Compensation

Seeing Bai Jing fly back carrying Zhunti, who had only half his body left, Treasure-Splitting Cliff instantly fell silent.

Before today, most of the great powers at Zixiao Palace had not known Bai Jing. But after Bai Jing cleanly and decisively defeated Zhunti, his name was deeply etched into their hearts.

"Big Brother, Bai Jing's methods are formidable. He defeated Zhunti so easily—should we try to win him over?" Taiyi transmitted.

"We certainly should win him over. But Bai Jing is clearly rather close to the Witch Clan. Let's wait until after I have paid the Witch Clan a visit."

Taiyi nodded to show that he understood.

While the Demon Race was considering how to win Bai Jing over, Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi were discussing how Bai Jing had broken through the Seven-Treasure Wonderful Tree's radiant glow. The Seven-Treasure Wonderful Tree was said to brush away all things—why had it failed against Bai Jing?

At first, Zhenyuanzi could not puzzle it out no matter how he thought. But when he saw that there was no mana fluctuation around Bai Jing, and that Bai Jing was instead ceaselessly absorbing the spiritual energy around him, his eyes suddenly lit up. "Fellow Daoist Hongyun, do you think it is possible that Bai Jing is following the path of attaining the Dao through laws?"

"Attaining the Dao through laws? Fellow Daoist, do you mean Bai Jing used the World-Purifying White Lotus's Dao of purification to purify the Seven-Treasure Wonderful Tree's radiant glow?"

Zhenyuanzi shook his head. "What Bai Jing cultivates should not be the Dao of purification, but the Dao of devouring. It is very likely that he directly devoured the Seven-Treasure Wonderful Tree's radiant glow."

"What! The Dao of devouring! Isn't he transformed from the World-Purifying White Lotus? Even if he wanted to prove the Dao through force, shouldn't it be the Dao of purification?"

"That, I do not know."

Meanwhile, the Three Pure Ones were discussing the ruler in Bai Jing's hand.

"Big Brother, the ruler in Fellow Daoist Bai Jing's hand appears to be the postcelestial merit supreme treasure, the Primordial Measure of Heaven Ruler!" Tongtian transmitted to Laozi.

"That is indeed the Primordial Measure of Heaven Ruler. Moreover, Fellow Daoist Bai Jing seems quite compatible with it. This ruler is very likely, like my Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Exquisite Pagoda, Fellow Daoist Bai Jing's accompanying treasure. He truly has an affinity with us Three Pure Ones!" Laozi said.

"Big Brother speaks wisely. Fellow Daoist Bai Jing was transformed from the World-Purifying White Lotus and shares the same root and origin as the treasures we obtained from the twenty-fourth-grade Creation Green Lotus. Of the only two postcelestial merit supreme treasures in heaven and earth, one is Big Brother's accompanying spiritual treasure, while the other belongs to Fellow Daoist Bai Jing. Added to that, Bai Jing is also proficient in the Dao of artifact refining. No matter how one looks at it, Fellow Daoist Bai Jing has an affinity with us Three Pure Ones," Yuanshi Tianzun echoed.

"Since there is affinity, we should interact more often in the future."

Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian both nodded in agreement.

The scene returned to Bai Jing and Houtu.

After Bai Jing returned carrying Zhunti's half-body, Jieyin and Houtu stopped fighting at the same time.

Houtu looked at Bai Jing with a complicated expression. She felt that she could defeat Zhunti as well, but she knew that she could not defeat him so cleanly and decisively.

"Fellow Daoist Bai Jing, you truly gave me a tremendous surprise!"

Bai Jing smiled. "I merely relied on the advantage of my treasures. I must also thank Fellow Daoist Houtu for holding Jieyin back. Otherwise, I could not have focused on dealing with Zhunti."

"Even without me, these two likely could not have done anything to you, could they?"

Bai Jing shook his head. He knew exactly what he was capable of.

Either of the Western pair was no match for Bai Jing in a one-on-one fight. But if he fought two against one, the slightest carelessness could see the boat capsize in a gutter.

"How does Fellow Daoist Bai Jing intend to deal with Zhunti?" Houtu glanced at Jieyin and asked with a faintly amused smile.

Only then did Jieyin seem to awaken from a dream. "Fellow Daoist Bai Jing, my junior brother and I were too rash in this matter. Please, for our teacher's sake, show mercy and spare us brothers this once."

When the great powers of Treasure-Splitting Cliff heard Jieyin invoke the Dao Ancestor, they all turned to look at Bai Jing. They wanted to know how Bai Jing would handle this matter.

Bai Jing smiled. "Naturally, I must give the Dao Ancestor face. However, I also suffered some injuries while fighting Fellow Daoist Zhunti. Since the two of you are in the wrong, should you not offer some compensation?"

As he spoke, Bai Jing even put on a show and coughed twice.

To be honest, Bai Jing neither could nor dared to kill Zhunti. Zhunti was a heaven-ordained Saint; if he killed Zhunti, neither Hongjun nor the Heavenly Dao would let him off.

Therefore, the best choice was to use Zhunti to obtain some benefits.

"What compensation does Fellow Daoist desire?" Jieyin asked in a deep voice.

"I am quite interested in Fellow Daoist's twelve-grade Merit Golden Lotus."

"That is impossible!" Without even thinking, Jieyin refused. From the moment he obtained the twelve-grade Merit Golden Lotus, he had known that this golden lotus bore an immense karmic connection to the rise of the West. It absolutely could not be handed over to Bai Jing.

"Is Fellow Daoist not afraid that I will kill Fellow Daoist Zhunti?"

Jieyin was no fool. Expressionlessly, he said, "If Fellow Daoist intended to kill him, you would have acted long ago."

"Fellow Daoist saw through me. Yes, I indeed do not dare kill him. After all, the two of you are the Dao Ancestor's registered disciples. But what if I suppress Fellow Daoist Zhunti for several dozen epochs? Surely the Dao Ancestor would not trouble me over such a trivial matter?"

Jieyin fell silent.

After a long while, Jieyin finally gritted his teeth and said, "Giving you the twelve-grade Merit Golden Lotus is impossible. At most, I can give you the six lotus seeds upon it."

"Is Fellow Daoist Zhunti worth so little?"

"Then what else do you want?"

"How about this? Of the spiritual treasures the two of you obtain from Treasure-Splitting Cliff shortly, let me choose one first. I have a feeling that among the spiritual treasures you obtain, there will also be one that has an affinity with me."

Bai Jing's words were truly a blade that killed and pierced the heart. Jieyin's face had already darkened like the bottom of a pot.

Yet circumstances were stronger than people. Jieyin could only grit his teeth and agree.

Then the two sides exchanged payment and goods at the same time. Bai Jing received six Merit Golden Lotus seeds and casually tossed Zhunti to Jieyin.

With Jieyin's help, Zhunti swiftly restored his physical body.

Zhunti, whose tone had been so arrogant just moments ago, no longer dared entertain any other thoughts. Together with Jieyin, he reached toward Treasure-Splitting Cliff and scooped.

The two of them pulled out a total of thirty-seven spiritual treasures. Bai Jing swept his gaze over them. These treasures were mainly low-grade innate spiritual treasures; there were only three high-grade innate spiritual treasures, and not a single supreme-grade one.

Bai Jing did not stand on ceremony. He directly took the bead-shaped treasure among the three high-grade innate spiritual treasures.

The moment the spiritual treasure entered his hand, Bai Jing knew what it was.

It turned out to be the Wood Spirit Pearl, one of the Innate Five-Element Pearls. Placing this pearl into the Source-Yang Cauldron could enhance the cauldron's ability to nourish all things.

Bai Jing nodded in satisfaction. After casually sending the Wood Spirit Pearl and the six Merit Golden Lotus seeds he had obtained earlier into the Source-Yang Cauldron, he said with a smile, "Many thanks to you both, Fellow Daoists. This pearl truly has an affinity with me."

Jieyin and Zhunti responded with dark faces, then directly turned and flew away.