Chapter 546: Who's Behind It?

This method, although it can restrain the demon tribe, is ultimately not the proper path of our Wu tribe.

Di Jiang said in a deep voice, "We are formed from the essence and blood of our Father God; we should stand tall between heaven and earth, proving the Dao with strength. Yet now we use these sinister arts that stir up the resentment of all beings; if this continues, it may harm the fortune of our Wu tribe."

"Brother, you worry too much." A cold female voice rang out; it was the Rain God Xuanming, her whole body shrouded in chill. "This method is an agreement made long ago by that one and the old troops of our Father God; it can help us clear obstacles and restore the glory of when our Father God created heaven and earth. Compared to our Wu tribe's hegemony, what are a few resentments?"

When the words "that one" were spoken, the faces of several ancestral Wu in the hall subtly changed.

"Hmph, that guy's origins are unknown; he claims to be an old troop of our Father God, but who knows if it's true." Zhurong said disdainfully, "If what he produced wasn't actually useful for the Great Array, I would have slapped him to death already."

"Alright." Di Jiang cut off their topic, "Since the demon tribe refuses to join, our plan cannot proceed. This matter needs further deliberation."

He looked toward the corner, where a figure who had never spoken from beginning to end simply sat silently, eyes filled with compassion and worry.

"Little sister, what do you think?"

Hou Tu lifted her head and let out a soft sigh.

"Brother, I have been wandering the earth lately, seeing wailing resentful spirits, blood flowing like rivers, and my heart… is deeply uneasy."

She looked at her brothers, her voice gentle yet carrying an irresistible force.

"Our Wu tribe should protect the earth, not be its calamity. These blood sacrifice methods violate our Father God's teachings; if continued, they will surely bring great disaster."

"Women's benevolence!"

Gonggong snorted coldly, the water vapor surrounding him seeming to grow even colder,

"Little sister, you walk the earth and see only a few resentful spirits. If we do not do this, the fallen will be the corpses of our Wu tribe's millions of sons; then who will comfort them?"

"Gonggong brother is right!"

Qiangliang's body crackled with lightning, emitting a snapping sound,

"The demon tribe's Heavenly Court is already taking shape, and Di Jun's son has even gained heavenly Dao merit, his fortune flourishing. If we do not prepare early, are we really to wait until his Heavenly Circuit Star Dipper Great Array is completed and he attacks our doorstep?"

"This method, though not the proper path, is currently the only way to restrain the demon tribe's fortune."

"Not bad; as long as we win, what do the means matter?"

In the hall, the remaining ancestral Wu spoke up one after another, their words full of disdain for Hou Tu's ideas and absolute confidence in the current situation.

In their view, Hou Tu was still too soft-hearted.

This wilderness, after all, is where strength speaks.

Hou Tu looked at the faces flushed with fervor and belligerence, opened her mouth, but ultimately only let out a faint sigh and said no more.

She knew she could not convince these brothers whose minds had been clouded by power and hatred.

Di Jiang watched this scene, his brows furrowing deeper.

That unease in his heart did not fade; instead, it grew stronger.

"This matter is not that simple."

Di Jiang said in a deep voice, his tone silencing the hall once more: "Have you not noticed? The demon tribe… is too calm."

"Calm?" Zhurong said, bewildered, "They've been forced by us to not dare set foot on the ground, only able to hide in heaven as turtledoves—is that calm?"

"Exactly so." Di Jiang's gaze swept over each ancestral Wu present, "Given Di Jun's nature and the arrogance of those newly risen demon gods, after we openly set up the Blood Sacrifice Great Array and provoked them, they should have been furious and swarmed out."

"But what happened? They not only did not move, they instead withdrew all their strength and, atop the Heavenly Court, secretly began constructing that so-called Heavenly Circuit Star Dipper Great Array."

"It's as if… they knew our plans in advance, knew our true purpose was to lure them into attacking, thereby tainting their fortune."

Di Jiang's words made the hall's formerly lively atmosphere freeze instantly.

Several hot-tempered ancestral Wu saw their smiles fade, replaced by solemnity.

Indeed.

This is unreasonable.

The demon tribe is like a strongman being cursed at his own doorstep; instead of rushing out to fight, he goes home and bars the doors and windows, adopting the attitude, "Curse all you like, I'm not coming out."

This is too strange.

"Could there be an expert guiding the demon tribe?" Gonggong said doubtfully.

"An expert? Who?"

Zhurong snorted, "That Xi Huang and Fuxi, though skilled at divination, have had their heavenly secrets scrambled by our Great Array; they could never calculate our true plans. As for that Di Jun… he's merely a hero, not up to this."

"Could it be… Hongjun?"

Xuanming's icy voice sounded, the words "Hongjun" from her mouth carrying a natural wariness and hostility.

Di Jiang shook his head: "After the Dao Ancestor finished lecturing, he retreated into seclusion, claiming the calamity is too great for sages to appear."

"He will not, nor does he deign to intervene in our struggle with the demon tribe."

Once again, the hall fell into silence.

They could not figure out who could see through their interlocking, age-old killing scheme.

"Perhaps… just a coincidence?" Qiangliang said uncertainly, "Maybe Di Jun's son is simply cautious by nature and dares not clash head‑on with us."

This explanation, even he himself felt, was a bit forced.

Just then, a detail long overlooked by everyone suddenly surfaced in Di Jiang's mind.

The day of the Heavenly Court's investiture ceremony.

Di Jun invested Xi Huang, invested Nüwa, invested the Demon Master.

Finally, he also invested… the Eastern Emperor.

The one called Taiyi, Di Jun's younger brother.

According to the information they received, that Taiyi suffers from deficient innate origin, low cultivation, and throughout the Heavenly Court is merely a symbolic existence.

The reason Di Jun invested him as Eastern Emperor, equal to a vice‑emperor, was simply brotherly affection, wanting to give him an honored position.

But now, thinking about it, could it be…

A absurd thought flashed through Di Jiang's mind, but he quickly dismissed it himself.

Impossible.

A junior who isn't even a Daluo Golden Immortal, how could they possibly…

Elder brother.

Houtu's voice sounded again, interrupting Dijiang's thoughts.

"I still think this method is improper." Houtu's eyes filled with pity, "The wronged souls wail day and night, killing qi infects the land; if this continues, although we may defeat the demon clan, this heaven and earth opened by our Father God will also become riddled with wounds."

"I wish to go to the Blood Sea to find a method to pacify souls, to comfort those innocent spirits that have perished."

"Nonsense!" Zhurong jumped up first, "Little sister, are you crazy? That Blood Sea is the most filthy place in the Wilderness, what are you going to do there?"

"My mind is made up." Houtu rose, slightly bowed to Dijiang, "Please, elder brother, fulfill my wish."

Dijiang looked at her clear and determined eyes, remained silent for a long time.

He knew, his little sister, among the Twelve Ancestral Witches, was the only one who truly inherited the Father God's merciful heart.

He couldn't stop her.

"Alright." Dijiang sighed, "You may go. But remember, be careful in all things."

"Thank you, elder brother." Houtu performed another salute, her figure vanished from the Pangu Palace, heading toward the Blood Sea.

After Houtu left, the atmosphere in the hall grew even more gloomy.

"Everyone, since the demon clan has chosen to avoid battle, we need no longer hide."

Dijiang's voice turned cold and resolute,

"Convey my command, order the tribes to increase sacrificial efforts! Let the divine temples fill the Wilderness!"

"I want to let Emperor Jun see, how long can he hide in the heavens!"

"Yes!"

Zhurong, Gonggong, etc., the Ancestral Witches responded in unison, their eyes again blazing with fierce fighting spirit.

In their view, the demon clan is merely clinging to a miserable existence.

As long as they continue to apply pressure, the scales of victory will eventually tip completely toward the Witch clan.