Beyond the imposing, ancient gates of the Purple Sky Palace lay an immense white jade plaza.
This was the outer grounds of a Saint's place of cultivation. Though the chaos winds were kept at bay, the pressure emanating from the source of the Great Dao was even more intense than outside. The air was filled with a solemnity that made it hard to breathe.
The great powers of the Primordial World arrived one after another, gathering in groups of two and three. Some closed their eyes to rest and steady their breathing; others spoke in hushed voices, exchanging information.
Everyone here was a figure of importance. Before a Saint's gates, naturally, they had to maintain their bearing and the dignity of enlightened masters.
The Three Pure Ones had arrived as well.
Grand Supreme Elder looked completely at ease, as though nothing around him had anything to do with him. Primordial Heavenly Lord wore a haughty expression, surveying the crowd with an appraising gaze. Sovereign of Heaven, meanwhile, carried the Qingping Sword on his back, his sharp brows and bright eyes revealing his keen edge.
When Taiyuan and his two companions ambled in, they immediately drew everyone's attention.
After all, the spectacle at the gate just moments ago—the "luxury carriage blocking the entrance" and "spiritual fruits paving the way"—had made such a commotion that it was impossible not to hear about it.
Primordial Heavenly Lord furrowed his brows and gave a cold snort before turning away. He clearly looked down on the Western trio's vulgar display of wealth, considering it an insult to proper conduct.
Just then,
two domineering, scorching auras came crashing down, scattering the tense atmosphere on the plaza.
Golden flames surged into the sky, and waves of heat rolled forth.
Two men in golden imperial robes strode forward, True Sun Fire swirling around them. Even the surrounding space was scorched until it wavered.
Di Jun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi.
The two Demon Emperors wore unfriendly expressions. Tai Yi in particular had one hand subtly poised around the Chaos Bell, his gaze fixed like a hawk's on Taiyuan, who was looking for somewhere to rest.
At the gate earlier, Taiyuan's Star Grapes had made the pair—who had brought nothing but a chunk of Lihuo Gold—lose face. How could the proud Golden Crows swallow that insult?
"Hmph. You've come from the impoverished Western Lands, so it's no surprise you've never seen the world."
Tai Yi's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a sharp note of mockery that reached everyone present. "You might have had a lucky encounter and gotten your hands on some spiritual fruits, but you still look like nouveau riche. You have no foundation at all."
Di Jun didn't speak. He merely stood with his hands behind his back, his expression cold, clearly giving his younger brother's provocation tacit approval.
The surrounding great powers turned to look. Some even wore expressions of anticipation, eager to see what would happen.
The Two from the West had always had a poor reputation. Now, with an Elder Brother named Taiyuan who seemed wealthy beyond measure, this was a good opportunity to probe their depths through the Demon Emperors.
Faced with Tai Yi's jeers, Zhunti's brows shot up, and he was about to roll up his sleeves and argue.
Jieyin looked just as bitter as ever, his Prayer Beads spinning rapidly in his hand.
Taiyuan, however, reached out to stop his two younger brothers. There wasn't even a trace of anger on his face, as though he hadn't heard a dog barking.
"Second Brother, Third Brother, it's windy out here. Let's not stand around drinking in the cold."
Taiyuan spoke with unruffled calm and swept a sleeve through the air.
Clatter.
A set of crystal-clear tables and chairs, radiating a faint chill, appeared in the middle of the plaza out of nowhere.
These were no ordinary furnishings. They had been carved from a single piece of Ten Thousand Year Extreme Ice Jade. Natural patterns like a landscape painting adorned their surfaces, and sitting on them could calm the mind and dispel inner demons.
"Sit."
Taiyuan took a seat first, lounging as if this weren't a Saint's sacred grounds but his own backyard.
Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, immediately understanding what their Elder Brother meant. Grinning, they sat down at once.
"Sitting around by itself is no fun."
Jieyin chuckled and produced an old-fashioned jade flask. He had found it in an innate secret realm: Nine Heavens Jade Nectar, brewed from the condensed clear qi of the nine heavens. As soon as he opened the lid, a crisp, sweet aroma of wine wafted through the air. One whiff was enough to make the body feel refreshed and the flow of one's magical power quicken.
"This is what Elder Brother meant by having a 'quality of life.'"
Zhunti wasn't about to be outdone. From a sleeve that looked like a treasure bag, he brought out a huge jade platter.
It was piled with neatly arranged strips of dried meat.
The meat glistened red, its grain clearly visible. Faint flames shimmered across each piece.
During the Dragon-Han Calamity, Zhunti had lucked into the corpse of a pureblood qilin. With Taiyuan's guidance, he had roasted it over Innate Spirit Fire and marinated it with a hundred kinds of immortal herbs, turning it into the finest Kirin Jerky.
"Come on, Elder Brother, try this piece. The tenderloin is the best."
Zhunti eagerly poured Taiyuan some wine and served him a piece of meat.
There, under everyone's eyes, the three of them began an afternoon tea as if no one else were around.
The scene had an even greater impact on everyone present than the carriage had earlier.
Had they gone mad?
This was the Purple Sky Palace!
Everyone else was nervously waiting for Old Ancestor Hongjun to appear, not even daring to breathe too loudly, and these three had gone and set out a table to drink and eat meat?
The contrast was simply too much.
On one side, Di Jun, Tai Yi, and the others stood stiffly in the cold, maintaining the aloof bearing of powerful experts.
On the other, Taiyuan and his two companions sat in their Cold Jade Chairs, clinking cups and eating until grease shone on their lips.
Gulp.
Zhunti swallowed a mouthful of jerky with obvious satisfaction. The crisp sound rang out particularly loudly across the silent plaza.
The distinctive fragrance of meat, mingled with the scent of wine, seemed to have a mind of its own, wafting straight into Tai Yi's nostrils.
Tai Yi had been maintaining the air of a great master, but the smell made his expression stiffen.
The Demon Clan had yet to establish the Heavenly Court. Most of the great powers in the Primordial World still lived on wind and dew, rarely bothering with food and drink in their pursuit of faster cultivation.
Even Tai Yi usually just absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. When had he ever smelled delicacies prepared with such care?
What's more, the blood and qi within the Kirin Jerky held an instinctive allure for him as a member of the Demon Clan.
"Grr..."
A faint sound rang out. To the ears of the gathered experts, it was as loud as thunder.
Tai Yi's stomach had growled.
The sound was brief, but the embarrassment was suffocating.
The confrontation, which had been thick with hostility, fell into deathly silence.
Di Jun's dignified face turned black as the bottom of a pot. He turned to stare at his younger brother in disbelief.
Tai Yi's face flushed a deep red in an instant. He wanted nothing more than to find a crack and crawl into chaos itself.
Who was he?
Eastern Emperor Taiyi! A born divine being!
And yet, in front of everyone, he'd been so tempted by his enemy's food that his stomach had growled?
Just then,
Taiyuan slowly set down his wine cup and picked up a piece of jerky. He didn't put it in his mouth, but instead looked at Tai Yi with an amused smile.
There was no mockery in his eyes, only the kindly compassion of someone looking after a "poor child."
"Oh dear, we've been thoughtless."
Taiyuan's warm, mellow voice rang across the plaza. "Looking at you fellow Daoists, all pale and travel-worn, I imagine you must be starving after such a long journey."
He pushed the platter of jerky in front of him forward, his gesture generous and gracious.
"If you're hungry, Golden Crow Daoist, just say so. Don't force yourself to hold back."
"We people of the West are always hospitable. We may not be wealthy, but we've got enough food to share."
"Come, take some. Don't be shy. Think of it as poverty relief."
Pfft.
Ancestor Hong Yun, standing not far away, couldn't hold back his laughter. He quickly covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking.
Nuwa was also struggling to suppress a laugh. Her beautiful eyes sparkled; she found this Western Daoist truly amusing.
Tai Yi shook with rage. The True Sun Fire around him roared into a blaze, and he was about to fly into a rage.
Poverty relief?
Keep your lousy jerky! Who needs your charity?
This was a humiliation beyond measure!
"You've gone too far!"
Tai Yi roared and was about to summon the Chaos Bell.
Di Jun reacted quickly, gripping Tai Yi's shoulder and holding him back. Through gritted teeth, he whispered, "Second Brother! Calm down! This is a Saint's sacred ground. We can't cause trouble here! If we anger the Saint, we'll lose our chance to attain the Dao!"
Tai Yi's chest heaved violently, his eyes spitting fire as he glared at Taiyuan's infuriating smile. In the end, he forcibly held himself back.
"Fine! You'll pay for this, Taiyuan of the West!"
Never in his life had Tai Yi suffered such a loss, and never had he been so furious yet unable to strike back.
"I'll remember this!"
With that, the brothers turned away with dark faces and moved to the farthest corner of the plaza. They didn't dare look at the feast again, lest their stomachs betray them with another growl.
Taiyuan smiled faintly, turned back, and continued sharing food and drink with his two younger brothers.
"Good. Remember it, then. Come visit the Western Lands anytime. Whatever else we may lack, we'll always have enough to fill your belly."
Another jab.
In the corner, Tai Yi stumbled and nearly fell.
The great powers looked at the three men, still casually picnicking as if nothing had happened. Their contempt had vanished, replaced by deep wariness.
This man was no simple character.
He wasn't just rich. His tongue was vicious, too.
With a few laughs, he'd made the all-conquering Demon Emperor brothers suffer a major loss. He might even have cracked their Dao Hearts.
Taiyuan took a leisurely sip of the jade nectar, secretly delighted.
His presence was now at its peak.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! With your mastery of fine dining and top-tier verbal skills, you successfully struck at the Dao Hearts of the brothers Di Jun and Tai Yi, establishing yourself among the great powers as "rich and cunning."] [Reward: Special constitution—Myriad Laws Invulnerable · Glazed World Purifying Body.] [Note: Just as you wished, this constitution is the ultimate "lazy man's defense cheat." Once activated, it surrounds you with supreme Glazed Pure Fire, making you invulnerable to all laws and banishing all evil. Next time you get into a fight, just sit there and drink tea. Anyone who hits you will break their hand.]
A warm current instantly coursed through his body. Taiyuan felt every cell in his flesh rejoicing, while a faint, unbreakable glazed radiance shimmered across the surface of his skin.
"Good stuff."
Taiyuan praised it in his heart.
With this constitution, showing off would be even safer from now on.
Just as he was happily eating, the tightly shut doors of the Purple Sky Palace's inner hall finally boomed and slowly swung open.
The sermon was about to begin.
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