"Since everyone has gathered here today, why don't we hold a Tea Gathering Dao Conference and discuss things over tea? What do you think?" Donghua said to the others.
"The Emperor Lord has spoken. We wouldn't dare disobey," they replied.
Cultivators were like that. Either one person was in seclusion today or another was. It was hard to get everyone together.
"You there—Little Si, go get things ready. Bring out the Spirit Fruits and spirit wine I've been saving."
"And bring some dragon meat, too. I heard the dragons we wiped out years ago tasted good, and their livers were especially delicious. Make sure they're prepared well."
"Also, arrange for some beautiful dancing fairies. Cultivation isn't easy, so when it's time to relax, we should make the most of it." Donghua looked at Shao Siming.
"(☉_☉)?" Shao Siming's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief.
Shao Siming cried out inwardly, The Emperor Lord actually called me Little Si?
"Boing."
A bonk on the head.
"What are you staring at? Show some respect! Hurry up and go!"
Shao Siming stormed off.
The others couldn't stop laughing.
But they were thinking, She really is one of the Emperor Lord's trusted subordinates. We'd better show her some respect from now on.
Donghua had no idea that a few words he'd spoken on a whim had led everyone to misunderstand.
Then he walked ahead, followed by the others, and they entered a side hall of Jingyang Palace together.
Jingyang Palace was where Donghua cultivated. Normally, others weren't allowed inside, so today they would only enter the side hall.
Donghua's plan was to hold a meeting, get everyone together, and make it clear that he had no interest in fighting for supremacy over the Primordial Wilderness. He only wanted to cultivate in peace.
So he didn't mind taking a more humble approach.
But holding a formal meeting would seem too serious, and he couldn't exactly come out and say what he meant. If he did, he'd lose all face, and everyone in the Primordial Wilderness would look down on him from then on.
A Tea Gathering Dao Conference was different. It'd be much better to settle things while everyone ate and drank.
It wasn't that he, Donghua, was a coward. He really couldn't beat the Heavenly Court.
The Heavenly Court was at the height of its power. Its ranks included Heavenly Emperor Di Jun, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, Xi Emperor Fuxi, Empress Nuwa, and Demon Master Kunpeng.
They were all among the most powerful beings in the Primordial Wilderness.
Even the mighty Twelve Demon Gods didn't dare test their strength. They had drawn in their forces and begun joining together to oppose the Heavenly Court.
Donghua wouldn't dare claim he could beat any one of them, let alone all five.
Heavenly Emperor Di Jun possessed the Top-tier Innate Spiritual Treasure, the River Diagram and Luo Book. He was the founder of the Demon Clan and had reached the Quasi-Saint realm. He probably hadn't slain a corpse yet—or had only slain one.
Eastern Emperor Taiyi possessed the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Chaos Bell. He was a Quasi-Saint and hadn't slain a corpse. The original Donghua had fought him once, and they'd drawn—or, to be honest, Donghua had lost.
If the two of them fought now, Donghua definitely wouldn't win. The Innate Supreme Treasure wasn't just for show.
Xi Emperor Fuxi, also known as the Green Emperor, possessed the Top-tier Innate Spiritual Treasure Fuxi Qin, as well as another Top-tier Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Heaven and Earth Halberd.
Don't assume Fuxi only knew the art of divination. His strength was no exaggeration. The Green Emperor wasn't called that for nothing. If you didn't believe it, just ask about his second spiritual treasure, the Heaven and Earth Halberd.
What's more, he also had a younger sister.
Empress Nuwa, also known as Nüxi, the Empress, the Wind Emperor, the Yin Emperor, and many other titles. She had a great many Top-tier Innate Spiritual Treasures, including the Map of Mountains and Rivers, the Heaven and Earth Cauldron, the Nuwa Stone, the Demon Refining Pot, the Precious Lotus Lamp, and the Red Embroidered Ball—which had once been the Red Sleeve Saber, a Top-tier Innate Spiritual Treasure, but had since become a Merit Spiritual Treasure, even more powerful than before.
She had more spiritual treasures than anyone could keep track of, and every one of them was top-tier. She also had things like the Five Elements Spirit Pearls and the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil.
Donghua would rather fight someone as battle-hungry as Taiyi or Tongtian than fight Nuwa. He would rather make enemies of the Twelve Demon Gods than make an enemy of Nuwa.
Did you think Nuwa cultivated the Immortal Dao of Creation and only knew how to create humanity and mend the heavens? Did you think she was merely a support?
You couldn't be more wrong. Donghua would never forget what Nuwa had done during the Immortal-Demon War. No—back then, she should have been called Nüxi, the Empress.
Nüxi led several clans that had gathered around Buzhou Mountain. The most famous among them were the Qingqiu Fox Clan and the Tengshe Clan. Together, they defended Buzhou Mountain against the demons.
All the clans called Nüxi the Empress.
Clad in red, Nüxi wielded the Red Sleeve Saber and fought her way from Buzhou Mountain all the way to the Western Continent.
During the decisive battle of the Immortal-Demon War, Nüxi faced the Lord of the Heavenly Demons, the Six Desires Heavenly Demon, alone.
The Six Desires Heavenly Demon was in the Ancestor Realm—in other words, at the Quasi-Saint level. Nüxi, on the other hand, was only at the peak of the Divine Emperor realm and hadn't yet reached the Ancestor Realm.
That battle showed Donghua what it meant to fight above one's level—especially to fight across the gap between the Emperor Realm and the Ancestor Realm.
Nüxi held the Red Sleeve Saber in her right hand, with the Heaven and Earth Cauldron above her head and the Nuwa Stone in her left hand.
In the end, she hacked the Six Desires Heavenly Demon—who was said to possess Indestructible Six Desires and an Undying Heavenly Demon body—into six pieces, tossed him into the Heaven and Earth Cauldron, and refined him to death.
The sheer ferocity of that battle had stunned everyone present.
Most astonishing of all, Nüxi used all her strength to hurl the Red Sleeve Saber and slash Demon Ancestor Luohu.
That slash had dazzled everyone there and silenced them once and for all.
If Hongjun, Yin-Yang Ancestor, and the others hadn't held Luohu off, that one slash might well have left no Nuwa in the world.
After Luohu assimilated with the Dao, Hongjun immediately attained the Hunyuan Dao and became a Grand Unity Golden Immortal. One could imagine how powerful Luohu had been, since he was at the same level as Hongjun.
He had been besieged by Hongjun, Yin-Yang Ancestor, Old Ancestor Five Elements, and the others—and even then, two of them had died.
Thinking of this, Donghua couldn't help shivering.
It's better when Nuwa cultivates the Immortal Dao. Nüxi, who cultivated the Divine Dao, was terrifying.
As for the last one, Kunpeng was the only person Donghua was confident he could beat. Even so, he couldn't kill him. That fellow's speed was unrivaled in the Primordial Wilderness.
And when it came to underhanded schemers in the Primordial Wilderness, Kunpeng definitely ranked among the best.
So I, Donghua, am not a coward. I love cultivation and quiet seclusion. No one can stop me from cultivating in peace.
In the side hall, the others began reporting on their work to Donghua. Some chatted with him, while others asked him how to resolve problems they'd encountered in their cultivation.
Donghua listened to each work report and praised their efforts.
In his previous life, he'd only been a low-ranking civil servant, but he'd picked up a few things about how to lead. After all, what civil servant didn't want to be a leader? And which civil servant hadn't heard a little official jargon?
He responded warmly to those who wanted to chat.
To those who asked about cultivation, he answered carefully, addressing each question in turn.
As they talked, Donghua got to know his subordinates all over again.
"The Commanders of the Thirty-Five Divisions and the Seventy-Two Divine Generals are Donghua's trusted subordinates. Every one of them is utterly loyal to him. The Great Commander of Fate is the most powerful among them, at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm."
These people wouldn't be a problem. They would follow Donghua in whatever he did. Since he planned to cultivate in peace and stay out of the struggle for supremacy, they certainly wouldn't oppose him.
"The Barefoot Immortal represents the native inhabitants of the Three Islands and Ten Continents. He's also one of Donghua's trusted subordinates and is at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. He's the sort of good-natured fellow who's always smiling."
According to his memories of his previous life, this fellow was still alive during Journey to the West. He was clearly a good candidate for quiet cultivation. No problem there.
The island lords had all been cultivating near the Three Islands and Ten Continents and were affiliated with the Purple Mansion. A few were Grand Unity Golden Immortals, while others were Grand Unity Golden Immortals or Golden Immortals. They wouldn't be a problem either.
The Three Gods of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity of Penglai Island were at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm and were representatives of the quiet cultivators. They looked completely harmless and would make good allies.
The remaining clan leaders had fled here from elsewhere, and their cultivation levels varied. They hadn't joined the Heavenly Court or the Twelve Demon Gods, so they probably had no ambition to fight for supremacy either.
That left only the ambitious faction represented by Grand Origin Immortal Lord. He was a tough nut to crack. Donghua would have to handle him carefully and make him give up on the idea. If that didn't work, he'd have to make him leave.
In the end, it all came down to one thing:
"I, Donghua, love to cultivate. I only want to be a carefree Emperor Lord. I have no desire to be the Heavenly Emperor."
Before you continue