As the time to enter Zixiao Palace drew near, Qing Xuan finally saw the late-arriving Sanqing and the Twelve Ancestral Witches.
At that moment, neither Sanqing nor the Twelve Ancestral Witches looked particularly happy. There was even killing intent in their eyes.
"Damn, what's going on? Did the Pangu Descendants start fighting?"
Just then, Houtu finally noticed Qing Xuan and Nuwa. The murderous look on her face vanished at once, replaced by delight.
Houtu quickly came over to Qing Xuan and Nuwa, naturally taking Nuwa's hand. "You got here a long time ago?"
Nuwa nodded, then glanced at Sanqing and the other Ancestral Witches before asking Houtu, "Did you start fighting?"
Houtu nodded. "Those three unfilial brats were completely out of line. I had to beat them up to vent my anger."
As things stood, Sanqing could each hold their own against any single Ancestral Witch. But against all twelve Ancestral Witches together, they were clearly outmatched.
That much was obvious from the looks on Sanqing's faces. They'd probably taken quite a beating from the Twelve Ancestral Witches.
Just then, Haotian Boy finally spoke. "The hundred years are up. You may enter Zixiao Palace and await the Master's lecture."
As he spoke, Haotian and Yaochi headed straight into Zixiao Palace. As soon as the two entered, the gathered cultivators began rushing inside as well.
Although Sanqing had arrived late, they were among the fastest to react. They transformed into three streaks of light and shot toward the palace.
Laozi had already taken out the Coiling Dragon Flat Crutch, while Yuanshi Tianzun had raised the Three Treasures Ruyi. Tongtian was even holding the Qingping Sword, watching everyone warily.
For a moment, they intimidated all the cultivators into stillness. Everyone could only watch as Sanqing strode to the front and took the first three of the six cushions.
Once Sanqing had taken their seats, the others began competing for the remaining three cushions. The scene descended into utter chaos.
Nuwa turned to Qing Xuan. "Little Gourd Vine, do you want one of the cushions up front? If you do, I'll go grab one for you."
Before Qing Xuan could answer, Nuwa had already rushed into the fray. She swung the Seven Star Moon Pulling Whip, yanking down the cultivator who was just about to sit on a cushion.
Nuwa successfully claimed the fourth cushion. As soon as she sat down, she called to Qing Xuan, "I got one! Hurry over!"
At the same time, Ancestor Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi worked together and claimed another cushion. Kunpeng also used his speed to seize one.
By then, all six cushions in the front row had been claimed. Naturally, everyone's attention turned to the cushions in the second row.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches, Di Jun, Tai Yi, Queen Mother of the West, East Prince, Xi He, Chang Xi...
All these Great Beings who would one day dominate different parts of the Primordial Wilderness had claimed seats in the second row.
Even Zhen Yuanzi, who had helped Ancestor Hong Yun claim a seat in the front row, secured a place in the second row.
The cushions farther back were already packed with people. After all, plenty of cultivators knew their own limits. Realizing they couldn't compete for the seats up front, they'd claimed places farther back ahead of time.
In the blink of an eye, all three thousand cushions had been claimed. Those who hadn't managed to get one could only stand at the very back, looking helpless.
By rights, the seating arrangements were now settled. All that remained was for Hong Jun to arrive and begin the first lecture.
But Hong Jun was nowhere to be seen. Everyone could only stare longingly at the cushion on the central dais.
No one else knew why Hong Jun still hadn't appeared, but Qing Xuan knew perfectly well: he was waiting for the Two Sages of the West.
After all, the battle between Hong Jun and Luo Hou had nearly destroyed the Western Spirit Vein. As a result, Hong Jun owed the West a great debt of Karma, which he would naturally repay during this lecture.
He would repay it by reserving two Saint Positions for the Two Sages of the West, who had been working to restore the Western Spirit Vein.
Sure enough, before long, two Daoists stumbled into Zixiao Palace. They were none other than the Two Sages of the West.
As soon as they entered, they realized there were no cushions left for them. Their expressions changed instantly.
Zixiao Palace was arranged around Hong Jun's cushion, with seating on either side. A passageway about one zhang wide ran down the middle, and all the cultivators sat in two rows on either side of it.
With no cushions left, the Two Sages of the West didn't do what the others had and settle for seats at the back. Instead, they walked straight down the central aisle toward the front.
When they reached the dais where Hong Jun would lecture, they began wailing. "What misery! What misery! The West is so barren that the living beings capable of Form Transformation can be counted on one hand."
"We'd hoped to seize this chance to hear the lecture and find a Chance of Survival for the West. But the journey was so long that we arrived at Zixiao Palace last, and now we can't even get a cushion!"
The two brothers clung to each other and wept bitterly. In the end, Daoist Zhun Ti even rushed toward the dais, as if to say that his life had no meaning and he might as well die.
Sure enough, Ancestor Hong Yun, seated in the middle of the three cushions on the right, immediately stood up and went over to stop Daoist Zhun Ti.
"Fellow Daoist, don't be so sad. I have a cushion here. You can sit down and rest for a while."
Daoist Zhun Ti didn't even thank him. He simply plopped down on Ancestor Hong Yun's cushion. Then he glanced at Nuwa. Seeing that her cultivation was higher than his, he turned his attention to Kunpeng instead.
When he saw that Kunpeng's cultivation was lower than his own, Daoist Zhun Ti gave a cold snort. "You have no sense at all. Everyone else has already given up their seat, yet you're still sitting there."
"What makes you worthy of a place in the front row? Hurry up and give it up. Let someone worthy take it."
As he spoke, Daoist Zhun Ti shoved Kunpeng, trying to knock him off the cushion.
Kunpeng was no pushover. He immediately fought back. Meanwhile, those who hadn't gotten seats in the front row began making snide remarks.
"He came all this way. You really should give him a seat."
"Exactly. Not just anyone deserves a place in the front row. Hurry up and give him your seat, before you end up with more Karma than you can handle."
That wasn't all. Yuanshi Tianzun, seated on the first cushion in the left row, spoke up as well. "A creature covered in fur, with horns and feathers, or one hatched from an egg or born in water—what right does he have to sit in the front row with us?"
Kunpeng was so furious that he nearly burst a blood vessel. He wondered what he'd done to deserve such vicious insults just for sitting in the front row.
With everyone backing him up, Daoist Zhun Ti became even more brazen. He took out the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree and swept it directly at Kunpeng.
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