Those words of warning surprised Ink Qilin somewhat.
As the young clan leader of the Qilin Clan, he had naturally heard of the Witch Race.
He simply had not expected Tongtian to know of this race as well. After all, the Witch Race was not very populous at present; its entire clan did not even amount to several hundred members, far fewer than many small races in the Primordial World.
But since Tongtian had specifically warned him, it meant the Witch Race must possess something extraordinary. Ink Qilin committed it to memory.
"I understand your meaning, Fellow Daoist. Besides, our Qilin Clan is already far from what it once was."
"We have no intention of monopolizing the area around Buzhou Mountain. Whether it is the Witch Race or another race, they may cultivate freely nearby, so long as they do not take the initiative to provoke the Qilin Clan."
Ink Qilin spoke with a wistful expression.
Even at the Qilin Clan's peak, they had never imposed overly strict control over territory. Unlike the Dragon Clan, they were not so arrogant, and strictly followed the principle of not offending others unless offended first.
"Fellow Daoist, since you specifically warned us, could it be that this Witch Race has something unusual about it?"
Colorful Phoenix asked curiously.
The Phoenix Clan was located near the Undying Volcano, and she truly did not know what was so special about the Witch Race.
Moreover, Tongtian's special reminder only proved that the Witch Race was indeed extraordinary. If she clarified it now, she could have her clansmen be more careful in the future after returning.
"The Witch Race's greatest peculiarity is their physical bodies. They are a race with exceptionally powerful bodies."
"In terms of physical strength, even the Dragon Clan among the Three Clans cannot compare to them."
Ink Qilin took the initiative to reveal what he knew about the Witch Race.
Colorful Phoenix found it rather hard to believe. The Witch Race's bodies were even stronger than those of the Dragon Clan?
The Dragon Clan had become the foremost of the Three Clans largely because true dragons possessed formidable physical bodies. Yet the Witch Race's bodies were even stronger than the Dragon Clan's?
They were truly blessed by heaven!
After pondering for a moment, Tongtian still revealed some information about the Witch Race.
"The Witch Race is led by the Twelve Ancestral Witches, all of whom were transformed from Pangu's heart blood."
"They perfectly inherited the upper limits of Pangu's physical body and possess limitless potential. They are also Pangu Sect Disciples. If your two clans come into conflict with them, it will certainly not be a good thing for either of you."
Ink Qilin and Colorful Phoenix exchanged a glance, both of them showing a flicker of shock in their eyes.
So that was it!
The Witch Race was actually made up of Pangu Sect Disciples as well. No wonder they possessed such powerful bodies. But upon further thought, since the Twelve Ancestral Witches were formed from Pangu's heart blood, it was only natural for their bodies to be stronger than those of the Dragon Clan.
After all, even First Dragon could never possibly compare with Pangu.
"Thank you for your guidance, Fellow Daoist. I never expected the Witch Race to have such an astonishing origin." Ink Qilin solemnly cupped his hands.
Colorful Phoenix also said gravely, "I will remember these words. Once I return, I will instruct my clansmen that we must not come into conflict with the Witch Race."
Tongtian merely nodded. He had already given the two of them his warning, which was enough to repay the gifts they had brought. As for what their clans did afterward, that had nothing to do with him.
Still, he believed the two clans would definitely take this matter seriously. If he had told the Dragon Clan about it, those fellows probably would not have cared at all.
In truth, although the Dragon Clan had suffered defeat, many of its members were likely still dreaming in broad daylight.
"Let us leave things here for today. I have matters to attend to, so I will not see you two off."
"Ao Li, help me escort these two Fellow Daoists out."
Tongtian rose to his feet as he spoke, handing the task of seeing them off to Ao Li.
Colorful Phoenix was inwardly astonished upon hearing that. Ao Li? That was clearly a Dragon Clan name, and it immediately reminded her of the news that had spread through the Boundless Sea years ago.
Could this be the Dragon Clan's eldest princess whom Tongtian had taken as a mount?
That was truly strange. With the Dragon Clan's arrogant nature, this eldest princess had not tried to flee. Instead, she was so obedient to Tongtian?
The methods of a Pangu Sect Disciple were truly formidable!
"Please follow me, you two."
Ao Li also took the initiative to speak.
Ink Qilin and Colorful Phoenix exchanged a glance before immediately following her.
Once they arrived outside Kunlun Mountain, Ao Li considered matters for a moment before deciding to ask about the Dragon Clan's current situation. "Do either of you know how the Dragon Clan is doing at present?"
Ink Qilin shook his head. "The Three Clans suffered mutually devastating losses. We have barely been able to look after ourselves, so we have not paid attention to the Dragon Clan."
Colorful Phoenix spoke frankly as well. "The Dragon Clan has entirely withdrawn into the Boundless Four Seas. I do not know their exact situation either."
"However, the Dragon Clan's foundation is the strongest among the Three Clans, so they should be fine."
"At the very least, there should be no problem for them to hold the Boundless Four Seas."
The Dragon Clan's foundation had always been the strongest among the Three Clans. After all, the Boundless Sea was simply too vast and endless!
The Dragon Clan was also the sole overlord of the Boundless Sea. The countless Water Clans within the Boundless Four Seas had long since submitted to the Dragon Clan, which held absolute control over them.
This advantage alone was not something the Phoenix Clan or Qilin Clan could match.
"It is not bad if they can hold the Boundless Sea. At least they have a place to settle down and survive."
Ao Li spoke in a distant tone.
Ink Qilin remained silent, but he did not think highly of the Dragon Clan's prospects.
His two clans at least knew to seek Tongtian out for advice, while the Dragon Clan still acted as though it stood above everyone else. They had not even sent someone to offer thanks, clearly still holding a grudge over the little conflict between Tongtian and the Dragon Clan.
Without Tongtian's guidance, the karmic burden and sinful debts borne by the Dragon Clan were no less than those of his two clans. He truly did not know how those arrogant fellows planned to handle it all.
If they had no way to deal with it, the Dragon Clan would undoubtedly fall far behind the other two clans before long.
Thinking of that, Ink Qilin felt much better.
Although their two clans had not defeated the Dragon Clan head-on, their future development would certainly be better than the Dragon Clan's. Could that not also count as a victory?!
Watching Ink Qilin and Colorful Phoenix depart, Ao Li also put away her tangled thoughts. No one from the Dragon Clan had contacted her even now. Clearly, they had already forgotten her, a Dragon Clan princess.
That made sense. Her father and uncle had both perished. The rest of the Dragon Clan was probably busy fighting for power, so who would want her, a Dragon Clan princess, to return and take control?
Fortunately, although she was merely Tongtian's mount, Tongtian treated her quite well and had never oppressed her. Now that she also had the Xihe sisters for company, she felt that her days on Kunlun Mountain were actually better than returning to the Dragon Clan.
With that thought, Ao Li felt completely at ease and went straight to find the Xihe sisters to play.
Tongtian, meanwhile, prepared to continue his closed-door cultivation. He did not care in the slightest whether the Dragon Clan lived or died.
With the Dragon Clan's arrogant temperament, whatever happened to them would be their own doing.
Just as Tongtian was about to resume cultivating his technique, an intangible Dao aura rippled across the lake of his heart, accompanied by Hongjun's voice.
"Come to Jade Capital Mountain at once!"
As the ripples faded, Tongtian awoke from cultivation, a flash of delight appearing in his eyes.
Hongjun had previously gone to seek assistance. Now that he had sent Tongtian a voice transmission, did that mean he was prepared to head to the Western Region and eliminate the demons?
Good heavens! The Dao-Demon War was a major event. Leaving aside everything else, Hongjun and the others could deal with Rahou, the greatest demon.
As long as he could kill a few more Demon Clan experts, that alone would be no small gain!
Besides, following a major figure like Hongjun, who was destined to win, would surely bring more benefits than just that. He absolutely could not miss such a risk-free opportunity.
Thus, Tongtian prepared to set off immediately. However, before leaving, he still needed to inform Laozi and Yuanshi.
The three of them were brothers after all, and they had not yet gone their separate ways.
Tongtian therefore directly sent voice transmissions to Laozi and Yuanshi. Before long, the two appeared in Three Pure Ones Hall.
"Third Brother, why did you summon us?"
Laozi asked directly.
Seated cross-legged on a prayer mat, Tongtian pondered before saying, "Senior Hongjun sent me a voice transmission earlier. I believe the arrangements for dealing with Rahou should be complete."
"I intend to make a trip to Jade Capital Mountain, so I wanted to inform you two brothers."
Laozi and Yuanshi were instantly dumbfounded.
What was going on? Master had just sent Tongtian a voice transmission?
Was that true? Why had neither of them sensed anything? Or had Master only sent a transmission to Third Brother and forgotten to notify them?
That made the two feel miserable. Given Master's abilities, he certainly would not forget them. Since he had not sent them a transmission, it clearly meant he valued Tongtian more highly, especially since Tongtian's cultivation and combat strength did indeed surpass theirs.
But they were ambitious as well. In particular, after hearing Tongtian say that he had gained quite a bit of Heavenly Dao Merit last time, they felt even more strongly that they could not miss this opportunity.
"Third Brother! This battle differs from the last one. I truly cannot rest easy knowing you are going alone. How about this? I will accompany you this time, so we brothers can look out for one another."
Yuanshi spoke with a serious expression.
Laozi also said solemnly, "The three of us brothers advance and retreat together. I cannot stand by and watch you two take risks. Let us go together."
"And let Master see the capabilities of us Pangu Sect Disciples!"
Tongtian looked somewhat surprised. He had not expected Laozi and Yuanshi to be so enthusiastic. Could it be that they had seen him earn so much Heavenly Dao Merit last time and become tempted as well?
Of course, that was also a good thing.
After all, they only needed to deal with the remaining Demon Clan experts. The three brothers would not be fighting Rahou themselves.
Moreover, there would surely still be many Demon Clan experts. He could not possibly kill them all by himself, so it was best that the two were willing to help.
"Good! Then we brothers shall head to Jade Capital Mountain together."
"As for Xihe and the others, they can remain on Kunlun Mountain to cultivate. Their combat strength is still too weak, and they are not suited for such slaughter."
After pondering for a moment, Tongtian made his decision.
Although Laozi and Yuanshi's cultivation was lower than his, both possessed Top-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. Like him, they were protected by Heaven-Opening Merit, so fighting Demon Clan members would certainly not be a problem.
Ao Li and the Xihe sisters, on the other hand, were much weaker in this regard.
Though with his current combat strength, he could completely disregard anyone below the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, the Demon Clan was still a race Rahou had spent so many years preparing. Who knew how many experts it contained?
Therefore, quality mattered more than quantity. Otherwise, Hongjun would have summoned all of them rather than leaving Tongtian to decide.
After summoning Ao Li and the three women, Tongtian gave them a few simple instructions before flying toward Jade Capital Mountain with Laozi and Yuanshi.
Jade Capital Mountain was not far from Kunlun Mountain, and Hongjun had indicated the direction in his voice transmission. Thus, it did not take long for the three brothers to arrive safely at Jade Capital Mountain.
From afar, auspicious clouds shrouded Jade Capital Mountain. Immortal cranes circled among the forests, while celestial music drifted through the air.
The mountain was not as vast as Kunlun Mountain, sprawling endlessly in every direction. Yet as the site of Hongjun's Dao field, its spiritual essence did not lose in the slightest to Kunlun Mountain, the ancestor of all mountains.
"As expected of Master's Dao field. It is truly extraordinary!"
Yuanshi said with bright eyes.
Stroking his beard, Laozi said, "Master is a great power from an even more ancient era of the Primordial World. Only such an immortal mountain and sacred land is worthy of his status."
"Let us quickly ascend the mountain and not keep Master waiting."
Tongtian naturally had no objection, so the three brothers began climbing Jade Capital Mountain.
As they entered the mountain forest, they could feel even more clearly just how vast Jade Capital Mountain's spiritual energy was. Its spiritual essence was boundless, profound, and extraordinary. It truly was a top-tier blessed land and cave heaven.
Before long, the three brothers arrived at Jade Capital Mountain's summit. Several prayer mats were arranged side by side atop the peak, with an extraordinary Daoist seated upon each one.
These Daoists were clearly the helpers Hongjun had invited. At this moment, they were also looking toward the three brothers with probing gazes.
Tongtian sized up the Daoists. Although they had not released any aura, the presence they inadvertently revealed was as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.
There was no doubt that all of them had cultivation higher than his. In other words, they were all great powers of the Primordial Golden Immortal realm!
Tongtian also knew their origins. They were certainly Innate Demon Gods like Hongjun!
With such a luxurious lineup to deal with Rahou, Rahou truly had not lost unfairly.
Yet this also showed that Rahou was indeed doing things that opposed the Heavenly Dao. Otherwise, so many people would not have been willing to support Hongjun.
It could only be said that Rahou had truly taken the wrong path with his demonic Dao.
In the Primordial World, trying to become an enemy of the Heavenly Dao was simply impossible.
Even if Rahou were a Primordial Golden Immortal, he would still be unable to contend against the power of the Heavenly Dao.
"Master!"
At this moment, Laozi and Yuanshi saw Hongjun and immediately stepped forward to salute him respectfully.
Seeing that the two had come along as well, Hongjun said nothing. He had summoned Tongtian merely to have him deal with the Demon Clan and gain some benefits.
Besides, Laozi and Yuanshi were both his direct disciples. Their coming along did not count as taking unfair advantage.
"Fellow Daoist Hongjun, will you not introduce these three young friends to us?"
A Daoist with long, willow-leaf-like eyebrows spoke with a smile.
Tongtian guessed that this person must be Great Immortal Yang Mei, one of the Innate Demon Gods!
Whether in scheming or methods, this man was no weaker than Hongjun or Rahou.
He was also one of the world's foremost experts!
Yang Mei was likewise observing the three of them. Although the cultivation they displayed was not high, and none of them were even Primordial Golden Immortals, he sensed something special about them.
Looking more closely, he saw that the three emanated righteous and auspicious auras. They were all people blessed with great fortune.
That alone placed them above the other Innate Gods of heaven and earth. There was no doubt that these three would accomplish great things in the future.
He wondered where Hongjun had found them.
The other Daoists merely glanced at them and had no interest in paying further attention, because the three brothers were simply too weak in their eyes.
As Innate Demon Gods, they naturally thought highly of themselves and did not place much importance on things like origins and talent.
Hongjun chuckled. "These three are young friends of mine, and two of them have already taken me as their master."
"When we move against Rahou, they can lend a hand and deal with some minor matters, so those Demon Clan members cannot freely harm other living beings."
After briefly explaining, Hongjun did not offer any further introductions. Instead, he beckoned. "Why are you still standing there? Quickly come and greet these seniors."
"They are the assistance I specially invited. With their help, we will surely eliminate Rahou and the Demon Clan in one stroke!"
"We shall set things right and restore a bright, clear world to heaven and earth."
Tongtian and the other two immediately stepped forward and cupped their hands in salute toward Yang Mei and the others, while Hongjun introduced them one by one.
"This is Great Immortal Yang Mei. He is proficient in the Law of Space and possesses outstanding combat strength."
"This is Ancestor Yinyang. He commands an Innate Supreme Treasure, and his offensive prowess is unmatched."
"This is Ancestor Qiankun. He is proficient in multiple Great Dao laws and possesses profound cultivation."
"They are all helpers whom I specially invited."
Laozi and Yuanshi were inwardly shocked as they listened.
They had not expected their master to possess such astonishing influence, actually inviting three Primordial Golden Immortal great powers in one go!
Moreover, given Master's abilities, these individuals were likely even stronger than the Three Clan Leaders.
It would surely be useful to become familiar with them for traveling through the Primordial World in the future, so the two immediately offered earnest salutes.
Tongtian, meanwhile, secretly sighed. As expected, these Primordial great powers were all people he recognized.
"I did not expect Fellow Daoist Hongjun to be so leisurely that you even had spare time to take on disciples."
"But why have you only accepted two of them as disciples?"
Ancestor Qiankun suddenly asked.
He took another look and found that all three of them possessed extraordinary origins and fortunes.
No wonder Hongjun had entertained the thought of taking disciples.
The most eye-catching among them was Tongtian. His aura was restrained, his physical vitality abundant, and his essence, energy, and spirit were all complete. He was likely not far from becoming a Primordial Golden Immortal.
If he also had a powerful spirit treasure to assist him, his combat strength would be enough to rival that of a Primordial Golden Immortal.
Such a helper was naturally exceedingly formidable.
But judging from the meaning behind Hongjun's earlier words, this young man did not seem to have taken him as his master?
That was what puzzled Ancestor Qiankun.
With such an outstanding disciple available, why had he not accepted him and instead taken in two weaker ones?
Hearing this, Hongjun's expression could not help stiffening. How the hell was he supposed to answer that?
He could not exactly tell them that Tongtian thought his cultivation was a little too weak and therefore refused to become his disciple, could he?
If that got out, would he, a dignified Innate Demon God, have any face left?!
Tongtian also noticed Hongjun's awkwardness and took the initiative to cup his hands. "Please forgive the amusement, Seniors. I merely wished to rely on my own efforts to break through to the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, which is why I did not become Senior Hongjun's disciple."
Upon hearing this, Great Immortal Yang Mei, Ancestor Qiankun, and the others immediately understood.
To put it plainly, he could attain the Dao of a Primordial Golden Immortal on his own, so he had no need to take anyone as his master?!
Seeing that his foundation was indeed profound, they could only admit that his words were true and had nothing to say in response.
Hongjun, meanwhile, secretly let out a breath of relief. A little embarrassment did not matter; what he feared was that Yang Mei and the others might develop thoughts of taking Tongtian as a disciple.
If that happened, the excellent disciple he had his eye on would likely slip through his fingers.
Fortunately, judging by their expressions, they had no such intention. That put him at ease.
"Fellow Daoist, are you planning to bring these two disciples along this time?"
Ancestor Yinyang asked in a heavy tone.
Hongjun was also somewhat troubled. He had clearly only sent a voice transmission to Tongtian, yet Laozi and Yuanshi had somehow followed him here as well.
They were his disciples, after all. Since they had already come, he could hardly drive them back, could he?
Yang Mei said solemnly, "The Western Region is Rahou's Dao field and the Demon Clan's main stronghold."
"Little friend Tongtian is not far from becoming a Primordial Golden Immortal and is capable of protecting himself. But with your cultivation, the two of you would be in considerable danger if you went."
"With your origins, you will sooner or later attain the Dao of a Primordial Golden Immortal. Why not return and cultivate diligently instead?"
"When there is another opportunity, you can come along then."
Upon hearing this, Laozi and Yuanshi both felt exhausted and indignant.
Clearly, they were Tongtian's elder brothers, so why did it feel as though things had been reversed?
And Tongtian could go, so why could the two of them not?
This was simply blatant favoritism!
If Tongtian went alone, he would surely gain many more benefits. Then the two of them would likely never surpass him, much less preserve the dignity of being elder brothers.
Thus, the two of them remained utterly firm and unyielding.
"Seniors, the three of us brothers will advance and retreat together. We will certainly be able to protect ourselves."
"Moreover, as Pangu Sect Disciples, we sincerely wish to contribute our strength to safeguarding the Primordial World!"
Yuanshi spoke with an extremely solemn expression.
Laozi also said earnestly, "Seniors, there is no need to worry about us. Although our cultivation is inferior to our third brother's, we are still confident in our ability to protect ourselves."
Their exceedingly sincere words plunged Yang Mei directly into silence.
Whether they truly wished to contribute to the Primordial World, he did not know.
But in his view, the two of them had no idea what they were getting themselves into.
Tongtian was only one step away from becoming a Primordial Golden Immortal, so dealing with those Demon Clan experts would not be difficult for him.
But the two of them were merely late-stage Grand Luo Golden Immortals!
Judging by their foundations, they had likely not been late-stage Grand Luo Golden Immortals for long, and their Dao foundations had not yet fully stabilized.
Would it really be all right for cultivators of such strength to accompany them to the Western Region?
As one of Rahou's preparations for dominating the Primordial World, the Demon Clan certainly had no shortage of peak Grand Luo Golden Immortal experts.
At any rate, he was not optimistic about this in the slightest.
Still, the two of them were Hongjun's disciples, so he had to give Hongjun that much face. He could hardly say outright that the two of them were too weak.
Thus, Yang Mei and the other two all turned their gazes toward Hongjun.
They waited for Hongjun to make his choice.
Before you continue