The man in black spoke as if it were only natural.
He even made it seem as though Nan Ji ought to thank him.
Nan Ji was furious when he heard that.
But he could not actually sit on the threshold. Would he be known as the "Threshold Guest of Purple Sky Palace" from then on?
Haotian and Yaochi found themselves in a difficult position when they saw this.
The hall doors could not be closed.
So Haotian said softly, "Senior Brother Kunpeng, move over a little and make room for this fellow Daoist."
Nan Ji had not expected Haotian to speak up for him.
What he had not expected even more was that this giant bird was actually Kunpeng.
Nan Ji could not understand why, ever since arriving in the Great Desolation, he seemed to be at odds with every member of the demon race.
As though to refute Nan Ji's thoughts, Kunpeng gave Haotian a disdainful glance. "Who is your senior brother? And what are you supposed to be?"
"You!"
Haotian's face immediately turned liver-colored with rage after hearing Kunpeng's words.
But having long attended at Hongjun's side, what could he possibly say?
Now that he knew the other party was Kunpeng, and seeing Haotian being slighted, Nan Ji no longer backed down.
He walked up to Kunpeng and said directly, "Look at you, taking up so much space by yourself. Just move over a little."
"I'll sit wherever I please and take up as much room as I want!" Kunpeng said disdainfully.
Looking at the overbearing Kunpeng before him, Nan Ji was reminded of people reserving seats in later generations.
Little did he know that Kunpeng was also full of anger.
He could originally have taken the seat Hongjun had arranged earlier, but his conflict with Nan Ji had delayed him.
The seats toward the front might have been exceedingly spacious, but the farther back one went, the more crowded it became.
"You!"
Seeing Kunpeng act shamelessly, Nan Ji had wanted to refuse, but then remembered that it would be better not to draw the Dao Ancestor's attention.
Plop!
Without another word, Nan Ji dropped his butt right onto Kunpeng.
The moment Nan Ji sat down, Kunpeng felt as if Samadhi True Fire were scorching his body.
He was so enraged that he instantly leaped to his feet.
This time, it was Kunpeng who stood there trembling as he pointed at Nan Ji.
"You! You! Have you no shame at all!"
Kunpeng racked his brains and could only come up with those words.
Nan Ji did not care in the slightest. After all, Kunpeng had been the one to act shamelessly first.
"But you let me have it!"
Nan Ji did not stand on ceremony with Kunpeng and plopped down in the spot Kunpeng had just occupied.
Haotian looked at Kunpeng with great satisfaction, while Yaochi gazed at Nan Ji with a hint of admiration.
Kunpeng stood dumbly before the door, furious beyond measure.
Just as he was about to say something, a snow-white figure suddenly swept over.
Watching that person fly in over the heads of the crowd, Kunpeng looked closely and recognized the newcomer.
Kunpeng shook out his sleeve and said, "Fellow Daoist Queen Mother of the West, you are the Head of Female Immortals personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor. Aren't you going to—"
Smack!
Before Kunpeng could finish, Queen Mother of the West slapped him across the face.
She seemed to have put all her strength into that slap, sending Kunpeng staggering straight out of Purple Sky Palace.
When Nan Ji heard Kunpeng call out Queen Mother of the West, he looked over and saw a dignified middle-aged woman.
She looked like someone not to be trifled with.
The Three Pure Ones had naturally noticed the commotion behind them long ago, but when they saw that Queen Mother of the West was also paying attention, they did not intervene.
Sure enough! How could Queen Mother of the West let Nan Ji suffer a loss?
After slapping Kunpeng, Queen Mother of the West made as though to leave.
"Ah! This is going too far!"
As the saying went, one did not slap a person in the face. Queen Mother of the West had utterly humiliated Kunpeng in Purple Sky Palace.
Thinking of this, Kunpeng sprang up and chased after Queen Mother of the West.
Just as Kunpeng was about to catch up, Queen Mother of the West suddenly turned around.
Smack!
Another unexpected yet solid slap landed across his face.
Kunpeng had just opened his mouth to say something when Queen Mother of the West spoke. "I am the Head of Female Immortals personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor. It is only natural for me to fly over the heads of my fellow Daoists, but what are you supposed to be..."
Though Queen Mother of the West did not finish, anyone could guess what she meant: What are you supposed to be?
Then, without paying any attention to Kunpeng's reaction, Queen Mother of the West flew directly toward her seat.
Nan Ji did not recognize her as Niu Niu, whose little hand he often held.
"This auntie is so... domineering!"
Nan Ji stared wide-eyed at Queen Mother of the West's retreating figure and could not help sighing in admiration.
"Senior Sister Queen Mother of the West has always been like this. Do not offend her lightly," Haotian warned.
Those words made Nan Ji suck in a breath.
He had not forgotten that his cultivation had broken through to the middle stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm thanks to Duo Duo—otherwise known as Houtu—stealing the Queen Mother of the West's peaches.
It seemed he had better stay far away from that woman in the future.
At the front, Queen Mother of the West returned to her seat in the second row, utterly unconcerned with everyone's stares.
Instead, she looked at Yuanshi and said irritably, "Fellow Daoist, you did not act because you were counting on me to do so. Are you satisfied now?"
Yuanshi, who had been smiling moments ago, was once again left speechless by Queen Mother of the West's words.
Nan Ji saw Haotian and Yaochi still standing by the door, while Kunpeng stood there too, his expression shifting unpredictably.
Not wanting Hongjun to pay him too much attention, he could only shift over and say, "The Dao Ancestor is about to begin teaching. Sit or don't sit, it's up to you."
When Nan Ji moved aside, Haotian and Yaochi both gave him grateful looks.
Although Kunpeng dearly wanted to lash out, he also knew that the Dao Ancestor's teachings were a rare opportunity.
So without saying a word, he brazenly sat in the space Nan Ji had vacated.
Seeing that Kunpeng had already sat down, Nan Ji nodded to Haotian and Yaochi.
Then, after Haotian and Yaochi closed the hall doors, they vanished.
Elsewhere, in the rear hall of Purple Sky Palace, Haotian and Yaochi appeared before Hongjun.
Hongjun sat upright upon a cloud bed, his hands resting naturally on his knees. "Neither of you is to blame for this. Kunpeng was the one who went too far."
Though Hongjun said this, he did not open his eyes.
Haotian and Yaochi had followed at Hongjun's side ever since taking form. Hearing his words, they exchanged glances.
They understood what Hongjun meant: the matter was to be let go.
Then Haotian suddenly dropped to his knees, his eyes red as he said, "Master, Yaochi and I have served at your side ever since we took form. Over all these years, even if we have no great merit, we have at least worked hard. I merely addressed Kunpeng as Senior Brother, and he treated us like this."
Perhaps carried away by his own emotions, Haotian began to choke up as he spoke, great tears falling from his eyes.
Seeing this, Yaochi tugged at Hongjun's sleeve and said, "That's right, Master. Senior Brother Haotian and I have always been your attendants. He humiliated us so terribly. Please uphold justice for us, Master!"
"Only Senior Brother White Crane remembered how hard we worked serving Master and gave each of us a Wine Crystal..."
"That's right. Kunpeng refused to yield to him, yet he willingly gave up his seat so Master could teach without delay..."
After that, Haotian and Yaochi took turns complaining to Hongjun for quite some time.
"Mm, I understand."
Just as the two were about to say more, Hongjun suddenly spoke.
Being familiar with Hongjun, they naturally knew that he intended to deal with the matter.
So after exchanging glances, they followed the gradually vanishing Hongjun toward the main hall of Purple Sky Palace.
Soon afterward, Hongjun's figure slowly appeared atop the cloud platform in the main hall, with Haotian and Yaochi standing at his left and right.
As during the first lecture, Haotian gathered his mana and shouted, "Dao Ancestor Hongjun is about to begin teaching!"
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