"Sister, what do you think of Daochen?"
In the chaotic void near Mount Buzhou, Fuxi looked earnestly at Nüwa beside him.
"Brother, what do you mean?"
Fuxi's question came out of nowhere, leaving Nüwa utterly bewildered.
Ever since her brother had met Daochen, he seemed to have become a different person. Every other word out of his mouth was Daochen's name, and she had no idea what medicine he was hiding in his gourd.
"The Witch Clan is powerful, while our Demon Race is a heap of loose sand. If this continues, I fear we will end up as their food!"
Fuxi sighed softly and spoke in a somber voice.
"So you want Daochen to take charge of our Demon Race?"
Nüwa frowned slightly at his words.
Although she had only met Daochen a handful of times, judging by what she knew of him...
This would not be easy.
"Indeed. With Daochen's talents, he is more than qualified to rule our Demon Race." Fuxi shook his head, then continued, "But I fear his heart lies elsewhere. That makes things rather difficult."
"Brother, since you already know his heart lies elsewhere, why bring trouble upon yourself?"
Nüwa shook her head as she spoke.
Why would someone who could reject the title of a Sage's direct disciple care about the mere title of ruler of the Demon Race?
"But without Daochen, I fear our Demon Race will never escape the Witch Clan's clutches!"
Fuxi's brows knitted tightly, and he let out a mournful sigh.
The Witch Clan was mighty, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches were domineering, while the demons each fought their own battles. How could the consequences be anything but dire if this continued?
"Alas."
After a long while, Fuxi sighed softly again.
"Eldest Brother, little sister, how was that old man Hongjun's lecture? Did you gain anything?"
Dijiang and Houtu had barely returned to Pangu Hall when a burly man with a curling beard strode toward them.
He was Goumang, the Second Ancestral Witch, who was currently overseeing the Witch Clan.
"Nothing but a load of bullshit about the Great Dao. It made me want to fall asleep."
Dijiang plopped down on a prayer cushion in Pangu Hall, stretched, and spoke lazily.
"As for gains, it wasn't entirely fruitless. Daochen was an unexpected surprise."
After a moment's thought, Houtu spoke softly.
"Unfortunately, Daochen is a member of the Demon Race. He is destined never to walk the same path as our Witch Clan."
Houtu continued.
"If he's a demon, just kill him sooner rather than later. What is there to worry about?"
Goumang spoke with utter disdain.
Over the years, the great demons of the Primordial World who had died by his hand numbered at least eight hundred, if not a thousand.
Naturally, he looked down on the Demon Race.
"You?" Dijiang raised an eyebrow and looked at Goumang contemptuously. "Daochen's flowers bloomed with ten petals when he entered Great Luo. If you're so capable, why don't you produce ten-petaled flowers yourself?"
"Eldest Brother, who are you looking down on? So what if his flowers had ten petals? Can he break through my Ancestral Witch body?"
Goumang looked thoroughly unconvinced.
"I don't know whether he can break through our Ancestral Witch bodies, but if you really want to challenge Daochen, you can practice on the Three Pure Ones first."
Dijiang spoke with a wicked grin.
He had never forgotten how the Three Pure Ones claimed to be Pangu's orthodox heirs.
"Fine! Just wait, Eldest Brother. Once I beat the Three Pure Ones, I'll go find Daochen. We'll see which is stronger-Daochen or my Ancestral Witch body!"
With that, Goumang shot into the sky, heading straight for Mount Kunlun.
"Eldest Brother, I'm afraid Second Brother is in for some suffering."
Watching Goumang leave, Houtu shook her head.
"It's fine, it's fine. At worst, he'll get a beating."
Dijiang shook his head, utterly unconcerned.
Goumang clearly could not defeat the Three Pure Ones by himself, but neither could they beat him to death.
After all, their Ancestral Witch bodies were no joke.
At most, he would suffer some flesh wounds. A little rest would set him right.
But once the Three Pure Ones beat Goumang, Dijiang would have a reason to gather all Twelve Ancestral Witches and give them a proper dose of trouble.
Who told them to call themselves Pangu's orthodox heirs? That was an outright slap in the faces of the Twelve Ancestral Witches.
If you Three Pure Ones are Pangu's orthodox heirs, does that make us Twelve Ancestral Witches his crooked heirs?
Mount Kunlun.
The Three Pure Ones, who had just returned to their cultivation grounds, sneezed for no apparent reason.
"How strange. Who is speaking of us?"
Laozi rubbed his nose and asked in puzzlement.
At their level of cultivation, their spiritual senses were astonishingly keen. They could sense when someone spoke of them.
"Fellow Daoist, would you stay a moment and visit our Lunar Star for a chat?"
Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, two melodious voices rang out in the boundless chaos.
Changxi and Xihe appeared before Daochen.
"What is the matter, fair maidens?"
Looking at the two lunar goddesses who had suddenly appeared, Daochen was somewhat baffled.
"Well..."
Seeing Daochen stop so abruptly, Changxi found the words on the tip of her tongue, yet did not know how to begin.
"Sister, let me explain. We came here because there is something we wish to ask for your help with, Daoist Brother."
The more lively Xihe spoke with a smile.
"What is it?"
Daochen raised an eyebrow and looked at the two women in puzzlement.
He had only met Changxi and Xihe once. There was truly no friendship to speak of between them.
Why had the two suddenly sought him out?
"Daoist Brother, do you know of the Moon Laurel Tree?"
Xihe asked.
"Of course. The Moon Laurel Tree is one of the ten great innate spiritual roots. But if something is wrong with it, I'm afraid I cannot help either."
Daochen was not mistaken.
The Moon Laurel Tree was a thing of utmost yin, while his body was one of utmost yang. Their attributes naturally opposed each other.
If he intervened, he would only pile snow atop the frost!
"You need not worry, Daoist Brother. The problem is not with the Moon Laurel Tree. Rather, demonic energy has appeared inside a cave abode on the Lunar Star. My sister and I went to investigate, but we could not venture deep inside, so we wished to ask for your assistance."
At that moment, Changxi, who had remained silent until then, spoke.
She had already witnessed Daochen's strength in the Purple Heavens Palace.
In the present Primordial World, aside from Hongjun and those few old monsters who had survived the great calamity of the world's creation, only Daochen possessed the strength to resolve this matter.
"Of course, we would not ask you to act without compensation, Daoist Brother. This is a modest gift my sister and I have prepared. Please do not disdain it."
Seemingly afraid Daochen would refuse, Changxi beckoned with her hand, and an exquisite jade bottle appeared in her palm.
The moment it appeared, a floral fragrance that seeped into the heart washed over them. Divine essence so rich it seemed almost tangible spilled from the bottle's mouth, filling their noses and mouths.
"Moonlight Divine Water?"
Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi cried out in surprise.
The Moonlight Divine Water was carefully brewed by Changxi and Xihe, who gathered the Lunar Star's lunar essence and blended it with the flower seeds of the Moon Laurel Tree.
Although it was an acquired creation, its miraculous effects were in no way inferior to those of the Three Lights Divine Water.
Yet after Changxi and Xihe perished in the War of the Liches, it vanished without a trace. Thus, in later ages, it was not as widely known as the Three Lights Divine Water.
"Eldest Brother...?"
Seeing Changxi and Xihe offer the Moonlight Divine Water, Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi were tempted as well.
After all, such a sacred treasure was rarely seen in this world. Wouldn't it be a pity to miss it?
Demonic energy... could it be Luo Hou?
Yet as Daochen looked at the Moonlight Divine Water in Changxi's hand, his brows knitted tightly.
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