Vast Divine Grace, Green Lotus Core Flame Ascends to High Priest

"Hmph! Spit!"

Zhao Gongming mustered all his strength and spat a mouthful of bloody saliva in Zhunti's direction.

He raised his head, glaring at Zhunti with bloodshot eyes, his voice hoarse but filled with defiance.

"Shameless bald donkey! Kill me if you want! You think I, Zhao Gongming, would betray my sect and be your dog? Dream on!"

"Alas, stubborn and unyielding."

Zhunti shook his head, a look of "pity" appearing on his face.

"Since that is the case, I can only forcibly take you back to the West, where you will chant scriptures day and night in the Eight Treasures Merit Pool to wash away your stubbornness and karma."

With that, he extended his hand, intending to capture Zhao Gongming.

However, just as his hand was about to touch Zhao Gongming.

An anomaly occurred!

"Hey! You there, Taoist, leave your magic weapon behind!"

A crisp, arrogant shout echoed from the distant horizon.

Immediately after, a golden light streaked through the sky with lightning speed!

The golden light was an ordinary-looking bronze coin with wings, inscribed with mysterious runes.

Its target was not Zhunti, nor Zhao Gongming on the ground, but the twenty-four Sea Calming Divine Beads and the Qiankun Ruler that Zhunti had rolled up with his Seven-Colored Divine Light and had not yet put away!

"Hmm?"

Zhunti frowned and instinctively tried to retract his magic weapons.

But the bronze coin was too fast!

Moreover, the bronze coin possessed an extremely peculiar innate Dao rhyme that specifically suppressed all magic weapons in the world!

"Fall!"

Following the shout from afar, the bronze coin struck the bundle of magic weapons, enveloped by the Seven-Colored Divine Light, with pinpoint accuracy.

Hummm--

A strange hum.

The Sea Calming Divine Beads and the Qiankun Ruler, which had been forcibly suppressed by the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree and had lost their spiritual essence, trembled violently the moment they were struck by the bronze coin. As if guided by some mysterious law, they broke free from the restraint of the Seven-Colored Divine Light!

Then, under Zhunti's astonished gaze, they fell straight down from mid-air like stones that had lost their support.

This sudden turn of events stunned everyone present.

Zhunti was stunned.

He, a dignified Saint, had his spoils, obtained with the ultimate treasure of attaining Dao, the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, knocked away by a small bronze coin?

What kind of logic was this?

What kind of magic weapon was this?

Zhao Gongming on the ground was also stunned.

He watched the Sea Calming Divine Beads and the Qiankun Ruler descend from the sky, heading straight for him, his mind a complete blank.

What... was happening?

Meanwhile, in the distant sky, two figures were rapidly approaching on clouds.

Leading the way was a young Taoist, gesticulating excitedly.

"Brother! Did you see! My Treasure Dropping Golden Coin is truly invincible! Look, I knocked the Taoist's magic weapons down!"

Beside him, a slightly older Taoist also wore a pleased expression, but his eyes held a trace of solemnity.

"Junior brother, do not be careless! That Taoist, possessing such a powerful treasure, is by no means ordinary! Let us quickly take the treasures and leave, and do not engage in prolonged combat!"

These two were the rogue cultivators from Mount Wuyi, Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao.

After refining the newly acquired Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Treasure Dropping Golden Coin, they had come out to wander and test its power.

As a result, they sensed an astonishing treasure light and energy fluctuations from afar and had come to investigate out of curiosity.

Upon arrival, they saw Zhunti holding the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, suppressing a pile of dazzling magic weapons.

Xiao Sheng, being young and full of vigor, and confident in his Treasure Dropping Golden Coin, had acted without a second thought.

He had no idea that what he had knocked down were the spoils of a Saint.

Just as everyone was stunned by this sudden development, a figure no one had anticipated, like a viper lurking in the shadows, appeared with speed that transcended time and space, ghost-like, next to the descending Sea Calming Divine Beads and the Qiankun Ruler!

The newcomer was clad in a Taoist robe, with an ancient countenance, and his eyes gleamed with boundless greed and ecstasy.

It was none other than the Deputy Sect Leader of the Sect of Explanation, Daoist Randeng!

He had been lurking here for a very, very long time.

This was all a trap!

This was a grand scheme set up by Shen Zhaochi, the master of the Investiture of the Gods, personally for him, for Zhao Gongming, for Zhunti, and also for Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao!

And he, Randeng, was the one in this scheme responsible for reaping the rewards!

"Hahaha! Zhao Gongming! Zhunti! Thank you both for your generous gifts!"

Randeng let out a triumphant laugh, filled with extreme smugness.

He flicked his wide sleeve, and a surge of Qiankun power erupted, instantly sweeping the twenty-four Sea Calming Divine Beads and the Qiankun Ruler into his sleeve.

Having done all this, he didn't hesitate for a moment, nor did he even glance at Zhao Gongming on the ground or Zhunti, who wore a look of utter bewilderment.

He turned and tore through the void, transforming into a streak of light, and fled madly in a direction completely opposite to Kunlun Mountain and Golden Ao Island!

"My twenty-four Heavens!"

Saint Zhunti finally reacted.

His lewd face contorted instantly, becoming more ferocious than the most vicious demon god of the Primordial Era!

He was furious!

Furious as never before!

He had painstakingly, and without regard for his own status, personally acted to suppress Zhao Gongming and seize the magical treasures.

He was on the verge of completing his great task and bringing back the foundation for the great prosperity of the Western Teachings.

But first, two fools had appeared from nowhere and knocked his magical treasures away with a broken copper coin.

Then, Randeng had emerged from somewhere and, right before his eyes, snatched away the prize that was practically in his grasp!

This was simply an unbearable humiliation!

It was as if he, Saint Zhunti, had his face pressed to the ground and was being repeatedly stomped on by the sole of a foot!

"Ran--deng--!"

A roar filled with boundless killing intent and rage erupted from Zhunti's mouth, echoing throughout the entire Primordial Era!

"You dare to steal this Daoist's treasures! Stop right there!"

Zhunti could no longer bother with Zhao Gongming on the ground, nor could he pay attention to Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao, who were still rushing over.

His mind was now filled with only one thought.

Catch up to Randeng!

Kill him!

And snatch back the twenty-four Heavens!

The six-zhang golden body behind him blazed with light, tearing through the void as well, and pursued in the direction Randeng had fled, at an even faster speed!

For a time, only Zhao Gongming remained on the scene, severely wounded, on the verge of death, stripped of his treasures, and with his Dao heart shattered.

And then there were the two "culprits" who had just arrived, looking bewildered at the scene before them—Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao.