The Heavenly Dao's Bottom Line; Fortune and Misfortune Intertwined as an Immortal Chief Is Chosen

Within Purple Cloud Palace, Dao Rhyme lingered as layer upon layer of golden Veins emerged in the void, seeping deep into every Cultivator's Primordial Spirit.

The Three Thousand Mortal Realm Guests in the hall all focused their minds and held their breath, leaving only the sound of Sage Preaching echoing through their hearts and minds.

Three thousand years passed amid the flowing Dao Rhyme, as fleeting as a white colt passing through a crack.

When Hongjun's voice fell silent, the Dao Rhyme within the void gradually withdrew as well.

The cultivators seated below were no ordinary mortals. All possessed steadfast minds, and none had become lost within it.

After a brief period of adjustment, they awoke one after another, their expressions solemn and Divine Light faintly glimmering in their eyes.

As Bei Ming's eyes opened and closed, a sharp gleam flashed through them.

With the Sage Preaching's aid, his understanding of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm had become even more thorough;

combined with Purple Cloud Palace's unique environment, blessed by the Heavenly Dao, and the Prayer Mat's miraculous effect in aiding enlightenment, his cultivation had naturally risen to the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal's Great Luo Peak!

Perhaps due to some resonance between cultivators, Bei Ming's gaze unconsciously turned to the left.

At almost the very same moment, Laozi slowly opened his eyes as well.

Their gazes briefly met in the void—calm as still water, yet stirring invisible ripples.

Then, both withdrew their eyes at once as though nothing had happened, though each had already confirmed in his heart:

The other had likewise reached the realm of the Great Luo Peak.

The atmosphere in the hall subtly fluctuated.

This time's preaching had raised the cultivation of nearly every Cultivator.

Yuanshi, Tongtian, Nüwa, Fuxi, Jieyin, and the others, who had originally been at the Great Luo Middle Stage, now possessed steady and profound auras, all having entered the Late Stage;

while the many cultivators at the Great Luo Early Stage had likewise gradually consolidated their auras, breaking through into the Middle Stage one after another.

The only group that had wasted three thousand years was the Twelve Ancestor Wizards.

They did not cultivate the Primordial Spirit and could comprehend none of the Wonderful methods Hongjun had expounded.

To them, those three thousand years had been less a matter of listening to Sage Preaching than being forced to sit still.

Some Ancestor Wizards had even dozed off midway through;

fortunately, none of them snored, or they would likely have incurred the resentment of every cultivator present.

Now, this tedious preaching had finally ended;

the eleven Ancestor Wizards all let out a breath together, a trace of impatience showing in their eyes as they had long since made up their minds:

They would absolutely not come waste their time during the next two preachings. Rather than squander time here, they might as well return to cultivate properly and oversee their tribes' expansion while they were at it.

Only Houtu's thoughts were more delicate;

compared to contending for supremacy in the Primordial Wilderness, she placed greater importance on the Ancestor Wizards' own problems.

The Ancestor Wizards were known as the Orthodox Lineage of Pangu, but Pangu had cultivated both the Primordial Spirit and the Physical Body, whereas the Wu Clan possessed no Primordial Spirit and thus had an innate flaw.

The last time they had clashed with the Three Pure Ones, the latter had used this very point to attack the Wu Clan, saying they were unworthy of being called the Orthodox Lineage of Pangu and could at most be considered a minor branch.

Since then, Houtu had racked her brains in hopes of finding a way to break the situation, but to no avail;

now that the Primordial Wilderness had produced a Sage who had attained the Dao, she wondered whether she might gain some inspiration from him.

Therefore, even if her elder brothers and sisters had grown weary, she had resolved to continue showing her support at the next two preachings.

On the Cloud Bed, Hongjun wore an indifferent expression as he looked down upon the cultivators below.

His voice was calm, yet it resounded through every corner, carrying an unquestionable pressure:

"The Primordial Wilderness is chaotic and without order. There should be a Leader of Male Immortals and a Leader of Female Immortals to oversee the Primordial Wilderness, coordinate the various races, and reduce conflict and slaughter."

The moment these words were spoken, a stir ran through the hall, and many cultivators' expressions changed slightly.

They had originally been carefree and unfettered. If another layer of authority were now placed above their heads, would they not lose their freedom?

Other cultivators secretly shifted their gazes toward the Twelve Ancestor Wizards.

The greatest conflict in the Primordial Wilderness at present was none other than the Wu Clan's expansion. If Immortal Chiefs carried out their duties, perhaps they could provide some restraint.

A trace of fervor appeared in Dong Wangong's eyes as he silently weighed the matter in his heart.

If he could receive a title personally appointed by the Sage, he could use it as a banner to rally countless Rogue Cultivators to pledge allegiance, swiftly expanding his Forces.

Di Jun frowned slightly, his gaze deep and thoughtful. He had a different view.

Although the Sage had given them a title that could serve as a grand banner, the title was too great—when a tree grows tall, it catches the wind;

for an Immortal Chief to command the Primordial Wilderness might seem incomparably imposing, but in truth, it would place them atop the crest of the waves.

Among the Great Powers present, who would willingly bow their heads without tangible benefits?

The Sage might provide the Immortal Chiefs with some support, but Di Jun believed the Sage would not play nursemaid to them forever.

In the Primordial Wilderness, an Immortal Chief who was too weak would be nothing but an ornament;

while ordinary cultivators, unwilling to be governed, would not want the Immortal Chiefs to become too strong.

It could even be said that once an Immortal Chief became overly powerful, they would inevitably face suppression both openly and in the shadows.

By comparison, Di Jun was more willing to follow the policy: "Build high walls, store up grain far and wide, and claim the throne slowly."

Thus, the benefits of serving as Immortal Chief were a matter of different views for different people.

Hongjun's gaze swept over Di Jun and Dong Wangong.

Both possessed Emperor's Destiny and were naturally suited to the path of contending for supremacy.

In principle, the Heavenly Dao would not directly interfere in conflicts among living beings.

But the Wu Clan was different. This race revered neither the Heavenly Dao nor anything but Pangu.

If there had only been the Twelve Ancestor Wizards, it would have been one thing—they could do whatever they pleased.

They bore the Merit of Opening Heaven and claimed to be the Orthodox Lineage of Pangu.

Even if their conduct was wild and unrestrained, they would never damage the foundations of Honghuang Continent, so they could be allowed to make as much of a fuss as they liked.

Indeed, should Honghuang Continent ever face calamity, their reverence for Pangu would surely drive them to step forward. They were simply "perfect tool people."

But now that there was a vast Wu Clan, the situation was vastly different.

If the Wu Clan suppressed the other races and became the Protagonist of Heaven and Earth, then, under their influence, all the races of Honghuang Continent would worship Pangu rather than revere the Heavenly Dao. That would be troublesome.

Therefore, the Heavenly Dao needed a force that could withstand the pressure and deal with the Wu Clan.

It did not necessarily need to wipe out the Wu Clan completely; it only needed to curb their development.

But how the age-old enmity between these two sides, accumulated over countless Yuanhuis, would be worn down was difficult to say...

After merging with the Dao, Hongjun had acted only twice.

Once was during the first great Wu-Demon war, when the Demon Race was defeated, and he preserved them.

The other was when he suppressed Tongtian, who had attempted to reforge Honghuang Continent.

Both times, the situation had touched the bottom line of the Heavenly Dao.

Demons in charge of the Heavens, Wizards in charge of the Earth—the Heavenly Dao had assigned Honghuang Continent to the Wu Clan and acknowledged their rule.

But if the Wu Clan wanted more, they would need the ability to overturn the Heavenly Dao.

That was how Honghuang Continent worked: however much strength one had, one carried a bowl of that size and ate that much food.

Choosing an Immortal Chief now was also meant to provide a convenient chess piece to restrain the Wu Clan.

Tai Yi, who possessed the Chaos Bell, could rely on the might of an Innate Supreme Treasure to evade Saintly deduction to a certain extent.

Although Hongjun was deeply certain that the Golden Crow Brothers would inevitably involve themselves in the struggle for supremacy in Honghuang Continent—and that they truly were ideal candidates to oppose the Wu Clan—

when laying plans and arranging schemes, one had to prioritize prudence.

Thus, Dong Wangong, this backup chess piece, also had to be supported.

If the Golden Crow Brothers proved worthy, Dong Wangong would be sacrificed to make a wedding dress for them.

If the Golden Crow Brothers cautiously withdrew and were unwilling to brave danger, then Dong Wangong would be supported with all their strength to fill the gap in their stead.

Among the cultivators listening to the Dao below, aside from the disciples planned to be formally admitted into the Mystic Gate during the third lecture, the rest could all be sent out to fill the holes and deal with the Wu Clan.

Even if the benefits promised by the Heavenly Dao might be nothing more than painted cakes, they were still enough to tempt the vast majority of cultivators.

Unless every cultivator in all of Honghuang Continent chose to lie flat, refusing to contend and content with the current situation, chess pieces should not think too highly of themselves, because the Heavenly Dao had never lacked chess pieces.

Under the attention of the gathered cultivators, Hongjun slowly opened his mouth and said, "Dong Wangong, Queen Mother of the West, you two, come forward."