All Sages Gather in the Netherworld

To be honest, Jiang He still found Kuafu's death deeply regrettable. After all, he had shared a bit of friendship with Kuafu back then, even if he had made that friend with an ulterior motive.

Of course, a few sighs were enough. If someone truly asked him to avenge Kuafu, things had not reached that point yet.

Excluding the Dragon Clan, the Human Race only had three Quasi-Sages in total, and none of them had ever fought opponents of the same realm in actual combat. Including the Dragon Clan and Zhenyuanzi, they had nine Quasi-Sages altogether. That foundation could not be called weak, but compared with the Demon Race and the Wu Race—even the Anti-Demon Alliance—it still fell short.

Especially the Anti-Demon Alliance. Though they had been suppressed into some remote corner and were barely clinging to life, they still had more than a dozen Quasi-Sages. After all, beneath the Tribulation of Calamity, they had been strengthened by the Heavenly Dao in order to fight the Demon Race. Besides, they were an alliance of various races, so that was only natural.

Just as Jiang He was weighing the Primordial World's current situation, he suddenly received a message from Empress Houtu.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang He, come to the Netherworld at once so we may speak. Urgent!"

That one simple sentence left Jiang He utterly baffled.

"Could it be because of Kuafu? It shouldn't be! The Wu Race can handle that themselves—why summon me? Houtu's strength now is already pressing close to Empress Nuwa's. Could something major have happened that I don't know about?"

Jiang He pondered for a while and decided to go take a look first. After all, they were allies in name! After instructing Feng Luo to guard the place, Jiang He headed for Pangu Hall in the Netherworld.

The moment Jiang He stepped inside, he was stunned. The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and Houtu were all there, waiting only for him! It could not be helped—he was the slow one!

After making the rounds with his greetings, he quietly stood beside Empress Nuwa and became a listener.

"Alright, everyone is here. Houtu, little sister, say what you need to say." Seeing that Jiang He had fallen silent after standing beside her, Nuwa spoke to Houtu.

"I invited everyone here because this matter is indeed of great importance. Only my Pangu Hall can shield us from the Heavenly Dao's perception. Please forgive me!"

"Three elder brothers, Sister Nuwa, I trust you have all noticed as well that this conflict between my Wu Race and the Demon Race was exceedingly strange. Ever since the Wu Race opened the Netherworld and established the Underworld, our entire race has essentially withdrawn from the world. Other than taking turns guarding Buzhou Mountain, we have remained in the Netherworld.

"As for the Demon Race's Ten Golden Crows, I have heard of them as well. They were born bearing the vast fortune of Heaven and Earth, innately holding the divine position of the sun. They are still young, their minds not yet fully formed, so Demon Emperor Di Jun has always kept them on the Sun Star. They have never appeared in the Primordial World. Then why did the Ten Golden Crows suddenly appear in the Primordial World this time, and head straight for Buzhou Mountain?"

"Houtu, are you saying someone is secretly stirring up enmity between the Wu Race and the Demon Race?" Taiqing narrowed his eyes slightly, as though he had sensed something.

"Exactly. After the conflict erupted, I had Second Brother inspect the River of Time. Yet the future was a mass of chaos, the heavenly secrets obscured. He then traced back the time lines of the Demon Race's Ten Golden Crows, only for someone to interrupt him and cause a backlash! What does that tell us?" Houtu looked at everyone as she spoke.

"It means someone is acting behind the scenes—and that person is a Sage!" Jiang He, seeing all the Sages standing around pretending to be profound, decisively stepped forward to take over after catching Empress Nuwa's signal.

"Correct! Only a Sage could injure my Second Brother, the God of Time, within the River of Time! Then who could be secretly aiding the Demon Race?" The instant Empress Houtu finished speaking, Jiang He darted to the side. "That has nothing to do with me. I don't have that kind of strength!"

With that interruption, the solemn atmosphere instantly relaxed considerably.

Taiqing spoke. "We Three Pure Ones and the Wu Race both received Father God's guidance; we are one body."

With a single sentence, Taiqing cleared the Three Pure Ones of suspicion.

Seeing everyone's eyes, intentionally or otherwise, turn toward her, Nuwa inexplicably felt a surge of irritation. "What are you looking at me for? If I had acted, he would not be alive!"

Everyone froze. Indeed, Empress Nuwa's current realm had already surpassed the many Sages of the Primordial World by far! Especially after the Literary Way was established, Nuwa had directly broken through to the seventh level of the Primordial Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal! The other Sages were still muddling around at the second and third levels!

Only Empress Houtu, after opening the Netherworld and establishing the Underworld with Pangu Hall suppressing it, had reached the fifth level of Sagehood.

The Sages all turned their resentful gazes toward Jiang He again! This brat truly was a lucky star!

Empress Houtu said nothing in response to Nuwa's words. Naturally, she knew it had not been Empress Nuwa. With Nuwa's current mindset, she wished she could devote herself wholeheartedly to the Human Race—how could she possibly go help the Demon Race? If the Human Race had not yet been too weak, Nuwa might even have considered directly destroying the Demon Race to wipe away future threats for the Human Race!

What? You say Nuwa is the Demon Race's Wa Huang?

What a joke. How could an organization I joined compare to my own son!

Hadn't Nuwa even sent Fuxi to Wa Huang Tian to cultivate in seclusion?

"Of course I do not suspect Sister Nuwa. I mean the other Sages besides those present here!"

"Zhunti and Jieyin!"

Sect Master Tongtian was the first to speak, his words carrying a trace of anger. In his heart, he had never thought much of those two opportunistic Sages!

"Third Brother! Do not be hasty."

Primordial Heavenly Venerate, however, spoke calmly. "In my view, those two do not possess the nerve to scheme against the Wu and Demon Races. I cultivate the Way of Order and comprehend the Heavenly Dao, probing the heavenly secrets. This method carries rather the flavor of the Heavenly Dao."

"That's right! Given the situation of the Two Sages of the West, they likely would not dare stir up trouble on their own. Then there is only one possibility: Hongjun!"

Listening as the Sages pieced together most of the matter in just a few words, Jiang He was deeply impressed. Still, many novels in his previous life had said Zhunti was responsible. He did not know whether that was true.

Seeing the change in Jiang He's expression, Empress Nuwa knew he had some thoughts and said, "Jiang He, say whatever you have to say!"

With everyone looking at him, Jiang He had no choice but to voice his guess. "In my view, although the Two Sages of the West may lack a motive to provoke trouble, they do possess the ability to do so!"

Seeing no one speak, he forced himself to continue. "Think about it. With the Heavenly Dao's lofty standing, why would it personally take action? It would certainly find some thug to handle the matter. But who could it find?

"The Three Pure Ones?

"Would it have them drag their own Wu Race brothers into the mire? That is impossible. It is not stupid.

"Empress Nuwa?

"Even more impossible. With Your Majesty's current strength, the Heavenly Dao would not dare force you to do anything!

"Then it can only be those two from the West. They lack strength, and they became Sages by relying on Primordial Violet Qi. They are naturally easy to keep in its grasp!"

After hearing Jiang He's analysis, everyone felt the possibility was quite high. Sect Master Tongtian, however, said, "Why the Heavenly Dao, rather than Hongjun Dao Ancestor?"

Jiang He rolled his eyes at Sect Master Tongtian. "What do you think? You already know, yet you still ask me!"

"Hahaha! This kid isn't stupid!"

Everyone exchanged smiles, ignoring the teasing between the two of them.

"The Heavenly Dao's purpose is now clear. Its target is Buzhou Mountain. Father God once said that only Father God's bloodline can damage Buzhou Mountain. Our Wu Race has withdrawn from the world, so it naturally has to lure us out and ignite another great war between the Wu Race and the Demon Race!"

"Otherwise, for every day my Wu Race exists, the Primordial World grows a fraction stronger. The harder it becomes for it to control the Primordial World.

Its purpose is to erase every trace Father God left behind."

Empress Houtu said indignantly.

The air within Pangu Hall grew heavier at Empress Houtu's words. The phrase "traces left by Father God Pangu" was like a massive boulder weighing upon the hearts of all the sages. As beings transformed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit, the Three Pure Ones were especially sensitive to this bond of blood. Primordial Heavenly Venerate's fingers tightened slightly around his whisk, the light of order flowing through his eyes. "Father God split heaven and earth, transforming his own body into the Primordial World. What the Heavenly Dao is doing is severing the Primordial World's roots."

"Sever its roots? Is it worthy?" Sect Master Tongtian stepped forward, the phantoms of the Immortal Slaying Four Swords flashing behind him before vanishing. "It merely borrows the hands of those two clownish upstarts in the West. Does it truly think we Sages are just decorations? Today, we will storm Mount Sumeru in the West, tear apart their Nine-Grade Lotus Platform, and see whether they still dare serve as the Heavenly Dao's lackeys!"

"Third Brother, calm yourself." Taiqing raised a hand and pressed it onto Tongtian's shoulder. Laozi's voice remained placid, yet carried an unquestionable steadiness. "The Two Sages of the West are merely chess pieces. Acting rashly will only mean falling into the Heavenly Dao's trap. It would love nothing more than for us to fight among ourselves, so it can sit back and reap the fisherman's profit."