As Taishang lowered his head in thought,
an elderly man in an ancient Daoist robe suddenly appeared beside him.
The old man's arrival caused not the slightest ripple in this space, nor did it draw anyone's notice.
He simply stood there, leaning on a bamboo staff, smiling faintly as he calmly watched everyone.
Only when Taishang emerged from his thoughts and looked up did he notice the figure standing beside him.
Taishang froze for a moment, then hurriedly bowed.
"Greetings, Dao Ancestor!"
When did he arrive? How did I not sense him at all? It seems that after not seeing him for tens of thousands of years, the Dao Ancestor's strength has become even more unfathomable. If... Taishang did not dare think any further.
As though he had sensed Taishang's thoughts, Hong Jun said nothing and merely glanced at him.
With that single glance, Taishang felt as though his soul had been seen through. Beads of sweat the size of beans formed on his forehead.
Hong Jun pursed his lips in a smile and took a step forward, widening the distance between himself and Taishang.
Seeing Hong Jun's action, Taishang's worried heart finally eased slightly.
On the other side, everyone who had been watching Nu Wa also turned their gazes over upon hearing Taishang's words.
Once they saw who had arrived, they quickly bent at the waist and lowered their heads in greeting.
"Welcome, Dao Ancestor!"
Di Jun and the others spoke in unison, their voices filled with respect.
In contrast, the Twelve Ancestral Witches spoke flatly. They merely said, "Greetings, Dao Ancestor," and said nothing further.
After all, in the Wu Clan's eyes, Hong Jun was merely a thief who had usurped Father God Pangu's Saint position.
If they could have beaten him, they would have long since surrounded him and beaten him senseless.
Their bow was only for the Saint's honored status. It had nothing to do with Hong Jun himself.
Faced with the Wu Clan's attitude, Hong Jun did not grow angry. Instead, as he paced along, he said with a smile, "There is no need for such formality. This is merely one of my incarnations, not my true body."
Though Hong Jun said so, no one present truly dared act without restraint.
They exchanged glances and raised their heads, though their bodies remained slightly bent in respect.
Hong Jun swept his gaze over the crowd. Seemingly satisfied with their conduct, he smiled faintly and turned toward Nu Wa.
He looked Nu Wa over twice, stroked his beard with his right hand, and nodded slowly with clear approval in his eyes.
"Below the Saint, all are ants. Still, I did not expect that among the six of you, you would be the first to reach this step."
Although Hong Jun had said this to Nu Wa, the three standing behind him could not help but flush.
Jieyin and Zhunti, upon hearing this, still looked utterly unconcerned.
After all, all of Hong Huang knew that one reason Hong Jun had accepted them as disciples was to repay the karmic debt of shattering The West during his battle with Luohu.
Thus, in their eyes, becoming Saints was all that mattered. Who cared who came first or second?
Instead, Yuanshi, who cared deeply about appearances, felt the worst. After hearing Hong Jun's words, he wished he could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.
The three brothers had been formed from Pangu's primordial spirit and had always regarded themselves as Pangu's orthodox lineage, so they had naturally been brimming with confidence.
Hong Jun had also repeatedly said that the three of them possessed extraordinary foundations and would certainly have no trouble attaining the Dao of Hunyuan.
Yet now, not only had Nu Wa surpassed them, but Hong Jun had even brought it up before everyone. It was a resounding slap to the face.
For a time, the three of them grew even more desperate to attain the Dao.
I must find a way to become the second to attain the Dao. Better yet, I must get ahead of Elder Brother and Third Brother.
Yuanshi's thoughts churned, but he still had no clue how to attain the Dao. He looked up at Hong Jun, and his eyes suddenly lit up.
[This little earthworm has more twists in his gut than anyone. The moment he appears, he starts sowing discord.] [Now the Three Pure Ones will have to rack their brains to attain the Dao quickly. Once they get desperate, they'll definitely choose the simplest path to attaining the Dao.]
Though Liu Mang was busy playing dead, that did not stop him from continuing to mock Hong Jun in his heart.
Hearing Liu Mang's inner voice, Nu Wa felt amused, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
Hong Jun had attained the Dao as a cricket grub, so calling him an earthworm was not entirely wrong.
Still, in all of Hong Huang, aside from Liu Mang, there was likely no second person who would dare call him that.
Only after Nu Wa attained the Dao did she learn that whenever someone directly spoke a Saint's name, the Saint would sense it.
If the other party harbored disrespect in their heart, the Saint might even deliver punishment.
Do not ask how she knew. She had just secretly punished a few people herself.
But what Nu Wa could not understand was this:
Why did Hong Jun seem completely unaware despite Liu Mang cursing him so viciously in his heart, showing no reaction at all?
Nu Wa raised her head and looked at Hong Jun, whose face was full of smiles.
See? Not only was he not angry, he was smiling so happily.
Was this the joy of not knowing?
Good thing I could hear his inner voice. Otherwise, I would not even know when that unfilial son insulted me.
Remembering Liu Mang's snide remarks about her, Nu Wa's expression stiffened, and her gaze turned cold.
Though she could hear him, she had no reason to directly beat up that unfilial son. She was still so angry!
Hong Jun naturally had no idea what Nu Wa was thinking.
Watching Nu Wa alternate between a faint smile and a troubled expression, he began to feel uneasy as well.
Has she discovered my purpose? Or did the Heavenly Dao tell her the secrets of Sainthood behind my back?
Hong Jun stopped midway through stepping forward. Looking at Nu Wa's ever-changing expression, he could not make up his mind for a moment.
What exactly he should do truly put Hong Jun in a difficult position.
His true body was currently locked in a stalemate with the Heavenly Dao and could not break free at all.
What had come this time was only an incarnation, its strength not even one ten-thousandth of his true body's.
If they truly fought, he would certainly be no match for Nu Wa.
Even if his true body fought her, although Nu Wa had only just become a Saint and was surely weaker than him, he would not get off much better either.
At that point, both sides would suffer.
But he still had to merge with the Heavenly Dao again. Regardless of who won, the outcome of a battle between them would certainly be even more disadvantageous to him.
It seems that no matter what, I must find a way to shift the blame onto the Heavenly Dao and soothe Nu Wa. Everything else can wait until I regain the upper hand over the Heavenly Dao.
After considering it for only a moment, Hong Jun made up his mind.
He looked up at Nu Wa and met her gaze.
Nu Wa did not know that Hong Jun's true body could not get away. Otherwise, she would have attacked him no matter what.
Unfortunately, opportunities often vanished in an instant.
Nu Wa looked at Hong Jun and gave a slight bow. "Thank you, Teacher, for your guidance."
No matter what, Hong Jun had played a part in her becoming a Saint. After all, Hong Jun had been the one to tell her of the three methods of attaining the Dao.
Hearing Nu Wa's words, Hong Jun's expression remained unchanged as he raised his right hand slightly. "There is no need for this. You and I have both attained the Dao of Hunyuan now. We may address each other as Dao friends."
Inwardly, he let out a long breath of relief. Just now, he had thought Nu Wa was about to attack and had nearly been unable to stop himself from fleeing.
[Ah, this earthworm is truly shameless. He blocked off your path of advancement, and you still have to thank him.] [You're my bargain-bin Mother, after all. I hope I'll get the chance to help you change your path someday.] [I just don't know whether I'll live until then.]
"Since the Dao Ancestor says so, then I shall respectfully comply."
Nu Wa's smile was radiant. "However, I have one more question, and I hope Dao friend Hong Jun can resolve my confusion."
Hong Jun's heart tightened. He knew the real matter had arrived.
He looked at Nu Wa with a puzzled expression. "I wonder what question Dao friend Nu Wa has? I will certainly tell you all I know."
"Then I will not beat around the bush." Nu Wa's expression turned solemn as she spoke.
"I want to know: why did something go wrong with the Hongmeng Purple Qi?!"
Before you continue