East King Duke's Ambitions (Please Follow, Please Vote!)

After some reflections, the Great Divine Ability Users had no intention of lingering in the chaos any longer and prepared to leave in groups of two or three.

At this moment, Dijun and Taiyi, surrounded by the great powers of the 'Yao Race Heavenly Court' faction, approached East King Duke. Dijun said meaningfully, "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Chunyang. You have been appointed by the Saint to oversee the Immortal Dao on Teacher Hongjun's behalf! Even I, the Heavenly Emperor, must submit to your supervision within the order of the Immortal Dao."

Seeing Dijun, Taiyi, and the great powers of the 'Yao Race Heavenly Court' confront East King Duke, the Great Divine Ability Users who had been preparing to leave instantly perked up and settled in to watch the show!

After all, these Great Divine Ability Users had long harbored resentment toward Dijun and Taiyi. None of them wanted the 'Yao Race Heavenly Court' to rule the Primordial World.

If that happened, would not even they, the Great Divine Ability Users, become Dijun and Taiyi's subjects, bound by the 'Yao Race Heavenly Court'?

That was something none of the Great Divine Ability Users could accept!

However, Dijun and Taiyi had established the 'Yao Race Heavenly Court' with the decree of the Saint of Purple Firmament Palace, so they were in no position to criticize it!

Now that the Saint of Purple Firmament Palace had appointed another leader of the Immortal Dao to govern the immortals of the Primordial World, they were quite dissatisfied, but beneath the Saint's majesty, none dared voice their opposition.

Now that Dijun and Taiyi had clashed with East King Duke, it was as if a stifling breath had finally been released from their chests, leaving them utterly delighted!

"Fellow Daoist Dijun, you overstate it. You are the Heavenly Emperor of the Primordial World, governing all time and space, and all living beings among immortals, gods, yao, and demons! Though I have been appointed Head of Male Immortals by Teacher Hongjun, within the Heavenly Dao Order, I am no different from the rest of you, merely your subordinate."

Feeling the gazes cast his way by the many Great Divine Ability Users, East King Duke looked calmly and neither humbly nor arrogantly at Dijun, Taiyi, and the others, expertly drawing a wave of hatred toward the 'Yao Race Heavenly Court'!

Sure enough, upon hearing East King Duke's words, the faces of the Great Divine Ability Users watching the spectacle darkened at once. They looked as uncomfortable as if they had swallowed a fly.

The way they looked at Dijun, Taiyi, and the great powers of the 'Yao Race Heavenly Court' behind them changed completely!

Dijun gave East King Duke a deep look, his face revealing neither joy nor anger. "Fellow Daoist Chunyang truly deserves to be the Head of Male Immortals appointed by Teacher Hongjun. What quick wit—and what a fine argument about being a 'subordinate'!"

With that, Dijun pulled along Taiyi, whose face brimmed with killing intent, and departed for the Primordial World amid the escort of the great powers of the 'Yao Race Heavenly Court.'

After the people of the 'Yao Race Heavenly Court' left, the Great Divine Ability Users who had enjoyed the show also dispersed one after another before long!

Gazing at Dijun, surrounded like the moon by a host of stars, a trace of envy and jealousy rose in East King Duke's heart. The sight of Dijun, spirited and high-spirited as he had been when the 'Yao Race Heavenly Court' was established, with crowds flocking before and behind him, surfaced uncontrollably in his mind.

The seed of ambition planted earlier gradually began to take root and sprout. How could a great man, born between Heaven and Earth, remain dejected beneath another for long?

"I am the leader of all immortals. How can I remain beneath feathered beasts? If he, Dijun, can establish the 'Yao Race Heavenly Court,' then it is only natural that I, overseeing the Immortal Dao on the Saint's behalf, establish an Immortal Court as well..."

A nameless blaze of jealousy rose within him, and East King Duke conceived the thought of establishing an Immortal Court and contending for supremacy in the Primordial World.

Yet East King Duke had not been blinded by desire. The 'Yao Race Heavenly Court' was overwhelmingly powerful—how could he, with Purple Mansion Prefecture alone, establish an order for the Immortal Dao?

Involuntarily, the Head of Female Immortals, Queen Mother of the West, came to mind. If he could bring this woman aboard, Purple Mansion Immortal Court's hopes of shaping the order of the Immortal Dao would rise considerably!

If they could go a step further, Purple Mansion Immortal Court might one day even transform into the Purple Mansion Heavenly Court!

Thinking of this, East King Duke hurried to Queen Mother of the West's side and eagerly ingratiated himself. "Fellow Daoist Xihua, Teacher Hongjun has appointed the two of us as the leaders of all immortals, entrusting us to oversee the order of the Immortal Dao and govern the immortals under Heaven on his behalf. In the future, I hope that you and I may grow closer, work together with one heart, and jointly ease Teacher Hongjun's burdens!"

Glancing at the high-spirited East King Duke, a trace of gloom flashed through Queen Mother of the West's eyes. She secretly shook her head. This Fellow Daoist Chunyang has been dazzled by the empty title of Head of Male Immortals. Does he not know how immense the karmic burden borne by the Head of Male Immortals is? Pangu Sanqing, Jieyin, Zhunti, Dijun, Taiyi, and the rest are all male immortals. How could they willingly remain subordinate to another?

At that thought, Queen Mother of the West's phoenix eyes slightly moved. Shaking her head, she said, "Fellow Daoist Chunyang, Teacher Hongjun has already shaped the order of the Immortal Dao. Though you and I bear the empty titles of Head of Male Immortals and Head of Female Immortals, we merely act on the Saint's behalf. As for governing the immortals, we need only let nature take its course. Otherwise, when karmic Sinful Power descends, neither of us will be able to mend what has been broken! There are still matters requiring my attention in my dojo, so I will not linger to disturb you, Fellow Daoist Chunyang..."

With that, Queen Mother of the West headed for the Primordial World without looking back. Having seen through the karma involved, she naturally would not follow East King Duke into these murky waters.

Kunlun Mountain, Sanqing Palace.

After the sermon ended, the Three Pure Ones Daoists returned to their dojo.

Three powerful auras, their pressure enveloping the cosmos, rose up, naturally alarming Lu Yuan and Daoist Duobao, who were cultivating in seclusion within the side hall.

Seeing the three seniors again, Lu Yuan felt that the auras around Eldest Martial Uncle, Second Martial Uncle, and Master had become even more ethereal and unfathomable. They faintly carried the feeling of merging with Heaven and Earth, as though they had stepped into a deeper realm of the Dao, profound as Incarnations of the Great Dao.

With just one glance, Lu Yuan and Daoist Duobao both gained no small measure of insight.

"Congratulations to Eldest Martial Uncle, Second Martial Uncle, and Master on advancing your cultivation and Dao. This disciple wishes for the three seniors to soon obtain the Primordial Dao Fruit!"

Knowing that the Three Pure Ones had stepped onto the path of the Quasi-Saint and cultivated the secret art of 'Severing the Three Corpses,' Lu Yuan immediately offered some emotional validation, causing the faint gloom pent up in the Three Pure Ones' hearts to dissipate completely.

At Purple Firmament Palace, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had said that among the three thousand guests of Purple Firmament Palace, not one could Prove the Dao of Hunyuan within ten thousand kalpas. Only those with destiny could attain the Dao Fruit of a Heavenly Dao Saint.

This had dealt no small blow to the ever-proud Pangu Sanqing!

Furthermore, the Saint of Purple Firmament Palace had actually appointed a Head of Male Immortals. Even though they understood the intention behind it, the Three Pure Ones Daoists still felt thoroughly displeased.

After all, men fought for a breath of pride, gods fought for a stick of incense. Who would be willing to have another Head of Male Immortals above them, able to restrain them? Not even in name!

Only after hearing Lu Yuan's flattery did the gloom pent up in the Three Pure Ones' hearts finally disperse.

After all, during this visit to Purple Firmament Palace to hear the Dao, they had severed one corpse and advanced to the Mid Quasi-Saint realm. Their cultivation and Dao had risen greatly, and they had taken a solid, immense step forward upon the road to Proving the Dao.

Moreover, the Three Pure Ones had a feeling that the destined individuals Dao Ancestor Hongjun spoke of—the ones who could attain the Dao Fruit of a Heavenly Dao Saint—seemed to be connected to the six Purple Cushions in the first row of Purple Firmament Palace.

"Qingxuanzi, you do have some discernment. You actually managed to see that your master's cultivation has advanced greatly!" Shangqing Tongtian Daoist cast Lu Yuan a glance, a trace of surprise appearing in his eyes.