As she moved, the channel representing "humanity" in the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disk lit up with a gentle light, accommodating the two golden specks of light.
Just before the point of light was about to disappear into the cycle of reincarnation, a faint wisp of cyan Dao pattern quietly emerged from Qing Huan's fingertip, silently imprinting itself on the deepest part of the remnant soul, like an invisible rope tied to a lost boat.
"The mark has been left; when the time is right, we will Jieyin." Qing Huan nodded slightly to Houtu.
"Thank you for your kindness, fellow Daoist."
Houtu shook her head, her gaze returning to the depths of reincarnation, and said nothing more.
The Underworld returned to silence, with only the murmuring of the River of Oblivion, as if telling endless stories of the past.
Just as the remnant souls of Di Jun and Tai Yi entered the cycle of reincarnation, a detached yet majestic and irresistible Dao Sound resounded in the hearts of all the Sage of the Primordial Wilderness:
"The Tribulation has passed; order must be established. All sages, quickly proceed to the Purple Cloud Palace for a meeting."
Deep within the chaos lies the Purple Cloud Palace.
The ancient Daoist palace still floats in the boundless Chaos Qi, Invulnerable to All Laws and repelled by all evil.
The palace gates opened silently, and one after another, figures imbued with supreme power stepped in.
The Grand Pure Sage Laozi, riding Green Ox, arrived first with an indifferent and detached expression. He found the upper left futon and sat down in meditation, as if all the disturbances of the outside world were irrelevant to him.
Yuanshi Tianzun followed closely behind, riding in Nine Dragon Agarwood Carriage, his demeanor majestic, his gaze sweeping across the palace with scrutiny and calculation, before taking his seat below Laozi.
The Sect Master Tongtian, with his sword aura soaring to the heavens and an air of dominance in his every step, sat opposite Yuanshi, their eyes meeting with a subtle spark.
Nuwa sat silently to one side, her brows furrowed with sorrow over the decline of the demon race and worry about the future of the human race.
The Two Saints of the West, Jieyin Zhunti, arrived together, their faces still bearing some of the gloom from their setback before the starry sky. However, this was quickly masked by their usual sorrow and suffering. They bowed to the Sage who had arrived earlier and took their seats at the end.
Immediately afterwards, the space rippled slightly, and Heavenly Venerate Qing Huan, who was carrying the Qingping Sword Intent and whose aura was becoming increasingly profound, stepped in leisurely. He nodded slightly to the saints and then found an empty seat next to Sect Master Tongtian to sit down.
Then, the aura of the netherworld surged, and the figure of Empress Pingxin Houtu appeared. Although she was not Heavenly Dao Sage, she had reincarnated and accumulated Merit, holding a special position and thus having a place in the world.
Accompanying her was Gou Mang, the God of Life who inherited the essence of the Wood Ancestral Witch and possessed a powerful aura.
Finally, amidst the surging Blood Sea, the Ancestor Minghe, radiating a bloody killing intent, stepped into the palace. His imposing presence was no less than that of an ordinary Sage. He swept his sinister gaze over everyone, snorted coldly, and found a corner to sit down.
Before long, the figure of Dao Ancestor Hongjun silently appeared on the platform, as if he had merged with the entire Purple Cloud Palace and the boundless chaos.
His gaze was calm as he looked down at the ten supreme beings of the Primordial Wilderness below (the Six Saints of the Heavenly Dao, Qing Huan, Houtu, Gou Mang, Minghe), and he spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet reaching the very source of the Great Dao:
"The Witch-Demon Calamity has ended, and the old order has collapsed. Today, the Heavenly Court is without a ruler. Although the All the Stars in the Heavens are temporarily under the control of Ziwei, dragons cannot be without a leader, and heaven and earth cannot be without principles."
"I have summoned you all here today to discuss who should assume the throne of the Heavenly Emperor, so as to Universe the universe and harmonize yin and yang."
As soon as Hongjun finished speaking, Yuanshi Tianzun smiled slightly and spoke first, his voice carrying the unique nobility and unquestionable authority of Yuqing:
"Teacher, you are wise. The position of the Heavenly Emperor, who rules over all heavens, requires a person with both virtue and talent, profound blessings, and a pure and upright background to be appointed."
My disciple, the Immortal Official Nanji, has accompanied me in cultivation for countless eons. He is kind-hearted, blessed with abundant merit, and, more importantly, possesses a calm and steady mind, and a keen understanding of destiny. He is capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility and establishing a model of order for the primordial Primordial Wilderness."
In his words, he had already praised the Immortal Official Nanji to an extremely high degree, as if the position was rightfully his.
As soon as he finished speaking, Daoist Zhunti immediately chimed in, his face beaming with smiles:
"Master is wise! Although Yuanshi has many outstanding disciples, our Western Sect also has its own heroes."
My disciple Maitreya is born with wisdom, possesses a compassionate heart, is skilled at harmonizing all things, and guides people toward goodness.
If one were to attain the position of Heavenly Emperor, one would surely be able to dispel the world's Malevolent Qi with boundless Buddhist teachings, leading the Primordial Wilderness towards the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This would truly be a blessing for all beings.
His words were earnest, as if he were wholeheartedly devoted to the public good.
"Hehe."
A clear, mocking laugh rang out; it was Qing Huan.
He glanced sideways at the Two Saints of the West, his tone filled with undisguised sarcasm:
"The Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss? You probably want to turn the entire Primordial Wilderness into your Western Sect Buddhist kingdom, don't you?"
The throne of the Heavenly Emperor, wielding power over the Primordial Wilderness, concerns the fate of countless lives; how could it be entrusted to you Westerners?
At that time, are we supposed to make all the Heavenly Immortal and immortals chant Amitabha's name? This idea is absurd and absolutely unacceptable!
"Fellow Daoist Qing Huan is absolutely right!"
The Sect Master Tongtian immediately chimed in, already harboring little affection for the Two Saints of the West, and now speaking even more bluntly.
"Eastern affairs are for the people of the East to handle. The West should just focus on managing its own Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and stop trying to interfere."
Although Yuanshi Tianzun was at odds with Qing Huan, they shared the same stance on resisting the West, and he nodded slightly in agreement with Qing Huan and Tongtian's words.
Jieyin and Zhunti's faces immediately turned extremely ugly, but they could not refute it and could only remain silent, secretly resenting it.
Seeing this, Nuwa parted her lips slightly, her voice ethereal:
"I created the human race and have already incurred immense Karma. I have no suitable disciple to take on this responsibility, so I will not participate in this matter."
She indicated a neutral stance.
Taiqing Laozi didn't even lift his eyelids, and said calmly, "Our Human Teachings is pure and tranquil, with only Xuan Du as a disciple, and we have no interest in this position."
Concise and to the point, it also demonstrates detachment.
At this moment, Houtu spoke, her voice carrying an ethereal quality reminiscent of the Houtu, yet also a hint of undeniable resolve:
"The Dao Ancestor, the position of Heavenly Emperor, governs Yin and Yang and manages order. He needs to combine strength and gentleness. Although most of our Witch Clan do not cultivate the primordial spirit, Chi You is a hybrid of Wu and human blood, naturally strong and resilient. What is even more rare is that he has nurtured a primordial spirit, possessing both the Witch Clan's courage to fight against heaven and earth and the wisdom of the human race."
If he were to become the Heavenly Emperor, perhaps he could reconcile the lingering Malevolent Qi after the war between the Lich King and the Witch and Demon, and restore peace to the world."
"Absurd!"
Yuanshi Tianzun immediately retorted sharply, his face full of disdain and anger:
"Houtu! Have you forgotten why this Tribulation has begun?"
It is precisely because Witch Clan do not understand the will of Heaven, and insist on being strong, and fight against the demon race, that Buzhou Mountain collapsed, the world was overturned, and all living beings suffered calamity!
"What right do these barbarians, who only know about the physical body and not about destiny, have to rule the Heavenly Court? Do they want the Witch Clan to drag this newly established Heavenly Court into the Tribulation as well?"
Laozi frowned slightly, Tongtian also shook his head, clearly both extremely opposed to the Witch Clan becoming the Heavenly Emperor.
The wounds inflicted by the Witch-Demon War were too deep; no one wanted to see the Witch Clan in power again.
Gou Mang was enraged upon hearing this, his life force surging forth, yet also carrying the fierce courage of Ancestral Witch:
"Yuanshi! How dare you insult my Witch Clan!..."
Seeing the argument reignite, Qing Huan raised his hand in a gesture of pressing down, interrupting Gou Mang's words, and said loudly:
"Arguing is pointless. In my opinion, the Heavenly Court was created by fellow Daoists Di Jun and Tai Yi with painstaking efforts. Although it collapsed after many tribulations, its legal system still exists."
Although both of them have now passed away, their bloodline still lives on.
Crown Prince Bo Huang, or the Tenth Prince Lu Ya, are both legitimate heirs.
"It would be perfectly legitimate for one of them to inherit the throne of the Heavenly Emperor, which would also appease the remaining demons, prevent further calamities, and be most beneficial to the stability of the world."