The Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect stood atop the clouds, looking down at Three Immortal Island with undisguised disdain.
In their eyes, everything beyond the Eastern Sea was a barbarous, remote backwater. How could it compare to Kunlun Mountain?
Their haughty expressions made it clear they had come with no good intentions.
Though they claimed they were here to visit Ye Changqing, they had really come to seize the chance to mock and taunt him.
Bixiao had the fiercest temper. She clenched her dainty fists and was about to leave the island and teach them a lesson.
But Ye Changqing stopped them all. This was no time to lose their tempers.
Seeing no response from Three Immortal Island, Guang Chengzi furrowed his brow and looked toward Daoist Randeng in the sky.
Daoist Randeng rode a five-colored divine deer, light shimmering behind his head. He looked every inch an immortal.
He had come this time to reclaim the face he had lost to Ye Changqing a few days earlier.
He planned to humiliate Ye Changqing thoroughly, making him die heartbroken amid pain and despair.
At the thought of how he had nearly been killed by Ye Changqing's sword that day, Daoist Randeng ground his teeth in rage.
He waved to Guang Chengzi, signaling them to begin their assault on the island.
Mana gathered in Guang Chengzi's hand, transforming into a seal that he hurled downward.
The seal resumed its original form as soon as he released it: half of Buzhou Mountain, crashing down hard against Three Immortal Island's protective formation.
The seal was called the Fan Tian Seal. Venerable Primordial had forged it from the half of Buzhou Mountain that Gonggong had broken off.
Though it was not an Innate Spiritual Treasure, its offensive power was no weaker than that of any Innate Spiritual Treasure.
Boom!
All of Three Immortal Island trembled. Petals rained down over the three thousand miles of Peach Blossom Forest.
Once the shaking stopped, only bare branches remained as far as the eye could see.
Crack!
After a few more strikes, the protective formation around the island dissolved into a cloud of light.
The mist concealing the island vanished at once, revealing its true appearance.
The San Xiao's sanctuary had no ornate pavilions or magnificent palaces. Only a few small bamboo houses stood there.
On the open ground beside them, Ye Changqing lounged on a bamboo chair, basking in the sun.
"Greetings, Senior Disciple Brother Ye!"
The Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect landed before him and gave a perfunctory cupped-hand salute.
Only Daoist Randeng remained in midair, putting on airs and refusing to come down.
Ye Changqing cracked open his eyes and glanced at the Twelve Golden Immortals, then continued to let his mind wander.
"You..."
Seeing Ye Changqing's arrogance, Guang Chengzi struggled to contain his anger.
The Ye Changqing before them was nothing but a paper tiger, impressive in appearance alone.
If he wished, Guang Chengzi could crush him with a single finger.
Yu Ding Zhenren held Guang Chengzi back. With a wave of his hand, a jade coffin appeared on the ground.
"Senior Disciple Brother Ye, we have brought you this gift. We hope you won't take offense."
"Though it's a Postnatal Spiritual Treasure, it can keep a body from decaying. Even after hundreds of millions of years, Senior Disciple Brother, you'll look as lifelike as ever..."
The Chan Sect immortals behind him burst into laughter, showing Ye Changqing no respect at all.
Daoist Randeng flicked a finger from above. A spark from the Spirit Coffin Palace Lantern fell onto the jade coffin and became an oil lamp.
Well, well!
These people couldn't wait to send Ye Changqing off.
Zhao Gongming and the San Xiao, hiding out of sight, were so furious their teeth nearly cracked, but they couldn't act.
The first test their Senior Disciple Brother had given them was to endure!
Anger only muddled the mind and made people act foolishly, ending in tragedy.
Besides, the cleverest hunters often appeared to be prey.
That was called showing weakness to the enemy!
"Senior Disciple Brother Ye, why aren't you saying anything?"
"Are you too delighted for words?"
True Man Taiyi swished his horsetail whisk and asked in a mocking tone.
"Senior Disciple Brother Ye, there's no need to be so polite. The Three Teachings are one family. This is only what we, your junior disciples, ought to do."
Chi Jingzi chuckled and piled on.
The Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect had gone to no small trouble to mock and taunt Ye Changqing.
After all, back on Kunlun Mountain, Ye Changqing had subdued them single-handedly and made them lose face.
He had kept them under his thumb for tens of thousands of years, leaving them unable to hold their heads up.
Now that Ye Changqing had fallen from his pedestal, how could they pass up the chance to regain their honor?
Daoist Randeng suddenly looked toward the horizon. A Daoist came riding leisurely on a Green Ox.
He hadn't expected even Grand Master Xuandu to show up.
Daoist Randeng hurried forward to greet him.
Though he was Vice Sect Master of Chan Sect, he had joined the Dao halfway through and merely bore the title of Venerable Primordial's disciple.
Grand Master Xuandu, however, was the only disciple of the Sage Laozi. His status was naturally beyond comparison.
After the Witch-Demon Tribulation, humanity had become the new ruler of heaven and earth.
Grand Master Xuandu was born among humans and was the Human Sect's senior disciple. He carried humanity's boundless fortune.
Daoist Randeng naturally dared not put on airs.
Grand Master Xuandu gave him a slight nod in greeting, then turned his gaze to Ye Changqing.
Ye Changqing's soul was weak, his aura feeble. Deathly energy shrouded his body, and he looked close to death.
Grand Master Xuandu descended from the clouds and circled Ye Changqing a few times before finally letting out a relieved breath.
There was no faking an injury like that. Ye Changqing couldn't have made it up.
"Xuandu, have you gotten so used to turning the mill among the humans that you've forgotten how to stop?"
"By the way, can you even go back to the human world?"
Ye Changqing didn't bother to spare him any courtesy. He exposed Grand Master Xuandu's shame as soon as he arrived.
Before the Witch-Demon War, the Demon Race had slaughtered humans on a massive scale to forge the Witch Slaying Sword, which could pierce the Ancestral Witches' physical defenses.
Laozi, Leader of the Human Sect, and Grand Master Xuandu, the Human Sect's senior disciple who had been born among humans, had watched millions upon millions of people be slaughtered without lifting a finger.
To prevent Empress Nuwa from intervening to save humanity, Laozi and Venerable Primordial first obscured the heavenly secrets, then went to Empress Wa's Palace to debate the Dao with her.
By the time Empress Nuwa noticed humanity's fortune waning, it was already too late.
Later, to repay the karmic debt, Laozi went out of his way to save Fuxi's Primordial Spirit from the Witch-Demon Battlefield.
Though Laozi was the Sage of the Human Sect, he was, in truth, a thief of its fortune.
Though Grand Master Xuandu was the Human Sect's senior disciple, he was, in truth, a disgrace to humanity.
Abolishing the Human Sect was already part of Ye Changqing's future plans. He might as well incur a karmic debt with Grand Master Xuandu now, and use it as an excuse later.
Grand Master Xuandu cultivated the Dao of Supreme Detachment and usually kept his composure, but Ye Changqing's words had torn open his old wound.
"Hmph. I never waste words on the dying..."
"In my view, Senior Disciple Brother Ye should save his strength, crawl into the coffin, and lie down to await death. That way, no one else will have to suffer the bad luck of touching him!"
Ye Changqing suddenly smiled, an eerie expression spreading across his face.
In the next instant, an overwhelming will burst from him, forcing the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect and Grand Master Xuandu to the ground.
Seeing trouble coming, Daoist Randeng spun around and tried to flee.
"Stay!"
Ye Changqing's icy voice rang out behind him. Daoist Randeng felt an immense force descend upon him and plunged from the clouds.
Pfft!
Ye Changqing spat out another mouthful of blood. His aura weakened to the brink, yet an immense presence surged from him.
"Though my life is nearly over, I won't let you petty fools bully me!"
"I can still suppress you all for a hundred years!"
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