Inside Xuantian Hall, incense smoke curled, and Immortal Qi permeated the air.
Han Xuanji sat upright on a jade couch to one side, conversing with the Immortal Ancestor beside him in a relaxed and indifferent tone.
The Immortal Ancestor sat on another jade couch; although he had not yet reached his Peak, he possessed ninety percent of his power from his prime, thanks to Han Xuanji's intervention.
When the two discussed the lineup of the Immortal Extermination Alliance, there was not a trace of panic on the Immortal Ancestor's face; instead, he wore an expression of excitement.
Having been banished to the end of time and space by the will of chaos for so many years, he had pent-up anger with nowhere to vent, and he intended to use this so-called Immortal Extermination Alliance to let it all out.
"Ancestral Master, Ancestral Witch Dijiang requests an audience!"
The respectful report of a guiding Disciple came from outside the hall.
Han Xuanji raised his eyes, a flash of realization crossing them, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he said in a calm tone:
"Let him in."
"Yes."
As soon as the words fell, Dijiang strode into Xuantian Hall, his expression still carrying a hint of anxiety. Just as he was about to speak, his gaze inadvertently fell upon the Immortal Ancestor, and his body froze instantly, his anxiety replaced by shock.
At this moment, the Immortal Ancestor's attire was completely different from before, and his hair obscured his face, making it difficult to see clearly.
Yet, he could sense a deeply familiar and intimate aura coming from the Immortal Ancestor. This aura had been etched into the depths of his Soul, evoking an Innate sense of awe and belonging, as if it were a call from his Bloodline, making him feel an uncontrollable sense of closeness.
In an instant, countless blurred fragments flashed through his mind—vague memories from an era even more ancient than the primordial times. There was a majestic figure who had created the heavens and earth and nurtured all living things, and the aura of that figure was exactly the same as the Immortal Ancestor before him!
"You... you are..."
Dijiang's lips trembled slightly, tears welling up in his eyes, and he took a step forward involuntarily. The fragments in his mind pieced themselves together in an instant, and he blurted out:
"Father God!"
This cry of "Father God" was filled with shock, excitement, and awe, his voice slightly choked with emotion.
He had not expected that this Powerful Expert, who was conversing so happily with Han Xuanji, was actually the Immortal Ancestor who had created the Immortal Realm, and also the Creator they, the Ancestral Witches, had sought for generations.
Thinking of this, a wave of wild joy surged in Dijiang's heart, and at the same time, he felt secretly relieved.
Fortunately, he had not followed Zhurong's suggestion and had not led the Witch Race to become deserters. If he had truly betrayed his agreement with Han Xuanji and abandoned the Immortal Realm that the Immortal Ancestor protected, he feared he would never be able to forgive himself for the rest of his life, and the Witch Race might have ended up bearing an eternal infamy, or even lost the protection and recognition of the Immortal Ancestor.
He stood with his head bowed, his body trembling slightly, too excited to speak. His eyes glanced from time to time at Han Xuanji and the Immortal Ancestor. Seeing the two conversing calmly with tacit understanding, without the slightest distinction of status, a storm instantly brewed in Dijiang's mind, conjuring up countless scenarios.
No wonder Xuantian Dao Venerable, despite his youth, possessed such Heaven-Defying strength and could be so highly regarded by the Immortal Ancestor that he could sit as an equal; he was indeed an even more ancient and powerful existence!
Perhaps Han Xuanji was a Powerful Expert from the same generation as the Immortal Ancestor, just hiding his identity and keeping a low profile all this time!
Thinking back to how he had attacked Han Xuanji due to his ignorance of the truth, Dijiang couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. At the same time, he muttered to himself: If Dao Venerable had revealed his identity and his relationship with the Immortal Ancestor earlier, how would he have dared to attack him? It was simply ridiculous!
His thoughts shifted, and he began to struggle with how to address him—previously, he had always called Han Xuanji "Dao Venerable," but now that it seemed Dao Venerable stood on equal footing with the Immortal Ancestor, and the Immortal Ancestor was his Father God, should he change his form of address?
If he called him "Dao Venerable," it seemed too distant and not respectful enough, but if he followed the Immortal Ancestor's generation and called him "Uncle Han," would it be too presumptuous? It might seem like sycophancy.
Dijiang stood there, his brows locked in a frown, now bowing his head in thought, now stealing glances at Han Xuanji, his expression changing unpredictably. He was so caught up in the dilemma of how to address him that he didn't notice the Immortal Ancestor and Han Xuanji had stopped talking and were looking at him gently.
Looking at Dijiang before him, the Immortal Ancestor's eyes flashed with a hint of emotion. He spoke slowly, his tone gentle and laced with reminiscence:
"You Ancestral Witches were the first batch of Innate living beings born after I created the Immortal Realm. You wield the elemental powers of heaven and earth and possess extraordinary talents. Back then, I placed high hopes on you, hoping you would protect the Foundation of the Immortal Realm well."
"Dijiang, it has been many years. You have grown quite a bit, having already achieved a Breakthrough to the Limitless Primordial Realm, living up to my expectations from back then."
Hearing this, Dijiang quickly composed himself and bowed respectfully:
"Father God is too kind. It has taken Dijiang so long to achieve a Breakthrough; I have already disgraced you."
The Immortal Ancestor shook his head slightly, his gaze far-reaching, and said slowly:
"It is already quite good."
Han Xuanji also nodded; Limitless Primordial was not so easily achieved.
Among the Twelve Ancestral Witches, only Dijiang had crossed this obstacle.
In fact, through his conversations with the Immortal Ancestor, Han Xuanji had learned many secrets, such as how the Human Race of the current Immortal Realm were not pure beings of the Immortal Realm; they were, in fact, a race born from the union of the Chaos Human Race and the Witch Race.
The ancestors of the Human Race were the Chaos Human Race, who were living beings born at the same time as the Chaos Demon God when Chaos first opened. Although they were not born with the formidable combat power of the Chaos Demon God, they possessed extremely high potential for growth and were one of the most promising races in Chaos.
Therefore, although the Ancestral Witches possessed strong Innate power, their potential perhaps could not truly match those brilliant and talented humans who emerged in response to the times.
Watching the scene before him, Han Xuanji revealed a calm smile at the corner of his mouth and spoke to ease the atmosphere:
"Dijiang, there is no need to be constrained. The Immortal Ancestor has already returned, and we have sufficient confidence to deal with the upcoming attack of the Immortal Extermination Alliance. You have come today; it must be regarding the defense of the Witch Race's world, right?"
Dijiang nodded quickly, suppressing the excitement and shock in his heart, and truthfully informed him one by one of the predicament of the Witch Race's world, the concerns of the Ancestral Witches, and his own worries.
After finishing, Dijiang's tone was respectful, and the look in his eyes when he gazed at Han Xuanji had changed from before. In the past, the Ancestral Witches had been beaten into submission by Han Xuanji, but they had always interacted as Fellow Daoists; now, there was a constraint like a child seeing a parent.
Seeing Dijiang in this state, Han Xuanji could not help but chuckle inwardly.
Outside this door, you call me Fellow Daoist, and I will not find fault with you, but inside this door, what should you call me?