Pangu Temple.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches gathered, and Houtu told them what had happened at the Purple Heaven Palace.
"Hongjun actually wanted the Golden Crows to establish the Heavenly Court, oversee the world, and maintain order in the Primordial World?"
Dijiang looked surprised. The Sage's move was clearly a sign of dissatisfaction with the Witch Clan. He wanted to use the Heavenly Court to keep them in check.
"Those two Golden Crows refused. After that, Sage Hongjun appointed the Head of Male Immortals and the Head of Female Immortals to lead all the male and female immortals in the Primordial World. That was also meant to maintain order!"
Houtu continued, recounting everything that had happened at the Purple Heaven Palace in detail. The Ancestral Witches fell into thought.
"The Golden Crows knew what was good for them!"
"But these male and female immortals are rather interesting. Maintaining order in the Primordial World—doesn't that clearly mean they're targeting us?"
"Targeting us? If they dare meddle in our business, I'll twist their heads right off!"
"Hongjun is going to teach the Way of the Sage next time! If some mighty figure breaks through to Sagehood, I'm afraid it'll be bad for our Witch Clan!"
The Ancestral Witches discussed the matter among themselves. The firsthand news Houtu had brought back was useful to them.
"I heard that the Golden Crow called Ling Xiao may have broken through to Quasi-Sage. And then Hongjun chose them to establish the Heavenly Court. There may be some hidden meaning behind it."
"Does the Sage think the Golden Crows can suppress us?" Zhu Jiuyin's gaze was profound. With the wisdom of his long years, he had drawn this conclusion from Houtu's words.
"Perhaps the Sage has seen through the secrets of the future...?" Suspicion and confusion flashed in his eyes.
"I don't think it's that complicated. The Sage simply knows the Golden Crows have become Quasi-Sages, so he wants them to keep us in check!" Gonggong said dismissively.
After all, there were probably fewer than a handful of Quasi-Sages in the Primordial World at present. Hongjun was merely choosing the tallest among the short.
"I think we should find a chance to visit the Sun Star and test the Golden Crows. If they really pose a threat to us, we should kill them before it's too late," Zhu Jiuyin said coldly, determined to nip the danger in the bud.
"It doesn't matter. Even if one Golden Crow becomes a Quasi-Sage, or even all three of them break through, it won't make a difference."
"The Golden Crows refused to establish the Heavenly Court, which shows they don't want to oppose us. Their earlier refusal of Baize proves as much."
Dijiang waved his hand and said calmly,
"Our urgent task is to speed up our expansion. Once Hongjun finishes teaching the Way of the Sage, a Sage may emerge. So we must grow stronger as quickly as possible and prepare for the upheaval to come."
At those words, the Ancestral Witches all nodded.
"I have a feeling the Three Pure Ones will soon break through to Quasi-Sage. In my view, they're our greatest enemies. Those three shameless fellows have been suppressed so badly, yet their fortune is still abundant!"
Zhurong spoke with great seriousness.
"Next time we get the chance, we have to kill them and seize all of Father God's legacy from them!"
Qiangliang said furiously. His words were harsh, but most of the Ancestral Witches agreed. That was the fastest way for them to grow stronger.
"You're all making good points, but expanding our territory must come first. That's the foundation of our Witch Clan's strength."
Dijiang reminded them.
Afterward, the meeting ended. The Twelve Ancestral Witches left Pangu Temple, mobilized the Witch Clan warriors in their tribes, and launched a new offensive.
The Sun Star.
After returning, Di Jun and Tai Yi pulled Ling Xiao aside and told him what had happened at the Purple Heaven Palace.
When Ling Xiao heard that Hongjun had wanted them to establish the Heavenly Court, he gave an approving thumbs-up in secret.
He had once guessed that this might happen. Who could have expected Hongjun to make the first move and ask Di Jun and Tai Yi to establish the Heavenly Court?
He's panicking. He's panicking.
"You were right not to agree. Establishing the Heavenly Court may sound glorious, but it's definitely a lousy job."
Ling Xiao said with a smile. Fortunately, he had given them a heads-up in advance. Otherwise, Di Jun and Tai Yi would probably have agreed.
Imagine going out to hear a lecture, then coming home with the Heavenly Court in tow and bragging about it. Who could stand that?
"Third Brother, you're absolutely right. What's so great about establishing the Heavenly Court? It's hard work with no thanks. How can that compare to staying home and cultivating?"
"And it's all thanks to your warning. Otherwise, I might've gotten excited and agreed!"
Di Jun laughed heartily. Sometimes, it was easy to act on impulse in the heat of the moment.
"What's even funnier is that when we refused to establish the Heavenly Court, Hongjun decided not to establish it at all. Instead, he came up with a Head of Male Immortals and a Head of Female Immortals, supposedly to maintain order in the Primordial World."
Tai Yi said with a laugh. He didn't really understand why the Sage had pulled that stunt.
Did he really want them to establish the Heavenly Court that badly?
Ling Xiao nodded. It was just as he had expected. Smiling, he asked, "Did he appoint you as Head of Male Immortals too?"
Di Jun waved his hand. "No. The Sage wanted Hong Yun to be the Head of Male Immortals. Who would've thought Fellow Daoist Hong Yun would refuse too?"
"Hong Yun?" Ling Xiao looked surprised. He hadn't expected this. Hongjun was actually shameless enough to try to make Hong Yun the Head of Male Immortals.
Couldn't he find someone else to set up?
He still had to give him the Primordial Violet Qi later!
Hongjun had probably figured Di Jun and Tai Yi wouldn't accept, so he had tried to use Hong Yun to draw them into the fray.
But he hadn't expected Hong Yun to suddenly come to his senses and learn how to say no.
"Fellow Daoist Hong Yun probably thought it was a lousy job too, so he refused. Then Duke of the East stepped forward and volunteered. The Sage gave him the position."
"That makes sense..." Ling Xiao nodded. If there were a list of the most spectacularly doomed figures in the Primordial World, Duke of the East would surely rank near the top.
"After the lecture ended, the Sage said there would be a Third Sermon. He'd teach the complete Way to Sagehood and accept a group of disciples," Tai Yi added.
"Do you want to become disciples of the Sage?" Ling Xiao asked with a smile.
As soon as he finished speaking, Di Jun and Tai Yi both waved their hands, unconcerned. "There's nothing special about being a Sage's disciple. We'll become Sages on our own."
They were resolute, especially after seeing what Hongjun was capable of.
He said that cultivating the laws couldn't lead to the Dao.
Little did he know that their Third Brother had already become a Primordial Origin Golden Immortal.
"It's best if you can think that way." Ling Xiao nodded. It seemed Di Jun and Tai Yi hadn't come away from the lecture empty-handed. At the very least, their resolve to become Sages themselves had grown even firmer.
"Once I become a Primordial Origin Golden Immortal, I'll twist Jieyin and Zhunti's heads right off," Di Jun said with a frosty expression, radiating killing intent.
Just thinking about what had happened not long ago made him angry.
"By the way, Third Brother, how did the Ziwei Star God become your attendant?"
Aside from the Sun and Taiyin, Ziwei Star was the most powerful and exalted star god. They had no idea how their Third Brother had subdued him.
Curiosity showed on Di Jun and Tai Yi's faces.
"It went like this..." Ling Xiao gave them a brief, casual account of what had happened.
Di Jun and Tai Yi were astonished when they heard the story.
"The Stellar Tree?!"
Before you continue