Primordial Era: I am a treasure trove, full of magical treasures.

Deep within the sacred mountain, the seal has been broken.

Rahu stood atop the shattered sealed lotus platform, his dark eyes sweeping over the mottled sealing runes on the cave walls, a cold smile playing on his lips. He slowly raised his right hand, his fingers forming a loose fist—

"Buzz—"

The god-slaying spear, embedded diagonally in the stone wall, seemed to sense its master's call, emitting a deafening hum! The dark red patterns on the spear suddenly lit up, like flowing blood, and the temperature of the entire cave plummeted instantly, as if the air itself was about to freeze!

"Snap—!"

The stone wall shattered, and the God-Slaying Spear transformed into a streak of black light, falling into Rahu's palm!

The moment the spear was in hand, an overwhelming aura of malevolence erupted! The intensity of that aura was so great that even the two saints, Jieyin and Zhunti, felt a chill run down their spines and involuntarily took several steps back!

Luo Hou stroked the gun, a hint of nostalgia and fervor flashing in his eyes: "Old friend...it's been a long time."

His gaze shifted, landing once more on the twelfth-grade world-destroying black lotus floating to his side. As if sensing its master's gaze, the black lotus gently rotated, emitting a deep, dark light that shimmered in harmony with the demonic energy emanating from him.

"The Black Lotus of Annihilation." Rahu chuckled and with a wave of his hand, the Black Lotus of Annihilation transformed into a stream of light and entered his brow.

With the two treasures back in their place, Rahu's aura surged once more! That overwhelming demonic power almost broke through the many restrictions of Mount Ling and soared straight into the sky!

Jieyin and Zhunti's expressions changed, and they quickly joined forces to set up a Buddhist light barrier, suppressing the demonic power within the cave.

"Senior!" the guide said in a deep voice, "Please conceal your aura to avoid attracting the attention of others in the primordial world!"

Luo Hou glanced at him, snorted coldly, and did not refute him. With a slight thought, the overwhelming demonic power receded like a tide, completely disappearing into his body. At this moment, he looked like an ordinary cultivator with a slightly cold aura, completely different from the peerless ferocious demon he had just witnessed.

"Speak, what is the current cultivation level of that brat Xuanbao? How strong is the Heavenly Court?" Luo Hou stood with his hands behind his back, his tone indifferent, yet carrying an undeniable authority.

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance and told Luo Hou about all the changes that had taken place in the prehistoric world in recent years.

From Xuanbao's attainment of the Primordial Golden Immortal realm; from the implementation of the Spirit Crystal system to the spread of Heavenly Court's influence throughout the prehistoric world; from the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and Houtu all serving as Xuanbao's backers... nothing is overlooked.

Luo Hou listened quietly, his face expressionless, but a dangerous glint flashed in his dark, abyss-like eyes.

"A Primordial Golden Immortal... The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and Houtu are all his allies... The Heavenly Court controls eighty percent of the power in the primordial world..." Luo Hou repeated this information in a low voice, then suddenly laughed, "Interesting. This junior does have some skills."

"Senior," Zhunti couldn't help but ask, "how should we deal with the current situation?"

Instead of answering directly, Rahu asked, "Do you know why I am called the 'Demon Ancestor'?"

Jieyin and Zhunti were taken aback, not understanding why.

Luo Hou slowly raised his hand, and a ball of pitch-black demonic energy churned and condensed in his palm, eventually transforming into a constantly twisting and changing black rune. The rune exuded a strange attraction, as if it could stir up the deepest desires and darkness in people's hearts.

"The demon resides not outside, but within the heart." Rahu's voice carried a strange rhythm, as if it could penetrate directly into the soul. "When the human heart is filled with greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt, inner demons will arise. I need not confront the Heavenly Court head-on; I only need to sow these 'demonic seeds' throughout the primordial world..."

He clenched his fist, and the black rune vanished without a trace.

"At that time, no matter how strong the Heavenly Court is, it will not be able to stop the demons in people's hearts."

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of shock and...fear in each other's eyes.

This demon ancestor's methods were far more bizarre and unpredictable than they had imagined.

Demon Infected the Primordial World

The news of Rahu's birth was completely sealed off by the two Heavenly Saints, Jieyin and Zhunti, and the outside world knew nothing about it.

However, from that day on, some subtle but strange changes began to appear in the primordial world.

Initially, only some low-level cultivators occasionally felt agitated and had difficulty entering a meditative state during their cultivation. This was not uncommon among cultivators and was usually attributed to inner demons, which would resolve itself after a few days of rest, so it did not attract much attention.

But gradually, the situation began to deteriorate.

Some cultivators who had been stuck at a bottleneck for many years suddenly had an "enlightenment" after a period of seclusion, and their cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, breaking through several minor realms overnight. This kind of "enlightenment" came out of nowhere, and the personalities of those cultivators also changed drastically, becoming paranoid, irritable, and easily angered, even attacking their former masters, relatives and friends.

Some cultivators, during their tribulation, suddenly suffer a qi deviation, are devoured by their inner demons, and transform into monsters that only know how to kill, ultimately being surrounded and killed. But before their death, they often emit eerie smiles and mutter obscure and incomprehensible words, as if summoning something.

Even more bizarrely, some cultivators who were originally gentle and steadfast in their Daoist beliefs suddenly underwent a drastic change in temperament after experiencing certain setbacks or blows, becoming ruthless and unscrupulous. They abandoned the moral principles they once upheld and began to frantically plunder resources and slaughter living beings, as if they had become completely different people overnight.

These incidents initially occurred sporadically across the prehistoric world and did not attract the Heavenly Court's high attention. After all, the prehistoric world was vast, with hundreds of millions of cultivators; it was normal for a few to occasionally suffer from poor character or go astray in their cultivation.

However, as time went on, such incidents became more frequent, wider in scope, and involved cultivators of increasingly higher cultivation levels.

Initially, they were just low-level cultivators, at most at the Earth Immortal or Heaven Immortal level... and even some Golden Immortals and Taiyi Golden Immortals began to show similar symptoms!

Moreover, those cultivators who are consumed by their inner demons often transform into a cloud of pitch-black demonic energy after death, dissipating into the world. This demonic energy is extremely strange; ordinary cultivators who come into contact with it will have their inner demons stirred up, resulting in anything from a regression in cultivation to immediate demonic possession!

In an instant, the entire prehistoric world was filled with an atmosphere of fear and unease, and cultivators lived in constant fear.

Heavenly Court Reaction

When the news reached the Heavenly Court, Xuanbao was in the Lingxiao Palace discussing the next steps for promoting the Spirit Crystal system with Haotian and Yaochi.

"Your Majesty, recently there have been frequent incidents of cultivators going astray and undergoing drastic changes in their character throughout the prehistoric world. Dozens of small and medium-sized sects have been destroyed as a result, and hundreds of millions of cultivators have died or been injured," Haotian reported solemnly. "Moreover, the frequency of these incidents is increasing, and their scope is expanding. I suspect that there is more to this matter than meets the eye."

Xuanbao frowned slightly and put down the jade slip in his hand.

After achieving the Great Luo Golden Immortal status, his perception of heaven and earth reached an unprecedented level. When Haotian mentioned this matter, he vaguely sensed that there seemed to be an extremely faint yet omnipresent eerie aura in the primordial world.

That aura was completely different from ordinary malevolent or resentful energy; it was more subtle, more... alluring.

It seems to stir up the deepest desires and darkness in people's hearts.

"Demonic energy." Xuanbao slowly uttered two words, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "It's demonic energy."

"Demonic energy?" Haotian was taken aback. "Your Majesty means... there's a powerful demonic cultivator causing trouble in the shadows?"

"It's not just demonic cultivators." Xuanbao stood up, walked to the window of the Lingxiao Palace, and looked westward through the layers of clouds. "If I'm not mistaken... Rahu may have already been born."

If others don't know, how could Xuanbao not know? In the later stages of this primordial world, there came a Buddha named Wutian, who was sitting on the Black Lotus of Annihilation. However, after my involvement, and since the God-Slaying Spear has not yet appeared, Xuanbao boldly guesses that Luo Hou has probably come back to life. As for whether I guessed wrong, I'll just pretend I didn't say anything.

"Rahu?!" Haotian and Yaochi both paled simultaneously. "The Demon Ancestor Rahu?! Wasn't he killed by the Dao Ancestor in the battle between Dao and Demon?!"

"Kill him?" Xuanbao sneered. "If Luo Hou could be killed so easily, he wouldn't deserve to be called the Demon Ancestor. Back then, in the battle between Dao and Demon, although Hongjun defeated Luo Hou, Luo Hou ultimately established the Demon Realm."

……

"Your Majesty, are you sure it's Rahu?" Haotian's voice trembled slightly. "That's an unparalleled demon who can rival the Dao Ancestor! In the past, the battle between the Dao and the Demon was shattered, and the western ley lines of the prehistoric world were completely destroyed, causing countless deaths! If he truly has been reborn..."

"It's pretty much true." Xuanbao turned around, his expression calm, but with an undeniable certainty. "Look at the strange phenomena that have appeared in the primordial world these days—cultivators who have gone astray and turned into celestial demons. This method is exactly the same as the way Luo Hou created demonic weapons during the great war between the Dao and the Demon!"

Haotian's face turned ashen: "Your Majesty, how should we deal with this? Rahu is the Demon Ancestor, his cultivation is unfathomable, and he possesses two supreme treasures in his possession: the God-Slaying Spear and the World-Destroying Black Lotus..."

"No rush." ​​Xuanbao raised his hand to interrupt him, a deep light flashing in his eyes. "Although Luo Hou is strong, he has only just been born, and his cultivation has not yet returned to its peak state."

Xuanbao returned to the throne. "Go and summon all the important officials of the Heavenly Court to the Lingxiao Palace for a meeting."

"It is Your Highness."

Although Haotian had a million questions in his mind, he didn't linger and went straight out of the Lingxiao Palace to call for help.

……

Xuanbao sat upright on the imperial throne in the Lingxiao Palace, his gaze sharp as he swept over the assembled officials. Haotian, Yaochi, Kong Xuan, Dapeng, and the heads of various departments of the Heavenly Court were all present, their expressions solemn as they awaited the Heavenly Emperor's decision.

"Issue my decree." Xuanbao's voice, though not loud, carried an undeniable authority that echoed throughout the entire Lingxiao Palace. "Immediately proclaim to the primordial world: The Demon Ancestor Rahu has been born!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the hall!

"What?! Demon Ancestor Rahu?!"

"Wasn't he killed by the Dao Ancestor in the battle between Dao and Demon?!"

The officials discussed the matter animatedly, their faces filled with shock and anger.

Haotian stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, if this matter were to spread, the entire prehistoric world would be shaken, and it might even cause panic..."

"Panic?" Xuanbao's lips curled into a cold smile. "So what if they're panicked? Rather than letting them fear the unknown, it's better to make them wary while they're aware. Luo Hou's methods are nothing more than stirring up the demons within people's hearts. As long as there's a demon in one's heart, one is his prey. But if everyone knows where the demon resides, and everyone is on guard, his methods will be greatly diminished!"

He paused, then his voice suddenly rose: "Moreover—I want the entire prehistoric world to know that there are rewards for slaying demons!"

Xuanbao waved his hand, and a golden decree flew out from his hand, hovering above the Lingxiao Palace. On the decree, each word radiated golden light, and each word contained the supreme Daoist charm of a Primordial Golden Immortal, exuding a heart-palpitating pressure.

"By my decree: From this day forth, the Heavenly Court hereby establishes the 'Demon-Slaying Order'! All living beings of the primordial world, regardless of race, cultivation level, or origin, may receive a Demon-Slaying Order to hunt down extraterrestrial demons!"

"Demon-Slaying Order. For each celestial demon hunted, the demonic energy must be presented to the Heavenly Court for verification, and the corresponding merit points can be exchanged!"

"The following items can be exchanged for merit points—"

Xuanbao's voice, like the great Dao's celestial pronouncements, resounded throughout the Lingxiao Palace and, through the city gods, land gods, and mountain gods that permeated the primordial world, instantly spread to every corner of the primordial world!

"A low-grade innate spiritual treasure requires one million merit points to exchange!"

"A mid-grade innate spiritual treasure requires 10 million merit points to exchange!"

"A top-grade innate spiritual treasure requires 100 million merit points to exchange!"

"Top-grade innate spiritual treasure - requires 1 billion merit points to exchange!"

"In addition, there are innate spiritual roots, Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, slots for sage lectures, qualifications for cultivation in the Heavenly Court's secret realm... whatever you need, you can exchange for it!"

The last line of the imperial edict sent a chill down everyone's spine—

"Whoever can slay the Demon Ancestor Rahu, regardless of their origin or cultivation level, will be directly appointed by the Heavenly Court as the 'Demon-Suppressing Heavenly King' and rewarded with three top-grade innate spiritual treasures!"

boom--!!!

The entire primordial world was in complete uproar!

However, Xuanbao did not expect that the desire of the primordial cultivators for innate spiritual treasures was so immense.

"A low-grade innate spiritual treasure...and one million merit points?!"

An elderly Taiyi Golden Immortal, who had lived in seclusion in the East Sea for many years, read the words on the decree in a trembling voice, his cloudy old eyes flashing with an unprecedented brilliance. He had lived through countless eons and seen too many storms, but at this moment, his hands were shaking.

Not out of fear, but because of—desire!

What kind of existence is a Primordial Spiritual Treasure? It is a supreme treasure born of heaven and earth, containing the laws of the Great Dao! For an ordinary cultivator, possessing even a low-grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure is enough to make them invincible among their peers! And now, the Heavenly Court is actually offering a public reward of a Primordial Spiritual Treasure!

"How much merit can one gain from killing a Heavenly Demon?" someone asked eagerly.

"The decree states that Heavenly Demons are awarded merit points according to their rank: Ordinary Heavenly Demons and Earthly Immortal Heavenly Demons receive ten points each; Heavenly Immortal Heavenly Demons receive one hundred points each; Golden Immortal Heavenly Demons receive ten thousand points each; and Great Luo Heavenly Demons receive one million points each!"

"A million points?! Doesn't that mean... killing a Great Luo Heavenly Demon can be exchanged for a low-grade innate spiritual treasure?!"

"That's not all! The decree also says that if one can slay a Quasi-Saint Heavenly Demon, the merit will directly reach hundreds of millions! That's a top-grade innate spiritual treasure!"

When the news spread, the entire prehistoric world went into a frenzy!

Those powerful rogue cultivators who had previously harbored doubts about the Heavenly Court could no longer remain seated. They emerged from seclusion, unleashing their long-sealed magical treasures, their eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit.

"I've been stuck at the early Quasi-Saint stage for 30,000 years because I didn't have a suitable innate spiritual treasure! Now the opportunity has arrived!"

"Kill the demon! Kill the demon! Kill the demon!"

In an instant, countless cultivators across the primordial world spontaneously formed demon-hunting teams, armed with the "Demon-Slaying Orders" issued by the Heavenly Court, and began a thorough search for the Heavenly Demons hiding in the shadows!