Song Lin fell into a deep slumber.

The Great Dao he had comprehended within his body began to undergo a transformation.

Deep within the Spirit Platform, there was Infinite Brightness, accompanied by an abyss of profound darkness.

Light and shadow intertwined, combining two absolutely opposing forces into a strange equilibrium.

After a long time, the two forms materialized, merging into a black lotus.

This was precisely that black lotus from the void.

The lotus emitted an overwhelmingly dark and sinister aura, yet it was not purely evil; a closer inspection revealed a sliver of immaculate purity.

Its form remained illusory, yet it gradually began to solidify into substance.

Compared to the Great Dao Golden Core form not far away, it was both righteous and sinister, creating a macabre symmetry.

Song Lin's consciousness found itself trapped in this place.

Within the Spirit Platform, his golden Primordial Spirit scrutinized the two entities before him.

Though he was deep in cultivation and could not awaken, a faint awareness remained within his true self.

Who would have thought that a casual arrangement would lead to the emergence of another half-formed Great Dao Golden Core.

Currently, he possessed two Great Dao Golden Cores; although neither was fully formed, it still made him far stronger than ordinary Heavenly Immortals.

The Innate Yang Qi had stabilized on its path; all that remained was to arrange matters in the Real World before the true Great Dao Golden Core could be achieved.

But the black lotus remained an enigma he could not unravel.

This entity gave Song Lin the impression of being the primordial source of all evil, capable of consuming all wickedness and corrupting everything it touched.

Logically, the more evil something was, the more malevolent its aura should be. Why, then, did this lotus carry a sense of sanctity?

This was the point that puzzled Song Lin the most.

Was it possible, as rumors claimed, that righteousness and darkness were originally one and the same?

Like the relationship between light and shadow— the brighter the light, the deeper the shadow it cast.

This explained why the Demon Tribulation had plagued all of creation for so long.

Because it could not be eradicated— the stronger something was, the greater the calamity it brought.

Understanding this truth left Song Lin somewhat disheartened.

The guiding principle of the Donghua Dao lineage was to purge the Six Heavenly Old Qi and restore the world to balance.

But if evil could never be eliminated, wouldn't that mean his philosophy was fundamentally flawed?

Even as an embodiment of Innate Pure Yang, he could not escape the destiny of comprehending evil. Just as so many Medium Thousand Heavenly Courts struggled amidst endless tribulations until they were ultimately destroyed.

"No, I shall master the darkness. If darkness cannot be destroyed, then I will control it."

If light could not banish darkness, then darkness must be bent to his will.

The righteous should return to the light, and the wicked to their darkness.

That, too, was a form of order.

The virtuous could ascend to the Western Pure Land of Bliss, while the wicked would reap what they had sown, descending into the World of Extreme Evil that belonged to them.

Everyone would receive exactly what they deserved.

An order, unshakable and inviolate.

Light would remain, and so would darkness, and neither would interfere with the other.

If the Demon Tribulation unfolded in the so-called Demon World, wouldn't it pose no threat at all? The wicked, subject to their own catastrophes, would die as they deserved.

And the virtuous would no longer have to suffer.

With this realization, Song Lin no longer resisted the power of darkness.

If evil could not be eradicated, then he may as well comprehend the ultimate evil, become the greatest villain, and rule over all wickedness, creating a domain where they could suffer on their own.

Song Lin wholeheartedly embraced the power of the black lotus.

Whoosh!

The transparent golden Primordial Spirit turned into a chaotic black form.

Clad in dark robes, his jet-black pupils were as deep as obsidian, framed by crimson shadows around his eyes. His long, waterfall-like hair flowed weightlessly, lending him an unrestrained and rebellious aura.

Switching his power to Pure Yang, his appearance reverted to its original form.

Repeating this transformation several times, Song Lin gradually discerned the function of the black lotus.

This object was the essence of corruption and evil.

As long as evil existed in the world, the black lotus would never perish.

At the same time, it polluted everything, dragging others into darkness.

Those who were also aligned with wickedness would find themselves subject to his dominion.

Was this the so-called Innate Evil Dao?

"The name sounds unpleasant, and Pure World Golden Lotus is equally unsuited. I'll simply call it the Destructive Black Lotus."

Song Lin thought to himself.

The duality of light and darkness, both held firmly in his grasp.

The black lotus fed on evil, tasked with transforming it.

The day the Upper Pure Demon Tribulation arrived would mark his ascension to the Great Dao.

Perhaps, in the future, those under the rule of the Donghua Heavenly Court would no longer need to fear the suffering of the Demon Tribulations.

The West Zhou World.

In the Qi Mountain Heavenly Court, Great Emperor Ji Dan was managing the affairs of myriad realms, while Ziwei Bo Yikao remained isolated, suspended amongst the stars.

Three universes were simultaneously advancing the practice of rituals and laws.

This had instantly elevated him beyond King Wu and Hou Yi, making him the second greatest powerhouse among all the Heavenly Courts after Song Lin.

"Still no news of Emperor Yi?"

"None," replied the subordinate.

"What does Father say?" Ji Dan frowned in contemplative worry, sensing an ominous premonition.

"Emperor Wenchang foretold a dire calamity, an uncertain fate, with the only path to resolution tied to the Eastern King."

"Yet the Eastern King is also a harbinger of catastrophe."

Song Lin had not appeared in decades, and no one knew where he had gone.

Fortunately, neither had Emperor Yi and the others.

However, according to King Wen's divinations, it was evident the opposition was scheming something. Should Song Lin fail to reappear, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The Real World.

As the Upper Pure Demon Tribulation drew closer, vile and corrupting forces began to proliferate, and the black lotus started to solidify.

In the Lingwei Realm, the Lingwei Buddha isolated himself in seclusion.

At Bodhi Temple.

Guu Yuchan was leading a group of disciples in the practice of absorbing Essence and Qi.

Following the collapse of the Pure World Golden Lotus Sect, many disciples faced persecution, while some protectors were forced to join other sects, leading to complete fragmentation.

Among the seven hundred core leaders and seventy-two disciples from before, although scattered, they still secretly maintained contact under Guu Yuchan's leadership.

Several decades passed.

The cultivation skills introduced by Song Lin had become mainstream among the protectors of the sects.

Nearly every temple now had protectors who were cultivators.

Though such Qi Cultivation Techniques that blurred the lines between Buddhist and Taoist traditions were officially restricted by the Buddhist Sect, they were not outright banned.

Instead, they were treated much like the techniques of witch doctors, allowed for the protectors to practice.

This indirectly led to the growth of cultivation lineages, gradually dominating the protector class beneath the Buddhist Sect.

In the Lingwei Realm and its seventy-two Star Domains, over ten million cultivators existed, with more than seven million aligned with Guu Yuchan and his followers.

"Master..."

Guu Yuchan felt somewhat lost— where had his master gone?

Upon receiving Song Lin's orders, Guu Yuchan immediately dismantled the formations, taking on an innocent facade.

Unclear about the specifics, he had refrained from constructing new formations.

Not just him, but other worlds also questioned it.

Though Song Lin was absent, the systems he had established continued to operate.

Twenty years remained until the Upper Pure Demon Tribulation.

Centered around the Heavenly Court, and with thirty-six principal stars serving as its perimeter, the initial construction of the Nine Tripods Formation was complete.

Ten years remained until the Upper Pure Demon Tribulation.

All across the Real World, Great Demons and Ancient Evil Demons stirred restlessly.

"Eastern King!"

Deep in the cosmos, countless nameless malevolent beings venomously chanted the name.

The Demonic Qi grew increasingly dense.

The fully formed black lotus sent a black tendril drifting into the Lingwei Realm.

At Bodhi Temple.

While Bodhi Venerable meditated, a wisp of black energy entered his body.

"Despicable! Extraterrestrial demon, you shall not disrupt my Taoist Realm!"

"Kekeke, yet you too are demonic. Were you not, how could I exploit this opening? You hypocrites!"

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