended in a spectacular downpour in energy and the resounding grunt of pain from Zulong.

The attack's power was not fully stopped, merely filtered to an incredible degree. To begin with, it wasn't as strong as what Hongjun unleashed against Da Hai. But it shattered the shield Zulong put in place and blew across his scaly body.

Being far into the Chaos Sea, Zulong's figure could not be fully seen in the aftermath. Yinglong only caught the slight swishing of a tail that quickly disappeared further into the Chaos Sea.

In it, hundreds of shattered scales floated around forming a pseudo asteroid belt outside the Chaos Sea. A single detached antler floated alongside dimly glowing stars. These were the treasures that were blown out of Zulong's hands after he'd suffered the Heavenly Dao's wrath.

The set of beads known as the Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearls and the 12 Petals White Lotus were sucked into Hongjun's palm. Despite their badly damaged states, they were not beyond repair yet.

In his right hand, Hongjun received a message from the Heavenly Dao that it was going to rest for a wild to fully digest its gains while he should bring order for the new era. Hongjun agreed with the command, though he'd prefer to interpret it as a request.

Looking at his own slightly trembling hand, he sighed. 'I still cannot control it.'

There were many problems with his cultivation. But for now, he had more to be concerned with.

Due to the actions of Zulong just now, the dragons were terrified. But Hongjun did not pay attention to them. Instead, he pulled with his hand and Heart Devil flew out of the Chaos Sea powerless to stop him.

"Hongjun, let's talk about this," Heart Devil quickly said.

"Enough, your contribution to Luohu's demise was well done," Hongjun congratulated first. "The Heavenly Dao told me to tell you that Luohu's sins are not the Devilish Dao's sins. In addition, the Heavenly Dao also sees value in you all as adversaries. As such, your lineage is allowed to exist for the benefit of this Chaos World's growth."

Heart Devil could not move nor could he argue against him. All the power he'd obtained seemingly amounted to nothing.

"However, we wouldn't want any big movements while things are still dying down do we?" Hongjun placed a hand on Heart Devil's chest. "As an obstacle, the intense mad emotions of your Dao is pretty useful. Let's do it like this."

"Wait…"

Heart Devil's body exploded in a shower of ghost like entities. All echoes of his Dao and his shattered psyche that were then blown into this universe's structure. Hongjun nodded, the concept of a heart devil originating from Heart Devil could be useful as a training tool for newer generations and facilitate conflict for future tribulations.

He looked at his hand, still trembling, and sighed. The next step will have to begin. He snapped his fingers and channeled power directly from the world around him to mend the damages to the Primitive World's walls. He did nothing for whatever was left of the Great Wilderness however.

All the spectators realized that things were truly coming to a close as Hongjun worked like a creation deity. The Great Wilderness' remnants were pulled up by Hongjun along with the Starry Skies much to Wangshu's chagrin.

Everyone watched as the small pieces of the Great Wilderness were forming systems of their own. Little by little, they realized that these small landmasses alone would form their own independent world. Unlike the single gargantuan landmass of the past, they could be looking at a future of trillions of minor worlds.

It seemed that Hongjun was uninterested in piecing the Great Wilderness back together either, merely deciding too smooth out the remaining chunk of that once great world. Things will never be the same again with the Great Wilderness shattered like so.

"Today should've been a joyous day as I have ascended to omnipotence," he began again. "In this joyous occasion, I wish to share my gains with all the hardworking now that everything has been settled."

"I am a cultivator, a warrior, an investigator, and also a teacher. It is only right I help the world heal and help accomodate you all into the path of cultivation. So, in three thousand years, I shall preach the Dao in my Zixiao Palace to three thousand guests who wish to attend."

He waved his hand to manifest the Zixiao Palace just outside the Chaos World. The only connection being a thin strip of space, otherwise his palace would truly be in the Chaos Sea.

"Haotian, come."

At long last, Hongjun brought Haotian away for a period of rest. In his determination to enjoy his success, he did not notice Haotian continuing to alternate between staring at where Da Hai stood his ground and his own master's back.