After guarding the gates for a hundred years, I drove the Heavenly Saint to madness.

The aroma of tea wafted through the main hall of the General's Mansion.

Xiao Wuji looked at Consort Pingxin, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke:

"Your Majesty's favor is too great. I should not refuse such a high position and such great fortune."

"But the position of the Fengdu Emperor is related to the stable operation of the Underworld in the future, and a powerful being is needed to sit in the Netherworld for a long time to oversee the whole situation."

Xiao Wuji looked directly at Pingxin and said, "I am currently in the midst of the Great Tribulation. Jiepai Pass is the gateway to the Great Shang Dynasty and a dead end in the struggle between the Chan and Jie sects. I am truly unable to spare the time to go to the Netherworld to fulfill my duties."

Empress Pingxin frowned slightly upon hearing this.

Although Xiao Wuji's reasons sounded plausible, in Pingxin's opinion, they were hardly any reasons at all.

After all, comparing the garrison commander of Jiepai Pass to the Emperor of Fengdu is simply incomparable.

The former is caught in the vortex of a great calamity, their lives hanging by a thread. The latter, on the other hand, governs the destiny of an entire realm, achieving instant success.

Anyone would know how to choose. But she didn't understand what Xiao Wuji meant by saying these words.

Before Pingxin could speak, Xiao Wuji abruptly changed the subject and pushed Fairy Yunxiao in front of him.

Xiao Wuji introduced to Consort Pingxin, "My master, Yunxiao, has reached the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm. He is calm and composed, and has a profound foundation in the Dao."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this junior will entrust all the details of the operation of the Underworld to my master."

"She will go to the Underworld in my place to perform her duties and oversee Fengdu. My master and I are of one mind and will certainly not allow the operation of the Underworld to go awry in the slightest, nor will we cause any trouble for the Empress."

"What is Your Majesty's opinion?"

Upon hearing this, not only were Lady Pingxin and Haotian stunned, but even Yunxiao himself was taken aback by the surprise.

The Great Emperor of Fengdu!

In the primordial world, countless powerful beings fought tooth and nail for the chance to seize fortune. Now, his disciple didn't even blink an eye and directly handed over such a blessing to him.

Yunxiao felt dizzy and was so shocked that he wanted to decline.

"Wuji, no! How could I, your master, possibly attain such a heaven-reaching position..."

As soon as Yunxiao spoke, Xiao Wuji's voice rang out in her mind.

"Master, we shouldn't let the good stuff go to outsiders."

Xiao Wuji decisively transmitted his voice: "This position is too important; I don't trust anyone else with it."

"Moreover, now that you've become the Great Emperor of Fengdu, protected by the laws of the earth, even if the Chan Sect wanted to harm you, they would have to consider the karmic backlash that would destroy the world!"

"This matter concerns our escape route; do not refuse!"

Upon hearing this analysis, Yunxiao swallowed back the words of refusal that were about to come out of his mouth.

She knew her disciple was right; this was not just a divine position, but also a backup plan they had left for themselves during the great eon.

However, she still didn't understand why Xiao Wuji didn't go himself.

At the scene, Empress Pingxin looked at the master and disciple, pondered for a moment, and nodded in agreement.

All she wanted was an executor to keep the underworld running; whether that position was held by Xiao Wuji or Yunxiao made no difference to her.

Yunxiao was an elite member of the Jie Sect with profound cultivation, and with Xiao Wuji providing advice and strategies behind the scenes, he could be considered a qualified candidate.

"good."

Lady Pingxin smiled and said, "I only wish for order to be maintained in the underworld. Since you are someone I trust, then the throne of the Great Emperor of Fengdu shall be taken over by Fairy Yunxiao."

After finalizing this crucial matter concerning the overall situation of the Underworld, Lady Pingxin was finally relieved of a worry.

She stood up and turned to look at the middle-aged scholar who was sitting silently to the side.

"Great Celestial Venerable."

Empress Pingxin revealed Haotian's identity and purpose: "I know perfectly well what you seek by coming with me today."

"However, I have entrusted the specific authority and operation of this underworld to Friend Xiao and Fairy Yunxiao."

"If the Great Celestial Venerable has any plans or schemes, he may simply discuss them with my young friend. As long as he agrees, I have no objection."

These words were tantamount to directly delegating power, passing the burden of the power struggle between Heaven and the Underworld to Xiao Wuji.

Having said that, Consort Pingxin did not linger any longer.

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She nodded slightly, her figure transforming into a gentle breeze, passing through the hall, and returning to the Netherworld.

Inside the hall, only Xiao Wuji, Yunxiao, and the Jade Emperor, whose identity had been completely revealed, remained.

After Pingxin left, the atmosphere subtly changed.

Haotian put down his teacup, straightened his sleeves, and was considering how to begin.

Xiao Wuji didn't give him a chance to organize his thoughts. He pulled out a chair, sat down, and spoke first.

"Great Celestial Venerable."

Xiao Wuji stared directly at the nominal ruler of the Three Realms, his tone calm yet cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

"Let's not beat around the bush. You've condescended to come to this boundary pass; do you intend to allow the Heavenly Court's influence to take root in the Netherworld?"

Seeing that the other party was so direct, Haotian also put away his imperial mind and nodded.

"Exactly."

Haotian looked at Xiao Wuji and said, "The Heavenly Court was established by the Dao Ancestor himself, and nominally governs the Three Realms."

"The Netherworld has been reshaped and the Underworld Palace has been established. This is a great undertaking to complete the Heavenly Dao."

"If the Heavenly Court accomplishes nothing in this Underworld, without even a resident celestial official, wouldn't its title as the ruler of the Three Realms become nothing but empty talk?"

Haotian's demands were clear: he did not expect to control the Underworld, but the Heavenly Court had to have a foothold in the Underworld's management structure and take a share of its fortune in order to demonstrate the Heavenly Court's legitimacy.

The hall fell silent. Yunxiao stood to the side, watching how his disciple would respond.

Xiao Wuji picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea.

Then, he put down his teacup and looked up at Haotian.

"The Great Celestial Venerable is frank."

Xiao Wuji's voice wasn't loud, but it sounded clear and jarring in the empty hall.

"But the Great Celestial Venerable thinks, why should I agree?"

This rhetorical question was like a thunderclap from a clear sky!

Haotian's expression froze, and his hand holding the teacup stopped in mid-air.

He stared at the young man before him, his anger flashing for a few moments before finally turning into helplessness and dejection.

What will he use to lash out?

In terms of official status, the Heavenly Court does indeed rule the Three Realms, but in the eyes of the disciples of these great sage sects, the Heavenly Court is just an empty shell, and no one takes him, the Great Heavenly Venerable, seriously.

In terms of strength, the Heavenly Court is currently only a handful of big and small soldiers, lacking troops and generals, and cannot even muster a decent heavenly army for a campaign.

Most importantly, the Xiao Wuji in front of them had just protected Jiepai Pass under the pressure of four Heavenly Dao Saints, and even forced Yuanshi Tianzun to bow his head and replace him.

The sheer magnitude and power of this terror far exceeded the limits of what a celestial court could possibly exert.

If they don't agree, even if the Heavenly Court seizes the boundary marker, there's nothing they can do.

Haotian fell into a long silence.

The air in the hall seemed to freeze; you could hear a pin drop.

Xiao Wuji looked at Haotian and knew that the time was almost right.

Pressuring too hard will leave this great celestial being utterly humiliated; but giving in too easily won't fetch a good price. The ultimate negotiation strategy is to strike first, then offer a sweet treat.

"The Great Celestial Venerable rules over the Three Realms and is high above, so he is naturally used to giving orders. But here, I only believe in equal exchange."

Xiao Wuji broke the deadlock, his tone softening.

"It's not unnecessarily unacceptable for the Heavenly Court to take over the Netherworld and seize its fortune."

Xiao Wuji leaned forward, looked at Haotian, and threw out the bait:

"How about I make a condition to the Great Celestial Venerable?"

"Great Celestial Venerable, please listen first. If you think it's a good match, then we can naturally cooperate; if not, then consider this your visit today as just having a cup of tea, and we can part ways amicably and settle things later. How about that?"

Upon hearing this, Haotian breathed a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face, and even his form of address changed.

"Fellow Daoist is a straightforward person."

We're not afraid of your conditions; we're afraid you'll shut the door completely! As long as there's room for negotiation, Heaven has a chance.

Haotian lowered his stance and raised his hand in greeting.

"Fellow Daoist, please speak freely. As long as it does not harm the foundation of the Heavenly Court, I am willing to consider it."