Chapter 1087: The Frightened Bird

If it could be said that the affairs of the Pan Realm merely caused Honghuang to tremble.

Then Hongjun withdrawing from Joining the Dao was a complete collapse of Heaven and Earth.

Honghuang was thoroughly boiling over.

"Heavens, what on earth is going on? Everything was fine, why would the Dao Ancestor want to withdraw from Joining the Dao?"

"This poor Daoist feels that the Heavenly Dao has become even more obscure; this means that in the future, wanting to become an immortal will be ten times more difficult than before. After becoming an immortal, breaking through each realm will also become even more arduous."

"Di Qi, it must be Di Qi who forced the Dao Ancestor. Damn it, he is trying to cut off our path to immortality."

"Are you an idiot? How could the Great King force the Dao Ancestor? Besides, didn't you hear the Dao Ancestor say it himself? It is because he feels the Heavenly Dao is already complete and no longer needs anyone to Join the Dao."

"There is a Great Dao opportunity within the Return Ruins; the Dao Ancestor giving up Joining the Dao is likely because he has decided to enter it."

"Starting from today, Honghuang can be considered to have entered a new era."

……

On the internet and in reality, countless people were discussing it fervently.

Everyone felt heavy-hearted.

Hongjun withdrawing from Joining the Dao undoubtedly severed the immortal path for many.

Yet no one dared to blame Hongjun; firstly, Hongjun's prestige was too high, equivalent to the grandmaster of all immortal cultivators; secondly, the Heavenly Dao operating on its own is the normal situation.

Everyone not only could not question Hongjun, but instead had to thank him.

It was Hongjun Daozu who Joined the Dao, providing a favorable cultivation environment for the beings of Honghuang for millions of years.

Of course, some people also put forward suggestions:

"The Dao Ancestor withdrew from Joining the Dao, presumably to enter the Return Ruins to seek Great Dao opportunities, so could others take his place in Joining the Dao? For example, Di Qi, or Lady Nuwa, or even the Western Two Sages would do."

However, this suggestion was quickly rejected by others.

"The Dao Ancestor has already stated clearly that the Heavenly Dao is complete and no longer needs anyone to Join the Dao. Moreover, there are Great Dao opportunities within the Return Ruins; compared to Joining the Dao, Great Dao opportunities are more tempting."

Everyone knew that with Hongjun withdrawing from Joining the Dao and about to enter the Return Ruins, Yin Qi, Nuwa, and others, as well as the Western Two Sages and others, would all enter the Return Ruins one after another.

Soon, Honghuang will usher in an era without Saints.

Not only will there be no Saints, but there will not even be Quasi-Saints; the Great Luo will be the peak.

……

Tianwai Hun-dun.

Before Zixiao Palace.

Hongjun said: "Fellow Daoist, this poor Daoist is going to the Return Ruins; when will you set off?"

Yin Qi said: "In three days."

"Good, then we shall take our leave first."

Hongjun nodded.

He casually summoned the Time River and stepped into it with large strides.

Haotian and Yaochi, who had turned into a boy and a girl, looked at Yin Qi with complex expressions, said nothing more, and hurriedly followed, plunging headlong into the Time River.

As for Zixiao Palace.

After Hongjun left, it also escaped into the depths of Chaos.

A moment later.

The Time River gradually faded away, and Yin Qi also withdrew his gaze.

He first turned his head to look in the direction of Zulong and the others, then looked toward the location where Luo Hou was, and finally turned around and returned to Honghuang.

……

The depths of Chaos.

A small world.

Chiyou had just returned and finished telling Zulong and the others about the situation in Honghuang, when they felt as if a pair of terrifying eyes were watching them, making their entire bodies tense and tremble.

The time this pair of eyes watched them was not long, only about two or three breaths.

But Zulong and the others felt as if they had spent hundreds of thousands of years.

When Yin Qi's gaze moved away, they felt as if time had resumed its flow, and only then did they discover that their backs were already soaked with cold sweat, and their bodies were so weak they could barely stand.

Huff! Huff!

Zulong and the others gasped for air, like people who had just escaped suffocation. Xihe's expression was ugly, and she gritted her teeth, saying: "Di Qi! It must be Di Qi; he has discovered us. Everyone, we cannot wait any longer; we must enter the Return Ruins now. Otherwise, if we are any later, we won't be able to leave."

She knew that this was definitely Di Qi searching for their whereabouts.

Now that their location had been confirmed, Di Qi would inevitably come to purge them next.

Zulong's eyes still held a look of terror; he nodded repeatedly and said: "Go, let's go now. Terrifying, too terrifying. Earlier, I even had the illusion that even across an infinite distance, a single glance from Di Qi could dominate my life and death."

"I had the same feeling. Let's go now, and find a safe place to heal our wounds once we enter the Return Ruins. I cannot stay here for even half a quarter of an hour longer."

Yuanfeng, Shi Qilin, Chiyou, and others echoed in succession.

They had already been scared out of their wits.

Soon, the group joined forces to cast spells, turning into streaks of light and diving into the Time River.

………

"Damn it, Di Qi has discovered me!"

Luo Hou was both shocked and terrified.

Do not miss a single word of the content!

He did not hesitate in the slightest, waved his hand to summon the Time River, and plunged headlong into it.

His current location was not very far from Honghuang.

Previously, with Yang Mei concealing the Heavenly Secret for him, he naturally did not fear being discovered by Yin Qi and stayed here peacefully to heal his wounds.

But as Yang went to the Return Ruins, his location was finally discovered by Yin Qi.

Fortunately, his injuries had basically recovered.

………

Returning to the Imperial Palace, Yin Qi could not help but chuckle.

That group of people with Zulong and Luo Hou were truly easily frightened; just a single glance scared them into fleeing into the Return Ruins.

However, one could say they were clever.

"Immortal Tomb, send a message to Shang Rong and the others to convene a Small Court Meeting."

"Yes, Master."

……

The next day.

The Great Shang Celestial Dynasty issued a public announcement: Prince Yin Hong would oversee the state, with Shang Rong, Wen Zhong, Bi Gan, Zhang Shaokang, and Yao Chen as the five assisting ministers to aid Yin Hong in overseeing the state.

Yin Hong, the son of Yin Qi and Ao Luan, was also the second Heavenly Emperor of the Yang God World and a Peak Great Luo.

Yin Qi had many offspring; not to mention the five brothers of Yin Yu, all of whom had become Saints.

His offspring from the Zhetian World were also basically all Quasi-Saints.

This time, entering the Return Ruins, they requested to follow, and after some thought, Yin Qi allowed it.

Therefore, all things considered, only having Yin Hong oversee the state was the most appropriate.

Firstly, his cultivation was not high, still only a Peak Great Luo, making him unsuitable for venturing into the Return Ruins.

Secondly, he was the Heavenly Emperor of the Yang God World and possessed rich experience in handling state affairs.

Although the five, including Shang Rong, were loyal and devoted, people were fickle.

Although Yin Qi was full of confidence for this trip into the Return Ruins, the necessary preparations still had to be made.

For instance, he handed the Immortal Court Warship to Yin Hong.

Another instance was stripping away his own Inner Heaven and Earth and handing it to Zhou Ji.

In the event that he became trapped deep in the Return Ruins and could not come out for a short time, it would not shake the foundation of the Great Shang Celestial Dynasty.

The sudden announcement left everyone stunned:

"What is going on? Everything was fine, so why appoint Prince Yin Hong to oversee the state and appoint assisting ministers? Also, who is Prince Yin Hong? Even if someone were to be appointed to oversee the state, it should be the Crown Prince Yin Yu, right?"

"Do you even need to ask? It must be that the Great King is going to enter the Return Ruins, and at the same time, the five Crown Prince brothers are all Saints, so they will surely go together this time."

"Di Qi is finally going to enter the Return Ruins. Hahaha, that's great! The mountain weighing on our heads will finally be gone."

"The person above is overthinking it. Even if the Great King and the others go to the Return Ruins, and even if Honghuang enters an era without Saints, don't forget that our Great Shang still has numerous Quasi-Saint Level Puppets and Warships."

"Sigh, put that way, even if Di Qi and the others never return, we still have no chance at all."

……(End of chapter)