A vast phantom of the Starry Sky instantly enveloped the sea.
Endless Power of Stars gathered into a silver waterfall and poured down!
The Sword Qi unleashed by True Lord Yuding vanished soundlessly the instant it touched the waterfall of starlight, like snow melting away!
As for True Lord Taiyi's Nine Dragon Divine Fire Cover, it was suppressed by the overwhelming Power of Stars until it let out a mournful cry. The nine fire dragons were instantly scattered, their light dimming!
"What?!"
"Innately Supreme Treasures! Twenty-four of them... all Innately Supreme Treasures!!"
True Lord Yuding and True Lord Taiyi cried out in shock at the same time. The arrogance and disdain on their faces were instantly replaced by boundless horror and greed!
But Zhao Gongming gave them no chance to react.
Chaos Qi flowed around his body as the Nine Revolutions Chaos Divine Art rumbled into motion. He simply ignored the lingering power of the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Cover, letting the remaining flames sear him without so much as disturbing the Chaos Shield around his body!
"Today, I'll use you to test the power of these divine pearls!"
His gaze turned cold. He drew upon ten of the pearls, which transformed into ten blue streaks of light that tore through the sky. Bearing the terrifying force of the Ten Directions Great Thousand Worlds crashing down, they shot straight toward True Lord Yuding!
In just ten exchanges!
The horsetail whisk in True Lord Yuding's hand, a High-grade Acquired Spirit Treasure, shattered with a crack the instant it collided with the first pearl! Horrified, he desperately summoned every magic treasure he had to defend himself, but the pearls came one after another, smashing them all to pieces!
The last three pearls slammed into his Body-Protecting Immortal Light, sending him reeling as he spat blood, his meridians shattered!
On the other side, True Lord Taiyi was also injured by the shockwaves from several other pearls, his face deathly pale.
As for the two Chan Sect Disciples who had been shouting so brazenly, the moment the All Heavens Star Array unfolded, the pressure of the treasures shattered their minds. They fainted on the spot and fell from the sky.
Zhao Gongming recalled the pearls. They transformed once more into lustrous orbs and circled around him, glimmering with starlight and making him look like a Divine King who commanded the Starry Sky.
Looking down at the battered and terrified True Lord Yuding and True Lord Taiyi, he spoke in a cold voice that carried across the silent sea.
"If the Chan Sect provokes us without cause again, next time, you won't get off with injuries alone!"
His words fell like ancient ice, freezing every inch of space across the sea.
True Lord Yuding and True Lord Taiyi trembled. It was a fear that came from the depths of their souls.
They stared at the Twenty-Four Sea-Calming Divine Pearls floating around Zhao Gongming, radiating an eternal aura. The greed in their eyes had long since been replaced by horror.
Innately Supreme Treasures! And twenty-four of them! How... how was this possible?!
This completely overturned everything they knew about spirit treasures in the Primordial World!
Even their teacher, Primordial Lord of Heaven, could never produce so many supreme treasures at once!
True Lord Yuding struggled to his feet. The meridians within him were like shattered porcelain, and every breath brought wrenching pain. He stared fixedly at Zhao Gongming. For the first time, an emotion called regret appeared on his stern, jade-like face.
He regretted coming to provoke Zhao Gongming so recklessly. He regretted treating him like a junior he could push around at will.
"How... how did you do it?" True Lord Yuding's voice was hoarse and dry, stripped of all its earlier arrogance.
Zhao Gongming's gaze remained indifferent, and he gave no answer. He simply swept out his sleeve. A gentle yet irresistible force lifted the two Chan Sect Disciples who had already fainted, then sent them, along with the badly injured True Lord Yuding and True Lord Taiyi, toward Kunlun.
"Get lost."
One word, like a decree from the Heavenly Dao, carried an unquestionable majesty.
Their immortal light dimmed. The four battered figures didn't dare linger. They turned into a fleeing streak of light, cut across the sky, and raced for their lives toward the Kunlun Mountain Range in the west.
They had arrived with overwhelming momentum, stirring up the clouds for thousands of miles!
But they left like strays, not even daring to look back.
Zhao Gongming stood still above the sea, watching them depart. His gaze was deep and unruffled. He hadn't spared them out of kindness. The great calamity had yet to begin, and the Heavenly Secrets remained unclear. If he killed Chan Sect Golden Immortals now, he would surely provoke the Sages' fury, completely intensify the conflict between the Three Sects, and ruin all his plans.
Today's actions were meant to establish his authority, and to serve as a warning. He wanted the Chan Sect—and every force in the Primordial World eyeing the Interception Sect—to understand that Jin'ao Island was not a place where just anyone could come and throw their weight around!
He slowly recalled the Twenty-Four Sea-Calming Divine Pearls. The terrifying pressure that had suppressed the heavens faded with them, and the sea returned to calm, as though the earth-shaking battle had never taken place.
Yet countless Interception Sect Disciples had already witnessed the scene through their divine sense and the Water Mirror Technique, and word had traveled clearly back to Jin'ao Island.
At first, all of Jin'ao Island fell into deathly silence. Then, cheers erupted like a stormy sea!
"Senior Brother Gongming is mighty!"
"Hahaha! Well done! Let's see if the Chan Sect dares to act so arrogantly again!"
"One against two, crushing two Late Golden Immortals! Senior Brother Gongming truly is the greatest among our Interception Sect's Outer Sect Disciples!"
Countless Outer Sect Disciples flushed with excitement. They gazed at the figure returning from the sea, their eyes brimming with fervent admiration and reverence.
At that moment, Zhao Gongming's standing in their hearts reached unprecedented heights. He was not only the face of the Interception Sect, but also the pillar of strength for every Outer Sect Disciple!
Zhao Gongming seemed not to hear any of it. With a flicker, he returned to his cave dwelling. He gave the Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters who had come to greet him a slight nod, then went straight inside and activated the wards.
The clamor outside had nothing to do with him. A thread of tension still remained wound tight within him.
Though he had won today, he had also revealed a mere glimpse of the Sea-Calming Divine Pearls' power.
Innately Supreme Treasures stirred hearts. He could imagine how many greedy eyes were watching him right now from every corner of the Primordial World.
Just as he was pondering this, a gentle yet immensely majestic voice seemed to cross through time and space, speaking directly into his heart.
"Zhao Gongming, come see me at Biyou Palace."
It was his master, Sect Master Tongtian!
Zhao Gongming's heart tightened. He didn't dare delay for a moment. He immediately straightened his clothes, respectfully left his cave dwelling, and transformed into a streak of immortal light that flew toward the ancient, magnificent palace at the heart of Jin'ao Island.
Chaos Qi filled Biyou Palace, and Great Dao Runes rose and fell. Sect Master Tongtian still sat atop the nine-tiered cloud platform. His Sword Intent was restrained, yet he seemed all the more unfathomable—as if he himself were a universe containing the supreme power of World Creation.
"Your disciple Zhao Gongming pays his respects to Master! May Master enjoy boundless longevity!" Zhao Gongming bowed low, offering the full obeisance due to a disciple.
"Rise." Sect Master Tongtian's voice held a trace of approval, barely perceptible. His eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through all of time and space, rested on Zhao Gongming. It was as if he were examining him, and yet also reflecting on something.
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