"Dao Brother, this spiritual root is destined to become my Dao-ascension treasure! If I obtain it, I'll be able to stand against Di Jun!"
Ziwei Star Lord's Spiritual Sense swept over the spiritual root, and he immediately sent a message to Dong Wang Gong.
This spiritual root was a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Root, born in Chaos and rooted in the starry sky. It was the manifestation of the Great Dao of Stars in the world, called the Star Fruit Tree. It could gather the divine radiance of All Stars and condense the fortune of the Primordial World Starry Sky. It was the most perfect match for Ziwei Star Lord's foundation as Lord of Stars.
Beneath the two supreme stars, the Moon and the Sun, stood Ziwei Star, which governed the myriad stars. If Ziwei Star Lord could overpower the lords of the Sun and Moon, he could bring the fortune of those two supreme stars under his rule as well!
How could Ziwei Star Lord not be tempted when he encountered the Star Fruit Tree?
This spiritual root was the perfect match for him, capable of suppressing the fortune of the starry sky!
"Di Jun, Tai Yi! You already have the Fusang Tree. This spiritual root appeared in response to Ziwei Star's fate. It has nothing to do with you!"
At that, a glint flashed in Dong Wang Gong's eyes, and he shouted sharply.
Ziwei Star Lord was his supporter. The stronger Ziwei Star Lord became, the more persuasive Dong Wang Gong would be when he eventually led the male immortals of the Primordial World.
"Hahaha, Dong Wang Gong, you really have no shame! Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures belong to those with virtue! Enough nonsense. Let our strength decide this!"
Di Jun roared with laughter, and the power of the River Diagram and Luo Book grew stronger still.
Over the years, the two brothers had never slacked off in refining the treasures' restrictions.
Compared with their first two clashes with Dong Wang Gong, the treasures in their hands displayed far greater power this time.
That was precisely why Dong Wang Gong and Ziwei Star Lord had quickly fallen onto the back foot.
Give up the Star Fruit Tree? Not a chance!
Chaos had ultimately transformed into the Axe Handle of the Sky-Opening Axe, which also possessed the power to suppress the Primordial World Starry Sky!
The River Diagram and Luo Book were slightly inferior, but they were also treasures that could command All Stars. Combined with Tai Yi and Di Jun's foundations as lords of the Sun, they were determined to claim the Star Fruit Tree.
"Dao Brothers, let us join forces and drive this villain back. Ziwei Dao Friend and I only want the Star Fruit Tree. You may have all the fruits on it. And as the foremost among the male immortals, I shall surely look after your Witch Ancestor Tribe in the future!"
As he was being thoroughly suppressed, Dong Wang Gong glanced at Kuafu and Da Yi, who were poised in the distance, then sent them a message through his primordial spirit.
Although he did not know why Zhun Ti and Jie Yin were wary of these two, at this point, if he did not bring in some new variables, there was no way he and Ziwei Star Lord could snatch the Star Fruit Tree from the two Golden Crows.
Even if he could not obtain the Star Fruit Tree, he absolutely could not let it fall into Di Jun and Tai Yi's hands!
Just then, a spiritual root appeared in the Primordial World Starry Sky. The tree stood tall, its trunk gnarled and its branches spreading wide enough to blot out the sky.
"Hahahaha! Good!"
Kuafu and Da Yi readily agreed and joined the battle at once.
The two of them had led the Witch Ancestor Tribe in developing the Primordial World Earth. Over the years, they had gained a number of opportunities, and both had reached the Late Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm.
What was worth mentioning was that they had both successfully cultivated the first layer of Indestructible True Spirit, which Xuanyuan had passed down. They could now wield treasures.
Da Yi's treasure was nothing special, just a set of mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure bows and arrows.
Kuafu, however, had been greatly favored by fortune. His Kuafu Staff, also known as the Peach Wood Staff or Qu Sang Staff, was the remnant left behind when the first peach tree in the world failed to transform into a living being. Fire Ancestral Witch Zhurong and Metal Ancestral Witch Rushou had refined it together, using Earthly Fiend Tainted Qi and water from the Pangu Blood Pool. It possessed forty-two treasure restrictions, ranked among the Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures, and was unafraid of True Sun Fire.
With Kuafu and Da Yi joining the battle, Dong Wang Gong and Ziwei Star Lord finally had a little breathing room. Even so, the four of them remained suppressed by the two Golden Crows.
If two Ancestral Witches had been there, they would not have feared the Golden Crows. Unfortunately, Great Witches were still lacking in foundation. Were it not for their powerful bodies, they would already have been gravely wounded.
"Brother, if we wait any longer, things will change. Use that move!"
Da Yi roared. Blood-red light blazed from the mysterious patterns across his 48,000-zhang Great Witch body. His essence blood boiled, and his blood energy and tainted qi burned as they gathered in the bow and arrows in his hands.
"Roar!"
He loosed an arrow. Its dragon's cry shook the heavens, and its blazing tip pointed straight at Di Jun!
He was fighting for his life. After burning the drop of Ancestral Witch Essence Blood that represented his origin, his body instantly surged to 129,600 zhang.
This arrow carried the power of an Ancestral Witch!
"Good!"
Kuafu threw back his head and roared. He, too, burned his essence blood, swinging his enormous body and striking the Fusang Tree's branches with his hundred-thousand-zhang Peach Wood Staff.
"Dao Brother, let's give it everything!"
Ziwei Star Lord and Dong Wang Gong realized that this was their best opportunity. They immediately used their trump cards and attacked with all their might, tying up the treasures controlled by Di Jun and Tai Yi.
"Crack!"
The Peach Wood Staff came down, and Kuafu forcibly snapped a branch from the Fusang Tree.
"Pfft!"
The arrow pierced through the void. Di Jun spat blood into the starry sky, and two Golden Crow feathers drifted down, only to be collected by Da Yi.
"Go!"
Seizing the chance, Kuafu hoisted the Star Fruit Tree onto his shoulder. With his other hand, he grabbed Da Yi and took off running toward the Heaven and Earth Fetal Membrane at the boundary between the Primordial World and Chaos.
Though he had yet to create the famous divine movement art, Kuafu Chases the Sun, his speed was already astonishing.
Before long, he had fled beyond the Heaven and Earth Fetal Membrane.
"Bastards! Damn you!"
Seeing Di Jun injured, Tai Yi's eyes reddened. The Chaos Bell knocked the Dragon Head Crutch aside, then crossed Time and Space and swept toward the two Great Witches.
"Ziwei Dao Friend, catch!"
Kuafu gritted his teeth, stripped every Star Fruit from the Star Fruit Tree, and hurled the tree toward Ziwei Star Lord.
That move made Di Jun pause for the briefest moment.
The Star Fruit Tree had 360 branches. Each branch bore one enormous fruit and 359 smaller ones, for a total of 129,600 fruits, corresponding to One Origin.
The large fruits corresponded to 360 of the 365 Main Stars. They were not perfectly complete, so they had escaped Heavenly Punishment and contained a rich source of Main Star essence.
The small fruits corresponded to the 14,800 Secondary Stars and the other minor stars. They, too, contained a rich source of star essence.
There were enough fruits for the Ancestral Witches and the Great Witches and Lesser Witches of the Witch Race to use.
Kuafu was bold but careful. He knew that of the six people present, he and his brother were the weakest. Even if they had seized this opportunity by risking their lives, they only had enough strength for one strike.
Giving up the Star Fruit Tree was the wisest choice.
Seeing this, Di Jun also pursued the Star Fruit Tree. Only Tai Yi remained unwilling to give up, determined to kill the two Great Witches.
"Dao Friends, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures go to those who are destined for them. Since we've met, we must be destined to share them!"
Kuafu shouted, keeping only the 360 large fruits and scattering the 129,240 small fruits across the starry sky with a wave of his hand.
"Clang!"
Just then, a pagoda radiating Profound Yellow Heavy Qi appeared out of thin air and blocked a strike from the Chaos Bell.
A stream of Grand Pure Qi swept out and carried off most of the Lesser Star Fruits.
"Heh. Di Jun, Tai Yi, do you really think this treasure is destined to be yours?"
Yuanshi arrived on Vertical Ground Golden Light, sneering, with Laozi and Queen Mother of the West at his sides.
The mighty figures present all had extraordinary origins. Ziwei Star Lord had been transformed from the light of Ziwei Star, Dong Wang Gong from Pure Yang Qi, while Kuafu and Da Yi were somewhat lesser but still possessed the forms of beings born with the Dao.
Only Di Jun and Tai Yi, the pair of Golden Crows, had been born on the Sun. Although they had not been born through wetness or hatched from eggs, Yuanshi still considered them feathered and furred creatures.
Kuafu and Da Yi were rather rough around the edges, but the trace of Pangu Essence Blood in them had won over Yuanshi, who had always placed great importance on one's origins.
He considered himself part of the Pangu Orthodox Lineage and had always looked down on the barbaric, rough Witch Ancestor Tribe. Yet, by comparison, he was unwilling to see Great Witches with ties to Pangu casually slaughtered by two feathered Golden Crows.
That would bring disgrace upon the Four Pangu Purities and make them lose face.
"Dao Friends, let us put an end to this fighting."
Queen Mother of the West tipped the Pure Water Alms Bowl, spilling out the Seven Divine Waters. They multiplied endlessly and extinguished the True Sun Fire burning through the surrounding starry sky.
She disliked fighting, but this time she had no choice but to act.
First, she had just been enfeoffed by the Dao Ancestor alongside Dong Wang Gong, so she shared some karmic ties with him and could not stand by while he was killed.
Second, East and West Kunlun were closely connected. Since Tai Qing Lao Zi and Yu Qing Yuan Shi had taken a stand, she naturally could not remain inactive.
"Hahaha, thank you all for your help! Though the Star Fruit Tree is my Dao-ascension treasure, I'm willing to share it with you fellow Daoists!"
"This tree flowers once every Eon, bears fruit once every Eon, and ripens after yet another Eon! I won't take a single fruit from the next harvest. They'll all go to you, my fellow Daoists. And from then on, you may come and share in the harvest every three Eons!"
With the Three Saints of Kunlun's help, Ziwei Star Lord was no longer obstructed. Before long, he caught up with the Star Fruit Tree. The moment he reached out, the Top-grade Innate Spiritual Root willingly acknowledged him as its master.
Just as Dong Wang Gong had said, this treasure had appeared in response to Ziwei Star Lord.
The instant the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda blocked the Chaos Bell, Kuafu and Da Yi fled into the Heaven and Earth Fetal Membrane.
No matter how furiously Tai Yi roared, it was no use.
After the Three Saints of Kunlun left together with Dong Wang Gong and Ziwei Star Lord, Di Jun used the River Diagram and Luo Book to Deduce Heavenly Secrets, but he could no longer locate the two Great Witches.
Leaving aside how deeply Di Jun and Tai Yi resented the Three Saints of Kunlun, the two gravely wounded top Great Witches returned to their 48,000-zhang True Bodies. Their bodies were covered in cracks and Dao Injuries.
As soon as they landed at the foot of Buzhou Mountain, several Ancestral Witches sensed them. They immediately opened the Mysterious Female Gate and drew the two inside.
"Damn it! Which bastard hurt you?" Gonggong's eyes widened, full of fury.
"You burned your essence blood to fight? And your cultivation has fallen to the Mid Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm?" Gou Mang frowned deeply.
At the sight of Kuafu and Da Yi's pitiful state, the Ancestral Witches' faces darkened, and murderous qi filled the air.
Though the Ancestral Witches were not entangled in the Primordial World's karma, the Great Witches had been born from their essence blood in the Pangu Blood Pool. Their bond was no different from that between parents and children.
"Greetings, Ancestral Witches. These are the Great Star Fruits from the Star Fruit Tree."
Kuafu wiped his martial arts off his hands, took out 360 Great Star Fruits, and then recounted the whole story in detail.
"You... Ah!"
Di Jiang looked at the two top Great Witches, who were smiling with simple, honest expressions. He could not bring himself to criticize or lecture them.
The Great Star Fruits were indeed precious treasures. They could improve cultivation and transform one's star constitution, but Kuafu and Da Yi had been badly injured because of them...
Di Jiang secretly marked Di Jun and Tai Yi for vengeance. Once he and his brothers and sisters had reached the height of their cultivation, they would settle this score.
He would teach those two Golden Crows what it meant when someone hurt the younger generation and the older generation came after them—and when they hurt the older generation and the elders came after them!
"What's done is done. There's no use saying more. Brother Gou Mang and I will treat their injuries together." Xuanyuan stepped forward.
He had a seed of the Creation Green Lotus. Combined with the life-giving Great Dao of Wood, it should be able to help the two Great Witches.
Before you continue