After obtaining a branch from the Fusang Tree, Dao Xuan immediately rose to take his leave. Dijun tried several times to persuade him to stay and watch the upcoming ceremony in which the Demon Tribe would establish the Heavenly Court.
But Dao Xuan claimed he had important matters to attend to and had to leave, so 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 on guard. Although his meeting with Dijun and Taiyi had appeared cordial, with cups raised and both host and guest enjoying themselves—he had obtained a Fusang Tree branch, while Dijun had acquired a Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure gourd—
Dao Xuan had sensed something unsettling. It was simply an intuition that had arisen in his heart.
There was no reason for it, yet Dao Xuan remained extremely vigilant. After all, there were not many truly kind people in the Primordial World, and Dijun and Taiyi had nothing whatsoever to do with being "kind people."
The more he thought about it, the more Dao Xuan felt that the two brothers might be planning to make a move against him.
Unless absolutely necessary, Dao Xuan did not wish to fight others. But if someone came looking for trouble, he was not afraid of anyone.
So what if it was Dijun? So what if it was Taiyi? So what if they were the protagonists of this Calamity Cycle?
A trace of killing intent had already stirred in Dao Xuan's heart.
That day, Dao Xuan had arrived in the starry sky and was about to fly toward the Lunar Star.
Suddenly, his mind tensed. An intense, overwhelming sense of dread swept over him, making him feel as though life and death would be decided in an instant.
When he looked up, he saw a hazy blue kun fish floating amid the boundless river of stars. Its body stretched for countless billions of miles, and its eyes shone as brightly as the Lunar Star and Solar Star. It opened its massive mouth and inhaled fiercely, and Dao Xuan was helplessly sucked into its belly.
The great kun rapidly shrank, suddenly transforming into a Daoist dressed in a gray robe. The Daoist chuckled. "His Eastern Majesty is far too cautious. He said Dao Xuan was incredibly capable and told me to go all out, but it seems he is nothing special after all!"
"Once he enters my belly, he is as good as dead. I would like to see what he possesses that has even His Eastern Majesty so concerned."
Just as he said this, the gray-robed Daoist's expression suddenly changed. He blurted out, "Impossible!"
Realizing that something was wrong, the Daoist was about to revert to his true form. Yet at that moment, accompanied by a cold snort, blue, red, yellow, and black light surged down upon him from all directions.
Before the Daoist could transform, he had already been swept into the light. Then 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 circulated endlessly, while Dao Xuan secretly reinforced them with the power of his Inner World.
It could only be said that not only this gray-robed Daoist—even if Dijun or Taiyi had fallen inside, they would have been suppressed.
The current might of the Four-Colored Divine Light was already incomparably close to Kong Xuan's fully developed Five-Colored Divine Light during the Investiture of the Gods.
Unless one was a Saint, there was simply no escape!
Still, Dao Xuan had not expected that the one attacking him would be the Demon Tribe's Demon Master, Daoist Kunpeng.
If he had not been prepared in advance—if the one traveling outside had not merely been an illusory body he had created—then once he had been sucked inside Kunpeng's Swallowing Heaven and Devouring Earth divine ability, escape would truly have been difficult.
Unless he revealed World-Proving Dao as his trump card, he would only have had a chance to break open Kunpeng's inner world and escape.
But now, he had been one step ahead. He first let Kunpeng believe he had swallowed him, then used the Four-Colored Divine Light to immediately turn defeat into victory, capturing and suppressing Kunpeng.
Within the Four-Colored Divine Light, Kunpeng was exceedingly restless. At times, he transformed into the great blue kun from before; at others, he became a roc with gleaming golden wings. Yet he could never break through the Four-Colored Divine Light. His mana gradually weakened, leaving him with even less hope of escape.
Dao Xuan ignored him. Standing atop a small star, he said, "I wonder whether it was Brother Dijun or Brother Taiyi who arranged for the Demon Master to pursue and kill me after I left the Thirty-Three Heavens."
"If I had not been more skilled, I would have been digested by the Demon Master into a pile of filth by now! So, Brothers, will you still not show yourselves? Must I truly kill the Demon Master?"
"Alas!"
With a sigh, a Daoist emerged from the distant void. He wore a crown and golden robes, dressed like an emperor. Who else could he 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 knew that things had gone badly. 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 would also be captured?
He had actually been seized in a single move!
With a hostage in hand, Dao Xuan had placed Taiyi at a disadvantage in every respect.
Taiyi began to regret it as well. If he had known, he should have listened to his elder brother and allowed Dao Xuan to 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 Master?" Taiyi asked helplessly.
"Easy enough."
Dao Xuan smiled. "I have heard that there are three great spiritual roots in the starry sky. Aside from the Fusang Tree, there are also the Moon Laurel Tree and the Starfruit Tree."
"Could I trouble you to obtain a branch from each of those two spiritual roots for me as well?"
It turned out that although Dao Xuan appeared to be heading for the Lunar Star on this journey, he had already made his calculations.
During his trip to the Thirty-Three Heavens, he had already speculated about where the Starfruit Tree might grow.
Without question, the most suitable place was the Thirty-Three Heavens!
Thus, it would have been fine if Dijun and Taiyi had not come to pursue him. But since they truly had come, he would fight them and find a way to demand a branch from the Starfruit Tree as well.
What Dao Xuan had not expected was that the one to act had been neither Dijun nor Taiyi, but Kunpeng, the Demon Master.
Still, that changed nothing. Having suppressed Kunpeng, he could use him to coerce Taiyi.
Taiyi's heart sank at those words. Looking at Dao Xuan, he asked, "Fellow Daoist Dao Xuan, may I ask what you intend to do with branches from these three great spiritual roots?"
"Could it be that you wish to cultivate new versions of these three great spiritual roots?"
Dao Xuan smiled calmly, without the slightest panic. Taiyi's suspicion was perfectly normal, and it was indeed what he intended to do.
"What I use them for is not something you need to concern yourself with. You should fetch them for me as soon as possible. I do not have the patience to wait too long. If you cannot deliver branches from those two spiritual roots to me within ten days, then..." Dao Xuan continued his threat.
"There is no need for ten days!" Taiyi interrupted him. "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 could not help but nod inwardly. Although his Near and Far Apart was formidable,
there were many formidable escape techniques in the Primordial World. Taiyi's Golden Crow Rainbow Flight, for instance, was one of the most renowned among them.
Before you continue