As the voice faded, Ling Wudao clapped his hands together, and a golden talisman materialized in the void.
The moment the talisman appeared, the entire Primordial World began to tremble. Sensing a terrifying aura emanating from the direction of Shouyang Mountain, the Heavenly Dao in the Heavenly Dao Void immediately raised a hand and waved, projecting the scene at Shouyang Mountain before his eyes.
Catching sight of the golden talisman suspended in the void, the Heavenly Dao furrowed his brow.
"This is the Future Talisman! This is bad!"
Feeling a deep sense of foreboding, the Heavenly Dao could no longer sit still. With a flash of his figure, he instantly vanished from the Heavenly Dao Void.
On the other side, Hongjun remained unaware that Ling Wudao was employing the Golden Future Talisman. Though puzzled as to why the Primordial World was shaking so violently, he was supremely confident that no matter what methods his opponent used, victory would be his.
Thus, he remained entirely composed, little knowing that his own reckless maneuvering was about to cost him dearly.
Presently, the radiance of the Golden Future Talisman grew increasingly intense, its dazzling glare blinding everyone present.
A moment passed before the light began to gradually recede.
When the brilliance finally vanished completely, the assembled crowd realized that nothing seemed to have happened at all.
Hongjun looked at Ling Wudao and said, "Is this your ultimate resort?"
"It doesn't seem to have had any effect whatsoever."
Ling Wudao offered a faint smile. "Whether it had an effect or not, you will know in a moment."
As his voice fell, the void suddenly grew dim, followed by a tear ripping open of its own accord. A figure then slowly stepped forth from the rift.
The newcomer wore a black robe and held a golden talisman, yet he emanated no fluctuations of magical power whatsoever, appearing entirely like an ordinary mortal.
The black-robed man looked at Hongjun, then glanced down at Ling Wudao below.
"Present-self, you summoned me here on account of the Human Race tribulation, I presume?"
"Summoning you here is naturally for that very matter; why else would I call upon you?"
No sooner had Ling Wudao spoken than the Heavenly Dao arrived upon the scene. The moment he laid eyes on the black-robed figure standing in the void, an involuntary urge to submit washed over him.
Although the man in black looked utterly ordinary, devoid of even the slightest aura of a cultivation practitioner, a closer inspection revealed that despite his lack of mystical energy, he stood stably in the void, radiating an indescribable, overwhelming sense of oppression—as if, in the man's eyes, he was nothing more than an insignificant ant.
The Heavenly Dao gazed at the black-robed man, then dropped to his knees before him. "The Heavenly Dao of the Primordial World pays respects to Senior!"
The black-robed man looked down at the Heavenly Dao. "You have arrived just in time, Heavenly Dao; it saves this seat the trouble of seeking you out in the Heavenly Dao Void."
"The Human Race tribulation concludes here. Do you have any objections?"
"Everything shall be as Senior decides!"
At that moment, the Heavenly Dao did not even dare to meet the black-robed man's gaze. Although he knew the man before him was Ling Wudao, he dared not voice the slightest dissent or resistance.
After all, this black-robed incarnation of Ling Wudao possessed the strength to obliterate him in an instant—a single glance was all it would take to turn him to dust.
"Heavenly Dao, you know how to read the room. Today the Human Race tribulation has passed, but the Monster Clan's massacre of humans must still be punished."
With that, the black-robed Ling Wudao closed his hand into a fist, and the golden talisman in his grasp shattered instantly.
Immediately afterward, a succession of explosive sounds erupted from within the boundless Monster Clan army.
A continuous chain of detonations echoed through the void, their rolling booms sounding like thunder rolling across the earth, filling all the gathered sages with extreme shock.
While they themselves were capable of wiping out hundreds of millions of monsters in an instant, causing billions of enemy troops to perish so effortlessly was something they could never accomplish.
Elsewhere, when Dijun and Taiyi saw the vast Monster Clan army vanish just like that, their hearts plummeted to rock bottom. The future-self summoned by Ling Wudao was simply absurdly powerful.
If that future-self were to move against them now, they would be utterly finished.
Terrified out of his wits, Dijun grabbed Taiyi and fled toward the Monster Clan's Heavenly Court.
Yet seeing Dijun and Taiyi flee back to the Heavenly Court, the black-robed Ling Wudao did not pursue them. After all, if he wished to kill them now, a single thought would suffice!
The reason he spared them was because the Lich Tribulation still lay ahead, and his present-self also needed tempering.
Having thoroughly blasted the countless monsters into oblivion, Ling Wudao looked at Hongjun. "Merely a spokesperson for the Heavenly Dao, yet you dared to scheme against the Human Race. However, out of regard for the Heavenly Dao, this seat will spare your life."
"Capital punishment is averted, but crime remains. This seat shall seal you within Zixiao Palace for ten million years. Take your punishment properly inside!"
As the words fell, Hongjun's figure suddenly vanished. When he reappeared, he was already back inside Zixiao Palace.
That future-self of Ling Wudao is terrifying beyond belief, actually sending me back without my even noticing. To possess such divine ability, the opponent must at least be at the Great Dao Realm.
Damn it, I never expected Ling Wudao to possess such a trick. Someone capable of this cannot possibly be an ordinary human; could he be the reincarnation of Pangu?
No, that's utterly impossible—not even Pangu possessed such capabilities.
Regardless of your identity, you shall not stop me from taking control of the Primordial World. Once I discover your origins, I will eradicate you at the root, and the Primordial World shall remain mine once more.
With this thought, Hongjun crossed his legs, sat down, and summoned the Creation Jade Disk to begin divination.
Meanwhile, far away at Shouyang Mountain, the black-robed Ling Wudao sensed that Hongjun was attempting to divine his identity, and the corners of his mouth immediately curled upward.
You dare to divine this seat? You truly refuse to give up, Hongjun!
Since you are looking for trouble, this seat shall give you a small punishment.
Inside Zixiao Palace, just as Hongjun entered a state of divination, a majestic figure suddenly materialized within his sea of consciousness.
"An ant dares to pry into this seat? Begone!"
At these words, Hongjun's sea of consciousness shattered. His eyes snapped open as he spewed a mouthful of blood.
How can this be? It is impossible to investigate or divine anything regarding Ling Wudao. What on earth is his identity, and why is he so unfathomably mysterious? Damn it!
It seems dealing with him will require another approach; for now, I must recover my injuries.
With that, Hongjun closed his eyes to heal.
On the other side, having disciplined Hongjun, the black-robed Ling Wudao turned his gaze to Taiqing and Yuanshi. "You two aided the Monster Clan in slaughtering the Human Race, so this seat shall slay you once as a lesson. If you ever dare to scheme against the Human Race again, this seat will return."
The black-robed Ling Wudao glared with wide eyes, enveloping the pair in an incomparably majestic force.
Immediately following this, a thunderous crash resounded.
Two explosive booms echoed as the physical bodies of Taiqing and Yuanshi were crushed into dust by that overwhelming might.
As their physical forms shattered, golden blood rained down upon the earth, instantly breathing new life back into the terrain that had previously been devastated.