Inside Zixiao Palace.
Dao Ancestor Hongjun's figure appeared atop a Meditation Cushion. Hongjun's strength was now even more unfathomable; none of the six saints present had noticed how Dao Ancestor Hongjun had appeared.
"I have summoned you here today to discuss the matter of the Heavenly Emperor."
"The great war between the witch and demon races caused countless living beings of the primordial world to die or suffer. They are no longer fit to govern the Heavenly Court. The Heavenly Court cannot remain without a master for a single day. You must select a new Heavenly Emperor!"
Hongjun, who had appeared in Zixiao Palace, did not waste words and immediately revealed his intentions.
At those words, the saints' eyes lit up, and they began calculating inwardly. This was an excellent position.
Yet the saints all turned their gazes toward Xuan Yi.
The Dao Ancestor's child was right here. If Xuan Yi wanted to become the Heavenly Emperor, they would not dare compete with him.
Leaving aside what the Dao Ancestor might do, Xuan Yi's combat strength alone was enough to overwhelm all of them together, not to mention Nuwa.
Seeing all the saints looking at him, Xuan Yi directly stated his position.
"I have long been accustomed to drifting freely. The position of Heavenly Emperor bears immense responsibility, so I shall not take part."
Seeing that Xuan Yi had no interest in the position of Heavenly Emperor, the saints immediately began recommending their own people.
Yuanshi was the first to speak. "I have a virtuous Golden Immortal disciple, Guangchengzi. Both his bearing and character make him worthy of the position of Heavenly Emperor."
"I have a Grand Unity Golden Immortal disciple, Duobao Daoren. His moral character is excellent, and he can serve as the Heavenly Emperor," Tongtian said.
The moment Yuanshi Tianzun heard that, he immediately retorted, "Hmph! That Duobao is merely a furred and horned creature. How could he be worthy of the position of Heavenly Emperor?"
Before Tongtian Jiaozhu could refute him, Jieyin and Zhunti of the Western Teachings put forward their own disciple, Maitreya.
"The Heavenly Emperor is a matter of our East. It has nothing to do with you Westerners."
Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian Jiaozhu, who had just been arguing fiercely, immediately turned their attacks on the Western Teachings upon seeing them interfere.
Although Jieyin and Zhunti were furious, they could do nothing about it. They simply sat to the side and stopped speaking.
"I have Lu Ya, the former crown prince of the demon race, under my guidance. He can serve as the Demon Emperor," Nuwa said.
The moment she spoke, the saints were left somewhat speechless. They had not expected Nuwa to join in as well.
Nuwa was the Dao Ancestor's daughter-in-law, so the saints did not dare refute her for the moment. The hall fell silent.
"The demon race has already lost its virtue and cannot again occupy the position of Heavenly Emperor."
Perhaps seeing everyone's concerns, the Dao Ancestor spoke.
Seeing the Dao Ancestor reject the proposal, Nuwa no longer insisted, and the saints all sighed in relief.
For their own interests, the saints resumed arguing until their faces turned red.
"Everyone, the position of Heavenly Emperor is of great importance. Why not leave the decision to the Dao Ancestor?" Taishang, who had not participated until now, spoke up.
He had only one disciple, Xuandu. If Xuandu became the Heavenly Emperor, would that not sever his lineage? Thus, Taishang did not care who became the Heavenly Emperor, so long as it was not someone from the Western Teachings.
"Please decide, Master!"
Hearing Taishang's words, the saints stopped arguing and all looked toward Dao Ancestor Hongjun.
"Xuan'er, who do you think can serve as the Heavenly Emperor?"
Hongjun did not make a direct decision. Instead, he turned to ask Xuan Yi.
"Father, the matter of the Heavenly Emperor is of great importance. It requires someone unaffiliated with any sect."
"Haotian and Yaochi have followed Father through countless kalpas, and they also accompanied me in traveling the primordial world. Even if they have no great merit, they have worked hard, and neither has joined any sect."
"I believe the two of them can serve as the Heavenly Emperor and Queen Mother."
"Good! My son understands my heart!" Hongjun nodded slightly, then looked toward Haotian and Yaochi.
"My attendant Haotian may serve as the Heavenly Emperor, and Yaochi may serve as the Queen Mother!"
Seeing the Dao Ancestor make the decision directly, the saints were utterly unconvinced.
They believed that although Haotian and Yaochi had served the Dao Ancestor for hundreds of millions of years, their cultivation was only at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. They also lacked great merit. Their becoming the Heavenly Emperor and Queen Mother was entirely because Xuan Yi remembered old ties.
"Thank you, Master. Thank you, Young Master, for elevating us!"
"We will certainly devote ourselves wholeheartedly to governing the Heavenly Court and will never disappoint Young Master's favor!"
Unlike the unconvinced saints, Haotian and Yaochi were nearly overwhelmed by the sudden joy. The two immediately bowed in thanks.
This caused the expressions of Yuanshi, Tongtian, Jieyin, and Zhunti, the four saints who had just fought over the position of Heavenly Emperor, to turn rather unpleasant.
Yuanshi Tianzun was practically about to explode with rage.
Seeing the saints' dissatisfaction, Hongjun's expression turned icy as his indifferent gaze swept across them.
"Do you have any objections?"
Objections? Who would dare say they had objections? They must have been tired of living.
"We respectfully obey Master's Imperial Decree!"
Unable to withstand the Dao Ancestor's pressure, the saints could only agree helplessly.
"Haotian, I now grant you the Top-grade Xiantian Spiritual Treasures Haotian Mirror and Haotian Pagoda. Yaochi, I grant you the Top-grade Xiantian Spiritual Treasure Four Directions Plain Colored Cloud Banner and the Innate Spiritual Root Peach Tree of Immortality. I hope you will use them well."
Hongjun then pointed with a finger, and Haotian and Yaochi transformed from young attendants into youths in their twenties.
"With the Heavenly Court newly established, there shall be Four Imperials beneath the Heavenly Emperor."
This time, Hongjun announced it directly without waiting for the saints to speak.
"Houtu transformed herself into reincarnation and possesses great merit. She shall be one of the Four Imperials, known as Empress Houtu."
"Six-Eared Macaque, under Xuan Yi, has protected the human race and serves as its holy teacher. He possesses great merit and may become Great Emperor Ziwei of the North Pole."
"Kong Xuan, under Xuan Yi, has protected the human race and serves as its holy teacher. He possesses great merit and may become Great Emperor Gouchen Shanggong Tianhuang."
"As for the final Imperial, that position shall naturally be filled after the next great tribulation ends."
With the Dao Ancestor personally making the arrangements, the saints did not dare object and could only murmur their agreement.
Seeing that the saints were being sensible enough, Dao Ancestor Hongjun spoke again.
"The matter of the Heavenly Emperor is settled. Now let us discuss the matter of the human race!"
Hearing that Hongjun still had another matter to address, the six saints of the Mystical Sect quickly focused their attention.
The positions of Heavenly Emperor and the Four Imperials had not benefited them in the slightest.
They had to gain some benefits from this second matter no matter what.
Hongjun naturally saw through their thoughts, but he said nothing. He merely spoke calmly to the saints.
"Now that the great tribulation of heaven and earth has passed, the next protagonists of the primordial world shall be the human race. The time has come for the human race to flourish."
Hearing that the human race would become the new protagonist of heaven and earth, Taishang Laozi was the most delighted.
The sect Taishang had established was closely tied to the human race. Once the human race became the protagonist of heaven and earth, Laozi's fortune would rise along with it.
"May I ask, Master, how can the human race flourish? Does Master have any arrangements?"
Taishang Laozi had learned to be clever this time. He first asked whether Hongjun had his own arrangements. If Hongjun did, they would simply leave it alone and obey his orders, lest they struggle among themselves only for someone else to profit in the end.
Dao Ancestor Hongjun saw through Taishang's thoughts. Lightly sweeping the whisk in his hand, he spoke.
"The human race of the primordial world has now developed rapidly. Their numbers have already grown several times greater than before the demon race's slaughter. Before long, the human race will spread throughout every corner of the primordial world."
Nuwa, standing to the side, finally understood why her fortune had increased so much for no reason. It turned out that the human race had grown stronger. As the Holy Mother of the human race, her fortune naturally grew stronger as well.
"The human race's population has already reached an extremely terrifying level. A Human Emperor must arise to unite and educate the human race, allowing it to develop even more rapidly!"
"May I ask, Master, who will serve as the Human Emperor?"
As the Holy Mother of the human race, Nuwa hurriedly asked about the matter concerning her children.
"The Human Emperor is not just one person! For the human race to truly flourish, three Human Emperors and five emperors must educate them."
"The human race must undergo the guidance of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. After the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the human race's fortune will naturally increase greatly!"
"Moreover, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors can suppress the human race's fortune. With the assistance of the three human ancestors, the human race can continue flourishing, and its fortune will endure without decline!"
After hearing the Dao Ancestor's explanation, the saints understood the reason behind it.
The human race had now degenerated from innate living beings into acquired living beings. Therefore, humans born now possessed no cultivation and could only cultivate on their own. As for what realm they could reach, that depended on their resources and talent.
However, the Heavenly Dao had already determined that the human race would be the protagonist of heaven and earth, so it naturally needed to develop under the leadership of prominent figures.
Yet Sanqing, Zhunti, Jieyin, and the others had all set their minds on the position of Human Emperor, each wanting a share of the benefits.
While Sanqing and Nuwa were still considering the matter, the shameless Zhunti spoke.
"Master, senior brothers, senior sister!"
"The flourishing of the human race is ordained by the Heavenly Dao and must come to pass. Yet I see that all my senior brothers have their own sects and presumably have no time to govern the human race. Why not leave the matter of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of the human race to me?"
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