Solar True Fire suddenly surged around Taiyi. The Chaos Bell appeared above his head as he stepped forward, his gaze flashing like lightning as it shot straight at Pure Yang Daoist:
"East King Duke, since you intend to uphold justice, do you dare fight me openly and fairly? If you win, my brother and I will immediately withdraw from this contest. But if you lose..."
The Chaos Bell had already begun to hum deeply. Ancient inscriptions upon its surface lit up one after another, and the very space throughout the valley began to tremble faintly.
Though Taiyi did not spell it out, the chilling killing intent within his unfinished words pressed down upon everyone's hearts as though tangible. His meaning was clear: if Pure Yang Daoist lost, merely withdrawing from the contest would not be enough!
"So it should be!" Zhunti nodded with a smile. His face remained compassionate, yet a glint of sharpness flickered in his eyes.
Just as the two sides' auras were drawn taut like swords, Fuxi, who had been quietly observing the situation, slowly stepped forward.
Dao rhythm flowed naturally around him. He first nodded slightly to Di Jun and Taiyi, then cupped his hands toward Pure Yang Daoist in greeting.
"You are both fellow Daoists from Purple Sky Palace. A full-force clash would inevitably harm the harmony between us. How about deciding victory and defeat in three moves? That would reveal who is stronger while preserving our fellowship."
Starlight flowed through Di Jun's eyes as he readily added, "Fellow Daoist Fuxi speaks well. Let three moves be the limit, and let all fellow Daoists bear witness."
Taiyi snorted coldly. The Chaos Bell continued to hum, clearly indicating his tacit acceptance.
Pure Yang Daoist laughed heartily as Pure Yang Qi surged skyward.
"Since all fellow Daoists have settled it, I shall oblige!"
As soon as he spoke, Pure Yang Daoist raised his hand and summoned the Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler. Though this postnatal merit treasure lacked Innate Undying Spiritual Light, it contained supreme offensive power akin to the creation of heaven and earth.
The ruler cleaved down. Though it appeared plain and unadorned, the void along its path shattered inch by inch like a mirror. Carrying destruction in its purest extreme, it struck directly at the Chaos Bell!
Clang!!
A tremendous boom that shook the universe erupted!
The Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler's most powerful blow struck solidly against the streams of Chaos Qi descending from the Chaos Bell.
The collision of boundless forces forcibly knocked the Chaos Bell off course!
The Chaos Bell had been born innate, endlessly miraculous, capable of stabilizing Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and reestablishing the world. The Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler, meanwhile, had been forged from postnatal merit and served but a single purpose: offense.
Yet it was precisely this ultimate focus that made it seem a notch stronger than the Chaos Bell, an Innate Supreme Treasure, in terms of pure destructive power!
The aftershock of ruler and bell colliding swept outward. The sea of clouds overhead instantly evaporated, while ten thousand zhang of ground was shaved from the entire valley.
Taiyi's body trembled slightly, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes for the first time. He had clearly not expected the Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler in Pure Yang Daoist's hand to possess such fierce power.
"What a Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler! Now try the mysteries of my Chaos Bell once more!"
Before his words had faded, Taiyi changed his hand seal, no longer using the Chaos Bell to meet its edge head-on.
The small black-yellow bell hung high overhead, its chime suddenly turning distant and lingering. It was no longer a fierce impact, but transformed into wave after wave of invisible spatial ripples that rapidly spread in every direction.
Bell Suppresses the Universe!
With that Dao Sound cry, the Chaos Bell's power erupted. Rather than attacking the Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler, it enveloped the small area around Pure Yang Daoist!
In an instant, Pure Yang Daoist felt the space around him turn viscous and solid, as if he had sunk into an endless swamp. Even the circulation of the Pure Yang Qi around him became three parts sluggish.
This was the Chaos Bell's supreme marvel of suppressing primordial chaos and imprisoning space-time!
Pure Yang Daoist's expression hardened. He knew that if space completely imprisoned him, he would fall into an enormous disadvantage with the next strike.
He let out a long howl. The Pure Yang Qi erupting from above his head abruptly contracted, gathering at his fingertips before touching the Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler.
The ruler's radiance withdrew. Its cleaving momentum changed into a direct thrust, and a cold glint at its tip condensed the ultimate true intent of attack. Breaking through a surface with a single point, it fiercely pierced toward that frozen spatial barrier!
Hiss!
There was no earthshaking blast, only a piercing tearing sound.
The tip of the Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler violently clashed with the Chaos Bell's spatial binding force. That solidified space was actually pierced with a fine crack, as if it were lapis lazuli!
Just as everyone's attention was drawn to that world-shaking collision of the second move, a sudden change arose!
Jieyin and Zhunti, who had been standing by as spectators, transformed without warning into two streaks of golden light. Like fleeting glimmers, they each reached for one of the two treasure gourds on the rock wall that shone the brightest!
Their targets were clear, and their movements incomparably swift. They had plainly planned this all along.
Yet one person moved faster than they did!
It was Pure Yang Daoist, who had been confronting Taiyi head-on!
As Donghua's Good Corpse, he naturally possessed the realm of a Quasi-Saint. His stalemate with Taiyi had only been because he did not wish to reveal his strength.
At the very instant the two Westerners moved, Pure Yang Daoist reacted.
In that lightning-fast moment, Pure Yang Daoist remained calm in danger. With both hands, he unleashed two supreme Supernatural Abilities, displaying the astonishing cultivation he had kept hidden!
Pure Yang Daoist formed a sword finger with his left hand and pointed through the air toward Taiyi, shouting sharply:
Pure Yang Tribulation Light!
The Pure Yang Law resonated with the unseen punishments of the Heavenly Dao.
Boom!!
Above the nine heavens, no storm clouds gathered. Instead, a vast sea of brilliant blazing-white Pure Yang lightning appeared! The lightning was utterly firm and yang, resplendent as a great sun suspended in the sky, yet it contained the purest and most extreme will of destruction.
This was lightning that carried out heavenly punishment on behalf of the heavens. As his sword finger descended, endless golden-white divine lightning poured forth like the Heavenly River cascading down, like countless thunder dragons roaring as they attacked the Chaos Bell.
The lightning transformed into an endlessly flowing barrier, instantly meeting the oscillating waves of the Chaos Bell.
The tribulation light and bell waves collided with a deafening crash. Even the Chaos Qi capable of fixing Earth, Water, Fire, Wind in place was forcibly stalled for an instant by that utterly pure and silent tribulation light!
"You shameless wretches, how dare you act so! Go!"
The Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler flew from his hand, its power of merit erupting in full. Ignoring spatial shackles, it instantly appeared above Zhunti's head.
The ruler grew with the wind, becoming a gigantic ruler a thousand zhang long. Wrapped in supreme offensive might akin to the creation of heaven and earth, it descended upon Zhunti's head like heavenly punishment!
"You brat, how dare you look down on me!"
As Pure Yang Daoist made his move, Taiyi at the side also came to his senses, filled with both shock and fury!
He was shocked that the two Westerners would disregard all propriety and commit such petty thievery. But he was furious that East King Duke dared divide his attention so casually while fighting him for life and death, as though Taiyi did not even exist!
In his shock and rage, the Solar True Fire around Taiyi completely erupted. The Chaos Bell's chime shook the universe as, without holding anything back, he poured vast power toward Pure Yang Daoist like a sky-covering flood.
He would make this arrogant fool pay a painful price!
On the other side, before the ruler's edge even fell, its fierce killing intent had already made the back of Zhunti's head tighten!
At this critical moment, Zhunti's usual compassionate smile instantly vanished, replaced by solemn gravity.
He knew that this enraged blow from the Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler carried the might of a supreme treasure and was by no means easily blocked. If it struck him solidly, even his Dharma body would likely be damaged.
"Fellow Daoist, quell your anger!"
Before you continue