Hongjun's Daoist voice naturally reached the Ancestral Witches and the billions of members of the Witch Race, who had all retreated into the Ancestral Land by then.
Pangu Hall's purpose was to defend against and conceal things from the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun's divinations and probing. It wasn't meant to block communication or perception between the Ancestral Land and the outside world.
"Ha ha ha! Looks like Hongjun's really panicking. He's scared, so he's even changed when he plans to preach!"
Zhurong laughed, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"I'd say he clearly feels the pressure. He's doing this to boost the demons' strength early, so we can't wipe them out so easily."
Gonggong picked up where Zhurong left off.
At the sight of this, the corners of Zhu Jiuyin's mouth curled upward.
What was he seeing?
The famously headstrong Zhurong and Gonggong were actually starting to think about why Hongjun had moved up his sermon.
If any of the great powers or living beings of the Primordial World saw this, their eyes would probably fall right out. Since when did the Ancestral Witches start using their brains?!
After all, in the past, these two had usually said no more than, "Big brother, what do you think? We'll do whatever you say."
"Using your brains is a good thing. Once you start thinking, outsiders can't manipulate you so easily."
They hadn't absorbed Turbid Qi for thirty thousand years, and they'd recently gained a vast amount of Great Dao Merit. As a result, the Turbid Qi within every Ancestral Witch—not just Zhurong and Gonggong—had been completely purged.
Once the Turbid Qi vanished from their bodies, even Zhurong and Zhurong, who had never been known for their brains, began to learn how to think.
Soon, the other Ancestral Witches joined in, discussing why Hongjun had moved up his sermon.
And they had to admit, with each of them adding a thought, the Ancestral Witches pieced together most of Hongjun's plans.
When they'd said enough, Zhu Jiuyin tapped the stone table before him.
Instantly, silence fell across the hall.
That was the weight Zhu Jiuyin now commanded among the Ancestral Witches.
So why had none of the other eleven Ancestral Witches—even Dijiang—objected when Zhu Jiuyin received thirty percent of the merit and the Chaos Spiritual Treasure, the Time-Space Mirror?
Because, over the past thirty thousand years, Zhu Jiuyin had made one correct decision after another, establishing himself as the Witch Race's highest decision-maker.
Since he held the highest position, it was only right that he received the greatest benefits.
Especially after Houtu and Dijiang had declared that Zhu Jiuyin's exclusive share of thirty percent of the Great Dao Merit and the Chaos Spiritual Treasure had been "approved by Father God and bestowed by the Great Dao." After that, his standing among the Witch Race had only risen.
As things stood, Zhu Jiuyin gave the impression of being Father God's incarnation in the Primordial World.
Zhu Jiuyin glanced around at the Ancestral Witches and smiled. "You've had a lively discussion. When something important comes up in the future, we Ancestral Witches should keep working things out this way.
"Brains are meant to be used. The more you use them, the more nimble and clever you become.
"See? I haven't even said a word, and you've already figured out most of Hongjun's plans. Well done."
Ha ha ha...
As soon as Zhu Jiuyin finished speaking, laughter filled the hall.
Everyone liked hearing words of approval and praise. And when those words came from someone with unquestioned authority, the joy multiplied many times over.
A compliment was still a compliment, but there was a world of difference between an ordinary person saying you might someday be worth billions and the world's richest person telling you that you had a bright future and would surely become a billionaire.
Zhu Jiuyin pressed a hand down again. The Ancestral Witches immediately turned into obedient children. They quieted down and gazed eagerly at Zhu Jiuyin, waiting for his final decision.
"In my view, Hongjun has realized that, for now, he can't do anything to us, so he's changing his strategy.
"What does that mean? It means that no matter how Hongjun changes his approach, for a long time to come, he'll still be targeting and suppressing us. His plans to destroy our Ancestral Witches and the Witch Race won't change!"
Hearing this, the Ancestral Witches gritted their teeth in anger, wishing they could storm Purple Heaven Palace and chop that old earthworm, Hongjun, to pieces.
Well...
The claim that Hongjun had taken human form from a Chaos Earthworm had come from Zhu Jiuyin.
Compared to even the lowest-ranked Chaos Demon God, a Chaos Earthworm was as small as a speck of dust beside Mount Tai. Yet in the Chaos World, it still counted as an exceptionally noble bloodline.
After all, no matter how powerful the Chaos Demon Gods were, the Great Dao allowed only three thousand of them.
But then Xuanming, who was usually quiet and aloof, remarked, "Oh, so he's an old earthworm."
At those words, the other Ancestral Witches' eyes lit up.
Right, that's the spirit!
Since Hongjun was always targeting the Ancestral Witches and the Witch Race, what was wrong with calling him an old earthworm?
Besides, this was Pangu Hall. They dared to curse Hongjun here, and even the Heavenly Dao.
In my house, my rules!
Zhu Jiuyin continued, "Do you remember what people outside said about Hongjun's last sermon? He took the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa as personal disciples, and the Two Sages of the West as nominal disciples.
"Afterward, he gave them Grandmist Violet Qi. He also gave the Three Pure Ones the Taiji Diagram, the Pangu Banner, and the Four Swords of Immortal Execution; Nuwa received the Qiankun Cauldron and the Map of Mountains and Rivers; and the Two Sages of the West received the Twelfth-Grade Golden Lotus and the Blue Lotus Flag of Treasure Banner, along with a whole assortment of Top-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures and even Innate Supreme Treasures."
"I remember now. People outside also said that old earthworm Hongjun claimed that without Grandmist Violet Qi, no one could become a sage. So, by the same logic, doesn't that mean anyone who gets Grandmist Violet Qi can become a sage?"
Tianwu was the Wind Ancestral Witch. Wherever there was wind, there was nowhere he couldn't sense or listen.
In extreme cases, if there was wind in Purple Heaven Palace, he could even hear what Hongjun was saying without the Primordial World noticing.
Compared to Tianwu, Six-Eared Macaque's ability to hear all things was far inferior. And the Clairaudient of later generations was laughably feeble beside him.
So although Tianwu wasn't famous, within the Witch Race he served as the chief collector and overseer of intelligence.
Zhu Jiuyin smiled and nodded. "Tianwu's absolutely right. The key is the Grandmist Violet Qi.
"Originally, if we hadn't disrupted his plans, Hongjun would have followed the usual course. He'd have waited until the three sermons at Purple Heaven Palace were over, after three Yuanhui, before slowly putting things in motion and seating the Six Sages of the Heavenly Dao.
"But now, because we Ancestral Witches and the Witch Race are far stronger than he expected, he can't wait any longer.
"So I'm certain that once the three sermons at Purple Heaven Palace are over, the Heavenly Dao Sages will appear."
"Good heavens! I remember Hongjun handed out six strands of Grandmist Violet Qi. Doesn't that mean six Heavenly Dao Sages are about to appear in the Primordial World?"
Before you continue