As soon as His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor spoke, his voice, though not loud, was clearly heard by the nearby Emperors and Powerful Experts of the Immortal Realm.
Inside the Hall of Miraculous Mist, the atmosphere instantly quieted down.
Countless gazes shot toward Yun Wuji in unison—shock, envy, understanding, speculation... every emotion was present.
"The Heavenly Emperor... is about to step down in favor of someone more worthy?"
"That is Xuantian Dao Venerable's most outstanding Disciple and the most stunning Genius in the Immortal Realm. Moreover, he is in the Celestial Golden Immortal Realm; with such cultivation at such a young age... his future is limitless."
"Sigh, if only I had a Disciple like that."
The hearts of the Powerful Experts were turbulent, but they dared not say much on the surface, only silently watching Han Xuanji and Yun Wuji.
Meanwhile, some quite young Prodigies of the Immortal Realm also had a thought pop into their heads and began to fantasize:
"If only I had such a Master!"
Of course, they also knew in their hearts that wanting to be a Disciple of Xuantian Dao Venerable was no easy feat.
Even joining the Xuantian Dao Palace was extremely difficult; only the Heavenly Emperor had the capability to squeeze some of his descendants in, while others lacked such influence.
Hearing the Heavenly Emperor's words, Han Xuanji held his jade cup, his fingertips lightly stroking the rim. His expression remained calm; he neither nodded nor denied it, merely casting a faint glance at Yun Wuji beside him.
"In this matter, I will not make the decision for him."
"Wuji, speak your own thoughts. As your Master, I respect your decision."
In an instant, everyone's gaze concentrated on Yun Wuji.
Yun Wuji took a step forward, his white clothes as pure as snow and his aura steady. He bowed to both the Heavenly Emperor and Han Xuanji with neither arrogance nor humility, his clear voice echoing through the hall:
"To Your Majesty, and to Master."
"I, your Disciple Yun Wuji, was not abandoned by my Master, who taught me the Great Dao and granted me Opportunity, allowing me to be where I am today."
"But I am single-mindedly devoted to the Dao. What I seek is to follow in my Master's footsteps and attain the Great Dao. The position of Heavenly Emperor is not what I seek. Furthermore, the throne carries a heavy responsibility on its shoulders, which I am not capable of fulfilling."
As soon as these words were spoken, silence fell inside and outside the hall. The immortals of the Heavenly Court were all stunned. The position of Heavenly Emperor was the Supreme seat of the Immortal Realm, something hundreds of millions of Cultivators dreamed of; no one expected Yun Wuji to refuse.
Only Han Xuanji's other Disciples nodded, simultaneously admiring Yun Wuji's heart for the Dao.
Although they had already discussed in private to let Lin Feng become the Heavenly Emperor, being able to refuse so decisively without a hint of hesitation was still quite impressive.
On the other side, Yun Wuji paused, shifted his gaze, and landed it on a Disciple with a steady expression and determined features nearby, saying loudly:
"If Your Majesty truly considers the future of the Immortal Realm, I have someone to recommend—my Junior Brother, Lin Feng."
"His Heart-Nature is upright, he handles matters fairly, he cares for all living beings, and he is skilled at coordinating the overall situation. He is already at the Late Stage of the Primordial Chaos Golden Immortal Realm, just a step away from the Celestial Golden Immortal Realm."
"If he can take another step forward in the future to take charge of the Heavenly Court and stabilize the Immortal Realm, he would be far more suitable than I."
The sudden recommendation left everyone startled.
Yun Wuji's expression was calm without the slightest ripple, and his words were open and sincere, without a hint of falsehood.
He did not shy away from recommending someone close to him, as he didn't feel there was anything inappropriate about it.
The Heavenly Emperor was first taken aback, his eyes filled with astonishment. He originally thought no one in the world could refuse the temptation of the Heavenly throne, but he didn't expect Yun Wuji to be completely unmoved. With his cultivation, he could naturally see that Yun Wuji's words were from the heart, without any lies.
Lin Feng himself looked up abruptly, his face full of bewilderment. Then, his eyes reddened slightly as he hurriedly bowed:
"Senior Brother... I..."
Yun Wuji nodded slightly to him, conveying encouragement.
Lin Feng took a deep breath, suppressed the agitation in his heart, and bowed solemnly to the Heavenly Emperor and Han Xuanji:
"I, your Disciple Lin Feng, have shallow Aptitude, but I am willing to give my all for the Immortal Realm! If that day truly comes, I will surely not fail my Master's teachings!"
The Heavenly Emperor looked at Yun Wuji, his eyes full of regret, and sighed softly:
"It's a pity... with your Aptitude, if you were to preside over the Heavenly Court, you would surely lead the Immortal Realm to a new Peak."
But he could also see that Yun Wuji truly had no heart for power, and it was useless to force him.
Although Lin Feng was slightly lacking, since Han Xuanji was there to back him up, it was acceptable.
With a shift in thought, the Heavenly Emperor looked at Lin Feng again, his gaze softening:
"Since our young friend is single-mindedly devoted to the Dao, I will not force him. As for you, young friend Lin Feng, cultivate well. As long as you progress steadily, the position of Heavenly Emperor can be considered in the future."
There was no need to speak too plainly; those who understood, understood.
He really wanted to retire!
As long as Lin Feng wasn't too bad, this matter was basically settled.
Lin Feng's whole body shook. He took a deep breath to calm his excitement and responded:
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Heavenly Emperor."
Everyone witnessed this scene.
Beyond their shock, the various immortals and gods increasingly understood—
In today's Immortal Realm, the one who truly called the shots was never the one sitting on the Heavenly throne, but the one in the Xuantian Dao Palace.
Han Xuanji sat in the main seat, watching all this, a nearly imperceptible smile flitting through his eyes.
Although he no longer cared for the position of Heavenly Emperor himself, it was better to keep the benefits within the family.
Before long, he would likely add the title of 'Teacher of the Heavenly Emperor' to his name.
It sounded like it wouldn't be too bad, either.
After these relatively "light" topics were finished, the Heavenly Emperor's expression gradually turned solemn, and he raised his hand to signal for silence in the hall.
"Fellow immortals, I have gathered you all for the Peach Banquet today not only to celebrate the stability of the Immortal Realm but also to inform you of a major matter."
The hall instantly became silent as all the immortal gods and Powerful Experts listened intently, vaguely sensing a hint of unease.
The Heavenly Emperor took a deep breath, his tone heavy: "Recently, the winds and clouds in Chaos have suddenly changed. The Demon Ancestor's true body is about to awaken. He has allied with Juntian Merchant Venerable and others to secretly incite many Powerful Experts in Chaos, claiming that the Immortal Realm hides the secret of transcendence. They intend to use the momentum of Chaos to join forces and attack the Immortal Realm, pushing us into the position of being an enemy of all Chaos!"
As his voice fell, discussions instantly broke out in the hall.
In fact, these rumors had long ceased to be a secret, but it was the first time the Heavenly Emperor spoke of it in front of everyone.
The Heavenly Emperor's tone was incredibly solemn:
"I stand here today and swear in the name of the Heavenly Court... I do not know the secret of transcendence. All of this is merely a lie fabricated by the Demon Ancestor to attack the Immortal Realm, with the goal of sowing discord between the Chaos experts and the Immortal Realm to reap the benefits!"
"If anyone dares to cause Chaos because of this, I will personally take action to suppress them."
As these words came out, the discussions in the hall gradually subsided, but everyone's expressions remained complex.
Some chose to believe the Heavenly Emperor—after all, as the Master of the Immortal Realm, he shouldn't lie. But others were half-believing and half-doubting. The secret of transcendence was too tempting; even knowing it might be a lie, they were unwilling to easily give up that sliver of ethereal hope. Furthermore, hadn't the Heavenly Emperor also failed to deny its existence?
What's more, some had a flash of greed in their eyes, clearly feeling that there is no smoke without fire. They believed the "secret of transcendence" indeed existed and was merely hidden by the Heavenly Emperor. However, hindered by the majesty of Han Xuanji and the Heavenly Emperor, they did not dare to raise questions.
Han Xuanji, on the other hand, knew that in the entire Chaos, he was likely the only one who knew the specific location of the Transcendence Beacon.
The Heavenly Emperor looked at Han Xuanji, just about to ask him to say a few words.
Right at that moment, a cold voice suddenly resounded throughout the Hall of Miraculous Mist:
"Aren't these words of yours, Heavenly Emperor, a bit too self-deceiving?"