Chapter 561

Hongjun paused, his gaze lingering for a moment on the six futons in the front row before finally settling on Di Jun and Gu Yuan.

He seemed to sense that, under the cover of the Donghuang Bell, Gu Yuan and Di Jun had said something just now.

"Di Jun."

Hongjun spoke the name of the Yao Clan Heavenly Emperor for the first time.

Di Jun's expression turned solemn; he immediately rose and stepped forward, bowing deeply: "Disciple is present."

Hongjun looked at him, his tone devoid of any fluctuation: "You established the Heavenly Court, rule over myriad demons, and have merit in ordering heaven and earth. Yet the balance of heaven and earth is not the responsibility of one alone. Do you understand?"

Di Jun's heart skipped a beat.

Was this a warning not to dream of utterly exterminating the Wu clan and monopolizing the Great Wasteland?

Before Di Jun could answer, Hongjun's gaze slowly shifted, falling upon the white-robed youth still seated beside Di Jun.

That pair of eyes, seemingly containing the turning of life and death in the Great Wasteland universe, met Gu Yuan's clear, bright eyes directly.

The air in the great hall seemed to freeze completely at that moment.

Yuanshi Tianzun's lips curled with a hint of coldness; he silently sneered: A clueless cripple, daring to not know how to rise and salute before the Ancestor of the Dao—today I will make you suffer!

The Kunpeng in the rear was so frightened its feathers seemed ready to explode, wishing it could shrink into a crack in the earth.

Only Di Jun, upon seeing Hongjun's gaze fall on Gu Yuan, almost without hesitation, lunged sideways, his tall frame directly blocking Gu Yuan, and he bore the brunt of Hongjun's formless heavenly dao pressure!

"Ancestor, spare me!" Di Jun clasped his hands and cried out, his voice echoing in the hall: "Taiyi has been deficient in innate origin since childhood, his primordial spirit weak; just now, listening to the Dao exhausted his mind and spirit, his thoughts are now dazed, not intentional disrespect to the holy countenance! All blame, disciple willingly bears alone!"

This scene fell into everyone's eyes, and none failed to secretly feel shocked.

For a crippled younger brother, he actually dared to directly withstand the Ancestor of the Dao's gaze—this Heavenly Emperor's favoritism has reached the point of unreasonable barbarity!

Gu Yuan stood behind Di Jun, his expression calm.

He could feel Hongjun's gaze attempting to pierce his flesh body, probing the virtual and real aspects of his primordial spirit's depths.

Moreover, let alone Gu Yuan possessing the Donghuang Bell and the system 【World Editor】.

Just speak of his cultivation.

Actually, it is truly only Golden Immortal cultivation.

At most, it is merely the combat power of this Golden Immortal, slightly stronger.

At most, it is only equivalent to the Great Luo Golden Immortal level corresponding to an Immortal King.

There is something, but not much.

Hongjun fundamentally does not care.

After a long while.

Hongjun on the Dao Platform withdrew his gaze, his eyelids drooping halfway again.

"Donghuang Taiyi."

Hongjun spoke lightly: "You are born with an anomalous number, your origin is deficient; you should have perished early in the Quantity Calamity. Yet the heavenly dao is fifty, the great derivation forty-nine, avoiding one. You have survived to this day, also due to that sliver of life."

Having spoken, Hongjun lightly flicked his sleeve.

A jade bottle emitting soft white light, crystal clear and translucent, flew out from the Dao Platform, hovering steadily in the void before Gu Yuan.

"This is a cup of 'Three Light Divine Water,' containing the origin of the three lights of sun, moon, and stars, capable of nourishing the life force of all things. Bestowed upon you, it may extend your crippled body's lifespan by myriad years."

Whoosh—!

In the great hall, a sound of sharp intakes of breath arose.

Three Light Divine Water!

That is indeed the supreme healing holy medicine in the Great Wasteland; a single drop can let a Great Luo Golden Immortal with shattered flesh body grow flesh on white bones, and a whole cup, its value is not inferior to an innate spiritual treasure!

Would the Ancestor of the Dao actually casually bestow such a supreme treasure upon a Golden Immortal realm cripple?

Zhunti Daoist's eyes turned red, his lips twitching; if not in the presence of the Ancestor of the Dao, he would have loved to rush forward and snatch that jade bottle on the spot.

Di Jun was overjoyed, hurriedly pulling Gu Yuan to bow again: "Disciple, on behalf of Taiyi, kowtows in thanks for the Ancestor's great grace in bestowing the treasure!"

Gu Yuan reached out and took the jade bottle; it felt warm and moist in his hand, indeed filled to the brim with supreme Three Light Divine Water.

On his face appeared just the right amount of gratitude and apprehension: "Thank you, Ancestor, for your compassion."

But in the depths of his divine consciousness, Gu Yuan's voice was extremely calm: "Xiao Ai, test for poison."

【Scanning target item……】

【Scan result: Item is pure Three Light Divine Water, no extinction source power or malicious curses detected.】

【But detected trace heavenly dao luck mark! This mark will take effect after the host consumes the divine water, increasing the host's causal attraction by 300% in the future Wuji Quantity Calamity (i. e., making it easier to become the enemy's focused fire target).】

Gu Yuan snorted coldly in his heart.

Indeed, this old fox has no good intentions.

Openly bestowing a life-saving divine medicine, secretly hoping I will be focused fire, ensuring I die on schedule in his later calamity.

"But it is indeed a good thing, can be thrown to the World Tree as fertilizer."

"Store it in the system space, then use it as flower fertilizer to feed the World Tree." Gu Yuan instructed with his divine sense.

【Okay! World Tree absorbs Three Light Divine Water, life origin greatly increases! Growth progress increased by 3%!】

After doing all this on the Dao Platform, Hongjun slowly closed his eyes.

"You may retreat. In a hundred years, the Zixiao Palace Three Lectures—do not miss the time."

"Disciples take their leave!"

All responded in unison, then withdrew in an orderly manner from outside the great hall.

Having exited the Zixiao Palace gate, the Three Purities first transformed into three strands of pure qi, tearing through the chaotic void, rushing toward Kunlun Mountain in the Great Wasteland earth. Before departing, Yuanshi Tianzun coldly swept his gaze over the Yao Clan camp; though his killing intent was restrained, his hostility was unmistakable.

Nüwa and Fuxi stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Di Jun.

"Your Majesty, this listening to the Dao at Zixiao Palace has been most fruitful." Fuxi smiled, "Next time the Ancestor bestows saint positions, our Heavenly Court must prepare early."

Di Jun nodded, but his expression no longer held the previous blind fervor; instead, it held several more dimensions of deep scrutiny.

"What the Sheep Emperor said is absolutely correct." Di Jun said in a deep voice, "Let's return to the Heavenly Court and discuss further."

The Nine Dragons Sandalwood Palanquin set off again, the Nine Fire Jiao roaring as they tore through the chaos storm, escorting the high-ranking members of the Yao Clan back to the Heavenly Court.

Inside the carriage.

After Di Jun laid down layer upon layer of restrictions and confirmed that all external probing had been cut off, he then turned his head to look at Gu Yuan.

"Younger brother, back in the Zixiao Palace, when the Ancestor of the Dao bestowed upon you the Three Light Divine Water, why did you not immediately consume it?" Di Jun asked with concern, "If you had refined it on the spot, perhaps you could have stabilized your Primordial Spirit then and there."

Gu Yuan leaned back in the soft chair, holding the jade bottle in his hand and playing with it, his tone calm:

"Elder brother, there are no free lunches from heaven."

"The Ancestor of the Dao is a Saint, exalted and lofty; even a Quasi-Sage is like an ant in his eyes. Why would he, before thousands of powerful beings, single out my name and bestow such a precious treasure?"

Di Jun frowned, falling into deep thought.

Yes, this defies common sense.

What status does the Ancestor of the Dao hold? Exalted and lofty, he regards all living beings as ants.

Taiyi is merely a Golden Immortal in cultivation; in his eyes, he is no different from dust.

Why go to such great trouble to bestow a reward?

"Perhaps the Ancestor of the Dao is doing this out of respect for Elder Brother's face, loving the house and thus the crow?" Di Jun said somewhat uncertainly.

"..."

Gu Yuan's mouth twitched, you think you're someone.

But he did not say it out loud, instead smiling ambiguously, and then asked,

"Elder Brother, think again: the Ancestor of the Dao said this item can extend my withered body by ten thousand years of lifespan, but we, as innate living beings, are born with long lifespans; I reside in the Heavenly Court, protected by the Zhou Tian Star Dou Great Array, and have your watchful gaze, Elder Brother—who could harm me? Do I need to extend my lifespan?"

"To carry a jade is to invite sin. Once we leave this chaos, who knows how many pairs of eyes are fixed upon the thing in our hands."