Chapter 69

Lady Pingxin saw Pan Huang like this, nodded, she was worried that Pan Huang had reservations in his heart; now looking at it, Thirteenth Brother should be able to understand her actions.

"Thirteenth Brother, the true spirit of Great Yi has been obliterated, the Ten Yama Kings still lack three positions; do you have a suitable candidate?" Lady Pingxin looked at Pan Huang and asked.

"As for the remaining three, let's look for them among the Asura Clan." Pan Huang said after thinking.

Now he also couldn't find a suitable candidate, but following the principle that irrigation water should not flow to outsiders' fields, he ultimately recommended Minghe.

"Good!" Lady Pingxin nodded.

"Since I know that all your elder brothers are safe, I'll head back now; there are still many matters awaiting me among the human race." Pan Huang said to Lady Pingxin.

"Go!" Lady Pingxin nodded.

After returning to Mount Shouyang, Changxi and Xihe came to Mount Shouyang; during the Wu Clan–Demon Race war, they returned to Taiyin Star, which was also Pan Huang's request.

They originally wanted to help the Wu Clan, but Pan Huang refused them, for fear that even a slight mistake could put them in danger of falling.

Therefore, after the Wu Clan–Demon Race decisive battle, they immediately came to Mount Shouyang; at that time Pan Huang was blaming himself, so he paid no attention to them.

Now that Pan Huang has emerged from the shadow of self-blame, they naturally came to visit him.

"How did you come?" Seeing Changxi and Xihe, Pan Huang asked.

"We were worried about you!" Changxi's eyes still held a faint worry.

"It's all in the past, everything is over." Pan Huang said with a smile.

"Mm! Everything is over." Xihe nodded heavily.

……

"From now on, the focus of development will shift to the human race and the Demon Race; over in the Underworld there is Seventh Sister and Daoist friend Minghe, so I don't need to worry." Pan Huang muttered to himself.

When Xihe and Changxi originally came to visit Pan Huang, he took them out to relax; first to ease the nerves tightened by the Wu Clan–Demon Race decisive battle, and second to take a look at current human life.

Because the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors is coming up; then we'll need to plan well. As for sages, sorry, if there is no absolute benefit, Pan Huang simply wouldn't let sages interfere in the affairs of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.

As for developing the Demon Race, it's because of the Little Golden Crows; now that Di Jun and Taiyi have fallen, the Little Golden Crows are the orthodox lineage of the Demon Court, and all Demon Race must follow them.

What the Little Golden Crows need to do now is to gather the remaining strength of the Demon Race, then rest and recuperate, and then silently serve the human race.

Nüwa Palace.

"Lady Nüwa, my father emperor has fallen; we brothers ought to return to gather the remnant troops of the Demon Race and rest and recuperate." The Great Golden Crow said to Lady Nüwa.

"Go!" Lady Nüwa looked at the Great Golden Crow before her and nodded.

"Thank you, Lady Nüwa." The Great Golden Crow bowed to Lady Nüwa, then led the other Little Golden Crows away from Nüwa Palace.

After leaving Nüwa Palace, the Great Golden Crow and company headed straight for the Demon Court.

Upon arriving at the Demon Court, indeed, the surviving Demon Race were all here, including the demon sages Bai Ze, Ji Meng, Chi Tie, and Shang Yang, these four were also in the Demon Court.

"Greetings to the Crown Prince, greetings to all the princes." Upon seeing the Great Golden Crow and company, all the Demon Race seemed to have found their backbone, and they eagerly bowed to the Great Golden Crow and the others.

"Why are you here?" Upon seeing Bai Ze and the others, the Great Golden Crow asked, his words full of anger.

Actually, the Great Golden Crow and company knew this was the foundation Di Jun had left for them, but Di Jun had never told them, so the Great Golden Crow and company had to display such emotion.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, this is the plan of the Demon Emperor." Bai Ze, seeing the Great Golden Crow like that, hurriedly said.

"Explain clearly!"

"We are the foundation left by the Demon Emperor for the Crown Prince and all the princes to rise." Bai Ze said.

Then he explained the plan that Di Jun had previously discussed with them; the faces of the Great Golden Crow and company showed timely surprise and guilt.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, what should we do now?" After Di Jun and Taiyi fell, Bai Ze's mind seemed to have become a bit dull.

"First, we cannot stay in the Demon Court." The Great Golden Crow glanced at the still-intact Demon Court and sighed.

Actually, if there were a way, he truly wouldn't want to abandon the Demon Court, but he knows that the Demon Court now is a hot potato; nothing can be said to make it stayable.

"We can't stay in the Demon Court? Then where should we go?" Chi Tie asked.

"Myriad Demon Mountain!"

Myriad Demon Mountain is a peak in the northern part of the Primordial Chaos; the northern Primordial Chaos is the Demon Race's main base, and Myriad Demon Mountain is actually considered the Demon Race's second stronghold, only because the Demon Court existed before, Myriad Demon Mountain was not very famous.

Now that the Demon Court cannot be stayed in, Myriad Demon Mountain is a very good choice.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, the Demon Court is the foundation of our Demon Race's establishment; are we really just going to abandon it so lightly?" Ji Meng asked.

"What then? The Demon Race now lacks the ability to defend the Demon Court; if we still occupy this place, all that awaits us is extermination." The Second Golden Crow said to Ji Meng.

"Let's go, Your Highness the Crown Prince is right; we cannot stay in the Demon Court now." Bai Ze said calmly at this moment.

"Bai Ze, gather all the Demon Race currently in the Demon Court; we will set out now." The Great Golden Crow said to Bai Ze.

"Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"Big brother, are we about to start developing the Demon Race now?" The Little Golden Crow said mentally to the Great Golden Crow.

"Yes! But we cannot act openly now; otherwise, if we were exposed, things would be uncertain for our main body." The Great Golden Crow said in his heart.

"Alright!"

Soon, all the Demon Race in the Demon Court had gathered in the Hall of Ascending Heaven.

Looking at these Demon Race before them, the Little Golden Crows were a little surprised; Di Jun's hand is quite generous—he actually left such a rich inheritance for the Little Golden Crows?

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, these are the star masters of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array; the deceased star masters have been replenished by them; this is the foundation left by the Demon Emperor for you." Bai Ze said to the Great Golden Crow.

"Mm!" The Great Golden Crow nodded.

Afterward, the Demon Race left the Demon Court in batches; if they acted together, they would be discovered by the myriad races of the Primordial Chaos, and those races friendly to humans and the Wu Clan, upon seeing the Demon Race still possessing such a foundation, might seek revenge for the Wu Clan, which would be a loss outweighing the gain.

Upon arriving at Myriad Demon Mountain in the Primordial Chaos, the Great Golden Crow immediately concealed the star masters of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array; they cannot be exposed yet, and the Demon Race's current state must be like that of the Wu Clan.

"Let's close the mountain; we won't leave Myriad Demon Mountain for ten thousand years." The Great Golden Crow looked at the Demon Race of the northern Primordial Chaos, a wry smile appearing on his face; this mess of the Demon Race also has a share of his merit.

Now wanting to develop again is a bit difficult! Fortunately, we have the memories and experience of our main body; as long as there is sufficient time, redeveloping the Demon Race should not be a big problem.

The news of the Demon Race's mountain closure quickly spread throughout the Primordial Chaos; upon hearing it, the myriad races of the Primordial Chaos knew that the Wu Clan–Demon Race era had completely ended.

The Primordial Chaos ahead may perhaps enter a relatively stable phase, but there is also a probability it will enter an era of great contention; after all, ambitious races are few, but not none.

After the Demon Race closed the mountain, the face of Heavenly Dao Hongjun, far away in the Zixiao Palace, showed a faint smile; although his face was full of smiles, his eyes held endless cold light.

Because of Xuanmen Hongjun's reason, he couldn't intervene to disturb Mount Buzhou, which led to Mount Buzhou not collapsing; Pangu's will still exists in the Wilderness, except that now Pangu's will is not as strong as before.

"Hurry to Purple Cloud Palace for discussion!" After composing his mood, Heavenly Dao Hongjun sent a mental message to the assembled saints.

After receiving Heavenly Dao Hongjun's mental message, Laozi and Nüwa set out first, because they were the only two saints unaffected by the Witch-Demon War; the rest were all affected by the Witch-Demon War's aftermath.

Yuanshi and Tongtian, upon hearing Heavenly Dao Hongjun's mental message, gave a wry smile and, dragging their heavily injured bodies, went to Purple Cloud Palace.

The Western Sect's Jieyin and Zhunti had just barely recovered their physical bodies at this point; their origins had not yet had time to recover when they received the Dao Ancestor's mental message, leaving them no choice but to drag their heavily injured bodies to Purple Cloud Palace.

After arriving at Purple Cloud Palace, they sat on the futons in the order they had originally listened to the Dao.

Seeing that Yuanshi and the others were still severely injured, Heavenly Dao Hongjun waved his hand, and several beams of white light flew into their bodies, healing their injuries and restoring their origins at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In just a dozen breaths, their complexions turned rosy, and the aura on their bodies gradually stabilized.

Seeing this, Laozi and Nüwa were shocked in their hearts, thinking they had become saints and that the distance to the Dao Ancestor had narrowed, but now it seemed there was still a great distance between them and the Dao Ancestor.

Just that move of the Dao Ancestor earlier left them in the dust; after all, it was damage to a saint's origin, yet Heavenly Dao Hongjun merely waved his hand and restored their origins—what terrifying power!

"Thank you, Master!" After their injuries healed, Yuanshi and the others rose and bowed to Heavenly Dao Hongjun.

"I called you here today for the matter of the Demon Court." Hongjun glanced at Laozi and the others and said lightly.

Laozi and the others exchanged a glance, remaining silent because they didn't understand what the Dao Ancestor meant, so they dared not say more.

"Now the Demon Race has declined, Di Jun and Taiyi have fallen, the Demon Court cannot lack a master; I wish to know your opinions." Heavenly Dao Hongjun said to Laozi and the others.

"I don't know what result you, Master, desire." Seeing everyone lower their heads in silence, Laozi knew that if he didn't say something now, the Dao Ancestor would surely be displeased.

"This Demon Court concerns the beings of the Wilderness, and moreover it possesses great fortune; it must not be left to waste. Please share your opinions." Heavenly Dao Hongjun said lightly.

"Master, I am the leader of the Demon Sect, so I will not comment on this matter." Upon hearing Hongjun say that, a wry smile appeared on Laozi's face.

Actually, his meaning was to let the Demon Race continue to control the Demon Court, but seeing the Dao Ancestor say that, he realized there was probably no hope for him here.

"Master! In my sect, the South Pole Immortal Elder is a Blessing and Virtue True Immortal, capable of serving as the master of the Heavenly Court." Yuanshi hurriedly said, even referring to the Demon Court as the Heavenly Court.

Anyway, the Demon Race no longer controls the Demon Court now, so calling it the Demon Court here would be inappropriate; we might as well call it the Heavenly Court.

"Master, my senior disciple Duobo possesses outstanding talent and can serve as the master of the Heavenly Court." Tongtian, unwilling to be outdone, directly promoted his senior disciples.

"Master, in the Western Sect, Yaoshi and Maitreya are my disciples with exceptional talent and strong comprehension; they too can serve as masters of the Heavenly Court." Zhunti hurriedly said, fearing that once he finished speaking, the Dao Ancestor would accept Yuanshi's and Tongtian's opinions.

"Nüwa, what do you think?" Seeing that Nüwa remained silent, Heavenly Dao Hongjun asked.

"Master, I have not established a sect; I have only a child attendant and a maidservant, so I am not in a position to comment, but I will forever support your opinion." Nüwa said with a smile.

"Since that's the case, I have some ideas; listen first." Heavenly Dao Hongjun nodded.

Then he waved his hand, and Haotian and Yaochi appeared before everyone.

"Greetings, Father! Greetings, senior brothers!" After Haotian and Yaochi appeared, they first paid respects to Heavenly Dao Hongjun, then to Laozi and the others.

Heavenly Dao Hongjun nodded, pointed a finger, and Haotian and Yaochi transformed from exquisitely carved child Daoists into a handsome young man and woman of exceptional bearing.

"Haotian and Yaochi are my attendants; they have followed me for several yuanhui, and I intend for them to serve as masters of the Heavenly Court—what do you think?" Upon hearing Hongjun narrow his eyes and look toward Laozi and the others,

"I will obey the Master's command." Laozi was the first to declare his allegiance.

Afterward, Nüwa cupped her fists without speaking, as she had already said before that she forever supports Heavenly Dao Hongjun's opinion.

"And you?" Heavenly Dao Hongjun looked toward Yuanshi and the others.

"I will obey the Master's orders!" Yuanshi and Tongtian hastily declared their allegiance.

Jieyin and Zhunti struggled a bit, still wanting to contend, but when they saw Heavenly Dao Hongjun's narrowed eyes, their hearts tightened, and they also cupped their fists in allegiance.

"Haotian, Yaochi, are you willing to take over the Heavenly Court and become its master?" Heavenly Dao Hongjun turned his gaze toward Haotian and Yaochi.

"Father, I am willing." Haotian said excitedly, his voice trembling somewhat.

"Father, I am willing." Yaochi also performed a salute; she was not overly excited, mainly because she did not crave power as much as Haotian did.

"In that case, from now on Haotian shall be the master of the Heavenly Court, titled Haotian Shangdi, named Jade Emperor; Yaochi shall be the Mother of Yaochi, titled Queen Mother." Heavenly Dao Hongjun said with a smile, directly establishing their titles.

"Haotian, this is the Kunlun Mirror, which I bestow upon you; Yaochi, this is the Ren Water Flat Peach, one of the ten great innate spiritual roots, which I bestow upon you. I hope you will henceforth manage the Heavenly Court conscientiously, blessing the beings of the Wilderness, and not let me down."

"Father, I will surely manage the Wilderness well and certainly not let you down." Haotian hastily expressed his resolve.

Seeing this, Laozi and the others felt a surge of inner criticism, but they dared not voice it; Heavenly Dao Hongjun summoning them was merely a notification, not a discussion.

"From now on, you must assist Haotian and Yaochi in managing the Heavenly Court well and commanding the beings of the Wilderness; do you understand?"

"Yes, Master!" Laozi and the others replied.

"Go! Haotian and Yaochi, go as well, to take over the Heavenly Court." Heavenly Dao Hongjun nodded.

"I take my leave!" Laozi and the others rose, bowed, and then left Purple Cloud Palace together with Haotian and Yaochi.

"I hope you senior brothers will continue to help; Haotian is deeply grateful." Outside Purple Cloud Palace, Haotian smiled and cupped his fists toward Laozi and the others.

Nüwa completely ignored Haotian, vanishing on the spot; Laozi coldly glanced at them and also disappeared, saying, "You have taken over my saint's Demon Court, yet you still want me to help you?"

Yuanshi let out a cold snort and then vanished as well.

"My Jie Sect is a bunch of undisciplined fellows; you'd better not come looking for me in the future." Tongtian said coldly, then also vanished outside Purple Cloud Palace.

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, gave Haotian a mocking look, and then vanished as well.

After the saints departed, Haotian's face instantly darkened; he gazed at the place where they vanished, his eyes practically blazing with fire.

He is the Heavenly Court master appointed by the Dao Ancestor, yet these saints actually refused to give the Dao Ancestor face; given the chance, he will surely sue them before the saints, making them know the consequences of offending him.

"Haotian, let's go; let's first go take a look at the Heavenly Court." Seeing Haotian like that, Yaochi sighed inwardly and then spoke.

"Let's go!" Upon hearing Yaochi's voice, Haotian took a deep breath and then calmed down.

Upon arriving at the Heavenly Court, Haotian's gaze was deeply drawn by the splendid buildings before him; looking at those buildings, a thing called ambition appeared in his eyes.

"From now on, this will be our place of residence," Haotian laughed uproariously.

After touring the Heavenly Court, the first thing Haotian did was not to recruit troops and buy horses, but to demolish some of the structures originally built for the Demon Court and then rebuild them according to his own ideas.

In Haotian's words, the Demon Court is already a thing of the past; from now on this place will be called the Heavenly Court, so any trace of the Demon Court must not be left behind.

Thus, Haotian busied himself alone for over five hundred years, until finally a brand-new Heavenly Court appeared beside him and Yaochi.

Be that as it may, Haotian's aesthetic sense remains exceptionally high; after his re-planning, the Heavenly Court became more magnificent and more imposing than before.

"Jade Pool, now let's start recruiting troops and buying horses; I believe it won't be long before the Heavenly Court becomes lively." Sitting in the Jade Pool, Haotian held Jade Pool's hand and said.

Soon, the news of the Heavenly Court's reopening appeared in the Great Wilderness; when they learned that the current Lord of the Heavenly Court was appointed by Dao Ancestor Hongjun and was also a Daoist child beside the Dao Ancestor, the wandering cultivators in the Great Wilderness were the first to take action.

Now that the Heavenly Court has just been established, if they join now they might still obtain a relatively satisfactory position; if they go late, they'll probably end up with nothing.

Those wandering cultivators also had another idea: joining the Heavenly Court would be equivalent to indirectly joining under the Purple Cloud Palace, after all, the current Lord of the Heavenly Court is none other than a child beside the Dao Ancestor!

In this way, within less than a hundred years, the various positions in the Heavenly Court had been roughly filled; Haotian did not release some of the important positions, after all, these people are not yet capable of taking on those important roles.

"Has the Heavenly Court been established? It seems the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors is not far off." On First Yang Mountain, Panhuang murmured to himself.

On Myriad Monsters Mountain, after the Great Golden Crow received this news, what it thought was the same as Panhuang's: the Heavenly Court had been established, and before long, the Heavenly Dao Hongjun would once again convene the sages for discussion, at which point the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors would arrive.

(End of chapter)