Calling him a Daoist friend like they did the Ancestral Shamans would have been inappropriate.
It wasn't respectful enough!
Hong Yun was friends with the Ancestral Shamans, so they were senior to the Great Shamans.
Hong Yun could even be considered a sort of master, after just a few words!
For a moment, Xing Tian found himself at a loss.
Then inspiration struck him. Hong Yun was Dao Companion to Ancestral Witch Houtu, after all.
And since he wasn't a witch, he could simply add "Ancestor" to the title.
Just like the other races addressed their elders!
With that thought, Xing Tian cupped his hands toward Hong Yun and said:
"Thank you for your guidance, Ancestor Hong Yun!"
Hong Yun's eyes lit up at those words, and he was instantly overjoyed.
That was the first time anyone had called him Ancestor Hong Yun!
He'd always wondered why, in the Primordial Wilderness, cultivators either called him Fellow Daoist Hong Yun,
or, if they were closer, Hong Yun or Little Brother Hong Yun!
And he had no children or grandchildren to speak of. Besides, his face looked like that of a handsome young man because of his state of mind.
At long last, someone had called him Ancestor!
He felt thoroughly pleased!
Unable to hide his smile, he stepped forward, chuckled, and patted Xing Tian on the shoulder.
"You're quite impressive. This Ancestor thinks highly of you!"
With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and slowly returned to his seat.
At last, the whole crowd erupted in a thunderous roar!
The sound surged like a landslide, straight into the clouds!
As Hong Yun approached, he saw Zhen Yuan Zi watching him with a knowing smile.
Zhen Yuan Zi knew his little brother Hong Yun all too well.
Not only was Hong Yun always coming up with strange ideas and saying peculiar things,
but the strangest thing was that, on the one hand, he wanted to lie low and quietly grow stronger!
On the other, he couldn't help showing off in front of people.
As Hong Yun himself put it,
everyone had a need to show off!
Zhen Yuan Zi chuckled and sent Hong Yun a voice transmission:
"Little brother, showing off again, were you?"
Hong Yun immediately denied it.
"Guiding a junior doesn't count as showing off... It's guidance! How can matters of cultivation count as showing off..."
He went on with a string of hard-to-understand words, like "teaching the Dao and imparting knowledge" and "tireless instruction," making Zhen Yuan Zi laugh.
The air between them was filled with cheer!
Seeing Zhen Yuan Zi like that, Hong Yun secretly wiped away a bead of sweat.
After spending so much time with him, even Old Brother Zhen Yuan had gotten familiar with things like "showing off."
It was his own fault, really.
After countless years together, it was hard to keep his mouth shut when he was lonely.
He'd even led Zhen Yuan Zi astray!
Hong Yun gazed at Zhen Yuan Zi and sighed to himself:
Old brother, if you keep this up, I won't be able to protect my identity for long!
At that thought, Hong Yun made a gesture toward Zhen Yuan Zi.
He held one hand at his neck and made a fierce slicing motion!
Zhen Yuan Zi quickly gestured for him to stop, and quit teasing Hong Yun.
Watching the silent exchange between Hong Yun and Zhen Yuan Zi, Hou Tu found it amusing and covered her mouth as she laughed.
"Fellow Daoist Hong Yun really is... so pure of heart!"
Hong Yun sat down at his leisure.
His contest with Xing Tian had been his first public appearance among the Witch Clan.
His first appearance as Hou Tu's Dao Companion!
Judging by the cheers of the Witch Clan members, his debut had clearly gone well.
He'd already won the approval of most of the Witch Clan!
At this stage, the Heavenly Dao had only just manifested.
Hongjun was the only Heavenly Dao Saint, and the Heavenly Dao was incomplete.
Otherwise, Hong Yun might have considered holding a grand ceremony.
He could complete the rites of marriage in the Primordial Wilderness and perhaps claim some of the merit from Di Jun's Heavenly Marriage.
Even if the Witch Clan lived on the land, surely they could at least hold an earthly marriage, right?
Unfortunately, that wasn't possible just yet.
Most of the Witch Clan had been born from the blood pool in Pangu Hall, the Demon Clan hadn't yet united,
and humanity hadn't even appeared!
What need was there for marriage rites?
Hong Yun could only abandon the idea, disappointed.
Once the time is right, I'll have to hold another wedding ceremony!
Not for the Heavenly Dao Merit, of course... I just want to give Hou Tu a perfect memory!
Hong Yun thought to himself. He also considered that by then, he'd need a whole lot of disciples, descendants, or clan members at his side.
Otherwise, the Witch Clan would be handling his wedding.
Wouldn't that make him a live-in son-in-law?
Would that make me Hong Yun, the Primordial Wilderness's live-in son-in-law?
At the thought, Hong Yun couldn't help laughing to himself.
While Hong Yun's thoughts wandered to years in the future, Dijiang had already walked over to him.
Dijiang smiled as he reached out, and a long, ruler-shaped object appeared in his hand.
It was the Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler!
But the treasure had been gathering dust in the Witch Clan's hands. At the moment, it looked no more than a dull, gray sliver.
"Little Brother Hong Yun, this Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler is of no real use to us!"
"We'll give it to you!"
As he spoke, Dijiang handed the Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler to Hong Yun with complete indifference.
"The Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler?"
Hong Yun froze when he heard the name!
His eyes widened.
Even though Hong Yun didn't know much about the spirit treasures of the Primordial Wilderness, he'd heard of the Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler!
The "Primordial" in its name was the same "Primordial" as in Primordial Purple Qi!
But when he looked again at the little ruler, dull and gray—
was this really the legendary Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler?
Seeing Hong Yun's surprise, Dijiang couldn't help feeling a little smug.
And just a little resentful, too!
When he'd given Hong Yun two drops of Ancestral Shaman blood essence earlier, Hong Yun hadn't been nearly so excited.
What was this?
Was his Ancestral Shaman blood essence worth less than this little ruler?
Before you continue