The Sect Master's Personal Disciple

As the three were personal disciples of the Intercepting Sect, Tai Cang, despite hating them enough to want them dead, had to consider the reality of the situation. The Sages were focused on the Beast Realm's movements, and Sect Master Tongtian would absolutely not stand by and watch him slaughter his personal disciples. If he were to kill only registered disciples or inner disciples, it might be acceptable, but if he killed these three, Sect Master Tongtian would certainly not remain indifferent.

"This..."

The three were stunned, then ecstatic. Tai Cang was actually willing to let them go, not pursuing them to the bitter end; it was truly a stroke of luck.

They couldn't bother with anything else and quickly crushed their jade talismans, shouting to Tai Cang, "Thank you, Junior Brother Tai Cang!"

"Thank you for your mercy, Junior Brother!"

"Rest assured, Junior Brother, from now on, we will draw a clear line between ourselves and Duobao."

"Junior Brother, all the schemes targeting you were Duobao's doing. We were merely misled by him..."

At this moment, the three did not hesitate to betray Duobao. If it weren't for Duobao, how could they have fallen into such a desperate situation?

More importantly, a new thought had already taken root in their hearts: if Duobao were to be punished for repeatedly framing Tai Cang, wouldn't the position of Eldest Senior Brother of the Intercepting Sect's personal disciples become vacant?

"You—"

Duobao was furious. Even with Tai Cang glaring at him, he turned and glared at the three, wishing he could tear them to shreds.

How could he not hear the meaning behind their words, trying to shift the blame? They were pointing all the arrows at him!

Even though he was responsible for everything, the betrayal of the three still felt like a knife twisting in his heart, igniting his rage.

Interesting!

They actually dared to betray Duobao!

Tai Cang watched with cold eyes, a sneer playing on his lips. How could he not see their intention to use a borrowed knife to kill?

It was almost impossible to kill Duobao right now. Even if he had the ability, even if he could use the power of the exotic beasts to put Duobao to death, under the watchful eyes of the Sages, Duobao was destined not to perish.

Though I cannot take your life!

I will certainly not let you off easy!

A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and Tai Cang took a step forward, instantly closing in on Duobao.

What do you want!

As danger loomed, Duobao keenly sensed the killing intent emanating from Tai Cang. Without hesitation, he crushed the jade talisman in his embrace and shouted sternly, "Tai Cang, I am a personal disciple of the Intercepting Sect, the Eldest Senior Brother! How dare you touch me!"

With things having escalated this far, Duobao dared not linger.

Although leaving meant failure, his life was more important.

In that flash of lightning, a white light bloomed from his embrace, and the power of the spatial jade talisman began to manifest.

Trying to escape?

Tai Cang's gaze was icy. He suddenly slashed out with the Yinghuo Sword in his hand: "Do you think I'm invisible?"

"Duobao, leave your arm behind!"

The sword light flashed, and Duobao's right arm was severed.

Just as Tai Cang was about to unleash another strike, the light from the jade talisman had completely enveloped Duobao.

Clang—

Sparks flew, and the Yinghuo Sword was blocked, unable to harm Duobao any further.

Is this the end?

Tai Cang frowned, sheathed his sword, and retreated a few steps, coldly watching Duobao.

"Ah—"

Duobao finally reacted, looking at his severed arm and letting out a piercing scream. His eyes, bloodshot, glared at Tai Cang: "Tai Cang, I will never rest until I'm your enemy!"

"Tai Cang, daring to harm a personal disciple, Master will surely not forgive you!"

"Today's humiliation, I will repay a thousandfold!"

Saying this, he reached out to grab the severed arm.

Wishful thinking!

Di Yi snorted coldly, and sword qi swept through the air, blocking Duobao's path.

Immediately after, he waved his left hand, and Primordial Clarity Divine Thunder descended from the heavens, pulverizing the severed arm into dust, leaving only a ring intact.

A storage ring?

Tai Cang's eyes lit up. He waved his hand and snatched the ring into his palm.

"No—"

Duobao's eyes bulged with rage, but he could only watch helplessly as he was teleported out of the Beast Realm.

Interesting.

What exactly is hidden in this ring?

Tai Cang examined the ring with great interest and unhesitatingly erased the divine sense within it.

As the divine sense was destroyed, the contents of the ring were laid bare. Besides some ordinary heavenly materials and earthly treasures and flying swords, a jade talisman stood out.

"Come out!"

Tai Cang took out a jade talisman and collected all the remaining items into his own bag, casually discarding the empty ring. He stared at the jade talisman and said, "It seems this is the treasure Duobao cared about."

"I want to see what kind of secret is inside."

As Tai Cang spoke, he sent his divine sense into the jade talisman.

Instantly, the jade talisman shone brightly, and a piece of information surged into Tai Cang's sea of consciousness: Heaven and Earth Dharma Idol.

[Heaven and Earth Dharma Idol: High-grade divine ability]

[Upon activation, it can condense a giant body with the power to move mountains and overturn seas.]

It was the Heaven and Earth Dharma Idol!

A hint of surprise flashed in Tai Cang's eyes.

This divine ability was created by Sect Master Tongtian, referencing the true forms of the Witch Clan's great shamans. Although it lacked the defense of a great shaman's true form, it possessed comparable destructive power. As his cultivation advanced, the Dharma Idol's power could even rival that of an Ancestral Witch's true form.

As expected of a personal disciple.

Such generosity.

Tai Cang muttered to himself, memorized the incantation, and crushed the jade talisman without hesitation.

Suddenly, he heard a sound of air being broken from behind him.

He turned to look and saw Taiyi and Yuding rushing over in a sorry state. Upon seeing Tai Cang, they immediately shouted, "Junior Brother Tai Cang, retreat quickly!"

"Junior Brother Tai Cang, hurry and leave!"

"What's going on?"

Just as Tai Cang was about to ask, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Behind the two, the alien beast at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm was in hot pursuit. Its size was even larger than before, and black cloud patterns appeared all over its body.

How did these two provoke this malevolent star?

Tai Cang turned and fled without a second word.

This ferocious beast was no joke. If he were caught, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Outside, on the stage, Duobao stumbled and fell.

Looking at his severed arm, his hatred for Tai Cang deepened.

He suddenly turned to Sect Master Tongtian and said mournfully, "Master, please judge! Tai Cang, disregarding our fellow disciple's friendship, ambushed me and severed my arm. I beg Master to punish him severely!"

The hall fell silent.

All the powerful beings present showed mocking expressions, their eyes filled with contempt as they looked at Duobao.

So young, yet so malicious.

Failing to scheme, he resorts to false accusations. How laughable.

What a disgrace to the Intercepting Sect!

Di Yi suddenly stood up and rebuked sternly, "Duobao of the Intercepting Sect, with your character, Daoist Tai Cang shouldn't have saved you back then!"

Colluding with outsiders to scheme against fellow disciples, suffering the consequences of your own actions, and then having the audacity to accuse others first. Do you take us all for blind fools?

Duobao trembled all over upon hearing this.

He opened his mouth, wanting to argue, "Master,..."

"Silence!"

Sect Master Tongtian slammed the table in anger and pointed at the mirror on the stage: "Duobao, everything that happened within the Beast Realm is within our sight!"

"What?!"

Duobao turned back abruptly. When he saw the scene in the mirror – especially Tai Cang and the other two desperately fleeing – his blood essence surged, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

In an instant, he felt the world spin. His body slammed heavily onto the ground, and only one thought echoed in his mind: It's all over!

It's completely finished!

The surrounding powerful beings shook their heads and sighed.

Di Yi and the other Golden Crow princes taunted him mercilessly: "You brought this upon yourself!"

"You reaped what you sowed."

"Tsk tsk, can't handle it already? Where did that imposing aura from when you were falsely accusing others go?"

"Is this the top disciple of the Intercepting Sect? Utterly ridiculous."

The disciples of the Intercepting Sect turned red in the face but were speechless. They could only glare hatefully at Duobao on the ground, cursing inwardly: "It's all your fault!"

If you hadn't been jealous of Tai Cang, how could you have ended up like this!

"Silence!"

Sect Master Tongtian roared, "Guards, escort Duobao to Siguo Cliff. He is not to be released without permission!"

Several disciples of the Intercepting Sect immediately stepped forward, helped the unconscious Duobao up, and quickly left.

The Golden Crow princes looked at each other and smiled, their expressions triumphant.

"Not good! Tai Cang and the others are about to be caught!" a powerful being suddenly exclaimed. "Why isn't he using his escape technique?"

Hearing this, everyone turned their gaze to the mirror displaying Tai Cang.

With a sound that tore through the air, Taiyi and Yuding quickly caught up to Tai Cang. Both were masters of escape techniques, their speed far surpassing Tai Cang's.

"Fellow Daoist Tai Cang, quickly use your escape technique!" Seeing Tai Cang still moving at a leisurely pace, the two called out anxiously.

"The ferocious beast pursuing from behind is a Grand Unity Golden Immortal-level beast. If you're caught, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"I... I don't know how to use escape techniques," Tai Cang said with a wry smile.

If only I had known, I would have asked Laozi to teach me the art of escape.

"What?!"

Taiyi and Yuding staggered, nearly falling, and stared at Tai Cang in disbelief.

"You haven't even learned a life-saving escape technique? You're too careless!"

After a moment of silence, the two said resolutely, "Junior Brother Tai Cang, we'll join forces and fight this beast!"

"At worst, we'll crush our jade talismans and withdraw from the trial!"

Tai Cang felt a warmth spread through his heart. The two could have escaped on their own, yet they were willing to share the risk with him.

"You two don't need to do this." Tai Cang turned to look at the pursuers. "This little fellow feasts on Primordial Clarity Divine Thunder. I have a way to deal with it."

With that, he suddenly unleashed seventy percent of his mana, summoning a sky full of lightning.

In an instant, thunder roared, dark clouds churned, countless bolts of lightning flashed within the clouds, and ferocious divine thunder rained down like pellets upon the little fellow.

"Roar—"

As expected, upon seeing the incredibly powerful Primordial Clarity Divine Thunder, the little fellow became so excited that it forgot everything else. It even stopped chasing Tai Cang and the other two, greedily beginning to devour the lightning.

"It worked!"

"It actually had an effect!"

Yuding and Taiyi stared, dumbfounded. They never expected a beast of this Grand Unity Golden Immortal level to have such a peculiar habit, nor did they expect Tai Cang to have encountered it more than once.

"Let's go!"

Tai Cang's figure flickered. His mana was severely depleted, and he didn't dare to delay, quickly fleeing into the distance.

Taiyi and Yuding's spirits lifted upon hearing this. They exchanged a glance and immediately followed Tai Cang, fleeing the scene.

The three of them flew for tens of thousands of miles without stopping, finally shaking off the troublesome little fellow and landing in a secluded mountain valley. Without a word, they set up a barrier to enclose the valley. After completing this, they let out a long sigh of relief, collapsing onto the ground and looking at each other, laughing heartily. "Hahaha..."

After a long while, the laughter subsided. Tai Cang looked at his two companions. "Fellow Daoists, how did you provoke that little fellow?"

He was truly curious. With their strength, there was no reason they wouldn't have sensed the other party's Grand Unity Golden Immortal aura.

"Don't even mention it!"

"We're truly unlucky!"

Yuding and Taiyi, with dejected expressions, explained, "Originally, we joined forces with Cihang, Samantabhadra, Manjushri, and Qingxu. The six of us working together were enough to kill a Grand Unity Golden Immortal-level beast. Who knew that right after we dealt with a few beasts, we ran into this little ancestor. Even worse, that reckless fool Samantabhadra unleashed a Primordial Clarity Divine Thunder..."

"As you saw, except for the two of us who ran fast, the other four were forced to crush their jade talismans and withdraw from the trial."

"So that's how it is!"

Tai Cang suddenly understood. It seemed the beast, after devouring his Primordial Clarity Divine Thunder, had been wandering nearby and happened to run into Yuding and the others. Even more ironic was that the beast was likely chasing them just to get more Primordial Clarity Divine Thunder.

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Tai Cang, why were you there?" Yuding suddenly asked. "I noticed signs of a battle at the scene, and also..."

Tai Cang pondered for a moment before recounting his encounter with Duobao and the others in detail.

"Despicable!"

"Scoundrel!"

After listening to the story, Yuding and Taiyi were furious. Although Tai Cang had ultimately turned the tables and used their own methods to deal with many disciples of the Intercepting Sect, they viewed it as a clear case of self-defense.

Tai Cang had gone through great trouble to escape from the clutches of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal-level beast, only for Duobao and the others to not only offer no help but to try and kill him while he was vulnerable. Such actions were no longer ordinary grievances but an irreconcilable blood feud.

Seeing this, Yuding angrily said, "Brother Tai Cang, you are far too soft-hearted. How can a mere punishment of severing an arm atone for their crimes? In my opinion, Duobao should have been utterly annihilated!"