Xuanyuan controlled the Taiji Diagram, carrying forty to fifty thousand people as it descended outside Zixiao Palace.
Taiqing Laozi hurried over and said loudly, "Fellow Daoist, the Taiji Diagram is destined to be mine. I hope you'll grant it to me. I'm willing to trade other treasures for it, and the Sanqing will owe you a favor."
Yuanshi wore a haughty expression and said impatiently, "We Sanqing were born from Pangu's Nascent Soul. Everyone knows the Taiji Diagram was formed from the handle of the Pangu Axe, so it naturally belongs to my elder brother!"
Tongtian stood behind the other two, his face dark as he tried to hide his embarrassment.
Xuanyuan's face was full of derision, his scorn unmistakable.
No wonder they were the Sanqing. They had some nerve—and were utterly shameless!
They could even dress up robbing someone of their treasure as something so noble.
He couldn't be bothered to say another word.
Just then, a voice came from the side.
"That's not right!"
Dijun, dressed in golden robes and wearing an emperor's crown, strode forward and declared solemnly, "Treasures belong to those capable of claiming them. I am the Demon Emperor. The Taiji Diagram should belong to me!"
Donghuang Taiyi followed at Dijun's side. He wore blue robes and an emperor's crown, and the Chaos Bell hovered above his head. He bellowed, "My elder brother has taken a liking to the Taiji Diagram. That is your good fortune. Hand it over with both hands, like a good little fellow!"
Xuanyuan rolled his eyes. He had really underestimated the people of the Primordial World.
There was no such thing as the most shameless—only more shameless.
They had truly lowered the bar for what he thought possible.
Impressive, impressive!
Besides the Sanqing, Dijun, and Donghuang Taiyi, plenty of others wanted to seize the Taiji Diagram.
Old Ancestor Kunpeng looked eager to try. He glanced at Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi, hesitated for a moment, then ultimately backed down.
He was the Demon Master of the Demon Clan, a top-tier powerhouse who followed orders but not commands. But in name, he was still under the Demon Emperors.
With both Demon Emperors personally making their move, for him to step in as well would clearly be overstepping his bounds.
Nearby, Old Ancestor Minghe sat cross-legged on the Twelve-grade Karma Fire Red Lotus. Yuantu and Abi hovered above his head as he eyed the Taiji Diagram above Xuanyuan with greed and chuckled darkly. "Fellow Daoist, why not hand the Taiji Diagram over to me? I'll keep you safe!"
Xuanyuan looked around at the Sanqing, Dijun, Donghuang Taiyi, and Old Ancestor Minghe without the slightest fear. He even wore a smile.
He'd expected this moment from the instant he brought out the Taiji Diagram.
Everything was going according to plan.
Excellent!
They all wanted to take his treasure!
The seeds of karma had been sown.
Now he'd have a reason to take action against them in the future.
He was curious to see who else would jump out today. He might as well catch them all in one net.
Just then—
Dijiang said, "Sanqing, don't use Father God to throw your weight around. Xuanyuan is our brother, a true descendant of Pangu Orthodox. By your reasoning, shouldn't the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda be given to our brother Xuanyuan?"
Zhurong said, "Dijun, Donghuang Taiyi, you two mangy birds dare covet our brother's treasure?"
Gonggong added, "And Minghe, who do you think you are? Our brother doesn't need your protection!"
With a rush, the Twelve Ancestor Witches surrounded them. They all chimed in, leaving the Sanqing, Dijun, Donghuang Taiyi, and Old Ancestor Minghe speechless.
Everyone looked on in shock.
Xuanyuan was the Twelve Ancestor Witches' brother?
Did that mean he was an Ancestor Witch too?
There had only ever been twelve Ancestor Witches since the Witch Clan was born. When had another one appeared?
Many who had seen Xuanyuan come to Zixiao Palace alone, accompanied only by a group of weaklings, had been coveting the Taiji Diagram. Now they all retreated again and hid far away.
The Ancestor Witches rarely appeared in the Primordial World, but the rumors said the Witch Clan were all lunatics. Steal from an Ancestor Witch?
That was like a man who'd lived a long life eating poison—was he tired of living?
With the Twelve Ancestor Witches stepping in, Xuanyuan stopped baiting people into breaking the law. Smiling at the Sanqing and the others, he said, "Our brother is right. Taiqing, the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda is destined for me. Dijun, Taiyi, I've taken a liking to the Chaos Bell, the River Diagram, and the Luo Book too. And you, Old Ancestor Minghe—hand over the Twelve-grade Karma Fire Red Lotus, Yuantu, and Abi, and our Witch Clan will protect you!"
Now Xuanyuan faced the Sanqing, Dijun, Donghuang Taiyi, Old Ancestor Minghe, and the other top powerhouses of the Primordial World without a trace of fear. Instead, he chatted and laughed, wild and unrestrained.
"How dare you!"
"Impudent!"
Yuanshi and Taiyi shouted angrily, their fury unmistakable.
One was born from Pangu's Nascent Soul, a true descendant of Pangu Orthodox; the other was a Demon Emperor who ruled over countless demons.
Since their birth, no one had ever dared humiliate them like this.
So what if they were Ancestor Witches?
They were nothing but a bunch of hot-tempered brutes.
Did they really think they could stand against them?
"My elder brother's taking a liking to the Taiji Diagram is your good fortune."
"You should just hand it over with both hands. How dare you turn the tables and try to seize my treasure? This is outrageous!"
Yuanshi and Taiyi played off one another, taking shamelessness to its extreme.
"Heh!"
Xuanyuan gave a scornful laugh, his face full of contempt. "It's perfectly reasonable for you to take our treasure, but outrageous when we want yours?"
"Let's hear what all the Primordial World's mighty figures think. Is there really such a rule in the Primordial World?"
Xuanyuan looked around at the gathered powerhouses, inwardly sneering.
Yuanshi and Taiyi were still too young. They clearly hadn't yet been given a taste of the hard knocks of society.
In the Primordial World, the strong ruled, and treasures belonged to those capable of claiming them. That was a principle all living beings there accepted.
But even if that was the rule, saying it out loud in front of everyone was like tearing away the last shred of cover everyone wore. It was bound to provoke public outrage.
The strongest powerhouses in the Primordial World had gathered outside Zixiao Palace.
Everyone watched the two sides face off, their expressions varied.
Many had considered seizing the Taiji Diagram themselves, but Yuanshi and Taiyi were so overbearing and blunt that it still stirred resentment.
What was this supposed to mean? If they took a liking to a treasure, everyone else had to obediently hand it over?
If even the mighty Thirteen Ancestor Witches could be robbed and humiliated at will in front of all these powerhouses, how could the rest of them ever feel safe?
Of course, although everyone was angry, they kept their mouths shut. No one was foolish enough to offend the Sanqing, Dijun, Taiyi, or Old Ancestor Minghe—the most powerful figures present.
Still, they'd all made up their minds to keep their distance from them from then on, lest they become the next target.
Xuanyuan had expected this reaction.
Knowing when to hold back was essential to surviving in the Primordial World.
If these people lacked even that much sense, they wouldn't have made it this far.
Since no one was backing him up, he might as well call out one of the good Samaritans and pick on him.
The mood was already set. He couldn't very well perform a one-man show.
Xuanyuan kept his expression unchanged as his gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on a red-robed Daoist.
"Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, do you think I'm right?"
Ancestor Hong Yun froze for a moment, his face turning sour.
With so many people here, why single him out?
What was Xuanyuan trying to do?
Did he think Hong Yun was easygoing and could be picked on just because he was a good Samaritan?
Ancestor Hong Yun didn't want to get dragged into the mess between the Witch Clan and the Sanqing, the Demon Clan, and Minghe. He turned away and pretended to chat with his friend, Zhen Yuanzi.
Xuanyuan found the move amusing.
So much for the good Samaritan!
Hong Yun didn't want to get involved, but Xuanyuan wasn't about to let him off. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, are you going to stand by while a good Samaritan gets bullied?"
His voice rang loudly outside Zixiao Palace.
Everyone looked at Hong Yun, wanting to hear his answer.
After all, Hong Yun was known as the Primordial World's greatest good Samaritan, its most honest man.
If even someone as honest as him didn't dare speak up, then who in the Primordial World could uphold justice?
Everyone instinctively ignored the "good Samaritan" Xuanyuan had mentioned.
If you were an honest man, then who in the Primordial World wasn't?
Hong Yun lowered his head, his heart racing. He wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
It was obvious Xuanyuan was putting him over a fire. No matter what he said, he would offend at least one side—maybe everyone present.
Xuanyuan's ruined me! Xuanyuan's really ruined me!
Hong Yun muttered to himself as he quickly searched for a way out. In the end, he steeled himself and simply ignored everyone, playing deaf and dumb.
Everyone was surprised by Hong Yun's response, but on reflection, it made sense.
Hong Yun might be honest, but he wasn't stupid.
Why should he get involved in something that was clearly more trouble than it was worth?
Just as everyone thought the matter would end there and turned their attention to the doors of Zixiao Palace, waiting to go inside and hear Old Ancestor Hongjun lecture, Yuanshi's next words reignited their anger.
"Those who follow the Way have many allies; those who stray from it have few. Xuanyuan, what do you have to say now?"
For a moment, silence fell outside Zixiao Palace. Everyone stared at Yuanshi, utterly speechless.
Please, have some shame!
Ancestor Hong Yun was silent because he simply didn't want to get involved.
How could you have the nerve to claim he was supporting you?
"That's quite the saying: those who follow the Way have many allies, and those who stray from it have few."
Xuanyuan wasn't angry. Instead, he clapped his hands in praise. "So taking other people's treasures means following the Way, while defending your own interests means straying from it. I stand corrected!"
Xuanyuan's gaze turned icy as it swept over the three thousand Zixiao Guests before finally settling on Hong Yun. "I've lived for a million years, and only today have I learned what the Way is. Your way is not alone. From now on, I'll give it a try too!"
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