They stood upon the shore of the newly claimed islands, watching as Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun drifted away into the horizon.
Dijun let out a hearty, booming laugh and said, "The three immortal islands finally belong to us Three Brothers!"
"Compared to the islands themselves, what brings me the most satisfaction is the crushing defeat we dealt to the Sanqing. I truly wish to see if that old fogey Yuanshi dares to act all high and mighty in our presence again."
"Do you not think he was simply begging for a lesson? He insisted on competing with us at every turn. Is being considered as famous as the Three Crows not already a crowning honor for the Sanqing?"
Tai Yi spoke with a beaming, radiant smile. He vividly recalled how they had been blocked on the path by the Sanqing after returning from Zixiao Palace, subjected to their insufferable posturing and misplaced sense of superiority.
Now that they had publicly thrashed them before the eyes of the world, he felt an exceptional sense of comfort.
To him, this victory was sweeter than the acquisition of any supreme treasure.
"Indeed, I find myself in complete agreement. Furthermore, those two old bastards, the Two Sages of the West, were suppressed by Third Brother throughout the entire affair," Dijun echoed with a relaxed expression, though his features soon settled into a mask of gravity.
"That said, the Sanqing and the Two Sages of the West are all beings destined by the heavens to become Sages. What if... I mean, in the future, once they truly achieve Sagehood, will we not be finished?"
He spoke with a somber tone, weighing this grave issue. Once the Sanqing or the Western Duo became Sages, would they not come to pluck every feather from their wings in retaliation?
As those words were spoken, the smile on Tai Yi's face froze. He turned his gaze toward Lingxiao and asked, "Third Brother, do you truly believe that is a possibility?"
Lingxiao offered a faint, enigmatic smile, his gaze appearing deep and far-reaching as if piercing through the river of time. "It is absolutely impossible. I shall definitely achieve the rank of Hun Yuan before they ever touch Sagehood!"
His words were light, almost whispered, yet they were anchored by an incredible firmness, manifesting a powerful and undeniable self-confidence.
The Sanqing and the Two Sages of the West still had endless eons to traverse before they could hope to become Sages. The essential prerequisite was Nuwa's creation of humanity; only after the birth of the human race would the destined six begin to achieve Sagehood in rapid succession.
As long as he achieved the rank of a Hun Yuan Great Luo Golden Immortal before that specific point in time, every variable in the world would fall under his control.
Only then could he truly stand tall above the heavens. Even if it were the Dao-integrated Hongjun himself, it would be difficult for the old ancestor to move against him. If he found he could not win a direct confrontation, he could simply retreat into the boundless Chaos.
Once he became a Grand Unity Golden Immortal of the Hun Yuan rank, even if he were to kill the Sanqing and the Two Sages of the West, it would no longer pose a catastrophic problem for his existence.
"Good! In that case, we must also redouble our efforts."
"Third Brother, you have given me a heart full of confidence!"
Dijun nodded heavily, his face solemn as he motivated himself. In the battle against the Sanqing, both Tai Yi and Lingxiao had decisively defeated their chosen opponents, while he alone had found no way to overcome his own.
He had, once again, become the member of the trio who felt he was dragging the team's momentum. The battle to prove their names had not fully redeemed his own reputation in his heart.
"Big Brother, are you planning on entering secluded cultivation again, not to emerge until you reach the Hun Yuan Great Luo level?"
Tai Yi brought up the recurring subject, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
"Eh? Mind your words. My last emergence was hardly voluntary; it was only because Third Brother called for my aid. You cannot place the blame for that on me."
Dijun spoke with a perfectly straight face, showing not the slightest hint of embarrassment. After all, it was as he said—his emergence this time had been a passive response to necessity.
Every time he entered seclusion, he prepared himself to remain until a Breakthrough was achieved, yet his peace was interrupted at every turn.
Listening to their banter, Lingxiao couldn't help but smile. "Let us first scour the three immortal islands for their hidden riches, and then we shall return to the Sun Star for our final secluded cultivation."
"Agreed!"
Dijun and Tai Yi nodded in unison. Subsequently, the three of them each chose an island and set to work.
Lingxiao took Penglai, Tai Yi claimed Yingzhou, and Dijun took Fangzhang—a logical and efficient distribution of labor.
Meanwhile, in the North Sea, a savage battle was unfolding.
"Styx! You truly are a persistent ghost. Do you believe that simply because I am injured, you possess the strength to defeat me and seize my Primordial Violet Qi?"
Above the North Sea, the clouds surged in violent tides and the sky turned a bruised, dark hue. Endless astral winds swept through the space between heaven and earth, and the Aura of the collision shook the very foundations of the universe.
Two Quasi-Sages were locked in mortal combat. As the pinnacle combatants of the current Honghong World, the scenes of destruction they caused were beyond ordinary imagination.
The one letting out the roar of fury was Kunpeng. Opposite him stood Styx, his face twisted into an evil, predatory smile, his entire silhouette draped in a sickening blood-red light.
"One can only know the truth by testing it. However, you are currently riddled with heavy injuries and are likely no match for me in your present state. You would be wise to honestly hand over the Primordial Violet Qi; if you do, I might find it in my heart to spare your miserable life."
Styx spoke with a taunting smile, his eyes reflecting a naked, unholy greed. Kunpeng's current vulnerability was a gift delivered by Lingxiao.
Although Styx had also been physically blown apart in the earlier battle, his true body was anchored within the Sea of Blood, so the actual damage to his essence was negligible.
But Kunpeng was a creature of different make. He was composed of flesh and blood and could not hope to compare to a unique, metaphysical existence like Styx.
In terms of recovery speed and raw vitality, in the entire Honghuang, if Styx claimed to be second, no soul would dare claim to be first.
How could a mere feathered Beast possibly compete with him?
Therefore, after witnessing Kunpeng being brutally dismantled by Lingxiao, Styx had been stealthily tailing him through the void, waiting like a vulture for the perfect opportunity to strike.
"Filthy trash... you truly believe you are worthy of the Primordial Violet Qi? Do not deceive yourself into thinking that just because I am wounded, I have no means to deal with a lump of gore like you."
Kunpeng roared, his Aura manifesting as something majestic and invincible. On the surface, he appeared as though he were still the number one predator in the world, but in reality, it was a hollow facade; his internal state was far from grand.
His very Origin had been clipped and injured by Ling Xiao. He had intended to crawl back to his old nest in the North Sea to recuperate and heal in secret, but he had failed to notice Styx following him in the shadows.
Styx had launched a vicious ambush from the darkness. Had it not been for Kunpeng's legendary quick reactions, he would have already suffered a fatal disaster.
"Enough with the posturing. If you will not hand over the Primordial Violet Qi, then simply die!" Styx gave a cold, sharp shout and physically crushed the Void Realm between them. The Yuantu and Abi twin swords struck out, transforming into blood-red rainbows of light that shot straight toward Kunpeng's throat.
He was impatient, unwilling to wait a single moment longer. Heaven only knew how intensely the desire for the Primordial Violet Qi was burning within his soul.
"The one who shall die is you!" Kunpeng let out a long, shrill cry, his ferocity reaching into the heavens. Boundless Evil Qi rolled forth from his wings, the pressure so intense it seemed to pull the very stars down from the Nine Heavens.
In a heartbeat, they clashed.
The battle between Kunpeng and Styx was incredibly vicious. They did not waste time with probing moves or testing defenses; they unleashed their most lethal, soul-extinguishing strikes from the very first breath, giving the opponent zero room to breathe.
Both of these individuals were extremely sinister, harboring malicious hearts and always seeking to gain at the expense of others. Their philosophies were rooted in total extermination, so every move in their duel was naturally fatal and devoid of mercy.
If either side had attempted a mere testing move at the start, they would have certainly suffered a catastrophic loss and fallen into a disadvantage from which there was no recovery.
Kunpeng's Physical Body was robust and his Divine Ability was vast; his entire frame was like a living Innate Spirit Treasure, practically indestructible.
But Styx's twin swords, Yuantu and Abi, were also extraordinary artifacts. Not only did killing with them incur zero Karma for the wielder, but their raw killing power was also remarkably formidable.
Zheng zheng...
Styx and Kunpeng collided again and again, streaks of prismatic light illuminating the darkened world. Beams of light millions of miles long, sharp as cosmic swords, sliced through the firmament and brought down stars one by one.
The moment they crossed paths in a blur of speed, a blood-red light erupted from Kunpeng's back as his body was finally pierced through by Yuantu, leaving a gaping, bloody hole through his torso.
Although Kunpeng's back had been split open and his blood rained down, he remained incredibly brave, his eyes wide with a savage light. He had once been physically torn asunder by Ling Xiao and had survived; he could certainly withstand a single puncture from Styx.
"Haha! Kunpeng, you are no match for me! Stop holding on so desperately to a life you have already lost!" Styx laughed loudly, his voice echoing over the waves. He sought not only to suppress his opponent in physical combat but to shatter his psychological defenses and destroy his will to fight.
Kunpeng snorted coldly, his beak dripping with blood. He was about to retort when another voice beat him to it.
"Indeed. Stop holding on, Kunpeng. The Primordial Violet Qi is not a treasure that a creature such as you can afford to keep!"
As the words fell, two Daoists appeared as if from the air itself. Their heads were crowned with shimmering halos and their bodies were draped in layers of holy, auspicious light.