This time, the innate divine beings who came to hear the Dao at the Purple Heavens Palace were not in any particular hurry.
They all knew that once they entered the Purple Heavens Palace, their seats would not change.
So they made their way there at an easy pace, without rushing.
On the way, Di Jun felt a little anxious.
Who knew what kind of trouble Li Mo would stir up this time?
When they reached the Purple Heavens Palace, the gates had not yet opened.
One powerful figure after another arrived.
Li Mo noticed that the Three Pure Ones brothers had not come together.
After arriving, they each acted as if the others weren't there.
Tongtian Daoist, however, greeted Di Jun with a friendly but distant nod.
"Daoist Di Jun!"
Tongtian Daoist clasped his hands in greeting.
Taiqing Laozi merely gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
Yuqing Yuanshi looked at Di Jun and the others with open hostility.
"Brother, Heavenly Emperor, what do you think is going on with the Three Pure Ones brothers? Why are they acting like this? They seem to be at odds." Seeing the three of them, Nuwa couldn't help asking quietly.
"I don't know. The Three Pure Ones brothers have always gotten along well." Fu Xi shook his head.
"Last time, when Yuanshi fought you, Laozi and Tongtian didn't help him," Di Jun said.
[The Three Pure Ones are definitely like this because of what happened last time.]
[Daoist Yuanshi is petty. Laozi and Tongtian didn't help him.]
[He was injured, too. Of course he'd be angry.]
[Besides, it was only a matter of time before the Three Pure Ones split up.]
[Jun Ge may not have won over all of them, but he did befriend Tongtian and Laozi.]
[Those two treat you pretty well.]
[With Daoist Yuanshi's rotten temper, it's no loss not to befriend him.]
Li Mo himself disliked Yuanshi, the most troublesome of the Three Pure Ones, more than anyone.
Hearing his fifth brother's thoughts, Di Jun nodded again and again.
Without Li Mo's reminders, he wouldn't have been able to handle things this well.
"Fellow Daoist Di Jun, Fellow Daoist Tai Yi!" Just then, an ochre figure landed before them. It was none other than Zhen Yuanzi.
"Fellow Daoists, let me introduce you to these friends." Having weathered hardship together last time, Hong Yun had become very familiar with Di Jun and the others.
He brought over several innate divine beings. They were somewhat weaker than his own group.
They were only at the early Grand Unity Golden Immortal stage, though the strongest among them had reached the late stage.
They couldn't compare to the top innate divine beings or count among the foremost figures of the primordial world, but they were far stronger than the likes of Bai Jiu and Tu Qingshan.
As he spoke, Hong Yun pulled over a powerful being with gradient purple hair, arms like wings, and birdlike claws. "This is a friend I met at Yunmeng Marsh, Yun Zhongjun. He's already at the late Grand Unity Golden Immortal stage."
"This is Fellow Daoist Xuan Feng. She's only at the middle Grand Unity Golden Immortal stage, but the poison stingers granted by her innate Divine Ability are deadly enough to kill most late-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortals!" As he spoke, Hong Yun brought over a wasp-waisted female powerhouse.
Before long, Hong Yun had introduced at least a dozen powerful figures, ranging from the early to late Grand Unity Golden Immortal stages.
Di Jun and the others chatted with them enthusiastically.
Before, they had only listened to the Dao together at the Purple Heavens Palace. They'd never had a chance to talk at length.
Li Mo couldn't help being startled by the scene.
[Hong Yun really is a good-natured guy. He's made plenty of connections with powerful figures across the primordial world.]
[Now it's my turn to step in!]
[I'll ruin this for you!]
[Let's see how you invite all these powerful figures now.]
Di Jun suddenly felt a chill run down his back.
Fifth Brother! Fifth Brother!
What are you planning? Don't do anything!
Think it through first! I'm scared!
Di Jun's temples throbbed.
"Word has it, Fellow Daoist Di Jun, that you're now the Heavenly Emperor of the Demon Race's Heavenly Court and intend to recruit talented individuals across the primordial world?" Yun Zhongjun glanced at Hong Yun, then turned to Di Jun.
"Indeed!" Di Jun replied, not daring to take his eyes off Li Mo.
He kept an eye on Li Mo's every move, afraid he'd suddenly spring out and do something terrifying.
"If we were to join the Heavenly Court..." Yun Zhongjun hadn't finished when a sudden voice interrupted him.
"Hey!"
"Mind if I cut in?"
Li Mo squeezed into the crowd.
Here it comes! Here it comes!
"Li Mo, if you can keep quiet, maybe you should," Di Jun said with a wry smile.
Huh?
Fu Xi, Tai Yi, and Nuwa had no idea what Di Jun meant.
But Li Mo's mouth was his own. Who could stop him?
Ignoring Di Jun, Li Mo spoke directly. "You're Yun Zhongjun, right? And you lot, Xuan Feng and whoever else."
"Let me make this clear!"
"With strength like yours, you think you're worthy of joining our Demon Race Heavenly Court?"
"I'm not singling out any one of you."
"I'm saying every one of you is trash."
The moment he said it, the entire scene fell silent.
The Four Emperors of the Demon Race all held their breath.
They stared at Li Mo in utter disbelief.
Di Jun, especially, looked as if he'd swallowed a bitter melon.
Fifth Brother! Fifth Brother! What do you mean by this?
If you talk like that, will they still join the Demon Race?
"Mo Huang, aren't you just making enemies for our Demon Race?" Fu Xi was furious. He sent Li Mo a voice transmission, barely stopping himself from scolding him aloud.
"Mo Huang, it's one thing to be lazy all the time. We don't expect you to fight on the battlefield. But you don't have to offend all these powerful figures, do you? What good does that do you?"
Nuwa's big, doll-like eyes widened. She looked ready to bite Li Mo to death.
"Fifth Brother, why would you do this?" Tai Yi asked, baffled.
Li Mo ignored them, his heart pounding with joy.
[Jun Ge! After all this, you have to make sure I can't be the Demon Emperor. You have to kick me out of the Heavenly Court!]
[I've made a terrible mistake this time!]
Di Jun turned away and pinched the spot beneath his nose, afraid he'd pass out from anger.
In an instant!
Yun Zhongjun and the others erupted.
"Good! Your Demon Race Heavenly Court certainly thinks highly of itself! We may not be as strong as the Demon Race's emperors, but aside from them, our strength is first-rate."
"What is this guy, anyway? How dare he look down on us like that?"
Yun Zhongjun's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
As far as he could tell, the fellow in front of him was only at the middle Golden Immortal stage.
How could he possibly tolerate a middle-stage Golden Immortal talking to him like that?
Still, he figured someone at that level wouldn't dare speak so brazenly to them unless Di Jun had put him up to it.
"The Demon Race Heavenly Court is so powerful? Then why bother recruiting other powerful figures? Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongjun, I think we should join Donghua Immortal Palace instead."
"Once Donghua Immortal Palace controls the primordial world and destroys the Heavenly Court, we might even get a share of the spoils," Xuan Feng said.
Di Jun's expression changed drastically. "Fellow Daoists, this is all a misunderstanding!"
They had been ready to join the Heavenly Court, but now they wanted to join Donghua Immortal Palace instead. How could he not be frustrated?
Li Mo! Li Mo, you've ruined everything for me!
"A misunderstanding? I don't think so. If the Demon Race Heavenly Court won't take us, Donghua Immortal Palace surely won't turn us away." Yun Zhongjun flicked his sleeve and strode off.
At that, Di Jun hurriedly pleaded with Hong Yun. "Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, Li Mo was only joking. He didn't mean it. Please help me explain!"
"What? No! I meant every word. Heavenly Emperor Di Jun is invincible beneath the saints in the primordial world," Li Mo said with a grin.
"Alas, Fellow Daoist Di Jun, I don't know what's gotten into you all. But at this point, I'm afraid there's no fixing things. There's nothing I can do." Hong Yun spread his hands, showing he was powerless.
Di Jun glanced helplessly at Li Mo and shook his head. "Fifth Brother, why do this? If the others in the Heavenly Court find out, they'll blame you for it."
"Big Brother! Why not strip me of my position and announce that I'm expelled from the Demon Race Heavenly Court? I've made such a terrible mistake that there's no fixing it." Li Mo grinned.
[Hehehe! Will you agree or not?]
[Even if you don't, what can you do? There's Nuwa, Fu Xi, and Tai Yi, too. You'll have to ask what they think.]
"Heavenly Emperor, I think that's an excellent idea. Li Mo may be very powerful, but his heart isn't with the Demon Race. Why force him to stay?" Nuwa shook her head, exasperated.
"I agree with Li Mo. Expel him from the Demon Race," Fu Xi said with a nod.
"Alas!" Tai Yi sighed.
[Come on! Come on!]
[This is what everyone wants! Expel me from the Demon Race Heavenly Court!]
Li Mo was overjoyed.
But just then.
A voice rang out.
It was Dong Wang Gong. He'd heard the entire exchange between Yun Zhongjun and the others and Di Jun.
He didn't know what was wrong with Li Mo.
But Li Mo was practically driving all these powerful figures away.
He could seize this chance to demonstrate his strength, establish his reputation, and gather them all under his banner.
He could also use the opportunity to test Li Mo's strength.
He gave a cold snort and looked at Li Mo with a mocking smile. "Hmph! What a brash fool! You actually called powerful figures like Yun Zhongjun trash."
"They're just too weak!" Li Mo chuckled and waved a hand.
He wasn't afraid of offending them now.
With Luohu at his side, they'd need at least dozens of their kind to have a chance of defeating Luohu.
Hearing Donghua Daoist speak up for them, Yun Zhongjun and the others grew interested.
Their good impression of him deepened.
"Alas! He's taken the meat right out of our mouths and handed it to someone else." Tai Yi looked regretfully at Yun Zhongjun, Xuan Feng, and the dozen or so other powerful figures.
"So you're saying you're strong? Then let me see what you can do!"
As soon as Donghua Daoist finished speaking, he struck.
In an instant, he drove his aura to its absolute peak.
His surrounding magical power surged like a tide, rushing toward the area before the Purple Heavens Palace.
At the same time, his top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the God Slaying Sword, and his acquired merit treasure, the Hongmeng Measuring Ruler, emerged together.
He instantly unleashed their full power.
A terrifying pressure, as if a mountain of gold were being toppled and a pillar of jade brought crashing down, bore straight down on Li Mo.
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