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Ji Chang had long awaited this day, so he changed the name of his state to Zhou, proclaimed himself King Wen of Zhou, established the Jade Purity Saint Yuanshi Tianzun's Chan Sect as the state religion, appointed Jiang Shang as prime minister and military advisor, giving him full authority over the campaign against King Zhou of Shang, and appointed Nezha as the vanguard commander-in-chief, with their army marching straight towards Chaoge. He also appointed Yang Jian as the accompanying marshal, responsible for the army's food and supplies.

Jiang Shang racked his brains and finally came up with ten unreliable charges against King Zhou. Fortunately, the people of this era were uncultured and did not care about the content of the charges. As long as there was such a charge, that was enough. After all, history is written by the victors. As long as they could defeat the Shang Dynasty and take its place, everything the Western Zhou Dynasty did was correct.

And so, Jiang Ziya led an army of three million, joined forces with various feudal lords, and marched in a mighty force toward Chaoge!

When the court in Chaoge heard that Xiqi had rebelled, it was in a state of great panic. At this time, Grand Tutor Wen Zhong was not present, so the task of suppressing the rebellion fell on the shoulders of Zhenguo Wucheng King Huang Feihu.

Huang Feihu was born into a military family and was well-versed in military strategy. His warhorse, the Five-Colored Divine Ox, and his battle beast, the Iron-Beaked Divine Eagle, were both famous mythical beasts in the primordial world. Moreover, Huang Feihu's sister married King Zhou as a concubine, and the Huang family was extremely favored.

Just as Huang Feihu was preparing to set off, King Zhou believed Daji's rumors, killed Consort Huang, and sent people to capture Huang Feihu.

When Huang Feihu learned that his sister had been killed and that he was about to be captured, he was filled with rage. So he listened to the advice of his family retainers, rebelled against the Shang Dynasty, and came to the Zhou Kingdom to seek refuge.

With both Wen Zhong and Huang Feihu absent, no one in the Shang Dynasty could withstand Jiang Shang's army. Even some wandering immortals from the Jie Sect who came were killed by Nezha and Yang Jian. Wherever the Zhou army went, the Shang army crumbled like clay chickens and earthen dogs!

The Zhou army of three million first beheaded Chong Houhu, the Marquis of the South, and installed Chong Houhu's younger brother, Chong Heihu, who had submitted to the Zhou, as the new Marquis of the South. They then broke through Tongguan Pass, crossed the Si River, and killed Zhang Guifang, a disciple of the Jie Sect, and the Four Heavenly Kings. Later, at Huanghua Mountain, they killed Deng Xin and Zhang Tao, two or three generations of disciples of the Jie Sect. For a time, the Shang Dynasty was gripped by fear and uncertainty!

During this time, many third-generation disciples of the Chan Sect came to assist Jiang Shang on the orders of the Twelve Golden Immortals. Among them were Huang Tianhua, a disciple of Qingxu Daode Zhenjun; Jinzha, a disciple of Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun; Muzha, a disciple of Puxian Zhenren; Tuxingsun, a disciple of Julusun; and Lei Zhenzi, the 100th son of King Wen of Zhou, a disciple of Yunzhongzi. Each of them was highly skilled and could hold off ten thousand men.

Now, Nezha was the vanguard marshal, and Yang Jian was the accompanying marshal. Both of them were highly skilled in martial arts and came from extraordinary backgrounds, so they naturally admired each other.

Knowing Yang Jian's origins and seeing that Yang Jian had no suitable treasures, Nezha thought to himself that the Heaven-Shaking Bow was left by Yang Jian's father, the Human Emperor Xuanyuan, and that since he had many treasures, he might as well repay this debt of karma. So he gave Yang Jian the Tai'a Sword, an acquired spiritual treasure.

Yang Jian, however, possessed great strength and found the Tai'a sword unwieldy, so he transformed it into a three-pointed, double-edged blade. Nezha thus repaid the karmic debt incurred by the Heaven-Shaking Bow.

……

Zhao Gongming, the eldest disciple of the outer sect of the Jie Sect, possesses the peak cultivation of the Taiyi Golden Immortal. He has the Dragon-Binding Rope, a spiritual treasure he obtained during his travels in the prehistoric world, as well as the Yin-Yang Pearl, a high-level innate spiritual treasure bestowed upon him by the Shangqing Sage, Tongtian Jiaozhu.

The Yin-Yang Pearl, one yin and one yang, was formed when two precious pearls were imbued with yin and yang energies after the creation of heaven and earth, making it extremely powerful.

Recently, Zhao Gongming felt very uneasy in Luofu Cave on Mount Emei, but he could not figure out the reason by calculating with his fingers. Due to the instructions of his teacher, the Tongtian Sect Master, Zhao Gongming had no choice but to stay in the mountain.

On this day, an uninvited guest arrived at Mount Emei; it was Shen Gongbao, a disciple of the Chan Sect.

Chapter 46 Nezha's Defeat

It turned out that Shen Gongbao saw that Jiang Shang was invincible and was about to kill his way to Chaoge. Meanwhile, Grand Tutor Wen Zhong was still in the North Sea and had not yet returned. He knew that the people who came were mostly outer disciples or third-generation disciples of the Jie Sect. How could they possibly stop Jiang Shang's army? He had to go and invite some direct disciples of the Jie Sect to come.

But how could the disciples of the Jie Sect dare to leave the mountain with the orders of the Tongtian Sect Master? Coincidentally, Zhao Gongming's two disciples, Deng Xin and Zhang Tao, had been killed by Zhou's army not long ago, and Shen Gongbao naturally thought of their teacher, Zhao Gongming.

Upon hearing Shen Gongbao's words, Zhao Gongming was so angry that his eyes widened and his tongue lolled out. He cursed, "The Chan Sect is really going too far! I will make you know how powerful my Jie Sect is!" He then decided to go down the mountain to stop Jiang Shang.

However, Zhao Gongming was not a reckless person. He thought to himself that he was no match for so many people on his own, and it would be bad if he ruined the reputation of the Jie Sect. So he went to the Three Immortal Islands to ask Yunxiao for help! With Yunxiao's abilities, she would be fine as long as the sages did not come out of the Three Pure Ones sect!

Yunxiao is now a Great Luo Golden Immortal, and his knowledge is naturally superior to Zhao Gongming's. However, he found himself completely clueless about the Investiture of the Gods, and was secretly alarmed! In addition, he was ordered by his teacher, the Tongtian Sect Leader, to stay on the Three Immortal Islands and never go out.

When Yunxiao heard that Zhao Gongming had come to invite him to come out of the mountains to help King Zhou, he was greatly alarmed and said, "Brother, although I have never left the Three Immortals Island, I know that King Zhou favors Daji, corrupts the court, and causes great suffering to the people. This time, I am afraid that the outcome is more likely to be bad than good. How can I help him? Besides, I have a teacher's order to follow. How can I easily disobey it?"

Zhao Gongming laughed and said, "Sister, you are being foolish. Daji bewitched King Zhou by instigating the Investiture of the Gods on Nuwa's orders. Once we send the people of the Chan Sect onto the Investiture of the Gods list and fulfill Heaven's will, a little fox demon will be easy to capture. But if none of our master's direct disciples go out, I'm afraid we won't be able to stop the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Jie Sect. What will we do if our outer disciples and third-generation disciples are all killed or injured?"

Zhao Gongming's words were not without reason, but how could Yunxiao agree? He said, "Brother, our seclusion was personally instructed by our teacher. If we were to leave seclusion today, we would probably need to obtain our teacher's permission first!"

Zhao Gongming thought to himself that the order to go into seclusion was personally given by his teacher. His teacher was a saint, so how could he be willing to do something as shameful as changing his mind? He also thought: As the eldest disciple of the outer sect of the Jie Sect, I have never been defeated by the Yin-Yang Pearl in my hand. How could I not be able to stop the disciples of the Chan Sect? If I have to trouble my teacher, the Tongtian Sect Master, for this matter, it would be pointless for my fellow disciples to look down on me!

It turns out that the Tongtian Jiejiao sect is divided into inner and outer sects. The eldest disciple of the inner sect, Duobao, has already achieved the quasi-saint level, while Yunxiao of the outer sect is a Daluo Jinxian (Great Luo Golden Immortal). This puts Zhao Gongming, the eldest disciple of the outer sect, in a rather awkward position. Zhao Gongming is a proud and arrogant person, and he often regrets this situation.

Zhao Gongming nodded to Yunxiao and said, "Sister, there's no need for you to say more. I have my own plans for this matter!" After saying that, he took his leave of Yunxiao.

Yunxiao assumed that Zhao Gongming had changed his mind, so he said, "Brother, there's no need to worry. Our teacher is a saint, and everything is surely under his control. If he takes any action, he will definitely come to inform us. We just need to wait and see!"

Zhao Gongming's mind was made up, and he wouldn't listen to Yunxiao's words. After returning to Mount Emei, Zhao Gongming discovered that the Ten Heavenly Kings of White Deer Island, invited by Shen Gongbao, were waiting for him. The Ten Heavenly Kings were outer disciples of the Jie Sect, each possessing early-stage Golden Immortal cultivation. Each had refined a great array, divided into the "Heavenly Annihilation Array," "Earthly Blaze Array," "Wind Howl Array," "Frost Array," "Golden Light Array," "Blood Transformation Array," "Blazing Flame Array," "Soul Binding Array," "Red Water Array," and "Red Sand Array." Collectively, they were known as the "Ten Great Arrays," which were incredibly powerful, possessing unfathomable abilities and defying the laws of nature.

Zhao Gongming was overjoyed, thinking to himself that even if the Twelve Golden Immortals came out together, what could they do to him if he went with the Ten Heavenly Kings? He immediately mounted his black tiger and led the Ten Heavenly Kings straight to the Zhou Kingdom!

……

Jiang Shang led the Zhou army across Huanghua Mountain and was about to continue advancing when the vanguard general Nezha came to report that the sky and earth were shrouded in a gray haze along the route the army was taking, fearing that someone was blocking their way, so he came to inform him.

Jiang Shang accompanied Nezha to investigate. They saw a large open space before Huanghua Mountain, shrouded in a chilling mist, accompanied by a mournful wind and a palpable aura of killing intent. Although Jiang Shang's cultivation was low, he was well-versed in military strategy and knew perfectly well that a formidable battle was ahead. He could only sigh and say to Nezha, "We've come this far, and finally we've encountered a master!"

Jiang Shang shouted loudly in front of the formation, "The Prime Minister of the Great Zhou, Jiang Shang, and the Grand Marshal Nezha, the vanguard of the campaign against Zhou, are here. May the esteemed one in front come out and meet us?"

With a loud "boom," the fog and clouds in the sky suddenly dispersed, and eleven riders emerged from the front of the formation. The leader, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, exuded an imposing aura and rode a black tiger. The ten riders behind him stood in a row, all with fierce-looking faces.

The man riding a tiger stepped forward and said, "Jiang Shang, I am Zhao Gongming of the Jie Sect. The ten men behind me are the Ten Heavenly Kings of White Deer Island. You raised an army to attack King Zhou, but why did you indiscriminately kill my Jie Sect disciples? Today, we have set up the 'Ten Deadly Formations' here, and you will not be able to pass through here."

When Jiang Shang learned that the people opposite him were Zhao Gongming, the eldest disciple of the outer sect of the Jie Sect, and the Ten Heavenly Lords of White Deer Island, he was greatly surprised. He thought to himself that Zhao Gongming was also one of the most capable people in the Three Pure Ones Daoist sect. Among the second-generation disciples of the Jie Sect, his cultivation was second only to Duobao Daoist and Yunxiao of the Three Immortal Islands. The Ten Heavenly Lords of White Deer Island were famous for their formations. Now, his side consisted of third-generation disciples of the Chan Sect. How could they be a match for Zhao Gongming and the Ten Heavenly Lords?

It was also because Nezha hadn't encountered any powerful opponents along the way and hadn't displayed his peak Taiyi Golden Immortal strength that Jiang Shang thought there was no one on his side who could stand up to him.

Jiang Shang said, “Zhao Gongming, you are a virtuous man, how can you stoop to the level of those ignorant children? When the sages discussed the matter of the Investiture of the Gods, they clearly stated that those with shallow roots should be included on the Investiture of the Gods list. The sages of the Intercepting Sect also instructed their disciples to go into seclusion and quietly recite the Yellow Court Classic. You should not have come.”

Zhao Gongming had gone down the mountain without permission and was in pain when Jiang Shang spoke to him. He angrily said, "Jiang Shang, you killed two of my disciples. I will have to make you pay with your life. Why are you arguing with me here? I will capture you first and then go back to apologize to my teacher." After saying that, he raised the Dragon Binding Rope in his hand and went straight for Jiang Shang.

Jiang Shang was only at the early stage of Earth Immortal cultivation, how could he possibly withstand it? But then Nezha shouted from the side, "With Nezha here, don't you dare hurt my uncle!" He used the Qiankun Ring to block the Dragon Binding Rope, thus stopping its attack.

Zhao Gongming also secretly thought that Nezha was very skilled, and thought that with such a person by Jiang Shang's side, it was no wonder that the Shang Dynasty suffered a great loss. At that moment, Zhao Gongming said, "Nezha, I will consider that your cultivation is not easy, so you may leave and I will not make things difficult for you."

Nezha sneered and said, "I am the Grand Marshal of the Vanguard against King Zhou. How could I possibly desert my post? Take this!" With that, he swung the Universe Ring at Zhao Gongming.

Zhao Gongming thought to himself: The war between the Shang and Zhou dynasties to invest the gods is inevitable. It would be better to get rid of Nezha now than to have the disciples of the Jie Sect killed by Nezha later. So Zhao Gongming said, "I have always cherished talent, but you are courting death. Very well, I will send you to the Investiture of the Gods!" After saying that, he raised the Yin-Yang Pearl in his hand and went towards the Qiankun Ring.

Although Nezha was a disciple of the sage Nuwa, how could Zhao Gongming, the eldest disciple of the outer sect of the Jie Sect, be afraid?

The Yin-Yang Pearl is a high-level innate spiritual treasure. How could the Qiankun Ring, an acquired spiritual treasure, possibly withstand it? The Yin-Yang Pearl collided with the Qiankun Ring in mid-air with a "bang," and the Qiankun Ring flew back. Nezha had to take several steps back before he could catch the Qiankun Ring.

How could Nezha bear such treatment? He immediately took the Heaven-Shaking Bow in his hand, nocked an arrow, and aimed at Zhao Gongming.

Zhao Gongming was a man of great knowledge and experience; how could he not recognize the Heaven-Shaking Bow forged by the Human Emperor Xuanyuan? He dared not be careless, and with a solemn expression, he summoned the Yin-Yang Pearls. The two pearls spun rapidly in the air, forming a large circle that spun faster and faster. Then, a bright black and white light shone forth, and within the circle appeared a Yin-Yang Taiji diagram.

Just then, Nezha shouted, "Hurry!" and released his grip. The arrow that pierced the clouds flew like a meteor, a golden light shooting straight towards Zhao Gongming.

Zhao Gongming waved his hands and roared, "Rise!" The black and white light blocked the golden light.

The black and white yin-yang symbol formed by the yin-yang symbol retreated repeatedly under the attack of the golden light, and the golden light of the cloud-piercing arrow also became smaller and smaller. Finally, just as it was about to reach Zhao Gongming, the golden light disappeared, the cloud-piercing arrow stopped advancing, and flew back into Nezha's hand.

Nezha coughed up a mouthful of blood. Although Nezha was also at the peak of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, his time was still short. How could his magical power compare to that of Zhao Gongming, the eldest disciple of the Jie Sect's outer sect, who had been at the peak of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm for hundreds of thousands of years? At this moment, Nezha used his Heaven-Shaking Bow to strike with all his might, but the Cloud-Piercing Arrow failed to hit its target. Nezha was injured by the backlash of the force.

Zhao Gongming, relying on his magic weapon Yin-Yang Pearl, managed to withstand the attack from Nezha's Heaven-Shaking Bow, but he was not far from unscathed. His face turned golden, and large drops of sweat dripped down his face. He thought to himself that the Heaven-Shaking Bow was indeed worthy of being made by the Emperor himself, and its power was extraordinary. He had only managed to withstand the arrow by exerting all his strength.

At this moment, four figures flew over from afar. The one in the lead was wearing golden armor and a three-eyed face, holding a precious sword. He was none other than Yang Jian, the marshal accompanying the Zhou army. The three behind him were also extraordinary. One of them had a pointed beak and a protruding forehead, and a pair of fleshy wings on his back from which the sound of wind and thunder could be faintly heard. This person was Lei Zhenzi, the hundredth son of King Wen of Zhou. Lei Zhenzi had mistakenly eaten two immortal apricots in Zhongnan Mountain and now had the cultivation of the early stage of Golden Immortal. The other two had a similar appearance, with square faces and straight noses. They were Jin and Mu, the brothers of Nezha, and now had the cultivation of the late stage of Earth Immortal.

The reason the four came here was that Yang Jian was worried when he heard that Nezha and Jiang Shang had come alone to investigate the formation, so he led Jinzha, Muzha, Lei Zhenzi and others here.

When Zhao Gongming saw that several more people had arrived, all of them were third-generation disciples of the Chan Sect, he said to Jiang Shang, "Jiang Shang, I'll let you off the hook today. Go back and call the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect to come here, so they won't say that I'm bullying the weak here." After saying that, he ignored Jiang Shang and the others and went back to the "Ten Deadly Formations" with the Ten Heavenly Lords.

Jiang Shang and the others returned to the army, thinking to themselves that among the people on their side, only Yang Jian and Lei Zhenzi had the cultivation of a Golden Immortal. Although Nezha had shown the cultivation of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, he was injured in the battle with Zhao Gongming. However, the enemy had eleven Golden Immortals and a great master like Zhao Gongming. Moreover, the "Ten Deadly Formations" had not yet been activated. There was no way that the Zhou Kingdom could defeat them. They decided to follow Zhao Gongming's advice and find the twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect to come and make further plans.

As soon as Jiang Shang had a thought, he flew towards the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain.

How could Yuanshi not know that Jiang Shang was coming? He thought to himself that in the past, it was just the outer disciples of the third generation who were fooling around. He wondered when the 365 true gods of the Heavenly Court would be able to gather. Now that Zhao Gongming has appeared, how come the entire Jie Sect can no longer keep quiet? He smiled and summoned the Twelve Golden Immortals.

When the Twelve Golden Immortals heard that Zhao Gongming, the eldest disciple of the outer sect of the Jie Sect, had personally led ten Heavenly Lords to block Jiang Shang's army, they were all filled with righteous indignation and wanted to go and find Zhao Gongming to cause trouble.

Originally in a good mood, Yuan Shi sighed upon seeing his disciples in such a chaotic state. He thought to himself that while the Twelve Golden Immortals had followed him for tens of millions of years and their cultivation was indeed high, their self-cultivation was far too poor. So he simply instructed, "The Twelve Golden Immortals, go with Jiang Shang!" After saying this, he handed the innate spiritual treasure, the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner, to Jiang Shang, saying, "You are destined to be the one to be conferred the title of gods. This is for your protection!"

Meanwhile, Ran Deng, who was nearby, overheard Jiang Shang recounting the battle between Zhao Gongming and Nezha. He thought to himself that Zhao Gongming's Yin-Yang Pearl could actually withstand the full force of Nezha's Heaven-Shaking Bow and even injure Nezha with the backlash. This treasure was truly extraordinary. Since achieving the Quasi-Saint realm, he had been calculating the foundation for his future enlightenment every day, only to find that it always revolved around the word "pearl." Currently, there were only two pearls of the Acquired Spiritual Treasure level or higher in the Primordial World: the "Boundless Pearl" of the Holy Mother Wudang, one of the four inner disciples of the Jie Sect, and Zhao Gongming's "Yin-Yang Pearl." Considering that the "Boundless Pearl" was in seclusion on Jin'ao Island with the Holy Mother Wudang, retrieving it now would be too difficult. It would be better to take the "Yin-Yang Pearl" first. In any case, with the two sects currently fighting, life and death were in the hands of fate, and no one could blame him.

Ran Deng secretly made up his mind.

The Twelve Golden Immortals have been famous for a long time, and their reputation has spread throughout the primordial world. They are certainly not ordinary people.

Among them, Guang Chengzi, Chi Jingzi, Ju Liusun, Taiyi Zhenren, Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun, Puxian Zhenren, Cihang Daoren, and Yuding Zhenren all possessed the peak cultivation of Taiyi Golden Immortal, while Huanglong Zhenren, Lingbao Dafashi, Daoxing Tianzun, and Qingxu Daode Zhenjun were at the late stage of Taiyi Golden Immortal. Their strength was originally above Zhao Gongming and the Ten Heavenly Lords, but the Ten Heavenly Lords' "Ten Absolute Formations" were too powerful, forming a seamless whole. While everyone tried to focus their efforts on dealing with the "Ten Absolute Formations," Zhao Gongming, wielding the Yin-Yang Pearl, was also watching them intently. As a result, the Twelve Golden Immortals attacked the formation for several days, but not only did they fail to break it, they were also injured by Zhao Gongming's Yin-Yang Pearl, with Chi Jingzi, Huanglong Zhenren, and Qingxu Daode Zhenjun being struck. The Twelve Golden Immortals felt utterly humiliated and their faces were completely ruined.

On this day, Ran Deng arrived at Jiang Shang's camp without making a sound.

Chapter Forty-Seven: Zhao Gongming Dies, the Three Immortals Leave the Island

The Twelve Golden Immortals were overjoyed to see Randeng arrive, for Randeng was a Quasi-Saint and could naturally deal with Zhao Gongming, who was a Taiyi Golden Immortal.

After everyone exchanged greetings, Randeng said, "With your cultivation, as long as you concentrate and understand the changes in each formation, dealing with the 'Ten Deadly Formations' will not be difficult. Tomorrow, I will trap Zhao Gongming. Everyone should make preparations!" After saying this, Randeng said to Jiang Shang, "I still need to borrow your Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner!"

Jiang Shang had no choice but to obey, and immediately handed over the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner to Randeng.

The next day, Randeng led the Twelve Golden Immortals to the "Ten Deadly Formations" and summoned Zhao Gongming to come out and speak.

When Zhao Gongming saw Randeng coming, he knew things were going badly, but how could he, as the eldest disciple of the outer sect of the Jie Sect, back down? So he quietly placed his personal weapon, the Divine Whip, on his mount, the Black Tiger, and sent it to the Three Immortal Islands to find his sister, Yunxiao, for help.

However, how could Zhao Gongming's actions be kept secret from Randeng, who already possessed the cultivation of a quasi-saint and was constantly watching him? In order to seize Zhao Gongming's Yin-Yang Pearl, Randeng even abandoned his previous grand entourage, just to avoid alerting Zhao Gongming and causing him to summon a group of experts from the Jie Sect.

Ran Deng laughed and said, "Zhao Gongming, I have been planning this for a long time, but you have only just made this move. It is too late!" After saying that, he raised the innate spiritual treasure, the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner, into the air. The apricot yellow banner shone brightly with golden light, covering the "Ten Deadly Formations". The operation of the formation slowed down, and the black tiger was unable to move.

Zhao Gongming was both shocked and furious. This Randeng possessed the cultivation of a quasi-saint, far surpassing his own. Now, he had even brought the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner, a primordial spiritual treasure ranked only below the Pangu Banner in the hands of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, from the Chan Sect. It seemed he had been plotting against him for a long time. Zhao Gongming immediately cursed, "Randeng, how despicable you are!" and hurled the Yin-Yang Pearl in his hand at the Jade Void Apricot Yellow Banner.

How could the Ten Heavenly Kings not know the power of the Lamp Burner? They immediately roused themselves, manipulating the great formation, attempting to break through the golden light shield of the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner. Then, the Twelve Golden Immortals simultaneously unleashed their magical treasures, each flying into the "Ten Deadly Formations." Eight of them, including Guang Chengzi, were late-stage Golden Immortals, each dealing with a round of attacks, while the four, including Huanglong Zhenren, were mid-stage Golden Immortals, divided into two groups, each dealing with a round of attacks.

The Yin-Yang Pearl was merely a high-grade innate spiritual treasure. How could it possibly break through the defense of the top-grade innate spiritual treasure, the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner, in Zhao Gongming's hands? The black and white light of the Yin-Yang Pearl collided with the golden light of the Apricot Yellow Banner. The golden light swayed for a moment, and the black and white light disappeared instantly. The Yin-Yang Pearl then flew back.

Just as Zhao Gongming was about to take the Yin-Yang Pearl into his hand, he heard Randeng say, "Fellow Daoist, please also take my move!" He then summoned the Lingjiu Palace Lantern in his hand, and a small, bluish-green flame flew straight towards Zhao Gongming.

Zhao Gongming was greatly surprised. How could he not know the power of the four lamps in the world? The bluish-green flames did not look particularly conspicuous, but they were the essence of the innate Ding fire.

Zhao Gongming cursed, "Randeng, what kind of hero are you, taking advantage of someone in distress?"

With the Yin-Yang Pearl still missing, Zhao Gongming had no choice but to rely on the "Ten Deadly Formations" and summon the Dragon-Binding Rope in his hand to resist the Ding Fire Essence. However, as soon as the Ding Fire Essence touched the Dragon-Binding Rope, it emitted a bright blue light and instantly burned the Dragon-Binding Rope into ashes.

Zhao Gongming's cultivation level was inferior to that of Randeng, and his Dragon Binding Rope was only at the level of an acquired spiritual treasure. How could he possibly withstand the Spirit Vulture Palace Lantern, an innate spiritual treasure?

After the essence of Ding Fire burned the Dragon-Binding Rope, it did not continue to pursue, but only circled in the air with its claws outstretched before flying back into the Lingjiu Palace Lantern.

With a smile on his face, Ran Deng completely ignored Zhao Gongming, whose face was ashen with hatred. He then took out another innate spiritual treasure, the Golden Bowl, which flew into the air and emitted a dazzling golden light, blocking the Yin-Yang Pearl's return route.

Zhao Gongming was well aware of what Ran Deng was thinking, but he was no match for him. He was both shocked and angry, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Zhao Gongming roared, "You traitor Ran Deng, I will never let you get away with this!" A blue lotus, about a foot in size, slowly rose from his head. It was the Great Dao of the Shangqing Saint of the Jie Sect, which Zhao Gongming had cultivated for tens of millions of years.

Randeng was also greatly surprised when he saw the blue lotus flower. He thought to himself that among the second-generation disciples of the Three Pure Ones Daoist sect, Xuandu, Duobao, and Yunxiao were the most powerful. After the three, everyone believed that Zhao Gongming and Guangchengzi were the most outstanding, and now it seemed that this was indeed true. Zhao Gongming, at the peak of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, had actually managed to cultivate the blue lotus to the size of a Quasi-Saint, which was quite remarkable. Given time, it would not be difficult for him to become a Quasi-Saint.

Randeng thought to himself that the treasure-hunting was a done deal today. If he let Zhao Gongming go now, Zhao Gongming would definitely make things difficult for him in the future. So Randeng decided to go all the way and sneered, "You have the Great Law of the Supreme Purity Saint, but little do you know that I also have the Great Law of the Jade Invitation Saint!" After saying that, a white lotus rose from his head, which was also a foot in size.

The Three Pure Ones share a common lineage, and their cultivation methods are largely similar, all derived from the Primordial Lotus. The only difference lies in their colors: the Supreme Pure Sage, Laozi, is red; the Jade Pure Sage, Yuanshi Tianzun, is white; and the Upper Pure Sage, Tongtian Jiaozhu, is blue. This is reflected in the ancient saying: "Red flowers, blue leaves, and white lotus roots—the three teachings are originally one family!"—which speaks of their origins and cultivation methods.

With a flick of his wrist, Ran Deng shouted, "Hurry!" and hurled the golden alms bowl straight at Zhao Gongming.

With a loud crash, the blue lotus on Zhao Gongming's head was smashed to pieces, and Zhao Gongming lay on the ground, disheveled and unable to move.

The Jade Purity Saint's Great Law and the Upper Purity Saint's Great Law are not inherently superior or inferior, but the people who can use them are vastly different. Zhao Gongming, with his peak Taiyi Golden Immortal cultivation, forcibly used the One-Foot Green Lotus, which can only be used by Quasi-Saints, so naturally he could not withstand the full force of Randeng's smash.

Zhao Gongming was already seriously injured, so the Yin-Yang Pearl was no match for Randeng. Randeng grabbed the Yin-Yang Pearl and forcefully expelled Zhao Gongming's primordial spirit from it. How could Zhao Gongming stop him? Suffering repeated blows, he spat out another mouthful of blood and was on the verge of death.

The Ten Heavenly Kings, who were in the "Ten Deadly Formations," also knew about Zhao Gongming's accident. However, they were trapped by the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner above and pressed by the Twelve Golden Immortals below, so they could not save Zhao Gongming. They could only curse Randeng for being despicable in the formation.

Zhao Gongming was a proud man. Thinking of how he had ignored his sister Yunxiao's advice and disregarded his teacher Tongtian Jiaozhu's orders, now that the treasure was destroyed and people were injured, and the Ten Heavenly Kings were likely in grave danger, he wondered how he could face the Jie Sect members again. At that moment, Zhao Gongming roared to the sky, "Randeng, I will never forgive you, even if I die!" He then charged headlong at the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner, actually trying to imitate the story of the Ancestral Witches crashing into the Zhou Tian Star Array during the ancient war between the Witch and the Demon, hoping to break the Apricot Yellow Banner and save the lives of the Ten Heavenly Kings.