Taking Over His Father's Legacy: The Treasures of the Primordial World Should Belong to Our Witch Clan!

Everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound for fear of disturbing Taiqing Laozi as he broke through.

Their eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation as they wondered how many petals his flower would bloom.

Xuanyuan and the Twelve Ancestor Witches, however, yawned nonstop, utterly uninterested.

Was a nine-petal bloom really that rare?

Every one of them had bloomed nine petals!

As for Xuanyuan, Dijiang, and the others, they all wondered inwardly how many petals would bloom when they broke through.

At least nine!

As for anything higher, they didn't dare imagine it.

After all, nine was already the ultimate number.

If it were more than nine petals, wouldn't that surpass the limits of the Heavenly Dao?

After who knew how long, a flower of golden light bloomed above Taiqing Laozi's head once more with a whoosh.

A nine-petal bloom!

He had really done it.

At that moment, no one was happier than Yuqing Yuanshi.

He shot Xuanyuan a challenging look, as if to say, See? My elder brother has bloomed nine petals. His potential is limitless.

"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on your nine-petal bloom!"

Apart from Old Ancestor Hongjun, seated high upon his cloud bed, Xuanyuan, and the Twelve Ancestor Witches, everyone in Zixiao Palace congratulated Taiqing Laozi.

Taiqing Laozi beamed. He looked around and bowed to everyone, but the corner of his eye remained fixed on Xuanyuan.

He wanted to see how Xuanyuan would react to his breakthrough to Daluo Golden Immortal and his nine-petal bloom.

Unfortunately, he was destined to be disappointed.

Xuanyuan wasn't looking at him at all.

Instead, he was chatting and laughing with the Twelve Ancestor Witches.

It was as if a nine-petal bloom were a trivial matter.

Seated on his cloud bed, Hongjun nodded in satisfaction and smiled. "The first lecture is over. In three thousand years, I will hold the second lecture in Zixiao Palace!"

With that, Hongjun waved his hand, and everyone appeared outside Zixiao Palace.

"We respectfully see the Dao Ancestor off!"

Everyone bowed deeply, showing him the utmost respect.

Hongjun's lecture had opened the path of cultivation to all living beings. He deserved to be called the Dao Ancestor.

After bowing, Yuanshi, Jieyin, Zhunti, and the others searched through the crowd for Xuanyuan.

They had all broken through to Daluo Golden Immortal. It was time to get revenge!

But after searching for ages, they couldn't find Xuanyuan anywhere.

Not only was Xuanyuan nowhere to be found, but Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi had also vanished.

The Twelve Ancestor Witches, however, stood to one side, seemingly waiting for someone.

Could Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi have struck first and dragged Xuanyuan into the chaos?

Inside Zixiao Palace.

After seeing everyone off, Old Ancestor Hongjun had kept only Xuanyuan, Dijun, and Donghuang Taiyi behind.

The two attendants, Haotian and Yaochi, stood on either side of the cloud bed, watching the three curiously.

They were especially interested in Xuanyuan. They had witnessed everything he had done in Zixiao Palace before their master, Hongjun, began his lecture.

Calling him brazen barely did him justice.

Now that their master had kept him behind, he was surely going to punish him.

On the cloud bed, Hongjun had his eyes half closed and said nothing.

Below him, Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi stood respectfully, sneaking glances at Xuanyuan from time to time with smug expressions.

Go on, keep acting so cocky!

Disrupting a Saint's lecture—you'll be lucky to get away with your life.

Xuanyuan stood off to one side, relaxed and unconcerned. After waiting for ages, he saw that Hongjun still showed no sign of speaking.

He immediately understood: Hongjun was trying to put him in his place!

Sure, I'm not as powerful as you, but that doesn't mean you can push me around whenever you want!

Xuanyuan wasn't Dijun or Donghuang Taiyi. He wasn't going to indulge Hongjun.

He promptly brought out his Enlightenment Chair, stretched out on it, and even lit a Huazi. He took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled.

You want to see who can wait longer?

I've been taking it easy for a million years. I've never lost at this!

Xuanyuan's behavior made Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi laugh.

Donghuang Taiyi said, "With a Saint right in front of you, Xuanyuan, what kind of attitude is that?"

Dijun said, "You came to listen to a Saint's lecture. That makes you his disciple. A disciple who shows not the slightest respect deserves to die!"

Their faces darkened as they berated Xuanyuan, but inwardly, they were delighted.

Xuanyuan was practically asking to be killed!

Seated high upon the cloud bed, Hongjun felt a headache coming on when he saw Xuanyuan's behavior.

As the only Heavenly Dao Saint in the Primordial World, killing Xuanyuan would be no harder than crushing an ant.

But he couldn't lay a hand on an Ancestor Witch like Xuanyuan, who bore the merit of the world's creation.

Besides, he had already divined the matter countless times.

He had confirmed that Xuanyuan was the greatest variable in the Primordial World—or, one might say, the sliver of hope the Great Dao had left behind.

Until the Witch Clan had completely fallen, neither he nor the Heavenly Dao behind him could target Xuanyuan.

That was why Hongjun was at his wit's end in the face of this scoundrel Xuanyuan!

For a moment, he hesitated, unsure what to do.

When Hongjun still made no move, Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi finally realized something was wrong. They exchanged a glance, both deeply unsettled.

Haotian and Yaochi secretly looked toward Hongjun, puzzled as to why their master was indulging Xuanyuan so much.

For a time, Zixiao Palace fell completely silent.

After who knew how long, Hongjun finally spoke. "Xuanyuan, the River Diagram and Luo Book and the Chaos Bell are the innate treasures of Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi. Return them to their owners."

"Dao Ancestor, I'm afraid I can't agree!"

Xuanyuan casually tossed the half-smoked Huazi onto the floor of Zixiao Palace, then rose unhurriedly and gave Hongjun a perfunctory bow. "The Chaos Bell was transformed from the handle of the Sky-Opening Axe used by Pangu Father God to split Heaven and Earth. The River Diagram and Luo Book were transformed from a petal of the Chaos Qinglian that gave birth to Pangu Father God. In the end, both treasures belong to Pangu Father God!"

"As the saying goes, the son inherits his father's legacy!"

Xuanyuan glanced at Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi, then sneered disdainfully. "The River Diagram and Luo Book and the Chaos Bell were our Ancestor Witches' treasures to begin with. We let you use them for countless years without even asking for interest. What right do you two scruffy birds have to shamelessly demand them back?"

The two flushed at Xuanyuan's words.

What a scoundrel. He was an absolute scoundrel.

By that logic, since Pangu had created the entire Primordial World, did that mean the whole Primordial World belonged to the Ancestor Witches too?

Dijun shouted angrily, "Nonsense! Everyone in the Primordial World knows the River Diagram and Luo Book were my innate treasures when I was born. When did they become the property of your Witch Clan?"

Donghuang Taiyi followed up with an explanation. "Xuanyuan, don't slander me! Mine is the Donghuang Bell, not the Chaos Bell. I was holding it in my arms the moment I was born. When did it become the property of your Witch Clan?"

"Stop making excuses. The entire Primordial World was created by Pangu Father God, so all its treasures belong to him. Do you have a problem with that?"

Xuanyuan insisted that the Chaos Bell and the River Diagram and Luo Book both belonged to Pangu, then looked pointedly at Hongjun. "As the only Saint in the Primordial World, you agree with that, don't you?"

Hongjun shook his head with a bitter smile, his Saintly dignity nowhere to be seen.

This was obviously sophistry. The Primordial World had indeed been created by Pangu, but Pangu was Pangu, and the Witch Clan was the Witch Clan.

The two couldn't be lumped together!

Even the Ancestor Witches had been created from a single drop of Pangu's blood essence. They couldn't possibly represent Pangu.

"Enough! Stop twisting the facts!"

Hongjun raised his voice, doing his best to project a Saint's authority. "By that logic, the Sanqing were transformed from Pangu's Nascent Soul and are even better representatives of Pangu. Should your Witch Clan obey the Sanqing, then?"

Dijun seized the chance to speak. "Exactly. The entire Primordial World was formed from Pangu. The Sun Star where I was born was formed from Pangu's left eye. Doesn't that make me Pangu Orthodox?"

Donghuang Taiyi looked at Xuanyuan with schadenfreude. "Now hand over the Donghuang Bell and the River Diagram and Luo Book!"

Xuanyuan sneered. "You two scruffy birds dare call yourselves Pangu Orthodox? I'd love to know who gave you the nerve!"

After mocking them, Xuanyuan turned to Hongjun. "You're a Saint. You must know everything that happened outside Zixiao Palace. The truth is plain for all to see. Do you think it's reasonable for them to take the Chaos Bell and the River Diagram and Luo Book without giving anything in return?"

"I won't take them for nothing. I'll trade you other treasures for them!"