The Reason for Hongyun's Abdication

Buzhou Mountain, Pangu Hall.

Thirteen figures tore through the void, landing steadily before the hall.

It was Wu Ming and the Twelve Ancestor Witches, returning from Zixiao Palace.

"Hah... home feels best!" Zhurong said boisterously.

"Staying in Chaos too long chokes a man." Gonggong shook his head, dispersing the lingering Chaotic aura.

Wu Ming said nothing, walking straight into the depths of Pangu Hall.

At the center of the hall, a figure had long been standing still, his Dao Rhythm restrained—it was Zhou Ming.

"Fellow Daoist." Wu Ming stepped forward and gave a slight nod.

Zhou Ming nodded in return: "You've worked hard, Fellow Daoist."

Wu Ming approached and shared all his insights and experiences from listening to the Dao at Zixiao Palace with Zhou Ming.

Zhou Ming listened quietly, his expression as calm as still water.

He already knew the gist of these matters through his Primordial Spirit connection with Wu Ming, but hearing Wu Ming recount them in person made the details clearer.

After listening, Zhou Ming pondered briefly, then made a decision.

"Hongjun preaches the Dao, which is the immortal path of the Mystic Gate, but the Great Dao has three thousand paths, all leading to the same destination."

""All of you shall enter seclusion with me."

"Combine the essence of the immortal path Hongjun taught with the Law Dao inherited by our Witch Clan, cross-referencing and drawing parallels."

"Yes, Big Brother!" the Twelve Ancestor Witches answered in unison.

Pangu Hall fell silent once more, with only intangible fluctuations of Law interweaving, colliding, and sublimating within.

At the same time, the primordial great beings returning to various parts of the Primordial Wilderness—such as the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Di Jun, and Taiyi—also chose to enter seclusion.

That phrase, "All beneath Sage are ants," struck like a hammer blow, pounding into everyone's hearts and igniting an unprecedented fervor for cultivation.

For a time, the Primordial Wilderness saw fewer conflicts and gained a rare peace.

Years flowed by; in the blink of an eye, ten thousand years passed.

Buzhou Mountain, Pangu Hall.

Wave after wave of formidable auras awakened in succession, shaking the void.

The figures of Wu Ming and the Twelve Ancestor Witches emerged one by one from their seclusion chambers.

Ten thousand years of seclusion had yielded enormous gains!

By combining the mysteries of Hongjun's immortal path with the Law Dao they controlled for cross-verification, their cultivation had advanced significantly.

All Twelve Ancestor Witches had stepped into the peak of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, their bodies wrapped in Law, their auras far stronger than ten thousand years ago.

Among them, Dijiang and Zhujiuyin had even vaguely touched that profound threshold, only a step away from Golden Immortal of the Origin.

Wu Ming's own realm was also firmly at the peak of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, and his understanding of the Law of Strength had grown ever deeper.

Meanwhile, across the Primordial Wilderness, the great beings who had been in seclusion also began to awaken one after another.

After ten thousand years of digestion, everyone's cultivation had made great strides, and the land of the Primordial Wilderness grew lively once more.

Some great beings chose to continue their seclusion, striving for higher realms; others began to travel the Primordial Wilderness, seeking opportunities or visiting Fellow Daoists to debate the Dao.

One day, two figures crossed endless mountains and rivers, arriving at the foot of Buzhou Mountain.

It was Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun.

Ten thousand years had passed, and Hongyun seemed to have moved past the loss of his Cushion, his face regaining some of its former easygoing demeanor.

"Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, Fellow Daoist Hongyun, it's good to see you both well." Wu Ming personally came out to greet them, followed by the Twelve Ancestor Witches with their auras restrained.

"Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, your bearing remains as splendid as ever, even surpassing the past." Zhen Yuanzi returned the greeting with a bow, his gaze sweeping over Wu Ming and the Twelve Ancestor Witches.

Hongyun also smiled and cupped his hands: "We've troubled you, Fellow Daoist."

"Two Fellow Daoists have come from afar; please, come inside." Wu Ming turned to lead the way.

Inside Pangu Hall, host and guests took their seats.

After offering fragrant spiritual tea and a few brief pleasantries, they got straight to the point.

A Dao debate began.

Wu Ming and the Twelve Ancestor Witches expounded their understanding and application of Law.

Zhen Yuanzi, using the Earth Book formed from the Earth's fetal membrane, spoke of his path of bearing all with virtue and unmatched defense.

Hongyun shared his insights on spontaneity, naturalness, and deep fortune.

The immortal path of the Mystic Gate and the Law Dao of the Witch Clan clashed, merged, and cross-validated here.

Sometimes Laws manifested; sometimes Dao Rhythms filled the air.

This debate lasted a full thousand years.

After a thousand years, the debate concluded, and both sides had gained immensely.

The atmosphere within the hall grew even more harmonious as a result.

Wu Ming lifted the warm spirit tea before him.

Wu Ming raised the spirit tea, took a sip, and slowly set it back down.

He looked at Hongyun, his tone calm.

"Fellow Daoist Hongyun, there is one matter I have never understood, long buried in my heart. Today, having enjoyed this discussion of the Dao to the fullest, I take the liberty to ask, and I hope you will answer truthfully."

Hongyun set down his teacup, a trace of confusion on his face. "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, ask whatever you wish. So long as Hongyun knows, I will not conceal it."

Zhen Yuanzi also looked at Wu Ming, wondering what he intended to ask.

"The matter of the cushion in Zixiao Palace," Wu Ming said slowly, his tone flat. "Why did you yield it to Zhunti back then?"

The smile on Hongyun's face froze instantly, and the hand holding his teacup paused slightly.

The atmosphere in the hall seemed to chill in an instant.

"Fellow Daoist, you should recall that I warned you at the time—that cushion held immense opportunity, and you must not give it away lightly," Wu Ming pressed on, giving Hongyun no chance to evade.

"I could sense that when you yielded the cushion, your heart was full of struggle and reluctance."

"Yet in the end, you still chose to step aside."

"Why is that?"

Hongyun's expression shifted, his fingers tightening around the teacup.

That scene in Zixiao Palace was an indelible pain in his heart.

Ten thousand years had passed, and he thought he had gradually let it go, but now, with Wu Ming confronting him directly, the regret, the resentment, and the deep confusion surged back into his heart.

Zhen Yuanzi watched his friend from the side, sighed softly, but said nothing.

He knew this question had to be faced eventually.

After a long silence, Hongyun raised his head, his face thick with bitterness and helplessness.

He set down his teacup, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"To be honest with you, Fellow Daoist Wu Ming... ah..."

"I did heed your warning at the time. I knew that cushion was no ordinary thing, tied to the path ahead."

"At first, I was firmly resolved never to yield."

"But... but when Jieyin and Zhunti began to weep, especially when they cried so pitifully, their voices dripping with blood, speaking of the West's barrenness and the hardship of seeking the Dao..."

"I... my heart couldn't help but soften."

"I admit, this nature of mine... alas, I cannot bear to see others suffer."

Zhen Yuanzi added from the side, "Fellow Daoist Hongyun is kind-hearted, always has been."

"That's only part of it." Hongyun shook his head, a flicker of fear and deeper confusion crossing his face. "More importantly, at that moment, a fierce sense of crisis inexplicably rose in my heart!"

"In the depths of my being, a voice—or rather, an intuition—was frantically telling me..."

"If I did not yield that seat, I would be seizing a great opportunity that was not rightfully mine, and in the future... in the future, a calamity beyond measure would surely descend!!"

"That feeling came without reason, yet it was so clear, so real! As if the Heavenly Dao itself was warning me!"