Niu Ben left the depths of the valley where he had been in seclusion and flew toward Kunlun Mountain.
He had been traveling for some time and had gained quite a lot. It was time to return.
The Primordial Wilderness was vast beyond measure, its territory stretching countless billions of miles.
After nearly a year, Niu Ben returned to Kunlun Mountain once more.
Kunlun Mountain was peaceful now. Nuwa had yet to become a Saint, the Three Pure Ones had yet to establish religions, and the Human Race had not yet been born.
Niu Ben sighed inwardly:
"How much longer can this peace between heaven and earth last?"
He knew full well that although the Primordial Wilderness seemed peaceful and tranquil, the aura of a great calamity had already begun to breed beneath the surface.
Upon returning to his cave abode, Niu Ben released his aura.
Sensing Niu Ben's aura, Bixiao, who had been in seclusion, filled her eyes with delight. She left her cave abode and rode over on a cloud, her voice arriving before she did.
"Senior Brother Niu Ben, you're finally back!"
The young woman threw herself directly into Niu Ben's arms. Her delicate face flushed slightly as she looked up, her beautiful eyes brimming with longing.
"Do you know how much I've missed you, Senior Brother, while you were gone?"
Looking at the little girl in his arms, Niu Ben felt a warm current surge through his heart at the deep affection between them. He was naturally delighted as well and reached out to rub her silky black hair.
Though reluctant, Bixiao still withdrew from Niu Ben's embrace, her little face still flushed.
But Senior Brother Niu Ben's embrace was truly safe.
Her lively eyes fixed on Niu Ben as she asked sweetly, "How was it? Did you settle everything concerning your clan, Senior Brother?"
Niu Ben tilted his head back slightly and said with a smile, "Of course. Who do you think handled it? Everything has been taken care of."
"Then keep telling me stories, Senior Brother. I still want to listen!" Bixiao tightly hugged Niu Ben's arm and gently swayed it.
Feeling the sensation against his arm, Niu Ben's heartbeat sped up by several beats.
This little girl!
Time was uncounted in the Primordial Wilderness, and it drifted by just like that.
Yet within the Primordial World, undercurrents had begun to surge.
Leading them was East Prince Gong of Purple Mansion Prefecture.
After the Dao Ancestor became a Saint and gave his first lecture at Purple Heavens Palace, he announced that East Prince Gong would be the Head of Male Immortals.
Using this as an excuse,
East Prince Gong established an Immortal Court in Purple Mansion Prefecture, his Dao Field.
Leveraging his identity as the Dao Ancestor's personally appointed Head of Male Immortals, he recruited and wooed some, while threatening and enticing others, forcing countless living beings to join the Immortal Court.
For a time, he was unrivaled in prominence throughout the Primordial Wilderness.
The other force was the Demon Clan in the Nine Heavens Above.
Emperor Taiyi and Di Jun were born rulers. Born from the Sun Star with the bloodline of the three-legged Golden Crow, how could they be willing to submit to others?
Both were among the Three Thousand Guests of Purple Heavens Palace. Naturally, they did not regard East Prince Gong highly, and both sides were secretly making plans.
Many members of the Demon Clan who had been threatened and enticed by East Prince Gong were already dissatisfied, so they directly joined Emperor Taiyi and Di Jun's ranks.
The Immortal Court and the Demon Heavenly Court stood opposed.
At first, things remained relatively harmonious. One was in the Nine Heavens Above, while the other was in Purple Mansion Prefecture. Neither side interfered with the other.
But East Prince Gong was simply unlucky, and he was also greedy for achievement. Some Demon Clan members had been forced into joining him and naturally bore resentment. After joining the Demon Heavenly Court, they naturally viewed the Purple Mansion Immortal Court with hostility.
Friction gradually emerged, and neither side's forces accepted the other.
Yet this friction remained within controllable limits.
However, true confrontation was not far away.
The two born rulers would certainly not tolerate anyone standing against them, especially someone of equal status.
They were waiting for an opportunity.
At this moment, in the Purple Mansion Immortal Court,
East Prince Gong sat high above, gripping the Dragon Head Staff in his hand. It was also a Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, personally bestowed by the Dao Ancestor as a symbol of his status as the Head of Male Immortals!
"There will inevitably be a battle between the Immortal Court and the Demon Heavenly Court. I am the Dao Ancestor's personally appointed Head of Male Immortals. What are Di Jun and Emperor Taiyi? How dare they contend with me?"
"No preparations are needed. Charge directly into the Demon Heavenly Court and slaughter the entire Demon Clan!"
The few people below him were also among the Three Thousand Guests of Purple Heavens Palace.
They exchanged glances, all feeling helpless. They could not understand why the Dao Ancestor had made East Prince Gong the Head of Male Immortals.
The demons were in the Nine Heavens Above, and the two Demon Emperors were both Quasi-Saints.
Emperor Taiyi's Innate treasure, the Chaos Bell, could not be broken by anyone short of a Saint.
Demon Emperor Di Jun held the River Diagram and Luo Script and was even more skilled in strategy. His own strength was formidable as well. The River Diagram and Luo Script formed a world of their own; it would take at least three Quasi-Saints of equal cultivation to suppress him.
Moreover, the Demon Heavenly Court had the Ten Great Demon Saints. Though they were not among the Three Thousand Guests of Purple Heavens Palace, their strength was not to be underestimated.
After the others strongly dissuaded him, East Prince Gong thought for a moment. Then a confident smile suddenly appeared on his face.
He said arrogantly:
"Pass down my order. In the coming days, I will hold a Myriad Immortals Assembly in the Immortal Court!"
"I will broadly invite the great powers of the Primordial Wilderness. We are all fellow disciples from Purple Heavens Palace, so they will surely show me this courtesy. I have two purposes in doing this."
The people below were somewhat puzzled. They could not understand what purpose East Prince Gong could possibly have in doing this.
They, too, were among the Three Thousand Guests of Purple Heavens Palace. However, their strength was low and they could only be considered bottom-tier figures. They merely wished to use East Prince Gong and the Immortal Court's name to obtain benefits for themselves.
East Prince Gong said arrogantly, "My first purpose is to display the strength of the Purple Mansion Immortal Court to everyone, to show our power and intimidate those fence-sitters."
"If they are unwilling to join our Immortal Court, then the day the Demon Heavenly Court is destroyed will be the day they are buried!"
The faces of those people darkened somewhat. If these words reached the ears of those neutral clans, they would surely join the Demon Heavenly Court immediately. Wasn't this simply a terrible ally?
East Prince Gong did not look at their expressions. Instead, he turned his back to them and continued, "My second purpose is naturally to win over those top great powers of the Primordial Wilderness and bring them into our Purple Mansion Immortal Court."
"Do as I say. So long as those great powers of the Primordial Wilderness join our Purple Mansion Immortal Court, they will naturally not lack resources, Fortune, or treasures."
The few of them sighed inwardly.
They felt that they might not be able to remain in this Immortal Court much longer. The truly great powers of the Primordial Wilderness were also among the Three Thousand Guests of Purple Heavens Palace. Which one of them was not proud and lofty? If they wished to join, they would have done so long ago. Why would they wait until now?
And which of those great powers was easy to provoke?
Especially the Three Pure Ones of Kunlun Mountain.
Red Flower, White Lotus Root, Green Lotus Leaf—the Three Pure Ones were originally one family.
The Three Pure Ones were all the Dao Ancestor's Personal Disciples and destined Future Saints.
Before them, the Immortal Court was not worth a fart.
But East Prince Gong had already spoken, so they could only obey. Moreover, the task of inviting the Three Pure Ones of Kunlun Mountain fell upon one of the Quasi-Saint great powers.
In the current Primordial World, a Quasi-Saint great power was an absolute overlord wherever he went.
Yet at this moment, as this Quasi-Saint great power stood outside Kunlun Mountain, he kept his posture exceedingly low, his heart filled with helplessness.
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