"Fellow Daoist, besides repaying your kindness, I came today to offer you an opportunity." Ao Yue spoke to Gungun, who had finished the Mandala Fruit in its paws and was about to conjure two ice pops to beat the heat and cool itself down.
At those words, Gungun's paws paused. It looked at Ao Yue and blinked in puzzlement. "An opportunity?"
What kind of opportunity? Is he going to tell me where to find a supreme-grade spirit plant, or an innate spirit treasure? Besides, offering me an opportunity is still repaying my kindness, isn't it? Surely someone else didn't send him to offer it to me? Gungun wondered.
Then its paws resumed their movements. With a flash of white light, it conjured two ice pops, stuck one in its mouth, and handed the other to Ao Yue. "Please, go ahead. I'm all ears."
"What is this?" Ao Yue asked Gungun, examining the ice pop he had accepted.
"An ice pop. I invented it myself. You mix Taicang Primeval Ox milk with a little spirit fruit juice, then freeze it. It's delicious. Try it." With the ice pop in its mouth, Gungun wore an expression of blissful refreshment.
"Taicang Primeval Ox..." Ao Yue murmured the name to himself. So it was the milk thief who turned the Taicang Prairie upside down back then.
Then he brought the ice pop to his mouth and took a small taste. The instant he did, his pupils contracted.
"Well? Tastes pretty good, doesn't it?" Gungun asked Ao Yue with a smile.
Ao Yue gave a restrained nod and a low hum. "Mm."
"Oh, right. Just what is this opportunity you want to offer me?" Gungun asked him again.
Though it was not particularly interested in the opportunity Ao Yue had mentioned, there was no sense turning down something delivered right to its doorstep.
At Gungun's question, Ao Yue took the ice pop out of his mouth and used his magic power to keep it cold. After a moment of silence, he spoke to the big, fat bear before him with a solemn expression. "Fellow Daoist, His Majesty the Eastern Emperor... wishes to invite you to ascend to heaven and take up a Divine Position."
"Uh..." Gungun froze, utterly dumbfounded.
Only after a long while did it blink and ask Ao Yue, "The opportunity you mentioned... was this?"
Within the void, Houtu had kept her eyes fixed on Ao Yue, afraid he might harm her battle pet.
She had not stopped Ao Yue from feeding Gungun earlier because she had already checked those spirit fruits and found them perfectly safe to eat. But now, Ao Yue actually dared to help Taiyi poach her pet right in front of her. Houtu was instantly furious.
She nearly charged out to fight Ao Yue without waiting for the other Ancestral Witches to arrive, to show him whether a True Dragon's body or an Ancestral Witch's body was stronger. Just then, however, several thoughts from Gungun reached her ears.
Please, could you not joke about something like that? Becoming an immortal in the Demon Court counts as an opportunity?
If I'd wanted that, I would have gone when the Demon Court was first founded.
What good end could possibly come of joining the Demon Court? I'm still a child, not even two hundred thousand years old! I don't want to die. I'm not going. Absolutely not!
Hearing Gungun's thoughts, Houtu abruptly stopped herself from rushing out of the void. A hint of a smile appeared on her lovely face, and she nodded. This big, fat bear still had a conscience. It knew better than to betray her.
But what did it mean by not wanting to die? Did it believe that their Witch Race would ultimately win the War of the Liches?
Heh, if that's the case, then the future truly holds promise.
That was what Houtu thought.
Outside, on the Softbone Prairie.
Gungun grumbled inwardly, but looking at the earnest Ao Yue before it, it had no idea how to turn him down. If it refused outright, he would most likely turn hostile. He might even attack...
The Ancestral Dragon's eldest legitimate son had absorbed half his father's magic power at birth. Judging by his current condition, with Taiyi's help, he had probably already
fully integrated the Ancestral Dragon's magic power with his own, and all his old injuries had healed. In a fight, Gungun definitely could not beat him. But accepting the invitation was absolutely out of the question!
Even setting aside whether it would be among the Great Luo Demon Gods who fell in the future after joining the Demon Race, the Demon Race had no future even if it survived. And then there was Houtu. She certainly would not let it off, either. As it happened, she would oversee the Underworld, with its Eighteen Levels of Hell and all manner of cruel tortures. She could make it experience every last one, once or even countless times.
Besides, apart from occasionally being told when it could sleep and getting its bottom smacked, its life at Houtu's side was actually quite good. It had also gotten to know many members of the Witch Race. Abruptly switching sides would not be good.
"Yes, Fellow Daoist. Doesn't that count as an opportunity?" Ao Yue asked in return upon hearing Gungun's question.
Then he offered his heartfelt persuasion. "I used to think that, despite its great reputation, the Demon Race might not be much stronger than the present-day Dragon Race when it came down to it. Only after joining did I realize how powerful the Demon Race truly is. His Majesty the Eastern Emperor, in particular, wields the Chaos Bell. Do you think any Ancestral Witch can contend with him?"
"No," Gungun said with a trace of helplessness in its voice.
With no sages yet appearing in the world, Eastern Emperor Taiyi was indeed invincible. But this was not a question of whether the Eastern Emperor or the Ancestral Witches were stronger. This involved heaven's decree. However powerful the Eastern Emperor was, he could not defy heaven.
"And His Majesty the Demon Emperor wields the supreme-grade innate spirit treasure, the Hetu Luoshu. Do you think any Ancestral Witch can contend with him?"
"No," Gungun said again, the same trace of helplessness lingering in its voice.
"And Her Majesty the Demon Queen? How do you think she compares with the Ancestral Witches?"
"One-on-one, they're about evenly matched."
"If the Ten Great Demon Sages fought together, they should have no trouble holding off two or three Ancestral Witches, should they?"
"No trouble."
"With His Majesty the Eastern Emperor's help, I have now fully integrated the magic power my imperial father left within me, and I have severed my second corpse, the 'Corpse of Evil.' Do you think I could contend with one Ancestral Witch?"
"You could."
"If more than half the Ancestral Witches were tied down and unable to deploy the Twelve Heavenly Gods and Demons Formation, could the remaining Witch Race withstand the Zhou Tian Star-Dipper Formation?"
"They couldn't."
As Ao Yue's questions and Gungun's answers continued, Ao Yue gradually relaxed. Even the faintest hint of a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth without his noticing. As for Houtu...
Watching everything from within the void, she had long since lost her earlier smile. Now her lovely face was icy cold.
According to these two, her Witch Race could not withstand even a single exchange with the Demon Race. The Demon Race could apparently wipe them out right now.
But!
Although Gungun's answers sounded perfectly reasonable at first and all matched reality, why did she keep feeling that something was wrong?
"So, Fellow Daoist Gungun, if the Witch Race and Demon Race fought a decisive battle, the Demon Race would certainly be the ultimate victor. His Majesty the Eastern Emperor thirsts for talent and is willing to offer you a Demon God's position to invite you into the Heavenly Court. Moreover, His Majesty wishes to take you as his mount and entrust you with important duties. His Majesty said that, if you agree, this Jade Radiance Twofold-Unity Lamp will be bestowed upon you." Having finished his series of questions, Ao Yue continued speaking to Gungun. As he finished, he swept his arm, and a divine lamp of green jade, some two feet tall, appeared beside them.
"A mount?" After hearing Ao Yue's words, Gungun immediately widened its eyes and rose to its feet, its plump body straightening. Bewilderment flashed across its face. Then, with a thump, it sat back down on its bottom and shook its head.
Although hearing the name "Jade Radiance Twofold-Unity Lamp" had stirred Gungun's excitement and made it sincerely want the treasure, becoming Eastern Emperor Taiyi's mount was another matter. Sorry, but the great god Gungun did not like being ridden by male creatures.
Besides...
Taking its eyes off the Jade Radiance Twofold-Unity Lamp, Gungun looked back at Ao Yue and sighed. "Brother, by your reasoning, the Witch Race's Great Shamans could also hold off several Great Luo Demon Gods and prevent the Demon Race from deploying the Zhou Tian Star-Dipper Formation. In that case, none of the remaining Demon Race, including His Majesty the Eastern Emperor and His Majesty the Demon Emperor, could withstand the Twelve Heavenly Gods and Demons Formation, either."
Ao Yue: "..."
Houtu: "!!!"
I knew something was wrong. There really was a flaw in it!
Before you continue