Hongjun Immortal Dao, a Million Years in Seclusion
"Sister Houtu, why did you ask that Hong... that Dao Ancestor for help just now? We have Father God's inheritance. If we can't cultivate that Immortal Dao, then we won't."
As soon as they walked out of the Purple Firmament Palace, the Ancestral Witch Zhurong spoke up bluntly.
"No, Sister Houtu did exactly the right thing!"
It was not Houtu who answered Zhurong, but the eldest of the twelve, Dijiang, the Ancestral Witch of Space.
Noticing the surprised looks from the other Ancestral Witches, Dijiang continued with a grave expression, "I only realized it myself when Sister Houtu asked that question."
"Just now, while Dao Ancestor Hongjun was preaching, more than ninety percent of the mighty figures in the Purple Firmament Palace switched to cultivating the Hongjun Immortal Dao he taught."
"Ninety percent of the mighty figures switched to cultivating the Hongjun Immortal Dao?"
The Ancestral Witches present frowned slightly, then began recalling what had happened in the Purple Firmament Palace.
Sure enough, as they thought back, they realized that, of all the mighty figures in the Purple Firmament Palace, very few had refrained from cultivating the Hongjun Immortal Dao as they had.
"This..."
The Ancestral Witches were all somewhat stunned.
Seeing this, Dijiang went on, "Perhaps you've realized it. Today, ninety percent of the mightiest figures in the Primordial World switched to cultivating the Hongjun Immortal Dao."
"Tomorrow, the countless living beings of the entire Primordial World will all switch to cultivating the Hongjun Immortal Dao. By then, our Witch Race alone in the Primordial World won't be cultivating it..."
Dijiang shook his head as he spoke. There was no need to say more; the Ancestral Witches already understood what he meant.
Their expressions all changed slightly.
Though they were unruly and arrogant, they were not fools.
Following different paths of cultivation did not make them mortal enemies, but their Witch Race was already naturally on the opposing side from those who cultivated the Hongjun Immortal Dao.
Under such circumstances, a matter that might originally have been insignificant to the Witch Race could become a major affair if someone deliberately stirred things up.
"I see. Big Brother, you mean Sister Houtu asked that question in front of the three thousand mighty figures in the Purple Firmament Palace."
"Although it can't change the Witch Race's situation, at the very least, those three thousand mighty figures in the Purple Firmament Palace probably won't turn against us over something like this in the future."
Zhu Jiuyin was the first to react and understand what Dijiang meant.
"Exactly, that's what I meant!" Dijiang nodded.
The other Ancestral Witches also understood.
"Sister Houtu truly is clever."
"Sister Houtu really is quick-witted."
Houtu, however, blinked. Had she... thought of all that?
"Big Brother, in that case, we should hurry to the East Sea and find the reclusive mighty figure the Dao Ancestor spoke of," Houtu said, changing the subject.
"Are we really going to look for some reclusive mighty figure we've never even heard of?" Beside her, the Ancestral Witch Qiangliang frowned slightly and curled his lip.
"Even Dao Ancestor Hongjun, who proved the Dao and became a Sage, can't guide the Witch Race. Can that reclusive mighty figure we've never heard of guide us?"
"I say we'd be better off returning to Pangu Hall and comprehending Father God's inheritance, so we can break through to Daluo sooner."
Hearing Qiangliang's words, several of the other Ancestral Witches nodded in agreement.
With Father God's inheritance, why would their Witch Race need anyone else's guidance?
Even Houtu, who had sought the Dao from Hongjun in the Purple Firmament Palace, felt the same way. In the palace, she had simply been unwilling to accept it on instinct: why could everyone else cultivate, but not the Witch Race?
Deep down, none of the Ancestral Witches believed anyone else's guidance could surpass the Witch Race's inheritance from Pangu.
They had only come to the Purple Firmament Palace this time because the commotion and oppressive pressure when Hongjun became a Sage had been so terrifying.
"No, we still have to go looking!"
Suddenly, Zhu Jiuyin spoke up from the side. He looked around at his brothers and sisters and said calmly, "After all, the Dao Ancestor pointed us in that direction. Even if it's just for show, we have to search."
The other Ancestral Witches also came to understand.
Though they were unruly and arrogant, they were not without reverence for the strong.
Zhu Jiuyin swept his gaze over his brothers, then finally looked at Gonggong. "Since it's the East Sea, Gonggong, you and Sister Houtu should make the trip!"
"Me!" Gonggong was taken aback. Then he nodded and agreed with a bitter expression. "All right!"
"I don't expect you to find the secluded abode the Dao Ancestor spoke of, but you must search the entire shore of the East Sea. Understand?" Zhu Jiuyin transmitted his voice to Gonggong and Houtu.
"Understood!"
"Big Brother, are we just going to let them leave like that?"
In Chaos, Eastern Emperor Taiyi watched the twelve depart together and spoke unwillingly.
He did not know what fortuitous opportunity lay in those six futons.
But whenever he thought of how they had been about to sit on those futons in the Purple Firmament Palace, only to be pulled back...
Eastern Emperor Taiyi felt a surge of frustration.
Beside him, Dijun looked at his brother with a slightly odd expression.
Didn't you see all twelve of them leaving hand in hand?
And you still want to go after them? Are you an idiot?!
"Only the two of us brothers are here today. We aren't sure we can keep them all here, so let's spare them for now. Once we've gathered some people, we'll settle accounts with them," Dijun explained in a low voice.
"So be it! They're lucky..." Eastern Emperor Taiyi gritted his teeth, then turned and left with Dijun.
The East Sea.
Ao Changsheng's abode.
"Ding! You have been detected in seclusion for a million years. Please make a new seclusion choice."
Familiar words flashed through Ao Changsheng's mind.
Just as Hongjun became a Sage and preached the Dao, Ao Changsheng had completed a million years in seclusion.
His cultivation and Law Power had long since been tempered to the perfection of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, and he could break through to Daluo Golden Immortal at any time.
However...
Ao Changsheng had no intention of breaking through to Daluo.
From the very beginning of his cultivation, through the Heavenly Immortal, True Immortal, Mystic Immortal, and Golden Immortal realms, he had cultivated with his comprehension of the Dragon Principle within the Ancestral Dragon Pearl as his foundation.
Even as a Taiyi Golden Immortal, he had done the same.
Although during his time as a Golden Immortal he had obtained the Eye of the Candle Dragon, a Divine Ability of alternating sun and moon that contained several Great Daos,
Ao Changsheng had used it as a guide to try to comprehend Great Daos such as time, yin and yang, and reincarnation.
In the end, however, Ao Changsheng had still focused on the Dragon Principle within the Ancestral Dragon Pearl, which was the easiest to comprehend.
But Daluo was different.
If the Great Dao of a Principle comprehended at Taiyi was a seed, then at Daluo, that seed had to bear a Dao Fruit.
Once the Dao Fruit emerged, the Great Dao was hard to change!
If Ao Changsheng broke through to Daluo with his current comprehension of Principles and formed a Dao Fruit of his Dragon Principle, then in this lifetime, he would probably be unable to surpass the upper limit of the Dragon Principle within the Ancestral Dragon Pearl.
I wonder if this seclusion choice will offer a reward that makes it easier to comprehend other Great Daos.
Ao Changsheng sighed inwardly.
If not, he would need to use the Eye of the Candle Dragon and spend a vast amount of time comprehending the other Great Daos, slowly forming a Dragon Principle of his own.
With that thought, Ao Changsheng opened the Seclusion System's choice panel.