Hearing Jieyin's words, Zhunti came to his senses as well.
Heavenly Emperor?
That was something only the Dao Ancestor could decide.
Even if they drove Haotian from his position, it didn't mean a Western Region cultivator would take his place.
And they might not even be able to drive Haotian out.
Once he had come to his senses, Zhunti saw things with perfect clarity.
He immediately said to Jieyin, "Senior Brother!
We still have to refine spirit treasures later. Even if we can't match the quality of the ones Haotian made, we should at least make some that can improve conditions in the Western Region.
Let's begin calculating."
Seeing that Zhunti had come around, Jieyin nodded. "Good."
The two Sages began forming hand seals.
One piece of information after another flashed through their minds.
A little while later.
Zhunti's face flushed red, and his hands stopped forming seals.
There was only one reason!
He was furious.
After a moment of silence, Zhunti cried out, "O boundless Azure Heaven, why are you so cruel to me?"
Hearing this, Jieyin quickly stopped Zhunti before he could say anything more.
"Junior Brother!
Stop!"
At Jieyin's sharp reprimand, Zhunti hurriedly shut his mouth.
In the Primordial World, cursing the heavens and denouncing the earth could easily bring down a lightning strike.
Not even Sages were exempt.
After all, above the Sages stood Dao Ancestor Hongjun.
Only after stopping Zhunti did Jieyin offer words of comfort.
"Junior Brother, there's no need to be like this!
We're not the only ones among the Six Sages of the Primordial World without an Innate Supreme Treasure.
Nuwa and Tongtian don't have one either.
Even if the Three Pure Ones get along well, each of them founded their own Great Sect in the end.
Compared to them, we still have an advantage.
At least there are two of us Sages."
Jieyin's words made Zhunti feel much better.
He nodded. "Forget it!
Let's get back to refining spirit treasures!"
"Good!"
Meanwhile, after Haotian returned to the Heavenly Court,
he began considering how to bring some members of the Demon Race into the Heavenly Court.
Simply going up and attacking them didn't seem appropriate.
Nuwa was still watching, after all.
If he was going to offend her, he had to make sure she had nothing to say about it.
After thinking for a while, Haotian suddenly came up with an idea.
He would take a walk through the Primordial World!
There were so many members of the Demon Race that if he wandered around, he was bound to come across some who had committed heinous deeds.
Now that the Demon Court had been abolished, the Heavenly Court hadn't yet had the chance to govern the Primordial World, and Nuwa hadn't imposed many restrictions on them either.
Could he really expect the Demon Race, left to their own devices, to devote themselves to good?
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
But wandering aimlessly and suddenly turning his attention to the Demon Race would make his intentions far too obvious.
He needed a suitable pretext.
Demon Purge?
What was there to purge?
It had only been a few dozen Yuanhui since the Measure Calamity ended.
For those who lived forever, a few dozen Yuanhui was a little too long to call a nap.
But it was still just an insignificant stretch of time.
If he launched a Demon Purge right away, anyone with eyes would know he was targeting the Demon Race.
After mulling it over for a while, Haotian's eyes suddenly lit up.
The Measure Calamity had ended only recently. Didn't that mean there must be countless Lost Souls in the Primordial World?
Though the Underworld now existed,
its specific duties had yet to be established.
Lost Souls reached the Underworld only by following an instinctive pull while still dazed, soon after their deaths.
Once they regained consciousness, they would remain stranded in the Mortal Realm, unable to undergo Reincarnation.
As the Heavenly Emperor, how could I sit by while living beings suffered?
I must deliver them!
I have to deliver them!
Saving them from their misery is my duty!
Once the idea occurred to him, Haotian could no longer hold back.
He immediately closed his eyes, focused his mind, and silently worked out the scripture for delivering Lost Souls.
Delivering them with great Mana was certainly possible.
But Haotian was the Heavenly Emperor, and his primary cultivation was the Imperial Dao Law.
With his words taking effect as law, using scripture to deliver them was the wisest choice.
As for scripture, Haotian knew a few lines.
With scattered memories and the deductions of his own cultivation, he only had to make a few appropriate revisions to turn it into something of his own.
Before long.
Haotian slowly opened his eyes. With a thought, he recorded the scripture he had devised onto several Jade Slips.
He rose and left the quiet chamber, making his way to the Jade Pool Immortal Realm.
After finding Yaochi, Haotian said, "I intend to descend to the Mortal Realm and deliver Lost Souls.
I'll have to trouble you to take care of the many affairs of the Heavenly Court during this time."
Hearing Haotian's words, Yaochi replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured!
I'll take good care of the Heavenly Court.
But didn't Your Majesty say you were going to find people to fill the vacancies in the Heavenly Court?
Why...?"
Hearing Yaochi's question, Haotian said, "That can wait!
I have my reasons.
..."
After giving her a few instructions, Haotian left the Heavenly Court.
On the shores of the South Sea.
Haotian looked out at the vast South Sea.
There were quite a few Lost Souls within it, but after giving it some thought, Haotian decided not to venture deeper into the sea.
The purpose of delivering Lost Souls this time was to draw out a pretext for targeting the Demon Race.
He hadn't come solely to deliver Lost Souls.
Thus, Haotian's goal was clear.
He would travel north from the south, gathering evidence of the Demon Race's misdeeds along the way.
Once he had gathered enough, it would be time to reveal his true purpose.
Haotian sat cross-legged on the shore.
With a thought, the Imperial Dao Law manifested, and Ten Thousandfold Amplification activated.
Once everything was ready, Haotian began to recite, "Once, within Chaos, in Zixiao Palace,
I received the measureless, supreme teachings from Haotian to deliver all beings.
Heavenly Emperor Haotian now expounds this scripture..."
As Haotian spoke, Ten Thousandfold Amplification sent the ethereal Dao Sound spreading far and wide.
Every Lost Soul within hundreds of thousands of miles could hear it.
Across mountains and lakes, rivers and seas,
all the souls of the dead—whether Wandering Ghosts, Spirit Binders, or Water Ghosts—
broke free of their restraints and hurried toward Haotian.
As time passed, the area around Haotian filled with Lost Souls.
Countless spirit forms, numbering no fewer than a million, stood in neat rows three zhang away.
As Haotian continued reciting, the dazed Lost Souls regained their clarity.
Even those who had once worn savage expressions now looked peaceful.
After reciting the scripture several times, Haotian was about to continue with the next one.
But just then, a furious roar rang out from the distance.
"**Hey!
What wild Daoist is this?
How dare you take the Wandering Ghosts under this King's command?
Come here and accept your death!**"
Hearing the roar, Haotian secretly rejoiced.
He had thought he'd have to travel a long way before he found someone stupid enough to provoke him.
He hadn't expected a member of the Demon Race to show up right on his first day.
Haotian swept the area with his Spiritual Sense and saw a Tiger Demon, transformed into a burly man, standing not far away.
But Haotian didn't respond at once. He continued reciting the scripture.
Since the person he had been waiting for had arrived, there was no need to hurry over what to do with him.
Haotian's expression remained calm, and he continued reciting. He would finish the scripture and deliver these Lost Souls before dealing with the matter.
Unfortunately!
The Tiger Demon didn't give Haotian the chance.
Ever since the Tiger Demon had broken through to Golden Immortal a Yuanhui ago,
when had he ever been treated with such disdain?
Within a million miles, everyone who saw him bowed and called him Great King.
Now some wild Daoist had not only taken his Wandering Ghosts,
but was also showing him such contempt.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Raising his broadsword, the Tiger Demon shouted at Haotian, "**You there, wild Daoist!
Die!**"
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