A Retreat and Another Retreat, The Unconvinced Great Powers

The Three Pure Ones, Jieyin, Zhun Ti, Kunpeng, Minghe, Fuxi, and the other great beings all wore expressions of anticipation.

The dual temptation of status and a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure made it difficult for them to restrain themselves.

Duke of the East, in particular, was so excited he could barely contain it; he was already preparing to stand up. Queen Mother of the West was the manifestation of the first wisp of Yin energy, while he was the manifestation of the first wisp of supreme Yang energy.

In that case, wouldn't the position of Head of the Male Immortals naturally be his?

It was logical and well-founded!

Hongjun swept his gaze across the room, letting his eyes linger on the great beings before finally resting them upon Di Jun and Tai Yi.

The great beings who noticed this immediately felt a sense of unease.

"It couldn't be, could it?"

"Is this position of Head of the Male Immortals also going to the Golden Crows?"

Even Di Jun and Tai Yi were left completely bewildered.

Not again?

The next moment, Hongjun shifted his gaze. He had anticipated that the Golden Crows would likely refuse, so he settled for the next best thing and turned his eyes toward Red Cloud.

He had noticed that Red Cloud seemed to have a good relationship with Di Jun and Tai Yi, so he hoped to use Red Cloud to drag them into the fray.

Given Red Cloud's seniority, it would be difficult for him to command respect as the Head of the Male Immortals, and he would inevitably have to ask the Golden Crows for help.

Wouldn't that make everything fall into place?

As long as they were drawn into the scheme and a conflict broke out, everything would naturally proceed as planned.

"Red Cloud, you were formed from the first wisp of red cloud in heaven and earth. You possess great fortune and should serve as the Head of the Male Immortals."

Hongjun spoke indifferently, his expression imposing and solemn.

As his words fell, the crowd of great beings erupted, each of them revealing looks of indignation.

"Red Cloud is worthy of being the Head of the Male Immortals? What virtue or ability does he have?"

He was merely the first wisp of red cloud in the world; with such a background, any one of the great beings sitting in the front of Purple Heaven Palace could kill him in an instant.

It wasn't just the crowd that was stunned; even Red Cloud himself felt it was inconceivable, as if he were dreaming.

Without exaggeration, he felt he was unworthy of the position.

With an excited heart and trembling hands, he was about to thank the Saint for his grace when he suddenly came to his senses.

Feeling the hostile gazes around him and recalling the actions of Daoist Di Jun just moments ago, Red Cloud suddenly realized this was not a good job; if he wasn't careful, his life might be at risk.

Immediately, Red Cloud scratched his head in embarrassment and said with a smile, "Reporting to the Saint, this disciple is dull of talent and weak in strength. I fear I am unable to shoulder such a great responsibility, and I implore you to retract your decree!"

He spoke with sincerity and openness, showing no greed for the position of Head of the Male Immortals.

Beautiful!

Behind Red Cloud, Di Jun and Tai Yi were so excited they almost clapped their hands.

Hongjun's expression stiffened slightly; he had not expected Red Cloud to refuse him.

It was unbelievable.

This fellow has been corrupted by hanging around the Golden Crows!

"Red Cloud, are you truly unwilling to serve as the Head of the Male Immortals?" Hongjun asked in a deep voice, his eyes showing clear dissatisfaction.

"Yes, Red Cloud lacks the virtue for such a position. I implore the Saint to retract the decree!" Red Cloud said solemnly, without a hint of hesitation.

A top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure was good, but one had to be alive to use it.

"I, Red Cloud, will absolutely not be the Head of the Male Immortals!"

His resolve grew firmer, for after his refusal, he could clearly feel the hostile gazes around him gradually fading away.

The great beings were naturally pleased; if Red Cloud was sensible enough to refuse, then they still had a chance.

Hongjun waved his hand gently, signaling him to sit down, no longer wishing to say anything more. His gaze then shifted to Zhenyuanzi, who sat beside Red Cloud.

If one step back didn't work, he would take another.

Zhenyuanzi and Red Cloud were as thick as thieves; it made no difference to him which of them became the Head of the Male Immortals.

Just as Hongjun was about to speak, he saw Zhenyuanzi's eyes darting around, looking everywhere but at him; his face might as well have been written with the words "I do not agree."

"This..."

Forget it, let it all be destroyed; I shall go merge with the Dao.

Hongjun's gaze grew cold, but he could not lash out in front of all the great beings.

The great beings also sensed the subtle atmosphere and immediately fell silent, not daring to show any strange expressions.

However, there were those who were bold. Duke of the East, seeing this, felt his opportunity had arrived. He stood up immediately and said respectfully.

"This disciple is willing to share the burden for Teacher and accept the position of Head of the Male Immortals."

He wore a stern expression, appearing extremely serious and righteous, though in his heart, he was filled with trepidation.

Duke of the East's sudden move caused the great beings to sneer in their hearts.

"Simply courting death!"

The Saint's expression was already looking rather off, yet he still dared to step forward; for the sake of benefits, he didn't even want his life.

But to the shock of the gathered mighty figures, Hongjun merely glanced at Duke of the East and nodded slowly.

"Very well, since that is the case, let the position of Chief of the Male Immortals be held by Duke of the East."

"I bestow upon you the Top-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Dragon-Headed Staff. I hope you utilize it well to govern and lead the male immortals of the Primordial World, maintain order, and do not disappoint Me!"

Hongjun flicked his sleeve, and a golden, shimmering Dragon-Headed Staff flew out, coming to rest before Duke of the East.

Duke of the East received it with both hands, knelt, kowtowed, and said excitedly, "Duke of the East shall certainly not fail the Saint's expectations!"

"This?"

The crowd of mighty figures was stunned. Was it really that simple?

They had assumed Duke of the East was about to be torn apart; they never expected the Saint to hand over the position of Chief of the Male Immortals so casually.

Some of the mighty figures regretted it so much their guts turned green; had they known, they would have stepped forward as well.

I could have done that too!

The crowd of mighty figures was filled with jealousy and secret remorse, believing that Duke of the East only secured the position of Chief of the Male Immortals because he had stepped forward early!

The only ones who felt relaxed and happy were perhaps Di Jun, Tai Yi, Zhenyuanzi, and Red Cloud.

Especially Zhenyuanzi, who was naturally indifferent to fame and fortune, preferring tranquility over activity; regardless of the reason, he had no desire to be this Chief of the Male Immortals.

Therefore, when Hongjun's gaze had swept over just now, he had guessed that the Saint intended to make him the Chief of the Male Immortals.

After all, even his good friend Red Cloud had caught Hongjun's eye; he had no reason to be inferior to Red Cloud.

"Very well, this sermon ends here."

"Ten thousand years from now, it shall be My final sermon."

"At that time, I will impart the complete Path to Sainthood. Beyond that, I shall also select a group of those with affinity to take on as disciples."

As the words fell, Hongjun's figure dissipated along with them.

A moment later, Purple Heaven Palace erupted into an uproar; the crowd of mighty figures was in a frenzy.

"The Saint is going to take disciples!"

It must be said that the final words Hongjun left behind made them all unable to contain their excitement.

Although those who came to Purple Heaven Palace to listen to the sermon often referred to themselves as disciples, in truth, they did not even count as the Saint's nominal disciples.

They had no name and no status.

Now that the Saint had spoken personally of taking a group of disciples, the exact number of this "group" had not been specified.

Every mighty figure felt they had a chance. Once one became a disciple of the Saint, their status would instantly change.

Not only would they receive the Saint's guidance, but they could also walk sideways across the Primordial World.

Beyond that, the complete Path to Sainthood also filled them with immense anticipation, making them wish these ten thousand years would pass in the blink of an eye.

Just as before, Hongjun had left endless suspense for the next sermon.

Before it had even begun, he had already hooked the crowd of mighty figures, leaving them unable to extricate themselves.