Though Jieyin and Zhunti had incurred an immense debt of karma to Heaven's Dao by making those forty-eight Great Grand Vows, they had at least become Saints. Moreover, guiding others to enlightenment was part of the Western Sect's doctrine, and fulfilling their vows did not conflict with spreading the faith.
After becoming Saints, Jieyin and Zhunti immediately began secluded cultivation. They had forced their way to the Dao through their vows, and their Saint Positions were still somewhat unstable. They would need tens of thousands of years to solidify them and ensure there was no risk of falling from their positions.
The two from the West were not alone. Even the Three Pure Ones had shut themselves away after becoming Saints. For one thing, Saints were the supreme beings of the Primordial World and could not act rashly. For another, even if their Saint Positions needed no stabilizing, they still needed time to reflect on what they had attained.
After the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti had all attained the Dao, the attention of everyone in the Primordial World turned to the East Sea, where they waited for the signs of Queen Mother of the West becoming a Saint.
They were all Heavenly Mandate Saints, and Queen Mother of the West was the Dao Ancestor's own disciple, his last and most cherished pupil. Her status far surpassed that of Jieyin and Zhunti, who were merely Named Disciples. At this point, even by sheer order, Queen Mother of the West should have been next. What was more, with East King Duke—a mysterious cultivator who had proven the Dao through laws—backing her, the foundations of the Supreme Yang Lineage on Mount Fang Island were far deeper than those of the West.
Yet more than ten thousand years had passed since