She could actually understand now!
And it was clear and distinct!
This was a situation that had never happened before!
Feeling the cool, serene energy radiating from her thigh, the woman understood it was all thanks to Feng Xuan, and a trace of gratitude rose in her heart.
A pair of jade hands cupped his head and began to stroke it gently, making him sleep even more comfortably.
Time flowed like water, and in the Primordial world, years were not counted!
Three thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.
Hongjun's sermon this time finally concluded, and everyone awoke from their deep state of enlightenment, meditating on their gains over the millennia.
Right at that moment, the dense Innate Spiritual Qi within the Zixiao Palace surged toward a single location.
Everyone was immensely surprised. Whose subordinate could possibly be so fierce as to break through their realm right here in the Zixiao Palace!
When the crowd looked toward the gathering point of the Innate Spiritual Qi, they instantly felt as though all those years they had lived had been a waste.
There lay Feng Xuan, sleeping soundly with his head resting on the lap of the Ancestor Witch Houtu, while his aura surged powerfully with the momentum of a breakthrough.
Breaking through to the Golden Immortal realm was nothing special to the three thousand guests of Zixiao Palace; who among those present wasn't already a Daluo Golden Immortal?
Yet what they found unacceptable was that while all of them had to undergo bitter cultivation to break through, Feng Xuan was breaking through simply by sleeping.
Was there any justice left in the world?
Was there any heavenly law?
Di Jun and Taiyi, in particular, stared at Feng Xuan with murderous eyes, wishing they could skin him, debone him, and burn him to ashes with the True Fire of Taiyang.
It was this very brat who had caused Nuwa to block them back then and had even mocked them from the side, making them suffer a beating for nothing and losing two Innate Gourds in the process.
If they did not avenge this humiliation, they swore they were no crows!
Kunpeng felt the same way. If Yuanshi hadn't spoken up back then about creatures with fur and horns, or those born from eggs in wet environments, he might not have fallen off his futon and let Zunti steal the opportunity.
Hating the person, one hates even their crow; he hated Yuanshi's disciple just as much!
"My disciple really does have character. He can even break through while sleeping."
Laizi looked at Feng Xuan like an old father, his face full of kindness and helplessness.
"Haha, Eldest Brother, Third Brother, this is our good disciple, a talent gifted by the heavens!"
Yuanshi became even more delighted. Breaking through while sleeping was simply too cool!
At this moment, Feng Xuan only felt as though he were resting against a soft, comfortable cushion, sleeping peacefully while a faint, subtle fragrance lingered around the tip of his nose.
It smelled wonderful, making his mind and spirit completely tranquil.
The Innate Spiritual Qi inside the hall rushed frantically into his body.
Late-stage Golden Immortal!
Peak Golden Immortal!
Five energies rose from his chest as the Five Qi converged toward the origin.
Taiyi Golden Immortal achieved!
Even this breakthrough in his realm failed to rouse Feng Xuan from his deep sleep.
Sleeping for a millennium!
"Wake up, wake up."
Feeling somewhat embarrassed under the gaze of so many people, Houtu gently shook Feng Xuan.
"Who is disturbing my sweet dream?"
Reluctantly, Feng Xuan opened his eyes to see a woman with gentle and delicate features looking at him in utter awkwardness, while he was actually lying across her lap.
Just waking up, Feng Xuan was bleary-eyed and still half-conscious, blurting out without thinking.
"Beautiful sister, who are you, and why are you in my house?"
Hongjun could no longer just watch, and secretly cast a stream of cool magical power into Feng Xuan's body.
Once the magical power entered his body, Feng Xuan instantly sobered up. He immediately got to his feet and bowed in apology.
"Apologies, Fellow Daoist. I didn't mean to."
"My name is Houtu; you may simply call me Houtu. Besides, there's no need to apologize for what just happened—I also received the benefit of your favor."
Seeing the flustered young man apologizing before her, Houtu could not help letting out a soft chuckle.
Houtu!
Feng Xuan was somewhat startled. The woman before him was actually Houtu, the Ancestor Witch of Earth among the Twelve Ancestor Witches, the great and benevolent Houtu who, at the end of the Lich War, would transform her very body into the Samsara reincarnation, giving all living beings in the Primordial world a place to return to in death!
What did she mean by saying she had received the benefit of his favor?
At that moment, he suddenly felt countless gazes fixed upon him, making his back feel somewhat chilled. Turning his head, he discovered that the attention of the entire assembly was concentrated right here.
"Haha... everyone is here, I see..."
Feng Xuan was somewhat speechless. He was just taking a nap; was there really anything worth looking at?
"Disciple, get over here at once!"
Tongtian called out, pulling Feng Xuan behind him to shield him. He could sense three distinct murderous gazes, and they were very dangerous.
"Very well. Now that the Primordial world is newly settled, I intend to select a leader of the male immortals and a leader of the female immortals to manage the Primordial world. I wonder which of you is willing to shoulder this heavy responsibility?"
Hongjun spoke in a voice as calm as still water.
Yet his words shocked everyone present, feeling as though he had dropped a heavy bomb.
"Daozu, we brothers are willing to shoulder this heavy responsibility!"
Di Jun and Taiyi immediately stepped forward, their confidence overflowing, determined to secure the position of the leader of the male immortals.
"Daozu, I am also willing to shoulder this heavy responsibility!"
A young Daoist priest also stepped forward, wearing a luxurious purple robe and exuding a noble aura.
Feng Xuan knew that this person must be Dongwang Gong, the predestined leader of the male immortals for today.
The three of them had started it, but no one else contended after that. Those who wanted to contend lacked the strength, while those with the strength had no desire to contend.
As for the female immortals, those with the strength to compete—such as Nuwa, Houtu, Western Wangmu, Changxi, and Xihe—all possessed somewhat reclusive tendencies and certainly wouldn't take the initiative to assume such a role.
[Ding! Detected that Hongjun is about to select the leaders of the male and female immortals. Please make the following choices:]
[One: Actively step forward to contend for the position of the leader of the male immortals. The leader of the male immortals rules over all male immortals in the Primordial world—such an opportunity comes only once, and once lost, it will never return. Reward: A complete funeral service package.]
[Two: Actively step forward to shoulder the role of the leader of the female immortals. Young man, ruling over the female immortals allows you to manage countless fairies and goddesses, hehe. Reward: Origin gender transformation.]
[Three: Play it safe. What is the point of wanting to be the leader of the male or female immortals when you lack the strength? Reward: Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, Star Essence Wheel.]
After reading through these three options carefully, Feng Xuan felt the world go dark before his eyes.
What kind of choices were these!
He wasn't an idiot!
The positions of the leaders of the male and female immortals had been a scam from the very beginning!
To shoulder such a heavy responsibility, one needed strength capable of commanding respect from everyone; otherwise, even if personally appointed by Hongjun, no one would willingly submit to being ruled.
Everyone present was an Innate Divine, a Daluo Golden Immortal; who would be willing to bow beneath another and subject themselves to the control of others?
Just right now, Di Jun and Taiyi had already jumped out.
Who knew what else they would have to face later.
And as for this second option—leader of the female immortals? Origin gender transformation into a woman?
At a single glance, this was clearly out of the question. How could he, a dignified man standing seven chi tall, ever change his gender and become a woman?
"System, I choose three."
Feng Xuan made his choice silently in his mind.
[Congratulations to the host for choosing option three. The top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, Star Essence Wheel, has been issued.]
Feng Xuan saw a roulette wheel floating within his Primordial Spirit, emitting a dreamlike starlight across its surface, with countless specks of light corresponding to the stars in the heavens.
Fortunately, the system's items shielded all probing before he refined them or took them out for use; otherwise, he really would have worried about being snatched away by Hongjun right then and there to be sliced up and studied.
At this moment, Hongjun quietly observed the fierce scramble for the position of leader of the male immortals below, and then glanced at the silent group of female immortals, having already made his decision in his heart.
"Dongwang Gong, since you were born from the transformation of the very first strand of pristine Yang breath in the Primordial world, I appoint you as the leader of the male immortals, and bestow upon you the top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Dragon-Head Walking Stick. I hope you will manage things well."
Hearing this, the noisy arguments below instantly quieted down. Dongwang Gong wore a look of joy and gazed smugly at Di Jun and Taiyi.
"We obey the Daozu's decree!"
Having received the top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Dragon-Head Walking Stick, Dongwang Gong was in high spirits and supremely arrogant. He was already plotting how he would rule over the Primordial world.
"Western Wangmu, since you were born from the transformation of the very first strand of pristine Yin breath in the Primordial world, I appoint you as the leader of the female immortals, and bestow upon you the top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Plain Cloud Border Banner, to rule over the female immortals of all the heavens and the cosmos."
Hearing Daozu's decree from within the crowd, Western Wangmu froze in surprise. Though reluctant, she had no choice but to accept it.
"We obey the Daozu's decree."
"I hope the two of you will act impartially and manage the affairs of all immortals in the Primordial world well."
With those words, Hongjun vanished from Zixiao Palace, and this sermon officially came to an end.