Outside the Purple Heavens Palace, the Heaven Measuring Ruler's power reached its utmost height. Boundless Dao laws cascaded down, bearing the momentum of all the heavens as it slammed toward Yuanshi's head.
"Eldest Brother, save me!"
Terror flooded Yuanshi's heart.
He had thought that once he became a sage's disciple, Daochen would show some restraint.
Yet Daochen had not fallen for his ploy at all.
He had still attacked without hesitation.
Hum!
A soft hum rang out.
Heaven and Earth's Yellow Exquisite Pagoda appeared above Yuanshi's head. Endless Yellow-Gold Mother Qi swept down, sheltering him within it like an ancient divine mountain.
"Laozi, are you going to interfere too?"
Looking at Heaven and Earth’s Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, which shone with a hazy, clear radiance above Yuanshi's head, Daochen barked sharply, his clear eyes filled with icy coldness.
"Fellow Daoist, Yuanshi is my blood brother. I have no choice but to intervene."
Laozi frowned slightly at his words.
He had not wanted to intervene, but so many mighty figures of the Primordial World were gathered here.
If he allowed Daochen to trample Yuanshi, would that not disgrace the name of the Three Pure Ones?
"Then there's nothing more to say."
Daochen stared coldly at Laozi. With a thought, he sent the Heaven Measuring Ruler's power surging. Radiant Dao laws became almost tangible, transforming into myriad sword rays that swept toward Laozi to cut him to pieces.
Seeing the three poised to clash in an instant, the mighty figures of the Primordial World stopped in their tracks and watched Daochen with smug anticipation.
In their eyes, the Three Pure Ones were one. If one acted, all three would strike together.
Though Daochen's Dao flower had bloomed with ten petals, the Three Pure Ones had fought in perfect harmony for years, and all three were Great Luo Golden Immortals whose Dao flowers had bloomed with eight petals.
In both cultivation and magical treasures, they stood among the very finest in the Primordial World.
Against such strength, even Daochen would likely gain no advantage.
Instead, his boat might well capsize in a gutter, leaving him defeated.
"You Three Pure Ones have no shame, bullying our eldest brother! Do you really think the two of us are weak enough for you to push around?"
Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi roared in fury. The Chaos Bell and the River Chart and Luo Writing appeared in an instant and smashed toward the heads of Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian.
This was Eastern Emperor Taiyi's first attack. The moment the Chaos Bell appeared, winds rose and clouds surged outside the Purple Heavens Palace. Boundless currents of chaos, swept along by the bell, rolled toward Laozi and the others like towering, thunderous waves.
The Chaos Bell was a xiantian supreme treasure on par with Heaven and Earth’s Yellow Exquisite Pagoda. Now that Eastern Emperor Taiyi had broken through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, the power he could unleash was not to be underestimated.
The River Chart and Luo Writing divided into the poles of yin and yang, evolving the Great Dao of the stars across the heavens. As they swept forward, it was as though the entire starry expanse of chaos came crashing down with the force to topple mountains and overturn seas.
They watched as six Great Luo Golden Immortal experts stood poised to clash in an instant.
"What terrifying spiritual treasures."
"From the looks of things, the Three Pure Ones are in danger."
Seeing six Great Luo Golden Immortal experts suddenly poised to clash, ready to fight at the slightest disagreement, all the mighty figures of the Primordial World present were startled.
"The Three Pure Ones will likely come off badly in today's battle."
Someone sighed in the shadows.
Though the Three Pure Ones were arrogant, they wanted to see Daochen humiliated even more.
But now, that clearly seemed impossible.
"Stand aside. I don't need you interfering here."
Yuanshi's repeated provocations had roused the fury in Daochen's heart.
If he did not beat Yuanshi until he cried for his father and mother today, then his name was not Daochen.
He swept his broad sleeve, and an invisible current surged forth. The River Chart and Luo Writing and the Chaos Bell instantly flew backward, returning to Dijun's and Eastern Emperor Taiyi's hands.
"Huh?"
Every mighty figure present stared at the scene in bewilderment.
They simply could not understand what Daochen meant by this.
Was he looking down on the Three Pure Ones?
Wasn't that far too arrogant?
"Attack with all your strength! Today, I'll see just how capable you truly are, Daochen!"
On the other side, Laozi's face also filled with anger at the sight.
In all the countless tens of thousands of years since they had taken form, this was the first time anyone had looked down on the Three Pure Ones!
"Very well!"
Tongtian answered in a low voice, and the Green Duckweed Sword in his hand instantly blazed with light!
"Even without your instructions, Eldest Brother, I would still give it my all!"
Yuanshi hurried to reply as well.
His heart was now blooming with delight.
Laozi had originally intervened to preserve the Three Pure Ones' reputation, but now Daochen had truly angered him!
Of the three brothers, Laozi had always been the most reserved, yet his cultivation had always been the highest.
"Shut up! If not for you, how would I have ended up in this position today?"
At Yuanshi's words, Laozi snapped coldly, making no effort to spare his dignity.
If Daochen truly defeated all three of them single-handedly today-
Then the Three Pure Ones might as well stop showing their faces in the Primordial World.
They could not bear that humiliation!
"Go!"
Daochen raised one hand toward the sky, turning his open palm into a pointing finger. The Heaven Measuring Ruler instantly blazed with light. Brilliant golden radiance rose, and in the blink of an eye, sword rays emanating razor-sharp auras appeared above his head.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The shrill sounds of their passage tore through heaven and earth.
Bearing the momentum of all the heavens, the sword rays slashed down at Laozi and the others.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The endless sword rays formed by the Heaven Measuring Ruler struck Heaven and Earth’s Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, unleashing one thunderous crash after another.
Terrifying shock waves swept outward, creating a dreadful vacuum outside the Purple Heavens Palace.
"This is bad."
Within Heaven and Earth’s Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, Laozi's expression changed drastically.
Every sword ray that landed sent a strange vibrating force through the protection of Heaven and Earth’s Yellow Exquisite Pagoda and into his body.
It was as though a heavenly hammer were pounding his internal organs.
Pfft!
A jet of blood spurted from Laozi's mouth.
Laozi's aged figure toppled heavily backward like a mountain falling and a jade pillar collapsing. Heaven and Earth’s Yellow Exquisite Pagoda also let out a clear, mournful cry, its radiance instantly dimming severalfold.
"Eldest Brother!"
Tongtian cried out and hurried forward to support Laozi, his eyes filled with anxiety.
In all the years since they had taken form, this was the first time he had ever seen Laozi injured.
"How is this possible?"
Seeing Daochen grievously wound Laozi with a single strike, Yuanshi's eyes flashed with terror as well.
The Heaven Measuring Ruler was a treasure on the same level as Heaven and Earth’s Yellow Exquisite Pagoda. Though Daochen had refined only its first forty layers of restrictions, his origins as a Chaos Golden Crow, combined with the magical power of his ten-petaled Dao flower, which rivaled that of a Middle Great Luo Golden Immortal, meant that when he unleashed his full strength-
It was more than enough to give Laozi a bitter cup to swallow.
"Heavens, what kind of magical treasure is that?"
"So powerful!"
The mighty figures of the Primordial World who had been waiting nearby to enjoy the spectacle were so frightened that they fled far into the distance, terrified of being caught in the attack.
Looking at the patch of chaos outside the Purple Heavens Palace that had been blasted into empty space, everyone inwardly broke into a cold sweat.
Fortunately, they were not the ones who had provoked Daochen. Otherwise, after a strike like that, whether they could leave the Purple Heavens Palace alive would have been anyone's guess.
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