Thirty-six Sea-Calming Pearls

Laozi and Yuanshi's faces turned livid, but they said nothing more. After all, what they had done today had indeed been unfair.

"Shadow Daoist, if that is the case, then let our strength speak for itself." With a wave of his hand, Laozi recalled the Taiyi Fly Whisk.

Yuanshi also took out the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi. Both were future Saints, their minds linked as one; even individually, their combat strength was close to that of an Early Golden Immortal of the Origin.

Li Xinghe sneered and directly unleashed the Twenty-Four Sea-Calming Pearls.

In that brief moment just now, he had applied a hundredfold Time Acceleration to himself and secretly refined the Twenty-Four Sea-Calming Pearls.

When he erupted with the strength of an Early Golden Immortal of the Origin, Laozi and Yuanshi's expressions changed. Their opponent was actually this powerful.

If Tongtian joined in as well, their odds of victory might improve considerably. For now, they could only hope that his cultivation method was inferior to theirs.

Yet while the two were still reeling in shock, twelve more Sea-Calming Pearls appeared in Li Xinghe's other hand the next second.

"Thirty-six!" Everyone was stunned. There had clearly been twenty-four—how had twelve more suddenly appeared?

The Twenty-Four Sea-Calming Pearls were already among the finest Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. With these additional twelve?

The aura of an Innate Supreme Treasure erupted, and each of the Three Pure Ones revealed a different expression.

Tongtian thought to himself, No wonder he wanted to seize the Sea-Calming Pearls. He already possesses twelve of them. It seems this treasure is also destined for him.

Laozi and Yuanshi, meanwhile, showed traces of envy. Even they did not possess an Innate Supreme Treasure. If they could seize it, it would be an enormous opportunity.

With that thought, the two immediately attacked. But how could Li Xinghe fail to understand what they were thinking?

The Thirty-six Sea-Calming Pearls blazed with dazzling light, their terrifying power directly knocking the two back.

"Looks like you are still too weak. Zhao Gongming was right: the bigger fist is the only hard truth. And you call yourselves Pangu Orthodox? Do you think Pangu's status was talked up with nothing but empty words?"

Li Xinghe's verbal humiliation made their faces flush red.

However, he did not press his advantage. Instead, he suddenly looked at Ye Chen. "Weren't you acting quite arrogantly just now? Now that you have seen Laozi defeated by me, what do you think?"

Without question, Li Xinghe had developed murderous intent. This was someone who should not have existed, and he might even be a transmigrator.

The best course was to kill him before he had the chance to grow. No matter what his background was, once he was dead, everything would be settled.

However, the next second, Tongtian brought forth the Qingping Sword. Together with the Taiyi Fly Whisk and Three Treasures Jade Ruyi, it blocked the Thirty-six Sea-Calming Pearls.

"Red flower, lotus root, green lotus leaf—the Three Pure Ones were originally one family." Laozi wore a faint smile. At the critical moment, the three brothers still stood as one.

Though Tongtian did not approve of the other two's actions, he could not simply watch them suffer humiliation. Moreover, Ye Chen was Laozi's disciple. If he were slain by another, a rift might be left in the hearts of the three brothers.

"Master, return to Kunlun. This is not our home ground," Ye Chen called out.

Laozi nodded. The Three Pure Ones' dojo was where they had taken form. There was a barrier of heaven and earth there, and over the years they had laid down many formations. Even a Hunyuan Golden Immortal would be unable to do anything to them there.

The three immediately withdrew with Ye Chen. Tongtian had originally intended to bring Zhao Gongming along, but Li Xinghe stopped him.

"Do not worry. I bear him no ill will."

Tongtian nodded. In a sense, he did not dislike this Shadow Daoist. A figure of such stature would not stoop to making things difficult for a mere Golden Immortal.

After the Three Pure Ones departed, Li Xinghe frowned. Ye Chen had the Three Pure Ones' protection, so killing him would be troublesome.

Unless he killed the Three Pure Ones as well. But that was clearly impossible. At least for now, no one dared touch them, or they would surely face the reckoning of the Heavenly Dao.

"Thank you, Senior, for helping me vent my anger." Zhao Gongming showed no fear.

Li Xinghe laughed heartily. The foremost Baturu of the Jie Sect truly had courage. No wonder he would later overwhelm the Twelve Golden Immortals by himself.

Had Zhao Gongming not held back, the Twelve Golden Immortals would all have ended up on the Investiture of the Gods.

"These Twenty-Four Sea-Calming Pearls are destined for you, but I have an urgent use for them at present. Consider it that I owe you a favor."

Zhao Gongming was greatly shocked. A person of such stature would not lightly owe anyone a favor. Under the Heavenly Dao, owing a favor meant owing Cause and Effect. If it was not resolved, it might affect one's cultivation in the future.

"You flatter me, Senior. Heavenly treasures belong to those capable of claiming them. Besides, since you already possess Sea-Calming Pearls, you are also destined for them."

"Today, I will give you a warning. If you ever face disciples under Laozi or Yuanshi in the future, you must never show mercy," Li Xinghe cautioned.

Zhao Gongming did not understand why, but after witnessing Ye Chen's conduct today, he had no favorable impression of him either.

"I will remember it."

Li Xinghe took out several peaches of immortality and Ginseng Fruits. "Consider these Twenty-Four Sea-Calming Pearls borrowed from you. Perhaps after several Eons, I will return the complete Thirty-six Sea-Calming Pearls to you."

He was not lacking in treasures, but this incarnation did not have a suitable weapon for the time being.

Moreover, during the future Witch-Demon Calamity, the Twelve Ancestral Witches would also need powerful treasures to protect themselves.

Once the Witch-Demon Calamity had passed, the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation would begin. He could return the treasure to Zhao Gongming then, settling this piece of Cause and Effect.

After leaving Luofu Cave, Li Xinghe was still thinking about Ye Chen. This man was rather clever. Other transmigrators all wanted to help Tongtian turn the tables.

But this fellow had directly chosen to become a disciple of Taishang Laozi.

Among the Three Pure Ones, Taishang Laozi was the strongest, possessed the most treasures, and could refine pills and weapons. It could be said that he had the greatest abundance of resources.

Take Xuandu, for instance. Among the disciples of the Three Pure Ones, his cultivation had always far surpassed the rest.

Was that not simply because Laozi had abundant resources and few disciples, allowing him to devote everything to nurturing Xuandu?

Furthermore, in the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation, everyone knew Tongtian was bound to fail. Yuanshi's Twelve Golden Immortals were beaten so badly that, if Yuanshi had not personally intervened, they would have been doomed to defeat as well.

When all was said and done, being Laozi's disciple was the most comfortable path. Whatever one wanted was available, and there were fewer tribulations too.

Little did he know that, after returning to their dojo, the Three Pure Ones were also attempting to divine Li Xinghe's origins.

"Shadow Daoist—there seems to be no such person in the Primordial Wilderness. It is as though he appeared out of nowhere," Yuanshi said with a frown.

"The three of us are Pangu Orthodox, yet we have not broken through to the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm. He may be the reincarnation of a Chaos Demon God," Laozi said.

After the Primordial Wilderness was opened, aside from Fierce Beasts and the Three Primal Races, only Chaos Demon Gods were older than them.

"Master, he has merely cultivated for a few more years than us. Let us avoid his edge for now. Once your cultivation advances further, or you obtain an Innate Supreme Treasure, it will not be too late to settle accounts with him," Ye Chen said flatteringly.

"That is only proper." Laozi nodded.

After the Three Pure Ones went their separate ways, Ye Chen's expression finally turned ugly. "Shadow Daoist, no matter what your origins are, you stole my treasure. We will not rest until one of us is dead."

After saying this, a pearl appeared in his hand. It was the Ancestral Dragon Pearl, which had mysteriously vanished during the final battle of the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation.

"So what if it is an Innate Supreme Treasure? My Ancestral Dragon Pearl is not much inferior. Once my strength rises, I will certainly have my revenge."

Just as Li Xinghe had guessed, he too was a transmigrator—what people called someone blessed with cheats.

That Ancestral Dragon Pearl had been obtained through his cheat, but he had only taken form near the end of the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation, so his years of cultivation were still short.

Once the Three Pure Ones became Hongjun's disciples, that would be the time for his rise. Xuandu, the grand mage, might hold a lofty position now, but in the end, he would only become Ye Chen's junior brother.

Furthermore, he knew the course of the Primordial Wilderness and could seize countless benefits along the way. During tribulations, opportunities and Merit were never in short supply.