Laozi invited him to battle, but Bei Ming showed no fear. His aura rose steadily. "If Senior Brother wishes to fight, I will gladly oblige.
"I have long heard that the Three Pure Ones are one. Will Senior Brother face me alone, or will all three senior brothers take the field together?"
Laozi maintained an archaic, steady bearing. His goal was to establish the authority of the Senior Brother, so naturally, he would not bully the few with numbers in this battle.
"Since this is a discussion of the Dao, it shall be a contest between you and me."
As soon as he spoke, the auras between the two instantly intertwined. The East Sea, which had only just calmed, shook once more.
Tongtian furrowed his brows and looked toward Yuanshi, asking in a low voice,
"Second brother, Eldest Brother has always been calm and steady. Why does he insist on fighting Fellow Daoist Beiming now?"
Yuanshi pulled him along, taking Tongtian and Nüwa farther away to clear the field.
"Eldest Brother has actually wanted to test himself against Bei Ming for a long time. He was merely waiting for a suitable pretext and did not wish to start a fight rashly."
Tongtian still looked puzzled. "It is perfectly normal for fellow Daoists to exchange ideas. What need is there to wait for the right opportunity?
"Besides, he started this conflict over Queen Mother of the West's Pure Water Bowl? Isn't that making a mountain out of a molehill?"
Nüwa also stopped, a thoughtful gleam flashing through her eyes as she spoke.
"No matter how I look at it, Senior Brother would not covet a mere Pure Water Bowl enough to drag Bei Ming into a fight.
"However, Senior Brother Yuanshi, you seem to have already understood the crux of the