Di Jun was greatly startled and shouted, "What's going on?!"
The Hall of High Heavens could not possibly have collapsed on its own. It had surely been caused by an outside force.
The other high-ranking members of the Demon Clan were also terrified. Had the Witch Clan launched a full-scale attack?
Then Styx's voice rang out. "Di Jun, if you pull another little stunt like this next time, it won't just be bricks and tiles from the Hall of High Heavens hitting the ground!"
Di Jun's face turned black as ink!
Styx was slapping him in the face!
Styx did not care what Di Jun thought.
If Di Jun truly dared to keep targeting him, Styx would absolutely risk being drawn into the calamity and teach him a brutal lesson.
Rather than swallowing his anger and waiting until Di Jun and the others died in the Witch-Demon Calamity before settling accounts with the Demon Clan, Styx would rather beat Di Jun and the others so badly that they would never dare scheme against him again!
After destroying the Hall of High Heavens, Styx headed west across the Primordial Wilderness.
Traveling from the Eastern Lands to the Western Lands was like going from a wealthy district to a slum.
The entire Western Lands were almost completely barren. No spiritual roots or spiritual herbs grew there, and even the spiritual qi was far thinner than in the Eastern Lands.
Only atop a lofty Divine Mountain on the western continent was there somewhat denser spiritual qi.
That was Mount Sumeru, where Jie Yin and Zhun Ti resided.
This had originally been Devil Ancestor Rahula's cultivation grounds. It was precisely because of that that Rahula's self-destruction had not affected this place, so Jie Yin and Zhun Ti had established their own cultivation grounds here.
Styx made his way toward Mount Sumeru. Only upon reaching its foot did he discover that Jie Yin and Zhun Ti had been waiting there for quite some time.
Jie Yin said, "Fellow Daoist Styx, please come in so we may speak."
Styx was not afraid that the two would try anything. He nodded and stepped into Mount Sumeru.
Styx's open and forthright manner instead surprised Jie Yin and Zhun Ti.
To dare enter with such little guard, one either had an overly simple mind or absolute confidence in one's strength.
The two believed Styx was the latter.
Jie Yin and Zhun Ti led Styx to a crude bamboo hut, where the three sat around a stone table.
Zhun Ti got straight to the point. "Fellow Daoist Styx, how should the karma between us be settled?"
Zhun Ti was so polite because of Styx's strength.
Had Styx not displayed such formidable power, Jie Yin and Zhun Ti probably would never have considered settling their karma.
They might even have sought a way to kill Styx in secret, turning the karma between them into an uncollectible debt.
Styx did not waste words and said directly, "I want the Twelfth Grade Merit Golden Lotus!"
The moment Zhun Ti heard this, displeasure appeared on his face. "Fellow Daoist Styx, that is far too greedy! How could the karma between us possibly be worth repaying with a Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure?"
Moreover, this was no ordinary Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. The Twelfth Grade Merit Golden Lotus could be called the finest among Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures.
They had only just received this treasure from Hongjun and had not even had time to enjoy it before Styx wanted to take it away. This was outright extortion!
Jie Yin had yet to speak, but from his expression, Styx could tell that he agreed with Zhun Ti.
Styx did not waste words either. With a sweep of his sleeve, ten spiritual treasures appeared before them.
"Ten spiritual treasures, along with the settlement of karma between us, in exchange for the Twelfth Grade Merit Golden Lotus!"
Styx was determined to obtain the Merit Golden Lotus, so he could not be bothered wasting time with Jie Yin and Zhun Ti.
These ten spiritual treasures had all come from Treasure Distribution Rock. Their grades were not high, all of them being low- or mid-grade.
They were useless to Styx. Even if he bestowed them upon his subordinates, he would find it embarrassing, so he might as well give them to Jie Yin and Zhun Ti.
The two seemed not to have obtained many spiritual treasures from Treasure Distribution Rock. At the sight of these ten treasures, they could not hide the longing in their eyes!
Zhun Ti's eyes rolled as he recalled that Styx had obtained dozens upon dozens of spiritual treasures from Treasure Distribution Rock. He then said, "Fellow Daoist Styx, this Merit Golden Lotus is a Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure!"
The meaning was clear: it was not enough; Styx had to offer more!
Indeed, Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures were incomparably precious. Ten low- and mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures could not compare to a single Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.
But one must not forget that Styx's offer included not only those ten spiritual treasures, but also the settlement of karma.
Though he possessed many spiritual treasures, that did not mean Zhun Ti could raise the price however he wished.
Styx directly brought out No Sword and slapped it onto the stone table. "How about this Connate Supreme Treasure?"
Zhun Ti shuddered and immediately shut his mouth.
Styx clearly did not mean to trade the Connate Supreme Treasure for the Merit Golden Lotus. He was warning them: accept the deal, or fight!
Jie Yin fell into a dilemma.
To be honest, if Styx had not offered any spiritual treasures and instead insisted on taking it by force, Jie Yin would certainly never have agreed.
He would not have hesitated to fight.
But Styx had offered ten spiritual treasures, and his softened attitude instead made Jie Yin feel that this deal was not a loss.
Still, he said, "Fellow Daoist Styx, the Merit Golden Lotus is of great importance. Master once bestowed upon us a strand of Primordial Purple Qi and told us that after attaining sainthood, we were to use the Merit Golden Lotus to suppress our fortune. Now, this..."
Jie Yin's words were quite intriguing.
He first said that the Merit Golden Lotus was of great importance, meaning it could be traded, but not so easily.
He then mentioned that Hongjun had bestowed Primordial Purple Qi upon the two of them and that they were to use the Merit Golden Lotus to suppress their fortune after attaining sainthood.
On one hand, he was using Hongjun to pressure Styx. On the other, he was reminding Styx that they could attain sainthood in the future, so he should not offend them beyond repair. Thus, the trade could be made, but Styx had to produce a treasure with enough weight for them to use in suppressing their fortune.
But Styx directly ignored the hidden meaning in their words, and his tone turned cold. "Zhun Ti's East Azure Lotus Precious Color Flag can also suppress fortune!"
He should never have yielded from the beginning, sparing Jie Yin and Zhun Ti from pushing their luck now!
Hearing Styx's firm refusal, Jie Yin could only sigh in the end. So be it!
He took out the Merit Golden Lotus and handed it to Styx.
"Then this item shall be given to you, Fellow Daoist."
Styx accepted the Merit Golden Lotus, and the ten spiritual treasures flew into Jie Yin and Zhun Ti's hands.
With the transaction complete, Styx did not remain any longer and immediately flew back to the Blood Sea.
Zhun Ti watched Styx depart and asked, "Senior Brother, if we had joined forces just now and used Mount Sumeru's Mountain Defense Array, we would definitely have had a chance to suppress Styx. Why, then..."
Jie Yin shook his head. "Styx is definitely not so simple. Since he dared come here alone, he must have other trump cards. If we acted rashly and failed, we might both face the danger of death."
Zhun Ti said in astonishment, "How is that possible? Master gave us a strand of Primordial Purple Qi and even said that you and I might attain sainthood!"
"Do not forget that Styx also has Primordial Purple Qi! Though Master did not promise that he could attain sainthood, since he dared refuse to take Master as his teacher back then, he must surely have absolute confidence in attaining sainthood."
If Styx could attain sainthood, then their prospects of attaining sainthood would not be enough to intimidate him.
After all, they had only one strand of Primordial Purple Qi, so only one of them could attain sainthood.
Seeing Zhun Ti saddened over losing a Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, Jie Yin comforted him.
"Do not worry. No matter how strong Styx is, he is only one man. If we plan carefully in the future, there may yet come a day when we reclaim the Merit Golden Lotus."
Zhun Ti also felt that this made sense.
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