"On one side was your earnest warning, Daoist friend; on the other was that Death Omen that left me unable to sit or stand, along with my sympathy for those two from the West..."
"In the end... in the end, I still couldn't withstand that invisible pressure or the reluctance in my heart... and chose to give up my seat."
"After I gave up my seat, that Sense of Crisis vanished instantly. But in my heart... I felt empty, as though I had lost something incomparably important."
After Hong Yun finished speaking, his face was full of remorse and lingering fear.
Wu Ming listened quietly, without the slightest change in expression.
Just as I thought. How could the great momentum of the Heavenly Dao be so easily changed?
Hong Yun's personality had been the trigger, but that clear Sense of Crisis was probably what had truly driven him to give up his seat.
It had been the covert interference and machinations of the Heavenly Dao—or rather, the Sages.
They had exploited Hong Yun's weakness and added the threat of death to force him to submit.
This Cushion had been prepared for Jieyin and Zhunti from the beginning.
Wu Ming understood everything in his heart and looked calmly at Hong Yun.
"Daoist friend, do you know that what you gave up was more than just a seat?"
Hong Yun abruptly raised his head, the confusion on his face deepening.
"Daoist friend Wu Ming, what do you mean?"
Wu Ming did not answer directly. Instead, he asked a question of his own.
"Have you ever wondered why, in the vast Zixiao Palace, with Three Thousand Great Beings gathered together, only those six Cushions were different?"
Hong Yun froze. He had never given that question any serious thought.
"Why?" Hong Yun truly did not know. He had only felt that the Cushions were extraordinarily profound. Sitting upon one cleared the Primordial Spirit and brought it into harmony with the Dao—truly a heaven-defying opportunity. Yet he had never pondered what that signified.
Zhen Yuanzi also furrowed his brows, clearly drawn into thought by Wu Ming's words.
"Because those six Cushions were prepared by the Sages for their future disciples."
"Buzz!"
Hong Yun felt a roar explode inside his head, and his entire person went numb.
"Disciples?" Zhen Yuanzi cried out, his face filled with disbelief.
"Not only that."
"Those who obtained one of those Cushions will, barring unforeseen circumstances, all be able to become Sages in the future!"
"W-What?!" Hong Yun abruptly rose to his feet.
"Become a Sage... a Saint position?!"
Zhen Yuanzi's face also revealed shock, and the hand holding his teacup remained suspended in midair.
"What you're saying... is it really true?"
"Absolutely true." Wu Ming's tone was firm and decisive.
Zhen Yuanzi's face was filled with astonishment as he looked at Wu Ming.
"Daoist friend Wu Ming, this matter is of enormous importance. How... how did you learn such detailed information?"
Wu Ming met Zhen Yuanzi's gaze.
"This concerns a secret of the Witch Clan, so I cannot elaborate." Wu Ming did not explain further. "But every word I've spoken is true. After the Second Preaching ends, Daoist friend, you will understand that I was not speaking falsely."
Hong Yun collapsed back into his seat, his soul seeming to leave his body. "So... does that mean I... gave up a Saint position?!"
Wu Ming looked at him and continued speaking.
"At first, I thought so too." Wu Ming shook his head. "But after hearing you describe what you felt when you gave up your seat, I finally understood completely."
"Those six positions had been prepared for the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti from the very beginning."
"The great momentum of the Heavenly Dao and the Sages' machinations meant that, Daoist friend, you were destined to be unable to hold that position."
"I see..." Hong Yun suddenly understood, then gave a bitter laugh. "No wonder... no wonder I felt such an intense Sense of Crisis when I was unwilling to give up my seat. So it was Heaven's Will..."
Wu Ming changed the subject. "What you should be considering now isn't the Saint position you've already lost—one that never belonged to you in the first place. It's how to resolve your Karma with Kunpeng."
"Because you gave up your seat, Kunpeng indirectly lost his position. Although Kunpeng would ultimately have been unable to keep that position, he doesn't know the truth. He will only charge that debt to you."
"Regardless of the truth behind the Cushions' ownership, in Kunpeng's eyes, you were the one who gave up your seat first, giving Jieyin and Zhunti the opportunity to force him to surrender the fifth Cushion."
"In his eyes, what he lost was likewise a future Saint position!"
"This Dao-Blocking Grudge is irreconcilable!"
"Even if you told him everything I've said today, word for word, and told him that the Cushion had never belonged to him, do you think..."
"Would Kunpeng believe you? Would he be willing to believe you?"
Zhen Yuanzi said solemnly, "Daoist friend Wu Ming is absolutely right. The struggle over the Saint positions is the greatest Karma in the Primordial Wilderness. Kunpeng's temperament is already solitary and vindictive, and he suffered such profound humiliation in the Zixiao Palace this time. He will definitely charge this debt to you, Daoist friend Hong Yun."
Hong Yun's expression became unbearably ugly once more, turning even paler than when he had learned that he had missed out on a "Saint position."
Hong Yun's expression grew increasingly bitter. "Sigh... It is indeed I who implicated Daoist friend Kunpeng in this matter. Even if the Saint positions were predetermined, Daoist friend Kunpeng certainly won't believe it."
Zhen Yuanzi frowned. "The Karma of a Saint position involves too much. This..."
"This... how can Karma involving a Saint position be resolved? I'm afraid... it will be a fight to the death..." Despair filled Hong Yun's eyes.
"Actually, it isn't completely impossible to resolve." Wu Ming slowly spoke. "It only depends on whether you... are willing to pay the price."
Hong Yun abruptly raised his head, a glimmer of hope igniting in his eyes. "Oh? You actually have a way? You can help me and Daoist friend Kunpeng resolve this Karma? Daoist friend, don't deceive me!"
"Of course I wouldn't." Wu Ming's tone was certain. "You and I have known each other for many years. You should know what kind of person I am."
"However, there's no use telling you about this method now."
"After the Third Preaching, I will naturally tell you how to resolve it. I only hope that, when the time comes, you won't be unwilling to let go."
Hong Yun did not hesitate. His answer was firm and decisive.
"Never! So long as I can resolve this Karma with Daoist friend Kunpeng, I'll willingly pay any price, no matter how great!"
Zhen Yuanzi watched Hong Yun's resolute expression, wanting to speak but ultimately saying nothing. In the end, he only nodded lightly.
"I only hope that what you've said today isn't merely a moment of impulse. When the time comes... don't regret it because the price is too great and refuse to part with it."
Hong Yun drew a deep breath. His gaze became incomparably resolute, and he solemnly bowed to Wu Ming.
"Rest assured, Daoist friend Wu Ming! So long as I can resolve this Karma with Daoist friend Kunpeng, even if I must pay my entire fortune, Hong Yun won't so much as furrow his brow! I will never regret it!"
Wu Ming nodded slightly.
"Good. Since Daoist friend has made up your mind, we'll discuss it after the Third Preaching."
He had said everything that needed to be said, and hinted at everything that needed to be pointed out.
With matters having reached this point, the atmosphere inside the hall grew somewhat heavy.
After chatting idly for a while longer, Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun rose to bid their farewells.
"Thank you both for your frank explanation today, Daoist friend Wu Ming. You've resolved many of the doubts in our hearts.
"Hong Yun and I have troubled you for quite some time. We'll take our leave now."
"Once we've digested what we gained, we'll return to spend time with you again."
Hong Yun also clasped his hands in farewell to Wu Ming and the Twelve Ancestor Witches. Although his worries about Kunpeng had not diminished, he finally had a glimmer of hope for resolving the matter.
"Take care, fellow Daoists."
Wu Ming rose to see them off.
Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun did not linger. They transformed into two streaks of light and swiftly left the territory of Buzhou Mountain.