"I am Tongtian. Greetings, fellow Daoists."
Seeing Daochen and his two brothers appear, Tongtian was startled and hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting.
"Mm."
Daochen merely nodded at Tongtian's greeting, then turned his gaze toward Yuanshi, who stood behind Tongtian with a perpetually icy expression.
"Were you the one who just called us furred and armored beasts?"
Daochen looked at Yuanshi, a hint of hostility in his eyes.
He knew Yuanshi was cold and arrogant.
But being cold and arrogant was one thing. Why provoke him?
Did Yuanshi really think being born from Pangu's primordial spirit made him-
So damn special?
"It was I. What of it?"
Yuanshi's expression remained unchanged as he replied coldly.
As an innate deity born from Pangu's primordial spirit, he had always been proud. This fellow was merely a Golden Crow born on the Sun Star.
How could he possibly compare to Yuanshi?
"Good. Very good!"
Daochen sneered.
The next instant, brilliant light erupted around him, and a ruler radiating boundless primordial grandeur appeared in his hand.
It was none other than the Heaven Measuring Ruler!
Smack!
A crimson streak swept in, carrying endless power, and struck Yuanshi viciously across the face.
Caught completely off guard, Yuanshi was sent flying backward, crashing deep into the currents of Chaos.
"So powerful!"
Tongtian was startled by Daochen's sudden attack.
He had never expected this seemingly amiable Daoist to act so decisively. Despite Yuanshi's cultivation at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, he had not even had a chance to react before being sent flying.
Laozi frowned in silence.
Clearly, Daochen's strength had exceeded his expectations.
Daochen's attack startled not only Tongtian and Laozi, but also Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi.
Their eldest brother usually seemed so pleasant and easygoing.
Yet when it came to a fight, he did not hesitate in the slightest!
"Eldest Brother has hidden his strength far too well!"
They suddenly felt as though they could no longer see through Daochen.
Daochen had always urged them to cultivate, but they rarely saw him fight.
Now that Daochen had struck, he had knocked down a cultivator at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm in a single blow!
"Fellow Daoist, wasn't that a little excessive?"
Laozi frowned, looking displeased.
The Three Pure Ones had always stood as one. Now that Yuanshi had suddenly been beaten, Laozi, as their eldest, naturally could not stand idly by.
"If you don't like it, come at me together!"
Daochen wasted no words. The Heaven Measuring Ruler immediately descended toward Laozi's head.
"..."
Laozi was dumbfounded.
He had never imagined Daochen would be even more reckless than he had expected!
One disagreement, and he attacked!
I only came to break up the fight!
Who the hell did I offend?
Daochen paid no attention to what Laozi was thinking. The Heaven Measuring Ruler continued to blaze with light as it struck straight down at his head.
He had struck Yuanshi because Yuanshi had provoked him first!
Naturally, Yuanshi deserved it!
He attacked Laozi because Daochen wanted to test which was superior: the Heaven Measuring Ruler or Heaven and Earth’s Yellow Exquisite Pagoda!
Heaven and Earth’s Yellow Exquisite Pagoda was hailed as the foremost defensive Houtian supreme treasure.
The Heaven Measuring Ruler, meanwhile, was the foremost offensive Houtian supreme treasure.
With one attacking and the other defending, which would prove fiercer?
Boom!
An earth-shaking roar rang out. Heaven and Earth’s Yellow Exquisite Pagoda flickered with light above Laozi's head, but remained firmly in place!
Daochen's Heaven Measuring Ruler, meanwhile, flew back.
Though that strike had failed to break through the defenses of Heaven and Earth’s Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, Laozi had gained no advantage either.
His aged face alternated between pale and flushed. Clearly, things were not as simple as they appeared.
"You wretched Daoist! I, Yuanshi, swear I will kill you today!"
Just as Daochen was about to strike again, a fierce gale swept toward him.
Yuanshi charged over with his hair disheveled. A clear ruler mark marred his resolute, square face, and even the Daoist crown on his head had been knocked who knew where.
He looked utterly bedraggled!
"Enough! Haven't you disgraced yourself enough already?"
Laozi snorted coldly and swung the Taiyi Horsetail Whisk in front of Yuanshi, barring his way.
After their brief clash, his wariness of Daochen had reached its peak.
Although the previous exchange had seemingly ended without a victor-
For some reason, this unremarkable-looking Daoist kept giving him a faint sense of danger.
"Come over here if you've got the guts!"
Daochen smacked his lips and raised his eyebrows provocatively at Yuanshi.
"You infuriate me!"
Yuanshi's square face turned purple.
As one of the exalted Three Pure Ones, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?
If he had not truly been unable to defeat Daochen, he would have charged in today even at the cost of his life!
"Fellow Daoist, the Dao Ancestor's sermon is about to begin. Could you do me the courtesy of letting today's matter end here?"
Ignoring Yuanshi, Laozi looked questioningly at Daochen.
Having realized that Daochen was no ordinary figure, Laozi did not want to remain entangled with him here.
"What do you think, fellow Daoist?"
Tongtian also spoke up to ask.
Seeing that neither Laozi nor Tongtian intended to avenge him, Yuanshi nearly exploded with rage!
But all he could do was glare.
There was no helping it. He really could not defeat Daochen alone!
"That isn't out of the question. It's just..."
Daochen rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Just what? Please speak freely, fellow Daoist."
Laozi spoke in a low voice.
Hongjun's sermon was an immense opportunity. Unless absolutely necessary, he did not want to miss it.
"It's just that we come from a remote corner of the Primordial World, a small place with meager resources that cannot compare to the mainland. Even now, we three brothers lack suitable spiritual treasures. Might you lend my brothers a couple of Supreme Xiantian Spiritual Treasures?"
The moment he heard this, Yuanshi refused to stand for it!
A man holding a treasure comparable to Heaven and Earth’s Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, a Houtian Merit Supreme Treasure, actually claimed he had no suitable spiritual treasure?
Wasn't he going far too far with this poor-mouthing act?
And then there were Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi.
One had a Xiantian Supreme Treasure hovering above his head!
The other possessed a set of Supreme Xiantian Spiritual Treasures!
And that counted as coming from some remote backwater???
If that counts as coming from a remote backwater, wouldn't we Three Pure Ones have crawled out of some mountain ditch???
Laozi's expression also soured as he listened to Daochen.
By now, he finally understood.
Just what sort of person the three brothers had provoked!
This man was practically Skinflint Zhou, ready to peel the skin off their backs!
The moment he opened his mouth, he demanded two Supreme Xiantian Spiritual Treasures.
Do you think Xiantian Spiritual Treasures are cabbages?
That we can produce them just because you ask????
"You must forgive us, fellow Daoist. Though we hail from the mainland of the Primordial World, divine treasures such as Supreme Xiantian Spiritual Treasures can only be found by fortune, not sought at will. At present, we three brothers possess only one. Might you let us pass first, with our promise to supply the other another day?"
Laozi understood that, faced with a skinflint like Daochen, there was clearly no way to bluff his way out easily!
He then turned his gaze toward Yuanshi.
His meaning was perfectly clear!
You caused this trouble. You bear the cost!
I'm not taking the blame!
"Uh..."
Yuanshi's face fell.
Getting beaten was bad enough. Now he actually had to surrender a Supreme Xiantian Spiritual Treasure as compensation.
But then he remembered that Daochen had not asked for one.
He had asked for two!
Yuanshi felt even more bitter!
Before you continue