On the other side, Di Jun and Tai Yi walked side-by-side, making their way through the Chaos.
"A pity. Third Brother is as steady as ever; he didn't even come to join the fun of Nuwa's sermon."
"Haha! We still underestimated just how cautious he is. A man who wouldn't go to Hongjun's lectures certainly wouldn't show up for Nuwa's," Tai Yi laughed, though a hint of regret touched his voice. He had hoped that since Nuwa was a Saint, Ling Xiao might finally step out of the shadows.
Their Third Brother was so steady it was almost nauseating; he wouldn't even show his face in the Chaos. Di Jun and Tai Yi shared a helpless laugh.
Suddenly, a streak of golden light tore through the Chaos, rushing toward them like a divine bridge across the void. The two brothers looked at each other, mysterious smiles playing on their lips. They stopped, standing firm as they waited for the newcomer to arrive.
A moment later, Jieyin and Zhunti stepped off the golden light. The divine wheels above their heads illuminated the grey Chaos like lamps in the deep night.
"Fellow Daoists, leaving without saying goodbye? We thought we'd join you—to keep the road from being too lonely," Zhunti said, holding his Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree. He spoke politely, but his smile was filled with ill intent.
"You've come at the perfect time. We two brothers were indeed feeling a bit lonely," Tai Yi roared with laughter. As the words fell, he attacked instantly. The Chaos Bell rang out, its soundwaves parting the mists of the Chaos and annihilating the elements. It descended like a mountain toward the Western Duo.
"Eh?!"
The two Westerners were stunned. What kind of logic is this? The words had barely left Zhunti's mouth before Tai Yi struck—no hesitation, no dialogue, just pure violence. This wasn't how the script was supposed to go!
Rumble!
The Chaos Bell, carrying a world-ending divine power, shattered the void as it smashed down. Jieyin and Zhunti didn't dare hold back, summoning their Magic Treasures to strike back with everything they had.
Squelch!
In a single exchange, they were sent flying. Their bodies plummeted millions of miles through the void like falling stars. Zhunti's arms were reduced to a bloody pulp as he spat out a mouthful of golden blood.
"How is this possible?!" The Western Duo was horrified, their eyes filled with disbelief. They couldn't even withstand a single strike? Was this a joke? They didn't realize that Tai Yi was already at the Hun Yuan Golden Immortal Perfection (Peak Quasi-Saint) level. Beating a Two-Corpse Quasi-Saint was as easy as disciplining a grandchild.
"We didn't go looking for you, yet you delivered yourselves to our door. You truly seek death!" Di Jun sneered. He struck out with his palm, shaking the eight directions as the Chaos exploded in a wave of immeasurable killing intent.
"Ah!" Jieyin let out a long cry. His Twelve-Grade Karma Golden Lotus (Karma) bloomed with light, manifesting infinite worlds to form a defensive domain. Its power was staggering.
Boom—
Layer after layer of his world-defense was pulverized. The golden hand shattered his manifested universes one by one. Though the palm's power was mostly depleted by the lotus, the remaining force still battered Jieyin until his body was covered in wounds. He was forced to disperse into golden light and reform, his aura significantly weakened.
Danger! Extreme danger!
"Bastards! Why hasn't the Sanqing arrived yet?!" Jieyin roared in fury. They had agreed on a plan, yet those three were nowhere to be found.
"Sanqing! If you don't strike now, we die—and you won't be able to escape either!" Zhunti shouted, his voice echoing through the millions of miles of void. He was forcibly dragging the Sanqing into the fight to prevent them from backing out at the last second.
As his voice fell, the hidden Sanqing finally emerged. They tore through a massive section of the Chaos, their Innate Supreme Treasures floating above them as if they had returned from the beginning of time.
"Fellow Daoists, we are here. The road was difficult—do not blame us for the delay," Laozi said with a kind, apologetic smile. In truth, they had been there even before the Western Duo. They simply wanted the Westerners to test the waters first. Now that Zhunti had called them out, they could no longer hide.
"Hehe, so the three of you want to intervene as well? Good. We'll clean you all up at once to save time!"
Di Jun and Tai Yi looked at each other, finishing each other's sentences. They weren't surprised by the Sanqing; they had prepared for this the moment they left the Sun Star.
"Your Third Brother has perished. How dare you speak so arrogantly to us?" Yuanshi said, his brows raised in his old, arrogant fashion. In the past, he feared the Crows because of Ling Xiao, but now that the strongest of the Three Crows was gone, did they really think three vs. two was a losing battle? In Yuanshi's eyes, the Western Duo weren't even people—they were just "handymen" without Innate Supreme Treasures who could help from the sidelines.
"Come and try us, then!"
Di Jun and Tai Yi's bodies erupted in golden divine flames. They stood amidst the Solar True Fire, igniting the endless Chaos until they appeared like two great suns. They hung in the void, suppressing all order like eternal Creator Gods.
"Kill!"
In an instant, the Sanqing moved, followed closely by the Western Duo. They unleashed their ultimate techniques, desperate to kill their opponents in a single strike. Immeasurable killing intent surged, illuminating the eternal night of the Chaos.
The Taiji Diagram (taiji diagram) defined Yin and Yang, forming a domain that sought to envelop the brothers. Above Laozi's head, the mystery of "One begets Two, Two begets Three" manifested as profound Dao-resonance.
In Yuanshi's hand, the Pangu Banner (pangu banner) bloomed with indestructible light. It was peerlessly sharp, slicing through everything in its path like a celestial river of divine light, causing the entire area to boil.
"Innate Supreme Treasures? You aren't the only ones who have them!" Di Jun sneered. The Grand Void Mirror (grand void mirror) appeared, shooting out ripples of light like flowing water. To everyone's shock, it actually reflected a portion of the Pangu Banner's attack!
Boom!
Caught completely off guard, Zhunti's body was instantly pierced through by Yuanshi's reflected strike. His blood dyed the Chaos in a spray of crimson.
"Yuanshi... you!" Zhunti's Divine Soul screamed as he reformed his body, his face full of accusation.
"Watch yourself! Stop getting in the way!" Yuanshi barked, his face full of annoyance. Even though his own weapon did the damage, he acted as if it were Zhunti's fault for being in the path of the reflection.
Clang!
The Chaos Bell rang. Tai Yi charged into the fray like a tiger among sheep, slaughtering his way through. Jieyin and Zhunti were repeatedly pulverized, and even Yuanshi was heavily wounded.
"So strong!"
Yuanshi was horrified. There was no time to think—Tai Yi used his hand as a blade, manifesting a divine sword that he swung downward.
Squelch!
A pillar of blood erupted. From top to bottom, Yuanshi was sliced perfectly in two.
"Second Brother!" Laozi roared, his face pale. Before he could move to the rescue, Tai Yi charged at him, moving through the battlefield like an unstoppable force. Except for Laozi, no one could even trade blows with him.
This battle was reaching its conclusion almost as soon as it had begun. The combined force of the Sanqing and the Western Duo was simply no match. They had known Di Jun and Tai Yi would be strong, but they hadn't realized they were this strong. Even with their own Supreme Treasures, the Crows' magic power exceeded theirs by an insurmountable margin.
"Third Brother! Deploy the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation!" Yuanshi screamed in desperation, turning his head to shout at Tongtian.