Three Xiao Reject Zhao Gongming

"I have no objections."

Lei Xiao, Qiong Xiao, and Bi Xiao showed no hesitation whatsoever as they spoke in unison.

A flicker of surprise passed through Yun Xiao's eyes. She then stepped forward and said softly, "Master has shown me such favor. This disciple is deeply grateful, but..."

"Third Sister, since Master wants to refine a treasure for you, just accept it. Second Sister, Third Sister, and I already have our own innate spirit treasures. This one is most suitable for Eldest Sister."

After speaking, Lei Xiao looked at Tongtian with some confusion. "Master, aren't innate spirit treasures all naturally conceived by the heavens? Can they also be refined after the fact?"

"Under normal circumstances, they cannot."

Tongtian shook his head slightly before continuing, "But everything has exceptions. For instance, if one can obtain the embryo of an innate spirit treasure, one can refine an innate spirit treasure afterward."

Hearing this, Lei Xiao could not help thinking of the Innate Gourd Vine. The seven innate gourds borne by the Innate Gourd Vine should all have been embryos of innate spirit treasures. After being obtained by various great powers and supplemented with all manner of heavenly materials and earthly treasures, they became innate spirit treasures such as Red Cloud's Nine-Nine Soul-Dispelling Gourd and Lu Ya's Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger.

The corpse of the Innate Yin-Yang Baleful Qi Flood Dragon before them should likewise have been an embryo of an innate spirit treasure.

After a pause, Tongtian added, "King of the East is preaching on Purple Abode Island. He once invited me, but I have no time. You shall go in my stead."

Had he not appeared in the East Sea, it would have been one thing. But now that he had appeared in the East Sea, King of the East had surely sensed his aura. It truly would not do for him not to go.

Yet King of the East harbored no small ambitions, and he did not wish to become entangled in them. Sending several of his disciples would also be considered giving him face.

Moreover, his previous battle with Zhunti had drained him considerably. He needed to enter seclusion and recover.

"Yes—"

Lei Xiao, the Three Xiao, and Zhao Gongming all respectfully bowed to Tongtian.

Tongtian nodded slightly and tapped the void five times with his finger. Five strands of Sword Qi entered the bodies of the five of them respectively.

"I have left a strand of Sword Qi within each of your bodies. This Sword Qi can severely wound an ordinary early-stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. At a critical moment, it may save your lives."

"Thank you, Master!"

The five thanked him in unison, each sensing the dormant strand of Sword Qi within their body.

Though that Sword Qi was only a single strand, it was incomparably sharp. Faintly, it even carried a hint of the essence of the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation, making no one dare underestimate it.

Tongtian gave a slight nod. His gaze swept over them before finally settling on Yun Xiao's face.

"You are the eldest sister. You will lead this journey. Cultivators from all sides will gather on Purple Abode Island, and there will inevitably be those eager to compete. You need not yield at every turn, but do not take the initiative to stir up trouble either."

Yun Xiao curtsied. "This disciple will remember."

"King of the East is a man with no small ambitions."

Tongtian stood with his hands behind his back, gazing toward the distant stretch of sea where purple qi vaguely rose in the far reaches of the East Sea. His tone was calm.

"Do not become too deeply entangled with him. Otherwise, if you are swept into the great calamity, even I will not be able to save you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Tongtian waved his hand, and the corpse of the Innate Yin-Yang Baleful Qi Flood Dragon vanished. Immediately afterward, Tongtian also disappeared from where he stood.

On an uninhabited island, Tongtian's face was pale, and he no longer maintained the lofty bearing he had displayed before.

"I never expected that striking that sword would consume so much, and it even caused me backlash. Without ten thousand years, I fear I will find it difficult to recover completely. Still, Zhunti is in an even worse state than I am. If he dares lay hands on my disciples, he must pay the price."

With a wave of his hand, forty-nine low-grade innate spirit roots appeared around him, forming a prehistoric version of a Spirit-Gathering Array.

Innate spirit roots could already draw innate spiritual qi from the depths of space. With the enhancement of the prehistoric version of the Spirit-Gathering Array, the speed at which they drew innate spiritual qi from the depths of the void instantly increased a thousandfold.

The reason this island held no living creatures was that its innate spiritual qi was thin. But after Tongtian set up the prehistoric version of the Spirit-Gathering Array, the innate spiritual qi across the entire island grew denser at a visible rate.

Especially around Tongtian, the rich innate spiritual qi transformed into visible spiritual mist, converging toward the center of the island like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.

Tongtian sat cross-legged at the heart of the array, allowing the vast spiritual qi to wash over his damaged Dao foundation.

At the same time.

"Zhao Gongming greets Senior Sister Yun Xiao, Senior Sister Qiong Xiao, Senior Sister Bi Xiao, and Senior Brother Lei Xiao."

Zhao Gongming bowed to Lei Xiao and the Three Xiao. Although his cultivation was higher, Lei Xiao and the Three Xiao were Tongtian's personal disciples, while Zhao Gongming was merely a registered disciple.

This was the gap in their status.

Lei Xiao's gaze fell upon Zhao Gongming, and a strange glint flashed through his eyes.

This man had originally been meant to be the Three Xiao's elder brother, and their bond should have been deep. In later generations, the Three Xiao would enter the Investiture of the Gods List to avenge him.

But because of his appearance, under the butterfly effect, the Three Xiao had become Tongtian's personal disciples while Zhao Gongming was merely a registered disciple. He even had to address the Three Xiao as senior sisters.

Just as Lei Xiao was about to speak, Bi Xiao gave a cold snort first.

"Zhao Gongming, stay away from us from now on. I still have not settled the score with you for stopping me from saving Little Four."

"Junior Sister Bi Xiao is right to reprimand me."

Zhao Gongming's body stiffened slightly at her words, and a trace of bitter helplessness flashed across his face.

"I truly did not think things through earlier and nearly caused a great disaster. But I was also concerned for Senior Sister's safety. That Innate Yin-Yang Baleful Qi Flood Dragon had gone mad with ferocity. If Senior Sister had..."

"Zhao Gongming, you do not need to concern yourself with my affairs." Bi Xiao coldly cut him off.

When Lei Xiao had lured the Innate Yin-Yang Baleful Qi Flood Dragon away alone, she had truly been terrified. After all, Lei Xiao was only a Golden Immortal, while the Innate Yin-Yang Baleful Qi Flood Dragon possessed the cultivation of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. Calling it a situation of certain death with no chance of survival would not have been an exaggeration.

She had wanted to help Lei Xiao, but Zhao Gongming had appeared from nowhere and insisted on stopping her.

It was precisely because of this that Bi Xiao deeply disliked Zhao Gongming. At this moment, she gave him no pleasant expression at all.

Bi Xiao's retort left Zhao Gongming speechless. He could not help looking toward Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao, hoping they would speak a fair word on his behalf.

Yet Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao remained silent, as though they had not seen Zhao Gongming's pleading gaze at all.

To be honest, neither of them had much goodwill toward Zhao Gongming either.

Zhao Gongming was not weak. If he had not stopped Bi Xiao earlier, but instead gone with her to help Lei Xiao, he might already have earned their approval.

Moreover, they had not known Zhao Gongming before, yet he had suddenly jumped out under the pretext of acting for their sake. It was truly rather abnormal.

Lei Xiao looked at the somewhat awkward scene before him and sighed inwardly.

It was not as though Zhao Gongming bore any malicious intent.

Naturally, he knew Zhao Gongming's background—this man was originally destined to share a sibling bond with the Three Xiao. It was probably because of that bond that Zhao Gongming had stepped out to stop Bi Xiao from "throwing her life away."

"Now that we are fellow disciples, let us not dwell on what happened before. Master has given his command, so we should head for Purple Abode Island as soon as possible," Lei Xiao said.