Airborne Leader, Chairman Hongjun's Balancing Act

"Male Immortal Leader? Female Immortal Leader?"

Di Jun and Taiyi, the future Heavenly Emperors, had faces as dark as the bottom of a pot, even more so than when the gourd had escaped earlier. Their Demon Race was about to rule the heavens and establish the supreme Demon Court, so what was the meaning of this sudden appearance of a "Male Immortal Leader"? Power-sharing? Checks and balances? What did the Heavenly Dao mean by this?

Jieyin and Zhunti also exchanged glances, their eyes flickering as they pondered. Anyway, the West was barren, with no immortals to be "leaders," so for now, it was none of their business.

The Three Pure Ones' expressions were calm. They were Pangu's orthodox descendants and future Saints. This "Immortal Leader" position couldn't even catch their dharma eye. They merely felt that the Heavenly Dao's actions must have a deeper meaning.

Nuwa frowned slightly. She was a future Saint and a powerful female figure. She felt a bit conflicted about this conferment of "Female Immortal Leader" but said nothing further.

The greatest reaction came from the Witch Race!

"What the hell? Male Immortal Leader? Female Immortal Leader?" Gonggong picked at his ear, a look of disbelief on his face. "They want to control everything, even us Witches? We cultivate bloodlines and physical bodies, not that damned Primordial Spirit immortal path! What's it got to do with us!"

Zhurong scoffed and gestured towards Di Jun and Taiyi. "Heh heh, someone's going to lose sleep tonight! Quite an intimidating title! Hey, Mangy Bird, will you have to salute and call him 'Commander' when you see East King Duke in the future?"

Di Jun and Taiyi were so enraged by the Witch Race's taunts and sarcasm that they nearly spat out three liters of blood! Today was truly an unlucky day. Not only did they fail to get the gourd, but they had also gained a nominal "superior" out of nowhere. Although it was just an empty title for now, it was still incredibly irritating! Especially being mocked by their arch-rivals, the Witch Race!

Taiyi's fingers, gripping the Chaos Bell, turned white. He wished he could crush this East King Duke to death and then sew the mouths of these barbarians shut!

Chen Song watched the scene, which had become even more colorful due to the Heavenly Dao's sudden personnel appointment, and was overjoyed.

"Good, good, good, so that's how we're playing? After distributing the gourds, they immediately parachute in a leader to throw a wrench in the future Demon Race's Heavenly Court. Chairman Hongjun is quite skilled at playing the balancing game! It seems the waters of the Great Wilderness are getting murkier. This is getting more and more exciting!"

The Heavenly Dao's decree was like a giant stone dropped into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in the hearts of the top powers gathered at the foot of Buzhou Mountain. Their expressions varied, and their thoughts churned, but most did not immediately express their stance. They merely noted this sudden "personnel appointment" in their hearts and began to strategize.

The fastest to react was none other than the one just appointed "Male Immortal Leader," East King Duke!

A Daoist wearing a luxurious purple robe, with a handsome face and a noble air of pure yang radiating from his brows, appeared from not far away, looking somewhat excited. He first bowed respectfully to the void and said, "Dong Hua receives the Dao Ancestor's decree and will surely fulfill his duties, organize the order of male immortals in the Great Wilderness, and not fail the heavenly grace!"

Then, his gaze burning, he immediately began searching the crowd for his newly appointed "colleague"—West Queen Mother.

Soon, his gaze locked onto a female immortal with a cool and elegant demeanor, surrounded by faint Taiyin Immortal Qi. West Queen Mother also seemed taken aback by this sudden "appointment," her delicate brows furrowing. Unlike East King Duke, she was not excited.

East King Duke, however, paid no mind to this. He felt the heavy responsibility of "Male Immortal Leader" on his shoulders, his heart filled with ambition and the desire to make his mark. He tidied his robes, put on what he considered a gentle smile, and strode quickly to West Queen Mother, cupping his hands:

"Fellow Daoist West Queen Mother, now that you and I have been favored by the Dao Ancestor and entrusted with managing the immortal path of the Great Wilderness, this is an unparalleled honor and a heavy responsibility! I believe we should work together to quickly establish the framework of the Immortal Court, recruit loose immortals from all directions, set immortal rules, and put this 'Immortal Leader' responsibility into practice! Why don't we join forces immediately and discuss our grand plan, select a location, and establish the court?" As he spoke, he became more and more excited, as if he could already see the grand scene of ten thousand immortals paying homage and the Immortal Court shaking the Great Wilderness.

However, West Queen Mother merely glanced at him indifferently. Her cool voice was like the accumulated snow on the peak of Kunlun Mountain. "Fellow Daoist, I appreciate your kindness. However, I am naturally fond of quietude and not adept at worldly affairs. I fear I may not be capable of fulfilling the Dao Ancestor's decree. As for establishing the Immortal Court and recruiting immortals, you may decide as you see fit. I have no intention of participating."

With that, she gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, then transformed into a cool stream of Taiyin immortal light and headed directly towards West Kunlun, leaving East King Duke standing alone, his outstretched hand still frozen in mid-air, the smile on his face completely solidified. The scene was extremely awkward.

Di Jun and Taiyi, who were watching, smirked with unconcealed mockery. The Witch Race erupted in unrestrained laughter:

"Hahaha! He tried to warm up to a cold shoulder!"

"A lone commander wants to recruit followers? She's not interested!"

"Hey, hey, hey, you two Mangy Birds, aren't you going to answer your commander's call? Hahaha!"

Di Jun and Taiyi's faces turned ashen. Why were these Witch barbarians' mouths so venomous? They would smash their mouths to pieces sooner or later!

With a cold snort, Di Jun and Taiyi turned into golden light and fled.

East King Duke's face turned green and then white. He felt even more humiliated than Di Jun and Taiyi when they were being mocked. He suppressed the shame and anger in his heart and snorted heavily, "Hmph! A woman's perspective, lacking in foresight! Without you, West Queen Mother, I, Dong Hua, will still establish the Immortal Court and make it famous throughout the Great Wilderness!"

With that, he also felt too ashamed to remain there. He transformed into a pure yang escaping light and left in a rather embarrassed hurry.

The Three Pure Ones, along with Chen Song, who had watched enough of the show, returned to Kunlun on clouds.

Along the way, Tongtian continued to marvel, "Senior Disciple Nephew, do you understand? When snatching treasures, sometimes it's not just about strength, but also luck, the situation, and even... who can be more disgusting! Look at those Witches, hahaha!"

Chen Song nodded in agreement. "Third Martial Uncle is right! This disciple has learned! In the future, when snatching... ah, no, when forming connections for Spiritual Treasures, I must bring along a few foul-mouthed individuals!"

At the same time, he was thinking about whether he should go back and train Big White, that foolish dog.

Laozi & Yuanshi: "..."

Having been insignificant at the gourd distribution ceremony at Buzhou Mountain, and having been appointed "Male Immortal Leader" only to be ignored, East King Duke did not return to Penglai in the East Sea.

Instead, he truly began to travel around, using the title "Heavenly Dao-appointed Male Immortal Leader" to recruit followers.

To be fair, in the Great Wilderness, there were always those who came seeking fame or those with opportunistic intentions. Coupled with his own background and strength, after some effort, he managed to set up the framework of an "Immortal Court" on Penglai Immortal Island in the East Sea. For a time, it attracted the attention of many loose immortals, and his popularity seemed unmatched.

On the other side, after West Queen Mother returned to the Yaochi Immortal Realm in West Kunlun, she did not make a grand display like East King Duke. After careful consideration, she felt that although she disliked worldly affairs, the Dao Ancestor's decree was not a trivial matter, and completely ignoring it would be inappropriate. A few days later, she prepared gifts and personally went to Kunlun Mountain to visit the Three Pure Ones, both as a neighborly visit and with the intention of seeking advice.

Before the thatched hut at the Three Pure Ones' dojo.

West Queen Mother paid her respects to the Three Pure Ones, speaking earnestly and expressing her desire for a quiet cultivation, her distress over the empty title of "Female Immortal Leader," and her aversion to worldly affairs.

Laozi remained silent. Yuanshi nodded slightly in understanding. Tongtian found this "neighbor" quite interesting, unlike the ostentatious East King Duke.

Currently, Chen Song, as the sole disciple under the Three Pure Ones, naturally served tea and water by the side, acting as a background prop.

He listened to West Queen Mother's troubles, looked at her cool and detached demeanor, and then thought of East King Duke's frantic efforts to establish his "Immortal Court." He shook his head inwardly. "This East King Duke is simply a workplace rookie. The boss gives him a title, and he really thinks it's a royal decree, without even looking at how many old schemers are around..."

"West Queen Mother is the wise one, knowing that the tallest nail gets hammered first."

Just as West Queen Mother was about to take her leave, Chen Song, as if casually tidying the teacups, muttered softly, his voice not loud but just enough for West Queen Mother to hear:

"Sigh, titles, sometimes they're like a hot potato. You find them hot to hold, but you're afraid the boss will be unhappy if you throw them away..."

"It's better to learn from some seniors, find a beautiful place with clear waters, shut the door, and cultivate on your own. As long as you don't actively take on tasks, no matter how grand the title, it's just a name, right? There's no rule saying you have to work 996 just because your name is on the list, right, Big White?"

Big White, who was dozing nearby, looked up drowsily. "Woof? What's 996? Is it a new flavor of pine nuts?"