The skies over the East Sea darkened as the winds and clouds shifted.
East King Duke slumped miserably on a reef, his body charred black. The Nine Yang Emperor Robe had long since turned to ash, leaving him with nothing but a pair of barely concealing shorts.
He stared at his companion magic treasure, now resting obediently in Taiyuan's hand, his eyes filled with despair and unwillingness.
That was a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure personally bestowed upon him by the Dao Ancestor, a companion that had followed him through countless ages. And now someone had taken it away with a single sentence.
The Three Immortals of the Sea looked ashen, too. Their greed and contempt had vanished without a trace, replaced by a bone-deep terror.
They finally understood that this seemingly languid young Daoist was someone they could never afford to provoke.
Taiyuan toyed with the Dragon Head Cane in his hand. The Artifact Spirit rubbed happily against his palm, as if it had finally found its true master.
He glanced at the three trembling old men, then at Zhunti behind him, who was still clutching his chest with a deeply aggrieved expression. A playful smile tugged at his lips.
"Third Brother."
Taiyuan slipped the Dragon Head Cane into his sleeve and turned to Zhunti.
"These three old fools are yours. Don't kill them. Leave them alive to carry a message back."
As he spoke, he pulled a small jade bottle from his robes. Inside was the diluted Eight Treasures Merit Water.
The bottle traced an arc through the air and landed neatly in Zhunti's hand.
"Heal your wounds first, then teach them a good lesson about respect."
Zhunti took the bottle, and his eyes lit up at once.
Without a word, he pulled out the stopper, tipped his head back, and drank the golden liquid in one gulp.
The Merit Water dissolved as soon as it touched his lips, turning into a gentle, warm current that flowed through his limbs and organs. The wound on his chest from Ancestor Chi Xia stopped hurting instantly, and his depleted magic power surged back like a spring, becoming even more abundant than before.
Zhunti stretched his limbs, his joints cracking, while his bald head gleamed with excitement in the sunlight.
He looked at the three Sea Immortals, whose courage had already been shattered, and his eyes brimmed with joy he had been suppressing for a long time.
Those three old fools had joined forces to keep him down and beaten him until he spat blood. He had been seething over it.
Now that Elder Brother had given the word, he could finally let it all out.
"Esteemed seniors."
Zhunti grinned, baring a row of white teeth. With the Sky-Turning Shovel resting on his shoulder, he strode toward the three men.
"You enjoyed yourselves just now, didn't you?"
"Now it's my turn."
Daoist Qingyun's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly retreated and summoned the Jade Ruyi in his hand to defend himself.
Zhunti sneered and swung the Sky-Turning Shovel. A flash of golden light sent the Jade Ruyi flying.
It was a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, yet in Zhunti's hands, it was knocked away as easily as a toy.
It wasn't that Zhunti had grown stronger. The three men had simply been so thoroughly cowed by Taiyuan that they had lost their nerve.
With Taiyuan standing guard nearby, their magic treasures didn't dare approach. They feared being touched by the Glazed Pure Fire and suffering a backlash, which would do them more harm than good.
Zhunti seized the opportunity and brought the Sky-Turning Shovel down in a furious barrage.
One blow smashed Daoist Qingyun across the face, sending him flying into several reefs and shattering them. His once dignified, immortal-looking face was now swollen like a pig's.
"That one's for the palm strike you landed on me."
Zhunti sneered, then flashed after him.
Seeing this, Ancestor Chi Xia tried to launch a sneak attack. He had only just summoned the Purple Gold Gourd when Zhunti spun around and kicked him in the face. Ancestor Chi Xia whirled through the air like a top before crashing to the ground.
"And you, you old schemer. That blood mist of yours was pretty nasty, wasn't it?"
Zhunti planted a foot on Ancestor Chi Xia's chest and pressed the Sky-Turning Shovel against his throat.
"Now I'll let you find out what it feels like to get beaten."
Elder Changchun tried to escape, but Zhunti smacked him on the back of the head with the shovel and sent him plunging into the sea, where he raised a hundred-foot column of water.
In no time, Zhunti was like a tiger among sheep, leaving the three Peak Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals utterly unable to fight back.
It was a complete one-sided beatdown.
Taiyuan watched with relish from the sidelines. He even conjured the Chaos Spirit Jade Carefree Chair and lounged in it, leisurely sipping a steaming cup of Enlightenment Tea.
"Nice angle on that swing."
Every so often, he offered a bit of advice, as though he were watching a splendid performance.
"Next time, aim for the face. A face shot hurts more."
Hearing Elder Brother's advice, Zhunti's eyes lit up, and he did exactly as told.
He smacked Daoist Qingyun across the face with the shovel, sending blood gushing from his nose and knocking out several teeth.
Jieyin stared in stunned silence, forgetting even to turn the Prayer Beads in his hand.
He knew his third brother had a fiery temper, but he hadn't realized he could be this violent.
Those were three Peak Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, yet they were being beaten like dogs.
Nuwa's beautiful eyes were wide as she watched the bald figure rampaging across the battlefield, a complex mix of emotions stirring in her heart.
One of the Western Sect brothers had an unmatched defense, while the other was brutally violent. Together, they made an almost unbeatable pair.
And on top of that, they had the unfathomable Taiyuan standing guard nearby.
The Western Sect was sure to rise.
Half an hour later.
The three Sea Immortals were black and blue, with not a single uninjured spot on their bodies.
Daoist Qingyun's Qingyun Dao Robe had turned into beggar's rags. Ancestor Chi Xia's Purple Gold Gourd had several dents in it, and Elder Changchun's Immortal Peach Wood Staff had been snapped cleanly in two.
The three men knelt on the ground, trembling, their eyes filled with fear and humiliation.
"Spare us, spare us! We were blind and offended the Western Sect. Please show mercy, fellow Daoist."
Daoist Qingyun pleaded, his swollen, pig-like face streaming with snot and tears.
"We're willing to compensate you. We're willing to pay!"
Zhunti kicked Daoist Qingyun over and sneered. "Now you're begging for mercy? Where was that attitude earlier?"
"Weren't you acting all high and mighty just now? Weren't you going to take down Elder Brother?"
"What happened? Scared now?"
The three men lowered their heads and didn't dare say a word, their hearts full of regret.
If they'd known the Western Sect was this terrifying, they wouldn't have gotten involved in this mess even if it killed them.
Taiyuan set down his teacup and rose from the Carefree Chair, then slowly walked over to the three men.
He looked down at the old fools kneeling and trembling before him. A gentle smile rested on his face, but his voice was cold as ice.
"If you want to live, that can be arranged."
"Hand over everything you have on Three Immortal Island, then swear a Great Dao oath never to oppose the West again."
"Otherwise, this will be your burial ground."
The three men exchanged glances, their faces filled with despair and humiliation.
That was everything they had accumulated over countless ages of secluded cultivation, and now they had to hand it all over.
But what choice did they have?
If they were about to lose their lives, what use were worldly possessions?
Daoist Qingyun gritted his teeth and tremblingly pulled a storage pouch from his robes. It held every treasure on Penglai Island.
Ancestor Chi Xia and Elder Changchun also took out their own storage pouches, their faces contorted with pain.
Kneeling on the ground, the three men swore an oath to the Heavenly Dao: "We swear by the Great Dao that from this day forward, we will never oppose the Western Sect. Should we break this oath, may the heavenly thunder strike us down and our bodies and souls be destroyed."
As soon as the oath was made, the Heavenly Dao sent down a beam of golden light, binding the three men's fates to their promise.
Taiyuan nodded with satisfaction and put the three storage pouches away in his robes.
"Good. Those who know when to yield are the wisest."
"Get out of here, and tell everyone in the Primordial World that the Western Sect isn't someone just anyone can bully."
The three men were overjoyed to be spared. They scrambled away from the waters, not even stopping to retrieve their magic treasures.
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