Chapter 179: Comparing who

The Dao Ancestor grumbled in his heart as he left the battlefield where the Wu and Demon clans first clashed.

He gained no advantage, even suffering some hidden losses… A group of ancient primordial deities and Great Luo Supreme Emperors vividly demonstrated what "all righteous filling the court" meant, leaving this nominal supreme leader of Honghuang stunned and unable to accept it.

Hongjun swore.

After returning, he vowed to painstakingly study the Emperor's Heart Technique, deeply understand how to perfectly enact holy-heart autocracy, turning those demons who mull over "nurturing bandits for self-preservation" into loyal lackeys to bite down on the Wu Clan flying the Pangu bloodline banner.

—the Wu Clan, after all, inherits Pangu's legacy, and with the testament of that supreme god who opened heaven and earth, Hongjun finds it hard to act against them lightly.

Unless he commits too many immoral acts, the Dao Ancestor would not easily bring himself to tearfully slay an Ancestral Witch.

Unfortunately, the Twelve Ancestral Witches are also quite sharp.

If he lacks preparation for a day, he will refrain from breaking face for a day, revealing his ambition to totally dominate Honghuang.

Thus, the Demon Race was established, and the Heavenly Court was approved for construction.

This is actually the dirty work Hongjun found… to provoke, to stir, to shatter the momentum the Wu Clan is building, and to seize the initiative firmly in hand.

Alas.

This weapon has developed a will of its own, making it hard to command.

"Emperor's Heart Technique… winning over one faction, suppressing another—I haven't mastered it yet!"

The Dao Ancestor let out a long sigh, feeling both helpless and emotional.

He possesses supreme wisdom and talent in his cultivation, yet when facing some limitless emperors… he ultimately falls short.

He is the Dao Ancestor, not a Holy Emperor—his expertise doesn't match, so what can he do?

"Let me search the Myriad Heavens for reliable books of plots and schemes that might help my current situation."

Returning to Zixiao Palace, Hongjun plunged one hand into the Suiyue Changhe and began to dredge.

As for the establishment of the Demon Race and the completion of the Heavenly Court?

He no longer cared.

If he did care, it would be heart‑wrenching!

……

The facts prove it.

The friendship between the Wu and Demon clans exists only on the premise that Hongjun is present.

One side plots rebellion, the other usurpation, both eyeing the Dao Ancestor's supreme authority, and at times they can reach tacit agreement.

With the lord so powerful, traitors and rebels must unite in effort, for that is the kingly way.

But once Hongjun leaves, he no longer holds such deterrent power……

The atmosphere on the field instantly turned off.

The resonance among the Ancestral Witches grew stronger, and Pangu's true form seemed about to reappear at any moment.

More than three hundred demon gods also lay in wait, and the light released from the Zhou Tian Star Sea became more brilliant and more terrifying.

Fortunately, the true strategists—the Demon Emperor and the Ancestral Witches—clearly understood that as long as Hongjun does not kick the board, they cannot fully unleash themselves in a bloody battle for heaven and earth.

Such a huge yellow bird and fisherman just stood by.

How big a heart would it take to overlook him?

Either blind or brainless.

So they tacitly signaled their teammates to set aside their fighting spirit.

This battle… should end.

It erupted suddenly.

Its end was also decisive.

Both sides displayed enough strength, gauged each other's weight, understood the fervently beating heart of the fisherman that is Hongjun the Dao Ancestor, and, in passing, put on the most splendid advertisement before all beings, winning over the hearts of their own camps……

Enough.

Although they didn't win big, they still gained some small sweetness, enough to call it a day.

Thus.

Xihuang curled the corner of his mouth into a smile, looking at the Houtu Ancestral Witch who had just raised his axe to slay him, a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "How did you find this joint exercise?"

"If you're satisfied, just give it a five‑star rating."

"Don't talk about five points—I can give you six, and I'm not afraid you'll get proud." The Houtu Ancestral Witch felt a tinge of regret, as if realizing his dream of first slaying Xihuang was still far off, and thus felt sorry, "How about we do the joint exercise again next time?"

"Next time…" Xihuang blinked, "Sure… of course!"

"Even ten thousand times, we can accompany you."

"Even if any time you want to turn the joint exercise into a life‑and‑death battle… we can take it on."

"As long as you are mentally prepared for the annihilation of your entire army, we are willing to grant you such a result."

Xihuang's tone suddenly turned cold, warning the Wu Clan, "Do not think I speak without warning!"

"Hah." The Houtu Ancestral Witch smiled faintly, "We feel the same."

"However, the utmost priority is still to sympathize with the Dao Ancestor's arduous work."

"As the pillars that uphold the Honghuang universe—the heavenly white jade column and the earth‑spanning purple gold beam—we ought to shoulder more of the Dao Ancestor's worries, letting him live a leisurely, carefree life, free of burdensome affairs."

The Ancestral Witch's words were full of deep meaning.

The Demon Race's sovereigns all understood, nodding in agreement.

Some things need not be spelled out in full.

A little tacit understanding is enough.

"All right."

"Since things have come to this, we won't linger long."

The Houtu Ancestral Witch said, "In the end, we are not on the same path."

You build your Demon Race, establish your Heavenly Court…… this era's most cruel grand show has finally been openly unveiled.

I'm quite curious……

Who will laugh last?

The apparition of the Houtu Ancestor Witch faded.

Not just her.

The remaining eleven Ancestor Witches are in the same situation.

The battle is over; it's time to return to the nest.

The four Demon Emperors did not try to keep them, seeing them off as they left.

This also means that this conflict has come to a complete end.

The Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Formation cannot suppress the Du Tian Shen Sha Great Formation; as a result of the competition, the Demon Race's high-level will no longer intervene, letting things take their natural course.

This actually means giving up the outcome of that chess game, conceding loss on this local battlefield in Kunlun.

"Kunlun is fine…… the real trouble is the spreading and expansion in the various regions."

Báizé Yao Marshal shook his head: "Some wavering wall-grass Great Luo might secretly affiliate with the Wu Clan, quietly transferring assets and authority, switching sides as deftly as can be."

"No problem." Xihuang said lightly, "We will immediately release favorable news of the Demon Race's establishment, as well as the Heavenly Court's authority over the universe…… this overall situation will not collapse."

"Also." Di Jun beside him nodded, "Our resources far exceed those of the Wu Clan."

Without substantial resources, one cannot be an insider traitor, having long since become a loyal lackey and enforcer, at others' beck and call.

"Human resources are abundant, especially the lowest-level manpower, which is countless, enabling the direct establishment of an institution to govern Honghuang, regulating the yin and yang of the four seasons, and carrying out sustainable transformation and development of the whole world."

"The Wu Clan has plenty of elites…… but that number, cast across all of Honghuang, couldn't even raise a ripple."

"They have the capital to conquer the world, but lack the foundation to rule it."

Di Jun's evaluation of the Wu Clan is quite fair.

The Wu Clan, of course, is strong.

But to have them now establish a Heavenly Court institution?

That is absolutely impossible.

That requires not only elites, but also the lower-level laborers doing ordinary work, responsible for basic construction in all aspects.

"They still need a long period of development, secretly recruiting people from our Demon Race, transforming their thoughts, accumulating the foundation to overturn heaven and earth…… this period is also crucial for us."

Xihuang said, "To quell the Wu Clan rebel forces and, with this great achievement, have the Dao Ancestor abdicate in favor of us wise and divine beings…… we must during this period suppress and weaken the Wu Clan, consolidating the centripetal force within the Demon Race."

"The matter of centripetal force still requires Báizé Yao Marshal to attend to it diligently."

"No shirking responsibility." Báizé nodded.

"As for suppressing and weakening the Wu Clan……" Xihuang's eyes flashed, "I actually have a decent plan."

"It just depends on whether Fellow Daoist Di Jun is willing to adopt and accept it."

"Let's hear it." Di Jun raised his eyebrows.

"Dragging the Wu Clan's main force into a wartime state." Xihuang said coldly.

"Once a force enters a war posture, its internal construction and operation will definitely be affected."

"Many priorities will inevitably be shifted to make way for war."

"This will be very harmful to the Wu Clan."

"After all, isn't their slogan to build a beautiful Honghuang faster and better, so that all peoples can live good lives?"

"Then…… we will drag them into the mire of war."

"In terms of goodness, we might not be able to surpass them."

"Then…… how about badness?"

Drag the opponent into a field we excel in, and defeat them with abundant experience!

Xihuang's meaning, both spoken and implied, is quite obvious.

Drag the Wu Clan into a realm of badness, relying on our abundant resources and everyone's taking badness for granted, thereby dragging them down.

"War……" Di Jun sighed, "But the Dao Ancestor is still here…… would it be inappropriate for us to erupt in war?"

"Then let's not engage in all-out bloody war, but make it partial." Xihuang said with a light smile, "Partial hot war, overall cold war."

"Overall cold war is built on contention in the ideological realm."

"Partial hot war forces the Wu Clan to mobilize its elites within, pinning down their main force."

Fuxi the Great Sage spoke calmly.

Standing beside him, Nüwa frowned, "Is this feasible? A partial hot war— the Wu Clan could just send a detachment to respond; how could it possibly pin down their main force?"

"Sister, you just don't understand……" Xihuang turned, smiling warmly as he patted her shoulder, "Nothing is impossible."

"How come I don't understand?" Nüwa pressed her lips, feeling indignant.

"Look at you, still arguing back?" Xihuang narrowed his eyes, "You wish."

"What if we establish the Heavenly Court's headquarters on the summit of Mount Buzhou?"

"The Wu Clan's main base is right at the foot of Mount Buzhou!"

Xihuang meaningfully said, "We would essentially be blocking their doorstep, monitoring and looking down upon them……"

"Can they endure this? Dare they relax their vigilance?"

"This this this…… is absolutely crazy!"

Nüwa opened her mouth, closed it, opened again…… back and forth several times before uttering her evaluation.

"This is utterly insane!"

The Demon Race Heavenly Court stationed on Mount Buzhou's summit— the Wu Clan dare not relax at all!

After all, once the Demon Race's high-level erupts, if the Wu Clan shows the slightest negligence, their home will be torn down.

Straight to the heart!

Even if the Demon Race indicates they won't do anything over the line, just standing on the mountaintop looking down without moving a hand, the Wu Clan dare not relax in the slightest.

What drives the Wu Clan crazy is that, while elsewhere one could simply give up… Mount Buzhou here is the capital, the headquarters—how could we retreat?

Because the Demon Race's implied threatening behavior would force a relocation… Once that gets out, the Wu Clan would have no place to stay in Honghuang.

"Aren't you afraid the Wu Clan will rise up and go all out to attack the Heavenly Court?" Nüwa drew a sharp breath.

"If we retreat, will the Wu Clan not attack the Heavenly Court?" Xihuang countered, leaving Nüwa speechless.

"The Wu Clan must first kill us, these lackeys of the Heavenly Dao, before they can confront Hongjun!" Xihuang smiled, "This is a fundamental conflict, hard to reconcile."

"Besides, rest assured, even if we do this, no matter how much dissatisfaction the current Wu Clan has, they must endure it—until Hongjun is kicked off the board."

Xihuang's smile was radiant: "Who does the Wu-Demon friendship rely on? Hongjun."

"Then, for the Demon Race to restore relations with the Dao Ancestor and get along amicably, who must they rely on? Naturally, the Wu Clan!"

"As a substantive double-dealer faction, mastering the skill of playing both sides and eating the upstream and downstream, that's the key!"

Fuxi the Great Sage earnestly instructed his younger sister.

"What are we?"

"We are the Demon Emperor!"

"We are a great scholar of governance!"

"This job, this profession, don't be too concerned with personal honor… start from the whole, assess the situation's gains and losses, and make the most decisive choice."

"As long as there are sufficient benefits."

"One moment they're enemies, the next they can be allies."

"Those who care too much about personal feelings and gains/losses of honor are unsuited for this work."

"Because we are moving forward under a burden, bearing the future destiny of myriad Demon Race people!"

"So, even if it soils our hands and blackens our name… when a decision must be made, we must certainly make it!"

Nüwa's face showed an expression of sudden understanding.

She seemed to have grasped the lesson from those words, received a baptism, and underwent a transformation.

Suddenly, the girl raised her head and asked her brother.

"If that's the case, then in extreme special circumstances, the Wu Clan and Hongjun could actually join hands, right?"

"Yes." Xihuang nodded, "As long as Hongjun feels that the Demon Race has developed to the point of shocking him, completely top-heavy, that after annihilating the Wu Clan they still possess the strength to overthrow him… perhaps they would then take the action of rallying the opposing faction in loyalist service, handing over authority and righteousness, and subduing the Demon Race's sharp momentum."

"However, I think he probably won't get that chance… after all, we've already decided to first kick him off the board."

Xihuang expounded his views.

After finishing answering Nüwa, he looked toward Di Jun: "The matter of the Heavenly Court still requires a fellow Daoist to decide."

"Whether to establish the headquarters at the summit of Mount Buzhou, putting the Wu Clan in a position of having to look up without seeing down—while Hongjun's tiger skin is still intact, to force them to swallow their anger…"

"Also considering the need for training troops and the purpose of reducing the Wu Clan's already few members… we can set up a blood-stained platform on the mountainside of Mount Buzhou!"

"This partial hot battle will then be established, and the Wu Clan will have no choice but to accept."

"Unless they wish to lose all their vital energy."

"Fellow Daoist… what do you think of this plan?"

Xihuang awaited Di Jun's answer.

(End of chapter)