"Mm."
Han Xuanji nodded, feeling that it was about enough; hearing too much flattery from the crowd was also quite boring.
His gaze turned toward his group of Disciples who were waiting expectantly, as well as those Primordial Vicious Beasts huddled in the corner, trying their best to minimize their presence.
"Let's go, back to the Dao Palace."
As Han Xuanji's voice fell, he simply gave his sleeve a casual wave.
Immediately, a gentle yet irresistible force enveloped everyone, as well as the Evil Qilin and the other Primordial Beings.
In the next instant, their figures, along with Han Xuanji, vanished silently from the spot, leaving behind not a single spatial ripple or mana fluctuation.
It was as if they never belonged here and had only descended temporarily; now that the matter was settled, they had returned to the higher level where they belonged.
Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, the Xuantian Dao Palace.
As soon as they returned to the Dao Palace, the Disciples who hadn't personally witnessed Han Xuanji's action crowded around those who had gone to the Sea of Nether, chirping away with endless questions.
Li Taiqing gave a brief description of the battle scenes, which left those Disciples with lower cultivation feeling hot-blooded and stirred.
"Grandmaster is simply too amazing!"
"If only I could be one-tenth... no, one-hundredth as strong as Grandmaster in the future."
"Haha, I think having one-ten-thousandth of Grandmaster's strength would be enough for you to walk tall anywhere."
"That's true."
The Disciple who spoke earlier rubbed his head, feeling that there wasn't much of a difference.
On the other side, Han Xuanji led the group of powerful Primordial Beings into the depths of the Xuantian Dao Palace.
Coming from Reincarnation Purgatory to this sacred Dao-field, where Immortal Qi was dense, dao-rhythm was natural, and every plant and tree seemed to contain supreme truths, even the Evil Qilin felt a moment of daze and discomfort, as well as an awe stemming from biological instinct.
They could feel that in this world, every inch of space was deeply imprinted with the supreme will of the figure before them; this was his Domain.
Han Xuanji stopped in his tracks, his gaze calmly sweeping over the Primordial Beings behind him, who were maintaining their shrunken sizes and behaving obediently.
"Since you have entered my Dao Palace, you must follow my rules."
His voice was not loud, yet it rang clearly within the Divine Souls of the Primordial Beings, carrying a tone that brooked no doubt.
"The Dao Palace is vast. Except for the core Forbidden Land and the various Disciples' Immortal Caves, you may find suitable places for yourselves to reside. You may regulate the Spiritual Veins or breathe in Spiritual Qi, and you may also assist in handling some peripheral affairs."
Han Xuanji paused, his tone turning slightly cold:
"Remember, all living beings within the Dao Palace, regardless of their cultivation level or background, are either under my sect or are my subordinates.
There shall be no fighting without cause, and certainly no harming the beings of the Dao Domain.
If anyone defies this, the Lord of Ten Thousand Voids shall serve as your warning."
These Primordial Beings had high cultivation and had already sworn oaths; being under his nose, he wasn't afraid of them causing trouble.
If they dared to cause trouble, he would just treat it as an extra meal tonight.
"We shall respectfully obey the Daoist Venerable's decree! We would never dare to violate it!"
The group of Primordial Beings hurriedly lowered their heads even further, responding in unison with voices full of cautious respect.
Was this a joke? Causing trouble on Han Xuanji's territory?
They had seen the Lord of Ten Thousand Voids' fate clearly; he likely wouldn't be able to turn over for a million years, and who knew how long he would be imprisoned. Even with ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare.
"Mm."
Han Xuanji nodded slightly, and as if thinking of something, he added another sentence.
"There are other beings within the Dao Palace. As you are newcomers, if there is anything you do not understand..."
His gaze seemed to drift inadvertently toward a certain direction. Right then, a flash of white light zipped out from the side with a 'whoosh', landing steadily slightly in front of Han Xuanji's side. He stood with his head held high and chest out, even making a show of shaking his smooth, satin-like fur.
It was Xiao Bai!
He currently maintained the size of an ordinary tiger. Although his cultivation was clearly far inferior to those Primordial Vicious Beasts, he had his posture down perfectly.
With his chin slightly raised and a disdainful gaze, he paced unhurriedly before the Primordial Beings, as if inspecting his new subordinates.
"Master, you're back!"
Xiao Bai first affectionately rubbed his large head against the corner of Han Xuanji's robe, an action that made the eyelids of the Primordial Beings twitch.
"You can ask him..."
Seeing Xiao Bai's posturing, Han Xuanji felt inexplicably embarrassed, but he didn't say much. Instead, he turned and went directly toward his palace.
The check-in at Reincarnation Purgatory had benefited him greatly; he would focus on cultivation first.
Although he already had no rivals in the Immortal Realm, the vast Chaos contained countless Powerful Experts, and he still had to remain cautious.
If he could completely refine the Lord of Ten Thousand Voids' Origin, it should grant him a massive Breakthrough; stepping into the Late Stage of the Limitless Primordial realm wouldn't be difficult... Seeing Han Xuanji depart, Xiao Bai dropped his previous cute and silly act. Facing the group of 'newcomers', he cleared his throat and spoke in a somewhat pretentious tone:
"Ahem, you few are the new arrivals?"
The Evil Qilin and the others looked at each other. They could feel that this white tiger's Bloodline was extraordinary, but as for his strength... was he only at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level?
He wasn't even in the same league as them.
But seeing his attitude, and his affectionate and natural interaction with Han Xuanji...
Before they could think further, Xiao Bai had already begun his lecture:
"The rules of the Dao Palace, Master has already stated, so I won't repeat them.
However, there are some 'customs' and 'precautions' that Master didn't detail, which I must tell you about."
He raised a front paw, licking it slowly while casting a sidelong glance at them.
"First, within the Dao Palace, seniority is based on arrival. I, Xiao Bai, have followed Master for longer than you can imagine."
He emphasized the word 'longer', then paced over to the Evil Qilin. Although he had to look up at him, his Aura was entirely that of someone looking down:
"You look like you're quite good at fighting. Follow this seat from now on, and I guarantee you a boundless future."
The corner of the Evil Qilin's mouth twitched, but seeing Xiao Bai's matter-of-fact manner and thinking of his relationship with Han Xuanji, he could only swallow his dissatisfaction and respond in a muffled voice:
"Yes... Master Bai is right to point that out. This small beast has noted it."
He even subconsciously used a respectful title.
Xiao Bai nodded in satisfaction, then paced over to the Nine-Headed Profound Nether Snake. Looking at those nine hideous snake heads, he curled his lip:
"Nine heads, looks like it'll be noisy.
There's a 'Profound Nether Cold Abyss' to the north of the Dao Palace that is very cold. It's fitting for you to stay there. Remember, don't get poison all over the Cold Abyss; otherwise, if any Disciple is harmed, don't blame me for the punishment."
The Nine-Headed Profound Nether Snake's nine heads shrank back simultaneously as it hurriedly said:
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. I will certainly be careful. Many thanks for Master Bai's arrangement."
Next, the Chaos Demonic Ape was assigned by him to do chores on the Holy Mountain; the Heaven-Bearing Tortoise was instructed to carry those few mountains in the back mountain used to adjust the Spiritual Veins; and the Nine-Headed Dragon was arranged to stay in a remote forest, helping to decompose some Alchemy waste along the way... With a flurry of instructions, Xiao Bai had clearly organized the group of Vicious Beasts that once dominated the primordial era, assigning them all sorts of odd jobs like 'guarding', 'tempering', 'mountain-carrying', and 'waste decomposition'.
The group of Primordial Beings felt incredibly aggrieved in their hearts, but not a single one dared to make a sound.
Seeing his familiarity with the place, his overbearing manner, and that casual intimacy with Han Xuanji... this was clearly a core confidant who was extremely favored by the Daoist Venerable, possessed ancient seniority, and had an incredibly strong network of connections!
What did it matter if his strength was a bit lacking?
He was relying on seniority and Face!