Nuwa and Bai Ze arrived at Yujing Mountain and requested an audience with the Sanqing.
After a round of polite yet hollow pleasantries, they finally cut to the heart of the matter.
"Junior Sister, what business brings you to our doorstep today?" Laozi asked with a beaming smile, idly stroking his snow-white beard.
"My three Senior Brothers, I have come today to invite you to join us in a unified resistance against the Wu Clan."
Nuwa was blunt. She stated her intent directly, choosing not to waste time with flowery riddles or obscure metaphors.
Upon hearing the proposal, Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian shared a silent, knowing look. Laozi then fell into a strategic silence, continuing to stroke his beard without a word.
Yuanshi took up the mantle of the conversation, offering a thin smile. "Fellow Daoist Nuwa, the dispute between the Yao and the Wu is their own affair. For us to interfere... would that not be inappropriate?"
They were not fools. They understood perfectly that Nuwa intended to borrow their strength to crush her enemies.
Nuwa's expression shifted subtly. From the simple change in address, she could sense the Sanqing's shifting attitude; moments ago she was "Junior Sister," and now she was merely "Fellow Daoist."
How fickle they are.
"My three Senior Brothers, this is not merely a dispute for the Yao Race. Currently, the Wu Clan slaughters without regard for the Dao, bringing ruin to all living beings. If they are not stopped, the consequences for the world will be unthinkable."
She spoke with a heavy solemnity, her voice carrying an air of great righteousness. Her massive Karma-light made her appear more sacred than ever.
However, it was clear that the Sanqing were not interested in platitudes about the world. In their eyes, this was a petty struggle between two races, and Nuwa was simply trying to use them.
The words they truly wanted to hear remained unspoken by Nuwa.
Seeing the stalemate, Bai Ze could no longer remain silent. "Fellow Daoists of the Sanqing, surely you are aware of the Wu Clan's sacrifice at Mount Buzhou ten thousand years ago?"
"According to my sources, the Witches received a direct blessing from the Great God Pangu. Now, the entire Great Desolation believes that the Twelve Ancestral Witches are the only true 'Orthodox Lineage of Pangu'."
"Fellow Daoists, if you allow the Witches to continue their expansion, there will come a day when they dominate the world. When that happens, they will inevitably turn their sights on you to permanently erase any other claim to the Pangu name."
"Given the Ancestral Witches' track record, I am certain they will do exactly that. Thus, the Wu Clan is our common enemy. If the three of you join forces with the Yao Race, then with your supreme magic power, the Witches will be utterly powerless to resist!"
Bai Ze's argument was flawlessly constructed, attacking the problem from multiple angles and concluding with a deft bit of flattery regarding the Sanqing's cultivation.
The three brothers reacted differently. Laozi remained quiet, a faint smile playing on his lips; though he didn't speak, it was clear he was quite satisfied with the praise.
Yuanshi let out a soft laugh. "I have long heard that Fellow Daoist Bai Ze is a spirit of auspicious omens who knows all under heaven. Have you perhaps glimpsed a corner of the future?"
Bai Ze remained humble, waving a hand. "Fellow Daoist Yuanshi overpraises me. I have seen no future; these are merely my own deductions."
Laozi and Yuanshi nodded, their gazes becoming deep and unfathomable as they performed their own silent calculations.
While Bai Ze was clearly trying to manipulate them, his logic held weight.
Given the temperament of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, once the Yao Race was defeated, they would undoubtedly turn on the Sanqing.
But the most critical factor was their intense interest in the blessing the Witches had received from Father Pangu!
Even if the Yao Race hadn't come to them today, they would eventually have sought an opportunity to settle their old scores with the Twelve Ancestral Witches.
The dispute over the "Orthodox Lineage of Pangu" had to reach a final resolution.
After a long duration of silent thought, Laozi and Yuanshi shared a glance, having reached an accord. As for Tongtian, he merely sat with his eyes closed, disinterested in these manipulative maneuvers. He was content to let his brothers make the decision.
Nuwa remained silent, sitting to the side as she radiated her own aura of Karma.
Finally, Laozi spoke, looking toward Nuwa. "Junior Sister, we all hail from the same sect. It is only right and proper that we assist you in this matter."
"The actions of the Wu Clan have indeed wounded the harmony of heaven. As Disciples of the Dao Ancestor, we hold the responsibility to watch over the four directions. We cannot allow the Witches to continue their reckless behavior."
He spoke with a gentle smile, appearing for all the world like a paragon of righteousness.
Nuwa felt a wave of internal speechlessnes, her heart filled with a secret disdain. And just like that, I am 'Junior Sister' once again.
Suppressing her thoughts, she gave a light nod. "I thank my three Senior Brothers for their trouble."
Regardless of their motives, the result was a success.
"There is no time to lose. We go now!"
Yuanshi sprang to his feet, unable to contain his impatience. Ever since he had slain his second corpse, he had been looking for a chance to test his power.
This was the perfect opportunity to show those "pitiable things" his true strength and settle his old grievances.
In such a hurry?
Nuwa and Bai Ze were genuinely surprised. Moments ago, they were playing hard to get, and now they couldn't wait a single second to leave.
Of course, they kept these thoughts to themselves.
Nuwa and Bai Ze, now joined by their three "enforcers," departed for the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
As they returned to the Yao headquarters, the news quickly filtered back to Zifu Island.
The Immortal Court.
The East King Duke received word from his scouts: the Sanqing had followed Nuwa into the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
He immediately gathered the core members of the Immortal Court—including the Queen Mother of the West—to analyze the situation.
"Could the Sanqing have officially joined the Yao Race?"
Upon hearing the report, the elder statesman of the Court, Mysterious Water, was the first to speak.
The suggestion was met with immediate opposition from the other experts.
"Impossible! Given the Sanqing's legendary pride, they would never bow to the Yao. My guess is that Nuwa invited them specifically to resist the Wu Clan. Nuwa and the Sanqing are fellow disciples under the Dao Ancestor; such an alliance is highly probable!"
The speaker was Empty Abyss, the renowned "Immortal Teacher" of the Court.
The East King Duke's eyes flashed as he performed his own mental deductions. "Empty Abyss makes a valid point. The Sanqing would never join the Yao. The only possibility is a coalition against the Witches."
Beside him, the Queen Mother of the West's Phoenix-eyes turned cold. "If that is the case, it is perfect. Our Immortal Court should also intervene to suppress the Witches' arrogance."
She had not forgotten the debt of her stolen Dao Field at West Kunlun; now was her chance for retribution.
As she spoke, the East King Duke and the other male immortals paused. The statement was a bit extreme.
With the current strength of the Immortal Court, involving themselves in a total war between the Yao and the Wu seemed like a reach beyond their grasp.
However, at that moment, Empty Abyss caught the Duke's eye, sending a secret transmission.
A heartbeat later, the East King Duke understood. A perfect accord was reached in his mind, and he spoke up with an air of righteous indignation.
"The Queen Mother is correct! Our Immortal Court was born for the maintenance of the primordial order. The actions of the Wu Clan have severely endangered the safety of all living beings. They must be punished!"
On the surface, his words were for the good of the world. But in his heart, the Duke was already calculating.
The clash between the Witches and the Yao would be a cataclysmic event. He intended to rise amidst the chaos, manipulate the sides against each other, and—most importantly—snatch Kunpeng's Primordial Violet Qi!
Opportunity is found amidst the danger!