I reclined high upon the ninth layer of clouds, the Cushion guiding me to the true Dao.
Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang, I shall be the Sect Master Venerable.
"Today's lecture is over. The next one will be in three thousand years. All who are destined may come here then!"
Inside Zixiao Palace, an old man sat upright atop the Cloud Platform, expounding the Sound of Great Dao as fragrant energy filled the heavens.
Below him, the Three Thousand Zixiao Guests gradually emerged from their insights. Some awoke deeply satisfied, while others were reluctant to leave or felt troubled and confused.
At that moment, however, they all rose together and bowed respectfully toward Hongjun Dao Ancestor above them.
"Thank you, Teacher, for imparting the Dao!"
Saint Hongjun gave a slight nod. After a moment's thought, he continued.
"Though the Dragon-Han Calamity has ended, demonic energy still lingers between Heaven and Earth. The Great Desolation Beings remain ignorant, knowing neither the Heavenly Dao nor yin and yang. Is there anyone willing to take on the duty of guiding and educating them?"
At his words, even these accomplished Great Powers couldn't help but grow excited.
Guide and educate living beings?
That was how it was phrased, but "guiding and educating" could also mean governing—governing all the beings of the Primordial World.
This was no small authority. One could even say it made its holder the foremost beneath the Saints.
And since these were the words of a Saint, they were as good as an acknowledgment by the Heavenly Dao—a mandate sanctioned by Heaven and Earth.
Such authority tempted even Tongtian, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Minghe, who sat at the front of the hall.
"Hahaha!"
A hearty laugh rang out from among the crowd. A dignified man rose to his feet.
He wore an imperial robe, and the majesty of an emperor surged skyward, sweeping through the entire hall.
"Dao Ancestor, the Primordial World is vast. Immortals could spend their entire lives without seeing all of it. I founded the Demon Court, with a hundred Demon Kings and tens of thousands of Demon Generals under my command, not to mention countless lesser demons. They can all be mobilized to share the duty of guiding and educating the beings of this world."
Di Jun!
Zhunti of the West looked at him, his expression darkening.
Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor were innate beings nurtured by the Sun Star. Their bloodline came from Great God Pangu, and each had been born with an Innate Supreme Treasure at his side. In terms of combat strength, with the Eastern Emperor Bell in their possession, they were the most formidable killers beneath the Saints.
Zhunti's hopes of competing for the position immediately died.
After all, the Western lands were already shattered. If they incurred a debt of karma to Di Jun and his allies as well, the West might never recover.
Jieyin, beside him, looked even more pained.
"I, Taiyi, support my elder brother. I beseech Dao Ancestor to grant his wish!"
As Taiyi rose to support his brother, dozens of powerful demons voiced their agreement.
Di Jun smiled with satisfaction. He felt certain that the duty of guiding the beings—and the Heavenly Emperor Position—would be his.
"Heh. If you, Di Jun, can take it, then so can this Ancestor!"
A sinister voice rang out. Everyone looked over in surprise.
Di Jun's smile slowly faded, and his gaze turned hostile.
Taiyi held a small golden bell in his hands and glared furiously at the speaker.
"Kunpeng, think carefully before you speak!"
The Eastern Emperor Bell in his hands rang with an ancient note, making everyone's souls freeze for an instant.
"Taiyi, the others may fear you, but this Ancestor does not!"
Kunpeng glanced warily at the Eastern Emperor Bell, then laughed again.
"Your Eastern Emperor Bell is indeed powerful, but with a single flap, I can cross countless leagues; with three, I can roam the entire Primordial World. Why shouldn't I take on the duty of guiding its beings?"
Not far away, Ancestor Minghe heard him and let his eyes flicker. In the end, though, he abandoned the idea, just as Zhunti and the others had.
Kunpeng's speed rivaled that of a Saint, and he wasn't afraid of Taiyi's threats. Minghe, however, was no such thing.
His Sea of Blood abode was fixed in place. He couldn't move it, and could only stand there and take a beating.
"So you mean to challenge me?"
Taiyi's killing intent flooded the hall, and the atmosphere in Zixiao Palace plunged to freezing point.
The other Demon Kings also released their auras, directing their pressure at Kunpeng.
Among the Three Pure Ones, Daoist Tongtian started to rise, but the old man beside him held him down.
"Elder brother?"
Tongtian looked at him in confusion.
Taishang slowly shook his head. A voice sounded in Tongtian's mind. "We are our teacher's personal disciples. We should devote ourselves to seeking the Dao and becoming Saints. We must not lose sight of what matters and damage our Dao hearts over something so trivial."
After saying this, he sat back on his Cushion and feigned sleep.
Tongtian could only give up with a sigh.
Inside the hall,
the crowd remained locked in a standoff for a long while. Then, a gentle breeze suddenly swept through.
The powers of Taiyi, Kunpeng, and the others vanished at once, and they sank back into their seats. Even the Eastern Emperor Bell, an Innate Supreme Treasure, seemed to lose its power and become a Mortal Artifact.
"No troublemaking in Zixiao Palace!"
Saint Hongjun spoke calmly. When he finished, he didn't look toward Di Jun and the others. Instead, he continued in the same even tone.
"East King Duke, you were formed from the first wisp of yang energy between Heaven and Earth. You bear the fortune of an Immortal King and should be the Head of Male Immortals in the Primordial World. Are you willing?"
The moment he finished speaking, all Three Thousand Guests in Zixiao Palace looked in surprise toward a man in the hall.
The crowd's gazes were strange, but East King Duke looked bewildered. He stared blankly at Zixiao Palace, radiating an overwhelming aura, and lost himself in a daze.
"What the hell? I was just crossing the road, and I ended up transmigrating into the Primordial World? And now I've become the hapless East King Duke?!"
A torrent of memories surged into his mind, flooding it all at once.
Head of Male Immortals in the Primordial World? That sounded impressive, but this position was a death sentence!
Never mind that his cultivation had only just reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm. The renowned Great Powers of the Primordial World were either at his level or Great Luo Golden Immortals.
Which of them wasn't proud and unruly? Why would they heed his commands?
If they caused trouble, how was he supposed to keep them in line?
And that wasn't even considering Di Jun, Taiyi, and the others, who were eyeing control of the Primordial World. According to what he remembered from his previous life, if he dared accept, he'd end up utterly obliterated.
This was a dead end.
Feeling the hostile gazes of Taiyi, Kunpeng, and the others, East King Duke's scalp prickled, and a chill ran through his body.
"This... This!"
"Such a heaven-sent fortune, and it goes to East King Duke?"
"I wonder if he'll dare accept. If he does, he'll have made an enemy of the Demon Court for good!"
"Even the Three Pure Ones don't want to get mixed up in this karma. If he isn't clever, he'll have only himself to blame if he dies!"
Inside Zixiao Palace, everyone whispered among themselves.
Ever since the Dragon-Phoenix Three Races declined, the many Great Powers had begun founding factions. They didn't expect to become overlords of Heaven and Earth, but at least they could secure more resources for cultivation.
Among them, the Demon Court founded by Di Jun and the others was one of the strongest.
It was even beginning to show signs of unifying the Primordial World. And now Dao Ancestor wanted East King Duke to become the Head of Male Immortals.
Wasn't that like snatching food from a tiger's mouth?
"This is a death sentence!"
Feeling Hongjun's gaze fall upon him, East King Duke cursed inwardly.
If he accepted, he would die; if he refused, he would die all the same!
Unlike the others, East King Duke knew very well that Hongjun hadn't chosen him to be Head of Male Immortals in the Primordial World of his own accord. It was the will of the Heavenly Dao.
If he refused, he would be defying the Heavenly Dao—and the Dragon Race and the others were a warning of what would happen.
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