However, after seeing what was happening inside the hall, everyone frowned in unison.
The Sanqing and Nuwa in particular were filled with a sense of loss, as if they had missed out on an immense opportunity.
On the main hall of Zixiao Palace, Xuanyuan stood smiling at them. Behind him stood Dijiang, Zhujiuyin, and four other Ancestor Witches.
The remaining six Ancestor Witches were seated on cushions.
Aside from the six cushions, the entire hall was empty.
Anyone who had made it into Zixiao Palace was no fool.
Even if they didn't know exactly what the six cushions represented, they could still sense that they were extraordinary.
Now that the cushions had been claimed by the Ancestor Witches who'd arrived first, no matter how unwilling they were, the others didn't dare challenge them after what had happened outside Zixiao Palace.
Then, in the next moment, something unexpected happened.
Standing in the main hall, Xuanyuan smiled and said, "A saint is a saint. Even the cushions they use for meditation are Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. I wonder if listening to the Dao while seated on one makes a difference?"
He was showing off—blatantly showing off!
The Sanqing, Dijun, and the others were so furious their teeth ached.
This was outrageous!
He'd gotten what he wanted and was still rubbing it in.
It was bad enough that he'd claimed the treasures first and was secretly gloating. He even had to flaunt them in public.
They even suspected that the so-called trial outside Zixiao Palace hadn't been arranged by a saint at all. Xuanyuan had probably caused it himself.
Yuanshi was the first to object. He stepped forward angrily. "Xuanyuan, the saint is preaching the Dao, and your Witch Clan has taken all six cushions. Isn't that going too far?"
Donghuang Taiyi followed right behind him. "We've all come to listen to the saint preach the Dao. You can't hog all the benefits for your clan!"
Egged on by the two, everyone's eyes lit up, and they began to stir.
Some of the strongest among them were already eyeing the six cushions.
They couldn't take on the Ancestor Witches alone, but with so many powerful figures together, they felt confident.
"Well, look at you. You've finally learned how to stir up a crowd!"
Xuanyuan looked down at Yuanshi and Donghuang Taiyi, his smile tinged with mockery. "That's ridiculous. We claimed these cushions fair and square. What does that have to do with you? If you can, go claim one yourselves!"
Yuanshi snapped, "Just say whether you'll give one up or not!"
"Are you threatening me?"
Donghuang Taiyi said, "So what if I am? Think carefully. No matter how strong your Witch Clan is, can you fight the entire Primordial World?"
Yuanshi and Donghuang Taiyi were sure Xuanyuan wouldn't dare defy the crowd. Besides, they were in Zixiao Palace, the saint's residence. Xuanyuan might be reckless enough to attack outside the palace, but would he really dare cause trouble here?
The smile vanished from Xuanyuan's face. He raised a hand and slapped them both.
"Smack!"
"Smack!"
The crisp slaps echoed through Zixiao Palace.
Everyone jumped and hurriedly backed away.
Yuanshi and Donghuang Taiyi froze, disbelieving, as they touched their cheeks.
They'd been slapped in front of everyone?
Humiliation—blatant humiliation.
"I'll fight you to the death!"
Proud to their very bones, they were so enraged that they forgot this was a saint's residence. They even forgot their techniques, supernatural abilities, and spiritual treasures.
Like a pair of street thugs, they charged at Xuanyuan barehanded, roaring.
"Smack!"
"Smack!"
The crisp slaps rang out again, and the two of them flew backward, crashing to the ground.
Now both sides of their faces were finally even.
"I've been too nice to you!"
Xuanyuan was brazenly arrogant. He spat, looked down at Yuanshi and Donghuang Taiyi sprawled on the ground, and sneered. "You should know your place. Keep running your mouths and see if I don't kill you!"
He was unbelievably arrogant.
The entire hall of Zixiao Palace, with its fifty thousand people, fell completely silent.
Everyone could feel the palpable killing intent radiating from Xuanyuan.
There was no doubt about it: this madman really would kill someone in the saint's residence.
Even Yuanshi and Donghuang Taiyi held their breath, not daring to say another word.
No matter how proud they were, they wouldn't gamble their lives.
Especially not against a madman like Xuanyuan. It wasn't worth it!
Xuanyuan had cowed everyone.
Not a single person dared make a sound.
"That's more like it!"
A smile returned to Xuanyuan's face. "I'm an easy person to deal with. As long as we talk things out, it's all fine. But if anyone thinks I'm weak and easy to bully, tries to threaten me, or tries to take my things, I don't mind having a little talk with them."
Everyone lowered their heads, silently raging. Easy to deal with? You?
You'd slapped them the moment they disagreed, and Yuanshi and Donghuang Taiyi were still lying on the floor!
After being slapped in front of so many powerful figures from the Primordial World, how were they supposed to show their faces again?
Taiqing Laozi, Shangqing Tongtian, and Dijun all wore dark expressions and said nothing.
The Sanqing and the Demon Emperor were one in spirit. With Yuanshi and Donghuang Taiyi humiliated, they too had lost face.
Unfortunately, they'd seen Xuanyuan's methods and strength. They knew how great the gap between them was. Even without the Twelve Ancestor Witches stepping in, they still wouldn't have been a match for Xuanyuan alone.
All they could do was glare helplessly, furious but powerless.
Besides, the man was a madman.
He wouldn't listen to reason, and his strength was absurd.
He was impossible to deal with.
Just then, someone suddenly asked, "Xuanyuan, since you say we can talk things out, what would it take for you to give up one of the cushions?"
It was Fuxi, the strongest diviner in the Primordial World.
Though he didn't know what the six cushions represented, he could divine that they were of great importance and somehow connected to his younger sister.
He didn't want to get involved in the conflict between the Witch Clan and the Sanqing, Dijun, and Donghuang Taiyi.
But neither did he want his sister to miss out on such an immense opportunity.
Since Xuanyuan had said they could talk things out, he would ask. No matter how much it cost, he would get a cushion for his sister.
At last, someone had caught on.
Xuanyuan's smile broadened, but he said, "There are only six cushions. There aren't even enough for all my brothers."
He looked extremely troubled, gritted his teeth, and sighed.
"Since Daoist Fuxi has asked, I won't be unreasonable or overbearing. But if you want to sit on a Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure cushion, you can't just ask me to hand it over without offering anything in return!"
Everyone was speechless!
He made it sound so righteous, but he was obviously trying to extort them.
Fuxi said, "Enough talk. Just tell us what it'll take for you to give up a cushion!"
Xuanyuan looked around. Everyone was holding their breath, watching him. Only then did he speak slowly. "If everyone wants a cushion, we need some rules. After thinking it over, there's only one way: the highest bidder gets it!"
Boom!
It was like a drop of cold water falling into a pot of boiling oil.
Zixiao Palace erupted into an uproar.
Everyone stared at him in disbelief.
This was the saint's residence!
The saint's sermon was a solemn occasion, and Xuanyuan had turned it into an auction?
And the item up for auction was a cushion the saint had prepared in advance?
Wasn't he afraid of incurring the saint's wrath?
He was reckless beyond belief.
Anyone who said Xuanyuan wasn't a madman was asking for trouble!
What sane person would do something so outrageous?
Everyone waited for the saint to appear and punish Xuanyuan. For a while, no one placed a bid.
They were all waiting to see him make a fool of himself.
But after waiting for a long time, Old Ancestor Hongjun still didn't appear.
As time passed, someone finally couldn't hold back.
"One Innate Spiritual Treasure for a seat on a cushion!"
Fuxi was the first to speak.
He was determined to claim a saint's cushion for Nuwa.
"An Innate Spiritual Treasure?"
Some of the others had been thinking of placing bids, hoping to get a seat on a saint's cushion.
But Fuxi had opened with an Innate Spiritual Treasure. Quite a few people shook their heads and gave up the idea.
There were only so many Innate Spiritual Treasures in the Primordial World, and most of them were in Hongjun's hands.
There were many powerful figures present, but most had been born relatively late. Otherwise, they wouldn't have come all the way to Zixiao Palace to listen to Hongjun's sermon.
No more than twenty of them had Innate Spiritual Treasures.
Most of those were treasures they'd been born with.
They were the best fit for their owners.
Giving one up for a cushion was a bad deal.
"Fuxi, you've put me in a difficult position!"
Xuanyuan put on a troubled expression, shaking his head and sighing repeatedly, while the corner of his eye kept sweeping over the crowd.
He wanted to see if anyone would outbid Fuxi.
But after waiting a long time, no one else spoke.
Reluctantly, he said, "Fine, an Innate Spiritual Treasure it is. We're friends, after all!"
"Qiangliang, make room for Daoist Fuxi!"
"This is just a fair trade. I'm not close to him!"
Fuxi tossed Xuanyuan an Innate Spiritual Treasure, then led Nuwa to sit on the cushion.
After what Xuanyuan had pulled, he was now an enemy of the entire Primordial World.
Fuxi didn't want to have the slightest connection to him.
Before you continue