Before Mount Sumeru, clouds and mist swirled, immortal aura rising in waves. East King Duke stood atop the peak, his face livid, fury blazing in his eyes. His Daoist Sanctuary, that sacred ground he had painstakingly cultivated, had been burned to ashes overnight. Zhunti had done it all.
"Zhunti, you bastard, you dared burn my Daoist Sanctuary? This is utterly shameless. Today, I will teach you a lesson." East King Duke's voice was like thunder, making Mount Sumeru tremble faintly.
Zhunti stood opposite him, his expression unchanged, though a trace of disdain showed in his eyes. "I burned your Daoist Sanctuary? How could that be? Do not falsely accuse me."
East King Duke sneered, and a crystalline Shadow Recording Stone suddenly appeared in his hand. "The Great Crown Prince of the East Sea Dragon Palace recorded the entire matter. Do you still wish to deny it? Pure World Glazed Fire, Bodhi Sarira Light, Seven-Colored Treasure Light—which one of those was not yours?" His voice was filled with mockery and rage.
The Shadow Recording Stone spun through the air, giving off a faint glow. As East King Duke poured his mana into it, the image within gradually became clear. In the scene, Zhunti held the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, a smug smile on his face. Roaring flames surrounded him—the very flames consuming East King Duke's Daoist Sanctuary.
Zhunti's expression shifted slightly. He had not expected East King Duke to possess such evidence. This was absurd—it really was not me...
"East King Duke, so what if I possess Pure World Glazed Fire, Bodhi Sarira Light, and Seven-Colored Treasure Light? Your Daoist Sanctuary being burned does not prove that I did it. Perhaps someone transformed into my likeness and committed the deed?" Zhunti argued.
East King Duke's anger flared even hotter. The Dragon Head Cane in his hand let out a deep dragon's roar, as though bellowing for its master's fury. "Zhunti, do you take me for a fool? The evidence is conclusive, yet you still dare deny it? Today, I will teach you a lesson. You steal whatever you can, and burn whatever you cannot steal. If I do not teach you a lesson over this, would that not make the Head of Male Immortals seem incompetent?"
With that, he directly activated the Dragon Head Cane. Dragon phantoms, accompanied by draconic roars, swept toward Zhunti to tear him apart. Zhunti hurriedly swung the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree repeatedly, scattering the dragon phantoms. The aura of a Quasi-Saint erupted in an instant. "East King Duke, I will say it again: this matter has nothing to do with me."
East King Duke did not respond. His aura suddenly surged, and their presences collided before Mount Sumeru, making the surrounding air heavy. East King Duke's figure vanished abruptly. In the next instant, he appeared before Zhunti. The Dragon Head Cane whistled through the air as it struck straight toward Zhunti's chest.
Zhunti's expression remained unchanged. He lightly waved the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, and a seven-colored radiance shot forth from its branches, colliding with the Dragon Head Cane's attack. With a deafening boom, all of Mount Sumeru shook... After that single clash, the skies were clear for ten thousand miles, and every great power was alerted.
Yun Ting had just been about to go watch the excitement when a message sounded by his ear: "Ding, the gourds on the Gourd Vine in the rear mountains of Mount Buzhou are about to ripen. Get there early and cover them with the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda. The task of dividing the gourds will be yours. As for who receives them, you will have the final say."
Upon hearing this, Yun Ting could no longer spare any thought for watching East King Duke fight Jieyin and Zhunti. He immediately transformed into a streak of light and headed for Mount Buzhou.
Before long, at the foot of Mount Buzhou, the great powers were all dumbfounded as they looked at the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda covering the seven gourds. Great Immortal Zhen Yuan said, "Yun Ting, though you are strong, wanting all seven gourds is going too far, is it not?"
Di Jun, Taiyi, the Queen Mother of the West... the great powers all began denouncing Yun Ting. Just as they were preparing to act, the Three Pure Ones arrived as well. Yuanshi said, "Third Brother, it will not be easy for us to claim all seven gourds outright."
Laozi stroked his beard and said, "Enough. Before they start fighting, let Yun Ting explain what he intends to do. I believe he is not reckless enough to try claiming all seven gourds for himself. If he truly does want them all... then we shall stand with him. The Primordial Wilderness was created by Father God. A few gourds are no great matter. At worst, this old Daoist can offer them some other compensation."
Tong Tian nodded. "Exactly. Never mind the gourds for now—whoever dares touch my son, I guarantee that he will leave empty-handed today."
While the Three Pure Ones considered the matter and the great powers hurled insults, Yun Ting declared loudly, "There are only seven gourds here. Although my family belongs to Pangu's orthodox lineage, we will not take them all. However, I discovered these gourds first, so I will distribute them. No objections, right?"
At that moment, Frost Sword, one of East King Duke's generals, stepped forward. "You are only at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, yet you wish to distribute treasures like these? Boy, are you not being a little too arrogant? Do you think you are East King Duke, the Head of Male Immortals of our Immortal Court?"
Yun Ting's face darkened. "Aren't you also a Grand Unity Golden Immortal? How dare you lecture me? Believe it or not, I'll beat you up. As for East King Duke, he is busy fighting Zhunti on Mount Sumeru. Does he still think he can control me? What the hell is he anyway? Does living on an island mean he gets to meddle in everything?" With that, Yun Ting said directly, "I will naturally distribute these gourds fairly. Listen first, then decide whether to fight. How about it?"
Thinking of Yun Ting's Nine-Rank Three Flowers, Nuwa spoke loudly. "Yun Ting is Fellow Daoist Tong Tian's son, so he should not cause too much trouble. We may as well hear how he plans to distribute them."
Yun Ting grinned. "First, I only want the Gourd Vine. The gourds will be divided among everyone. How about that?"
As soon as those words were spoken, none of the great powers said anything further. Well, he was not even taking a single gourd for himself—how could anyone call him unfair?
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