The Jade Emperor laughed heartily, his voice filled with pride.
Not to mention the Great Emperor Ziwei and the others, even The Three Pure Ones were taken aback.
Firstly, they hadn’t realized that they were dealing with an avatar.
From the laughter of the Jade Emperor, they sensed something even more terrifying.
Three figures emerged above the Ling Xiao Palace.
Upon seeing the trio, everyone was surprised and hurried to pay their respects.
"We have seen The Three Pure Ones."
Whether they were gods, immortals, or demons, all paid their respects to The Three Pure Ones.
Sun Wukong and his group also bowed slightly as a sign of respect for The Three Pure Ones.
Although they felt a strong discontent for The Three Pure Ones not standing on the side of living beings,
they still honored the proper courtesies.
Only the Jade Emperor stood there, casting a sidelong glance at The Three Pure Ones, his face bearing a trace of a cold smirk.
Lord Taishang spoke sharply, "Haotian, where has your true self gone? What have you done?"
At these words, Sun Wukong and the others were struck with a sharp tremor.
Although the title of Jade Emperor includes the appellation Haotian, it’s rarely used by anyone; to actually call someone Haotian signifies only one person.
"He is the Haotian God," said Great Emperor Ziwei in shock.
Lord Taishang did not answer, which was as good as confirming it.
The Jade Emperor was, in fact, the Haotian God, the very first ruler of the Divine Dynasty.
All were astounded, both gods and demons numb from the shock of this revelation and unable to think.
The Haotian God, that’s a mythical existence.
That the Jade Emperor was actually Haotian, this news was simply too explosive.
In Kunlun, the Queen Mother of the West stood dumbstruck.
She whirled around, looking at the Eastern King, demanding, "Did you know about this all along?"
The Eastern King hesitated for a moment before nodding.
He had indeed known for some time.
The so-called Jade Emperor was the Haotian God.
The Supreme of the first God Era, the ultimate power among the Three Realms.
"Did you know this was his avatar?" the Queen Mother of the West pressed on.
All eyes, including those of Shao Siming, were fixed on the Eastern King.
Though they had previously dreaded the Eastern King, they did so with a hint of pride, not overly fearing him.
But now they found the Eastern King knew far too much.
The true identity of the Jade Emperor was something that perhaps no one else in the Three Realms knew, save for The Three Pure Ones.
It was even possible that The Three Pure Ones were unaware that the Jade Emperor before them was merely an avatar.
However, the Eastern King might have been aware of it all along.
What kind of man was he? Someone who secretly watched over the workings of the entire Three Realms, or was he focused solely on the Jade Emperor?
Either way, the Eastern King was frightening enough.
The Eastern King glanced at the Queen Mother of the West and spoke indifferently, "I know all of this, even some things The Three Pure Ones are unaware of. I’ve known he was the Haotian God since The Three Pure Ones brought the Jade Emperor back."
The Queen Mother of the West gasped, then her expression cleared as if she’d had an epiphany.
"So you withdrew from the struggle for supreme authority among the Three Realms because you knew he was the Haotian God. You didn’t want to contend with the Haotian God, which is why you stepped back?"
Upon reaching this point, a complex emotion crossed the Eastern King’s face.
"You will never understand just how terrifying a person the Haotian God is. His trump card is beyond all of your imaginations, something even The Three Pure Ones might not expect."
"Do you know it?" Shao Siming couldn’t help but ask.
It wasn’t that she intentionally sought to converse with the Eastern King, but his words had piqued her curiosity too much.
The Eastern King glanced at her and, surprisingly, nodded.
The crowd was shocked.
The Eastern King actually knew.
"What is his real trump card?" Shao Siming persisted.
The Eastern King remained silent, almost driving Shao Siming to the brink of violence.
This man was maddeningly evasive. Even if he shared, what would it change?
Yet he chose not to speak, nearly infuriating people to death.
"This, I cannot say, but one day you will all find out," the Eastern King finally spoke, his gaze resting on the Queen Mother of the West, his eyes unusually tender.
"Whatever decision you make, I won’t stop you anymore, but rest assured, I will do my utmost to ensure your immortality," he promised.
The Queen Mother of the West, momentarily taken aback, couldn’t help but retort, "Do you have so little faith in me?"
The Eastern King did not respond.
But everyone understood his implication.
If he had faith in the Queen Mother of the West, he would not have said what he did just now.
The Eastern King left, as what came next he need not inquire about.
The Queen Mother of the West would not join the hubbub at Ling Xiao Palace, and thus was unlikely to encounter misfortune.
Watching the Eastern King depart, the Senior Commander-in-Chief’s eyes flickered with thought.
Suddenly, he said to the Queen Mother of the West, "Your Highness, you really should persuade the Eastern King to join us. If we could have his help, our future would be promising."
The gaze of the Queen Mother of the West turned fierce, instantly silencing the Senior Commander-in-Chief.
"Having dragged me into this, isn’t that enough? Do you also wish to ensnare the Eastern King? I advise you, Senior Commander-in-Chief, not to entertain the idea. If he chooses to stay out of all this, I will unquestionably not drag him into it. So don’t even think about it."
The Senior Commander-in-Chief opened his mouth as if to speak, but seeing the resolute look on the Queen Mother of the West’s face,
he sighed inwardly and held his tongue.
He was acutely aware that once the Queen Mother of the West made a decision, she would not change her mind.
It was a pity, for if they could recruit the Eastern King into their group, there would be no fear of failing to welcome back the ancient gods from beyond the heavens.
But plainly, the Eastern King was unlikely to join them.
Within Ling Xiao Palace, faced with Lord Taishang’s interrogation, the Jade Emperor burst into laughter and said, "Don’t you know already?"