The giant hand descended, and the Merit Saint Garment automatically protected its mistress as boundless Merit Golden Light erupted.
Faced with the terrifying power of merit, the Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Exquisite Pagoda emerged above Xuandu's head.
This was the first time Xuandu had brought out a magical treasure. He was quite surprised that Shi Ji possessed a Merit Treasure.
At such a critical time, Laozi had given the pagoda to Xuandu. Should he encounter Gu Changqing, Xuandu would at least be able to preserve his life.
As soon as the pagoda appeared, endless Mysterious Yellow Power suppressed the Merit Saint Garment's power of merit.
The merciless giant hand continued to descend...
Inside the Grand Tutor's Mansion.
Gu Changqing frowned slightly.
Why could Shi Ji's unlucky constitution never be changed?
Was Shi Ji destined to undergo tribulation?
She had only left Chaoge less than two days ago, and she was about to die again!
Sigh, both of Nüwa's Five-Colored Divine Stones had gained sentience, and both had unlucky constitutions.
Shi Ji was like this, and so would Sun Wukong be in the future.
Gu Changqing rose and followed his senses toward Chong City.
Crossing a thousand miles in an instant, Gu Changqing arrived at Chong City in merely two or three breaths.
The moment Gu Changqing left the capital, Xuandu sensed an incomparably powerful aura approaching.
It came from Chaoge!
Gu Changqing!
Xuandu immediately dispersed his mana. He had not intended to kill Shi Ji, and now he could not strike ruthlessly either.
Anyone could guess that Gu Changqing had come to Chong City for Shi Ji.
If anything happened to Shi Ji, he would not need to return to the Eight Scenery Palace. He could go straight onto the Investiture of the Gods List.
Gu Changqing was someone capable of contending with Yuanshi. Xuandu could not afford to provoke him!
Though he was only one step away from attaining the Dao, that single step was as distant as heaven and earth.
"Changqing greets Senior Brother Xuandu."
Seeing that Xuandu had held back at the last moment, Gu Changqing quietly put away the God Slaying Spear as well.
If Xuandu had insisted on bringing that palm down, he would not have minded throwing out the God Slaying Spear.
"You have attained the Dao. It is no longer appropriate for you to call me Senior Brother."
Attained the Dao?
Shi Ji was utterly bewildered.
Her junior apprentice brother had attained the Dao?
Gu Changqing smiled. "When Changqing treats others, I judge virtue, not strength. Senior Brother was once Senior Brother, is Senior Brother now, and I hope he will remain Senior Brother in the future."
"Heh." Xuandu gave a bitter smile. "I would like that too, but fate cannot be defied."
Xuandu highly acknowledged both Gu Changqing's strength and character. If possible, he wished to drink and converse merrily with Gu Changqing rather than draw blades against him.
Gu Changqing looked at Shi Ji and saw tribulation aura swirling around her. "Senior Apprentice Sister Shi Ji, the God-Breaking Spear is unsuitable for you. You should return it to me."
The God-Breaking Spear had fused with a fragment of the God Slaying Spear and contained a powerful will of slaughter. With Shi Ji currently within a killing tribulation, she simply could not withstand it.
"Senior Apprentice Sister Shi Ji?"
"Ah?" Only then did Shi Ji awaken from her shock. "Junior Apprentice Brother, what did you say?"
"I said, give me the God-Breaking Spear."
"Alright!"
Gu Changqing took back the God-Breaking Spear, then brought out the Merit Saint Sword and handed it to Shi Ji. "Senior Apprentice Sister is better suited to a sword."
Then he placed his left hand on Shi Ji's shoulder and replenished the Merit Saint Garment once more.
He then used merit to burn away all the tribulation aura around Shi Ji.
This flashy sequence took little time, yet it left Xuandu, standing nearby, utterly stunned.
"Junior Brother Changqing, what remarkable methods."
Gu Changqing smiled. "It is merely a little merit."
Ten billion merits were nothing but a drop in the bucket.
Gu Changqing continued, "Senior Brother Xuandu was not originally within the tribulation, but by mistakenly entering Chong City, you have already been tainted by the killing tribulation. Since Senior Brother Xuandu showed mercy today, I shall return a karmic favor and erase your killing tribulation for you."
As Gu Changqing spoke, he condensed Merit Sacred Fire and struck it toward Xuandu. The killing tribulation aura infecting Xuandu burned away upon meeting the flames.
"Thank you, Junior Brother Changqing."
Xuandu slightly bowed to Gu Changqing.
Gu Changqing continued, "I established Di Xin as the Human Emperor. Though it may run contrary to the Heavenly Dao, it does not shame human ethics. It is said that Senior Brother was the first member of the Human Race in the Primordial World. Does Senior Brother truly wish to see the Human Race reduced to lambs?"
"I..."
Xuandu let out a long sigh and smiled bitterly. "My master's orders cannot be defied."
Gu Changqing continued, "If Senior Brother had to choose between the Human Race and your master's orders, what would Senior Brother choose?"
"I... I am willing to enter the tribulation!"
Xuandu did not wish to obstruct the great path of the Human Race, nor did he wish to disobey his master's orders.
Replacing Shang with Zhou was a scheme laid by the Saints.
Gu Changqing sighed. "I understand. Since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety have been difficult to reconcile."
He took out the Purple Azure Treasure Sword and smiled. "This sword is of little use to me, yet I have always treasured it. It was the first gift I received since beginning my journey, and also the only one. I have cherished it dearly. Now that I have met Senior Brother again, it is best to return it to its original owner."
Returning it to its original owner meant severing all ties of favor and friendship.
Xuandu felt bitterness in his heart. In truth, he supported the Human Race's independence, but his words carried too little weight.
All that talk from the Saints about people of the demonic path was merely an excuse.
The Demon Extermination Alliance's true purpose was to overthrow Great Shang and shatter the backbone of the Human Race.
To make the Human Race truly become the private domain of the immortals.
This was not what Xuandu wished to see, which was why he had repeatedly shown Shi Ji mercy.
Jiang Ziya had already sought help at the Eight Scenery Palace, yet Xuandu could not refuse to leave the mountain.
Xuandu gave a bitter smile, then mana surged as his peerless cultivation erupted in full.
Outside Chong City, sand and stones flew through the air, and the winds and clouds changed color. The experts watching the battle were immediately blown away, Shi Ji included.
Xuandu, unleashing his full strength, was terrifying beyond measure!
Great Luo Golden Immortal experts did not even qualify to watch the battle, much less Jiang Ziya.
Before the raging storm of laws, everyone fled in panic, and the scene descended into chaos.
Gu Changqing sighed inwardly. Must we fight in the end?
"Junior Brother Changqing, if you still regard me as your Senior Brother, please cut away the Three Flowers above my head!"
Just as Gu Changqing was about to make a move, he suddenly heard Xuandu's voice transmission.
Cut away the Three Flowers above his head?
Would that not knock Xuandu down to the Golden Immortal realm?
Xuandu was currently a peak Quasi-Sage, which was why he was the Senior Brother of the Xuan Sect.
If Xuandu became a Golden Immortal, he would be nothing at all.
"What do you mean?"
"Since Junior Brother Changqing knows that loyalty and filial piety cannot both be fulfilled, you naturally understand what I mean."
"Alright! I will grant your wish!"
After only a brief consideration, Gu Changqing understood Xuandu's intentions.
Without my cultivation, surely you will no longer force me, right?
Gu Changqing pointed at Xuandu. The turbulent fluctuations of law swiftly calmed, while Xuandu's aura rapidly fell.
Late Quasi-Sage stage, middle stage, early stage, Great Luo Golden Immortal... all the way down to Golden Immortal Early Stage.
As Gu Changqing cut away the Three Flowers above Xuandu's head, he also imprinted the first chapter of the Primordial Creation True Scripture into Xuandu's sea of consciousness.
The first chapter could allow one to cultivate to the Mixed Origin Great Luo Golden Immortal realm. Even that was far more reliable than attaining the Dao by slaying the Three Corpses.
Ever since Hong Jun passed down the method of attaining the Dao by slaying the Three Corpses, not a single Mixed Origin Great Luo Golden Immortal had appeared in the Primordial World.
"Junior Brother Changqing, you..."
Who was Xuandu? With a single glance, he could see the profundity of the Primordial Creation True Scripture.
Gu Changqing smiled. "Since I have cut away your Three Flowers, I must naturally return good fortune to you."
He raised the Purple Azure Treasure Sword in his hand and continued, "Let this sword serve as Senior Brother's gift of thanks."
With that, he headed toward Chaoge.
Xuandu watched Gu Changqing depart and smiled knowingly. With Gu Changqing in the Human Race, why worry that the Human Race could not flourish?
Gu Changqing was truly a hero!
"Grand Mage, how are you?"
Hearing Jiang Ziya's voice, Xuandu hurriedly spat out a mouthful of blood. "I am fine. I merely had the Three Flowers above my head cut away."
"Ah?"
Jiang Ziya was horrified!
Xuandu having his Three Flowers cut away was even more serious than Guangchengzi and Taiyi Zhenren undergoing tribulation.
Xuandu was the pride of the Xuan Sect.
Now, the pride of the Xuan Sect was gone!
What were they to do now?
He had never imagined that dealing with Shi Ji would bring Gu Changqing here.
Perhaps he had thought of it, but he had not expected Gu Changqing to have attained the Dao, much less that Gu Changqing could so easily cut away Xuandu's Three Flowers!
Pfft!
Jiang Ziya also spat out a mouthful of blood.
The Heavenly Dao favored Shang, not Zhou!
Gu Changqing's overwhelming strength filled him with a profound sense of powerlessness.
With Gu Changqing in Great Shang, it simply could not be shaken.
Xuandu was the greatest expert Jiang Ziya could summon.
Yet...
He had been defeated by a single finger pointed through the air.
Who else could be invited to bring down Gu Changqing, the Imperial Preceptor of Great Shang?
A Saint?
Only Saints stood above Xuandu.
At this moment, Jiang Ziya was utterly despairing.
Before you continue