Hiss...
At that moment, Hongjun drew in a sharp breath.
For the first time, Zhu Jiuyin and the Witch Race had truly frightened him.
All this time, he had only known that the Ancestral Witches and the Witch Race were constantly absorbing the Turbid Qi of the Primordial World. Without them, the Primordial World would gradually become a desolate dead land, utterly blanketed by Turbid Qi. When that happened, even Sages might no longer be able to survive there.
But Hongjun had never imagined that he had still underestimated the Ancestral Witches and the Witch Race.
Now, when Zhu Jiuyin revealed the Witch Race's trump card, Hongjun was truly afraid.
Hongjun wasn't the only one. The Heavenly Dao was stunned, too.
The reason was simple: whether it was the Heavenly Dao or Hongjun, a little foresight was enough to tell that Zhu Jiuyin's words were true.
And, on second thought, they made sense.
What were the Ancestral Witches' origins?
They had taken form from Pangu's blood essence fused with the source of the Primordial World's Turbid Qi.
In other words, every Ancestral Witch possessed the authority to detonate half the Primordial World's Turbid Qi. That meant each one was a ticking bomb capable of setting off half the Primordial World's Turbid Qi.
If all twelve Ancestral Witches detonated the Turbid Qi of the Primordial World along with the Witch Race, there would be no need to wait tens of millions of years. The Primordial World would be instantly engulfed by endless Turbid Qi. In less than three days, every living being below Sage-level would perish.
Worse still, the Six Sages of the Heavenly Dao hadn't even taken their places yet.
In other words, if the Ancestral Witches and the Witch Race truly did this, Hongjun might be the only one left in the entire Primordial World.
This...
By then, both the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun would be doomed.
Hongjun wanted to say, "Would you Ancestral Witches dare do such a thing? Aren't you afraid Pangu would blame you for destroying the world he opened with his life?
"And the Great Dao would never allow this to happen!"
But on second thought, he realized how laughable that sounded.
The Ancestral Witches weren't afraid of death. Why would they fear Pangu's blame?
More importantly, with their willingness to shatter the jade rather than preserve the tile, Pangu might even have liked them all the more.
Hongjun was a Chaos Being. How could he not know Pangu's temperament?
As for the Great Dao...
Well... the Heavenly Dao had schemed against the Witch Race at the risk of destroying the Western World. Couldn't the Witch Race risk the death of every living being in the Primordial World to fight back against the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun?
The Great Dao was impartial. That wasn't an empty saying.
"Speak. What exactly do you want?"
Hongjun conceded at last.
"I want the Kongtong Seal and the Human-Creating Whip!"
"What did you say?!"
Hongjun nearly leaped to his feet.
Part of him was shocked that Zhu Jiuyin knew about the Kongtong Seal and the Human-Creating Whip. The other part was outraged that Zhu Jiuyin would dare make such an outrageous demand, asking for both treasures!
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible! Since you know about the Kongtong Seal and the Human-Creating Whip, you should also know that they each carry thirty percent of the Human Race's fortune, and that in the future they will grant the authority to depose and appoint the Human Emperor.
"If I gave you the Kongtong Seal and the Human-Creating Whip, it would be no different from handing you control of the Human Race. That is absolutely out of the question!"
Hongjun refused without hesitation.
"Then I've got nothing more to say. Either way, I'm taking the Kongtong Seal and the Human-Creating Whip!"
Zhu Jiuyin had no intention of backing down. He stood firm to the end.
For the first time, Hongjun wasn't sure how to handle the situation.
Looking into Zhu Jiuyin's eyes, deep and mysterious as the Primordial Starry Sky, Hongjun truly couldn't guarantee that Zhu Jiuyin wouldn't blow the Primordial World apart.
Hongjun sighed.
"I can't give you the Human-Creating Whip. It is proof of Nuwa's status as the Holy Mother of the Human Race, as well as her Dao-ascension artifact. I can give you the Kongtong Seal, though, along with fifteen percent of the Human Race's fortune it carries."
"This is the limit for me and the Heavenly Dao. If you refuse, go ahead and blow everything up!"
Zhu Jiuyin knew that if he pushed any further, the negotiations would truly fall apart.
In truth, obtaining the Kongtong Seal was already an unexpected boon.
The fifteen percent of the Human Race's fortune wasn't important. What mattered was that with the Kongtong Seal, the Witch Race would possess the authority to depose and appoint the Human Emperor.
Of course, powerful as the Kongtong Seal was, it still fell somewhat short of the Human-Creating Whip.
After all, the Kongtong Seal represented supreme authority, while the Human-Creating Whip represented the very foundations of the Human Race.
The Kongtong Seal could only depose or appoint the Human Emperor. The Human-Creating Whip could truly strike the Human Emperor dead.
As for why Nuwa hadn't used the Human-Creating Whip to kill Di Xin after he humiliated her during the Investiture of the Gods, the only explanation was that the Heavenly Dao and the Humanity Dao had intervened, forbidding her from acting. The "two streaks of red light" in the original text were perhaps the wills of the Heavenly Dao and the Humanity Dao speaking.
That was also why Hongjun had ultimately agreed to hand the Kongtong Seal over to Zhu Jiuyin.
Did anyone really think a mere seal could decide such a grave matter as the appointment or deposition of a Human Emperor?
Without the Heavenly Dao's permission and the Humanity Dao's approval, the Kongtong Seal was nothing more than an ordinary Top-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.
It was like the Imperial Seal of the Realm in later generations. Surely no one truly believed that possessing the Imperial Seal of the Realm made you the emperor?
In the end, strength was the foundation. The Imperial Seal of the Realm merely added luster.
But imagine if one day Zhu Jiuyin or the Witch Race grew so powerful that a single word from them forced the Heavenly Dao and the Humanity Dao to yield. That would be when the Kongtong Seal's full power shone through.
On the other hand, in the myths of the Primordial World, the Kongtong Seal eventually ended up in Laozi's hands.
Yet all Laozi could do with it was appoint the Three Sovereigns, and divide and suppress the Human Race's fortune in his possession. He couldn't do anything more.
If Laozi really could depose and appoint the Human Emperor with the Kongtong Seal alone, then during the Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, it wouldn't have been the Interception Sect that held sway. The Human Sect would have reigned supreme.
"Fine. The Kongtong Seal and fifteen percent of the Humanity Dao's fortune. Hand them over now, and the debt for you and the Heavenly Dao coming to my doorstep ends here!"
"Fine!"
Hongjun wasn't one to dither. He immediately took a purple-gold piece of black jade from his robes and tossed it to Zhu Jiuyin.
Zhu Jiuyin caught the Kongtong Seal and examined it closely. Nine dragons were entwined across its top, their scales sharply defined and their aura magnificent. Its four sides were carved with images: one showed the Three Sovereigns, another the Five Emperors, a third depicted the creation of all things, and the fourth showed the bountiful harvest of the five grains.
Zhu Jiuyin understood. "As expected of the Human Race's supreme treasure, the Kongtong Seal. The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors marked the beginning of the Human Race's prosperity, while creation and farming are the foundations on which the Human Race stands."
Seeing Zhu Jiuyin accept the Kongtong Seal, Hongjun couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Zhu Jiuyin, you and the Witch Race had better watch yourselves. Remember, the great trend of the Heavenly Dao must not be changed."
"If the great trend must not be changed, does that mean you and the Heavenly Dao still intend to destroy the Witch Race?"
Hongjun's expression shifted, but he didn't know what to say.
That was right. From the moment Zhu Jiuyin changed the course of events, the so-called great trend of the Heavenly Dao had already become a joke.
"What a variable!"
Hongjun sighed inwardly and silently vanished.
Zhu Jiuyin watched Hongjun's fading figure with a cold gaze, tossing the Kongtong Seal in his hand. "This game still has a few more moves to play!"
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