Honghuang: Creation of the Green Lotus, the beginning of the Three Pure Ones

As soon as Hongjun's figure appeared in the chaotic mist surrounding Qinglian Island, an indescribable Daoist aura silently spread out.

The mist was not ordinary chaotic energy, but contained a kind of extremely ancient power of order that even surpassed the origin of the Heavenly Dao, flowing on its own and endlessly regenerating.

However, Hongjun remained calm, surrounded by a purple aura, and stepped leisurely into the mist. He also spoke at the same time.

"Fellow Daoist Qinglian, I am Hongjun, and I have something to ask you."

As soon as Hongjun finished speaking, the chaotic mist that was powerful enough to annihilate everything parted automatically in front of him like gentle flowing water, revealing a path leading to the depths of the island.

On the island, there were no celestial palaces or pavilions as one might have imagined, only a vibrant scene of life, with exotic flowers and rare herbs everywhere, exuding a refreshing fragrance. They seemed completely unaware of Hongjun's arrival.

At the heart of the island, a colossal lotus, reaching for the heavens, blooms silently. Its leaves are like jade, its stem like crystal; it is none other than the Thirty-Six Grade Creation Lotus.

On the lotus platform sat a figure. He wore the simplest blue Taoist robe, his black hair was casually draped, and his face was ordinary. He was none other than the Azure Lotus Taoist Chen Xuan.

Hongjun's gaze fell on Chen Xuan, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He approached step by step, and the chaotic energy beneath his feet naturally condensed into a tangible lotus platform, supporting him.

Finally, he stopped a few feet away from the Chaos Green Lotus Platform, facing Chen Xuan on the platform from afar.

"Fellow Daoist Qinglian, how have you been?" Hongjun's voice broke the tranquility of Qinglian Island, carrying a subtle but palpable solemnity within its calm tone.

Chen Xuan slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were crystal clear, like those of a newborn infant, yet they seemed to have witnessed the vicissitudes of eternity, reflecting the birth and death of stars and the flow of the Great Dao.

He looked at Hongjun with an extremely calm smile on his face, as if he was not surprised at all by Hongjun's arrival.

"Fellow Daoist Hongjun's presence is an honor to my humble Qinglian Island. But I wonder, instead of meditating on the Heavenly Dao at Zixiao Palace, what brings you to this remote place?"

Chen Xuan's tone was gentle, without a trace of anger, but his detached calm carried more weight than any question.

Hongjun felt a chill run down his spine. The calmer Chen Xuan remained, the more troublesome he felt. This man transcended the Heavenly Dao, acting as he pleased, and the depth of his schemes was something even he could not fully comprehend.

Sun Wukong wreaks havoc in the Heavenly Palace, the Curtain-Raising and Heavenly Canopy-Tianpeng rebel, the Bull Demon King and other demon kings besiege the South Heavenly Gate, and even the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of the human race and the Dragon Ancestor all come out in full force...

All of this seems chaotic, but behind it all lies an invisible thread connecting them. And the one holding that thread is very likely the one sitting atop the Creation Lotus.

Hongjun's gaze swept over the Creation Lotus, which exuded supreme Daoist charm, and finally returned to Chen Xuan's face.

"Why ask a question you already know the answer to, fellow Daoist? The Southern Heavenly Gate is engulfed in war, the foundation of the Heavenly Court is shaken, and the order of the Heavenly Dao is in danger of collapse."

"That demon monkey Sun Wukong stirred up the winds and clouds. If there was no one guiding him, how could he have achieved this? Juanlian and Tianpeng rebelled against the Heavenly Court, and the armies of the human race and the dragon race pressed on the border."

“Every single detail is interconnected. Such a world-shaking scheme could not have been orchestrated by Fellow Daoist Qinglian. Who else in the primordial world could have laid such a trap?”

Hongjun's tone remained calm, but every word he spoke went straight to the heart of the matter. He pointed out the seriousness of the situation and directly questioned whether Chen Xuan was the mastermind behind it all.

The Heavenly Court is not merely the Jade Emperor's court, but also a symbol of the Heavenly Dao, and a crucial hub for maintaining the operation of the primordial world after Hongjun merged with the Dao. If the Heavenly Court collapses, the order of the Heavenly Dao will inevitably be thrown into chaos, with unimaginable consequences.

Chen Xuan listened quietly, his calm smile unchanged. He neither denied nor admitted it directly. He simply said in an extremely peaceful voice, "Fellow Daoist Hongjun, you are mistaken. The workings of the primordial world have their own logic. The Heavenly Court, perched high above the nine heavens, acts on behalf of Heaven and should naturally benefit all living beings and maintain balance."

"However, is it the way to benefit all living beings to pollute the vast wilderness by diverting the Weak Water, causing widespread suffering? The Jade Emperor, driven by selfishness, disregarded the fundamental principles of Heaven, causing the Heavenly River Navy to rebel and the Curtain-Raising General to defect in anger. Is this the responsibility to maintain balance?"

"Is the Investiture of the Gods suppressing the righteous gods, causing their cultivation to stagnate and losing their ambition? Is this the way of the evolution of the Heavenly Dao?"

With each question Chen Xuan asked, Hongjun's gaze grew more serious. These questions pointed directly to the flaws in the Heavenly Court's management, and even to deviations in the execution of the Heavenly Dao's rules.

Chen Xuan did not admit that he was the mastermind, but attributed the root cause of the Heavenly Court's current predicament to its own accumulated problems and the Jade Emperor's loss of virtue and morality.

He then spoke again to Hongjun, saying, "As for Sun Wukong, he was born to meet a calamity and to rise to power. His unruly nature is nothing more than a rebellion against an unjust fate."

"The battle at Flower Fruit Mountain was initiated by the Heavenly Court raising an unnamed army. Whether his actions today constitute war or struggle, calamity or fortune, is entirely his own choice."

"It is also part of the inevitable trend of the Heavenly Way. I am merely here on Qinglian Island, watching the tides rise and fall, and observing the clouds drift and gather."

He gently flicked his sleeve, and the chaotic energy around the lotus platform rippled slightly, revealing a corner of the scene outside the South Heavenly Gate.

Emperor Xin held the Xuanyuan Sword, his holy might overwhelming, rivaling the oppressive aura of the Heavenly Court's sages.

With the saints' power gone, the Bull Demon King and other demon saints are leading their demon soldiers like a tidal wave into the Southern Heavenly Gate.

Marshal Tianpeng and General Juanlian are locked in a fierce battle with Daoist Ran Deng. Meanwhile, Ao Ping, the Dragon Ancestor, reveals his true form, his dragon roar shaking the heavens as he sweeps away the celestial soldiers and generals.

Meanwhile, the figures of the two saints, Calamity and Destruction, had already appeared at the edge of the battlefield, and terrifying holy might began to spread, attempting to stabilize the situation of the Heavenly Court's defeat.

Chen Xuan's emotionless voice rang out again, "Fellow Daoist Hongjun, the tide has risen, and the momentum is there. Even if I can observe this surge, how can I go against the current?"

“Under the Way of Heaven, the trend is like a torrent; those who follow it prosper, and those who oppose it perish. The danger facing the Heavenly Court today is not due to the scheme I devised, but rather to its accumulated problems that are difficult to reverse, eventually leading to the collapse of the dam by an ant hole.”

"Now that Fellow Daoist Hongjun has sent Fellow Daoists Calamity and Destruction to the area, it is merely a stopgap measure, temporarily slowing down the collapse, but it cannot solve the fundamental problem."

As Hongjun watched the two saints of calamity and destruction appear in the scene, their terrifying aura instantly brought the battlefield to a standstill, forcibly stabilizing the crumbling defenses of the Heavenly Court.

However, the divine might of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of the human race also rose at the same time, subtly forming a confrontation.

Although the cultivation levels of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of the human race were only at the level of Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal, they were no match for calamity and destruction.

However, it is still possible to entangle the two for a short period of time. As for the current situation of the Heavenly Court, it only needs to be delayed for a moment before the Heavenly Court will cease to exist.

After all, even with the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West, they could barely hold off Emperor Xin alone. As for the righteous gods in the Heavenly Court, they were no match for the million demon soldiers and the dragon race.

Hongjun was well aware of this, and in fact, he harbored some concerns. He couldn't guarantee that Yang Mei and the others wouldn't go to the Heavenly Court. (End of Chapter)