"Outrageous!"
A cold shout rang out like ice shattering in the heavens, and the temperature throughout the Jade Void Palace's main hall plunged.
True Lord Yuding slowly opened his eyes. They held not a trace of emotion, yet brimmed with Sword Intent sharp enough to sever the starry river. A direct disciple of the Primordial Lord of Heaven and a top Late Golden Immortal powerhouse, he had shaken the Primordial World with his Immortal Slaying Swordsmanship. When had he ever suffered such "humiliation"?
He looked at the pitiful state of his two junior fellow disciples, especially the faint trace of Chaos Qi lingering at the stumps of their severed arms. His brows knitted slightly.
This aura was ancient and overbearing. It even made his heart skip a beat.
"Interception Sect... Zhao Gongming?" True Lord Yuding slowly rose to his feet. An unmatched, razor-sharp aura shot into the sky, churning the sea of clouds over Kunlun Mountain. "So this is Zhao Gongming of the Interception Sect, preaching that all are welcome regardless of their origins! He dares bully my disciples and insult the Chan Sect like this!"
His voice was not loud, but every word cut like a sword, dripping with bone-chilling killing intent.
"Senior Brother, Zhao Gongming's abilities are strange, and his magic treasures are even more formidable. We..."
"It's nothing." True Lord Yuding snorted, cutting Chi Xiazi off. A trace of disdain flashed in his eyes. "He's relying on the advantage of his magic treasures, that's all. Come with me to Jin'ao Island. I want to see just what kind of arrogant fool our Martial Uncle Tongtian has raised!"
With that, he swept his wide sleeves, wrapping Chi Xiazi and Daoist Mingguang in a beam of immortal light. Just as he was about to set off, a gentle voice came from outside the hall.
"Senior Brother Yuding, what has made you so angry?"
Before the voice had faded, a Daoist carrying a horsetail whisk and wearing a smile on his face walked in at an unhurried pace. It was none other than True Lord Taiyi, another of the Twelve Golden Immortals.
True Lord Yuding explained what had happened. After listening, True Lord Taiyi stroked his beard and smiled. "He's just an Outer Sect Disciple of the Interception Sect. Is he really worth you going in person, Senior Brother? Very well. I happen to have nothing to do, so I'll go with you and help our two junior fellow disciples get justice. That way, outsiders won't say the Chan Sect has no one worth mentioning."
True Lord Taiyi was also a Late Golden Immortal. In their eyes, the two of them going together was already an overwhelming show of force, enough to flatten the abode of any Golden Immortal.
And so, two beams of immortal light pierced through the heavens and earth, carrying boundless fury as they hurtled straight toward Jin'ao Island in the East Sea!
Outside Biyou Palace, Jin'ao Island.
The news spread like wildfire, sending the entire Outer Sect into an uproar.
"Have you heard? True Lord Yuding and True Lord Taiyi of the Chan Sect are coming in a rage. They specifically named Senior Brother Gongming!"
"What? Two Late Golden Immortal powerhouses? What... what are we going to do? Senior Brother Gongming is strong, but he's only a Mid Golden Immortal!"
"The Chan Sect has gone too far! They failed to outnumber him at Fallen Immortal Ridge last time, so now they've gone and brought their elders!"
Countless Outer Sect Disciples whispered among themselves, worry plain on their faces.
They stood together with Zhao Gongming, so they all felt personally affected. Indignation and helplessness filled their hearts.
After all, these were two famous Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, whose power ranked among the best in the entire Primordial World.
Just as everyone was fretting, a calm figure emerged from his cave abode. It was Zhao Gongming, who had just emerged from seclusion with his cultivation fully stabilized at the peak of the Mid Golden Immortal stage.
He listened to those around him without a change in expression. Only a cold glint flashed in his deep eyes.
He had never wanted trouble. All he wanted was to cultivate in peace and build up his strength for the coming tribulation.
But trouble kept coming to him, again and again.
Dodge? Back down?
Those two words had long since vanished from his dictionary!
Backing down wouldn't bring peace. It would only encourage his opponents to push their luck!
"Junior Brothers and Sisters, there's no need to worry." Zhao Gongming's voice was calm, yet carried a reassuring force. "It's just two people. They won't cause much of a stir. This began because of me, so I'll be the one to end it."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure blurred and became a streak of light. Before True Lord Yuding and the others could approach the heart of Jin'ao Island, he flew out to meet them, intercepting the two aggressive beams of immortal light above the ten-thousand-li stretch of sea outside the island.
The immortal light faded, revealing True Lord Yuding, True Lord Taiyi, and the two Chan Sect Outer Sect Disciples, both wearing venomous expressions.
True Lord Yuding's gaze fell on Zhao Gongming like a sword. He swept him with his divine sense and confirmed that his cultivation was indeed only at the Mid Golden Immortal stage. The disdain in his eyes deepened.
"So you're Zhao Gongming?" he asked, his voice cold and laced with condescension.
"I am." Zhao Gongming stood with his hands behind his back and replied calmly.
"Hmph!" True Lord Taiyi shook his horsetail whisk and spoke with a false smile. "A Mid Golden Immortal dares to cripple disciples of the Chan Sect? Interception Sect disciples really don't know their place. No wonder they're so easily defeated!"
Behind him, Chi Xiazi and Daoist Mingguang grew even bolder under their senior's protection and shouted, "Zhao Gongming! Our Senior Brothers are here today. Get on your knees and surrender, then hand over your magic treasures! We might spare your life!"
At their words, Zhao Gongming suddenly laughed.
There was no anger in his smile, only a cool, detached indifference that saw through everything.
"Are you done?" he said slowly. "If so, get ready to die."
"Arrogant!"
True Lord Yuding flew into a rage and wasted no more words. He had come here to make an example of Zhao Gongming and restore the Chan Sect's honor!
"Today, I'll teach you the meaning of rank!"
He flicked a finger, and a razor-sharp Sword Qi appeared from thin air. It tore through the void, carrying an edge that could annihilate all things as it shot straight for Zhao Gongming's brow!
At the same time, True Lord Taiyi gave a cold laugh and summoned his prized magic treasure—the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Cover!
In an instant, nine fire dragons roared out, sealing off the heavens and earth. They formed a sea of flames and swooped down upon Zhao Gongming!
With two Late Golden Immortal powerhouses attacking together, backed by two Golden Immortals, their combined assault was enough to make any cultivator of the same rank vanish in an instant!
Yet in the face of this world-shattering attack, Zhao Gongming remained where he stood. Even the hem of his robe did not stir.
He merely raised his head, looking at the Sword Qi and sea of flames bearing down on him. A trace of pity flashed in his eyes.
"Dare fireflies challenge the radiance of the bright moon?"
A thought stirred in his mind.
Bzzz—!
Twenty-four azure divine pearls streamed out of his sleeve, like a string of the most dazzling stars, and hung high in the heavens in an instant!
In a flash, the winds and clouds changed, and the sun and moon lost their light! The divine might of a supreme treasure, capable of suppressing the heavens and defining the cosmos, descended with a crash like an ancient behemoth awakening!
"Stars of the heavens, heed my command! Form the array!"
At Zhao Gongming's soft command, the Twenty-Four Sea-Calming Divine Pearls began to move along an inscrutable path, instantly drawing upon the boundless Power of Stars high above!
Though this was only a simplified array, it had been formed from twenty-four Innately Supreme Treasures. Its might had already surpassed anything True Lord Yuding and True Lord Taiyi could imagine!
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