Inside Zixiao Palace.
Qin Xuan and Hongjun sat facing each other, an ordinary chessboard laid out before them.
Neither spoke, as though both were waiting for the other to speak first.
One had deep, unfathomable eyes, while the other wore a calm expression. The atmosphere was somewhat frozen for a time.
Who knew how long passed.
Suddenly, Hongjun's ever-calm brow furrowed slightly.
Almost at the same time, Qin Xuan, sitting opposite him, smiled faintly.
Both of them clearly sensed that outside Zixiao Palace, the furious Twelve Ancestral Witches were wildly beating Yuanshi, who was barely breathing, showing not the slightest mercy.
Yuanshi, who had originally been hopping around happily on one leg, now had his last remaining leg broken as well!
Hongjun placed a chess piece, his voice so calm that no emotion could be heard in it.
"Little friend, spare others whenever possible."
Hearing this, Qin Xuan picked up a chess piece and placed it as well.
He raised his eyes to look at Hongjun, but there was not the slightest hint of concession in his tone.
"If I had not arrived in time, my sister Hou Tu might have been killed by Yuanshi. And Zhurong even lost an arm."
He paused, then asked.
"May I ask, Dao Ancestor, how should this grudge be spared?"
Hongjun placed another piece and continued.
"Ultimately, Hou Tu did not suffer any substantial harm."
"Yuanshi had three of his limbs severed by you, and his final leg was broken by the Ancestral Witches. The price he has paid is no small one. It is more than enough to repay the grudge of Zhurong losing an arm."
Qin Xuan refused to yield an inch, his tone gradually turning cold.
"Yuanshi dared to ruthlessly attack our Ancestral Witches today. Tomorrow, he will dare to overturn Pangu Temple."
He stared at Hongjun with a serious expression.
"If I spare Yuanshi today, then with his temperament, he will surely persecute us even more viciously in the future."
Yuanshi's actions had already crossed his bottom line. He absolutely could not be let off lightly!
Hongjun fell silent for a moment. Rather than argue further, he took out a cauldron-shaped treasure and placed it beside the chessboard between them, saying,
"This is the top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Cosmos Cauldron. It possesses the power of creation and can turn the acquired into the innate. No matter what acquired treasure is refined within this cauldron, it can become an Innate Spiritual Treasure. How about using it to settle this Karma?"
Hongjun's gaze flickered. He appeared calm, but inwardly he sneered.
This was the reversal of creation, an act against heaven itself. The amount of fortune it consumed was immeasurable. Even he himself did not dare use it. Let's see whether you dare accept it!
Qin Xuan's eyes lit up as he looked at the Cosmos Cauldron.
Of course he knew what this was. Nüwa had used this thing to refine five-colored stones and mend the heavens.
Mending the heavens... Qin Xuan's heart stirred. It seemed he needed to find a way to protect Buzhou Mountain.
He gave Hongjun a deep look.
Hongjun was determined to protect Yuanshi to the bitter end.
With this Dao Ancestor present, he truly had no way to kill Yuanshi in front of Hongjun.
But this matter could not simply be forgotten. No matter what, he had to fleece Hongjun hard.
He was certain that as long as Hongjun still wanted to be the Dao Ancestor and successfully merge with the Heavenly Dao to take control of it, he would not dare lay a hand on him, a descendant of Pangu.
As the saying went, strangers got half the pit, while acquaintances got the full set.
Though he had not dealt with Hongjun much, Qin Xuan considered them "acquaintances."
Since they were acquaintances, naturally he could not go easy on him.
Thus, a trace of disdain appeared on his face as he said casually,
"Yuanshi's Three Treasures Jade Ruyi is just junk that I threw to Zhurong for scratching an itch."
"You are the Dao Ancestor. Surely you are not planning to fob me off with just this little?"
Hongjun remained calm, showing no anger whatsoever.
"What else do you want?"
In his view, Qin Xuan was merely at the early stage of the Primordial Unity realm. Even if he possessed some peculiar qualities, how much knowledge could he possibly have?
Even if Qin Xuan opened his mouth like a lion, a few Innate Spiritual Treasures would be enough to dismiss him.
Qin Xuan's eyes suddenly brightened.
"I have heard that Dao Ancestor possesses two supreme treasures formed from Father God's Heaven-Opening Axe: the Taiji Diagram and the Pangu Banner."
"Both treasures are relics of Father God. It is only right and proper that they be held by us descendants of Pangu, isn't it?"
The moment he heard this, Hongjun's expression froze.
He was completely stunned!
The Taiji Diagram and Pangu Banner were indeed in his possession, and he had never told anyone about them.
How did Qin Xuan know?!
What was worse, he could not deny it.
He had intended to give these two treasures to Taiqing and Yuanshi when accepting disciples, using them to suppress the fortune of the Mystic Sect.
If he denied it now, would he not be slapping himself in the face when he accepted disciples later?
"Little friend, your appetite... is rather too large."
Hongjun placed a chess piece, trying to suppress the shock in his heart.
But Qin Xuan stared fixedly at Hongjun, his tone becoming meaningful.
"Dao Ancestor would not want all living beings of the Primordial World to know that the Three Corpses method you teach requires spiritual treasures sharing the same origin, would you?"
Yuanshi was already a Quasi-Sage. Qin Xuan was certain that Hongjun, that old schemer, had definitely held something back.
Otherwise, with Yuanshi's proud temperament, no matter how foolish he was, he would not have chosen the path of a Quasi-Sage.
Sure enough, the moment those words were spoken.
Hongjun, sitting opposite him, had his once-calm aura instantly fluctuate.
At this moment, Hongjun's heart churned like a raging sea!
It was Qin Xuan!
It really was this variable!
Otherwise, how could Zhurong, that simple-minded brute with muscles for brains, possibly know the drawbacks of the Three Corpses method?!
A long, long time later.
Qin Xuan swaggered out of Zixiao Palace, looking relaxed.
He now had two treasures in his possession. One was the top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Cosmos Cauldron, and the other was none other than the Primordial Supreme Treasure, the Taiji Diagram!
As for the Pangu Banner... Hongjun refused to budge no matter what. Qin Xuan knew when to stop and only took the Taiji Diagram.
He had practically been driven out by Hongjun...
Outside Zixiao Palace, the crowd that had been watching the spectacle was dumbfounded when they saw Qin Xuan emerge in high spirits, swaggering out.
"Qin Xuan!"
"Brother Xuan!"
The Twelve Ancestral Witches tossed aside Yuanshi, who had been beaten into a barely living lump of flesh.
They hurriedly rushed before Qin Xuan and carefully examined him from head to toe, terrified that something might have happened to him inside.
"I'm fine. Hongjun is actually quite a nice person!"
Qin Xuan did not explain further. As he spoke, he called on his brothers and sisters to hurry back to Buzhou Mountain.
Before leaving, Qin Xuan glanced at Yuanshi, who lay not far away, completely unrecognizable as a person and barely breathing.
He slowly walked over.
He said nothing.
The next instant.
"Sshk!"
A streak of golden light flashed past, so fast that no one could react.
Yuanshi's sole remaining leg, already broken, was severed cleanly at the root!
Yuanshi instantly became a limbless "human stick."
Without even the strength to struggle, he only let out a faint wail that was almost inaudible before completely passing out.
Since you won't let me kill Yuanshi, cutting off one of your legs isn't too much, is it!
Everyone who saw this was horrified.
Too ruthless!
Silence fell before Zixiao Palace.
Very quickly, the news spread like a plague, placing Qin Xuan and the Twelve Ancestral Witches at the top of the list of people in the Primordial World who must never be provoked.
Especially Hou Tu.
After Qin Xuan and the Ancestral Witches departed, Tongtian looked at Yuanshi on the ground with disgust. After hesitating for a moment, he still sighed.
He tied Yuanshi to the Qingping Sword and slung it over his shoulder. Then he helped up Taiqing, who had also been beaten into a miserable state by the Ancestral Witches, and the two brothers prepared to leave.
At that moment, a calm yet unquestionable voice entered their ears.
"Taiqing, Yuanshi, Tongtian, come to Zixiao Palace."
Before you continue