138: We'll see.

West Kunlun is shrouded in a hazy immortal mist all year round.

The mountains undulate like a Dragon's spine, and the snow on the peaks reflects the morning sun, casting a seven-colored glow.

The waters of the Jade Pool are still and crystal clear, its bottom paved with five-colored spiritual jade, while never-fading jade lotuses float upon the surface.

Whenever a gentle breeze brushes past, the lotus petals shed crystalline dewdrops that congeal into bead-like spiritual mist in mid-air.

While the outside world undergoes vast changes, West Kunlun forever maintains the vitality of early spring.

The West Queen Mother's residence, the "Jade Palace," is located at the highest point and is constructed entirely of profound ice.

As a fellow practitioner of the path of caution, being careful is her most basic pursuit.

Unlike the high-profile and conceited East Duke, the West Queen Mother continued to live a plain and dull life after being appointed as the head of female immortals by the Dao Ancestor, Hongjun.

At most, she took in some female immortals, gathering them at West Kunlun to discuss the Dao and fulfill her duties.

Because of this, those the West Queen Mother attracted were those truly pursuing the Great Dao, rather than fame-seekers looking to leverage her influence.

At this moment, the West Queen Mother was preaching to the female immortals within the Jade Palace.

Suddenly, a female immortal came to report, "Reporting to the Queen Mother, the East Duke has come again and has already entered the territory of West Kunlun..."

Under the gaze of the female immortals, the West Queen Mother opened her beautiful eyes and said softly, "Where is Lu Wu?"

Lu Wu is a Divine Beast subdued by the West Queen Mother; majestic and overbearing, his roar silences the mountains and forests, and he serves as the mountain-protecting beast.

With Lu Wu present, it should have been impossible for the East Duke to easily intrude without her noticing.

Another female immortal said hurriedly, "Lu Wu was bribed by the East Duke and is now leading him toward the Jade Palace."

"This..."

The female immortals were instantly astonished; Lu Wu usually seemed loyal and steadfast, so they hadn't expected him to be so spineless as to be bribed.

But the West Queen Mother only shook her head gently.

One couldn't blame Lu Wu; the East Duke had been visiting a bit too frequently lately.

At first, Lu Wu was still fully vigilant toward him.

He would give a warning every time.

But under the repeated offensive of the East Duke's sugar-coated bullets, Lu Wu eventually gave in to temptation.

It had to be said that while the East Duke lacked foresight and his strategy was mediocre...

...he was indeed quite skilled when it came to these petty tricks.

Helplessly, the West Queen Mother could only let him in.

Inside the Jade Palace, the East Duke looked back and forth at the many female immortals and couldn't help but take a deep breath.

As the fragrance entered his nose, he instantly felt refreshed.

The West Queen Mother was immediately dissatisfied and waved her hand, signaling the female immortals to withdraw.

"Fellow Daoist, please conduct yourself with dignity!"

Realizing he had lost his composure, the East Duke hurriedly changed the subject.

"Fellow Daoist Golden Mother, it took a lot of effort just to see you!"

"Are you perhaps avoiding me on purpose, Fellow Daoist?"

The West Queen Mother said calmly, "I am not avoiding you on purpose; I have simply had some insights recently and have been in seclusion. Please forgive any neglect."

The East Duke chuckled, not bothering with such trivial details.

He spoke plainly, "To be honest, I have come here to invite you to leave the mountain and establish a faction with me to rule over the immortals of the Great Desolation and fulfill the duties bestowed by the Saint."

"What do you think, Fellow Daoist?"

The West Queen Mother just closed her eyes and listened, offering no answer for the moment.

Thinking there was a chance, the East Duke began to describe the benefits of establishing a faction, its development, and possible achievements.

As he spoke, he watched the West Queen Mother's expression.

However, she remained expressionless, not even lifting an eyelid.

The East Duke grew anxious, "If you feel the benefits are insufficient, Fellow Daoist, everything is negotiable."

"Please do not forget the duties bestowed by the Saint, Fellow Daoist!"

The West Queen Mother smiled gently. Look at you, getting anxious again, unable to withstand even a little test.

If one were to say the East Duke had many flaws, setting aside the others, he could still compensate for them in various ways.

But his impetuous and success-hungry nature was hard to hide.

In the Great Desolation, one values planning before acting.

Rushing blindly is not as good as progressing slowly and planning carefully.

This is true even when acting alone, let alone ruling over a faction.

It truly is a path with no turning back until victory is achieved.

Any small mistake could lead to total defeat.

And the East Duke's inherent impatience destined him to be unfit as the leader of a great power.

Once the ship capsizes, at best, one suffers a backlash and loses the chance for the Great Dao; at worst, one enters a calamity and perishes.

The West Queen Mother saw this as well, so she shook her head and said:

"You are mistaken, Fellow Daoist. By befriending the female immortals of the Great Desolation on West Kunlun and preaching to them, how am I not fulfilling the duties bestowed by the Saint?"

"However, I have a word of advice for you: what does not belong to you will never be yours. If you try to force it, I fear there will be no good end."

Hearing this, the East Duke was instantly enraged, "Fine then, West Queen Mother! I came in good faith to plan great things with you, yet you curse me for no reason. You truly don't know what's good for you..."

The West Queen Mother acted as if she hadn't heard the East Duke's insults.

"Are you finished shouting, Fellow Daoist?"

"Then please leave."

With just these two sentences, the East Duke felt as if his punch had landed on cotton, with no point of impact.

The East Duke snorted coldly, "Remember your words today, Fellow Daoist. I want to see who exactly will meet a bad end."

Looking at his retreating figure, the West Queen Mother only shook her head slightly.

A strange look flashed in her eyes, but quickly returned to tranquility.

She had long seen through him: that anxious gaze, the restless aura, and the utilitarian heart that couldn't be hidden in his speech.

To resort to foul language after being rejected, showing no regard for the decorum of a Innate Sacred Being.

All these details exposed his fatal flaws: an unstable Dao Heart and a thirst for quick success.

Ruling over the immortals is no child's play.

With such a Heart-Nature, the East Duke was destined to be unfit for great responsibility.

"We'll just see."

The West Queen Mother withdrew her gaze and, with a wave of her sleeve, activated the mountain-protecting Restriction, sealing off West Kunlun.

This time, even the Divine Beast Lu Wu was punished with solitary meditation... The news of the East Duke leaving West Kunlun in a huff did not spread widely throughout the Great Desolation.

After all, everyone was busy with Cultivation; no one was bored enough to monitor his every move.

But there was indeed one person who could easily track the East Duke's movements, and that was Fuxi, who took the deduction of heavenly secrets as his Dao.

On the Sun Star, Dijun, Taiyi, Fuxi, Bai Ze, and other Innate Sacred Beings gathered within the Golden Crow Divine Palace.

Hearing Fuxi describe the East Duke's unsightly behavior upon leaving West Kunlun, Taiyi was so amused he couldn't stop grinning.

"A mediocre talent like the East Duke can't even handle the West Queen Mother; how can he be the head of male immortals?"

As he spoke, Taiyi looked toward Dijun.

He knew that although his elder brother was usually very busy traveling all over the Great Desolation...

...he still found time to visit the Taiyin Star quite frequently.

And every time he returned, he looked radiant with joy.

It seemed his elder brother was much better at this than the East Duke.

Dijun coughed, "Taiyi, don't interrupt."

"Let's discuss the business at hand for now!"