If You Want Me to Act, You Have to Pay More

ps: This humble one kneels and begs all fellow Daoists for recommendation votes, monthly tickets, collections, and comments. I hope you can use your wealth-bringing little hands to help boost this humble one's ranking. I kneel in gratitude.

While Chen Xuan was instructing the Twelve Ancestral Sorcerers, the struggle for hegemony over the Primordial World between the Three Clans of Dragons, Phoenixes, and Qilins had reached a fever pitch.

Under the instigation of Rahu, the three clans exhausted their elite forces, preparing to launch a final, decisive battle. For a time, the slaughter was so widespread that the cries of the fallen filled the land.

Yet, Chen Xuan did not take these events to heart; he even felt that these things were bound to happen and had nothing much to do with him.

However, Chen Xuan did not expect that Hongjun would actually track him down to Mount Buzhou, and was now standing right outside the Ancestral Sorcerer Hall.

"Fellow Daoist Azure Lotus, you have certainly made it difficult for me to find you. If I had not sensed your aura here at Mount Buzhou, I truly would not have known where else to look."

Hongjun's voice drifted into the Ancestral Sorcerer Hall, and Chen Xuan could not help but frown.

It seems this Hongjun is dead set on scheming against me, he thought to himself.

Although Chen Xuan knew Hongjun was up to no good, since the man had already come to his doorstep, he had to meet him.

He immediately spoke to the Twelve Ancestral Sorcerers: "The Dragon-Han Calamity has reached a critical juncture. With your current cultivation, you are not yet qualified to participate."

"After I leave, you are to seal the Ancestral Sorcerer Hall. Within one Yuanhui, no one is to step a single foot outside."

The Twelve Ancestral Sorcerers naturally obeyed Chen Xuan's orders without question. They immediately promised him that they would not leave.

Only then did Chen Xuan head out of the Ancestral Sorcerer Hall with peace of mind.

Seeing Chen Xuan walk out, Hongjun could not help but smile.

"Fellow Daoist Azure Lotus, you really are here. You have certainly made it difficult for me to find you."

Chen Xuan performed a Daoist salute to Hongjun, then spoke with a calm expression.

"I wonder, Fellow Daoist Hongjun, why are you in such a rush to find me? Could it be that you intend to gift me some spiritual treasure again?"

Hongjun sighed and said, "Fellow Daoist Azure Lotus, you may not be aware, but Rahu is now inciting the three clans to war, intending to use the baleful energy to attain the status of a Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal."

Seeing that Chen Xuan merely nodded, Hongjun felt a sense of bewilderment.

After all, once Rahu attained the Dao of the Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal, all surviving Chaos Gods and Demons would have no place left to stand in the Primordial World.

Because of this, during this period, no matter whom Hongjun approached, he had successfully gained their attention and formed an alliance.

Yet, upon reaching Chen Xuan today, he was met with such indifference. It was inevitable that Hongjun would find it strange.

He spoke again, "Fellow Daoist Azure Lotus, are you not worried that if Rahu attains the Dao of the Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal, he will destroy this Primordial World?"

In Hongjun's mind, even if Chen Xuan was not Pangu reborn, his relationship with Pangu must be extraordinary.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to have come to Mount Buzhou to see the Twelve Ancestral Sorcerers immediately after taking human form. After all, the Twelve Ancestral Sorcerers were the descendants of Pangu.

That was why Hongjun claimed that if Rahu attained the Dao, the Primordial World would be destroyed.

However, to Hongjun's surprise, Chen Xuan still wore an expression of detachment.

"Rahu will ultimately find it difficult to attain the Dao, so why should you worry, Fellow Daoist Hongjun?"

Once these words left Chen Xuan's lips, Hongjun was rendered speechless, and the way he looked at Chen Xuan changed.

Chen Xuan, conversely, feigned a profound and mysterious air and continued.

"Since you are worried, Fellow Daoist Hongjun, why not step forward to mediate between the three clans? As long as they cease their conquest, no baleful energy will be produced, and Rahu will no longer be a threat."

"Of course, if you are confident in your ability to slay Rahu, you could also settle the matter once and for all and completely eradicate this malignant tumor."

Hongjun sighed after hearing this. "I have stepped forward to mediate the affairs of the three clans more than once."

"It is just a pity that the grievances between the three clans are now too deep. They cannot be resolved with a few words."

"However, I cannot kill Rahu on my own. That is why I have already united with several other fellow Daoists, preparing to head to Mount Sumeru in a thousand years to eliminate the demons and uphold the Dao."

"I wonder, Fellow Daoist Azure Lotus, would you be willing to lend a hand? Let us return a peaceful world of cultivation to the myriad living beings of the Primordial World."

Seeing that Hongjun had finally revealed the true purpose of his visit, Chen Xuan pondered for a moment.

"Back then, I received the Twelve-Rank Golden Lotus of Merit from you, Fellow Daoist Hongjun, and promised to assist you. Since you have come to ask today, there is naturally no reason to refuse."

"However, let us speak plainly first: after we slay Rahu, I want his Four Swords of Execution and the Execution Array Diagram."

Hongjun nodded without the slightest hesitation. After all, in Hongjun's estimation, Chen Xuan was destined to die at Mount Sumeru in the West.

By then, even the magic treasures in his hands would belong to him, so how could Chen Xuan possibly obtain the Four Swords of Execution and the Execution Array Diagram?

Chen Xuan understood perfectly well what Hongjun was plotting, so he now wore a look of hesitation.

This made Hongjun somewhat curious. "Fellow Daoist Azure Lotus, why do you wear such an expression? Is there some hidden difficulty?"

Chen Xuan nodded. "Fellow Daoist Hongjun, you may not know, but I do not possess any decent Innate Supreme Treasures. Once the great battle begins, I fear I will be unable to keep Rahu in check."

"However, rest assured, Fellow Daoist Hongjun. I will use this millennium to search diligently. I will strive to bring an Innate Supreme Treasure with me to slay Rahu when the time comes."

After saying this, Chen Xuan bid Hongjun farewell and turned to head up Mount Buzhou, as if he were truly going to search for an Innate Supreme Treasure.

But at this moment, a flicker of suspicion arose in Hongjun's heart. Strive to bring an Innate Supreme Treasure to slay Rahu? What if he cannot find one...

Hongjun suddenly awakened as if from a dream, feeling that Chen Xuan must be using this as an excuse to avoid participating in the siege against Rahu.

He hardened his heart, blocked Chen Xuan's path, and said, "Fellow Daoist Azure Lotus, Innate Supreme Treasures are rare and hard to come by. How could you possibly find one within a thousand years?"

"How about this? I possess a top-grade innate spiritual treasure called the Heaven-Grinding Disc, which I could lend to fellow Daoist Azure Lotus for the time being."

As he spoke, Hongjun produced the Heaven-Grinding Disc and, without a moment's hesitation, presented it before Chen Xuan.

Looking at the Heaven-Grinding Disc in front of him, a look of hesitation appeared on Chen Xuan's face. After a brief moment, he finally spoke.

"Heading to Mount Sumeru in the west to slay Rahu is my own duty. How could I possibly accept such a precious treasure from fellow Daoist Hongjun?"

Although the other party had clearly said he would only lend it to him, it had now become, in Chen Xuan's words, a gift from Hongjun.

Furthermore, judging by his demeanor, Chen Xuan would absolutely refuse to accept the Heaven-Grinding Disc if Hongjun did not agree to give it away.

Fine, I will simply gift this Heaven-Grinding Disc to you. Once you perish and your Dao dissipates, everything will return to me anyway.

Having made up his mind, Hongjun acted immediately, wiping his divine consciousness imprint from the Heaven-Grinding Disc.