Chapter 1290: The Coexistence of Good and Evil

When Emperor Jun stepped out, the murmurs vanished, and countless gazes landed on him.

A Dao Defier!

Many looked at him with curiosity. Most of them had never seen a Dao Defier, but all of them had one emotion in common—confusion.

Why defy the Dao? Isn't submitting to it the better choice? Why even rebel?

Huangu Tian's expression grew solemn as he observed Emperor Jun. Even though they were from different eras, he had heard of Emperor Jun's exploits. Emperor Jun had once crossed paths with the Ancestral Dao, and he escaped unscathed!

He was undeniably terrifying.

Taixuan You sized up Emperor Jun with curiosity. The surrounding experts also grew more cautious upon seeing Emperor Jun.

These weren't ordinary people. They had enough experience to discern that Emperor Jun was anything but simple. At this moment, many raised their guards, realizing that this battle would be no easy fight.

Emperor Jun's gaze swept across the crowd. "Who will step forward?"

He sounded calm, but his voice carried an invisible sense of oppression.

No one dared to speak.

All eyes landed on Huangu Tian and Taixuan You. They expected them to lead, as they were clearly the strongest figures here. Yet, neither of them moved.

It wasn't out of fear. They knew Emperor Jun was formidable, but they weren't ones to cower. They were prodigies, after all. The reason they had yet to make a move was that they were waiting!

They were waiting for the Ancestral Dao!

The Ancestral Dao had promised them benefits. Without benefits, why fight? After all, these Dao Defiers hadn't done anything to hurt them.

Submission to the Dao was conditional; they needed rewards.

Emperor Jun smiled and declared, "If no one dares to fight, then all of you may come at me together."

His words made every expert present look grim.

He's too arrogant! He doesn't take us seriously at all!

Despite that, no one stepped forward.

Without the Ancestral Dao, no one was going to make a move. Petty pride held no value here. After all, the insult wasn't personal but aimed at everyone. Why be the first one to react?

Seeing that no one was moving, Emperor Jun's gaze swept across the crowd. "You can all come together. I'll fight my way through all of you."

Everyone remained silent, and no one dared to move.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed. The crowd turned to see a middle-aged man. He was the Nine Continents Master—the Ancestral Dao's trusted confidant.

However, Emperor Jun merely glanced at the Nine Continents Master before he shook his head. "You're not qualified."

The Nine Continents Master remained composed and smiled. "I assume you are the famous Emperor Jun."

Emperor Jun stared at him. "Call your master out."

The Nine Continents Master smiled faintly. "No rush. No rush."

Emperor Jun took a step forward, and the Nine Continents Master was violently flung nearly a hundred thousand meters away amidst everyone's astonished gazes!

Boom!

When the Nine Continents Master stopped, the spacetime behind him disintegrated into an empty void. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Everyone was stunned.

Just one step—without even lifting a hand—he actually injured the Nine Continents Master?!

Even Huangu Tian and Taixuan You's expressions turned grim.

The Nine Continents Master wiped away the blood from his lips, but it kept flowing. He eventually let it be, allowing it to stain his clothes red.

Looking at Emperor Jun, the Nine Continents Master felt a pang of shock. He had done his research and was prepared, knowing Emperor Jun wasn't an ordinary figure. Yet witnessing his power firsthand made him realize that he had vastly underestimated Emperor Jun.

Emperor Jun coldly asked, "Is your master still not coming?"

The Nine Continents Master smiled. "Wait."

"Am I supposed to wait just because you said so?" Emperor Jun raised an eyebrow and took another step forward.

The Nine Continents Master's pupils shrank. He felt a terrifying force sweeping toward him, suffocating him. Clenching his right fist, he performed the Nine Continents Fist and punched forward.

Boom!

The Nine Continents Master was once again flung ten thousand meters away. His fleshly body cracked open, and blood splattered into the air. His Nine Continents Fist was shattered.

The scene fell deathly silent.

Everyone finally realized just how terrifying the white-robed man was.

Even a Dao Channel Realm was so fragile before him.

Huangu Tian and Taixuan You exchanged shocked glances.

Emperor Jun's strength had far exceeded their expectations. The opportunistic experts lurking nearby felt a bit intimidated.

After injuring the Nine Continents Master, Emperor Jun calmly said, "Now we can wait."

The Nine Continents Master wiped away the blood from his mouth again and laughed. "No wonder you managed to invade a Tier Ten Civilization. You are truly impressive!"

Emperor Jun didn't respond. Instead, he closed his eyes as he stood alone against the countless experts before him.

Huangu Tian approached the Nine Continents Master and asked, "Nine Continents Master, what are the Ancestral Dao's orders?"

The Nine Continents Master replied calmly. "Wait."

Huangu Tian frowned. "Wait for what?"

The Nine Continents Master smiled faintly. "Don't rush, Clan Leader Tian. Soon, you'll have to be in a hurry."

Huangu Tian frowned. He glanced at Emperor Jun in the distance and said, "He is also waiting for something."

The Nine Continents Master nodded slightly. "It doesn't matter."

Huangu Tian studied him but said no more.

The Ancestral Dao's summons had echoed throughout all the civilizations, drawing countless powerful experts. For them, the Ancestral Dao was God itself.

The Ancestral Dao's promise was an irresistible reward, and it lured them like moths to a flame.

Huangu Tian's expression grew darker upon noticing the increasing number of powerful figures. The Ancestral Dao appeared to be intentionally assembling the top experts of all civilizations in one place.

He glanced at Emperor Jun with growing concern. His instincts told him that something was off, but he had no way to break the stalemate. To refuse to follow the Ancestral Dao's orders was tantamount to digging his own grave.

Having come this far, he could only move forward on this dark path.

***

Meanwhile, Ye Guan was still busy perusing the scrolls before him with his divine sense.

Evil.

He had finally realized just how dark the world could be. In places without moral or legal constraints, human evil was simply boundless. Ye Guan touched his forehead. The Evil Dao Seal didn't manifest, but he could sense it clearly.

He could clearly sense the power of the Evil Dao.

He finally understood why Fan Zhaodi was so terrifying.

The world's evil was endless. People could suppress their dark sides thanks to the law and morality, but evil would never cease to exist. As long as there was evil, Fan Zhaodi's power was infinite.

Can I eradicate all the evil in this world? Nope.

Ye Guan recalled his plain-skirt aunt's words.

The hardest things to change in this world are human hearts and human nature.

Ye Guan closed the final scroll and shut his eyes. After a while, he whispered, "Master Pagoda, I was wrong in some of my initial thoughts."

"What thoughts?"

"The truth is—good and evil must coexist."

With that, Ye Guan attempted to access his cultivation base. The Evil Dao Seal reappeared between his brows, but this time, Ye Guan didn't confront it head-on.

Instead, he chose to feel it using his own evil thoughts. He, too, had a dark side. His Mad Demon Bloodline was anything but righteous, after all. As he unleashed his evil thoughts, his Mad Demon Bloodline churned.

Master Pagoda grew worried. "Kid, it's not easy to suppress those thoughts once you've unleashed them. You better be careful!"

Ye Guan looked outside the pagoda and said, "Master Pagoda, I need to survive before anything else."

With that, Ye Guan closed his eyes again. As his evil thoughts ran rampant in his mind, his Mad Demon Bloodline became even more agitated. Unexpectedly, however, the Evil Dao Seal was no longer suppressing him.

***

Emperor Jun sensed something just then. He looked up into the depths of the starry sky, and he clenched his right hand.

The Nine Continents Master also looked up at the starry sky.

The surrounding experts followed suit, but they saw nothing.

Reflected in Emperor Jun's eyes was a shadowy figure streaking across the starry sky. The figure was none other than the Ancestral Dao!

The Ancestral Dao extended its right hand and pressed down lightly before lifting it once again.

Boom!

The aura of the countless experts nearby skyrocketed, and their cultivation base was forcibly raised by an entire realm.