Huang Long Zhenren, often mocked as the "Three-Nothings Immortal" within the Chan Sect due to his lack of prestige, treasures, and disciples, nonetheless held a fierce loyalty to his sect. He was always the first to defend his honor and interests, even when it meant putting himself in harm's way.
Now, as Zhao Gongming appeared to disrupt the grand plan of the Investiture of the Gods, Huang Long Zhenren, despite the fear gnawing at him, charged forward without hesitation.
"Face my sword!" Huang Long Zhenren bellowed, hurling his immortal sword toward Zhao Gongming.
The blade transformed mid-air into a thousand-zhang-long dragon, its roar shaking the heavens and its majestic aura overwhelming the earth.
Zhao Gongming, however, met the attack with a look of disdain. "Pathetic tricks. You dare show off such trifles in front of me?"
With a flick of his Sea-Calming Whip, golden light exploded, shattering the dragon into a bloody mist.
The sword reverted to its original form and flew back to Huang Long Zhenren, its once-gleaming blade now dull and lifeless.
"You've ruined my treasure! I'll fight you to the death!" Huang Long Zhenren cried out. The sword was his only possession, and now it was damaged beyond repair. It would take centuries of nurturing to restore it.
Zhao Gongming laughed heartily. Stepping forward, he pointed his left hand, summoning a jade ruler that glowed with an ethereal light.
It struck Huang Long Zhenren square on the face, sending him flying hundreds of zhang away. His right cheek swelled grotesquely, leaving him a pitiful sight.
Taiyi Zhenren, watching from the sidelines, narrowed his eyes with murderous intent. He had been tasked with eliminating Shi Ji, and if she didn't die, the conflict between the Chan and Jie Sects would never escalate.
Seeing Huang Long Zhenren's incompetence, Taiyi Zhenren focused all his energy on refining Shi Ji within the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover. At the same time, he hurled a golden brick—a top-tier spiritual treasure—straight at Shi Ji's head.
Shi Ji, already at her limit, couldn't withstand the blow. The golden brick struck her skull, scattering her three souls and seven spirits to the heavens.
"Master!" Biyun roared from a distance.
If Shi Ji died, he would lose his only protector.
As for his supposed grandmaster, Tongtian Jiaozhu, Biyun doubted he even knew who he was. Shi Ji was the only one who truly cared for him. But Biyun was powerless to save her.
Zhao Gongming's face flushed with rage. The killing of his fellow disciple right before his eyes was a blatant insult. "Taiyi, you've slain a disciple of the Jie Sect. Today, I won't let you walk away!"
With a roar, Zhao Gongming swung his Sea-Calming Whip.
Taiyi Zhenren, thinking he could finish Zhao Gongming off as well, activated the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover.
"Zhao Gongming, you've come at the perfect time. I'll kill you too and rid the Primordial Chaos of another scourge!"
But Zhao Gongming stood unflinching. With a single strike of his whip, he sent the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover flying, its divine flames scattering across the heavens.
Taiyi Zhenren gasped in shock. He had relied on the power of his treasure to kill Zhao Gongming, but it couldn't even contain him.
"A Great Luo Golden Immortal!" Taiyi Zhenren's eyes widened in realization.
As one of the Twelve Golden Immortals of Jade Void, he was only at the Taiyi Golden Immortal level, while Zhao Gongming had already ascended to Great Luo.
"Taiyi, prepare to die!" Zhao Gongming roared, his whip descending like a divine judgment. Thunder and lightning exploded, and Taiyi Zhenren, battered and bloodied, fled in terror.
In that brief moment, Zhao Gongming had defeated Huang Long Zhenren and forced Taiyi Zhenren to retreat, showcasing his overwhelming power.
Biyun rushed forward, finding a dull, lifeless Five-Colored Divine Stone lying in the dirt. "Junior Brother Huang Long, let's go!" Taiyi Zhenren, not daring to linger, vanished in a gust of wind.
Biyun sighed deeply. His master had ultimately fallen to her fate.
[Ding! Congratulations, host. Three hundred years of cultivation have been awarded. Please check your rewards!]
Biyun had done all he could. He had tried his best to save Shi Ji, but the outcome was beyond his control.
"Junior Nephew, accept my condolences. We arrived too late," Zhao Gongming said, shaking his head. He believed that had he arrived earlier, he might have saved Shi Ji. But Biyun knew better. Even if they had come sooner, Shi Ji's fate was sealed. Only Tongtian Jiaozhu himself could have changed it.
Destiny and fate were merely tools in the hands of those in power.
"Uncle, there's no need to blame yourself. The calamity of the gods was predestined," Biyun said, picking up the Five-Colored Divine Stone and tucking it away.
Zhao Gongming was taken aback by Biyun's insight, and he couldn't help but view his junior nephew in a new light.
Meanwhile, Huang Long Zhenren and Taiyi Zhenren fled back to Mount Kunlun in disgrace. Though they had completed their mission, they were in a pitiful state. Huang Long Zhenren's face was swollen, his robes in disarray, and his once-immortal demeanor gone.
Taiyi Zhenren fared worse, his body battered and bloodied, his robes soaked in crimson.
"That Zhao Gongming… how could he have reached Great Luo?!" Taiyi Zhenren seethed. "A disgrace to the Jie Sect, a mere spawn of chaos, yet he dares to call himself a Great Luo Golden Immortal!"
The two cursed and complained but didn't dare linger, rushing back to the Jade Void Palace. There, Yuan Shi Tianzun sat in meditation.
Seeing his disciples return in such a state, a flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes.
"Master, the demoness Shi Ji killed my disciple, Nezha. Junior Brother Huang Long and I went to eliminate her, but Zhao Gongming intervened and defeated us. Please, Master, seek justice for us!" Taiyi Zhenren knelt, pouring out his grievances with a dramatic flair. He embellished the story, though he made sure to mention that Biyun had survived.
Huang Long Zhenren, though often overlooked, was still a disciple, and Taiyi Zhenren was Yuan Shi Tianzun's favorite. Seeing his disciples' plight, Yuan Shi Tianzun nodded solemnly.
"Rise. I will handle this matter. Zhao Gongming's downfall is inevitable. Sooner or later, he will meet his end on the Investiture List."
Yuan Shi Tianzun had no tolerance for the Jie Sect. He had long sought to eradicate them, and he wouldn't let any of them escape their fate.