Hongjun knew full well that there was no way Xuanyuan would willingly hand over the Chaos Bell and the River Diagram and Luo Book!
So he proposed an exchange.
He was already a Heavenly Dao Saint. Aside from a handful of supreme treasures, the rest were of little use to him.
By contrast, the Donghuang Bell and the River Diagram and Luo Book were vital to the Demon Clan. Even if he had to give Xuanyuan several more treasures, he still had to help them get those back.
Otherwise, there would be no way to manage the upcoming Witch-Demon Tribulation.
"Fine!"
Xuanyuan nodded. This was exactly what he'd been waiting for!
Hongjun would never let the River Diagram and Luo Book and the Chaos Bell fall into his hands. Rather than stubbornly hold on to them and fall out with Hongjun right now, it was better to agree without hesitation.
At least that way, Hongjun couldn't complain.
When Xuanyuan agreed to exchange the treasures for the Chaos Bell and the River Diagram and Luo Book, Hongjun breathed a sigh of relief. He'd truly feared Xuanyuan would dig in his heels and leave him with no way to settle things.
Since Xuanyuan had agreed, Hongjun wasted no time. He waved his hand, and countless treasures appeared.
Their multicolored radiance intertwined, making Zixiao Palace glow with dazzling beauty.
Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi stared, transfixed.
Even as Demon Emperors, they had never seen so many treasures.
All one could say was that Saints truly were Saints.
Their foundations ran deep, and they had more treasures than anyone could count.
Even Xuanyuan was secretly astonished by the sheer number.
That old fox Hongjun really had plenty of good stuff. No wonder he'd been confident enough to distribute treasures at Treasure Distribution Cliff.
More than half the treasures in the Primordial World had probably been snatched up by the old fox first.
Seeing Xuanyuan's eyes light up in amazement, Hongjun smiled smugly and held up three fingers. "You may choose any three of these treasures in exchange for the River Diagram and Luo Book and the Donghuang Bell."
"Three isn't enough. At least ten!"
Xuanyuan began to bargain.
"Five at most!"
Hongjun waved him off, leaving no room for argument.
"Five it is!"
Xuanyuan took out the River Diagram and Luo Book and the Chaos Bell and tossed them to Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi. He teased them, "You two, take good care of these. If they end up in our hands again, five spiritual treasures won't be enough to get them back!"
After returning the River Diagram and Luo Book and the Chaos Bell, Xuanyuan turned his attention to the treasures floating before him.
After examining them carefully, he couldn't help shaking his head in disappointment.
There might have been a lot of treasures, but not one could compare to the Chaos Bell.
What a loss!
He'd taken a thorough beating on this deal!
Xuanyuan looked Hongjun up and down. It was obvious the old fox was holding out on him.
Top-tier treasures like the Pangu Banner, the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, and the Twelve-Grade Golden Lotus of Merit were nowhere to be seen.
Of course, Hongjun hadn't tried to fob him off with nothing but trash, either.
After looking them over, Xuanyuan first chose the Earthly Flame Light Banner, the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner, and the Qiankun Cauldron—all Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures.
As for the other treasures, honestly, Xuanyuan wasn't impressed.
Just as he was about to pick two more Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures at random, his eyes suddenly lit up. Among the many treasures, he'd spotted the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Beating Whip.
Xuanyuan glanced at Hongjun, wondering whether the old fox had overlooked them or left them there on purpose.
Whether there was a scheme or not, Xuanyuan had no intention of giving up the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Beating Whip.
After the Witch-Demon Tribulation, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors would serve as a brief transition before the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation began.
Getting the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Beating Whip into his hands in advance would help him with his plans.
Seeing that Xuanyuan had chosen five treasures, Hongjun gave him a knowing look and waved his hand, sending the three of them away.
Outside Zixiao Palace, most people had already left of their own accord.
Only a few remained, including the Sanqing, Jieyin, Zhunti, Ancestor Minghe, and Old Ancestor Kunpeng, facing off against the Twelve Ancestor Witches.
Nuwa, Fuxi, Zhen Yuanzi, and Hong Yun hadn't left either. They were watching from the sidelines.
Besides these powerful figures, four more stood in a corner.
They were the Six-Eared Macaque, Kong Xuan, the Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird, and the Qilin Clan's Sihuxiang.
The four had been waiting for Xuanyuan so they could thank him in person and express their gratitude.
Xuanyuan, Dijun, and Donghuang Taiyi suddenly appeared, drawing everyone's attention.
When they saw the River Diagram and Luo Book and the Chaos Bell above Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi's heads, everyone froze.
Damn it!
Those two must have planned this all along. They'd made their move early and reclaimed the River Diagram and Luo Book and the Chaos Bell.
The treasures they'd used to trade for their cushions must have ended up in their hands, too.
Despicable! Shameless!
Why hadn't they thought of that?
In an instant, everyone was kicking themselves.
They regretted not making a move sooner.
What a mistake!
They looked at Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi with bloodshot eyes, like hungry wolves, their gazes gleaming crimson.
Those two had to have at least nine Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures between them, right?
They were practically walking treasure troves!
Wouldn't they be rich if they robbed them?
Without even needing to discuss it, the Sanqing, Jieyin, Zhunti, Ancestor Minghe, and the others closed in around Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi.
Dijiang and the other Ancestor Witches were even more furious.
"Feather-brained birds! How dare you rob our brother!"
"Get them!"
Dijiang roared, leading the charge toward Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi.
Xuanyuan jumped in fright and hurriedly grabbed him. "Big Brother, don't be rash!"
Hongjun was already furious with him.
At a time like this, whoever struck first would be the one to suffer Hongjun's unending wrath.
His big brother was still too impulsive.
"But they stole your treasures!"
Dijiang said through clenched teeth. "Don't worry, brother. Our Witch Clan always stands up for its own. We won't let one of our brothers be wronged. Whoever robs you, we'll fight to the death!"
"Exactly!"
Flames swirled around Zhurong, who was truly blazing with rage. "The Chaos Bell and the River Diagram and Luo Book are yours. No one can take them!"
"Anyone who robs our brother gets what's coming to them!"
The Ancestor Witches roared one after another, their fury surging into the sky.
Feeling how much they cared about him, Xuanyuan was so moved he nearly cried!
That was what brothers were for. They might not be the brightest, but they really did care about him.
Touched, Xuanyuan glanced at Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi. The two had their heads held so high that their imperial crowns were nearly perpendicular to the ground. Their noses were in the air, and they looked unbearably proud.
Clearly, Hongjun's help in recovering the River Diagram and Luo Book and the Chaos Bell had given them the false impression that Hongjun was on their side.
With Hongjun—the only Saint in the Primordial World—backing them, and with them standing in Zixiao Palace, a Saint's abode, they weren't worried at all, even surrounded by so many top experts.
Seeing their noses in the air, Xuanyuan was furious.
No question about it: they had to get what was coming to them.
And he wouldn't even need to act himself. All he had to do was give things a little push, and the Sanqing, Jieyin, Zhunti, and the others would be eager to charge in as the vanguard.
Dijun, Donghuang Taiyi, don't blame me for being ruthless. You only have yourselves to blame for misjudging the situation.
Like a rabbit in the forest that thinks it's found protection at a tiger's side, never realizing the tiger is just waiting to swallow it whole.
Making a deal with a tiger—you won't even know what killed you!
Besides, he also wanted to use this opportunity to teach Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi a harsh lesson.
He'd make them understand that the Witch Clan wasn't to be trifled with.
From then on, whenever they encountered the Witch Clan—or even heard news about them—they'd tremble all over.
Having come up with a plan, Xuanyuan closed his eyes and adjusted his emotions. When he opened them again, he instantly went into full-on theatrics.
His previous confidence, composure, and air of looking down on everything vanished. In their place was a timid, submissive demeanor.
He took hold of Dijiang and urged him in a hushed voice, "Big Brother, let it go. This is a Saint's abode, after all..."
His voice was barely audible, like that of a lonely, helpless child: frightened, terrified, unwilling to give in, with a trace of anger hidden exceptionally well.
Everyone present was a top expert who had reached the Daluo Golden Immortal realm. They could hear a bug crawling ten thousand miles away, so they naturally heard every word Xuanyuan said.
They remembered how, upon first entering Zixiao Palace, Xuanyuan had chatted and laughed so freely, so full of confidence.
And now, in the blink of an eye, he'd become so timid and submissive, so meek that even after someone stole his treasures, he could only swallow his anger.
The more arrogant he'd been before, the more humble he seemed now.
How tragic!
Yuanshi, Donghuang Taiyi, Jieyin, Zhunti, and the others who had grudges against Xuanyuan instantly felt a wave of relief. They were overjoyed.
The resentment they'd bottled up for three thousand years had finally been released.
Nuwa, Fuxi, Zhen Yuanzi, and the other neutral parties felt Xuanyuan didn't deserve this.
Xuanyuan had been watching the whole time, taking in everyone's expressions.
He found it amusing.
He was just putting on an act. Why were they all getting so emotional?
"So what if this is a Saint's abode?"
Dijiang glared with his enormous, bell-like eyes, completely unafraid. "Even a Saint can't just take our brother's treasures whenever he pleases."
"Big Brother, don't say any more. Saints are people, too, and people have feelings!"
Xuanyuan sighed, his voice growing even softer. "It's all because I'm not talented enough. I couldn't understand the Saint's teachings, unlike Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi. After the Saint lectured, they broke through to the Daluo Golden Immortal realm, and their flowers both bloomed to the eighth grade. The Saint favored them, so it was only right for him to make me hand over all my treasures to them!"
Xuanyuan put particular emphasis on the words "not talented enough" and "bloomed to the eighth grade."
Dijiang was stunned at first, but he quickly caught on. His brother was setting a trap!
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