Chapter 21

Duobao and the other Jie Sect cultivators were stunned. They had gone to great lengths to make Tai Cang give up his qualification, yet Laozi had now allowed him to join again? Had all their previous scheming been for nothing?

"Eldest Martial Uncle!"

Duobao hurriedly spoke up. "Since Tai Cang already gave up his qualification, he should not be allowed to participate in the trial again!"

At this point, he could no longer worry about anything else. He had to stop Tai Cang from entering the Beast Realm. Otherwise, given Tai Cang's temperament, he would surely target him. That was absolutely not an outcome Duobao wanted to see.

The issue of Tai Cang's qualification immediately drew agreement from a group of cultivators who had once kicked the Jie Sect while it was down. They cried out one after another, "Eldest Martial Uncle, Tai Cang is not qualified to participate!"

"Eldest Martial Uncle, Tai Cang already voluntarily withdrew. He should not be allowed to join!"

"Eldest Martial Uncle..."

In an instant, objections rose one after another, and the entire place fell into an uproar.

The scene made the great powers of the Primordial World present click their tongues in wonder. Tai Cang, a member of the Jie Sect, was being excluded, and those pressuring him were not from the Human Teachings or the Chan Teachings, but from within the Jie Sect itself. It was truly thought-provoking.

"Interesting!"

"Internal strife within the Jie Sect!"

Jieyin and Zhunti, seated in the places of honor, exchanged a smile, the corners of both their mouths curving upward. The sight of Duobao and the others targeting Tai Cang secretly delighted them.

Tai Cang had already earned the favor of the Supreme Lord and become part of the Cang lineage. He was also a member of the Jie Sect, backed by two sages, making him someone to be wary of. More importantly, his potential was astonishing. If allowed to grow, he would inevitably threaten the second generation of the Western Teachings. Now that the Jie Sect was fighting internally and its direct disciples collectively despised Tai Cang, it meant the two sides were irreconcilable. This instead gave the Western Teachings an opening.

It was not only the Western Two Sages; the gods of the Primordial World were also watching from the sidelines. The alliance of the Three Pure Ones had once placed enormous pressure on them. Now, chaos within the Jie Sect was undoubtedly a gift from heaven.

Seeing the situation spiral out of control, Laozi, Yuan Shi, and Tongtian's expressions gradually darkened.

"Third Brother!" Yuan Shi suddenly turned to Tongtian and said angrily, "Is this what you taught? They are so disgraceful—how are they worthy of being direct disciples of the Three Pure Ones? If the Jie Sect cannot accommodate Tai Cang, let him join my Chan Teachings instead. I am willing to accept him as a direct disciple!"

The moment those words were spoken, Laozi, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Nuwa all changed expression. No one had expected Yuan Shi to poach someone in public, intending to use Tai Cang to suppress the Jie Sect.

"Silence!" Tongtian slammed his palm on the table and rose to his feet, sternly rebuking them. "If Duobao and the rest continue spouting nonsense, they will be expelled from the sect immediately! Tai Cang belongs to the Cang lineage. Though he is of the same generation as you, he is not to be slandered. Moreover, he has always been a disciple of the Jie Sect. Your actions have disappointed me greatly."

Under the shroud of sage might, the entire place fell deathly silent. Duobao and the others flushed red with embarrassment and no longer dared to make a sound.

"Thank you, Eldest Martial Uncle!" Holding the jade talisman, Tai Cang rose and solemnly bowed to Laozi. He had thought he had already missed his chance to join the Three Teachings' trial, yet he had unexpectedly been granted entry. Naturally, he treasured this opportunity, having long yearned to explore the Beast Realm.

As for Tongtian's defense of him, Tai Cang understood it perfectly well. It appeared that Tongtian was protecting him, but in truth, he was merely preserving Duobao and the others' dignity and maintaining the Jie Sect's reputation.

Laozi nodded slightly and flicked his sleeve. "Set off!"

The Beast Realm was filled with strange beasts and ferocious beasts. Everyone had to hunt them for their inner cores, and the final ranking would be determined by quantity and quality.

The top ten, regardless of which sect they came from, would receive teachings and spirit treasures bestowed by the Three Pure Ones.

"Yes!"

Cang Du, the Twelve Golden Immortals, Duobao, and the others answered in unison before flying into the Beast Realm. Laozi had already explained the rules. This contest was centered on hunting strange beasts, and time was limited. Only ten people could receive rewards. No one wanted to fall behind.

"Fellow Daoist Tai Cang, may you achieve immediate success." Di Yi and the other Golden Crow Princes raised their cups in farewell.

"Thank you for the kind words." Tai Cang smiled and drained the wine in his cup before leaping into the entrance to the Beast Realm.

Laozi waved his hand and cast a spell. Countless water mirrors appeared in the air, displaying every movement of the people within the Beast Realm. After making the arrangements, Laozi returned to his seat. "Fellow Daoists, observe the contest between the Three Teachings."

The great powers present all focused on the water mirrors, though in truth they were taking the opportunity to investigate the Beast Realm's secrets. This realm lay beyond the Primordial World and was not bound by the Heavenly Dao. Only the six sages could survey the entire realm with their divine senses.

On an unnamed mountain peak in the Beast Realm, Tai Cang immediately felt a crushing pressure descend upon him.

The rocks beneath his feet shattered with a crack. He thought to himself, The gravity here is more than a hundred times that of the Primordial World. Even Grand Unity Golden Immortals would struggle to move freely through the clouds here. And the spiritual energy is thin, yet the place is filled with violent aura.

The grayish-white spiritual energy gathered in his palm churned with the aura of death. It was clearly a unique form of energy found in the Beast Realm. Tai Cang's lips curved slightly. "This environment is actually advantageous to me."

The Supreme Five Qi and the Nine Revolutions Cang Skill gave him deep and enduring magical power, while the Grand Clarity Bright Jade Body granted him a physique comparable to that of a lesser shaman. In contrast, the disciples of the Three Teachings—especially those from the Jie Sect who had not reached the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm—would likely find it difficult to even take a step here.

"Duobao, it is time to settle old debts." A cold light flashed in Tai Cang's eyes as he spread out his divine sense to search for the traces of the Jie Sect's direct disciples.

Tai Cang had to complete the mission involving the Jie Sect's direct disciples and settle old grudges before he could properly explore the Beast Realm.

"Found them!"

Tai Cang's divine sense quickly locked onto a group of Jie Sect cultivators. Among them was a familiar aura—it belonged to a Jie Sect direct disciple. Without hesitation, he summoned the Yinghuo Sword and flew low on his sword, skimming two or three meters above the ground as he swiftly approached his target.

The Beast Realm was fraught with danger. Strange beasts and ferocious beasts lurked in the depths of the forest. Recklessly exposing his whereabouts would only invite greater danger.

"Look! Tai Cang is moving!"

"Where is he going?"

"He is so fast. Has he already found a target?"

The observing Golden Crow Princes cried out in surprise, drawing the attention of many great supernatural beings. Gazes that had originally been focused on other disciples now all converged on Tai Cang.

"Interesting."

"His target does not seem to be a ferocious beast."

On the high platform, Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance and looked meaningfully toward Sect Master Tongtian. The sages' divine senses covered a vast area, and they had noticed that Tai Cang was racing directly toward a group of Jie Sect cultivators. Recalling the earlier conflict between Tai Cang and the Jie Sect, it was obvious that this visit was anything but friendly.

"Infighting?"

"He is quite an interesting one."

Nuwa's eyes flashed with a trace of surprise as she continued observing Tai Cang's movements with interest.

Tai Cang knew nothing of all this. He quickly arrived at the location of the Jie Sect cultivators.

"Who goes there?"

"Stop!"

Sensing someone approaching, the Jie Sect cultivators immediately became vigilant. They gripped their magic treasures tightly and warily looked in Tai Cang's direction.

"Whoosh—"

The Yinghuo Sword sliced through the air, and Tai Cang's figure suddenly appeared.

"Tai Cang?!"

"How could it be you!"

Everyone was shocked. They had never expected Tai Cang to suddenly appear, much less with such an aggressive bearing. Unease filled their hearts.

"Insignificant nobodies."

Tai Cang swept his cold gaze across the crowd before finally locking onto the Jie Sect direct disciple. Although this man was a direct disciple, Tai Cang had little impression of him. He only remembered that the man had once followed Duobao. But that did not matter. Since he was Duobao's man, Tai Cang would first collect a little interest.

"Everyone except the direct disciple, get lost!"

Tai Cang took a step forward, and his aura suddenly erupted. He had no interest in these people who had kicked him while he was down, but if anyone failed to recognize the situation, he would not mind teaching them a lesson.

Everyone had assumed Tai Cang had come to take revenge, yet he did not even deign to pay attention to them.

This instead made them breathe a sigh of relief. Since Tai Cang was not attacking them, they would not be eliminated.

"Move!"

"Leave this place immediately!"

Without the slightest hesitation, the group swiftly withdrew. Tai Cang was already a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, far beyond what they could contend with. Besides, they were in the middle of an assessment. No one wanted to return empty-handed.

"You all..."

The Jie Sect direct disciple immediately panicked. His companions had all left, leaving only him under Tai Cang's gaze, without even a single helper. What was he supposed to do now?

Footsteps drew closer and closer as Tai Cang approached slowly with his sword in hand.

"Tai Cang, what are you trying to do?"

"Do not come any closer!"

The direct disciple staggered backward in panic and shouted incoherently, "We both belong to the Jie Sect. With everyone watching, do you dare attack me?"

"I am a direct disciple! Aren't you afraid Master will punish you?"

"What happened back then had nothing to do with me. It was all Duobao's idea. I never wanted to harm you..."

Unfortunately, those excuses meant nothing to Tai Cang. Even setting aside the matter with Duobao, he had to defeat every Jie Sect direct disciple in order to complete his mission.

With that thought, a cold glint flashed in Tai Cang's eyes. "Make your move. Do not say I did not give you a chance."

"You..."

The direct disciple fell into complete despair. He understood that no amount of pleading would be of any use.

"I'll fight you to the death!"

He gritted his teeth and sent out his flying sword to attack Tai Cang, shouting sharply, "We are both Grand Unity Golden Immortals. Do you really think I am afraid of you?"

"When this battle draws strange beasts here, let's see how you clean up the mess!"

"The fluctuations of battle?" Tai Cang's lips lifted faintly. "Such empty bravado only exposes your weakness."

"A mere early-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal who relied on external aid to break through, and you think you are worthy of being my opponent?"

Before his words had even faded, the Yinghuo Sword trembled lightly, and Tai Cang's figure suddenly accelerated.

The two figures crossed paths in an instant.

Clang—

Sword light flashed as the two passed one another.

Tai Cang landed gracefully and sheathed his sword. "Be thankful you are not my enemy. Otherwise, you would have died today."

"Crushing an ant without hurting it is not easy to control."

Pfft—

The moment his words fell, a bloody gash suddenly burst open across the direct disciple's chest. Blood sprayed out as he dropped to his knees.

"Impossible!"

"This is impossible!"

He braced himself against the ground with both hands, blood streaming from his mouth, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He had been defeated in a single move!

Had Tai Cang not shown mercy, he would already have died on the spot. They were both Grand Unity Golden Immortals, yet the difference between them was so immense.

Tai Cang did not spare him another glance. He immediately spread out his divine sense to search for the auras of the other Jie Sect direct disciples.

Very quickly, his gaze fixed on a certain direction.

"Found them!"

"Wudang, Jinling, and Guiling!"

Tai Cang did not harbor much resentment toward the three women.

Back then, although they had not stepped forward to help him, neither had they kicked him while he was down. They had merely watched coldly from the sidelines.

But in order to complete the mission, Tai Cang could no longer concern himself with such things. This was the best opportunity before him, and perhaps the only one.

Once the Three Teachings' competition ended, it would be much harder for him to trouble the Jie Sect's direct disciples. He would also be unable to complete the mission and obtain access to One-Click Max Level.

Having made up his mind, Tai Cang rose on his sword and rode the wind into the distance.

"Tai Cang!"

Noticing his departure, the Jie Sect direct disciple's eyes flashed with resentment. He gritted his teeth and snarled, "You dare humiliate me like this? I will make you repay it a hundredfold!"

Roar—

Before his words could fade, a thunderous roar suddenly rang out.

A giant tree collapsed, and an enormous creature followed the scent of blood. It was a Three-Eyed Golden Toad, its entire body gleaming with golden light and radiating the pressure of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

"A Three-Eyed Golden Toad!"

"A Grand Unity Golden Immortal!"

The man's expression changed drastically. Forgetting his hatred for Tai Cang, he hastily took out the jade talisman bestowed by Laozi and crushed it in one grip.

Crack—

The jade talisman shattered, blooming with white light as spatial fluctuations instantly enveloped him.

Just as the Three-Eyed Golden Toad's long tongue lashed toward him, a spatial vortex twisted, forcibly teleporting the man out of the Beast Realm.

Boom!

The Golden Toad's strike landed, shattering the earth for a hundred miles around and sending dust soaring into the sky.

In the distance, Tai Cang sensed the disturbance behind him. He turned back, and a trace of gravity flashed in his eyes.

"What terrifying destructive power..."

"A strange beast at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level truly cannot be underestimated."

But he did not stop. His sword flight did not slow in the slightest as he raced toward Wudang and the other two.

Above, the man fell down in a miserable state, crashing heavily onto the ground.

"Tai Cang!"

He let out a resentful howl before immediately passing out.

This scene caused the great powers of the Primordial World present to glance over one after another. Their gazes occasionally drifted toward Tongtian, but no one dared to mock him aloud.