Hong Jun continued spinning his tale.
"To destroy the Earthly Dao and Human Dao, the Heavenly Dao divided seven strands of Hongmeng Purple Qi and created seven Saints. Using the fortunes of those seven Saints, it suppressed the Earthly Dao and Human Dao of Hong Huang, ensuring that those two Daos could never produce Saints."
[Not bad! He tossed that blame away squeaky clean. If the Heavenly Dao could speak, it would definitely slap you across the face!]
Hong Jun looked at Nu Wa with utter sincerity. "That is also why the Hongmeng Purple Qi forced you to become a Saint. Once you became a Saint, you became a Heavenly Dao Saint, and the Heavenly Dao could use your fortune to suppress the Earthly Dao and Human Dao."
"Even if I had not said it, you should have noticed that Hong Huang's fetal membrane has become tougher, its laws more orderly, and the entire world of Hong Huang has been upgraded. Only the Earthly Dao and Human Dao remain stagnant."
[The Earthly Dao and Human Dao are stagnant because the Earthly Dao has not even been established yet, and the Human Race was only just created! What do you expect from them? You've been wrecking the Heavenly Dao for dozens of yuanhui, and it still only turned out like this. How do you even have the nerve to say that?]
[You say the Heavenly Dao used Saints to suppress the Earthly Dao and Human Dao, but wasn't that all your doing? Seriously, what a joke.]
[Damn it, I have to find a way to make Aunt Hou Tu an Earthly Dao Saint. Then let's see where you can put that face of yours!]
Hong Jun was quite satisfied with everyone's reactions. He believed that with this round of reasoning and facts, he would surely convince them all.
And just as he had expected, everyone nodded repeatedly after hearing him.
What they had sensed was exactly as Hong Jun had described. After Nu Wa became a Saint, not only had the strength and vitality of Hong Huang's living beings improved, but even their comprehension of the Dao had become far clearer.
Yuanshi glanced at Nu Wa, lowered his head to sense the Hongmeng Purple Qi within him, and murmured, "Then from another perspective, does that make Saint Nu Wa a sinner of the Earthly Dao and Human Dao?"
The moment those words came out, the discussions fell silent. Some people secretly glanced at Nu Wa.
Nu Wa showed no reaction on the surface to Yuanshi's words.
In truth, she was shocked that Liu Mang had a way to help Hou Tu attain the Dao—and that it was not through becoming a Saint by relying on Merit, as she had.
"That unfilial brat has something good and doesn't think of me first. He keeps giving it away to others. Looks like this beating needs to be harsher!"
Liu Mang had no idea that a single remark of his had multiplied the beating awaiting him several times over.
Nu Wa's heart turned solemn. Luckily, I kept something in reserve. Otherwise...
Seeing Nu Wa's grave expression, Yuanshi seemed to feel that his words had been disrespectful and hurriedly tried to patch things up. "I did not mean that Saint Nu Wa was wrong to attain the Dao. I merely... merely..."
Yet after merely-ing for half a day, he still failed to come up with anything.
Hong Jun shook his head with a regretful look. "Alas, Fellow Daoist Nu Wa surely did not wish for things to turn out this way. But as long as one attains the Dao, this is inevitable. As the saying goes, how can one have the best of both worlds?"
Yet inwardly, he was jubilant beyond measure.
On this trip, he had not only shifted the blame for the problem with the Hongmeng Purple Qi onto the Heavenly Dao, but also dispelled everyone's suspicions of him. Finally, he had found an excuse for taking action against the Earthly Dao and Human Dao later.
Most importantly, the reasons he gave were a mix of truth and falsehood—truth within falsehood, falsehood within truth, real yet fake, fake yet real.
Anyone who had not personally experienced events as he had would be utterly unable to distinguish them. That made it even less likely to arouse everyone's suspicions.
However, what puzzled Hong Jun was that no matter what everyone said, Nu Wa remained unmoved, as though she were entirely detached from the matter.
Could it be that she cannot get over the fact that becoming a Saint will destroy the Earthly Dao and Human Dao? Hong Jun thought as he watched the motionless Nu Wa.
After all, Nu Wa comprehended the Dao of Creation. Without not only exceptional comprehension but also great love for heaven, earth, and all living beings, one could never set foot upon that path.
This was also why Hong Jun had forced Nu Wa to be the first to attain the Dao through Merit. If Nu Wa had truly attained the Dao through the Law of Creation, then let alone crushing him—fighting him would be as easy as playing around.
Moreover, Hong Jun had shifted the blame for destroying the Earthly Dao and Human Dao onto Nu Wa in order to further obstruct her path forward.
If Liu Mang's voice had not been constantly explaining things in her mind, Nu Wa might truly have believed Hong Jun's nearly flawless argument.
She would also have suffered a shattered state of mind over the destruction of the Earthly Dao and Human Dao caused by her becoming a Saint, leaving her Saintly path with no room for further progress.
But every point Hong Jun raised was refuted by Liu Mang, with sound reasoning and evidence.
As a result, Nu Wa watched Hong Jun perform from beginning to end as though she were watching a clown.
It was like watching Conan when you already knew the murderer and method beforehand. There was simply no way to get immersed in the plot.
Aside from Hong Jun, no one else paid much attention to Nu Wa's reaction. Instead, they looked anxiously at Hong Jun.
Tai Yi could not help asking, "Dao Ancestor, is there no way to help the Earthly Dao and Human Dao gain several more Saint positions?"
Nu Wa could afford not to be anxious, but they could not.
The Human Dao and Earthly Dao—that was fourteen Saint positions.
The temptation of surviving countless immeasurable calamities without perishing was right before their eyes. How could they possibly pretend not to see it?
They had slacked off before because they had no choice. The seven strands of Hongmeng Purple Qi all had owners, and six of those people were disciples of the Dao Ancestor. They could only secretly set their sights on Hong Yun.
Now that Saint positions were laid out before them, how could they not take a gamble? Of course they would choose to become Saints.
Hong Jun took in everyone's reactions one by one and sneered inwardly. I have worked so hard to erase the Earthly Dao and Human Dao. If I let you revive those two Daos, how am I supposed to transcend Hong Huang?
Hong Jun had already sentenced everyone present to death in his heart, but outwardly, he remained impassive. He looked at them regretfully and slowly shook his head.
"Alas, the Heavenly Dao's schemes run too deep. For now, I have no solution either, unless one day my strength surpasses the Heavenly Dao and I can suppress it."
Even after hearing Hong Jun's words, everyone was still unwilling to give up.
Ming He seemed to have vaguely sensed something, yet he could never quite grasp it. He asked, "Then what exactly are the Earthly Dao and Human Dao?"
Only after Ming He asked did everyone realize that although they had listened to Hong Jun speak for so long, they still did not truly understand what the Earthly Dao and Human Dao were.
"There is no need for me to explain the Human Dao. Naturally, it cannot be separated from the Human Race present here." Hong Jun glanced at the scattered members of the Human Race around them and continued, "This was also what I inferred after learning that the race created by Fellow Daoist Nu Wa was called the Human Race."
After hearing this, everyone looked at the scattered Human Race with blazing eyes. For a moment, their thoughts raced, though no one knew what the others were thinking.
Hong Jun pondered for a moment, then shook his head and looked out over the entire land of Hong Huang. "As for the Earthly Dao... the Heavenly Dao did not make it clear. It presumably cannot be separated from this land of Hong Huang."
[He actually guessed the Human Dao right! Looks like he should be preparing to act against the Human Race next, huh?]
[Good thing he did not guess the Earthly Dao correctly. Otherwise, how would I even play this? I might as well just give up.]
[Ming He truly is an old powerhouse. He must have sensed that the Earthly Dao is connected to him, which is why he asked, right?]
[Looks like I need to find time to visit the Wu Clan as soon as possible, have Aunt Hou Tu establish reincarnation, and then prepare to run away!]
[When that happens, two Saints will protect me! That little earthworm Hong Jun probably will not dare make a move against me for the time being!]
[Once I reach the Lesser Thousand World, I'll figure out a way to make something big happen!]
Though Liu Mang seemed to have thought for a long time, it had only taken the blink of an eye for him to map out everything he needed to do next!
[As long as I successfully play dead this time, it will be my turn to act next!]
"Aooo!"
A heart-wrenching scream interrupted everyone's conversation.
Before you continue