In the midst of Chaos, the Three Pure Ones surrounded Kunpeng, and the battle raged fiercely. Though Kunpeng had revealed part of his true form, his wings blotting out the sky as he churned Chaos, he was already struggling to hold his own against the Three Pure Ones' relentless assault. His robes were even more tattered, and a trickle of golden blood had escaped the corner of his mouth. He had clearly suffered serious internal injuries.
He was furious and aggrieved. This unwarranted disaster had come out of nowhere, and there was no way to explain himself. He couldn't win the fight, but he couldn't escape, either.
Other great powers returning from Purple Heaven Palace occasionally passed nearby, including Dijun and Taiyi, Nuwa and Fuxi, and Jieyin and Zhunti. But when they saw the Three Pure Ones beating up Kunpeng, their expressions shifted, and they all gave the scene a wide berth!
None of them stopped to watch or intervene. One of the rules for surviving in the Primordial World was to mind your own business—especially when it came to the business of Pangu's Three Pure Ones.
Di Jiang watched from the shadows, understanding the situation. With Zhenyuanzi's cautious, steady temperament, he would surely have steered far clear of such a dangerous battlefield and taken another route back to the Primordial World. There was no hope of intercepting Zhenyuanzi today.
Di Jiang's gaze returned to Kunpeng, who was battered but still carried a hint of that unyielding, carefree spirit. Watching him beat his wings with all his might, still trying to break free and soar through the heavens despite his desperate situation, Di Jiang was reminded of the essay Free and Easy Wandering, which he had read in his previous life:
"In the North Sea there was a fish named Kun. The Kun was so huge that no one knew how many thousand miles it measured. It transformed into a bird named Peng. The Peng's back was so vast that no one knew how many thousand miles it stretched. When it rose in a fury and flew, its wings were like clouds hanging from the sky... It rose above the clouds, bore the blue sky on its back, and then journeyed south..."
Though the Kunpeng before him was in dire straits, his innate aura and the essence of his Dao resonated faintly with the image of the carefree, unrestrained Kunpeng described in the essay!
"This whole mess started because of me. Kunpeng may have a fearsome reputation, but now that I've seen him, I can't help respecting his carefree spirit. I let him take the blame for me, and now he's been beaten half to death. I do feel a little bad about that."
A rare literary kinship stirred in Di Jiang, and he decided to intervene. He did not reveal himself, remaining perfectly concealed. With a mere thought, the inscrutable Space Law silently spread outward.
Just as Yuqing sent a vast palm of Yuqing divine light crashing toward Kunpeng, Shangqing unleashed a sword aura that tore through Chaos and blocked his escape, and Taiqing's aura suddenly tightened, preparing to deliver the killing blow—
Kunpeng felt the space around him, which Taiqing's aura had locked down, suddenly grow as slippery as flowing water. The moment Yuqing's enormous palm and Shangqing's attack neared him—
Their trajectories shifted by the tiniest fraction, yet at exactly the right angle, as if they had struck an invisible, shifting membrane of space. Most of their force was deflected!
More importantly, in the chaotic region ahead of him, which had been completely sealed off, a nearly imperceptible Space Fold appeared and vanished in an instant!
"Now!"
Kunpeng had no idea who had helped him, but he was an experienced fighter and seized the once-in-a-lifetime opening. His body became a shadow that nearly blended into Chaos. Following the Space Fold's guidance, he moved far faster than usual, breaking through Taiqing's blockade in an instant. Like a fish escaping a net, he flickered a few times and vanished into the boundless Chaos!
"Hm?"
"What happened?"
Yuqing and Shangqing both froze. Their attacks had missed, and their faces were filled with shock and disbelief.
Even Taiqing, whose face had remained expressionless until then, looked grim. He carefully sensed the faint yet unfathomably profound spatial fluctuations lingering in the area and said in a low voice, "A master intervened from the shadows, using supreme spatial techniques to help him escape."
"Spatial techniques? Who was it?"
Yuqing's face turned livid. Kunpeng had slipped away just as he was within reach, and rage blazed within him.
Taiqing shook his head and looked into the depths of Chaos. "I don't know. But this person's mastery of the Way of Space has reached perfection. When did the Primordial World produce someone like this?"
The Three Pure Ones exchanged glances, their hearts sinking. Meanwhile, Di Jiang, the one responsible, quietly departed after carrying out his plan, leaving no trace of his involvement.
He had helped Kunpeng partly out of a sense of literary kinship and a little guilt, and partly because he didn't want the Three Pure Ones to have everything go their way. Whether Kunpeng appreciated it or knew who had intervened didn't matter to Di Jiang.
His gaze shifted once more toward the Primordial World.
"I'll have to deal with Zhenyuanzi another time. For now, I should return to Mount Buzhou and handle the Kirin Clan and Earthly Fortune."
He returned to Pangu Divine Hall on Mount Buzhou without a sound. With a sweep of his divine sense, Di Jiang took in everything inside the hall.
At one side of the great hall, Jiu Feng was absorbed in cultivation, the Dao auras of nine laws swirling around her. She carried herself with the bearing of an eldest sister. In another corner, Xiangliu sat alone with his legs crossed, his aura dark and obscure. No one knew what divine power he was studying!
In the open space at the center of the hall, however, a lively scene was unfolding.
Xing Tian, broad-shouldered and brimming with fighting spirit, swung the enormous axe he had been born with and attacked Chi You like a madman. Chi You's true form, with a man's body and a bull's horns, was thick-skinned and sturdy, and yellow-brown light swirled around him!
He took most of Xing Tian's attacks head-on, each blow landing with a muffled boom. But he was clearly on the defensive, barely able to block and rarely able to strike back. His broad face was full of helplessness and frustration.
Nearby, Hou Yi stood shoulder to shoulder with the tall Kuafu, holding his Sun-Shooting Bow as they watched with keen interest. Every so often they offered a comment, like a pair of "best buddies" enjoying a gladiator show.
Di Jiang understood the situation at a glance. The battle-crazed Xing Tian must have been itching for a fight and had been unable to find a suitable opponent. He didn't dare provoke Jiu Feng, Xiangliu's methods were too underhanded, and Hou Yi was too fast—he would kite his opponent. As for Kuafu, a fight with him probably wouldn't be any fun!
So Xing Tian had latched onto the honest, reliable Chi You, who excelled in defense and stamina, for a sparring match. Chi You was mild-mannered and probably couldn't bring himself to refuse. As a result, Xing Tian had pestered him into fighting, and he was having a miserable time.
Di Jiang frowned. He had no objection to sparring. Chi You wasn't in any danger, and fighting was part of cultivation. But then he thought of something, and the corners of his mouth lifted. With a flicker, he appeared in the middle of the fight. He made no obvious move, merely flicking his sleeve!
An invisible yet immense force of space instantly spread through the hall, effortlessly separating Xing Tian's wild axe shadows from Chi You's dense, earth-yellow glow.
Both of them felt a gentle, irresistible force push them back several steps. Their fierce battle came to an abrupt halt.
"B-Big Brother?" Xing Tian had been in the thick of the fight when it was suddenly interrupted. He lifted his head, a little displeased, but his fighting spirit immediately faltered when he saw Di Jiang. He called out in a gruff voice. Chi You, by contrast, looked as if he had been granted a reprieve. He quickly withdrew his divine power, panting as he gave Di Jiang a grateful look.
Hou Yi and Kuafu hurriedly straightened up, dropping their spectator's expressions. Even Jiu Feng and Xiangliu, who had been cultivating in the distance, opened their eyes and looked over.
Di Jiang's expression was calm. His gaze first fell on Xing Tian. "Xing Tian, how many times have I told you? The path of cultivation lies in understanding your true nature and mastering your power, not in chasing fights and bullying your brothers!"
"Look at the state you've reduced Chi You to! If he were a real enemy, that would be one thing. But he's your own brother. Do you really have to go so far?"
Xing Tian lowered his head under the reprimand. His grip tightened around his axe, but he didn't dare argue. He knew he had gone a little too far, but once the urge to fight took hold, he sometimes couldn't control himself.
Di Jiang turned to Hou Yi and Kuafu. "And you two! You're his brothers. You saw Xing Tian acting up and didn't try to stop him—instead, you stood by and watched? Did you find it amusing?"
Hou Yi and Kuafu looked sheepish, too.
Finally, Di Jiang's gaze swept over everyone. His tone softened a little, but remained stern:
"The seven of us siblings share the bloodline of Pangu, our Father God, and live on Mount Buzhou. We should stand together and treat one another with care and respect! The Primordial World will be full of danger and upheaval in the days to come, and we'll have to face it together. If we're constantly fighting among ourselves, how can we stand against outside enemies? How can we bring glory to the name of Pangu's True Lineage?"
His reprimand made them all lower their heads. Even Jiu Feng and Xiangliu looked thoughtful.
"Xing Tian, I sentence you to three yuanhui of seclusion and reflection. I'm taking away your spiritual treasure. Think carefully about what I've said!"
"Yes, Big Brother." Xing Tian hung his head and obediently went to stand facing the wall.
Only then did Di Jiang turn to the exhausted-looking Chi You. His voice grew much gentler. "Chi You, are you all right?"
"I-I'm fine, Big Brother. I've got thick skin." Chi You smiled honestly.
Di Jiang nodded, though inwardly he sighed. Chi You really was an honest kid!
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