Junior Brother, Wait!

Hearing Nuwa bring up the position of Sage, Haotian merely shook his head, too lazy to humor her any further.

Then he spoke loudly. "Taishang, Yuanshi!

You're the ones holding the Innate Supreme Treasures. Why don't you give it a try?

If you govern the Primordial World, you'll gain its Fortune.

With Fortune bolstering you, won't your cultivation soar in an instant?"

At Haotian's words, the Sages hesitated instead.

Could this guy really be setting a trap?

Yet seeing how confident Haotian looked, the Six Sages didn't dare say a word for the moment.

After a brief silence.

On Mount Sumeru, Zhunti was ultimately overcome by greed.

He abruptly rose to his feet and was about to set off for where Haotian was.

But the moment Zhunti stood, Jieyin spoke up. "Wait!

Junior Brother, where are you going?"

Hearing Jieyin's words, Zhunti paused.

He turned and replied, "Eldest Brother!

Haotian wants to give up the Heavenly Emperor Position.

The Three Pure Ones are silent, and Nuwa is hesitating too.

This is our chance!

If we can seize the Heavenly Emperor Position, we'll have access to a unique method of refining spiritual treasures.

A level of law power beyond anything we know.

And a chance to gather the Primordial World's Fortune.

All of that will be ours.

With an opportunity like this, how could our Western Teachings fail to prosper?

Once we've repaid our Great Vows, our cultivation will surely advance another step."

Hearing Zhunti's answer, Jieyin nearly spat a mouthful of salty soda in his face.

After steadying himself, he said, "Junior Brother, wait!

Don't even think about this.

You've noticed the Three Pure Ones haven't made a move, but have you considered why?"

Zhunti answered without hesitation. "Why would that be?

They just can't let go of their dignity as Sages, can they?

Nuwa's the same, isn't she?

They can't let go, but I can.

What's a little dignity compared with the rise of our Western Teachings?

We had no opportunity before.

But now that Haotian plans to resign on his own, we have to seize it.

You can stay here on Mount Sumeru, Eldest Brother, while I go govern the Heavenly Court.

If we work together, we can surely achieve our goal."

Seeing Zhunti already envisioning a bright future, Jieyin truly couldn't hold back any longer.

His Junior Brother was good in every way.

It was just that whenever he saw an opportunity, it blinded him.

But the situation was unclear.

Haotian might well be digging a pit.

Never mind. He'd come up with something to placate him first.

Jieyin immediately said, "Junior Brother, stop right there!

This won't fall to us.

Setting aside how much of what Haotian said is true,

if there really were benefits, the Three Pure Ones would surely exclude us.

Even if we went now, we wouldn't get the Heavenly Emperor Position.

Rather than that, we should wait.

First, let Nuwa sound things out.

Second, we shouldn't let the Three Pure Ones see that we want to contend for it.

If we show no interest in competing, perhaps the Three Pure Ones will toss us the Heavenly Emperor Position like a piece of trash."

Jieyin's words poured over Zhunti like a bucket of cold water.

What he said was true.

If Zhunti really went, the Three Pure Ones would immediately follow.

Even if they didn't want the position, they wouldn't let the Western Region have it for nothing.

But once the matter became clear, the Three Pure Ones would simply toss the position aside.

By then, it would be obvious that the Heavenly Emperor Position was a trap.

Which cultivator in the Primordial World would want to take on that hot potato?

Even Haotian, the Dao Ancestor's own attendant, couldn't hold on to the position.

Who could claim they'd be able to keep it?

Don't forget.

The moment someone took that position, they'd have to face Sages like them.

Other cultivators in the Primordial World didn't have the nerve, and the Sages' disciples didn't have the strength.

In the end, they could only choose from among the Sages.

That would be their chance.

As for whether it was a trap, would Zhunti care?

What kind of trap could even he, a Sage, not fill in?

Entangled Karma?

Sorry!

Karma was precisely what Zhunti cultivated.

Otherwise, how could he have come up with the brilliant idea of sending Hong Yun on his way?

Once he had calmed down, Zhunti nodded.

"Eldest Brother is right!

I was too hasty.

Let's see how things develop first."

Meanwhile, in Zixiao Palace, Dao Ancestor Hongjun was hardly in a good mood after seeing Haotian consider throwing in the towel.

The Heavenly Emperor Position really was just as Haotian had said.

Aside from balancing the various factions,

its most important duty was to untangle and resolve the Primordial World's Karma.

This would delay the arrival of the Measure Calamity.

Of course.

Balancing the various factions was a task Hongjun had assigned.

The second duty was the main one.

If Haotian really threw in the towel, where would Hongjun find someone suitable to replace him?

Among the cultivators in the Primordial World, who would dare take on this work without having become a Sage?

And among those who dared, who could balance the various factions while also resolving the Primordial World's tangled Karma?

Never mind resolving the problem.

If Haotian hadn't brought it up today,

probably no cultivator would even have thought about it.

The Sages could resolve Karma, sure...

No!

They would just set the matter of tangled Karma aside.

After all, they had no intention of clearing up the Karma they themselves had created over the years.

Let alone the Karma created by all living beings.

Besides, if a Sage took that position, the balance of power in the Primordial World would be shattered in an instant.

Even Nuwa, who hadn't established a Great Sect, had the Demon Race behind her.

And the other Sages?

Wouldn't the Primordial World be thrown into chaos?

Sigh!

What a mess!

Why had he taken in these six misfits in the first place?

He'd only thought about settling Karma.

He hadn't considered what to do about the balance of power afterward.

Forget it!

He'd better wait and see.

Hopefully, the Six Sages would show some sense.

If they really forced Haotian to throw in the towel, then the Old Daoist would have no choice but to step in.

If the Old Daoist had a hard time, then no one else would have an easy one.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun was waiting to see how things developed.

The Six Sages, meanwhile, remained silent.

Nuwa and the Three Pure Ones didn't want to take the position.

Zhunti and Jieyin had no chance, so they could only endure for now.

Unless the Three Pure Ones spoke first and offered up the position,

they could only watch and wait.

After a long silence, Yuanshi on Kunlun Mountain couldn't help transmitting his voice to Taishang.

"Eldest Brother!

Do you think we should take Haotian up on his offer while we have the chance?

We could seize the position first and figure out the rest later.

At worst, we could support some other cultivator.

Supporting someone else would at least mean they wouldn't pick fights with us Sages every few days like Haotian does."

Yuanshi was considering replacing Haotian while he had the chance.

That wasn't the only reason, of course.

There was also the fact that his Chan Teachings had already offended Haotian.

He didn't think Haotian would easily let their previous dispute go.

Now that they'd finally caught Haotian offering to resign,

why not eliminate the problem once and for all?

What were they waiting for?

For trouble down the road?

The opportunity was right here. As long as he could persuade Taishang,

it would be the same as all three of the Three Pure Ones agreeing to the matter.

Haotian had already made his offer. Once they stepped in, would he dare go back on his word?

Yuanshi had a rosy picture in mind.

Taishang, however, saw things more clearly.

After hearing Yuanshi's voice transmission, he simply replied,

"Second Brother, who are you planning to support?

Zhenyuanzi?

Minghe?

Kunpeng?"

Hearing Taishang's words, Yuanshi was at a loss for a moment.