Emperor Donghua

Hearing Gungun's thoughts, Houtu's expression remained unchanged, but she could not help muttering inwardly, Donghua, Bai Fengjiu, Lu Dongbin, Peony Fairy? From what Gungun means, the Eastern King will become Donghua and Lu Dongbin in the future. But the Eastern King is the Eastern King. Why would he suddenly change his name? And Bai Fengjiu and Peony Fairy sound like female immortals. Could the Eastern King actually become involved with female immortals in the future? How is that possible? He's pure...

Halfway through that thought, Houtu suddenly stopped and looked down at the mass of pure yang qi in her hand.

It was indeed the Eastern King's primordial spirit, but... it was no longer quite so pure!

With such a cause, there would surely be a karmic consequence. Perhaps the Eastern King really would...

At that thought, Houtu looked at Gungun before her, truly at a loss for words.

Gungun had just said it had eaten something bad, and what it had eaten was precisely this mass of pure yang qi. Without it saying another word, Houtu could already guess why the pure yang qi had become somewhat tainted.

This big, fat bear had defiled it!

You damaged the Eastern King's very essence. If he hadn't already died and suffered grievous damage to his primordial spirit, even a Great Immortal like you would probably find it hard to escape disaster today, you fat bear.

Forget it. Our Witch Race marched countless miles from Mount Buzhou to reinforce Penglai. He already owed us a karmic debt. What happened now can count as repayment, Houtu thought, shaking her head.

Then she rose and said to Gungun, "In that case, once I help revive the Eastern King, I'll have him bring out the treasures remaining in the Immortal Court and give you half as compensation. How does that sound?"

"Huh?" Hearing Houtu's words, Gungun loosened the paw gripping her clothes and turned to survey its surroundings. There was nothing but rubble. Did this so-called Immortal Court still have any treasures?

Seeing Gungun's doubt, Houtu said irritably, "After the Demon Race destroyed the Immortal Court, they looted most of its treasures, but they were in too much of a hurry. Some of the Eastern King's accumulated wealth is still buried beneath these ruins."

"Oh?" Gungun sounded somewhat surprised. After thinking for a moment, it climbed to its feet and told Houtu, "Lady Ancestral Witch, I don't think that's appropriate."

"What?" Houtu froze. Not appropriate? Had this big, fat bear reflected on its behavior and decided it had been wrong to treat the Eastern King as food, leaving it too embarrassed to accept his treasures as compensation?

That did not seem right. With its temperament, when treasures were being handed out for free, it would never...

"Lady Ancestral Witch, the Eastern King is already dead. Penglai Immortal Island now has no owner, so whoever grabs it gets to keep it. That means all the treasures here already belong to me... to our Witch Race. How can we give them to him after he's revived so he can use them to compensate me?

"Besides, we even fought Bai Ze on our way here to save him. What kind of demon is Bai Ze? He's the leader of the Ten Great Demon Sages! To save the Eastern King, our Houtu Tribe risked our lives and endured a thousand hardships before finally reaching Penglai. And you must have fought through blood yourself earlier, Lady Ancestral Witch. So no matter how you look at it, he ought to give all the remaining treasures on Penglai to our Houtu Tribe as payment!

"As for the Eastern King deceiving me, blasting me away, and even giving me an upset stomach... wait!"

As it spoke, Gungun, who had been counting on its claws, suddenly realized something. It blinked, grew even more excited, and looked up at Houtu before continuing, "That's right! We came to save him, yet he treated me like this. He repaid kindness with betrayal! Lady Ancestral Witch, I think we need to punish an evil immortal like him severely and show him what our Witch Race is capable of!"

The corner of Houtu's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. "What do you want to do?"

Bang! Gungun spread its arms and brought out the Spirit-Washing Cauldron. As the cauldron landed, the earth shook violently.

"Let me disperse all his magical power!" Gungun rested one paw on the Spirit-Washing Cauldron,

while answering Houtu. Houtu: "..."

The pure yang qi: "..."

Fatty, you really are ruthless!

"Brother Gungun, let's talk this over." Just then, Hou Yi and Xingtian ran over to Gungun. Each grabbed one of its arms, hoisted it off the ground, and turned to leave, with Hou Yi speaking to it as they went.

"Exactly, Brother Gungun. The Eastern King is an ally against the Demon Race, and the Penglai Immortal Court is the greatest obstacle to the Demon Heavenly Court's legitimacy. If he loses all his magical power, what good would reviving him do us? Bear with it. Just bear with it," Xingtian urged as well.

"You! You two... let go of me!" Carried away between them, Gungun looked from Hou Yi to Xingtian, struggling fiercely and shouting.

Unfortunately, how could an adorable Iron-Eating Beast break free of two Quasi-Saint Great Shamans? Just like that, they carried it farther and farther away as it kept shouting.

"That fat bear... really does hold a grudge." Watching Hou Yi and Xingtian carry Gungun away, Houtu pressed a hand to her forehead and spoke with a touch of helplessness.

Then she shook her head, looked at the mass of pure yang qi before her, closed her eyes, and began casting a spell...

Hum... The soil beneath her feet loosened, rose, and formed a body of earth, its appearance identical to the Eastern King's previous Innate Dao Body. Then Houtu released the suppressive power Hou Yi and Xingtian had placed upon the pure yang qi, and it immediately blazed with light.

Next, Houtu infused him with a wisp of the earth's power so he could meld with the earthen body, then extended her hand and gently pushed forward.

Hum... The mass of pure yang qi immediately sank into the earthen body. The traces of soil on its surface gradually vanished, replaced by yellowish flesh and skin. Of course, this was only its outward appearance. In essence, it remained a body of earth.

Yes, just as True Person Taiyi would one day reconstruct Nezha's body with lotus roots, a body could be rebuilt, but it was not truly flesh and blood. Creating a body of flesh and blood required the power of creation, and neither Houtu nor Taiyi possessed that power.

"Fellow Daoist Eastern King, it is time you awoke." Houtu pointed a finger, divine light flashing at its tip, and spoke to the Eastern King, who once again possessed a body and now radiated golden light.

The Eastern King's eyes remained tightly closed. Hearing Houtu's words, he shook his head, opened his mouth, and said hoarsely, "The Eastern King has fallen. In the Primordial World... there is no longer an immortal called the Eastern King."

"What do you mean, fellow Daoist?" Houtu asked, her delicate brows drawing together.

"Thanks to that Iron-Eating Beast of your race, my essence... has been tainted. The Eastern King was born from the first wisp of pure yang qi between heaven and earth, purest of the pure, utmost in yang. The entire Primordial World knows this. Now that I am tainted, how can I still call myself the Eastern King? Besides, Penglai has fallen and the Immortal Court has been destroyed. If the Eastern King remained in this world, watching the Demon Race grow stronger by the day would bring him nothing but shame! So..."

As he spoke, the golden light radiating from the Eastern King suddenly brightened, then vanished. His golden immortal robes became a long purple robe, and his jet-black hair turned white. Slowly opening his eyes, he told Houtu, "From this day onward, the Primordial World has no Eastern King, only... Emperor Donghua!"

Houtu: "..."

Donghua?!