It was said that Jieyin and Zhunti sensed that the cushions inside Purple Cloud Palace concealed a great opportunity. Yet they did not dare cause trouble and could only grow secretly anxious.
The three connected their divine senses and exchanged thoughts.
Zhunti spoke first. "Senior Brother, I can sense that the six cushions before the hall conceal great opportunities. This concerns the flourishing of the West and cannot be left uncontested!"
"Junior Brother, I sense it too. However, this is a Saint's Dao Field, so we must not act rashly lest we anger the Saint. We should deliberate carefully."
"Look at how many people are in the hall. There are hardly any empty seats left, and it cannot be long before the Saint begins his lecture. How could we have time to deliberate? I think I should step forward. At worst, I'll lose some face. Perhaps I can appeal to their feelings and ask those people for two seats. Even if it fails, it will do us no harm. As long as we do not resort to force, I doubt the Saint will blame us."
Jieyin found his words reasonable. Time was limited, and there was no time to think it over slowly.
The two brothers had different strengths. Zhunti was skilled at socializing and dealing with other fellow cultivators, having traveled extensively, while Jieyin was not good with words and devoted himself to profound cultivation, ignoring worldly affairs. Compared to Zhunti, his cultivation was also superior.
Now, for the sake of their opportunity, Zhunti was willing to set aside his dignity and beg for a seat before so many mighty cultivators, allowing Jieyin to reap the benefits. Jieyin felt a wave of discomfort and shame.
"For the sake of the opportunity in the West, I've made you lose face, Junior Brother. I truly feel ashamed. Since you and I are one body, if there is trouble, Senior Brother will of course face it with you."
Jiang Yun had quietly listened to their discussion all along. Seeing how deeply bonded and united the brothers were, willing to cast aside the dignity of great cultivators for the sake of the West's prosperity, he was filled with emotion and could not help saying, "This disciple was born in the Western Lands. Thanks to Master for not rejecting me and accepting me as a disciple, teaching me with all your heart, I am willing to advance and retreat together with Master and Martial Uncle."
"Good~"
Jieyin and Zhunti were delighted by Jiang Yun's words and answered in unison.
Zhunti took the lead and walked toward the front row of cushions, with Jieyin and Jiang Yun following closely behind. The many people sitting cross-legged behind them all cast strange looks at the three. Some were surprised, some disdainful, and some struck poses, ready to enjoy the spectacle. Every reaction could be found.
Zhunti reached the rows behind the cushions and did not act immediately. Instead, he first looked them over.
The three people seated on the first three cushions had faintly connected auras. It was obvious they came from the same lineage, and they were all immensely powerful. At a glance, they were clearly not people to provoke.
On the fourth cushion sat a female cultivator. The aura of creation surrounding her was also formidable. Behind her stood a man whose aura complemented hers, with an intent of yin and yang harmony flowing between them. He was no easy opponent either.
The man behind the woman turned around and saw the three approaching from the side. He watched them warily.
Zhunti could only offer an awkward smile.
As for the final two cushions, the fifth held a black-clad cultivator with an eagle-like face and a sinister expression. He did not look like someone who treated others kindly, and his aura had not connected with anyone else's. Most likely, he traveled alone.
As for the last person, he brought Zhunti some joy. Seeing that festive red Daoist robe, Zhunti recognized the famous good-natured man of the primordial world, who had many friends and enjoyed helping others. Although his cultivation was powerful, he never bullied the weak with his strength. Instead, he liked helping the vulnerable and sowing good karmic seeds everywhere.
A thought flashed through Zhunti's mind, and he immediately came up with a plan.
"Pitiful are my Senior Brother, my martial nephew, and I. We came from the bitter and desolate lands of the West, enduring countless hardships and dangers, crossing layer upon layer of astral winds and Chaos Storms to reach Purple Cloud Palace and listen to the Dao, all so that the living beings of the West might have a future."
"Yet after finally entering the palace, we do not even have a seat near the front. How are the three of us supposed to answer to the living beings of the West?"
His hair was loose, and his Daoist robe was somewhat disheveled, as if he had just endured a great ordeal to arrive there. His desolate, trembling sobs echoed through Purple Cloud Palace, moving everyone who heard them.
Jiang Yun was utterly stunned. He had not noticed it just moments ago, so how had his Martial Uncle suddenly changed into this appearance? Looking again, he found that his own master had also cooperated by changing his appearance and had begun acting along with his Martial Uncle.
Watching the two perform, Jiang Yun could not help feeling as if he had fallen behind. He began to feel ashamed that his lack of shamelessness had made him stand apart from the group. When faced with an opportunity, how could he fail to fight for it with everything he had just because of his dignity?
Thus, he hurriedly lowered his head and rubbed at his eyes as well.
In the hall, some mighty cultivators who had not witnessed the entire process were moved by those words, while others remained cold and unmoved.
At that moment, Hong Yun, who had been seated on a cushion, had sensed something wrong ever since Zhunti and the other two entered Purple Cloud Palace. A faint force of resistance had been coming from the cushion beneath him. At first, it was not very strong, and he suppressed it by circulating his own magic power. But as Zhunti and the others drew closer, the force grew stronger and stronger. By the time he finished listening to Zhunti's words, he already felt that he could barely suppress it.
For no apparent reason, Hong Yun suddenly felt that the cushion beneath him did not belong to him. The mighty cultivator from the West beside him was the cushion's true bearer of destiny. If an opportunity was not his, he ultimately would not be able to sit securely upon it.
Thinking this, Hong Yun, who was seated on the cushion, prepared to rise and give up his seat. However, Zhenyuanzi, seated behind him, quietly pressed him back down.
Naturally, several people observing in secret saw this scene. Although the three felt a slight sigh of disappointment at Zhenyuanzi's intervention, they did not resent him. As Hong Yun's close friend, such an action was entirely expected.
Zhunti did not give up. Seeing that Hong Yun had begun considering giving up his seat, he continued, adding even more fuel to the fire.
"Senior Brother, the two of us brothers have suffered such misery. We endured every hardship to bring prosperity to the West, only to arrive here and find that no one is willing to give us their seat. I have failed the living beings of the West. I might as well die!"
As he spoke, he moved toward the nearest pillar and prepared to slam his head against it.
The moment Zhunti moved, Jieyin immediately understood and cooperated.
"Junior Brother (Martial Uncle), you absolutely must not do this!"
As they spoke, Jieyin and Jiang Yun hurriedly grabbed Zhunti.
Then Jieyin cried out with a sorrowful expression, "The Western Lands are barren and have few talented people. It was with great difficulty that someone as mighty as my Junior Brother emerged. How can you speak so lightly of life and death? Would that not mean abandoning all living beings? The people of the West are still waiting for us to save them!"
After saying this, Jiang Yun very cooperatively wiped at the nonexistent tears in his eyes, looking utterly heartbroken.
Yet inwardly, he clicked his tongue in amazement. His elders truly were willing to go all out. To achieve their goal, not only were they thick-skinned, but their acting was also consummate. No wonder they were the legendary Western duo. He just wondered whether Ancestor Hong Yun would cooperate with the performance and voluntarily give up his seat.
Just as Jiang Yun was muttering inwardly, Hong Yun gave them his answer.
He truly could no longer remain seated on this cushion. Since someone was asking for the seat, it would be better to give it up readily and form a good affinity with them.
His good friend Zhenyuanzi had pressed him down from behind earlier; otherwise, he would have already given up the seat. Although this meant disappointing his friend's kindness, he truly had no other choice.
"Fellow Daoist, do not grieve. Come over here, and I will give you my seat!"
Hong Yun sighed inwardly, then slowly rose and spoke.
Before you continue