Ten Innate Spiritual Treasures!

At the same time, the Primordial Continent had fallen completely into chaos.

Taking advantage of the many great powers listening to the Dao at Zixiao Palace, the demon race expanded madly.

The rare peaceful years since the Dragon-Han Calamity had been shattered. Beacons of war rose once more, and flames spread across the land.

Countless minor races of the Primordial World trembled beneath the demon race's expansion. They were either ruthlessly annexed or reduced directly to ashes, body and soul alike annihilated.

Within Zixiao Palace, Hongjun surveyed everyone present.

After confirming that no one remembered what had just happened, he finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The price he had paid this time was no small one.

Although he had only temporarily borrowed the authority of the Heavenly Dao, a corner of his Primal Spirit had still been forcibly occupied by it.

He had never expected that Qin Xuan would not come to hear the Dao, yet even Zhurong, who looked so foolish, could stir up such a tremendous mess.

It had nearly reduced his years of planning to nothing.

He cast a deep glance at Hou Tu before slowly speaking.

"Now that the Heavenly Dao is incomplete and the Primordial World is in disorder, I wish to find two people to assist in governing the Primordial World and set the order of yin and yang straight."

The moment these words were spoken, everyone present was moved, their eyes glittering with anticipation and desire.

This was the governance of the Primordial World! What immense authority and fortune that represented!

Yuanshi even raised his head slightly, a trace of pride on his face.

Looking across all of Zixiao Palace, he had the noblest origins and was the only great power who had entered the Quasi-Sage realm. Who else but me could shoulder the task of governing the Primordial World?

Under everyone's eager gazes, Hongjun spoke again.

"Duke Dong, you were formed from the Primordial World's first wisp of innate pure yang qi and possess great fortune."

"I bestow upon you five Innate Spiritual Treasures: the Dragon Head Staff, Southern Off-Earth Flame Light Flag, Wind-Fire Prayer Mat, Heart-Piercing Lock, and Violet Thunder Hammer. By my decree, you shall govern the affairs of the male immortals of the Primordial World on my behalf!"

"Queen Mother of the West, you were formed from the first wisp of innate pure yin qi and likewise bear great fortune."

"I bestow upon you five Innate Spiritual Treasures: the Golden Phoenix Hairpin, Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe, Western Plain Cloud Banner, Eight Treasure Glazed Vase, and Limitless Bracelet. By my decree, you shall govern the affairs of the female immortals of the Primordial World on my behalf!"

As his words fell, ripples spread through the void before Hongjun. Then, ten radiant Innate Spiritual Treasures appeared out of thin air.

Each one contained vast Dao intent, making the hearts of all the great powers present race as their breathing quickened.

Then, the ten Innate Spiritual Treasures transformed into brilliant streams of light and descended before the stunned Duke Dong and Queen Mother of the West.

The entire hall instantly erupted!

A full ten Innate Spiritual Treasures! These were Innate Spiritual Treasures!

Many of the great powers present had lived for countless years without ever possessing even one decent Innate Spiritual Treasure.

Let alone receiving ten at once—and ones personally bestowed by the Dao Ancestor at that!

Everyone looked at Duke Dong and Queen Mother of the West with undisguised envy and shock.

Jieyin and Zhunti stared at the ten resplendent spiritual treasures.

Their eyes had turned bloodshot, and they swallowed with difficulty, wishing they could rush forward and snatch them all away at once.

The West was barren. Even if they gathered every spiritual treasure in the entire West, it probably would not compare to the value of those ten Innate Spiritual Treasures!

Duke Dong held the five Innate Spiritual Treasures before him in both hands, his entire body trembling with excitement.

No longer caring about anything else, he immediately dropped to his knees and shouted his thanks.

"Thank you, Dao Ancestor, for your generous gift! This disciple will certainly not fail your trust. I will govern the male immortals of the Primordial World with all my heart and set its order straight!"

Although Queen Mother of the West was not as overcome as Duke Dong, she respectfully accepted the five spiritual treasures and bowed gracefully to Hongjun.

"Thank you for your favor, Dao Ancestor. This disciple, Queen Mother of the West, will surely do her utmost to properly govern the female immortals of the Primordial World."

Hongjun nodded in satisfaction, a cryptic look flashing through his eyes.

Seeing that the Dao Ancestor had ultimately chosen Duke Dong and Queen Mother of the West, Yuanshi's previously expectant mood instantly cooled. He spoke up.

"Dao Ancestor! We Three Pure Ones were formed from Pangu's Primal Spirit and inherit the Merits of Creation. The Primordial World ought to be governed by us Three Pure Ones; only then would it accord with the heavenly principles and the Great Dao!"

Before Hongjun could speak, Duke Dong beside him became somewhat anxious.

He feared that Hongjun might change his mind. His expression shifted as he sternly shouted at Yuanshi.

"Yuanshi, what do you mean by this?!"

"Are you trying to defy the Dao Ancestor's decree?"

The atmosphere in the hall instantly grew heavy.

Hongjun slowly raised a hand, signaling Duke Dong and Yuanshi to stop arguing.

His profound gaze seemed capable of piercing through countless future years. His voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority.

"Everything has its destined course!"

"After one Era Cycle, I will begin my third sermon. What I shall teach then will be the Dao of Sages!"

As his words fell, Hongjun's figure gradually began to fade.

"With this sermon concluded, you may all depart."

With those final indifferent words, Hongjun's figure vanished completely from Zixiao Palace.

After Hongjun left, the oppressive atmosphere instantly dissipated.

Quite a few male and female immortals who had already seen the situation clearly immediately gathered around Duke Dong and Queen Mother of the West.

They showered them with flattery and praise, every word filled with fawning and ingratiation, hoping to secure a place in the hearts of the leaders of the male and female immortals.

Holding five Innate Spiritual Treasures, Duke Dong stood at the center of the crowd like a moon surrounded by stars. Enjoying unprecedented adulation, he became even more high-spirited, as if he had already ascended the throne of sovereign of the Primordial World.

He turned to Queen Mother of the West and said.

"My fellow daoist, Queen Mother of the West, would you care to visit my Daoist abode so that we may discuss how to govern the male and female immortals of the Primordial World?"

Queen Mother of the West considered for a moment, then nodded. "Very well!"

Afterward, the two left Zixiao Palace surrounded by numerous male and female immortals.

At that moment, the solitary Hou Tu also followed the crowd toward the exit of Zixiao Palace.

Outside Zixiao Palace, the eleven Ancestral Witches whom Hongjun had thrown out were waiting anxiously.

Their minds had been dizzy at the time. They only remembered that Yuanshi seemed to have broken through to the Quasi-Sage realm, after which an irresistible force had pushed them out of Zixiao Palace.

Now, seeing the many great powers leave one after another while Hou Tu still had yet to appear, they grew increasingly anxious.

They grabbed anyone they came across and asked whether they had seen Hou Tu.

Meanwhile, Qin Xuan, who was racing toward Zixiao Palace through the Chaos Sea, suddenly felt his heart lurch for no reason.

A fragment of a Chaos spiritual treasure carved with intricate patterns grew faintly warm within his robes.

He sent his divine sense into it. The next instant, Xuan Ming's cold yet urgent voice exploded in his mind.

"Qin Xuan! Hou Tu has been taken hostage by Yuanshi! She's outside Zixiao Palace!"

"What?"

An uncontrollable fury surged from Qin Xuan's heart straight to his head!

"Hold him off first. I'll be there soon!"

He had no time to ask further. Without a second thought, he pulled out the Hongmeng Measuring Ruler that he had been nurturing within his body all this time!

The moment the ruler, over a zhang long, appeared, it gave off a faint Merit Golden Light.

"They say this ruler incurs no karmic consequences when it kills?"

"Very good!"

"Yuanshi?!"

"Today, I want to see whether it can cut down your so-called Pangu Primal Spirit!"

He hesitated no longer. With a flash, his entire body transformed into a streak of light. His speed increased by more than a hundredfold as he raced toward Zixiao Palace!