Red Flowers, White Lotus Roots, Green Lotus Leaves; the Three Pure Ones Were Originally One Family

The fist and the seal collided, but no earth-shattering sound erupted.

The Kunlun Seal, capable of suppressing mountains and twisting space, abruptly stalled upon contact with Niu Ben's jade-lustered fist!

It was like a divine mountain plummeting at high speed, crashing into a seemingly insignificant yet indestructible Heavenly Pillar!

Hum—!

The Kunlun Seal trembled violently, its radiant light forced back by the pure, extreme power emanating from Niu Ben's fist!

"What?!"

The smug grin on Guangchengzi's face froze instantly, replaced by shock and disbelief.

How could this be!

As Niu Ben's fist held the Kunlun Seal at bay, the ground beneath his feet let out a muffled roar.

Thud!

He lightly stamped his foot.

An invisible yet vast and overwhelming force surged through the earth's veins, converging wildly and instantly empowering his body.

This was a strand of the Origin Power of the earth, gifted to him by Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi at Wuzhuang Temple, who had recognized his unique foundation!

With the earth's power bolstering him, Niu Ben's aura skyrocketed!

His fist, still pressing against the Kunlun Seal, suddenly exploded with force!

"Get... up!"

Boom!

The mountain-sized Kunlun Seal was sent flying backward, driven up by his fist with sheer brute strength!

Guangchengzi's mind reeled; he hastily formed hand seals, barely managing to stabilize the Kunlun Seal, its light now noticeably dimmed.

When he looked at Niu Ben again, his gaze had shifted from fury to outright terror.

"That all you've got?"

"Pfft..."

Someone couldn't hold back a laugh.

Then Duobao Daoist, Golden Spirit Holy Mother, Wudang Holy Mother... all the disciples broke into undisguised, mocking grins.

"Hahaha! I'm dying of laughter!!"

"Using an Innate Spiritual Treasure like a brick—what a disgrace to Uncle-Master Primordial Heavenly Lord!"

"Honestly, this Kunlun Seal isn't even as useful as my senior brother's Myriad Treasures Map!"

The stinging jeers pierced like steel needles into the hearts of Guangchengzi and all of Primordial Heavenly Lord's disciples.

Their faces flushed a deep, liverish red.

A supreme humiliation!

This was absolutely a supreme humiliation!

The air around them began to warp, and a presence far more brutal, ancient, and ferocious than before—by a thousandfold—erupted from within him!

Roar—!

A bellow unlike any mortal creature's resounded across heaven and earth!

Niu Ben's form swelled rapidly within a radiant immortal light; his honest, youthful face vanished, replaced by a colossal being that stood between heaven and earth!

Azure fur bristled like steel needles, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen.

His massive body resembled an ancient divine mountain, bursting with explosive power.

Beneath his four thick hooves, the Auspicious Clouds scattered, replaced by roiling Chaos energy!

What struck the deepest fear were his horns, thrusting skyward, dense with Dao patterns, their razor-sharp tips seeming capable of tearing the firmament apart!

The Azure Ox's true form!

But this was far from the docile guise he wore when carrying Taishang.

The hundred-plus Earth Fiend Divine Ox Shadows within him were now pushed to their limit, their silent roars converging into a torrent of world-destroying power, surging through his bloodline!

At this moment, he was no longer Taishang's mount.

He seemed like an ancient demon god stepping out of Chaos, the primal ferocity from the depths of his bloodline sending a shudder through the very souls of every living being present!

"Th-this is..."

Duobao Daoist's smile froze as he stared at the Azure Ox, feeling that his myriad Magic Treasures were as fragile as paper before this monstrous being.

"S-such terrifying aura!"

Golden Spirit Holy Mother's face turned pale, and she involuntarily stepped back.

Guangchengzi, facing this pressure head-on, felt like a tiny boat in a raging storm, on the verge of being crushed to dust by the dreadful presence!

"You... you beast!"

In his terror, Guangchengzi let out a roar that was fierce in tone but weak in spirit. He poured all his magical power into the Kunlun Seal, and that great seal blazed with treasure light once more, hurtling fiercely toward the Azure Ox!

Yet, facing this all-out strike, Niu Ben, now revealed in his true form, showed only icy disdain in his enormous bovine eyes.

He couldn't even be bothered to lift his head.

His rear hooves suddenly drove with force, and he simply and directly kicked out at the descending Kunlun Seal!

Boom!!!

A dull, earth-shattering crash!

That Low Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Kunlun Seal, brimming with boundless might, let out a mournful wail like a ball kicked away by an adult, flying back even faster than it had come, vanishing into the clouds at the horizon.

One kick!

It took only one kick!

Guangchengzi was stunned on the spot. His mind was linked to the Kunlun Seal, and the backlash of that immense force made his throat go sweet; he nearly spat a mouthful of blood.

Before he could react, That terrifying Azure Ox had already moved.

Its massive body left a trail of azure afterimages, appearing before him in an instant.

Guangchengzi only saw a colossal ox horn rapidly enlarging in his pupils!

"No—!"

He let out a terrified scream, wanting to dodge, but found his body utterly frozen under the lock of that dreadful aura!

Boom!

The horn struck Guangchengzi square in the chest.

With a crisp "crack," the protective immortal light on Guangchengzi shattered on impact. His entire body was sent flying like a cannonball, carving a tragic arc through the air, and finally followed in Cihang Daoist's footsteps, slamming heavily into the mountain wall on the other side.

Dust billowed, rubble flew.

The valley fell once more into a deathly silence.

Everyone was petrified.

If slapping Cihang away earlier was a sneak attack, a surprise move, Then now, kicking the Kunlun Seal away and goring Guangchengzi before everyone's eyes...

This was indisputable, crushing strength!

Above the Nine Heavens, in the Dao Field of the Three Pure Ones.

This power... how overbearing!

His gaze pierced through the void, landing on the Azure Ox. For the first time, a flicker of genuine shock stirred in the depths of those calm, unruffled eyes.

In the valley, that terrifying Azure Ox slowly withdrew its horn, immortal light swirling around its body as it transformed back into the honest-looking young man.

Niu Ben patted the non-existent dust off his clothes and looked around.

His gaze swept over every disciple, each one silent as a cicada in winter.

Finally, he spoke calmly, his voice not loud but carrying clearly across the entire valley.

"Anyone else unconvinced?"

Dead silence.

After Niu Ben's words fell, the valley remained utterly silent.

No one answered.

Or rather, no one dared to answer.

Unconvinced?

How could they not be convinced!

The disciples, led by Cihang and Puxian, were pale-faced, heads bowed, lacking even the courage to look Niu Ben in the eye.

Even their Senior Disciple Brother, Guangchengzi, a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal wielding an innate spiritual treasure, had been kicked and gored into the mountain, his fate unknown.

If they stepped up, wouldn't they just be offering themselves up?

As for Duobao Daoist and the others, their minds were shaken. The way they looked at Niu Ben had shifted from mere curiosity to outright awe.

This ox was too fierce!

Fierce beyond all reason!

Though they were fond of fighting and brawling, they knew their limits.

Against a tough character like this, who acted without a word, it was best not to provoke him.

Niu Ben watched their reactions and understood in his heart.

Good. It seemed fists were still more useful than reason.

He cleared his throat, raised his voice a notch, and spoke with an unyielding authority.

"You are all disciples of the Three Pure Ones, members of the Orthodox School of Xuanmen. You should stand together in unity and help one another."

"Yet today, for the sake of a mere Houtian Spiritual Treasure, you draw your swords and fight here—what kind of behavior is this!"

"Do you still remember the origins of your masters, Master Taishang, Master Yuanshi, and Master Tongtian?"

"They were transformed from the Primordial Spirit of Pangu himself—the true orthodox lineage of the Primordial Wilderness!"

As he spoke, Niu Ben's tone grew long and meaningful.

"I once heard the Master mention a single line."

"Red flower, white lotus, green lotus leaf—the Three Pure Ones were originally one family!"

"A family should act like a family!"

"Today's matter ends here. That treasure—none of you will take it. Let it remain here, for a destined person to claim in the future."

"If I ever see you oppressing each other or harming your fellow disciples again..."

Niu Ben's gaze suddenly sharpened, and that terrifying aura of Sha flashed and vanished.

"Don't blame this ox's fists for not recognizing anyone!"

His words struck like thunder, exploding in the hearts of every disciple.

Especially that line—"Red flower, white lotus, green lotus leaf—the Three Pure Ones were originally one family"—shook their minds and plunged them into deep thought.

Yes...

Their masters were brothers, born from the same root.

Why should they, as disciples, fight to the death?

Above the Nine Heavens.

Niu Ben's words also reached the ears of the Three Pure Ones clearly.

In the Jade Void Palace, the dignified face of the Primordial Heavenly Lord showed a complex expression for the first time.

He looked at the disciples bowing their heads in thought on the light screen, recalled Niu Ben's words, and felt the deepest string in his heart stir as if touched.

A family...

Yes, once upon a time, before they had risen and founded their own sects, the three brothers had been inseparable.

But when did estrangement, disagreement, and distance begin to grow between them?

Was it because their Dao paths differed?

Or... because the higher their cultivation, the higher their pride had become?