Buzhou Mountain, Pangu Hall.
Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun appeared outside the hall.
Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun stood side by side. "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, I'm Zhen Yuanzi, and this is Hong Yun. We've come to pay you a visit."
Before long, the hall doors opened, and Wu Ming appeared.
His gaze lingered on Hong Yun for a moment before he gave a slight nod.
"Fellow Daoists, please come in."
Wu Ming ushered Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun into the hall.
After a few simple pleasantries, Hong Yun was the first to break the silence. He looked at Wu Ming and spoke solemnly.
"Fellow Daoist Wu Ming."
"I've thought it through."
"I've decided to give the Hongmeng Purple Qi to Fellow Daoist Kunpeng, thereby settling the Karma between us."
As soon as he said this, even Wu Ming, whose temperament was usually steady, couldn't help looking up at Hong Yun.
He had originally thought that Hong Yun would at least struggle and agonize for a long time. After all, that was the Hongmeng Purple Qi—the foundation of becoming a Saint, and the only temptation of its kind in the Primordial Wilderness.
He hadn't expected Hong Yun to reach a decision so quickly.
That decisiveness made Wu Ming regard him with greater respect.
Although Wu Ming regretted that Hong Yun would lose his chance at a Saint position, being able to let go of his Obsession and settle his Karma might not be a bad thing for him.
He looked up at Hong Yun and confirmed, "Fellow Daoist, have you decided?"
"Yes, I have." Hong Yun nodded, his tone utterly resolute.
Although his heart had felt as if it were being cut by knives when he made the decision, now that he had spoken it aloud, he instead felt as though he had set down a heavy burden.
He put down his teacup and stood. "Good. Since you've made your decision, we shouldn't delay."
"We'll set out now and look for Fellow Daoist Kunpeng."
Wu Ming slowly nodded. "Good."
"Since you've already made your decision, there's no time to waste."
"Let's go find Fellow Daoist Kunpeng now."
Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun naturally had no objections.
The three immediately set out and left Pangu Hall.
However, after flying for a while, Zhen Yuanzi noticed that they were heading in the wrong direction.
He asked, "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, weren't we going to the North Nether to look for Fellow Daoist Kunpeng?"
"Why are we heading toward the Heavenly Court?"
Wu Ming looked back at them in surprise. "Hmm? Don't you two know that Kunpeng has already joined the Demon Clan's Heavenly Court?"
"What?!" Zhen Yuanzi exclaimed.
Hong Yun's expression changed dramatically. "Kunpeng... joined the Heavenly Court? When did that happen?"
To them, this news was no different from a bolt from the blue.
"Not long after the Dao Ancestor finished preaching at Zixiao Palace, Di Jun and Taiyi personally conferred a title upon him, honoring him as the Demon Master. His status was beneath only the two brothers, Nuwa, and Fuxi."
"This matter has already spread throughout the Primordial Wilderness."
"The Demon Clan must have done it deliberately, to intimidate petty schemers and strengthen their prestige."
Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun exchanged glances, both seeing complicated emotions in the other's eyes.
Shock, disbelief, and a trace of lingering fear and relief.
"I never expected... Kunpeng would choose to join the Demon Clan just to deal with me!" Hong Yun muttered, a chill spreading through his heart.
"The Demon Master... What a grand move! Di Jun and Taiyi were certainly willing to pay a hefty price to win Kunpeng over." Zhen Yuanzi muttered, his brows tightly furrowed.
Hong Yun's heart sank.
Kunpeng was already overwhelmingly powerful. Now he had the backing of the Demon Clan's Heavenly Court and had been made the Demon Master, granting him an exalted status.
If he had truly been blinded by the Hongmeng Purple Qi before and chosen to resist head-on...
The consequences would have been unthinkable!
Not only would he likely have died and vanished from the world, but he might also have implicated his good friend Zhen Yuanzi and even dragged the Witch Clan into the conflict.
That was absolutely not the outcome they wanted to see.
Zhen Yuanzi gave a bitter smile. "After I returned from Zixiao Palace with Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, I went straight back to Wuzhuang Temple."
"Fellow Daoist Hong Yun had been troubled by the matter of the Hongmeng Purple Qi all along. Once he made his decision, he immediately came to look for you."
"During that time, we truly hadn't paid attention to what was happening in the Primordial Wilderness."
"I see." Wu Ming nodded.
The three said no more. They transformed into three streaks of light and sped toward the Demon Clan's Heavenly Court above the Nine Heavens.
Southern Heavenly Gate.
The imposing gate stood among the clouds, radiating countless rays of golden light and auspicious energy.
Wu Ming, Zhen Yuanzi, and Hong Yun landed before the gate.
Hong Yun stepped forward and called out loudly, "Fellow Daoist Kunpeng, I'm Hong Yun. I've come to pay you a visit. I hope you'll come out and meet me!"
His voice traveled far, pierced through the clouds, and reached the depths of the Heavenly Court.
Inside Lingxiao Treasure Hall.
Kunpeng was discussing matters with Di Jun and Taiyi. When he heard Hong Yun's voice, his face instantly turned livid, and icy air erupted from his body.
"Hong—Yun—!" He abruptly stood, gnashing his teeth. "How dare he come here? What does he want? Is he here to mock me?"
"Good, good, good! There's a road to heaven, yet you refuse to take it; there's no gate to hell, yet you barge right in!"
Killing intent gleamed from Kunpeng's eyes as he turned to Di Jun and Taiyi. "Your Majesty! Your Highness the Eastern Emperor!"
"I hope the two of you will lend me a hand. Today, I must capture Hong Yun! I'll tear him to pieces and vent the hatred in my heart!"
Di Jun lightly tapped the armrest, his expression unchanged, though his gaze grew deeper.
He glanced at the furious Kunpeng and said calmly, "Demon Master, calm down."
"Want to capture Hong Yun? I'm afraid it won't be that easy."
"Capture Hong Yun? I'm afraid it won't be that easy."
Di Jun's gaze seemed to pierce through Lingxiao Treasure Hall and see what was happening outside the Southern Heavenly Gate.
"This time, he didn't come alone."
"Wu Ming and Zhen Yuanzi accompanied him."
"What?!" Kunpeng's fury intensified. "Good! That despicable wretch! It wasn't enough to steal my opportunity—he even brought helpers to humiliate me!"
"What insolence! What insolence!"
"I'll tear him to pieces, grind his bones to dust, and annihilate his True Spirit!"
Taiyi frowned slightly beside him. He also felt that Hong Yun's visit was ill-intentioned.
Di Jun, however, shook his head. "Demon Master, calm yourself."
"Although Hong Yun is somewhat pedantic, he isn't the treacherous sort. He brought Wu Ming and Zhen Yuanzi with him, so he probably isn't here to mock you."
"We'll go out and see what he's really up to."
Kunpeng forcibly suppressed the fury in his heart, but his expression remained so gloomy that it seemed water might drip from it.
He snorted. "Hmph! It's fine. Let's go take a look!"
"I want to see what tricks he can come up with!"
"Could it be... that he came to give me the Hongmeng Purple Qi? Hahaha!"
By the end, even Kunpeng himself found the idea absurd. He couldn't help letting out a dry laugh filled with self-mockery.
Di Jun and Taiyi exchanged a glance.
Give him the Hongmeng Purple Qi?
Heh.
Kunpeng was truly so furious that he'd lost his mind. What kind of foolish dream was he having?
In this Primordial Wilderness, aside from the Dao Ancestor, who could possess such courage?
Hong Yun? That old pushover?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
"Let's go. We'll know once we take a look." Di Jun rose and headed out of the hall first.
The three said no more. They rose and left Lingxiao Treasure Hall, heading toward the Southern Heavenly Gate.
Outside the Southern Heavenly Gate.
Di Jun, Taiyi, and Kunpeng appeared.
The moment Kunpeng appeared and saw Hong Yun, he could no longer control the fury that had been building inside him. He shouted harshly, "Hong Yun! How dare you come see me!"
Facing Kunpeng's overwhelming fury, a trace of guilt appeared on Hong Yun's face. He saluted with clasped hands. "Fellow Daoist Kunpeng."
"As for the matter of the Cushions at Zixiao Palace, I truly failed to think things through and implicated you."
"I feel guilty about it."
"I've come this time to settle this Karma between us."
Hearing this, Kunpeng laughed in his fury. "Settle the Karma?"
"Hahaha! You make it sound so easy!"
"That was a Saint position! The Hongmeng Purple Qi! The opportunity to become a Saint!"
"You ruined my path! You cut off my future!"
"This is an irreconcilable grudge! Tell me, how do you intend to settle it?!"
"With your life?!"
The killing intent around Kunpeng had nearly solidified. Clearly, if Hong Yun said even one wrong thing, he would attack immediately!
Di Jun and Taiyi stood to the side, watching coldly.
They were also curious to see how Hong Yun intended to settle this irreconcilable Karma.
Hong Yun raised his head and looked directly into Kunpeng's venomous eyes. He spoke clearly, one word at a time:
"I'm willing to give the Hongmeng Purple Qi to you."
"With it, we can settle the Karma between us."