"Baize and Jimeng pay their respects..."
Beneath the Fusang Wood, Ling Xiao was cultivating when the sudden voice jolted him awake.
"Baize, Jimeng... Aren't they Demon Gods of the Demon Clan? What are they doing here..."
"Could it be..."
Ling Xiao's expression shifted. Judging by the timing, the Witch Clan was in the thick of its conflicts right now. Those two had most likely come on behalf of the Demon Clan.
"I've kept such a low profile, and they still thought of me..."
After guessing why Baize had come, Ling Xiao felt speechless. Since emerging into the world, he had only gone out once, and yet the Demon Clan had still set its sights on him.
Was it true that fate could not be defied?
"Baize? Jimeng? Come on, let's go take a look."
Di Jun stood and prepared to fly off the Sun Star.
"Wait, elder brother."
Ling Xiao called out to him. Di Jun turned around, looking puzzled.
"Do you know why Baize and Jimeng have come?"
"We haven't even met them yet. How would we know?" Di Jun answered bluntly.
"As far as I can tell, they definitely haven't come for anything good. The Primordial World is in constant turmoil right now. They didn't come earlier or later—they came at this particular time. That tells you all you need to know."
Ling Xiao smiled. Seeing that Di Jun and Tai Yi only half understood, he continued.
"Here's what you do: go out first. No matter what Baize says, don't agree to anything. Just refuse him outright."
"What about you?" Tai Yi asked.
"I'll be along shortly."
Di Jun and Tai Yi nodded firmly. They naturally followed Ling Xiao's instructions without question.
Then they flew out.
Baize and Jimeng were debating whether to call out again when they saw two streaks of divine light shoot out from the Sun Star.
"This is..."
They paused in surprise. Weren't there three Golden Crows? Why had only two come out?
And who were these two?
As they pondered, Di Jun and Tai Yi had already arrived before them.
"Fellow Daoists, what brings you to my Sun Star?"
Baize hesitated, then said, "I've long heard of the Three Crows' great renown. May I ask who you two fellow Daoists are?"
He needed to confirm their identities before he could get to the point.
"Di Jun!"
"Tai Yi!"
Di Jun and Tai Yi introduced themselves. Baize's gaze shifted slightly.
They said the strongest of the Three Crows was one called Ling Xiao.
Why hadn't he come?
"Fellow Daoists, I've heard there's another among the Three Crows, a Daoist called Ling Xiao. Why isn't he here?"
Baize asked with a beaming smile, his tone so gentle that it felt like a spring breeze.
"My third brother is cultivating. If you have something to say, just say it. There's no need to beat around the bush."
Di Jun spoke quickly and plainly, already impatient. He hated people who talked in circles. It was so irritating.
Third Brother?
So the one called Ling Xiao was the youngest of the Three Crows?
Baize was a little puzzled. Rumor had it that Ling Xiao was the strongest among them, but he wasn't the eldest?
Could Di Jun and Tai Yi be stronger?
That couldn't be right!
These two Golden Crows didn't seem all that strong!
"Fellow Daoists, the situation in the Primordial World is surely clear to you by now."
"The Witch Clan is expanding recklessly and slaughtering living beings. The Ten Thousand Races are seething with resentment, and the situation has reached the point of no return."
"..."
Baize spoke with great passion, analyzing the stakes from every angle.
There was no denying it: Di Jun and Tai Yi felt their blood surge as they listened.
They almost wanted to rush out and tear the Witch Clan limb from limb.
But then they remembered Ling Xiao's warning and calmed down.
"Daoist Baize, you mean for us to step forward, unite the Ten Thousand Races, and resist the Witch Clan's attacks?"
After listening to Baize, Di Jun asked with a serious expression.
"Exactly. The Three Crows have the stature and the strength for it. No one but you can unite the Ten Thousand Races and fend off the Witch Clan's attacks."
Baize smiled as he waved his feather fan.
He had taken in Di Jun and Tai Yi's reactions, and already felt seven-tenths certain.
The Golden Crows were born with the destiny of emperors. The prospect of uniting the Ten Thousand Races and becoming sovereigns would be enormously tempting to them. They would likely find it hard to refuse.
In truth, Di Jun and Tai Yi were just like that. Born with the destiny of emperors, they loved such things.
But things were different now.
"Daoist Baize, you're right, but our brothers' strength is only average. I'm afraid we're not up to such a great responsibility."
Di Jun continued. His words were half excuse, half truth.
Their last battle at Mount Buzhou had made them realize how inadequate they were.
More importantly, Ling Xiao had just told them not to agree to anything Baize said.
"Fellow Daoists, you're too modest. May I ask what cultivation level you've reached?"
Jimeng couldn't help asking.
It was the sort of rather personal question only he would dare to ask. Baize could never bring himself to say it.
Di Jun and Tai Yi already intended to turn him down, so they had no reason to hide it.
"To be honest, we're only at the mid-stage of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm."
Mid-stage Daluo Golden Immortals?
Baize and Jimeng exchanged a glance, confusion in their eyes.
That was a very ordinary realm. They were a bit stronger, but not by much.
Weren't the Three Crows said to be as famous as the Three Pure Ones?
Their cultivation was still a cut below the Three Pure Ones.
Could that Ling Xiao have a much higher cultivation level?
That didn't make sense either. As their younger brother, born of the same origin, there was no reason for his cultivation to surpass his elder brothers'. At most, it should be equal.
Or perhaps... Ling Xiao was a mutated Golden Crow? The others had three legs, while he had four?
For a moment, Baize and Jimeng were utterly bewildered.
"Fellow Daoists, your strength is already formidable. You're certainly capable of shouldering this responsibility."
After a brief silence, Baize smiled and spoke, though his words were a little less than sincere.
Looking at it another way, the Golden Crows might not be the strongest, but there were three of them, after all.
Three together had to be worth at least one of someone else, right?
As long as they were stronger than Baize and Jimeng, that was enough.
"All right, there's no need to waste your breath. We won't be leaving the Sun Star anytime soon."
Tai Yi waved his hand, already beginning to see them off. All he wanted was to go back and cultivate, to comprehend the laws. He had no time for all that other business.
"This..."
Baize was speechless. What was wrong with these two Golden Crows? Born with the destiny of emperors, yet so utterly lacking in ambition?
"Um... would it be possible for Daoist Ling Xiao to come out and meet us?"
He didn't want to give up, so he placed his hopes on the last Golden Crow.
If the rumors were reliable, then there was something special about this third Golden Crow.
Di Jun and Tai Yi were about to refuse when a calm voice came from deep within the Sun Star.
"It would be the same even if I came out. The result won't change."
As the words fell, Ling Xiao strolled into view.
"Daoist Ling Xiao?"
Baize and Jimeng watched the figure approaching at an unhurried pace. He wore the Robe of Primordial Sun, Moon, and Stars. His face was peerlessly handsome, his slanted brows sweeping toward his temples. He looked even younger, and there was a defiant air between his brows.
"Fellow Daoists, you should leave. There's no need to waste your time on us."
Ling Xiao spoke with a faint smile, making his meaning perfectly clear so they wouldn't cling to false hope.
"Daoist Ling Xiao, the world is in chaos right now. This is the perfect time to rise with the tide. An opportunity this good won't come again once it's gone!"
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