All of You Can Just Wait!

After weighing the pros and cons, Hongjun finally gave up.

"Hmph, you vile wretch. I'll spare you this time. I don't know what you've obtained, but once my Dao integration succeeds, it will be time to punish you."

Unable to do anything to Xu Tong, Hongjun could only give up in the end, however unwilling he felt.

Kunlun Mountain, Xu Tong's Dao Field.

Sensing the force outside his Dao Field disappear, Xu Tong breathed a sigh of relief.

"Looks like that old bastard Hongjun has given up."

"Luckily, I made preparations beforehand. Otherwise, I might not have been able to withstand the Jade Disc of Creation's divination."

Recalling what had just happened, Xu Tong still felt a lingering fear.

Hongjun had woven far too many schemes around him, which was why he had always refused to give up.

But Xu Tong wasn't an idiot. Since he knew the outcome, how could he willingly serve as someone else's pawn?

"I've blocked Hongjun's probing again. He probably won't come looking for me again anytime soon."

"Unless he manages to complete his Dao integration."

Xu Tong quietly weighed his plans.

"As long as I stay in seclusion and don't participate in this witch-demon tribulation, Hongjun will eventually come knocking because of the nine heavens breathing soil."

"Let's see if you still dare act so tough then."

"You want Dao integration? Dream on!"

"I haven't even broken free of the Heavenly Dao yet. All of you can just wait!"

With the nine heavens breathing soil in his possession, Xu Tong felt supremely confident.

He possessed an enormous amount of creation merit.

As long as he didn't stir up trouble, no one could forcibly attack him first.

Unless they wanted to perish along with him.

Xu Tong had already decided that when the time came for Nuwa to create humans, if Hongjun's terms failed to satisfy him, he would simply keep dragging things out.

Nuwa could create humans whenever Hongjun finally satisfied him.

That thought put Xu Tong considerably more at ease.

He resumed cultivating in seclusion.

Meanwhile, inside the Purple Cloud Palace, Hongjun's expression was rather ugly.

Seeing Hongjun's displeasure, everyone in the great hall hardly dared to breathe.

They had all seen it just now. For some unknown reason, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had suddenly brought out the supreme treasure, the Jade Disc of Creation. Its treasured radiance had then blossomed, clearly indicating that he was divining something.

But judging by his expression now, Hongjun had probably come away empty-handed.

They gasped!

At that thought, everyone involuntarily drew in a sharp breath.

What could possibly elude even the Dao Ancestor's divination?

Moreover, anything that concerned the Dao Ancestor so deeply had to be a secret.

Nothing stirred curiosity quite like a secret.

For a while, although no one spoke, their minds were filled with speculation.

What secret could leave even the Dao Ancestor thwarted?

Could this secret have something to do with advancing one's cultivation?

A secret that drew the attention of the strongest being in the Primordial World held an irresistible allure.

Among them, the Demon Tribe and the Witch Clan were the most interested.

Both groups desperately needed such power right now.

For a time, everyone from both groups took this matter to heart.

To think there's an expert who can resist the Dao Ancestor's probing! No, our people must find this expert, whatever it takes, and win him over to our side at any cost.

For once, the Witch Clan and the Demon Tribe were remarkably united in their thinking.

As Laozi watched Hongjun's ugly expression, a sudden suspicion sprang into his mind.

Could the Dao Ancestor have been probing Third Brother's Dao Field just now?

During these sermons, Hongjun has paid particular attention to us Three Pure Ones every single time.

We may be Pangu's descendants, but surely that doesn't warrant singling us out every time.

If there's anything different about us, it's that Third Brother has missed every sermon.

And whenever Hongjun sees that Third Brother hasn't come, he shows his displeasure.

Could Third Brother have been the one contending with Hongjun just now?

At that thought, Laozi's heart jolted, and he hurriedly shook his head.

That idea was simply too outrageous.

Like the rest of them, Tongtian had taken form from Pangu's primordial spirit.

Even Laozi himself had no power to resist Hongjun. What could possibly make Tongtian capable of it?

Laozi did his utmost to deny the suspicion.

Even so, a voice in his heart kept telling him it was true.

Tongtian was so mysterious. He might well have been the one who had caught Hongjun's attention.

For a time, everyone inside the Purple Cloud Palace harbored their own thoughts.

Hongjun seemed to have noticed this, but he didn't care.

They were all mere ants.

In Hongjun's eyes, they were nothing more than pawns, utterly unworthy of any explanation from him.

Since he couldn't investigate Tongtian for the moment, Hongjun simply stopped dwelling on it.

He had already announced that he would deliver his third sermon on the Great Dao, so he might as well begin now.

"Heaven and earth, mysterious and yellow..."

The voice of the Dao rang out.

As Hongjun explained it, the path of a Sage unfolded clearly before everyone.

Yet this path was unlike those of other cultivation realms. Although it lay clearly before them, no one could successfully comprehend it.

Even those who possessed primordial violet qi were no exception.

They couldn't advance so much as an inch.

Still, everyone worked hard to commit this Great Dao of Sages to memory.

A thousand years soon passed.

Hongjun had finished explaining the Great Dao of Sages.

"The path of a Sage is the Heavenly Dao. To become a Sage, you must understand how to follow heaven's will."

At the end, Hongjun delivered this seemingly unprompted remark.

Everyone in the Purple Cloud Palace believed it was the key to becoming a Sage.

But those words had resounded throughout the entire Primordial World.

Even Xu Tong could hear them inside his Dao Field.

Xu Tong knew this was no key to a Sage's cultivation.

Rather, Hongjun had seized the opportunity to address him.

Understanding the meaning behind Hongjun's words, Xu Tong smiled.

"Heh. Follow heaven's will?"

"More like follow your heaven's will, Hongjun."

The Heavenly Dao was utterly impartial and selfless. It would never deliberately scheme against others the way Hongjun did.

Ultimately, Hongjun sought Dao integration only to make himself stronger and satisfy his desire for control.

Even without him, the Heavenly Dao would continue functioning as usual.

And it would grow ever more complete.

Perhaps even the growing depletion of spiritual energy in the later era of the Journey to the West had something to do with Hongjun.

After all, ants might be ants, but the weaker they were, the easier they were to control.

At that thought, Xu Tong suddenly shuddered.

This conjecture of his was truly terrifying.

The system hurriedly shook its head, driving the thoughts out of its mind.

Whether Hongjun wanted to control all living beings or become the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao had nothing to do with him.

He had no intention of stepping forward to stop Hongjun.

He would simply cultivate quietly in his Dao Field and stay out of everything.

Once his cultivation was sufficient, his own safety was assured, and Hongjun could no longer threaten him, it would still be soon enough to leave seclusion.

With that thought, Xu Tong resumed cultivating in seclusion.

"You want me to obey heaven's decree and go out there to be your pawn? Keep dreaming."

"I'm staying right here in my Dao Field to cultivate. I'm not going anywhere. Do whatever the hell you want!"

[If you enjoy this novel, please take a moment to share it on Facebook. The author would be deeply grateful.]