Suppressing Kunpeng, Blackmailing Taiyi

After obtaining a branch of the Fusang Tree, Dao Xuan immediately rose to take his leave. Dijun tried several more times to persuade Dao Xuan to stay and watch the Demon Tribe's upcoming ceremony to establish the Heavenly Court.

But Dao Xuan claimed he had urgent matters to attend to and had to leave. Dijun could only let him go.

After leaving the Thirty-Three Heavens, Dao Xuan did not return to the Primordial Land or head back to the Eastern Sea. Instead, he flew toward the starry sky above the Thirty-Three Heavens.

He was going to obtain a branch from the Moon Laurel Tree.

At the same time, Dao Xuan remained secretly wary. Although his meeting with Dijun and Taiyi had appeared cordial, with the host and guest both enjoying themselves, he had obtained a branch of the Fusang Tree while Dijun had gained a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure gourd.

Dao Xuan had nonetheless sensed a faintly ominous aura. It was purely an instinctive feeling.

There was no reason for it, but Dao Xuan was extremely vigilant. After all, there were not many genuinely kind people in the Primordial World, and Dijun and Taiyi had nothing whatsoever to do with such "good people."

Thus, after thinking it over, Dao Xuan felt that the two brothers might be planning to make a move against him.

Unless forced to, Dao Xuan did not wish to fight anyone. But if someone came looking for trouble, he was not afraid of anyone either.

So what if it was Dijun? So what if it was Taiyi? So what if they were the protagonists of this Calamity Cycle?

Killing intent stirred within Dao Xuan's heart.

On this day, Dao Xuan had already entered the starry sky and was about to fly toward the Lunar Star.

Suddenly, Dao Xuan's mind tensed. A violent sense of dread swept over him, as though life and death would be decided in an instant.

When he looked up, he saw an azure Kun fish floating amid the boundless galaxy. Its body stretched for countless billions of miles, its eyes as bright as the Lunar Star and Solar Star. It opened its huge mouth and inhaled fiercely, and Dao Xuan was helplessly sucked into its belly.

The giant Kun rapidly shrank and abruptly transformed into a Daoist dressed in a gray robe. The Daoist chuckled. "His Eastern Majesty was far too cautious. He said Dao Xuan was highly capable and ordered me to go all out, but now it seems he is nothing much after all!"

"Once he enters my belly, he is as good as dead. I would like to see what he has on him that is worth His Eastern Majesty's attention."

As soon as he said this, the gray-robed Daoist's expression changed. He blurted out, "Impossible!"

Realizing something was wrong, the Daoist was about to revert to his true form when, accompanied by a cold snort, azure, red, yellow, and black light swept down upon him from all directions.

Before the Daoist could transform, he was already swept into the light. At that moment, another figure appeared in the starry sky. Who else could it be but Dao Xuan?

As for the gray-robed Daoist, he had already been suppressed within the Four-Colored Divine Light behind Dao Xuan.

The powers of Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind revolved endlessly, reinforced by Dao Xuan's secret suppression using the power of his Inner World.

It could only be said that not only this gray-robed Daoist—even if Dijun or Taiyi fell within it, they would be suppressed.

The power of the Four-Colored Divine Light was now incomparably close to Kong Xuan's fully matured Five-Colored Divine Light during the Investiture of the Gods.

Unless one was a Saint, there was no escaping it!

Still, Dao Xuan had not expected that the one who had come to ambush him would be Demon Teacher Daoist Kunpeng.

If he had not been prepared beforehand, and if the one traveling outside had not merely been a phantom body he created, then once he was sucked in by Kunpeng's great divine ability, Swallowing Heaven and Devouring Earth, escaping would truly have been difficult.

Only by exposing his trump card of World-Proving Dao would he have had a chance of breaking through Kunpeng's inner world and escaping.

But now he had outmaneuvered Kunpeng. He first let Kunpeng believe that he had swallowed him, then used the Four-Colored Divine Light to instantly turn defeat into victory, capturing and suppressing Kunpeng.

Within the Four-Colored Divine Light, Kunpeng was extremely restless. At times he transformed into the azure Kun fish from before, and at others into a Roc with glittering golden wings. Yet he could never break open the Four-Colored Divine Light. As his mana gradually weakened, his chances of escape became even slimmer.

Dao Xuan ignored him and stood atop a small star. He said, "I wonder whether it was Brother Dijun or Brother Taiyi who arranged for the Demon Teacher to pursue and kill me after I left the Thirty-Three Heavens."

"If I had not been the more skilled, I would have been digested by the Demon Teacher into a pile of filth by now! So, Brothers, will you not show yourselves? Must I truly kill the Demon Teacher?"

"Alas!"

With a sigh, a Daoist stepped out from the distant void. Wearing a crown and golden imperial robes, he was dressed like an emperor. Who else could it be but Taiyi?

Holding the Chaos Bell, Taiyi walked toward Dao Xuan and said, "Fellow Daoist Dao Xuan, do not be angry. It was merely a joke."

Dao Xuan did not accept that excuse. His gaze turned cold, and killing intent spread from his body. "A joke?"

"Fellow Daoist, that is not how jokes are made!"

Taiyi also knew the situation had turned bad. He had originally believed that even if Kunpeng failed, Dao Xuan would at most escape. But how could he have expected that Kunpeng would not only fail, but be captured as well?

He had actually been seized in a single move!

Dao Xuan now had a hostage, leaving Taiyi at a disadvantage in every regard.

Taiyi began to regret it. Had he known this would happen, he should have listened to his elder brother and let Dao Xuan leave.

But it was too late for regret now.

"Then what will it take for you to let this matter pass and release the Demon Teacher?" Taiyi asked helplessly.

"Easy enough."

Dao Xuan smiled. "I have heard that there are three great spiritual roots in the starry sky. Apart from the Fusang Tree, there are also the Moon Laurel Tree and the Starfruit Tree."

"Could I trouble you, Fellow Daoist, to obtain a branch from each of those two great spiritual roots for me as well?"

It turned out that Dao Xuan's journey, though it appeared to be aimed at the Lunar Star, had long been calculated.

During his trip to the Thirty-Three Heavens, he had already speculated where the Starfruit Tree might grow.

Without question, the most suitable place was the Thirty-Three Heavens.

Thus, if Dijun and Taiyi did not come to pursue him, so be it. But if they truly came, he would fight them and find a way to demand a branch of the Starfruit Tree from them.

What Dao Xuan had not expected was that it would be neither Dijun nor Taiyi who acted, but Kunpeng, the Demon Teacher.

But that changed nothing. Suppressing Kunpeng and using him to threaten Taiyi would work just as well.

At these words, Taiyi's heart sank. Looking at Dao Xuan, he asked, "Fellow Daoist Dao Xuan, what exactly do you intend to do with branches from these three great spiritual roots?"

"Could it be that you wish to cultivate new versions of the three great spiritual roots?"

Dao Xuan smiled calmly, unruffled. Such a thought from Taiyi was perfectly normal, and it was indeed what he intended.

"What I use them for is not something you need concern yourself with. You should go obtain them for me as soon as possible. After all, I do not have the patience to wait too long. If you cannot bring me branches from those two great spiritual roots within ten days, then..." Dao Xuan continued threatening him.

"It will not take ten days!" Taiyi interrupted Dao Xuan. "Wait for my return."

With that, Taiyi moved and transformed into a streak of fire, flying toward the Thirty-Three Heavens beneath the starry sky.

Watching Taiyi depart, Dao Xuan secretly nodded. Although his Near and Far Apart was formidable,

there were also many remarkable escape techniques in the Primordial World. Taiyi's Golden Crow Rainbow Flight, for instance, was one of the most renowned.