The Coins of Five Virtues!
Condensed from the Qi of the Five Virtues, the Coin of Five Virtues was round and flat with a square hole in the center. Imprinted around the hole in the pattern of a five-pointed star were five characters: Merit, Sacred, Fortune, Nether, and Virtue.
Only because it contained a wisp of each—Merit, Sacred Virtue, Fortune, Nether Merit, and Virtue—could this singular, peerless Coin of Five Virtues be formed.
Without the Money-Shaking Gold Tree, outsiders could never replicate it. Furthermore, with the authentication of the Heavenly Dao, the Coins of Five Virtues were the most orthodox currency in all of Honghuang.
Bar none.
Xuanjian intended for these Coins of Five Virtues to be held exclusively by beings at or above the Daluo Golden Immortal realm.
As for cultivators below the Daluo Golden Immortal realm...
Xuanjian set down the Coin of Five Virtues and turned his gaze toward the Treasure-Gathering Gold Basin.
As if sensing his intent, the Treasure-Gathering Gold Basin hummed and vibrated. In the next instant, coins surged forth from the basin in numbers too vast to count!
In just a brief moment, the coins spewed out by the basin had already piled as high as a mountain peak.
These were the derivative coins of the Treasure-Gathering Gold Basin. Every single one was minted from immortal gold. Although not priceless like the Coins of Five Virtues, they still contained spiritual resonance and held considerable purchasing power, capable of buying many things.
Moreover, every coin produced by the Treasure-Gathering Gold Basin shared a karmic link with it.
If anyone dared to use counterfeit currency, the Treasure-Gathering Gold Basin would immediately sound an alert.
Furthermore, the value of each coin was far lower than the cost required to forge it, ensuring that no one would undertake the thankless effort of creating counterfeits.
This would nip the emergence of counterfeit currency in the bud.
“Both types of currency are ready, but how should their values be defined?” Xuanjian could not help but ponder.
“The Coins of Five Virtues are currently scarce. At their present rate of formation, even after the Dao Ancestor's second sermon, there probably won't be more than a hundred thousand of them...
“A Low-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure should be worth around ninety to a hundred Coins of Five Virtues, depending on the innate restrictions and Innate Indestructible Divine Light within.
“A Mid-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, around nine hundred to a thousand Coins of Five Virtues.
“A High-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, around four thousand to five thousand Coins of Five Virtues.
“As for Top-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures, those with fewer than forty restrictions will be considered standard Top-Grade treasures, priced at ten thousand Coins of Five Virtues. For those exceeding forty restrictions, the price will increase by three hundred Coins of Five Virtues for each additional restriction.”
Xuanjian established this initial pricing structure for the Coins of Five Virtues.
As for the Treasure-Gathering Coins... their value was relatively low, meant only for trading acquired items.
With the merchant guild newly established, everything was still in its infancy, awaiting further refinement and adjustment.
After setting the pricing for the monetary system, Xuanjian began his closed-door cultivation.
He had already reached the mid stage Daluo Golden Immortal realm.
He needed to hurry and cultivate to the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm.
Moreover, he still held three drops of Pangu Essence Blood.
If he refined them completely, his physical body realm should be able to break through to the Fifth Revolution of the Mysterious Art, reaching a level comparable to a Hunyuan Golden Immortal!
Xuanjian summoned Zhaobao and Nazhen to Fangzhang Immortal Island, entrusted them with managing the island's affairs, and began his secluded cultivation.
...
Meanwhile, in Beyond-Heaven, within Zixiao Palace.
“Anomaly... eliminate...”
“Anomaly... eliminate...”
Beside Hongjun's ears, the spasmodic murmurs of the Heavenly Dao could still be heard.
“Come on. He helped you patch the rules of the Heavenly Dao, and you want to kill him? Are you out of your mind?”
Hongjun shook his head in exasperation.
At the same time, the wariness in his heart deepened.
If things continued to develop like this, even Hongjun could not predict what the future would hold.
“I must finish the three sermons as quickly as possible. Only then will this old daoist be free to integrate with the Dao and suppress it.”
...
The torrent of time rolled forward.
In the blink of an eye, five yuanhui quietly slipped by.
During these five yuanhui, tens of thousands of minor frictions broke out between the Immortal Court and the Demon race.
Compounded by old grudges and fresh grievances, the two supreme factions stood at each other's throats, incompatible as fire and water.
In just five yuanhui, fifty thousand minor skirmishes occurred, along with one major full-scale war.
The outcome went without saying: naturally, the Immortal Court was defeated.
Wielding the Chaos Bell, Taiyi was completely invincible, serving as the undisputed God of War of the Demon race. He took on more than twenty Daluo Golden Immortals from the Immortal Court—including the Duke of the East—all by himself without being pushed back, and even slew three Daluo Golden Immortals, forcing the Immortal Court into a steady retreat.
What was more, the Demon race had far more than just Taiyi alone. Led by Dijun, a Demon Emperor at the Great Perfection of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm, the remaining cultivators of the Immortal Court were beaten until they fled in complete disarray, utterly humiliated.
This battle was fought until the sky turned dim and the earth grew dark, obscuring the sun and moon. Battle cries soared into the highest heavens and shook the Netherworld below, striking terror into the almighty beings throughout Honghuang.
The casualties from this single battle numbered in the trillions of living beings! That entire stretch of the sea was dyed crimson with blood, with corpses of every description drifting in the waters—a harrowing sight of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, a grotesque purgatory on earth.
The first grand war between the Immortal Court and the Demon race thus drew to a close with a complete victory for the Demon race.
Of course, setting aside Taiyi the Demon God of War, the overall strength of the Immortal Court was clearly superior to that of the Demon race. Therefore, although the Demon race won this battle, they were unable to completely annihilate the Immortal Court.
Having suffered a severe beating from Taiyi, the Duke of the East realized that this could not continue. The opposing side had two experts at the Great Perfection of the Daluo realm, while the Immortal Court had only himself. This would never do; he had to find allies.
And so, the Duke of the East set his sights on the Queen Mother of the West, whom the Dao Ancestor had likewise designated as the Head of Female Immortals.
Bearing lavish gifts, the Duke of the East paid a visit to the Queen Mother of the West. In the end, he was turned away without even setting foot inside Yaochi.
Compared to the Duke of the East, who was obsessed with the empty title of Co-Ruler of Heaven and Earth, the Queen Mother of the West possessed far greater foresight and clarity.
Everyone was an Innate Sacred Being with an extraordinary origin and profound cultivation. Who was truly nobler than anyone else?
The Dao Ancestor appointing them as Heads of Male and Female Immortals had essentially placed them in direct opposition to all the other Innate Sacred Beings.
If one remained modest and kept a low profile, it would be fine. But acting like the Duke of the East—actually taking himself for the Co-Ruler of Heaven and Earth—would only invite resentment and discontent from the other Innate Sacred Beings. In the end, it would not lead to a good outcome.
After being given the cold shoulder, the Duke of the East was furious. Yet he dared not do anything to the Queen Mother of the West. With the Demon race glaring covetously at him, offending her on top of that would mean facing enemies on two fronts.
Left with no choice, the Duke of the East could only seek other ways to bolster the Immortal Court's overall power and fight back against the Demon race.
On the other side, the Demon race was also actively preparing for war and building up their overall strength.
As the leaders of the Demon race, Dijun and Taiyi were proposed by Baize, the master of ideas, to be crowned with honorific titles!
Dijun was crowned the Demon Emperor!
Taiyi was crowned the Eastern Emperor!
To this, Dijun remarked, “Sigh, this humble daoist only wished to lead our fellow kinsmen so we would no longer be bullied. I had no intention of claiming the title of Emperor at all.”
Baize said, “Your Majesty, this is the mandate of destiny. If not you, then who?”
Utterly helpless, Dijun finally took his seat upon the throne of the Demon Emperor. “You all... you all have truly made things difficult for me.”
From that moment on, in addition to the overarching collective of the Demon race, an official faction emerged: the Demon Court!
This was the supreme authority of the Demon race!
Dijun was the Demon Emperor.
Taiyi held the titles of Eastern Emperor and God of War.
Baize served as the chief military advisor and held the foremost position among the Ten Great Demon Saints.
Qinyuan, Shangyang, Jiuying, Jimeng, Yingzhao, Guiche, Feidan, Citie, and Feilian, together with Baize, formed the Ten Great Demon Saints!
While the Immortal Court was expanding to strengthen its power, the Demon race was not idling either.
Dijun and Taiyi personally sought out Kunpeng and invited him to join the Demon race. Kunpeng looked at the Innate Treasure—the Chaos Bell—looming over and suppressing him, and tactfully nodded. “I am willing to serve Your Majesty.”
In addition to Kunpeng, Dijun and Taiyi also sought out Fuxi and Nuwa, inviting the brother and sister to join the Demon race.
With these two, Dijun and Taiyi adopted a gentle approach, appealing to emotion and reason to persuade them rather than using force.
Regarding this, Nuwa was rather indifferent, leaving the decision to her brother Fuxi.
Dijun said, “If the two fellow daoists are willing to join, I, Dijun, am willing to treat you with the status of Two Emperors! You will stand on equal footing with Taiyi and me.”
After a moment of contemplation, Fuxi replied, “...”
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