Giving Houtu the CPU Treatment! The Age of Quasi-Saints! (Please Vote and Send Flowers) (Continued)

Houtu really couldn't refuse. All she could do was blush with anger and give a resentful reply.

"Yes!"

Dijiang paid no mind to Houtu's resentment. If anything, he seemed rather intent on egging things on.

If the Ancestral Shamans could have children, it would certainly be a good thing for the Wu Clan. But the Ancestral Shamans had never cared about it before, and given their long-standing bonds, it would have been hard to force the matter.

Now, though, they had Chu Xuan. Perhaps he could bring about some changes.

As the leader of the Wu Clan, Dijiang truly had his hands full.

After Chu Xuan left Pangu Great Hall with Houtu, she gradually regained her composure.

But as she looked at Chu Xuan before her and sensed the familiar aura of the laws around him, her gaze still wavered a little.

A clansman who had once been close to her had become her equal. Add to that the matter her brothers had brought up, and even Houtu couldn't help feeling awkward and constrained as she spoke.

"Little brother, now that you've condensed your Ancestral Shaman True Body, you should lead a tribe of your own!"

"Do you have one in mind?"

Her feelings toward Chu Xuan were complicated. She still cared for him as she had when he belonged to her tribe, but she was also embarrassed by her brothers trying to set them up. On top of that, she was pleased that he had rendered great service, yet resentful of the poisonous schemes he had planned.

So, to avoid losing her composure, her instinct was to have Chu Xuan leave her tribe first.

As for guiding him, there were naturally other ways to do that.

However, she hadn't expected her suggestion to be rejected outright by Chu Xuan.

He explained matter-of-factly.

"No!"

"Although I've become an Ancestral Shaman, I can't let that be known. My past identity can't be concealed, after all. How could a mere Golden Immortal Lesser Shaman suddenly be qualified to become an Ancestral Shaman?"

"If I were to lead a tribe of my own, it would inevitably become a loophole. This is a critical time, so we can't act rashly!"

"Besides, I've lived in Houtu Tribe since I was born and made plenty of friends here. Sister Houtu, you don't need to worry. I'm perfectly comfortable living here!"

Hearing Chu Xuan's well-reasoned words, Houtu felt helpless.

You may be comfortable here, but I'm not!

But he was right. They couldn't casually let this matter slip. She had been a little too unsettled earlier.

She used the laws to clear her mind, then let out a long breath and calmed down before speaking to Chu Xuan.

"Since that's the case, we'll do as you say!"

"But you should understand that if we keep your identity hidden, I won't be able to appear by your side often and guide you!"

That did seem like a good thing, after all. They wouldn't have to spend every day together, and given enough time, she would adjust.

However, just as Houtu was thinking this, Chu Xuan's next words surprised her once more.

Chu Xuan smiled and clapped his hands.

"There's no need for Sister Houtu to worry about that!"

"I only need to return to the tribe and see my many friends before I head out!"

"When the time comes, I'll ask Sister Houtu to protect me on my journey!"

"What?!"

Houtu was startled, and the look she gave Chu Xuan grew increasingly strange.

She'd rejected one suggestion of his, and now he'd rejected hers. Could it be that he really did have feelings for her...?

But she had been his chieftain!

A faint blush appeared on Houtu's face. She hesitated, wanting to explain herself to Chu Xuan.

She was devoted to the Dao and had no interest in romantic entanglements!

But before she could speak, Chu Xuan continued.

"I've sensed that the Wu Clan is once again facing a crisis that could mean life or death!"

"I need to leave the Wu Clan and find a way to resolve it!"

"So I must ask Sister Houtu to protect me on my journey!"

Chu Xuan's expression was grave. He didn't look like he was joking.

His words blocked everything Houtu had been about to say.

She had faith in Chu Xuan's wisdom. His past deeds had already proven it.

Even if his plans had been so ruthless that she instinctively disliked them, they had all been for the Wu Clan. She had no reason to take it out on him.

Of course, since Chu Xuan had opened by saying the Wu Clan's very survival was at stake, Houtu couldn't help asking right away,

"The Wu Clan's survival is at stake? How could that be?!"

"Even the Demon Clan—"

But as soon as the words left her mouth, she stopped. She realized they were no longer inside Pangu Great Hall.

If the heavens sensed her words and she revealed their secrets, she would become a sinner against the Wu Clan.

Although the power of Pangu Essence Blood surrounded the Ancestral Shamans and shielded them from the secrets of heaven to some extent, its effect wasn't as strong as that of Pangu Great Hall.

Caution was the key to lasting success!

In the end, she could only ask with her eyes.

Chu Xuan saw those beautiful eyes fixed on him. Even Houtu, the peerlessly beautiful Ancestral Shaman, hadn't noticed that her cheeks were puffed out, making her look rather cute. He couldn't help smiling, but still shook his head.

"It's not that I won't tell you. It's that what I'm about to do will have an impact no less significant than before!"

"So for now, this mustn't be revealed!"

"I only ask that Sister Houtu protect me on my journey!"

"Everything I do is for the Wu Clan!"

Chu Xuan was quick to claim the moral high ground, lecturing Houtu with a righteous air.

Hearing how serious he sounded and knowing he wasn't joking, Houtu nodded deeply.

At the same time, her face grew warm.

She had thought Chu Xuan coveted her and had been about to make her feelings clear to him. She hadn't expected that he was actually worrying about the Wu Clan.

Houtu was utterly embarrassed.

Fortunately, she hadn't said anything earlier.

What Houtu didn't know was that she had actually guessed half the truth earlier. Chu Xuan was now using the moral high ground to manipulate her.

That's right. Chu Xuan was indeed interested in Houtu. How could he not be moved by the peerlessly beautiful goddess of the Primordial Wilderness before him? Cultivators weren't made of stone, after all.

Moreover, Houtu would one day transform into the Reincarnation Saint and become a Saint of Reincarnation. She had beauty and a bright future—she was one of the finest potential matches in the age.

He'd already thought it through: if he failed to defy fate and change his destiny, he'd escape to the Netherworld to save himself!

All these factors made Chu Xuan unwilling to let her go.

Of course, he wasn't in a hurry about that just yet. He still wanted to take a gamble.

So there was another half to the truth.

He really did intend to solve the Wu Clan's next problem.

"Hongjun is holding a Second Sermon, where he'll teach the Quasi-Saint Path. This will not only indirectly protect the Wu Clan, but also conceal a huge threat to it!"

"The Primordial Wilderness is about to fully enter the Quasi-Saint Era!"

"Because of the Tribulation System, many of the Wu Clan's Ancestral Shamans had originally been able to break through to Quasi-Saint ahead of time, giving them an enormous advantage in this era!"

"But now, with Hongjun teaching the Quasi-Saint Path, that advantage is bound to disappear!"

"More Quasi-Saints will bring the Demon Clan back to the Wu Clan's level, and make them even harder to deal with!"

"The Wu Clan has no primordial spirits, so they can't gain anything from the sermon!"

"What a clever scheme!"

Chu Xuan sighed inwardly, impressed by Hongjun's methods. This was the power of the greater trend, and it had been put into motion so subtly. Hongjun was far more formidable than Chu Xuan was now.

But Chu Xuan wasn't discouraged. Hongjun had simply had the advantage of acting first.

Forcing him to hold his sermon ahead of schedule was, in itself, a kind of victory.

The three sermons had their own fixed order and purpose. But if Hongjun held one early, was that truly a good thing for him?

Probably not.

He must have paid some kind of price. It seemed more like he was getting anxious.

And Chu Xuan had come up with a way to respond to this powerful move hidden within Hongjun's sermon.