A Light Rebuke, Grand Unity Shattered!

"Flashy, all show and no substance."

"It's just a trick! Do you think a few illusions can fool me, Zhao Gongming?"

"I, Zhao Gongming, will surely expose your disguise and reveal your true form!"

Zhao Gongming snorted repeatedly, his gaze sharp, gritting his teeth as he spoke each word.

He formed a hand seal with one hand and held the Spirit Calming Pearl in the other, silently reciting the Heart Calming and Spirit Concentrating Incantation to protect his soul and prevent falling for that Daoist's sorcery!

The night was as dark as ink, the mountains and forests silent, only the leaves rustling in the gentle breeze.

He descended slowly on auspicious clouds, walking alone towards the ancient Willow Tree.

The stars and moon were sparse in the sky, casting a faint silver glow that outlined the Daoist's blurry silhouette.

He lay on an old rocking chair, the breeze gently caressing him, his robes fluttering in the wind. The man seemed to have already merged with the world, silent and unseen, yet as steadfast as a mountain.

As Zhao Gongming drew closer, his expression grew increasingly solemn.

He suddenly sensed that the spiritual energy of the surrounding heaven and earth was being drawn by an invisible force, like streams converging, seeping into the Daoist's body strand by strand. It was as if even the breath of heaven and earth was resonating with him!

"He can absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth even in his sleep? This is... too against the natural order, isn't it? No, this must be an illusion, this isn't real!"

Zhao Gongming's brow furrowed. Though alarmed, he gritted his teeth and pressed onward.

However, with every step he took, the pressure intensified.

Ten feet, five feet, three feet...

His steps became heavier, as if he were carrying mountains upon mountains!

Between heaven and earth, the Daoist stood like a celestial pillar. Though lying down and unmoving, he seemed to prop up the entire universe.

Zhao Gongming felt as insignificant as an ant, the profound and majestic aura rushing towards him.

"Why... why are there such strange phenomena surrounding this Daoist?"

In a daze, he saw the void around him surge, with countless phantom figures of gods and demons faintly manifesting within the Daoist's aura. Some had three heads and six arms, some had wings like the heavens, some held celestial wheels of stars, and some bowed in reverence, like myriad gods paying homage.

"This... how is this possible?!"

Zhao Gongming's mind trembled violently, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Although his true spirit was on the Investiture of the Gods List and his cultivation was far from its peak, he was still a Grand Unity Golden Immortal. How could he not even get close?

The pressure layered upon him, like mountains and peaks, as if it were about to crush him!

"Damn it... As the eldest disciple of the outer sect of the Jiejiao Sect, how can I show weakness before this nameless demonic Daoist? Impossible! This must be an illusion! It must be a phantom realm created by this demonic Daoist!"

He bit his tongue fiercely. The blood from his tongue erupted, circulating within his body with the power of his blazing soul. The intense pain instantly cleared his mind.

"Hmph, you still dare to play tricks before me?"

Zhao Gongming suddenly roared, his voice shaking mountains and splitting rocks:

"Demonic Daoist, do you recognize me, Zhao Gongming?"

This roar was like rolling thunder, shaking the surrounding mountain forests, causing leaves to fall and birds and beasts to scatter in panic.

But under the ancient Willow Tree, the Daoist was still sound asleep, completely unmoved.

Zhao Gongming's face darkened. He mustered his strength and roared again:

"I am Zhao Gongming, the Golden Dragon Ruyi Zhengyi Dragon-Tiger Xuan坛 True Lord, the eldest disciple of the outer sect of the Jiejiao Sect, under Sect Master Tongtian of Shangqing! You demonic Daoist, why don't you quickly dispel your illusions and reveal your name?"

He shouted again and again, his voice shaking heaven and earth, filled with imposing majesty.

Finally, the Daoist on the rocking chair seemed to be awakened by the thunderous shouts, his brow furrowing slightly.

He gently raised his hand, as if flicking away dust with a whisk, and waved it casually, mumbling indistinctly:

"What fly is this... So annoying."

"Scram."

A light reprimand, as if spoken in a dream, with a hint of laziness and disdain, as if uttered casually, without any power.

However!

As this word left his lips, the heavens and earth changed color!

With a deafening roar, the sky seemed to crack open, the void exploding layer by layer. It was like a torrential Milky Way pouring down, waves of energy like crashing tides surging forward.

Zhao Gongming's face changed instantly!

"No--!"

Before he could finish speaking, that vast power crushed down upon him!

Zhao Gongming was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, his body enveloped by an invisible giant force. He crashed through three mountain ranges and split open a great river. Wherever he passed, trees turned to ash, and rocks shattered.

"Bang--!"

He fell heavily into a desolate mountain tens of thousands of meters away, dust flying, all life extinguished.

Zhao Gongming vomited blood, his aura extremely weak.

His dantian vibrated, his primordial spirit was severely wounded, and his millions of years of hard cultivation shattered like porcelain, his internal spiritual energy scattering like a receding tide!

His cultivation had actually dropped directly from Grand Unity Golden Immortal to Grand Unity Golden Immortal!

"Cough... cough cough..."

He struggled with difficulty, his eyes hazy, his face as pale as paper, bloodstains still fresh at the corner of his mouth.

"How... is this possible..."

He looked up at the starry sky, his eyes filled with unwillingness and horror.

"I... actually... couldn't even withstand a single light reprimand from him..."

"This level... what kind of realm is this..."

Zhao Gongming's mind was violently shaken, his blood and qi surged, and he finally spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. His vision went black, and he fainted.

The world was silent.

And under the ancient willow in the distance, the Daoist was still sleeping peacefully, as if everything that had just happened was merely him gently waving away annoying flies in his dream.

After an unknown amount of time, the east gradually brightened, and the horizon began to glow.

Zhao Gongming lay on the ground, covered in blood, his robes tattered and scorched black like charcoal.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with confusion and pain. Multiple bones were broken, his internal organs were displaced, and his soul felt as if it were being torn apart by excruciating pain. His Golden Immortal body was now like a mortal body, fragile and vulnerable.

"Mm..."

He let out a low groan, painstakingly rolled over to sit up, and tremblingly took a golden pill from his embrace, swallowing it.

The pill dissolved upon entering his mouth, temporarily suppressing his severe injuries.

He let out a long breath, but was still so weak that he couldn't even stand steadily.

"It doesn't make sense... I, Zhao Gongming, am at least a Grand Unity Golden Immortal..."

"How... how could I not even withstand a single light reprimand?!"

His voice was low, his gaze unfocused as he looked towards the ancient willow in the distance, the contemptuous word "Scram" echoing repeatedly in his mind.

"Unless... he is a Saint."

He muttered to himself, his pupils suddenly shrinking, a deep shock spreading across his face.

"Everyone below a Saint is an ant... that light reprimand... indeed had the might of a Saint..."

He panted, cold sweat pouring down his body, as if he had just walked through the gates of hell.

"But... I know all the Saints in this world, yet I've never heard of this person."

"If he is a Saint, why would he live in seclusion in such a remote mountain forest? Could it be... that Sun Wukong wasn't bragging?"

Thinking of this, his heart suddenly trembled, and the image of the stone tablet appeared in his mind.

"What was written on that stone tablet... could it be true?"

"This Daoist is an ancient giant god from Chaos, who attained the Dao even before Great God Pangu?"

To all my adoptive fathers, do you have any recommendation tickets? Do you have any monthly tickets? This child is hungry, this child hasn't eaten in three days, I'm begging you!