To prevent anyone from interfering, Lao Zi sent a voice transmission to Di Jun and Tai Yi. "It's uncertain whether beating Zhunti will help us break through at our realm. Bo Huang just suggested acting alone, so perhaps only a one-on-one fight will work. I'll go first. Once I'm done, it'll be your turn."
Tai Yi and Di Jun both signaled with their eyes that they understood.
Seeing this, Lao Zi took out a flat crutch and draped the Taiji Diagram over himself. "Junior Brother Zhunti, you may make the first move."
Zhunti did not stand on ceremony. Holding the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, he waved his hand and sent a streak of Seven-colored Precious Light straight at Lao Zi.
Lao Zi was equally unceremonious, swinging his flat crutch down at Zhunti's head without bothering to defend against the Seven-colored Precious Light. The light could not penetrate the Taiji Diagram's defenses at all.
What followed was a one-sided beating, with Lao Zi thoroughly thrashing Zhunti.
After taking a beating for so long, Zhunti finally began using his head. He kept thinking about how to escape Lao Zi's assault.
Suddenly, inspiration struck him.
He opened his mouth and spat out a Bodhi Seed.
Once the Bodhi Seed landed on the ground, it instantly sprouted and grew into a great tree.
Zhunti murmured an incantation. "Ancient Bodhi Tree, boundless longevity and blessings, hold him fast!"
The moment his words fell, the great tree emitted a layer of golden light that trapped Lao Zi within.
Lao Zi laughed heartily. "That's it? I'll break free soon enough." As he spoke, Six Ding Divine Fire used for pill refinement flared from his body.
Zhunti knew that the Bodhi Tree ripened from the Bodhi Seed could not trap Lao Zi for long. He had only done this to buy himself an opportunity to manifest his dharma body.
Zhunti immediately activated his Golden Body Dharma Appearance. It had twenty-four heads and eighteen arms, holding jeweled necklaces, parasols, flower garlands, fish-gut swords, golden bows, silver halberds, the Staff of Blessing, precious files, and golden bottles, all crashing down upon Lao Zi in a vicious barrage.
Lao Zi laughed. "That's it? A pile of junk. Only that Staff of Blessing is an Innate Spiritual Treasure, and you dare bring this heap of scrap into a fight?" He then took out the Vajra Bracelet and shouted, "Take them!"
In an instant, more than half the weapons held by the eighteen arms vanished. Zhunti had no choice but to charge forward empty-handed, swinging his fists.
Lao Zi shook his head. "A dignified quasi-saint fighting like this is far too unbecoming. Taiji Diagram, suppress!"
With that, Lao Zi directly suppressed Zhunti on the spot with the Taiji Diagram, leaving him utterly unable to move. Lao Zi switched the treasure in his hand for the Seven Star Sword and rushed over to carve him up. "Twenty-four heads and eighteen arms look terribly unbalanced. Let Senior Brother trim you up a little."
Slash! Slash! Slash! Sword light flashed repeatedly, and Zhunti's golden body became one with nine heads and eighteen arms. Lao Zi nodded. "Isn't that much more balanced? Don't waste the Bodhi Tree's branches, either. Everyone can take some home to steep as tea."
Afterward, Lao Zi flashed away to the Shores of the East Sea, his leisurely voice drifting back. "My exchange with Fellow Daoist Zhunti just now has given me some insight. Within a hundred years, I shall Become a Saint."
Seeing that Lao Zi had also attained enlightenment, Tai Yi thought, Zhunti is in such a state now that beating him up should not be difficult. Why not give it a try? It's not like I have anything better to do. If I beat Zhunti and succeed, I may attain enlightenment; if not, I'll take it as venting my nephew's anger. I need to act quickly—I can't let Big Brother get there first.
With that thought, Tai Yi directly summoned the Chaos Bell and slammed it down over Zhunti. "Big Brother, even if Bo Huang refuses to hold it against Zhunti, we should still settle this score. We have nine other nephews, after all. To keep Zhunti from bullying the young with his seniority, we must beat the fear of us into him today."
Di Jun said, "Fine. You handle your fight. I'll keep an eye on that bastard Jieyin and make sure he has no chance to interfere."
Zhunti flew into a rage. "Does the Lineage of the Demon Emperor only dare bully others with magical treasures? Try fighting without them!" As he spoke, he revealed his incomplete golden body once more.
Through their divine senses, the mighty experts saw the golden body missing fifteen heads, and all of them laughed in their respective dao fields.
Hongyun flaunted two Ginseng Fruits as he said to Great Immortal Zhenyuan, "You know, now that Zhunti's golden body has been beaten up, it actually looks much better."
Great Immortal Zhenyuan merely replied, "You still have the leisure to watch the show... Hurry up and refine your Primordial Violet Qi. If we weren't so close, I'd be tempted to snatch it from you myself."
Elsewhere, within the Sea of Blood, Minghe was also muttering to himself. Should I take the chance to beat Zhunti up once he's seriously injured? That seems like a pretty good choice, doesn't it?
...Just as the various mighty experts were considering finding an opportunity to intercept Zhunti and beat him up, Tai Yi had already revealed his true form and begun fighting.
Before you continue