East Prince's Glorious Moment

"East Prince, I bestow upon you the top-grade innate spiritual treasure—the Purple Gold Dragon Head Crutch—to help you suppress your luck and protect the Dao."

"Queen Mother of the West, I bestow upon you the top-grade innate spiritual treasure—the Pure Water Alms Bowl—and one of the Innate Five Directions Banners—the Western Plain Colored Cloud Realm Banner—to help you regulate yin and yang and harmonize luck."

"Three items! Three top-grade innate spiritual treasures!"

A sharp intake of breath rippled through the hall, and countless gazes of envy and jealousy nearly drowned the two.

The Queen Mother of the West possessed a beauty of ethereal purity, her bearing transcendent—truly a rare sight in the Primordial Wilderness.

Qing Huan's gaze lingered on her for a moment, and he mused inwardly:

"This woman managed to escape the fall of the Immortal Court unscathed and hide herself in West Kunlun until the end of time—she is no easy opponent."

Turning his thoughts back to himself, Qing Huan calculated quietly:

"The key now lies in finding objects of the same origin to sever the corpse... The Gourd Vine, the Twelve-Grade Lotus Platform, the Innate Five Directions Banners... The Twelve-Grade Lotus Platform is hard to find—Rahula destroyed one in his self-detonation, one remains in Minghe's Blood Sea, and one is in the Dao Ancestor's hands. Even if I tried to seize them, I couldn't gather all three lotus platforms..."

Two of the Innate Five Directions Banners already had leads: the Central Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner was on Hongjun's Treasure Distribution Cliff, and the Western Plain Colored Cloud Realm Banner had been granted to the Queen Mother of the West. The other three banners might yet present an opportunity.

"The Innate Gourd Vine... that's the most feasible!"

He made his resolve firm:

"The Gourd Vine should be the first choice, but I cannot let the Five Directions Banners slip away either! If fate allows, I'll pursue both."

"If I can't obtain them..."

A glint of determination flashed in Qing Huan's eyes.

"Then I'll have to rely on trades and seizures later... A top-grade innate treasure will come to hand when fate aligns—you can't just grab it when it first appears, since if the treasure doesn't choose you, there's no way around it...!"

Randeng had seen the twenty-four Sea-Calming Divine Pearls on the Treasure Distribution Cliff, the very things he needed, yet the treasure simply refused to fly toward him...

Hongjun's second sermon concluded. Bathed in the vast Dao resonance, Qing Huan's cultivation was on the verge of breaking through to the peak of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm.

His Primordial Spirit was full, his magic power surging—only a single trigger was needed to invoke that mysterious slash severing past, present, and future, and formally step into the Quasi-Sage realm.

Qing Huan had already made up his mind.

"This sermon ends here. You may disperse.

After one kalpa, the Purple Firmament Palace will open again to expound upon... the path to sainthood!"

As Hongjun's words fell, his figure faded silently from the cushion, as if he had never existed.

The gates of the Purple Firmament Palace swung wide open.

At this moment, East Prince's face was flushed with triumph, his chest puffed out, his spirit soaring.

Yet the remaining innate deities in the hall—which one of them was not of extraordinary origin and proud disposition?

Aside from those of lesser strength who had come to listen, some newly arrived innate lifeforms, and a few quick-witted ones who immediately crowded around to flatter him, none of the true great powers stepped forward to offer congratulations.

"Hmph!"

Primordial Heavenly Venerate let out a clear, disdainful snort, flicked his sleeve, and turned to Qing Huan, saying:

"Daoist Friend Qing Huan, in my view, the title of Head of Male Immortals should rightfully be yours! You were the first personally bestowed by the Dao Ancestor, and your origin and cultivation surpass this man tenfold. Such an arrangement is truly unjust!"

Tongtian nodded in agreement:

"Second Brother speaks truly! What virtue or ability does East Prince possess? It is a great pity, a great pity, that Daoist Friend Qing Huan did not receive this honor!"

Qing Huan smiled faintly, his expression calm and unruffled:

"You two overpraise me. My Dao heart is set solely on the Great Dao itself, in pursuit of eternity. These empty titles and powers are but fleeting clouds, inviting karma and bringing nothing but trouble."

He saw through it clearly: the title of Head of Male Immortals might seem glorious, but in truth, it bore heavy responsibility and entangled karma.

Handle it well, and one might barely survive... maybe even cling on until becoming the next Heavenly Emperor...

But the slightest misstep would lead to utter annihilation.

East Prince would inevitably grow arrogant, attempting to establish a Primordial Wilderness order with himself at the center... That was a path to self-destruction!

"Haha."

Grand Pure One Laozi lightly waved his horsetail whisk, a look of approval in his eyes.

"Daoist Friend Qing Huan has a fine breadth of mind and a fine Dao heart! To be able to set aside such fleeting fame and focus on the Great Dao—your future is boundless!"

On the other side, the two sovereigns of the Demon Race were speaking in low tones.

"Eldest Brother, now that East Prince has gained this title and received treasures from the Dao Ancestor, will he try to meddle in the Demon Race's affairs in the future?"

Tai Yi's brow was slightly furrowed, his tone laced with concern.

Di Jun's gaze was imperious, the natural aura of a sovereign flowing forth with a hint of coldness:

"A petty clown, hardly worth mentioning. If he knows his place and enjoys his title in peace, so be it. But if he oversteps his bounds..."

Di Jun let out a cold snort:

"We brothers will naturally act on behalf of the Dao Ancestor, teaching him a lesson and giving him some dignity! Let him understand that in this Primordial Wilderness, strength reigns supreme!"

Seeing this, Qing Huan did not linger. He clasped his hands and said:

"Fellow Daoists, This Humble One will take his leave first."

Before his words faded, his figure had already transformed into a streak of green light, shooting out of Purple Firmament Palace in an instant, diving straight toward the lower realm of Buzhou Mountain.

The Innate Gourd Vine! It would appear right after the second lecture ended! He had to get there first!

The other great powers also rose one after another, leaving in pairs and trios.

A green light streaked across the sky of the Primordial Wilderness.

"The Twelve-Grade Lotus Platform is indeed a top-tier item for severing a corpse... but unfortunately, gathering a complete set is impossible."

As Qing Huan sped along, he reviewed his thoughts internally.

"That lotus platform, damaged by Rahula's self-destruction, who knows where it has drifted...

That old fellow Minghe, guarding the Blood Sea with the Abi and Yuantu swords, and with the Karma Red Lotus in hand, is as solid as iron...

As for the one in the Dao Ancestor's possession, don't even think about it..."

I want them all, yet I don't want to get entangled in Karma... What to do...

Qing Huan shook his head slightly, temporarily setting aside thoughts of the lotus platform.

West Kunlun, Yao Chi's Immortal Realm.

Queen Mother of the West sat upright on her jade platform, her peerlessly beautiful face carrying a trace of lingering gravity.

The tragic conclusion of the Three Innate Clans—especially the few remaining direct descendants of the Phoenix Clan now taking refuge under her protection in West Kunlun—was still vivid in her mind.

That overwhelming Karma, that brutal backlash of cause and effect... It placed a heavy burden on her regarding the seemingly honorable title of "Head of Female Immortals."

"Upholding order? Easier said than done..."

She let out a soft sigh.

Just as she was deep in thought, a figure radiating a scorching, masculine presence descended upon West Kunlun.

"Daoist Friend Queen Mother of the West, how leisurely and carefree you are!"

East Prince laughed heartily, his tone brimming with self-satisfied ambition.

"The Dao Ancestor has entrusted the task of organizing the Primordial Wilderness to the two of us. Do you intend to simply sit in this Yao Chi Immortal Realm and watch the winds and clouds shift?"

East Prince's gaze burned:

"Right now, we are weak in numbers. Our reputation may be grand, but it's hard to win others over.

If you and I join forces, using the titles bestowed by the Dao Ancestor to recruit the great powers of the Primordial Wilderness, we will surely achieve twice the results with half the effort, truly establishing an immortal court order that governs the wilderness!"

East Prince's words were full of persuasion, painting a grand vision... and his eternal dream of glory...

Queen Mother of the West raised her eyes, her clear gaze meeting East Prince's directly. Her voice was cool and resolute:

"Daoist Friend East Prince, I appreciate your kind intentions. I received this position out of the Dao Ancestor's favor, but my mind is made up. I have no interest in the 'great enterprise' you speak of.

Cultivating quietly in Kunlun and managing the affairs of female immortals is already my duty. If you wish to build achievements and establish a force, please proceed on your own. I will not interfere."

She had thought this through carefully.