Zhao Gongming

Lei Xiao frowned slightly, mulling it over in secret.

This middle-aged man had concealed his aura. Though he appeared not to be fighting back, Bi Xiao's offensive was fierce, yet she had never managed to force him back even half a step. Clearly, he was deliberately stalling for time—or... waiting for something.

"Third Sister!"

Lei Xiao hesitated no longer. His body became a streak of violet lightning, and in an instant, he flashed to Bi Xiao's side, his gaze coldly locking onto the middle-aged man opposite them.

"Who are you? Why are you pestering my Third Sister?"

When the middle-aged man saw Lei Xiao suddenly appear, a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He sized Lei Xiao up, then cupped his hands slightly. "This humble Daoist is Zhao Gongming. Greetings, fellow Daoist."

Zhao Gongming?

Lei Xiao's pupils contracted slightly as a great deal of information about Zhao Gongming flashed through his mind.

He had been transformed from a wisp of clear breeze between Heaven and Earth, with a steady yet bold temperament. He was also the nominal elder brother of the three immortal maidens of Three Immortal Isles: Yun Xiao, Qiong Xiao, and Bi Xiao.

"Little Four, it's wonderful that you're all right." Seeing Lei Xiao return unharmed, Bi Xiao's face lit up with delight.

Lei Xiao nodded faintly and looked at Bi Xiao. "Why did you start fighting?"

After all, in the legends of the Investiture of the Gods, Zhao Gongming was the elder brother of the Three Xiao. Yet these two sides had started fighting upon their very first meeting?

"Little Four, you were being hunted by the Innate Yin-Yang Baleful Qi Flood Dragon. I was going to help you, but this fellow appeared from nowhere and stopped me, refusing to let me go help you." As Bi Xiao spoke, she shot Zhao Gongming another vicious glare.

Zhao Gongming looked entirely at ease. Smiling faintly, he said, "Fellow Daoist, please do not blame me. This humble Daoist did not mean to stop Fellow Daoist Bi Xiao. It was simply that the Innate Yin-Yang Baleful Qi Flood Dragon was a Zenith Heaven ferocious beast. Had Fellow Daoist Bi Xiao rashly acted, she might have been in danger."

Bi Xiao snorted, clearly unconvinced. "You stopped me from saving someone, and you still make it sound so nice! Luckily, Little Four was unharmed. Otherwise..."

Hearing this, Lei Xiao gave Zhao Gongming a measured once-over, a meaningful glint flashing through his eyes.

"Leave!"

Bi Xiao gave a cold snort. The Dragon-Phoenix Flute in her hand turned slightly, and the phantom dragon and phoenix circling her body let out low cries in response.

Zhao Gongming was not angered by this, nor did he immediately leave. He still wore a smile, though when his gaze fell upon Lei Xiao, it held a few more traces of scrutiny.

"For a fellow Daoist with Golden Immortal cultivation to escape from the Innate Yin-Yang Baleful Qi Flood Dragon is truly extraordinary. I wonder, that Innate Yin-Yang Baleful Qi Flood Dragon..."

"It's already dead."

Before Zhao Gongming could finish, Lei Xiao cut him off directly, his tone as calm as if he were mentioning some trifling matter.

"Dead?"

The smile on Zhao Gongming's face finally froze for an instant, and a trace of disbelief flashed through his eyes. His gaze swept back and forth over Lei Xiao, as if confirming whether this young junior was joking.

"You killed it?" he asked, his tone steeped in obvious doubt.

"No."

Lei Xiao shook his head, without any intention of explaining further. He merely said indifferently, "But it is indeed dead—dead cleanly and completely."

Zhao Gongming frowned, and faint ripples stirred in the immortal charm he had kept tightly contained.

After all, that had been a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal ferocious beast. It had just died like that?

Just then, a figure stepped out of the void.

"Greetings, Master—"

Upon seeing the newcomer, Lei Xiao and Bi Xiao hurriedly bowed respectfully.

That was right—the arrival was Tongtian.

Tongtian's gaze settled on Lei Xiao. Only after three breaths did he speak. "You have done very well."

Lei Xiao's heart tightened, and he quickly lowered his head in salute. "This disciple dare not accept such praise. It was all thanks to Master's protection. Had it not been for Master's sword, this disciple would already be dead."

That was the truth. Faced with the Innate Yin-Yang Baleful Qi Flood Dragon burning its origin, he had already been driven into a dead end.

"I did not expect Zhunti to be so shameless as to actually send a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal to attack you."

Tongtian's voice paused slightly before continuing. "However, your master has already avenged you. I severely wounded Zhunti. Under normal circumstances, he will need at least one yuanhui to fully recover."

One yuanhui—

Lei Xiao sucked in a cold breath.

That was one hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred years.

When Tongtian grew enraged, he was terrifying to such a degree!

This counted as avenging him.

"Greetings, Senior. Thank you, Senior, for saving us earlier." At the same time, Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

A trace of approval flashed through Tongtian's eyes, and his voice rang out, calm yet majestic.

"You are Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Xiao immediately took Qiong Xiao's hand and stepped forward. The two knelt together in midair and kowtowed respectfully. "Junior Yun Xiao (Qiong Xiao) greets Senior!"

Tongtian looked at Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao, both blessed with excellent aptitude, and nodded in satisfaction. "I am Tongtian, one of the Three Pure Ones.

Today, I see that your foundations are sound, your hearts are steadfast, and that you share fate with me. Are you willing to enter my sect and become my personal disciples?"

Personal disciples?!

Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao's bodies trembled violently, their faces filled with disbelief.

They recalled what Lei Xiao had said before. It seemed Lei Xiao had truly not deceived them.

Yun Xiao was the first to recover. Her eyes reddened slightly as she kowtowed heavily. "Disciple Yun Xiao is willing! This disciple pays respects to Teacher!"

Qiong Xiao followed right after. A rare trace of excitement appeared on her usually cool face. "Disciple Qiong Xiao pays respects to Teacher!"

Tongtian raised a hand in a virtual gesture of support. Two streams of clear qi lifted the pair, and he nodded faintly. "Good. From this day onward, you two are personal disciples of my Intercepting Sect."

Once he finished speaking, Tongtian did not hold anything back. He separately passed the Nine-Turn Primordial Essence Art on to the two of them.

"Thank you, Teacher!" Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao said in unison, unable to suppress the joy in their voices.

At that moment, Zhao Gongming, standing to one side, suddenly spoke. "Disciple Zhao Gongming seeks the Dao wholeheartedly. I ask Senior to accept me as a disciple."

Tongtian looked at Zhao Gongming and pondered briefly. "You and I also share the fate of master and disciple. However, I do not intend to accept any more personal disciples at present. If you are willing, I will take you as a registered disciple."

Rather than being disappointed, Zhao Gongming was overjoyed. He immediately knelt and kowtowed. "This disciple is willing! This disciple pays respects to Teacher!"

Tongtian nodded slightly and swept his wide sleeve. A gentle immortal force lifted Zhao Gongming to his feet.

"Lei Xiao."

"This disciple is here."

"Take out the corpse of the Innate Yin-Yang Baleful Qi Flood Dragon."

Upon hearing this, Lei Xiao did not hesitate in the slightest. With a thought, the enormous corpse of a flood dragon, as massive as a mountain range, appeared suspended in the sky above the East Sea.

Though it had been dead for quite some time, the corpse of the Innate Yin-Yang Baleful Qi Flood Dragon still emanated a terrifying pressure that made hearts tremble. The black-red Sha Qi winding around it seemed capable of corroding even the surrounding space.

Tongtian swept his gaze over the corpse of the Innate Yin-Yang Baleful Qi Flood Dragon and nodded in satisfaction.

"Qiong Xiao, Bi Xiao, Lei Xiao, the three of you already possess innate spirit treasures. I intend to use the body of this Innate Yin-Yang Baleful Qi Flood Dragon, together with a strand of Yin-Yang Demon God origin I obtained in my early years, to refine an innate spirit treasure and bestow it upon Yun Xiao. Do the three of you have any objections?"