The West, Spirit Mountain.
Jieyin and Zhunti wore troubled expressions. Ever since they had returned that day, the two Daoists had been unable to calm their minds and focus on cultivation.
Remembering Kong Xuan and the Golden-Winged Great Peng's overwhelming combat strength, they felt a deep sense of crisis stirring within them.
"Alas, Senior Brother, I wonder when the next lecture will be held?" Zhunti asked with a sigh.
Jieyin relaxed his brow and gently shook his head. "I don't know either, but it shouldn't be long. Now, many beings in the Primordial World have encountered opportunities, and their cultivation levels vary. I have no idea how many Quasi-Saints there are. I suspect our teacher may have already noticed the changes."
Zhunti thought it over and made up his mind. "Senior Brother, why don't we set out early and wait outside Purple Sky Palace? There are only so many opportunities. We should get there first; every little advantage counts."
"At the very least, it'll leave a good impression on our teacher."
Jieyin nodded. "Agreed. Junior Brother, let's make preparations and set out on an auspicious day."
"Agreed!"
A while later, Zhunti furrowed his brow again and asked, "Senior Brother, should we still keep an eye on Kong Xuan?"
Jieyin snorted. "It's fine. We'll have the advantage at the next lecture, and we're sure to be one step ahead of them from then on. Beneath the Saints, all are ants. So what if he's the strongest Quasi-Saint?"
Zhunti agreed wholeheartedly. "Exactly. Once we become Saints, they won't be worth worrying about."
Jieyin continued, "The Witch Clan and the demons are powerful now, and Di Jun and Taiyi are not to be underestimated. They're both blessed with great fortune, and their cultivation is no weaker than ours."
"There are also the Twelve Ancestor Witches. Fortunately, their souls are incomplete, and they're naturally repelled by one another. If they could fuse, they'd instantly reach the Saint realm—and possess twelve Great Saintly Daos at once!"
"Even you and I, after becoming Saints, could not stand against Saints of that kind if we joined forces. After all, they inherited the will of the Primordial Spirit of Creation."
Zhunti pondered for a moment, then continued, "There are also the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa. They're no ordinary figures either. In the future, we'll have to establish a sect in the West and recruit disciples far and wide, gathering the fortune of the countless races of the Primordial World. Only then can we stand against them."
"Exactly. Let's call it the Western Sect. The West has a profound karmic connection with our teacher, so we can use this opportunity to bring the Western Sect to greatness!"
"Very well, Senior Brother. We'll carry out our plans for the future in secret."
At a Witch Clan settlement, Nuwa said farewell to Houtu and hurried back, worried that Di Jun and Taiyi might do something foolish.
At the thought that an expert might get angry and disrupt her plans, Nuwa grew even more anxious. She gritted her teeth, and her speed surged once again.
They were still tens of thousands of kilometers from Jiang Ping's little courtyard when Di Jun and his party gradually slowed down.
Di Jun asked worriedly, "Demon Emperor, we've brought so many demons with us this time. Do you think the expert will be angry?"
Taiyi chuckled, giving him a look that said he didn't understand. "Can't you see how broad-minded the expert is?"
"Spirit roots and things like that are precious treasures to us, but in the expert's eyes, they're nothing special—just ordinary food."
Di Jun nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, Demon Emperor. Just look at Kong Xuan and the others. They ate until they looked like that, and the expert still kept feeding them. What's worse, the expert even used the Primordial Spirit Spring to bathe Kunpeng. What a waste."
Taiyi's expression changed. He hurriedly warned him, "Ahem! Di Jun, remember this: wherever you are, never gossip about the expert, and never say a single bad word about him! With the expert's divine abilities, a single thought can reveal the past and future. Perhaps he can sense it the instant his image appears in your mind!"
Di Jun knew he had misspoken. He grew fearful and nervously glanced around.
Taiyi spoke calmly. "The expert's courtyard is just ahead. Let's hurry over."
In the courtyard, Jiang Ping was bored out of his mind. He looked up at the sky and lazily waved a hand. "Da Huang, it's a bit stuffy. Go open the gate so we can enjoy the mountain breeze and get some fresh air."
Da Huang barked twice in protest.
Jiang Ping chided him with a laugh. "Don't try that on me. I know you're the one who opens the gate whenever you all sneak out. What, now you're pretending to be clueless so you can slack off?"
Da Huang whimpered, tucked his tail between his legs, and slunk off to open the gate.
A moment later, Di Jun and Taiyi could see the courtyard in the distance.
Just then, the courtyard gate slowly swung open.
Taiyi was overjoyed. The expert was welcoming them!
Di Jun was shaken. The expert truly was incredible.
After all, they hadn't used any magic power. They were flying solely by the strength of their demonic bodies to avoid disturbing the spiritual energy and alerting the other mighty figures.
Yet the expert had accurately predicted when they would arrive.
No wonder Taiyi had warned him that the expert could know the past and future with a single thought. It clearly wasn't an empty boast. For the expert, it was surely child's play.
Di Jun steadied himself and hopped into the courtyard alongside Taiyi.
Hearing the commotion, Jiang Ping turned around.
He was instantly furious. "You still dare come back? You show up to eat when you're hungry, then run off once you're full. What a bunch of ingrates!"
Di Jun and Taiyi were both stunned. They wondered what he meant. We're noble Three-legged Golden Crows. Are ingrates a type of wolf? Even the Silvermoon Wolf Clan doesn't have a bloodline as powerful as ours.
Alas, it's our fault for not knowing proper etiquette. We should have greeted the expert after eating. Now he's angry and has even compared us to wolves. We'll have to be more careful next time.
"Huh? Where are those little ones you brought last time?"
As he spoke, Jiang Ping craned his neck to look. Amid a flurry of tiny sounds, a fluffy white chick hopped in.
Good grief, had the two of them brought more relatives?
Plop! A chubby little black duck hopped in after it.
Then four more rolled in one after another.
Jiang Ping scratched his head. Had they brought two more this time?
They're going to eat me into bankruptcy!
Da Huang curled his lip. Di Jun and Taiyi were unbelievable, freeloading so much that they'd become addicted to it. It was a good thing he hadn't agreed to go to the Heavenly Court. If even these two Demon Emperors couldn't eat their fill, they must have a hard time looking after their whole family.
The next moment left Jiang Ping dumbfounded: another six came in.
Jiang Ping rapidly counted them on his fingers. "One... two... twelve!"
Good grief! Those two annoying Three-legged Chickens had brought twelve relatives this time!
Good heavens, I'm no great landlord of the Primordial World. How am I supposed to feed you all?
"Da Huang, hurry up and close the gate!"
Jiang Ping's scalp tingled. If dozens more showed up, they'd eat him into bankruptcy for sure.
Da Huang darted out and shut the gate.
Jiang Ping said irritably, "Hey, I can't afford to feed you all. Just eat whatever you want today."
With that, Jiang Ping brought out a large basin.
Taiyi was overjoyed. The expert truly was generous.
Before you continue