The initial cause of the disturbance—and the conflict that arose between the late-arriving Pangu's Three Pure Ones and Hongyun—lay in the gifts presented by Pangu's Three Pure Ones on this occasion.

As Pangu's Three Pure Ones arrived late to the Heavenly Court, the gifts they had brought were clearly proclaimed for all to hear as the gift list was chanted aloud.

"Announcing the arrival of Pangu's Three Pure Ones of the eastern Kunlun Mountains! In celebration of the Demon Race, they specially present three Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures, thirty-six High-Grade Acquired Spirit Treasures, one gourd of Nine-Turn Golden Elixirs, and three sets of Great Luo Formation Plates..."

The chanting of the gift list echoed continuously, causing many in attendance to twitch their brows with peculiar expressions.

Not a single person present had gifted an Innate Spirit Treasure!

It was not that they lacked the means; after all, some among them could indeed bring out a Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.

Yet no matter how low an Innate Spirit Treasure's grade was, it was still an Innate Spirit Treasure, containing the natural creations and Qi Fortunes of Heaven and Earth.

Even if one had no personal use for it, it still represented one's own foundation and depth of heritage. It would be excellent to keep for future trades, or to bestow upon younger generations and disciples. There was no need to lavish such a generous gift on the Demon Race merely to show off excessively.

Yet Pangu's Three Pure Ones had completely defied convention, giving away three Innate Spirit Treasures right off the bat. Even if they were of the lowest grade, it sounded remarkably grand, high-class, and imposing. It inevitably gave off the impression of outshining everyone else, leaving more than a few people present somewhat displeased.

"Just had to show off how capable you are, didn't you!"

This was the unspoken thought shared by almost everyone present. However, considering that these were Pangu's Three Pure Ones, no one openly showed what was on their minds.

Had it ended there, Hongyun would have merely treated Pangu's Three Pure Ones as wealthy fools with more money than sense and paid it no mind at all. Naturally, no conflict would have arisen, and no disturbance would have been stirred.

Yet the wind would not subside when the tree sought calm. Even though Hongyun did not care, Pangu's Three Pure Ones, having arrived, immediately used the gifts as a pretext, clearly displaying an attitude of deliberately targeting and provoking Hongyun.

Of course, strictly speaking, it was not all three of Pangu's Three Pure Ones targeting Hongyun together, but rather Yuanshi alone. However, since Pangu's Three Pure Ones were of one entity, there was little difference between one of them acting and all three doing so.

Thus, upon arriving, Yuanshi did not take his seat. Instead, he bowed in greeting toward Di Jun, Donghuang Taiyi, and the gathered crowd.

He then turned to Hongyun, a proud smirk on his face as he smiled faintly and said, "Fellow Daoist Hongyun, in recent years, we of Pangu's Three Pure Ones have been traveling across the Primordial Land, preaching the Dao and expounding the Dharma in various regions, only reuniting on our way to the Heavenly Court."

"Having reunited after a long separation and conversing along the way, we arrived quite late and were somewhat negligent. Thus, we could only present some presentable gifts to make amends. It was inevitable that we stole the spotlight a bit. If we have caused any offense or displeased you in any way, I ask for Fellow Daoist Hongyun's gracious understanding."

Listening to Yuanshi's words and looking at his proud demeanor, Hongyun was momentarily taken aback, wondering why Yuanshi was suddenly saying this to him. But Hongyun realized almost immediately, narrowing his eyes as he thought to himself, 'Is Yuanshi trying to stir up trouble?'

Hongyun cast a glance at Yuanshi, then glanced at Laozi and Tongtian, who seemed impassive, before fixing his gaze back on Yuanshi. He replied nonchalantly, "This humble Daoist is somewhat aware of the three Fellow Daoists traveling across the Great Wilderness over the years to preach the Dao and expound the Dharma, bringing blessings to the Myriad Spirits of the Primordial World. Your reputation as the Authentic Lineage of Pangu and the Orthodoxy of Heaven and Earth has indeed spread far and wide, far more magnificent than mine."

As Hongyun spoke, he cast a half-smiling glance at the trio—Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian—making all three feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Aside from Zhen Yuanzi, who was frowning slightly and looking at Pangu's Three Pure Ones with some displeasure, almost everyone else present, regardless of their private thoughts, wore expressions of waiting to see how things unfolded or simply watching a show.

Pangu's Three Pure Ones traveling and preaching the Dao in the Great Wilderness over the years was something not only Hongyun knew, but basically everyone present was aware of.

Originally, this was nothing unusual—who among them had not traveled the Great Wilderness and preached the Dao in all directions?

However, as Pangu's Three Pure Ones preached, the past claims that Hongyun was on par with Pangu's Three Pure Ones gradually faded, and rumors even began to surface that Hongyun was inferior to them.

Regardless of whether Pangu's Three Pure Ones had caused this intentionally or unintentionally, it revealed the subtle reality that the relationship between Pangu's Three Pure Ones and Hongyun had grown rather delicate.

Such a subtle dynamic could hardly be called a Karmic grudge, but it did reveal, at least to a certain extent, that the two sides might be in competition, perhaps even elevating slightly to a contention over Qi Fortune.

After all, while fame was an empty title and Great Divine Beings might not necessarily place much importance on it, a sufficiently resounding reputation would nevertheless increase one's Qi Fortune to some degree, which offered personal benefits. Naturally, even mosquito meat was still meat, however small.

Therefore, the attitude of many in the audience—sitting back to watch developments or viewing it as mere entertainment—was a straightforward way of showing they would not meddle, with neither good nor bad intentions attached.

As for the masters of the Heavenly Court, the two brothers Di Jun and Donghuang Taiyi, they had been more than happy to see conflict between Pangu's Three Pure Ones and Hongyun from very early on, and had even nudged things along from the shadows.

Yet today was the joyous occasion of the Demon Race establishing the Demon Court. Neither of them wished for too many disturbances to arise. Thus, as the two looked at Hongyun and Pangu's Three Pure Ones, their brows furrowed, feeling a slight headache.

Nevertheless, after exchanging a glance, the two did not step in immediately to mediate. Instead, they acted as though nothing had happened, choosing to observe how the situation developed before deciding whether an intervention was warranted.

Meanwhile, Hongyun, having cast a half-smiling glance at Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian, did not dwell on the petty motives behind Pangu's Three Pure Ones' travels and preaching.

Instead, he continued to speak calmly, "The gifts presented by the three Fellow Daoists truly stole the spotlight. After all, not a single person present gave an Innate Spirit Treasure. You three have genuinely outshone everyone, leaving the rest of us ashamed to show our faces!"

"This humble Daoist merely borrowed some Ginseng Fruits from Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi and added a few common items that the three of you would look down upon as congratulatory gifts. How could I ever compare to the three of you? What right would I have to feel offended or displeased, let alone speak of whether to forgive or not?"

"After all, who are the three Fellow Daoists? You are Pangu's Three Pure Ones, transformed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit, universally known as the Authentic Lineage of Pangu and the Orthodoxy of Heaven and Earth. The entire Great Wilderness belongs to you three! What do a mere three Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures count for as gifts?"

"In my humble opinion, three Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures are far too unfitting for the stature of the three Fellow Daoists. You three are still being far too low-profile, far too modest, and far too considerate of the pride of us ordinary mortals. You three shouldn't have given just three Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures; you should have given thirty, three hundred, or even three thousand Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures..."

Hongyun spoke this long string of words in an exceptionally calm tone, seemingly without much emotional fluctuation. Yet to everyone's ears, it was not only brimming with mockery toward Pangu's Three Pure Ones, but also carried a bizarre, sarcastic, and biting undertone, giving everyone an immense sense of secret amusement.