"Water-Fire Bell, emerge!"
Red Jijingzi extended his right palm, and a strange-looking large bell appeared in it. It shone with brilliant golden light, radiating countless hues.
The Water-Fire Bell was a mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. It was a large bell, shaped like a nao or zheng, but with a clapper.
Red Jijingzi silently chanted a secret incantation. The golden light on the Water-Fire Bell receded, replaced by surging blue radiance. Wherever its light reached, freezing evil qi rose, and ice formed in all directions.
"Human King, I invite you to battle in the sky. Let this old Daoist teach you properly: that's not how a spiritual treasure is used!"
"Roar!"
Amid the surging cold light, a blue glazed dragon took shape. Its entire body seemed carved from crystal, clear and translucent. It spiraled out from beneath the Water-Fire Bell, lifting Red Jijingzi into the sky.
Luring the tiger away from the mountain? It really wasn't easy to provoke this bunch of old geezers.
Di Xin glanced at Guang Chengzi and the other two, who were quietly watching the show. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. With a wave of his left hand, Human Race Destiny transformed into a vast, ancient cauldron. Patterns of various herbs were engraved across its body. It was none other than the Earth Emperor Shen Nong's human-path treasure—the Shen Nong Cauldron.
Golden light surged within the cauldron, forming a dark-gold barrier that shielded E Lai and the little ones. Human Race Destiny gathered from all directions, strengthening the precious cauldron.
After doing all that, flames erupted around Di Xin, and he chased straight after Red Jijingzi.
"Let me see how a spiritual treasure is really supposed to be used!"
"This generation's Human King is truly interesting."
Manjushri and Ci Hang exchanged a smile before looking toward Guang Chengzi together.
Not to mention a barrier formed from the imprint of the Shen Nong Cauldron—even if the real Shen Nong Cauldron had appeared, they could have shattered it with one hand without expending the slightest effort.
Yet now, they couldn't act.
Di Xin had linked the Shen Nong Cauldron with Human Race Destiny. On the surface, he was strengthening the cauldron's defensive power, but in truth, he had employed a method of grafting: every supernatural power that attacked the Shen Nong Cauldron had been grafted onto Human Race Destiny.
In other words, if they attacked, they would be attacking Human Race Destiny. And once they did that, the consequences would naturally follow.
The Great Tribulation was approaching. They had taken disciples precisely so those disciples could face this tribulation in their place. How could they personally act and invite such consequences?
Guang Chengzi, however, was different. He had once descended into the world to teach an Emperor of Humanity, and thus possessed Human Race Destiny himself. If he was willing to act...
"Let Red Jijingzi test his strength first. The Kongtong Seal... Who would have thought it would end up in the hands of the human race?"
Guang Chengzi stood with his hands behind his back, his expression as calm as ever. How could he not know that the other two behind him were scheming to involve him? But this was a major matter for the Chan Sect, and no mistake could be allowed.
"Daoist, let me see how much strength you have to dare cause trouble in my human race!"
Di Xin pretended not to recognize Red Jijingzi. The moment he caught up, he struck first. In an instant, raging flames filled the sky and surrounded Red Jijingzi completely.
"Boundless Heavenly Venerable!"
Red Jijingzi gauged the height and confirmed that the aftermath would not affect the mortals below before turning around.
A flash of light shone from the Eight Trigrams Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe on his body, and the boundless sea of fire was immediately blocked outside.
"Human King, spiritual treasures were forged by Heaven and Earth, and imbued with spirit by the Great Dao. They themselves embody a manifestation of the principles of Heaven and Earth. You do not understand the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, nor do you know where Heaven's Mandate lies. Although your temperament matches this spiritual treasure, you can barely draw out one-tenth or two-tenths of its power."
As Red Jijingzi spoke, his aura changed. A bone-chilling coldness spread from within him, as if it had come from the Nine Hells, freezing him to the marrow.
Blue light burst from the Water-Fire Bell. The glazed dragon grew in the wind as though it had taken a powerful tonic, transforming into a thousand-zhang giant in the blink of an eye. With one casual sweep of its tail, the sea of fire was instantly frozen!
"This is the Dao. Mere brute force is insignificant before the Dao!"
—Crack!
The ice shattered inch by inch like a mirror. In midair, it turned into countless sparkling points of light that drifted toward the earth, gorgeous and mysterious.
"What Dao this and Dao that? This is my territory, my world. If there is a Dao here, then I am the Dao here!"
"Provoked" by Red Jijingzi, Di Xin flew into a rage. Fire of Humanity surged violently in an instant. As Di Xin struck, it transformed into a ten-thousand-zhang flaming phoenix. With a single beat of its wings, it appeared before Red Jijingzi, moving so fast that it seemed to have broken through space itself.
"Your power is scattered, and your principles are chaotic. It looks powerful, but in truth, it cannot withstand a single blow!"
Red Jijingzi stood with his hands behind his back, his immortal aura aloof and otherworldly. He lightly tapped the glazed dragon's head with his toe, and it instantly shot upward.
"Hahaha! An ant trying to stop a chariot, a mayfly shaking a tree—utterly insignificant! Utterly insignificant!"
Di Xin looked utterly crazed, as though he had already secured victory. His expression was ferocious and terrifying, with none of the bearing of a king remaining.
Hmm, did I overdo the act a little?
One large and one small, one water and one fire—the two collided in an instant. As water and fire clashed, the glazed dragon's tail transformed into a sharp arrow and stabbed into the flaming phoenix's body!
"Chirp!"
The flaming phoenix refused to be outdone. It opened its enormous flaming beak and viciously pecked at the glazed dragon's crown. Its wings spread wide, blotting out the sky, then folded forward—embracing the dragon in its grasp!
"Ang!"
The two fought in midair like genuine living creatures. Their two completely opposing powers continued to surge and clash. Explosions rumbled like heavenly thunder, yet strangely, the sound echoed only in this place.
Red Jijingzi's brow furrowed. The Human King had actually managed to draw such power from the Kongtong Seal. Despite possessing only Golden Immortal cultivation, he had blocked a strike empowered by thirty percent of the Water-Fire Bell's might.
Several of his senior and junior brothers were watching. If this continued, he would lose face. Very well—he would suppress this Human King first, then reason with him.
"Water-Fire Bell, go!"
Under Red Jijingzi's urging, the Water-Fire Bell instantly vanished into the glazed dragon.
In the next moment, the glazed dragon suddenly swelled several times larger. Raging flames ignited across its crystalline body. With a single shake, it forced open the flaming phoenix's wings. Then, like a long spear, its enormous body burrowed entirely into the phoenix!
"What's going on? Move! I order you to move!"
Seeing the flaming phoenix stop, Di Xin's "anger grew even stronger." He actually flew forward furiously and raised his foot to kick it!
"I said move!"
—Crack!
When Di Xin's foot came down, the entire flaming phoenix instantly fell apart, revealing the true form of the Water-Fire Bell lodged within its body. It was sitting quietly in midair.
"Hahaha, the Human King possesses a noble destiny, and this Daoist has no wish to injure you. Why don't we end things here? Let my fellow disciples accept a few good disciples under your command. It would make a fine story."
Red Jijingzi wore a benevolent expression, as though he had not been the one to attack just now. He had only just extended his hand to call back the Water-Fire Bell when he discovered that his spiritual treasure no longer obeyed him.
"Not good!"
Red Jijingzi's expression changed. He was just about to activate his Earth-Roaming Golden Light when a five-colored divine light suddenly appeared. Ignoring the protection of the Eight Trigrams Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe, it swept gently toward Red Jijingzi, intending to draw him into the supernatural power.
"Knock him away!"
Seeing this, Di Xin hurriedly shouted. Kong Xuan paused in surprise, but still acted along with Di Xin's shout. With a wave of his right hand, the Five-Colored Divine Light swept Red Jijingzi westward. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from everyone's sight.
"That was close. That was really close."
Di Xin smiled as he took the Human Seed Bag from his waist, opened its mouth, and aimed it at the Water-Fire Bell, whose spirit had been infiltrated by the Fire of Humanity.
"Collect!"
Before you continue