The moment Bai Ze's words left his lips, the gazes of the gathered Great Yao were instantly drawn to him.
They all understood that when it came to matters of strategy and intellect, Bai Ze was peerless among them.
"Bai Ze, speak plainly. What is your meaning?" Fuxi was the first to ask, his voice full of urgent interest.
Bai Ze was a man of calculated silence—he rarely spoke without a purpose, but when he did, he usually held the solution to their plight. He was a far more reliable source of wisdom than the erratic schemes of Kunpeng's ilk.
Bai Ze paused, idly waving his feather fan before slowly speaking. "I reached this conclusion based on our earlier discussion. If the Wu Clan has truly received a blessing or gift from the Great God Pangu, ask yourselves: who, in this current world, would be the most anxious and covetous of such a prize?"
As the question hung in the air, the demons were momentarily stunned. A heavy silence followed before one finally ventured a reply.
"You mean...?"
The topic was sensitive. They had an idea of the answer, but they hesitated to voice it, unsure if their intuition was correct.
Bai Ze did not play riddles. With a stern expression, he continued: "At this stage, our only recourse is to seek out those who harbor a blood-feud with the Wu Clan. We must invite them to help us resist the Ancestral Witches together!"
"And as for the great powers who have a grudge with those barbarians..."
"I know! It's the Three Crows and the Sanqing!" Before Bai Ze could even finish his sentence, Ji Meng raised his hand, blurting out the answer.
"Excellent. You've learned to anticipate the answer," Bai Ze said, giving him a thumbs-up and a look of genuine approval.
"However, your answer is not precise enough. Historically, the ones with the deepest, most vitriolic enmity toward the Ancestral Witches are the Sanqing."
"They have clashed for countless ages over the title of the 'Orthodox Lineage of Pangu,' each side wishing for the total eradication of the other. The Sanqing, in particular, nearly met their end at the hands of the Witches once before."
"I am convinced they hate the Witches even more than we do. Now that the Wu Clan has claimed a gift from Father Pangu, the Sanqing will surely find it impossible to remain idle. They will be consumed by envy."
"This is the perfect window to invite them into the fray. If we combine our forces with the strength of the Sanqing, the Wu Clan's defeat is a certainty."
Bai Ze laid out his plan methodically. In that brief span of time, he had deduced every variable, presenting a case that was as logical as it was compelling.
The gathered demons sank into thought, moved by his analysis.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. While the Yao Race and the Sanqing could hardly be called allies, their shared hatred for the Wu Clan was a powerful adhesive. It was a life-and-death grudge.
Furthermore, with Nuwa's presence, there was a personal connection. They were all Disciples of the Dao Ancestor—fellow disciples under the same sect. An alliance was far from a fantasy.
Even Nuwa was swayed by Bai Ze's reasoning. Her Phoenix-eyes shimmered with a brilliant light.
"The Sanqing have never been on good terms with the Witches. This plan is indeed viable. If the Yao Race and the Sanqing join hands, the Wu Clan can be broken!"
She spoke with a faint smile, her silhouette draped in the shimmering golden light of her massive Karma.
Most of the demons nodded in agreement, but one voice rose in dissent.
Gui Che spread his hands and asked in a sharp, grating voice, "Even if we join with the Sanqing, can we truly overcome the Wu Clan?"
The question was asked casually, almost as an afterthought, yet it voiced a lingering fear that sat in the back of all their minds.
The room was momentarily startled by Gui Che's pessimism. They turned to him with varied expressions.
Jiu Ying actually let out a laugh. "I say, Gui Che, have the Ancestral Witches truly beaten a permanent shadow into your soul?"
"If our combined strength plus the Sanqing cannot defeat them, who else in this world could?"
He laughed heartily, his tone mocking. He didn't fear Gui Che's anger; they were all hot-blooded demons who spoke their minds without filters or concealment.
"The Three Crows could certainly do it. If only we could invite them," Ji Meng added, his expression firm. From the beginning, he had remained an unwavering advocate of the Crows' power.
"Forget it. If the Three Crows arrive, would they be fighting the Witches or us?" Gui Che reacted violently. He still remembered the battle at the Three Immortals Island, where the shockwaves from Ling Xiao's attacks had nearly unmade him.
"The Three Crows have no blood-feud with the Witches. In my estimation, it would be difficult to convince them to intervene. But the Sanqing have every reason to strike," Bai Ze noted wisely. He agreed that the Crows would be the superior choice, but he viewed the possibility as too slim to pursue.
"Enough. Stop the bickering. It makes no difference. The Sanqing have already slain their second corpses; their strength is likely not far behind the Three Crows anyway."
"The Sanqing it is. We shall seek an alliance to crush the Wu Clan."
Kunpeng slapped his hand down with an air of finality, as if his word alone settled the cosmic balance. He didn't even wait to see if the Sanqing would agree before making the unilateral declaration.
His patience was at an end. He had joined the Yao Race for benefits, but after tens of thousands of years, the effort had far outweighed the rewards. He was tired of being beaten.
With a strand of Primordial Violet Qi in his possession, he felt he would be far safer hiding in the North Sea and focusing on his own path. Staying with the Yao was a distraction; if he failed to achieve Sainthood, he would blame them for wasting his time.
"Since you possess such overwhelming confidence, Kunpeng, why don't you be the one to go and invite the Sanqing?"
Nuwa turned her gaze toward Kunpeng, a cold smile on her face. Her voice carried a subtle, dangerous edge of dissatisfaction.
"Me? I cannot!" Kunpeng shook his head immediately, granting her zero "Face."
"I have no prior friendship with the Sanqing. It would be far more appropriate for Fellow Daoist Nuwa to go. You are their Junior Sister and a fellow disciple. You are the perfect candidate."
He was merely mouthing off, offering words but refusing to lift a finger. He knew his relationship with the Sanqing was poor, and burdened as he was with the Violet Qi, he had no intention of exposing himself to unnecessary risks. He viewed the mission as a thankless task.
Nuwa's expression soured. Her recent goodwill toward Kunpeng for his "help" with the Demon Script vanished instantly.
Since Kunpeng had slain his second corpse, his arrogance had reached a breaking point. He clearly no longer held her in any regard.
He has expanded too far!
The other Great Yao exchanged nervous glances, sensing Kunpeng's blatant disrespect and Nuwa's mounting fury. The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy and oppressive.
Seeing the storm brewing, Fuxi let out a light cough, stepping in to break the deadlock.
"Sister, Kunpeng makes a valid point. The Sanqing are your Senior Brothers. It is more fitting for you to represent us than any of the rest."
He had to act as the peacemaker. The mission hadn't even begun; they couldn't afford internal strife. Kunpeng was out of line, but for the sake of the grand design, they needed a unified front.
"Indeed. Empress Wa, let me accompany you to Yujing Mountain," Bai Ze added, rising to stand beside her. His motivation was identical to Fuxi's: the survival of the race superseded all petty squabbles. If the two most powerful figures in the Yao hierarchy—Nuwa and Kunpeng—turned on each other, it would be a death sentence for their cause.
Nuwa paused, then gave a slight nod. She chose to temporarily set aside her grievance with Kunpeng; he was the second most powerful combatant in the Yao Race, and she couldn't afford to alienate him yet.
"Then it is settled."
Without further delay, Nuwa and Bai Ze departed the headquarters, making their way toward Yujing Mountain.