Joining the Demon Race

"Hahaha, good disciple, your mother named you both 'Xuan.' Your elder brother is the first peacock in heaven and earth, so I named him Kong Xuan. And you are the first Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird in heaven and earth, so today I bestow upon you the name 'Peng Xuan'!" Qing Xuan accepted Peng Xuan as his disciple with satisfaction, equally pleased with the name he had chosen.

"Hehe! Many thanks, Master, for the name!" Peng Xuan said to Qing Xuan with a grin.

Qing Xuan knew that Peng Xuan's unruly and arrogant nature had not yet fully changed, but he was in no hurry—after all, such things couldn't be altered overnight; they had to be taken slowly.

Qing Xuan looked at the two brothers, whose features were somewhat similar. Peng Xuan had golden hair atop his head, while Kong Xuan had a full head of green hair. Their facial features were alike, the only difference being that Peng Xuan's golden eyes were sharp and spirited, while Kong Xuan's azure-green pupils gleamed with a satisfied expression.

"Alright, both of you, follow me back." Qing Xuan led the two brothers flying toward Penglai Immortal Palace, but in his heart, he was thinking.

[Another disciple taken today—worth celebrating. Let's have hotpot, hotpot, and bond well with my disciples. But... did I forget something? Ah, never mind, probably nothing important.]

Meanwhile, Da Bai, whom Qing Xuan had forgotten, was running into trouble.

"Damn, this flame won't go out!" Da Bai used a water-element divine ability to cover the golden flames on Bai Ze's shoulder, only to find that the fire actually burned within the water.

"Enough, Da Bai. Since we can't win, let's hear what that person behind us has to say." Bai Ze, feeling the pain on his shoulder, knew that if they kept fleeing, they would only be burned alive, so he stopped and waited for the one pursuing them.

Seeing this, Da Bai also halted. As a teammate, he had no habit of abandoning his companion and running away alone.

When Di Jun saw that the two divine beasts ahead had stopped running, he was delighted and quickly came before them.

"You two aren't running anymore?"

"Hmph, let's hear the nonsense you have to say first, then decide whether to fight or flee!"

"You should withdraw your divine flame first." Bai Ze held Da Bai back, eager to have this man retract his ability—it hurt like hell.

Seeing this, Di Jun withdrew the Solar True Fire and then spoke.

"I am Di Jun, incarnated from the Three-legged Golden Crow of the Sun Star. The reason I stopped you two is to invite you to join the Demon Race I am establishing!" Di Jun said earnestly.

"Are you insane?! Who invites people like this?!" Da Bai roared in anger. They had been peacefully eating hotpot by the roadside when this man suddenly appeared, claiming to avenge his clansmen, and attacked them.

What infuriated him most was that, despite both being Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, he and Bai Ze together couldn't beat this man.

Bai Ze also looked displeased, feeling that this man was mocking them.

"Ahem, brothers, don't misunderstand. When I passed by here and saw you two cooking something to eat, I mistook you for those detestable Witch Race clansmen—after all, we Demon Beasts eat raw food. It was only during the fight that I sensed your auras and realized you were also Innate Divine Beasts. I apologize to you both here and now."

Di Jun felt quite awkward, knowing it was his fault, but he was magnanimous enough to apologize to them.

Bai Ze, though still harboring some resentment, decided to let it go since he was outmatched.

Meanwhile, Da Bai thought to himself.

[Hmph, I can't beat you, but that doesn't mean my boss can't. Just wait, you mangy bird—I'll go back and call for backup, and we'll make you cry! Hehehe!]

Da Bai couldn't help but laugh at the thought of the dignified Di Jun being beaten to the ground by Qing Xuan, weeping in pain.

Seeing this, Di Jun assumed both had forgiven him and continued to explain his intentions.

It turned out that Di Jun and his brother Tai Yi had been traveling through the Primordial World. For the past hundred years, they had been enjoying themselves, but at the foot of Buzhou Mountain, they encountered a group of unreasonable Witch Race. This race was led by twelve Ancestral Witches, each commanding a tribe of ten thousand, and these Witch Race clansmen actually fed on Demon Beasts.

Outraged, Di Jun and Tai Yi immediately killed several thousand Witch Race members. Then an Ancestral Witch named Gonggong appeared and fought the two brothers. Although Gonggong had the combat power of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, he couldn't defeat either Di Jun or Tai Yi alone, let alone both at once.

But as the fight went on, four more Ancestral Witches suddenly arrived. Tai Yi, wielding the Eastern Emperor Bell, held his own against four without falling behind. Di Jun also fought two, and the situation was temporarily deadlocked. Unexpectedly, four more Ancestral Witches showed up soon after.

Sensing danger, Di Jun called for Tai Yi to retreat. Relying on their spiritual treasures, the brothers managed to escape. Afterward, they felt the battle was utterly frustrating and decided to start their plan early—recruiting forces. With their strength and treasures, they gathered a group of scattered Demon Beasts. Di Jun named them the 'Demon Race' and declared himself their lord.

But these were all scattered cultivators, the highest among them only at the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal perfection stage—far from enough for the two brothers. So Di Jun and Tai Yi split up to search for Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal divine beasts.

"This is why I'm inviting you two. That Witch Race is utterly detestable, feeding on us Demon Beasts. I hope you'll join us to fight against them!" Di Jun grew more excited as he spoke, finally shouting.

[Damn, so what if they eat Demon Beasts? I eat them too, and so does my boss. Why don't you go fight him?] Da Bai thought disdainfully. Having followed Qing Xuan for several epochs, he knew that in the Primordial World, the strong preying on the weak was the norm.

[You talk all that, but really, you just lost a fight and want backup. And you have to make up an excuse. Pfft, pathetic!] Da Bai silently mocked Di Jun with a straight face.

Bai Ze, standing nearby, also felt a bit awkward. After all, hotpot made from Demon Beast meat was just too delicious—he couldn't resist. But then he thought, since they were both Innate Divine Beasts, joining the Demon Race wasn't out of the question. After all, they were out in the world; it didn't matter who they threw in with.

So Bai Ze spoke up. "Joining you isn't impossible, but what's in it for us?"

"Yeah, what's in it for us?" Da Bai quickly chimed in.

Seeing this, Di Jun knew it was time to show his sincerity. He took out two items.

"This treasure is a Mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Gold Spirit Pearl—it can protect the body and kill enemies. This other one is also a Mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Sea-Covering Saber. You're a water-element divine beast, so it suits you perfectly."

"As long as you join the Demon Race, the Two Treasures are yours."

With that said, Di Jun quietly awaited the two's reply.

Da Bai's eyes went wide at the sight of the Sea-Covering Saber—innate spirit treasures were rare, and even his Boss had only a few.

Da Bai thought it over, recalling his Boss's frequent saying that a fool not taking a bargain was a fool indeed, and spoke up.

"No problem, I'll join the Demon Race. I'm willing to shine and burn for the Demon Race, to fight together against the Wu Race!"

Da Bai pocketed the Sea-Covering Saber as he spoke. Bai Ze glanced at Da Bai, then accepted the Gold Spirit Pearl and agreed as well.

Di Jun's heart swelled with joy. Though he knew the two still harbored other thoughts, he believed that as time passed together, they would come to submit willingly.

"Come, return with me to the Demon Race."