After successfully claiming the small world of Qilin Cliff and the crucial Qilin Seal, Di Jiang still wasn't completely at ease. To suppress Earthly Fortune thoroughly and perfectly, relying solely on the Qilin Seal—a treasure that carried part of the authority over the ancient Earthly Fortune—wasn't secure enough.
In his understanding, or rather, in fragments of his memories from a past life, the Book of Earth had been formed from the Earth's Fetal Membrane and was closely connected to the veins of the Primordial World. It not only possessed top-tier defensive abilities but could also suppress Earthly Fortune!
However, the Book of Earth was Zhenyuanzi of Mount Longevity's Wuzhuang Temple's companion spirit treasure, virtually one with him. It was almost impossible to obtain through ordinary trade. Zhenyuanzi treasured it like his own life and would never part with it.
"Since I can't trade for it, there's only one way!"
A fierce glint flashed in Di Jiang's eyes!
"Take it!"
Once the thought arose, it could not be shaken!
This was a rare opportunity, one that came once in a thousand years! Zhenyuanzi was listening to the Dao at the Purple Sky Palace in Chaos, and the Book of Earth was sure to be with him. Such a supreme treasure would never leave his side. In Chaos, far from the land of the Primordial World, the Book of Earth's connection to the earth's veins would be severed by the chaotic qi. This was the moment when he'd have the best chance of taking it!
If he waited until Zhenyuanzi returned to the Primordial World, Zhenyuanzi could rely on the Book of Earth's close connection to the earth's veins to set up the Book of Earth Formation and draw upon nearly inexhaustible power from the earth's veins for defense. By then, even if Di Jiang were a Primordial Golden Immortal, forcing his way through the formation to seize the treasure would cost him precious Dao merit—and he might not even have enough!
So taking it was the best option. It would undoubtedly earn him Zhenyuanzi's undying hatred and create tremendous karma, but Di Jiang hesitated for only a moment before making up his mind.
"For the sake of my Dao, for the sake of fully controlling the authority over the earth and perfectly suppressing Earthly Fortune in the future, how can I be timid on the path to enlightenment? What are a little infamy and karma compared to the supreme Dao?"
Di Jiang wasted no more time. He temporarily sealed away the small world of Qilin Cliff he had just claimed. With a flicker, he tore through the void, concealed his presence, and transformed into a brilliant streak of golden light, speeding straight toward the boundless Chaos beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens!
His goal was clear—to intercept Zhenyuanzi in Chaos and seize the Book of Earth by force!
Di Jiang sped through Chaos, spreading his divine sense like a net as he carefully sensed for Zhenyuanzi's presence. However, there was no single route from the Purple Sky Palace back to the Primordial World, making it rather difficult to intercept him accurately!
A thousand years passed in the blink of an eye. Before Di Jiang could pinpoint his target, he sensed the chaotic qi ahead churning violently. One powerful aura after another was racing from the direction of the Purple Sky Palace toward the Primordial World!
"Has the sermon ended?"
Di Jiang furrowed his brow, knowing he probably wouldn't find Zhenyuanzi today. He could only hope to run into him on his way back to Mount Longevity. Concealing himself in a stretch of Chaos that was relatively hard to avoid, Di Jiang waited patiently.
But Zhenyuanzi never appeared. Instead, Di Jiang got an unexpected show.
In the distance, Chaos roiled. A streak of light, moving at an astonishing speed, fled for its life. It took the form of a middle-aged Daoist in loose robes, with a lean, refined face and a rather unrestrained air. It was none other than Kunpeng, famed for his speed!
Yet this carefree great demon looked rather wretched at the moment. Three streaks of pure light dogged him from behind like leeches. They were the Three Pure Ones!
Shangqing was especially impatient. Before he had even arrived, his fierce attack had already torn through Chaos and slashed toward Kunpeng's back! Yuqing's face was also icy as he swept his hands, sending streaks of Yuqing Immortal Light to seal off every direction.
Taiqing, meanwhile, had the deepest aura. Though he hadn't attacked directly, streams of Xuanhuang Qi were already pouring from the Heaven and Earth Exquisite Pagoda above his head, stabilizing a vast stretch of Chaos and severely restricting Kunpeng's room to maneuver. His aura had clearly reached the half-step Quasi-Saint level! He had evidently gained a great deal from the second sermon.
"Kunpeng! Hand over the Yin-Yang Banana Tree, or I'll make sure you're utterly destroyed today!" Yuqing roared, his voice brimming with fury over the theft.
Di Jiang heard every word and couldn't help twitching the corner of his mouth. He silently mourned for Kunpeng for three seconds. Well, that Black Pot seems to have landed squarely on Kunpeng's head!
The one truly responsible for all this was Di Jiang himself. At the very start of the second sermon at the Purple Sky Palace, before Hongjun had arrived, the three of them had already fought Kunpeng at the palace gates over the stolen Banana Tree.
If Taiqing hadn't held back and merely watched over the fight instead of going all out, and if Hongjun hadn't appeared in time to make Yuqing and Shangqing stop, Kunpeng would have suffered a serious loss right then.
Moreover, the Three Pure Ones had been so busy going after Kunpeng that they'd put off asking Hongjun who owned Mount Buzhou. Influenced by the clash between the Three Pure Ones and Kunpeng, Di Jun, Taiyi, and the others had also failed to find an opportunity to ask. Then, as soon as the sermon ended, Hongjun disappeared without giving them a chance!
The only one who knew the truth about the conflict between Kunpeng and the Three Pure Ones was Queen Mother of the West. She knew that monitoring the Primordial World's great powers was her greatest secret. How could she expose herself just to clear Kunpeng's name?
If the great powers all got branded "Primordial World Peeping Toms" over this, what would become of Queen Mother of the West's reputation? So she chose to remain silent and let the Black Pot stay firmly on Kunpeng's back.
Kunpeng couldn't defend himself. He poured everything into his innate speed and shouted angrily over his shoulder, "Shangqing! Yuqing! Taiqing! I've already told you that I never took any of your so-called Banana Tree! Why do you keep hounding me?"
Kunpeng was disheveled, his robes torn, and he looked utterly miserable. He considered himself one of the fastest beings in the Primordial World, and had thought he could leave the Three Pure Ones behind with his incredible speed once the sermon ended. He hadn't expected Daoist Taiqing to make such great strides in cultivation after listening to the sermon, reaching the half-step Quasi-Saint level. He was only one suitable spirit treasure for beheading a corpse short of becoming a Quasi-Saint! If he had one, Daoist Taiqing would already have reached that level!
This had greatly improved Taiqing's movement techniques and magical power. The balance of power had shifted, and Kunpeng's famed speed in the Primordial World had been greatly diminished. In the end, the three had managed to corner him.
"Hmph! The evidence is conclusive, and you still dare deny it!" Shangqing didn't believe him at all.
"Who else but a feathered beast like you would stoop to such a despicable theft—and have the speed to pull it off? Take this!"
Before the words had even left his mouth, an even more furious barrage of attacks swept toward Kunpeng like the Heavenly River pouring from the heavens!
Yuqing attacked at the same time, sending bolts of divine lightning crashing down with tremendous force!
Seeing that there was no use in explaining and that his opponents were set on killing him, Kunpeng could only roar and reveal part of his true form. His wings spread, stirring up millions of miles of Chaos as he met their attacks head-on!
Boom—!
Chaos exploded, and the forces of earth, water, fire, and wind surged forth! Kunpeng was powerful, but against two opponents of the same realm, both of Pangu's True Lineage, with Taiqing watching him intently from the sidelines, he instantly fell into an overwhelming disadvantage and was in grave danger!
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