After all the members of the Human Race received the notice that the Human Race had allied with the Dragon Clan, the dragons still wandering the Primordial World could finally look forward to good days.
Kunlun Mountain
The dozen or so members of the Human Race who had planned to seek apprenticeships back then had all successfully become disciples of the Three Pure Ones!
One Human named Xuan Du had successfully entered Taiqing's tutelage,
while another named Xuan Qing had become Yuanshi's disciple.
The rest had all become Tongtian's disciples! One of them, Liu Bai, had even become Tongtian's eldest disciple.
Xuan Du and Xuan Qing were brothers. The other Human Race members who had joined Tongtian's tutelage were all their close friends who had set out with them. Being strangers in Kunlun Mountain, they naturally stuck together! They often went out wandering as a group!
That day, they were watching the commotion on Kunlun Mountain. One of the disciples under Primordial Heavenly Venerate, True Person Huang Long, had it pretty rough. He was known as the Three-Nothings True Person: no magic treasures, no supernatural abilities, and no victories!
He was shunned by all the disciples under the Three Pure Ones and often bullied. Rumor had it that even Primordial Heavenly Venerate disliked him!
At that moment, they had just received word from their clan: from now on, the Dragon Clan were their allies, to be revered as the Human Race's totem and auspicious beasts.
The group exchanged glances. Liu Bai pointed at Huang Long and said, "Um... is that guy getting beaten up a member of the Dragon Clan?"
Xuan Du and the others hesitated. They couldn't assume he was a dragon just because his name was Huang Long!
Xuan Qing stepped forward. "Quit guessing. Let's go help him. He's definitely a dragon. I've seen his true form!"
The group headed toward Huang Long. The many disciples watching saw the Humans coming and hurriedly cleared a path, lowering their heads as they scurried out of the way!
Some even began mourning Huang Long. They had no idea how he'd managed to offend this bunch of big shots. All he could do was pray for the best!
"Everyone, stop!"
Xuan Du's shout stopped the disciples beating Huang Long in their tracks!
Most of them were Jie Sect disciples. They glanced at Liu Bai, meaning to leave it to him!
Their clan hadn't said whether the alliance was meant to be kept secret, so they didn't want to use it as an excuse to throw their weight around. They figured Liu Bai could handle things in his capacity as eldest disciple!
But Liu Bai didn't follow the script. Instead, he asked Huang Long directly, "Huang Long! What's your relationship with the Dragon King of the East Sea?"
True Person Huang Long's heart lurched. Had the Dragon Clan gotten on the wrong side of these fiends? As a disciple of Kunlun Mountain, he knew all too well what these Humans were capable of. During the apprenticeship trials, they had skinned, dismembered, and roasted alive many creatures who provoked them! And the three Sages hadn't said a word. They'd even all succeeded in becoming disciples! Liu Bai, in particular, had become Sect Master Tongtian's eldest disciple!
Liu Bai was the worst of the lot! Countless creatures had died at his hands! Huang Long had no idea how his clan leader had offended this group, but he knew Sage disciples were not to be trifled with! Although he had been cast out of the Four Seas Dragon Clan, the clan leader had only done so to protect him. After all, he had little innate karmic debt. If he stayed with the Dragon Clan, it would slowly accumulate. For his future's sake, Ao Guang had reluctantly removed him from the clan.
"Senior Brother Liu Bai! Senior Brother Liu Bai! Please spare the Dragon Clan! I'm willing to take the punishment on their behalf!" True Person Huang Long crawled toward Liu Bai, begging for mercy.
Seeing his reaction, Liu Bai realized they really were connected. He quickly helped Huang Long to his feet. "Hey, hey, don't be like that. It's nothing bad. Don't worry! Just tell me what your relationship is with Ao Guang and Ao Ling."
Seeing that Liu Bai looked sincere, True Person Huang Long gritted his teeth and said, "I'm Ao Guang's younger cousin, and Ao Ling is my niece."
Liu Bai patted Huang Long on the shoulder. "That's great! We're family now. My cousin married your niece, Ao Ling. Got it?"
"What!"
Not only was Huang Long shocked, but Xuan Du and the others were, too.
"That Liu Suifeng is your cousin?"
Xuan Du asked in astonishment.
"Yeah! Hahaha, I didn't expect that kid to make such a huge splash this time!"
Then he addressed the Three Sects' disciples present. "From now on, Huang Long is under my protection. Anyone who dares bully him is asking for trouble with me. Is that clear?"
Xuan Du and Xuan Qing stepped forward as well. "And with us!"
The other members of the Human Race joined in, too. "And with us!"
Tears welled in True Person Huang Long's eyes. For the first time in all these years, he felt what it was like to have someone protect him!
"You lot, come here!"
Liu Bai pointed at the ones who had just bullied Huang Long.
Then he pulled Huang Long, who was wiping his tears nearby, over and said, "Go on. Give each of them a slap!"
Huang Long was about to say he didn't dare, but then he remembered what Liu Bai had said. They were family now. He couldn't let Senior Brother Liu down! He was about to go hit them when—
A long-eared disciple spoke up. "Eldest Senior Brother, how can you order an outsider to beat up our sect's disciples? You're breaking the sect rules! I'm going to report you to our master!"
Well! Liu Bai's temper flared as soon as he heard that. What did this nobody think he was doing, challenging him and making him lose face in front of everyone? Fine, fine!
"Immortal Chang Er Ding Guang, right? And you lot, Immortal Qiu Shou, Immortal Ling Ya, and Immortal Jin Guang, right? Fine! You've really gotten too big for your boots!"
As soon as he finished speaking, an Immortal Binding Rope coiled around them, suspending them in midair!
"Um! Junior Brother Zhang Hao! Bring out that set of magic treasures you use to entertain people. Lend them to me!" Liu Bai called to a small, slender Human in the crowd.
"Sure thing! Want me to do it? I've got a real knack for it!" Zhang Hao came over with a grin.
"No need! I'll use them to make an example of these guys!"
He took the magic treasure Zhang Hao handed him and picked up a black fan covered in strange, mysterious inscriptions.
"This is the Soul Splitting Fan. I traded it from Ox-Head in the Underworld. It specializes in attacking the soul. One gentle wave, and heh, the sensation is... quite refreshing!" Zhang Hao explained from the side.
"That tower is the Bone Devouring Soul Locking Pagoda! It dissolves bones and seals souls. I traded it from a Great Witch in the Eighteen Levels of Hell!"
"And the most powerful is that stone mill. It's the same model as the mill in the Millstone Hell of the Eighteen Levels of Hell! Heh, I've got connections down below!" Zhang Hao said with an ill-intentioned smile.
He wasn't wrong. He really did have connections down below. Mount Tai Lord was an elder in his family, and they had excellent relations with the Underworld!
The other disciples turned pale as they listened to Zhang Hao's explanation. Immortal Chang Er Ding Guang and the others were even more terrified!
They were just about to beg for mercy when Liu Bai waved the fan at Immortal Chang Er Ding Guang! A stream of gray energy swept toward him.
"You're the one who's so cocky! You want to lecture me about sect rules, huh?"
"Ah!"
"You're going to report me, huh?"
"Go on, kill me if you've got the guts!"
"Oh? You're not convinced?"
He increased the force of his fanning.
He beat the group until they fell silent before finally stopping!
"Senior Brother! You won't beat them to death, will you?" Huang Long asked, swallowing nervously.
"Don't worry! They won't die. Besides, this is a Sage's sanctuary. No one would dare come collect their souls!"
At that moment, on Upper Pure Peak, Tongtian watched Liu Bai's actions with a dark expression! That brat was beating up his fellow disciples again!
He couldn't stand watching any longer. With a wave of his hand, he pulled everyone over!
The many Jie Sect disciples still down the mountain were instantly brought before Sect Master Tongtian. When they saw him, they couldn't help feeling relieved!
Tongtian pointed at the unconscious disciples on the ground and asked Liu Bai in a grim voice, "Explain. What happened here?"
Liu Bai was not the least bit nervous. He immediately gave the excuse he'd prepared in advance. "Master, I told you long ago that we should pay more attention to character when accepting disciples into our Jie Sect, but you wouldn't listen. Look at them now! They dared to attack a fellow disciple right here on Kunlun Mountain. Huang Long may be Uncle-Master Yuqing's disciple and not very well liked, but in the end, the Three Pure Ones are one family!"
Liu Bai glanced up at Tongtian's unchanged expression and continued, "They beat up Huang Long. What will our fellow disciples in the Sect of Elucidation think? What will Uncle-Master Yuanshi think? If this goes on, the three of us will inevitably grow estranged. How would you deal with that, Master? I only acted for the good of our Jie Sect!"
"Oh, so by that logic I should thank you? Just look at what you've done to them! Is this what you call discipline? You nearly destroyed their souls!"
Seeing Liu Bai about to argue, Tongtian waved a hand. "Enough. Go back and enter seclusion. You're confined to your quarters. You may not leave without my permission!"
Liu Bai groaned inwardly. I'm done for!
While Liu Bai was in seclusion, Yuqing, the Primordial Heavenly Venerate, glanced toward the place where Liu Bai was and gave an almost imperceptible nod. At least one of his third brother's disciples understood what was right!
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