Displaying Might Before the Crowd, All Immortals Congratulate

Di Jun secretly circulated his mana to heal his injuries. Physical wounds were easy enough to recover from, but damage to the Primordial Spirit required secluded rest and recuperation.

Yet when he saw Randeng bring forth the Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler, he could no longer spare a thought for his injuries and shouted at Tai Yi, "Tai Yi, defend with all your strength! He may not be able to break through your Chaos Bell!"

But how could Tai Yi listen to his own elder brother now? Ever since he had taken form and been born from the Sun Star, everything had gone smoothly for him. Even his accompanying spiritual treasure was an Innate Supreme Treasure, while his cultivation had always ranked among the very best of the Innate Divine Saints of his generation.

And now, some unknown fellow had appeared out of nowhere. His cultivation was an entire major realm above Tai Yi's, and even his treasure was a postnatal merit supreme treasure.

How could Tai Yi possibly submit? He had initially intended to crush his opponent through sheer force, but now true fury had been stirred within him. If he curled up in defense now, would that not make him seem afraid of this Daoist?

"Come, then! Let's see whether an Innate Supreme Treasure is stronger, or whether your merit supreme treasure surpasses it!"

Tai Yi abandoned defense, pouring all his mana and even his vital blood into the Chaos Bell.

Like a shooting star, the Chaos Bell slammed toward Randeng with an ancient, boundless, and immensely majestic aura. Wherever it passed, earth, fire, wind, and water surged in upheaval, while cracks tore through space.

Randeng did not dare be careless. He likewise drove the Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler with all his strength. Mysterious yellow spiritual radiance shone from its body, and the two Heaven-Measuring Dao patterns upon it contained endless Dao resonance while seeming to bear the weight of a million jun. It met the Chaos Bell head-on.

As the two collided, space within a radius of a hundred thousand li shattered inch by inch. Zhenyuanzi had long since retreated into the mountain-protecting grand formation, communicating with the Earth Book and drawing upon the power of the earth veins to activate its strongest defense.

When all the dust settled and the surrounding space began to slowly mend itself, only one figure remained standing at the heart of the energy blast.

The Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler continuously circled Randeng, as though expressing its delight.

Randeng lightly tapped the ruler's body and drew it into his spiritual platform, using his Primordial Spirit to nourish the energy it had expended.

Looking at the emptiness of his mana reserves, he shook his head slightly.

I was still too careless. If the Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler had not originally been my accompanying spiritual treasure, if I had not personally infused it with merit and raised it to its current rank, if it were not innately bound to my very life, and if all forty-nine restrictions had not been completely refined, I might truly have suffered some injuries.

He turned to look at everyone's astonished expressions and could not help shaking his head again. These Eastern cultivators truly had never seen the world.

In the West, he faced either the Devil Ancestor or the Dao Ancestor. To Randeng, this little spectacle was nothing much at all.

After all, Tai Yi had just faced the inheritor chosen by the Demonic Venerable, the Dao Ancestor's foremost registered disciple, Zhunti and Jieyin's good Senior Brother, and the true decision-maker of the West—Daoist Randeng himself.

Randeng did not even look at Tai Yi's defeated form. The Chaos Bell was an Innate Supreme Treasure, after all; protecting Tai Yi's life would not be a problem.

With his back to the members of the Demon Race, he waved a hand.

"Take him back and treat his injuries at once. Your Demon Race has not even been formally established, yet you are already this overbearing. Once you rule over all races, wouldn't that be utterly unbearable? Think it over carefully."

The instant he defeated Tai Yi, he understood. Great God Pangu had made him integrate into the Primordial World and emerge ahead of time—perhaps because he had foreseen some future outcome and wished for Randeng, this variable, to influence the Primordial World.

Cradling Tai Yi's body in his arms, Di Jun said softly, "I will remember Fellow Daoist's words. Thank you for showing mercy. I promise Fellow Daoist that we will never again come to trouble Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi."

Randeng nodded. Di Jun's words were at least reasonable. Yet Di Jun asked again, "Fellow Daoist... Fellow Daoist has yet to leave behind his Dao title, so that Tai Yi may know exactly who defeated him."

"This poor Daoist is Randeng of the West."

Randeng answered softly. His voice was not loud, but backed by his recent victory, every word struck the ground like iron.

"Randeng of the West, good! I had thought the West barren and incapable of producing anyone remarkable. Who would have expected it to have an expert like Fellow Daoist?"

Di Jun praised him, then carried Tai Yi away as he led the members of the Demon Race fleeing into the distance.

"Good! Now Fellow Daoist Randeng's name will truly shake the Primordial World!"

Watching the Demon Race leave in such sorry straits, Hongyun clapped his hands and laughed loudly.

Yet in the next instant, Tongtian received Randeng's voice transmission.

"Quick, Fellow Daoist Tongtian, come up and give me a hand. I really can't hold on any longer."

Tongtian froze for a moment, then understood and burst into laughter. This Fellow Daoist Randeng truly was an interesting man—exactly to his taste.

He immediately flew into the air and secretly helped Randeng down.

Everyone merely assumed that Tongtian and Randeng had an exceptionally close relationship, seeing that Tongtian had even gone forward to receive him.

After Randeng landed, he sat cross-legged and regulated his breath for a moment. He was basically fine now; the remaining loss to his Primordial Spirit would need to be slowly nursed back to health.

The moment he opened his eyes, he discovered that everyone's attitude had subtly changed from before. They all came forward to ask after his injuries, while Randeng simply said that he was fine.

"Fellow Daoist, we truly have you to thank this time. Otherwise, we would not have known how to end this. Rest assured—if you ever need anything in the future, just come find me."

Zhenyuanzi was sincerely grateful to Randeng. He had yet to repay the karma of the Western earth veins, and now he owed another karma of such magnitude.

With a sweep of his sleeve, ten Ginseng Fruits appeared on Randeng's table. They resembled infants and brimmed with the spiritual energy of the Essence of Wutu.

"Take these ten Ginseng Fruits first and use them to recover from your injuries. They can still nourish the Primordial Spirit to some extent. If they are not enough, I still have a little stock left."

Hongyun's eyes widened at the side. He knew just how dearly his brother Zhenyuanzi treasured those Ginseng Fruits. Every time Hongyun wanted one merely to sample, he had to beg for ages before Zhenyuanzi would give him one.

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist."

Randeng was not one to stand on ceremony, and besides, he truly needed them. With a wave of his hand, he stored them all within the space of the Heaven Measuring Ruler.

"Haha, I've long been sick of that mongrel bird Tai Yi. Fellow Daoist Randeng giving him a lesson this time was truly satisfying!"

Tongtian happily patted Randeng on the shoulder. If his second brother had not stopped him, he would have gone to the Sun Star long ago to test his sword against Tai Yi.

"Fellow Daoist, was this Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler of yours formed from the condensed merit of that final tenth of the Heaven-Opening?"

Taishang, usually sparing with words, actually spoke up. In truth, he too was curious where that final tenth of the Heaven-Opening merit had gone. It could be called one of the Primordial World's great unsolved mysteries.

"To be frank, Fellow Daoist, this treasure indeed contains that final tenth of the Heaven-Opening merit. However, it was formed in conjunction with another of my companion spiritual treasures and is bound to my very life."

Randeng revealed the origins of the Heaven Measuring Ruler, while also extinguishing everyone else's fantasies about that final tenth of Heaven-Opening merit.

Yet Randeng had not told the whole truth. Besides that tenth of Heaven-Opening merit, the Heaven Measuring Ruler had also absorbed the merit he had painstakingly earned from repairing the earth veins. By that account, the Heaven Measuring Ruler possessed even more merit than Taishang's Mysterious Yellow Pagoda.

The others promptly invited Randeng to visit their respective abodes when he had the chance.

After a round of pleasantries, Randeng got to experience what it felt like to be surrounded like the moon by a host of stars.

"Alright, let us continue with our Ginseng Fruit banquet."

The Ginseng Fruit feast Randeng had waited so long for finally began.

Zhenyuanzi clapped his hands, signaling the attendants to serve each person another Ginseng Fruit.

"You may eat them now. Afterward, we shall begin discussing the Dao."

Randeng swallowed the Ginseng Fruit. The instant it entered his mouth, it transformed into a warm current that surged through his limbs and bones. A thread of pure Wu Earth essence rose all the way to his Spiritual Platform and merged into his Primordial Spirit.

The exhaustion of his Primordial Spirit from his earlier clash with Tai Yi was nourished now, gradually recovering.

Randeng's eyes lit up. As expected of one of the ten great spiritual roots, the Ginseng Fruit's effect of increasing one's cultivation by several thousand years was one thing, but its ability to nourish the Primordial Spirit was rare indeed even in the Primordial World.