Ao Guang flew over from the side, looking at Bai Jin with profound resentment, like a wronged husband whose little wife had been stolen away.
Bai Jin reached out and patted Ao Guang on the shoulder, comforting him. "What is fated to be yours will eventually be yours. What is not fated to be yours cannot be forced. What belongs to you will not slip away, and what does not cannot be begged for."
Ao Guang muttered, "I think that Innate Spiritual Treasure should have been mine."
Bai Jin shot him a sidelong glance and chuckled. "You're this shameless. Do your parents know?"
Ao Guang blurted out reflexively, "That old man is even more shameless than I am."
Bai Jin was speechless. Good heavens, what kind of dragons were these? They were clearly a nest of shameless snakes.
Bai Jin said irritably, "Are we leaving or not?!"
Ao Guang nodded repeatedly and said impatiently, "Yes! Yes! Let's go now."
With a wave of Bai Jin's hand, the distant Big Red Robe Mother Tree vanished instantly. A large hole appeared in the ground, and a ripple swept through the space. The two of them disappeared from the Innate Undying Space in an instant.
At the foot of Mount Wuyi, two figures appeared.
Ao Guang spread his arms toward the sky and cried out excitedly, "Ah! The sky~ Ah! The sea~ I, Ao Guang, have returned~"
Smack~ Bai Jin rapped Ao Guang on the head and said, "Keep it down."
Ao Guang cried out in pain and clutched his head, glaring wide-eyed at Bai Jin as he said domineeringly, "How dare you hit me?! I am the Dragon Prince!"
Bai Jin snorted, raising his fist and staring at him menacingly.
Ao Guang swallowed and forced himself to sound tough. "I possess the entire East Sea and command countless members of the Water Tribe."
"Hehe~" Four immortal swords gleamed coldly within Bai Jin's sleeve.
Ao Guang immediately bent at the waist, nodding and bowing as he fawned, "Boss, what are your orders?"
"You are the Dragon Prince. I wouldn't dare give you orders."
"Dragon Prince? What Dragon Prince? Where is he?" Ao Guang turned his head and looked around.
Bai Jin was immediately amused by Ao Guang. So this was what the future Dragon King of the East Sea was like—a thoroughly shameless fellow. He promptly turned serious and asked, "Do you know of a mountain in the East Sea called Liubo Mountain? On that mountain is a beast shaped like an ox, azure-bodied and hornless, with one foot. Whenever it enters or leaves the water, wind and rain inevitably follow. Its radiance is like the sun and moon, its voice like thunder, and its name is Kui."
Ao Guang blurted out, "Kui Ox!"
Bai Jin quickly asked with delight, "You know him?"
Ao Guang nodded. "Of course! The Kui Ox is also one of the East Sea's overlords. He is extremely powerful. Even my Imperial Father does not provoke him lightly."
That was him. Master's fated mount. What white cranes and peacocks could compare to riding the Kui Ox? He would be both imposing and steady.
Bai Jin immediately said, "I'll send you to the East Sea. You will take me to find the Kui Ox."
Ao Guang secretly glanced at Bai Jin and said quietly, "If I take you to find the Kui Ox and you end up fighting, wouldn't the Kui Ox bear a grudge against me? I won't do such a thankless task unless you give me something in return."
Bai Jin asked, "What do you want?"
Ao Guang's eyes lit up. Rubbing his hands together, he said, "If you can give me the Innate Spiritual Treasure you just obtained."
A coldly gleaming immortal sword slid halfway out of Bai Jin's sleeve and hovered before Ao Guang.
Ao Guang instantly bent over at a ninety-degree angle, gestured eastward, and cried out obsequiously, "Sir, please go ahead!!"
Bai Jin flew eastward. Ao Guang straightened up, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and hurriedly followed.
At Shangqing Peak on Mount Kunlun, the doors of a palace burst open with a rumble. A figure emerged from within, dignified and imposing without anger. It was Daoist Duobao, Tongtian's foremost disciple.
With a sweep of his divine sense, Daoist Duobao immediately noticed several unfamiliar auras that had newly appeared on the mountain.
Two elegantly dressed women approached from the side.
Holy Mother Wudang cupped her hands in greeting and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Senior Disciple Brother, on leaving seclusion."
Daoist Duobao returned the salute and said, "It was hardly seclusion, so why speak of leaving it?
Why have unfamiliar auras suddenly appeared on the mountain? Please enlighten me, Junior Sister."
Holy Mother Wudang smiled faintly. "They are all new disciples Master has accepted."
She looked toward the woman beside her and said, "This is Junior Sister Jinling, Master's newly accepted personal disciple."
Holy Mother Jinling cupped her hands and said brightly, "Greetings, Senior Disciple Brother!"
Daoist Duobao returned the salute with a smile. "Greetings, Junior Sister."
Holy Mother Wudang said, "The rest are Outer Sect Disciples Master accepted. I will have them come pay their respects shortly."
Daoist Duobao said flatly, "Since they are merely Outer Sect Disciples, there is no need to meet them."
Holy Mother Wudang urged, "After all, they are fellow disciples..."
Daoist Duobao shook his head. "Junior Sister, since Master has designated them Outer Sect Disciples, it means they all have shortcomings and cannot set foot upon the path of the Great Dao. They are destined to be unable to walk alongside us. Junior Sister, it would be best for you to have less contact with them, lest you become implicated in the future."
"Clang~ Clang~ Clang~" Three bell chimes echoed above the Mount Kunlun range.
Daoist Duobao asked in confusion, "Why has the Three Pure Ones Bell sounded?! Junior Sisters, let us go to the Main Peak."
Holy Mother Wudang and Holy Mother Jinling nodded.
The three rode Auspicious Clouds toward central Taiqing Peak.
A short while later, more than ten people had gathered before Taiqing Hall, murmuring among themselves. Duobao and the other two stood before them.
The doors of Taiqing Hall opened with a creak, and the murmurs instantly ceased.
Taishang, Primordial Lord, and Tongtian emerged from the hall.
More than ten disciples cupped their hands and bowed together, saying loudly, "Greetings, Master. Greetings, two Martial Uncles."
A trace of displeasure flashed through Primordial Lord's eyes.
Tongtian laughed, raised a hand, and said, "Rise!"
"Thank you, Master~" the dozen or so disciples answered in unison.
Taishang showed neither joy nor anger as he slowly said, "Duobao!"
Daoist Duobao stepped forward and said respectfully, "This disciple is here!"
Taishang said, "Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti of the West will be visiting with their disciples. Their disciples will be left in your care. Treat them well."
Daoist Duobao replied respectfully, "Yes!"
Primordial Lord of Heaven swept his gaze over those below and said sternly, "You must not neglect proper etiquette."
The many disciples answered in unison, "Yes!"
Tongtian glanced at Primordial Lord and said, "Nor must you lose your sharpness."
Primordial Lord frowned. "Junior Brother, guests are guests. How can you meet them point for point and lose your bearing?"
Tongtian said with a smile, "Senior Brother, if guests seek to suppress their hosts, naturally we must strike back."
Taishang said, "They are here!"
Primordial Lord and Tongtian immediately stopped bickering. They could squabble however they liked at home, but before outsiders, they still had to show a united front.
A golden Auspicious Cloud flew in from the west. Upon it stood several figures. At the front were the gloomy-faced Daoist Jieyin and the smiling Daoist Zhunti, with several of their disciples standing behind them.
The Auspicious Cloud descended upon the summit of Mount Kunlun and dispersed.
Taishang, Primordial Lord, and Tongtian stepped forward to welcome them, while disciples such as Duobao and Wudang followed behind.
Before you continue