After leaving the Dragon clan, Shengxia was immediately trailed from a safe distance by a few young dragon princes and grandsons, whom the Dragon King had deliberately sent. The Dragon King arranged this in the hope of clinging to a Sage's coattails.
Ever since the Dragon-Han Tribulation, the Dragon Clan had submitted to the Four Seas, and all of their members with any real strength were off guarding the marine eyes.
The Dragon King's arrangement was intended to have his descendants follow the Sage's orders, run errands when needed, and generally soak up whatever blessings came from being near a Sage. If any scraps of good fortune happened to leak out, wouldn't the Dragon Clan flourish?
Shengxia was well aware of these little antics by the Dragon Clan, but simply chose to ignore them.
After all, he was a Sage; if he had to run every single errand himself, where would a Sage's dignity be? In the Honghuang world, strength was king, but even those with strength cared about their face.
Shengxia pointed a finger at the grand formation, opening a portal, and then summoned the dragon youths to help distribute invitations across the Honghuang world.
The date was set for ten days later—an auspicious day perfectly suited for opening his immortal manor.
Those few days were spent in bustling preparation. Immortal boys on auspicious clouds carried immortal peaches and spirit lingzhi, old apes by the mountain stream pressed monkey wine, immortal cauldrons and jade pavilions held Great Return Pills, and there were longevity peaches and Huangzhong plums, with the fragrance of grains filling the air. Plates were gathered and cauldrons were arranged in a scene of busy, joyful activity.
Time flew, and after a few busy days, the appointed date arrived.
Two days prior, the Sage had arranged for the Dragon King to serve as the master of ceremonies.
With a display of the Sage's power, a golden bridge manifested beside the manor and before the formation. The Dragon King let out a cry of congratulations as Fuxi and Nüwa arrived to offer their greetings, followed closely by the Wu clan. The twelve disciples were busy bustling about, pouring tea and welcoming guests with broad smiles. The twelve Ancestor Witches were Dijiang, Jumang, Zhurong, Gonggong, Xuanming, Houtu, Qiangliang, Jiuyin, Shebishu, Zhurong's counterpart Rushou, Tianwu, and Xizi.
With a second cry of congratulations from the Dragon King, the Three Pure Ones arrived, alongside Qiankun, Yin and Yang, the Eastern Emperor and Jun, Goddess Yushu, and those two bald donkeys from the West—quite a magnificent lineup.
A seemingly endless stream of guests followed behind them, creating a truly bustling scene.
With a third cry of congratulations, the Dragon King seated everyone at the guest tables, where they drank immortal brews, feasted on mountain delicacies, and exchanged toasts.
The banquet lasted for three days. After presenting their gifts and bidding farewell, the guests departed, leaving behind only the twelve Ancestor Witches under the evening breeze and setting sun.
Ever since taking them on as disciples, he hadn't had the chance to properly instruct them. Dijiang had already reached the Daluo realm, and none of the twelve Ancestor Witches were lacking, all standing at the peak of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm.
People always said the Ancestor Witches were brutes who practiced cultivation as if their lives depended on it. With a punch from you and a palm from me, they beat Qiangliang until he cried out in misery. Only Houtu fared a bit better, as she went around bestowing a giant footprint on everyone.
Watching this bunch, Shengxia's mouth twitched uncontrollably. Call this cultivation? They were just beating each other up to comprehend the laws and understand their innate natures.
With a point of his finger, Shengxia transmitted twelve copies of the Ninety-Nine Profound Primal Skill to his disciples—the very same technique Pangu used for his cultivation—hoping they would achieve Sagehood soon.
He continued to instruct the twelve Ancestor Witches in cultivation and expounded the Dao, and thirty years passed in the blink of an eye.
On this day, he summoned the twelve Ancestor Witches to return to the Wu Palace and cultivate diligently.
Right on that day, Shengxia split off a Merit avatar, which transformed into a gentle breeze and headed toward the Honghuang world.
When the Merit avatar arrived at the Three Immortals Island, a chime sounded: "Check-in successful!" The system's voice rang out, rewarding the host with the Metamorphic Art of Transformation and three Nine-Turn Golden Pills.
This was clearly prepared for the Three Xiao sisters, who had not yet transformed and remained as three white clouds drifting on the horizon. The system certainly knew how to time things.
Shengxia infused the Metamorphic Art of Transformation into the Three Xiao sisters, turned into a gentle breeze, and sat quietly waiting for them to transform. Using their spiritual senses, the Three Xiao sisters transmitted their voices to Shengxia: "Older Brother Zhao Gongming, thank you!"
Just like that, alternating between cultivation and waiting, another two hundred years passed.
On a night when the moon was high and the stars were bright, the three clouds flashed with golden light, signaling that the Three Xiao sisters were about to complete their transformation. Shengxia reverted to his Merit body and stayed close by.
A flash of golden light was truly dazzling as three fairy maidens materialized before him. With no peers in past or present, who could possibly be more beautiful than the Three Xiao sisters?