Volume One: The Lich Calamity, Chapter 222: The Scheme of Mount Tai, Primordial’s Furious Outrage

"My name is Geng Ning, and this is my senior brother, Ao Qing."

"We have heard that you are the strongest existence among the Golden Chicken clan, and that you do not involve yourself in worldly entanglements. We have come to discuss a potential opportunity with you."

Geng Ning, feeling the pressure, had to steel himself and speak up.

"I am Jin Qin, the ancestor of the Golden Chicken clan."

"Oh? I wonder what kind of opportunity you two are speaking of? Or are you perhaps here on behalf of the Demon Court? I should state clearly: if you are from the Demon Court, you may leave immediately."

Jin Qin spoke with a wary gaze fixed upon the two of them.

"So, you also find the Demon Court distasteful? You can rest assured that we have absolutely no connection to them."

Geng Ning then muttered under his breath, "In fact, we are mortal enemies!"

After Geng Ning spoke, Jin Qin relaxed slightly, though the vigilance in his eyes did not dissipate.

"Then, may I ask what this opportunity is that you speak of, Fellow Daoist Geng Ning?" Jin Qin asked, puzzled.

"Looking at your situation, Fellow Daoist Jin Qin, the demons must have come to seek you out more than once, right? Given your strength at the Daluo stage, it stands to reason they wouldn't have given up on you so easily." Geng Ning looked at him with curiosity.

"Alas, my clan is too weak. I am the only one at the Daluo stage; the others are of no interest to them. If I truly refuse, there is little they can do, is there?"

Hearing this, Geng Ning felt a mix of relief and pity for him.

"I see!"

"To be honest, my senior brother and I have just arrived from the starry heavens. I am one of the twelve Yuanchen Stars, the Gongcao Yuanchen, and my senior brother is the Tiangang Yuanchen. Emperor Ziwei has entrusted the task of managing the remaining Yuanchen Stars to my brother."

Upon hearing Geng Ning's words, Jin Qin’s breathing grew rapid.

"Does Fellow Daoist Geng Ning mean...?"

"Exactly as you think. We have come specifically for you; we have high regard for you!" Geng Ning blurted out.

Ao Qing, standing to the side, couldn't help but cover his face with his hand.

"This... could you allow me some time to consider?"

Seeing this, Ao Qing stepped forward to pull Geng Ning back and smiled at Jin Qin. "That is perfectly fine. There is no rush; please take your time to consider it. We shall not disturb you any further."

Ao Qing quickly restrained Geng Ning, who was about to speak again. Jin Qin addressed them both.

"Would you two like to stay in our clan for a while?"

"No, we must take our leave. We shall return to visit again in due time!" With that, Ao Qing led Geng Ning away.

Once they were clear of the area, Geng Ning looked at Ao Qing with dissatisfaction. "Senior brother, why did you pull me away? If you had let me speak a bit more, he might have agreed!"

Ao Qing sighed endlessly. "You, how could we be so rash? We don't even know what kind of person he truly is. If we make such a hasty decision and something goes wrong in the future, what then?"

"Do you mean to say there is something wrong with him?" Geng Ning asked, confused.

"That is not what I mean. But regardless, we must follow a proper process, not act as rashly as you did today!"

Geng Ning nodded, appearing to half-understand. "Then what should we do now?"

"Let us observe for a period of time first. Come, let us go; there is no hurry for this matter."

"Why must it be so troublesome?"

"What else did you expect?" Ao Qing shot a glance at Geng Ning, rolling his eyes.

In the end, the two decided to seek out other candidates while observing them closely, only confirming their choices once they fully met Ao Qing's requirements. Now that Ao Qing had been granted the position of Tiangang Yuanchen, he vaguely understood that these twelve Yuanchen would play a significant role in the future of the Primordial World. That was why he was so strict in his approach.

In the eastern part of the Primordial World, Wuyun arrived.

"Strange, when I came here before, there was nothing unusual. Why has it changed so much in such a short time?"

Wuyun hovered near Mount Tai, whispering to himself in confusion. "Could it be because the Underworld has emerged and the Earth Path has grown increasingly powerful?"

As a clone of Qingxuan, Wuyun shared all of Qingxuan’s thoughts and memories. He was well aware that the Earth Path was now nearly comparable to the Heavenly Path. When the Underworld had first emerged, he had come to Mount Tai to investigate, but he had found nothing.

"Wait, why does this aura feel so familiar?" The next moment, a look of doubt appeared on Wuyun’s face. He quickly descended onto Mount Tai to observe more closely.

"Interesting. If this is truly what I suspect, then it is indeed interesting!"

Finally, Wuyun wore a meaningful smile. He quickly placed countless restrictions upon Mount Tai, erased all traces of his visit, and departed. "Mount Tai... I wonder what Houtu is actually planning."

Meanwhile, at Mount Kunlun:

"The Demon clan is becoming more and more arrogant!" Yuan Shi strode into the Taiji Hall, his face flushed with barely contained fury.

"Second brother, what has happened now?"

"Ever since we opened Mount Kunlun for disciples, many talented individuals came to be tested. But now, the demons are openly blocking the base of Mount Kunlun, demanding that those people join the Heavenly Court or the Demon clan instead!"

Tai Shang’s expression darkened as well. "Alas, it seems that Junior Sister Nuwa’s breakthrough to the Saint realm has indeed given the demons a great deal of confidence."

"Brother, you don't know—I was hiding at the foot of the mountain and heard those demons boldly claiming that their clan and the Heavenly Court are the undisputed number one power in the Primordial World, and that even Mount Buzhou must step aside for them. Brother, listen to that! I don't know who gave them the audacity to say such things. Is it Di Jun, or is it Nuwa? To speak blasphemously, even the Master would not dare to claim such a thing!"

Hearing Yuan Shi speak this way, Tai Shang’s expression turned solemn, and he rebuked him. "Enough, second brother! How can you speak so recklessly? Is this something to be said lightly?"

Yuan Shi realized his slip of the tongue and bowed to Tai Shang. "Brother, I spoke out of turn."

"It is good that you realize it. The Master is benevolent and does not hold us to account, but that does not mean we can act wantonly." Tai Shang’s tone was severe. Only after lecturing Yuan Shi at length did the sense of unease lingering in his heart dissipate. Yuan Shi was also left with a lingering fear.

"Still, the demons are truly too arrogant."

"If not for the fact that none of the Ancestral Witches have stepped forward, the demons would never dare to act so brazenly with their current strength!" Yuan Shi looked toward the direction of the Wu clan and spoke with dissatisfaction.

"The affairs of the Wu clan likely involve the plans of the Senior and the Ancestral Witches. We should simply focus on our own Mount Kunlun for now!"