Chapter 125: The Way Balances the World

The four great demonic sects each seized one of the Demon-Subduing Banners. How could the Xuan Sect remain idle? When the members of the demonic sects set out to destroy the banners in their respective territories, the Xuan Sect dispatched disciples to intercept them.

Jing Xuan and his companions, eager to attend Qing Hong’s house-opening banquet on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, chose to head to the Southern Border to confront the Huangyang Demonic Sect and recover the Azure Cloud Demon-Subduing Banner from the Undying Volcano. Other sects, meanwhile, went north to make trouble for the Toad Palace.

Taishang Wuming, who moved like a phantom, came to the East Sea to search for the banner located there. By chance, he encountered the plight of Qing Hong and Fairy Yuzhi and stepped in to assist. Wuming, who cultivates the "Three Caves True Scripture," possessed the level of "Profound Mastery" due to the unique nature of his techniques. His timely appearance provided Qing Hong and Fairy Yuzhi with a much-needed respite.

Qing Hong brandished the Azure Cloud Banner and tossed another one to Fairy Yuzhi, saying, "Senior Sister, you take charge of refining this one!" He had not yet had the time to refine the banner he had retrieved. Now, faced with the overwhelming demonic power of Cao Yu, he had no choice but to let the fairy use it.

The two joined forces, shaking out their banners simultaneously. Blossoms of azure lotus flowers filled the Black Sea, and green light surged from all directions, shielding their true forms.

"Two Demon-Subduing Banners?" Cao Yu looked surprised. But then, Taishang Wuming also shook out a banner. It was filled with auspicious clouds and the clear, tranquil light of the Dao, which instantly dissolved the dark clouds in the sky.

"The Azure Cloud Bright-Subtle Banner?" Qing Hong wondered, "Of the nine banners, four fell to the demonic sects. The other five are with Li Jingxun, Jing Xuan, Qin Wu, Fang He, and myself. Where did this person get his? He hails from the Taishang Palace; it is impossible for him to have sought out people from Taiyuan or Taixiao. Could it be that Jing Xuan or Li Jingxun lent it to him?"

The union of the nine banners could unleash world-shaking power. Now that a third of them were gathered here, the auspicious clouds merged, gradually trapping Cao Yu within. The light of the banners purified the evil atmosphere, and the surrounding demonic energy began to dissolve. Cao Yu felt a sense of impending danger; his Dao fruit evolved the laws of heaven, showing him fragments of a future where he might perish.

Cao Yu grew cautious, thinking to himself, "With these three banners combined and the three of them working together, if I do not exert my full strength, I fear I might meet my end."

He stopped holding back. Black light erupted from behind his head, and a massive black whale emerged from the water. Its aura was no less formidable than his own.

"Uncle Whale?" Seeing the creature, Fairy Yuzhi turned pale, her voice trembling. "You even killed Uncle Whale?"

The whale’s eyes were tightly shut, and its aura was identical to Cao Yu's. On its back was a sword scar, nearly matching the celestial sword in Cao Yu’s hand.

"Haha, it is his honor to serve as my second primordial spirit! Since he saved me so many times, he shouldn't mind helping me one last time." Cao Yu spoke as if it were only natural.

The "Uncle Whale" they spoke of was a benefactor from their youth—a veteran aquatic immortal who had helped them escape death several times. Decades ago, when Cao Yu was in a precarious position within the Eastern Sect and failing in a duel, he had backstabbed the whale, turning him into a vessel to enhance his own combat power. It was through this second primordial spirit that Cao Yu secured his position as the senior brother of the Eastern Demonic Sect.

Seeing the whale’s fate, Fairy Yuzhi was incensed. "Uncle Whale was a great benefactor to us both. To strike him down—you are worse than a beast!" Even dogs and wolves possess gratitude; this man was lower than them for murdering his own savior.

Cao Yu remained cold. "I have said it before: the path of heaven has only progression and regression, not good and evil. Junior Sister, if you remain obsessed with such notions, how can you ever attain the Great Dao?"

"If cultivation requires one to be as heartless as you, then this Dao is not worth pursuing." The rift in their ideologies was too great; Fairy Yuzhi completely abandoned any hope of guiding him back to the righteous path.

At Cao Yu’s command, the giant whale attacked. As an ancient creature with the bloodline of the mythical Kun, its power was immense. With a single gulp, it created a massive suction that swallowed the azure clouds and auspicious light. Fairy Yuzhi, hesitant to fight the creature, caused their formation to falter.

"You two handle Cao Yu! Leave the whale to me!" Wuming rode his sword, using his Formless Sword Qi to lure the whale away, leaving the others to focus on Cao Yu. Without Wuming’s pressure, the two found the struggle difficult, but the protection of the Azure Cloud Banners kept them from immediate danger.

Wuming walked upon the water, his technique bearing a resemblance to the "Heart Like Still Water" taught to him by a mysterious figure. He deftly parried the whale’s strikes, and whenever the beast prepared a major attack, he would use the banner to manifest a giant blue lotus to neutralize it.

"This man is as slippery as an eel!" Cao Yu fumed. "The sword of Taishang—your Dao is profound. Are you a descendant of the Taishang Palace?"

Wuming smiled but said nothing. After a while, he thought to himself, "I have held off his second spirit. Given their methods, they should be able to escape." He smiled at the whale. "You are a disciple of the demonic sect, and the great slaughter is about to begin. You would do well to conserve your strength. As for these loose immortals, settling scores after the great calamity is over would be better." With that, he turned into a streak of light and dove into the water.

"Where are you going!" The whale spat out its inner core, creating a five-colored barrier to lock down the area. But Wuming was too fast, and he vanished without a trace.

On the other side, after hundreds of exchanges, Fairy Yuzhi left an opening. Cao Yu struck, his palm tearing through the azure clouds and knocking her unconscious with a blast of demonic energy.

Qing Hong’s eyes flashed with a mix of relief and worry. The moment she fell, he unleashed his trump card: "The Dao Balance Map!"

If the Dao Capital Map utilized the power of the three lights to refine the essence of heaven and earth, the Dao Balance Map favored the harmony of Yin and Yang. In the sky, the Three-Light Divine Water transformed into a celestial river, while beneath Qing Hong’s feet, a vast River of the Underworld appeared. The two rivers intertwined, forming a pair of massive shears.

To sever Yin and Yang and destroy the cosmos—that was the true essence of this technique. It was not merely immortal energy; it contained hidden demonic power. Creating the "Dragon-Whiskered Shears" from the union of immortal and demonic energies was Qing Hong’s strongest killing move, one he had been reluctant to show in front of Fairy Yuzhi.

Cao Yu was startled. "You possess the power of the Underworld River? Is this not a technique of the Primal Dao?" He brandished his black banner, using the surging waves of the sea to shatter the shears. The backlash made his hand go numb. "What terrifying power. If I didn't have the Sea-Covering Banner, I would have been wounded!"

Just as Cao Yu prepared to strike back, a blast of Yin-Yang gale swept over him. Qing Hong had utilized his Dragon-Whiskered Fan to unleash the primordial Yin-Yang wind, finally forcing Cao Yu back. The gale raged, tearing at Cao Yu’s body and destroying his foundation. As the wind subsided, Qing Hong charged. His clothes exploded, his veins bulged, and his right hand transformed into a dragon claw. He delivered a punch infused with the power of a divine dragon, shattering Cao Yu’s nose.

"This punch is for Uncle Whale, whom you murdered!"

The Dragon-Scale Armor—a technique recorded in the Demonic Dragon Scripture. This punch was like the full-force strike of a divine dragon. It didn't just shatter Cao Yu's nose; it obliterated his eyes and his entire head.

"This punch is for my Senior Sister!" Another blow followed, driving the chilling waters of the Underworld directly into Cao Yu’s heart.

"Weak Water?" The sensation of extreme cold seeping into his body horrified Cao Yu. The Weak Water was an item of the Netherworld, a lethal weapon against immortals and demons alike. The technique Qing Hong used was undeniably that of the Yin-Ming Sect.

"You… are you from the Yin-Ming Sect?"

Qing Hong ignored him and delivered the third punch. "This punch is for myself!" He struck Cao Yu’s Dantian, using a force of icy thunder to crush his vitality completely.

Even with his vast powers, Cao Yu had not attained the "Five Qi Returning to the Origin" or an immortal body. After Qing Hong’s three dragon-punches, he fell silent forever.

Qing Hong felt light-headed and pale. His mana was ninety percent spent. In the distance, the whale was returning. "This attack was enough to deal him a heavy blow. I will finish him when I recover," he thought. On the brink of collapse, he gathered Fairy Yuzhi and the Dragon Girl, boarded a spirit boat, and fled the sea.