The Shameless Zhunti

Hearing Tongtian's question, Laozi and Yuanshi both fell silent.

It was a good question. Though they were Pangu Orthodox and of legitimate lineage, the other party was a Sage.

If his preaching truly had nothing to do with them, then this trip... wouldn't they have come for nothing?

Master was really adorable. Hongjun had made such a grand spectacle because he wanted to become the teacher of all living beings, gather fate, and undergo Dao Integration with the Heavenly Dao. How could he possibly leave out the Pangu Orthodox? A teacher of all living beings unrecognized by the Pangu Orthodox would never receive the Heavenly Dao's recognition.

How did Lu Chen know so much? Even we do not know these things, so where did he learn them? Could it be that he had known Daoist Hongjun for a long time?

Listening to Lu Chen's inner thoughts, Tongtian was filled with confusion and doubt. The first time, when Lu Chen had told Duobao to use the lightning tribulation to temper his body, had still been within Tongtian's understanding. But now, he was finding this topic increasingly incomprehensible.

Could Lu Chen be the reincarnation of the Devouring Demon God?

A bold conjecture suddenly surfaced in Tongtian's mind. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was indeed the case.

His disciple had existed for even longer than he had...

Tongtian gave Lu Chen a complicated look. He no longer knew how to face this disciple of his.

Lu Chen had no idea that his master was putting on such a drama in his heart.

He was considering whether to risk being discovered by the Three Pure Ones and take out the Heaven-Devouring Treasure Vase to absorb some Chaos qi.

After some thought, Lu Chen suppressed the impulse. This place of Chaos was not going anywhere, and Chaos qi was endless. He could return after his cultivation had grown stronger. There was no need to take such a risk and expose a priceless treasure for temporary gain.

Forget it. I'll just pretend I don't know.

Tongtian shook his head. These were all Lu Chen's inner thoughts, yet Tongtian had not even figured out why he could hear them. Besides, they were merely Lu Chen's thoughts. Whether they were true remained uncertain; perhaps they were all false.

Tongtian comforted himself inwardly. At that moment, he even hoped their trip through Chaos would yield nothing, so that he could persuade himself that everything was merely Lu Chen's wild imaginings and could not be taken seriously.

Who knew how much more time passed.

"Big Brother, look over there!"

Following the direction of Yuanshi's finger, they saw a palace standing within Chaos, untouched by the Chaos qi.

On the palace's plaque were three characters carved with supreme divine power.

Zixiao Palace!

Looking at the tightly shut palace gates, Laozi stroked his beard. "It seems the three-thousand-year period has not yet arrived."

Tongtian, however, frowned and gave Lu Chen a complicated look. They had actually found Zixiao Palace.

Could it really be as Lu Chen had said?

No, no, no. The Three Pure Ones were Pangu Orthodox and possessed deep blessings and fortune. This should have been an opportunity that belonged to them from the start. It could not count as proof.

Because the Three Pure Ones had brought Duobao and Lu Chen along, they had traveled much more slowly. By the time they found Zixiao Palace, quite a few men and women with profound auras and flickering treasure light were already waiting before its gates.

Nuwa truly deserves her serpent body. That waist is so pale and slim. If it started swaying... tsk, tsk, tsk.

Dijun and Taiyi, the future Heavenly Emperors of the demon race. Though they are only Great Luo now, they have already gathered many great demons around them.

Lu Chen looked at the siblings Fuxi and Nuwa before Zixiao Palace; Dijun and Taiyi, clad in crimson-gold immortal robes and surrounded by great demons such as Jiu Ying and White Marsh; and a Daoist in cloud-patterned red robes with a kindly face, looking every bit like a harmless old fellow...

Dijun and Taiyi are future Heavenly Emperors?

Could these two accomplish what the three races failed to do and unify the Primordial World?

Listening to Lu Chen's inner thoughts, Tongtian silently calculated in his heart and could not help paying Dijun and Taiyi a little more attention.

Judging their cultivation, they were still a notch below him. Tongtian secretly shook his head.

This disciple of his was spouting nonsense again.

As time passed, more and more great powers arrived at Zixiao Palace.

"Two thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight..."

Creak.

The gates of Zixiao Palace opened.

Yuanshi reached out and grabbed Duobao by the back of the collar, while Laozi tucked Lu Chen into his sleeve.

The many innate sacred beings rushed toward Zixiao Palace.

Laozi's strength was among the very best of the great powers present, having already reached the peak of Great Luo.

Although Yuanshi and Tongtian were weaker than Laozi, they had also reached the late stage of Great Luo.

They charged forward with all their strength.

The great powers behind them were somewhat inferior in cultivation and were left behind by the Three Pure Ones.

"Second Brother, Third Brother."

Laozi took the lead. Looking at the three prayer cushions at the very front of the Dao field, he turned and gave Tongtian and Yuanshi a meaningful look.

The three brothers took seats on the first three prayer cushions.

Once Laozi sat down, Lu Chen crawled out from Laozi's Daoist sleeve. Duobao also stood at Yuanshi's side.

The great powers who arrived afterward wanted to seize the seats, but they feared the Three Pure Ones' cultivation. They also knew the three were together and did not wish to offend all of them at once, so they could only compete for the three prayer cushions behind them.

In the end, Nuwa obtained one with Fuxi's help. Hong Yun, aided by Zhen Yuanzi, likewise occupied one. The last was claimed by Kunpeng, whose speed was unmatched.

The prayer cushions had already been taken, so the rest could only regret it silently and find places to sit at random.

None of them knew the secret of the prayer cushions, so naturally no one was determined to obtain one at all costs.

All those who could appear in Zixiao Palace were great powers. Though their cultivation levels varied, the gap was not especially large. No one wanted to offend others over what seemed to be an ordinary seat.

"Senior Brother, how bitter my lot is!"

"The West is barren, and yet upon reaching Zixiao Palace, we still have nowhere to settle!"

"How bitter!"

A crying voice rang out from outside the palace. It made many great powers frown slightly as they looked toward the sound. They saw two Daoists in tattered robes, their faces full of misery, hurrying in while crying of their suffering and misery as they moved forward.

"How shameless."

Yuanshi snorted coldly and turned his head away.

The shameless duo has arrived. Hong Yun giving up his seat is an iconic scene rarely seen. He was giving someone else the chance to become a Sage—there was no second case like it in the entire Primordial World.

A chance to become a Sage? That ragged Daoist will become a Sage!

"Fellow Daoist, could you let us brothers borrow your seat for a rest?"

"Certainly!"

"Brother, you—"

Zhen Yuanzi looked at Hong Yun in shock. He had never expected that Hong Yun would so easily give away the prayer cushion they had obtained with such difficulty.

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist."

Zhunti's eyes shifted. He pulled Jieyin over, dragged Hong Yun to his feet, and pressed Jieyin into Hong Yun's seat, as though afraid Hong Yun would regret it.

"This!"

Hong Yun was also stunned by Zhunti. But the words had already left his mouth. He could hardly go back on them and refuse now, could he?

Zhunti stood beside Jieyin and looked at the remaining five seats.

Nuwa... Seeing the warning look in Fuxi's eyes, Zhunti turned his gaze toward the Three Pure Ones. He found each of them deeply cultivated, of the same origin and lineage, and not people he could afford to provoke.

He could only turn his attention to Kunpeng. Seeing that Kunpeng had no fellow Daoist standing beside him in support, Zhunti's face lit up with delight, and his eyes shifted again.

He walked up to Kunpeng, his expression darkening as he shouted bluntly.

"Where did this feathered beast come from? What status do you have to so brazenly sit with all the Daoist brothers? Hurry and surrender that seat!"

The moment Zhunti said this, though he had targeted Kunpeng, he had offended all the feathered great powers in the hall.

Dijun, Taiyi, Jiu Ying, Ghost Chariot, Merchant Sheep, who stood around them in support, and even White Marsh all looked at Zhunti with hostility.

What is going on? Wasn't Yuanshi the one who despised furred, horned, damp-born, egg-laying creatures the most?

Zhunti did not care. He secretly glanced at Yuanshi and muttered inwardly.

Naturally, he had prepared for this before speaking. He was not simply trying to offend people.

Yet Yuanshi merely glanced at Duobao beside him, then at Lu Chen, and had no intention of saying those classic words: "Furred, horned, damp-born, egg-laying creatures truly are unworthy of sitting with us Three Pure Ones."

Seeing that Yuanshi did not respond, Zhunti's expression became even more miserable. His eyes shifted slightly as he looked at Kunpeng, pretending to turn away. Then he suddenly spun back around, feigned a slip, and slammed directly into Kunpeng.

Caught off guard by the sudden collision, Kunpeng staggered, his buttocks shifting off the prayer cushion.

Zhunti threw himself onto the cushion, claiming it first. Then he planted himself on it and apologized to Kunpeng with a self-reproachful, hypocritical expression.

"Fellow Daoist, my apologies. My foot slipped just now; I did not do it on purpose."

"I hope Fellow Daoist can forgive me."

So it really was planned.

Seeing Zhunti take the seat that had originally belonged to Kunpeng, Lu Chen was somewhat surprised, though not overly so. Zhunti was a destined Heavenly Dao Sage, Hongjun's compensation to the West. One of these prayer cushions had always been his.

Planned? Could Big Brother, Second Brother, and I also be part of the scheme?

Tongtian was startled, a trace of contemplation passing through his eyes.

Kunpeng's gloomy eyes stared fixedly at Zhunti. Just as he was about to demand his seat back...

Hongjun appeared...