Haotian: My Lord, Is What You Said True?
Laozi felt much more at ease, already knowing what to do. Just as they were discussing important matters, Haotian finally arrived outside the Purple Heaven Palace.
He was not Sage, and it took him a considerable amount of time to reach Purple Heaven Palace amidst the Chaos.
"My lord! Haotian requests an audience!"
Haotian stood respectfully at the gate and called out.
"Come in!"
Inside the Purple Heaven Palace, Hongjun spoke calmly, and the expressions of the saints immediately turned strange. Haotian's appearance at this moment... was too timely.
The Dao Ancestor just announced that the number of Heavenly Dao Sage had increased to nine, and Haotian delivered himself right to their doorstep—the timing was perfect!
Upon hearing the Dao Ancestor's summons, Haotian strode into the Purple Heaven Palace, knelt before the Dao Ancestor, and showered him with blessings.
"Get up!" Hongjun gently raised his hand, his gaze lingering on Haotian for a moment. He was also a little curious; he hadn't summoned Haotian, so how did this guy arrive at such a convenient time?
Is it really "divine will"?
He didn't have good candidates for the three extra Sage yet, but after seeing Haotian, he immediately had one.
After all, Haotian was his personal attendant.
Thinking of this, Hongjun spoke slowly, saying, "Haotian, you've come at the right time. The Primordial World is in chaos, with Slaughter everywhere. As the ruler of the Heavenly Court, you have a duty to uphold the order of heaven and earth!"
Now that you've fallen to this state, what are your plans?
The Dao Ancestor had a serious expression and a loud voice, which sounded accusatory and made him look very intimidating.
Haotian's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down in fright. His face was filled with terror. This was too sudden. He had come here to seek refuge and planned to return when it was safe.
Unexpectedly Dao Ancestor blamed him.
Haotian felt utterly wronged about this. Although he was the ruler of the Heavenly Court, he was merely a figurehead and did not even have any subordinates he could command.
The Seven Demon Gods wreaked havoc, and even the Sage dared not intervene. What could he possibly do?
"Master, I am truly wronged. I was powerless to stop the Chaos Demon God Primordial World. Please punish me!"
Haotian kowtowed deeply, honestly confessing his guilt amidst his sophistry.
Intend?
What a load of rubbish!
Even Sage were defeated, so what could he do?
No matter how much you plan, you still need the ability!
The Three Pure Ones and the Two Western Sages lowered their heads and remained silent, their expressions showing surprise. The Dao Ancestor immediately questioned them, but while it seemed like a questioning, he actually had other plans.
They understand this perfectly well; they still need to maintain appearances!
As expected, after listening to Haotian's complaints and confession, the Dao Ancestor snorted coldly, his expression becoming even more stern, and coldly questioned:
"Haotian, according to you, if you can't do it, then you won't do it? What use is your Heavenly Court then?"
"This disciple deserves to die! Please punish me, Master!"
Haotian was devastated, gave up struggling, and honestly admitted his mistakes. Anyway, it didn't matter whether the Heavenly Court existed or not, so he might as well just Destruction it.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the Purple Heaven Palace became tense, and all the saints remained silent, as if they had fallen into a deep sleep.
Just as Haotian was about to wet himself in fear, the Dao Ancestor finally spoke, letting out a soft sigh and speaking slowly.
"Fine! This isn't entirely your fault."
"The Seven Demon Gods are wreaking havoc, and your Heavenly Court is empty and lacks the strength to suppress the unrest, so your inaction is understandable."
Upon hearing this, Haotian, who had been kneeling there lifeless, immediately breathed a sigh of relief; he had almost been scared out of his wits.
So close!
After all, he abandoned the Heavenly Court and fled to the Purple Heaven Palace for refuge, which already amounted to doing something utterly inhuman.
Being punished is only right.
"Thank you for your magnanimity and understanding of my difficulties, Master!" Haotian kowtowed and said gratefully.
Hongjun remained expressionless and calmly replied, "Haotian, don't be too happy yet. The Heavenly Court is still the Heavenly Court, and its responsibility to maintain order in the Primordial World cannot be forgotten..."
"Teacher! Heavenly Court is empty..." Haotian's face fell again, as if he were saying that he himself was empty.
"Alright! I know what you mean. Heavenly Dao, the great situation has changed, and the Heavenly Dao Sage has increased to nine. Your arrival at this time can be considered the will of Heaven..."
Hongjun spoke without sorrow or joy, displaying a transcendent compassion for humanity.
Upon hearing this, Haotian froze, completely dumbfounded.
Has the Heavenly Dao Sage increased?
What does the master mean by "divine will"?
Could it be...?
Haotian suddenly became excited, looking at Dao Ancestor with anticipation, hesitant to speak, waiting for the answer.
Hongjun didn't keep them in suspense and continued.
"The Heavenly Court is empty and lacks the strength to maintain the order of heaven and earth. Heavenly Dao has changed. In order for you to better fulfill your responsibilities, this position of Sage should be yours!"
Upon hearing this, Haotian was instantly stunned. Unable to contain his excitement any longer, he trembled and cried out with a mournful face, "Teacher! Are you telling the truth?"
He was so excited, it was like a dream, he couldn't believe it.
This feeling is indescribable; just a moment ago it felt like being in hell, like losing all your dreams.
Now he's suddenly about to become a saint.
Such a huge difference caused Haotian to break through his defenses.
The saints secretly thought to themselves, "As expected, after all that performance, the Dao Ancestor still bestowed one of the saintly positions upon Haotian."
And incidentally, it also moved Haotian to tears.
Use both kindness and severity!
"My words are the will of Heavenly Dao, how could they be false?" Hongjun shouted sternly, his voice firm and unquestionable.
Upon hearing this, Haotian's body trembled, finally realizing that this was not a dream, but all of this was real.
Unexpected joy!
Unexpectedly, he came to the Purple Heaven Palace to avoid disaster, but instead stumbled upon the will of Heaven and rightfully took a holy position.
At this moment, Haotian even wanted to thank the Seven Demon Gods. If it weren't for their meddling, how could he have received such benefits?
"Thank you for your kindness, Master. I will certainly not let you down!" Haotian calmed his excited heart and respectfully bowed.
"Get up. From now on, we will still need the Heavenly Court to maintain order in the Primordial World. Don't let me down!" Hongjun said calmly.
"This disciple will certainly live up to Master's expectations!" Haotian replied loudly.
When I got up again, I felt completely refreshed, as if I had been reborn.
At this moment, he is blessed with a great destiny and bears a heavy responsibility.
They bear the mission of maintaining peace throughout the entire Primordial World.
If we were just joking around before, from now on, we're getting serious.
"Teacher! Your disciple has one more small request!"
Haotian continued with a serious expression, as if he were surrounded by a radiant glow.
"Speak!" Hongjun nodded slightly.
"It's like this..." Haotian gestured to express his thoughts.
"Although I am about to become a saint, the Heavenly Court is still empty and lacks manpower. In order to better maintain the order of the Primordial World..."
"This disciple begs the master to allocate some powerful individuals to serve in the Heavenly Court!"
Haotian's voice resounded throughout the Purple Heaven Palace, revealing all his thoughts. Now that his identity had changed drastically, his ambition began to grow.
Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the saints changed, and Purple Heaven Palace fell silent.