Eastern Prince's Recruitment, Sent Flying with a Slap

After Hongyun stepped out through the gates of Purple Cloud Palace.

The Great Powers still conversing in the plaza all turned to look, nearly every one of them wearing pleased smiles.

It seemed everyone had benefited greatly from this round of teachings at Purple Cloud Palace.

Quite a few Great Powers had gathered around the Three Pure Ones. Listening closely, one could hear them asking Daoist Taiqing Laozi how to break through to the Quasi-Saint realm.

Laozi had also shed his usual indifference, chatting cheerfully with everyone and sharing his insights from this breakthrough.

When he saw Hongyun emerge, Laozi's eyes lit up. He immediately bid farewell to the others, intending to step forward and discuss the Dao with Hongyun.

When they had traveled to Buzhou Mountain, Hongyun had been at Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Perfection. Now that Laozi had broken through to Quasi-Saint, Hongyun was still at Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Perfection.

This put Laozi in high spirits, making him feel that he had surpassed Hongyun in cultivation.

What he did not know was that Hongyun was already a mid-stage Primordial Golden Immortal. He had merely concealed his cultivation with the "Breath Concealment Technique."

Yet someone moved even faster than Laozi!

Eastern Prince, dressed in a golden Daoist robe, arrived before Hongyun amid the escort of a group of people.

"Fellow Daoist Hongyun, you finally came out. This poor Daoist has been waiting for quite some time."

As he spoke, Eastern Prince warmly grabbed Hongyun's hand. The eagerness in his eyes was undisguised, though his tone carried a trace of arrogance.

Hongyun could not understand why this fellow had suddenly become so enthusiastic. Unaccustomed to such intimacy with another man, he discreetly withdrew his hand from Eastern Prince's grasp.

"Did Fellow Daoist Eastern Prince wait for This poor Daoist over some important matter?"

A false smile surfaced on Hongyun's face as he cursed inwardly without end.

It could be said that he and Eastern Prince had a bit of a connection.

Well, it should be said that aside from Zhunti and Jieyin, all the Great Powers in Purple Cloud Palace had some connection with him.

But it should not have been enough for the man to be this enthusiastic.

As the saying went, "When one bows low before another, there must be something sought." Hongyun felt that this thick-browed, big-eyed fellow before him was plotting something against him.

Eastern Prince smiled. "Previously, This poor Daoist received the Dao Ancestor's decree. Now that This poor Daoist has become the Head of Male Immortals of the Primordial Wilderness, after much consideration, only by establishing a great force can I better maintain the Primordial Wilderness and seek blessings for all living beings."

"However, this force has only just been established and still lacks manpower. This poor Daoist sees that Fellow Daoist Hongyun possesses extraordinary foundations, profound cultivation, and a character both lofty and unyielding. Therefore, I intend to invite Fellow Daoist to join my Penglai lineage, that we may undertake great deeds together! What does Fellow Daoist think?"

"Oh? Fellow Daoist wishes to invite me into Penglai? Then may I ask—which of us would be the master?"

Eastern Prince stroked the three long strands of beard beneath his chin and declared with confidence, "Naturally, This poor Daoist would be the master. This poor Daoist was personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor as the Head of Male Immortals. How could I possibly live beneath another?"

"Where did this guy get such baffling confidence?"

Eastern Prince's words made Hongyun feel rather strange.

Good fellow, This poor Daoist was only after a little of your fleece, yet you actually wanted the whole of This poor Daoist?

You, a mere Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal peak cultivator, actually wanted to take a Primordial Golden Immortal like This poor Daoist as a subordinate? Who gave you the courage?

Even on the surface, Hongyun was at Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Perfection—not someone Eastern Prince could command.

Could it be that Eastern Prince had swallowed Liang Jingru whole?

Eastern Prince's voice was loud, and every Great Power present heard him clearly.

His words also shocked the crowd. They felt this man's mind must have been clouded by lard, for he actually harbored the delusion of plotting against Fellow Daoist Hongyun.

Even Western Queen Mother, who had come with Eastern Prince, wore a blank expression and instinctively moved farther away from him.

"Bastard! Brother Hongyun bears the bloodline of our Wu Clan and is a direct descendant of Father God Pangu! You, a mere transformation of innate extreme yang qi—how dare you spout such wild nonsense? Do you take our Wu Clan for having no one?"

Before Hongyun could answer, Dijiang flew into a rage instead.

He stepped forward, his domineering and savage aura crashing down upon Eastern Prince like the heavens themselves.

Eastern Prince's expression darkened. A Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal peak aura, stronger than Dijiang's by a notch, erupted from his body as well.

As the two auras clashed, the watching Great Powers hurriedly made room, while Eastern Prince's followers scattered apart.

Eastern Prince looked at Dijiang and smiled disdainfully. Just as he was about to intensify his aura and suppress Dijiang in one stroke, eleven other equally powerful auras came surging toward him.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches shared glory and disgrace alike. How could they allow a mere Eastern Prince to humiliate them?

Bang, bang, bang...

Caught off guard, Eastern Prince was forced back more than a dozen steps in succession. The smile on his face vanished at once, his complexion shifting from green to red.

"This is outside Purple Cloud Palace, the Dao Ancestor's Daoist sanctuary! You dare lay hands on others here?"

After a long while, beneath everyone's mocking gazes, Eastern Prince lashed out in humiliation and fury.

"I don't understand much, but if you dare insult my Brother Hongyun, you'll have to ask whether my fists agree first!"

Two streams of scarlet true fire gathered in Zhurong's hands. He sneered at Eastern Prince, clearly ready to start a fight at the slightest disagreement.

"Hmph, an uncouth barbarian!"

Eastern Prince snorted coldly, then turned to Hongyun. "Fellow Daoist Hongyun, This poor Daoist's invitation carries the Dao Ancestor's decree. Could it be that you intend to defy the decree?"

Eastern Prince believed the Dao Ancestor stood behind him; anyone could hear the threat in his tone.

"You're courting death!"

Dijiang flew into another rage and was about to strike, but Hong Yun stopped him.

Hong Yun stared coldly at Eastern Prince and spat out a single word with emphasis.

"Scram!"

Hong Yun rarely turned hostile, and this refreshed the impression the gathered Great Powers had of him. After all, Hong Yun was famed throughout the Primordial Wilderness for his good temper.

This was the first time the refined and easygoing him had cursed in front of everyone.

It was clear that Eastern Prince had truly enraged him this time!

In truth, when Eastern Prince had tried to use his aura to suppress Dijiang earlier, Hong Yun had wanted to casually suppress him, but the other Ancestor Witches had acted too quickly.

A dragon has a reverse scale—touch it, and death is certain!

Dijiang was his blood brother!

Whoever dared touch this poor Daoist's brother, this poor Daoist would wipe out his whole family!

It was also Eastern Prince's first time seeing Hong Yun like this, and for a moment, he was stunned.

When he came back to his senses, his Shameful Anger only intensified, and he rebuked, "Insolent Hong Yun! How dare you show disrespect to the Dao Ancestor?"

Hong Yun's gaze sharpened, and he casually struck a palm toward the void where Eastern Prince stood.

"Outrageous! This is the sacred ground of Purple Cloud Palace—how dare you attack here?"

A flash of cold light passed through Eastern Prince's eyes. He swiftly drew a High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the "Pure Yang Sword." As Mana surged through his body, he slashed at Hong Yun, sending forth an arcing crimson Sword Qi.

The Sword Qi was incomparably sharp and carried Law Power upon it, its momentum vast and mighty.

"Dao Brother Hong Yun, be careful..."

Nuwa cried out in alarm, but what happened in the next instant left her too shocked to speak.

The mighty Pure Yang Sword Qi came roaring in, yet Hong Yun remained as calm as drifting clouds and gentle winds. Only when it was about to strike him did he lightly extend one hand.

That hand was slender, its skin like jade.

What was terrifying was that the fierce and powerful Pure Yang Sword Qi shattered outright beneath that ordinary-looking pale palm.

Then, with its remaining force undiminished, that slap swept toward the stretch of void where Eastern Prince stood.

"This is bad!"

In his panic, Eastern Prince immediately mobilized all his Mana and Laws, raising the Pure Yang Sword before him in defense.

Boom!

Eastern Prince was sent flying a hundred meters by an irresistible palm force, smashing heavily into the plaza floor.

Such a gap made the gathered Great Powers tremble at Hong Yun's strength.

Both were Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, yet Hong Yun dealt with Eastern Prince as easily as a burly man playing with a child.

When Eastern Prince struggled back to his feet, the crown atop his head had been shattered, his hair hung in disarray, and his golden Daoist robe was tattered beyond repair.

Pfft!

The utterly bedraggled Eastern Prince covered his mouth with one hand, yet he could not stop himself from vomiting a mouthful of crimson blood mixed with fragments of his organs.

Hong Yun's casual palm strike had ruptured all five of his viscera.

Had Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals not leapt beyond the River of Destiny and possessed such formidable self-healing abilities, that palm strike might have sent him to meet Great God Pangu.

"Hong Yun!"

Flinging away the blood on his hand, Eastern Prince let out a shrill roar of fury!