Though he felt extremely uneasy, Taiqing Laozi did not hesitate for a moment in order to placate "Houtu."
He immediately nodded decisively and swore, "Heavenly Dao above, sun and moon bear witness. In Pangu's name, I, Taiqing, swear that I would never deceive fellow Daoist Houtu!"
Seeing this.
Houtu herself could not help but secretly let out a sigh of relief, instantly feeling as though a burden had been lifted.
Just as she had expected!
Senior Chen Xuan had indeed only been trying to scare them!
Phew—what a close call!
"Since that is the case, Taiqing, do you admit to the crime of scheming against the Human Clan and passing down a flawed Golden Core method?"
Chen Xuan then questioned coldly.
Thump!
At those words, Taiqing Laozi's heart suddenly trembled. His expression changed drastically, and dark lines instantly covered his forehead.
Wait, how had they gone in circles and come back to this again?!
While Taiqing felt speechless, he could not help but be puzzled.
Seriously, you have Witch Clan origins. Why are you so fixated on this?!!
What did scheming against the Human Clan have to do with a Witch like you?
Nothing, right?!
There was absolutely no connection whatsoever!
Or did the two of us have some grudge in a past life?!
As his thoughts churned.
Taiqing Laozi fell into deep contemplation, seemingly weighing the pros and cons while also trying his best to stall for time.
After all.
Was this sort of thing—passing down a flawed Golden Core method—something he could casually admit to?
Of course not!
And he absolutely, positively could not admit it!
Even if it were true, he could not admit it even if it killed him!
One had to know.
The reason Taiqing had been able to attain the Dao of Hunyuan and achieve sainthood was precisely because he had enlightened the Human Clan, established faith, bestowed teachings upon humanity, and built up endless incense and faith power. Only after a series of painstaking arrangements had he been able to establish the Human Religion, gain merit, and ultimately attain sainthood!
It could be said that the Human Clan... was the foundation of his sainthood!
It absolutely could not be shaken!
If he admitted his crimes, then the faith he had established among the Human Clan would collapse!
And it would be the kind of collapse that shattered completely!
If that happened.
All his previous plans, schemes, and efforts would go down the drain. Everything would have been for nothing!
Make him admit to scheming against the Human Clan?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible!
He would take it to his grave and never admit it!
He would not admit it even if beaten to death!
During Taiqing Laozi's silence.
The three ancestors residing in the Human Clan's ancestral land—Youchao, Suiren, and Ziyi—also unconsciously held their breath and waited in utter focus.
They had always harbored doubts about this matter, half believing and half doubting it.
Had Chen Xuan not brought it up, they would have remained completely unaware, still kept in the dark.
But...
Come to think of it, it was strange.
As the Human Clan's forebears, three great sages, and innate humans, the three of them had only barely reached the level of Taiyi Golden Immortals ever since they were born.
Moreover, they had only risen to this level after making immense contributions to the Human Clan, bringing about tremendous changes for humanity, benefiting countless people, and obtaining boundless merit.
At first, they had all believed that the Human Clan was inherently weak and fated to be insignificant among the Myriad Races of the Primordial Desolation, regardless of whether they were innate or acquired.
Their foundations were the worst!
Their bloodlines were the worst!
Their talent for cultivation and comprehension was also the worst!
Otherwise.
They would not have been treated as livestock and food by all manner of ferocious beasts throughout the Primordial World.
When the Lich Tribulation arrived, the Demon Clan would not have been able to slaughter hundreds of millions of humans at will, cruelly harvesting their Origin essence blood to forge the Witch-Slaying Sword!
Yet now, "Houtu" was telling them...
That all of this had actually been caused by the Heavenly Sages scheming against the Human Clan from behind the scenes?
The Golden Core method, once revered by countless humans as a supreme and wondrous path, actually had flaws!?
They had even been betrayed by their former faith and plotted against!
Who could possibly endure that?
What was more!
Because of their faith and trust in the Grand Pure Sage, even if the Three Ancestors of the Human Race had glimpsed a trace of the truth, they had not dared to question it lightly.
Now, if Taiqing Laozi admitted it with his own mouth, the sky above the Human Clan would likely collapse!
At almost the same moment.
It was not only the Three Ancestors of the Human Race.
Countless Human Clan cultivators across the Primordial World were all staring intently toward the Witch-Demon battlefield, listening closely for the truth and waiting to see what would happen.
Among them.
Within Taiqing Temple on Shouyang Mountain.
Grand Master Xuandu, Taiqing's chief disciple and the Human Religion's sole direct successor, also furrowed his brows tightly as he waited with utmost anticipation.
His nerves had been taut throughout, drawn as tight as a full moon bow. He was so tense that he did not even dare take a deep breath!
Xuandu was Taiqing's direct disciple.
But he was also one of the hundreds of millions of humans!
If his own master's secrets were exposed, what sort of position would that leave him in?
"Master, please do not disappoint your disciple..."
A heavy, hoarse voice quietly echoed through the vast Taiqing Temple.
The pressure... instantly fell upon Taiqing Laozi!
After pondering for a long while, Taiqing Laozi raised his head again. He actually put on an innocent expression and said with a bitter smile, "Fellow Daoist Houtu, you must be joking. What crime? I... have no idea, do not understand, and cannot make sense of it at all!"
"The Human Clan is the foundation of my sainthood. For endless ages, I have long regarded them as my own children. How could I possibly commit such vile and despicable acts?"
"As for things that never happened, I... would absolutely never admit to them! I hope fellow Daoist will stop clinging to this matter. Let me off, how about it?"
At those words.
The heart Grand Master Xuandu had been holding in his throat could finally relax for a moment!
And were the Three Ancestors of the Human Race and countless humans not also letting out sighs of relief?
However!
Before they could relax for even three seconds, the Human Clan throughout heaven and earth broke down again—
The next moment, "Houtu" curled her lips into a teasing sneer. Seeing Taiqing Laozi flatly deny everything, she said slowly, "Taiqing, it does not matter if you refuse to admit it. It is fine if you deny it. Though I have not attained sainthood and cannot use a Sage's divine abilities to search your soul, nor can I trace past causes and effects, do not think I have no way to deal with you."
To this.
Taiqing Laozi did not care in the slightest.
He was betting on "Houtu" not having attained sainthood. Without a Sage's divine abilities, she was merely an ant. What could she possibly do to him? How could she possibly harm him?
As long as he refused to admit it, no method would work!
I've got you right where I want you!
But in the next second, "Houtu" paused slightly before smiling and continuing, "My Witch Clan possesses a secret technique. It is said that when a person is on the verge of death, all the causes and effects of their past life will emerge. Once this secret technique is used, the truth will be laid bare and everything revealed. I hope the Grand Pure Sage will cooperate and prove his innocence."
All Ancestor Witches: "?????"
Countless Witch Clan warriors: "????"
Taiqing: "⊙∀⊙!!!!"
As soon as those words were spoken.
The entire Witch Clan was dumbfounded.
Wait, since when did the Witch Clan possess such a profound supreme secret technique?
Why did they Ancestor Witches not know about it?
Let alone the other Ancestor Witches.
Even Houtu herself was utterly confused.
She instinctively asked weakly, "Senior Chen Xuan, do we? Do we really have one?"
As for the Grand Pure Sage, he had initially furrowed his brow, and an inexplicable panic rose in his heart. Yet that strange worry vanished in an instant.
It was replaced by absolute confidence. He was as steady as an old dog and faced the matter calmly!
He simply refused to believe that the Witch Clan possessed some secret technique capable of targeting a Hunyuan Sage.
Utterly absurd!
Ridiculous—ridiculous beyond all reason!
How deep was Taiqing Laozi's scheming?
He could tell just by thinking with his ass that the other party was trying to bluff him!
Hmph, I would not fall for such a trick so easily!
That was close. He had nearly revealed a flaw just now...
Chen Xuan, however, did not care.
His sharp, profound gaze locked directly onto Taiqing Laozi.
A moment ago, he had still been calm and composed, with the gentle elegance of an orchid in a secluded valley and an utterly harmless expression.
But in the next moment.
His face instantly twisted with ferocity as he suddenly roared, "Won't admit it? Fine! Then Grand Pure Sage Taiqing... take my Great Memory Restoration Technique!"
"Great Array of the Stars, explode, explode, explode!!!"
Rumble—
Twelve Ancestor Witches: "????"
Taiqing: "!!!!!"
Before you continue