"Hmph, come down here first, and then we'll talk!" Kunpeng spread his wings, casting a shadow that blotted out the sky and covered Di Jun and Taiyi.
A powerful pressure crashed down on them.
Taiyi swept out a hand, and the Eastern Emperor Bell appeared at once, hovering above his head and blocking the pressure.
Immediately afterward, Kong Xuan unleashed the Five-Colored Radiance. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The Eastern Emperor Bell's light instantly dimmed, and it wobbled in midair.
Taiyi's expression changed as Magic Power surged wildly through his body.
The Golden-Winged Great Peng lunged with both razor-sharp talons, their edges glinting coldly.
The Sacred Beast White Tiger opened his house-sized jaws and roared at the sky!
A world-shaking tiger's roar burst forth like a gale, its tremendous sound setting off wave after wave of frenzied sonic blasts!
Relying on his formidable physique, the Jade Qilin strode across seven-colored auspicious clouds and arrived atop the Eastern Emperor Bell in a single step. His two enormous jade hooves pounded down one after the other.
Struck by such a fierce assault in an instant, Di Jun and Taiyi were both shocked and furious.
They never expected these few to be so quick-tempered, attacking at the slightest disagreement!
Caught completely off guard, they were knocked straight to the ground and crashed into the courtyard.
The earth shook, and two enormous, deep craters were smashed into the ground.
"You've gone too far! Do you really think I won't fight back?" Taiyi's furious roar came from inside one of the craters.
"Suit yourself. Fight or talk—it's up to you!" Kunpeng's voice was ice-cold. He descended slowly, joining Kong Xuan and the others to suppress Di Jun and Taiyi.
Di Jun quickly assessed the situation. Though he and Taiyi possessed supreme treasures and could escape without much trouble, they would likely be at a disadvantage if they fought these opponents.
Besides, they were all members of the Demon Clan, and there was no enmity between them. They were only here to recruit these few. If the others refused to join the Heavenly Court, so be it. There was no need to fight.
"Fellow Daoists, why get so angry? The two of us only wish to recruit you into the Heavenly Court for the sake of the Demon Clan's great cause. We have no other ill intentions," Di Jun said with a light laugh.
Kunpeng snorted. "We mean no harm either. You're simply making too much of a spectacle. I'm worried you'll disturb my master!"
"I already told you last time not to come to my Daoist abode unless you had a reason. But you came anyway, and made such a grand entrance. Were you afraid my master wouldn't notice you?"
Di Jun was furious inside. He said bitterly, "Kunpeng, you're blatantly lying. You keep calling him your master, yet I haven't seen him. Don't tell me that ordinary creature in the back hills is your master!"
Kunpeng replied proudly, "That's right. He is our master!"
Taiyi burst out laughing. "Kunpeng, your little illusion is far too crude. I absolutely don't believe you!"
Kong Xuan said contemptuously, "Eastern Emperor, how could you possibly see through our master's divine abilities? Believe what you will—he is our master!"
Di Jun chuckled. "Fine, I won't argue with you. With your divine abilities, are you really content to remain hidden in this little courtyard? Why not join the Heavenly Court and help us achieve something great?"
Taiyi hurriedly added, "Exactly. If you help the two of us unite the myriad races of the Primordial World, you'll each earn immeasurable merit from the Heavenly Dao. Then what could stop you from attaining the Great Dao?"
The Golden-Winged Great Peng sneered. "Eastern Emperor, Di Jun, your ambitions are enormous. But we have no interest. How could your Heavenly Court compare with our master's courtyard?"
The White Tiger added, "Merit from the Heavenly Dao? I couldn't care less!"
"Our master's realm is on a par with the Heavenly Dao," the Jade Qilin said coldly.
At those words, Di Jun and Taiyi were filled with terror.
This was blasphemy!
To show such contempt for the Heavenly Dao would surely bring down its boundless wrath and heavenly punishment!
This was bad. The Jade Qilin was the last surviving bloodline of the Qilin Clan, burdened with the immense karmic debt the clan had incurred during the last calamity.
The Heavenly Dao had a virtue of cherishing life. It had once left the Qilin Clan a single surviving bloodline. Yet instead of being grateful to the Heavenly Dao, this remnant now showed it such contempt. This would surely provoke its wrath.
At the very least, a sixfold heavenly tribulation!
Di Jun and Taiyi were horrified. They only wanted to get away from there as quickly as possible.
After all, once heavenly punishment appeared, it would indiscriminately wipe out every living being around its target.
"Why don't you hurry up and kneel to the Heavenly Dao to beg forgiveness? Otherwise, when the heavenly punishment arrives, even if you're Great Golden Immortals, Taiyi Golden Immortals, or even Quasi-Saints, you'll all die and have your cultivation destroyed!" Di Jun shouted anxiously.
"Empty threats!"
"Cowardly as mice!"
"And you call yourselves emperors of the Demon Clan!"
"Haha, look how scared you are! And you still want to unite the myriad races of the Primordial World!"
Seeing how frightened Di Jun and Taiyi looked, the White Tiger, Jade Qilin, Kong Xuan, and Golden-Winged Great Peng all laughed at them.
Di Jun and Taiyi snorted, thinking that once the heavenly punishment arrived, they would see whether the others could stay so calm.
Huh?
After a long while, Di Jun and Taiyi began to feel puzzled.
The Heavenly Dao was supposed to keep watch over the Primordial World at all times. With a single thought, it could see through everything.
Why, after all this time, had the heavenly punishment still not arrived?
This made no sense. Something was wrong.
Could someone have used a Great Divine Ability to shield this place, keeping the Heavenly Dao's will from descending?
That was hard to believe!
Under the amused gazes of Kunpeng and the others, Di Jun and Taiyi waited for a long time, but the Heavenly Dao showed no reaction.
Their faces grew awkward. Their attempt to bluff with borrowed authority had been about as effective as a fart.
Di Jun cleared his throat. He wasn't willing to give up just like that. These few were among the Primordial World's strongest, perhaps even able to match the twelve Ancestor Witches of the Witch Clan.
If he could persuade them to join the Demon Clan, its rise would be just around the corner.
"Fellow Daoists, why be so stubborn? Why not give it some more thought? If you agree to join the Demon Clan, we can establish the positions of Great Emperors of the Four Directions—East, South, West, and North—and grant them to you. How does that sound?"
The White Tiger snorted. "I wouldn't want the position of Demon Emperor, either."
Taiyi said unwillingly, "Could it be that your master possesses great fortune, or some Great Divine Ability? But you should understand that beneath the Saints, all are ants."
"If you help me unite the myriad races of the Primordial World, I'll use the merit of the Heavenly Dao to successfully attain sainthood. I can swear a Dao oath that once I become a Saint, I'll mobilize the entire Demon Clan to help you."
"I can't promise that I'll attain sainthood, but becoming a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal shouldn't be a problem."
Kunpeng's expression softened a little. Taiyi's offer was indeed tempting.
Taiyi was certainly a man of ambition. The terms he promised would drive anyone mad with desire.
But he and the White Tiger and the others wouldn't be tempted.
In their eyes, their master's divine abilities were unfathomable, and his realm was beyond the ordinary. Only by following him would they have a chance to glimpse the scenery of the Great Dao.
Kunpeng refused outright. "Taiyi, Di Jun, you should head back. We won't join the Heavenly Court."
"But as fellow members of the Demon Clan, we can give you our word: if the Demon Clan ever faces the threat of annihilation, we won't stand by and watch. We'll do everything we can to help. How does that sound?"
Di Jun and Taiyi exchanged a glance. Neither was willing to give up.
But they simply couldn't come up with a more compelling offer.
In his desperation, Di Jun turned his gaze toward Jiang Ping in the back hills.
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