Chapter 124 What kind of monster is this? What a self-deluded fool! ...

Bitao recognized him at a glance; he was the person she had been longing for day and night, the person she had dreamed about not long ago.

According to Bitao's prediction, the two would meet at the Ascension Ceremony in the Nine Heavens Palace. Bitao never expected that she would run into Mingguang here.

Mingguang stood under the eaves, sword in hand, his face obscured by the dim, crimson light of the lanterns, making his expression impossible to discern.

He didn't know when he started standing there, nor how long he had been watching.

The two stared at each other from a distance, but Mingguang remained motionless, as if he hadn't recognized her at all.

Bitao thought about what Dongjun had just done, and because she was too shocked and hadn't had time to escape due to the spirit ban, plus Mingguang's jealous nature... she felt like her head had grown several sizes bigger, comparable to a big-headed ghost.

But the joy in her heart still burst forth, and Bitao opened her mouth and quickly called out, "Mingguang!"

They ran towards the direction of the light.

Dong Jun was stunned for a moment when he was slapped hard across the face for the first time in his life.

He raised his hand to touch his burning cheek, the heat like a raging fire instantly reaching his heart and lungs, even making his ears ring.

He was so shocked that he didn't hear a single word the little carp shouted.

He turned his head and glared angrily at the culprit, but the culprit didn't even look at him and ran towards the entrance of the inn.

Are you angry?

Dongjun instinctively took two steps and reached out to grab the little carp.

He realized that he had acted too hastily; his actions were uncontrollable, but the little carp might have thought it was offensive.

Dongjun, still feeling the heat from the slap on his face, pulled Xiaoliyu's arm and put on an innocent smile, about to explain.

But the little carp swung its hand away, broke free, and then with a "smack," struck his arm with tremendous force.

Bitao's fur stood on end. Had Dongjun suddenly gone mad?!

Why are you constantly pulling and tugging at her?

After shaking off Dongjun, Bitao glared at him fiercely, her affectionate peach blossom eyes now filled with warning.

Then he continued running towards the corridor, taking two steps at a time.

Dongjun rarely showed any guilt or remorse. With a forced smile, he dared not try to catch the little carp again. However, he moved with lightning speed and leaped over the little carp in the blink of an eye.

Just as the little carp was about to reach the corridor of the inn, it spread its arms wide, like a small mountain, blocking the little carp's way.

He said, "I apologize for my behavior just now. I am not a frivolous person, nor did I do it on purpose. It's just that you are too cute, and I couldn't help myself."

"If you're angry, hit me as you please, I won't dodge."

Dongjun was quite frank; since things had come to this, he didn't hesitate to reveal his feelings to the little carp.

Although it was somewhat different from what he had expected, his reaction was definitely beyond his expectations. However, this unexpectedness stirred Dongjun's heart and filled him with joy.

So this is what love feels like.

He had only scratched the surface, yet he already understood why those demons and monsters indulged in unrestrained pleasure, even unto death.

If Bitao hadn't reacted quickly enough, she would have bumped headfirst into his arms again.

Then it would truly be a situation where even if someone had a mouth all over their body, they still couldn't explain it!

However, it seems that things are no longer clear-cut now.

Dongjun's words caused Bitao's expression to gradually twist, and she wished she could plug her ears, not daring to listen at all!

Bitao looked over Dongjun's outstretched arms and at Mingguang, who was standing under the eaves.

With only a few steps left, Bitao finally saw his expression clearly.

His face was expressionless, his golden eyes unblinking, the crimson of the lantern's shadow completely obscuring the original brilliant gold, making him look like a petrified evil god.

Mingguang remained as still as a mountain, yet moved with the force of a collapsing mountain. His longsword was drawn in an instant, carrying the momentum to split mountains and cleave seas, slashing directly at Dongjun's back—

Dongjun felt a gust of wind coming from behind him, and reacted quickly to dodge it. He turned around to face the person who dared to ambush him.

The moment Dongjun saw the bright light clearly, his pupils dilated sharply for a moment.

Dongjun has been dealing with demons and strange beasts in Shangqing Realm for many years. The claws and teeth of those things are mostly strange and ever-changing illusions, and they often transform into various forms to confuse Dongjun.

Among them, quite a few transformed into the likeness of Dongjun himself.

"What kind of monster are you?!"

"What kind of monster is this?"

As Dongjun instinctively roared, Mingguang also spoke up with a deep voice, questioning him.

The bright sword changed its move again, thrusting towards Dongjun's vital point!

With his bare hands and feet, Dongjun dodged the deadly attack once again.

Bitao was stunned.

She disliked misunderstandings and wanted to explain things to Mingguang in the simplest terms possible.

But when I opened my mouth, I found that I couldn't explain it at all.

She had no idea what had gotten into Dongjun all of a sudden!

She instantly recalled the few days they had spent together and was completely unaware of anything unusual about Dongjun!

Just like Bitao didn't know what had gotten into Lin Xuantu back then!

And every time, Mingguang would just happen to catch her. Why does this always happen... Bitao was both amused and exasperated.

When Dongjun cried out, "What kind of monster is this?" he realized that this was not a demon imitating his appearance at all.

This is the Star Realm of Taiqing, where no demon can imitate a human so perfectly.

As Dongjun nimbly dodged, he stared in astonishment at the person in front of him who wished he could kill him, and almost thought he was seeing his own split body.

Then, recalling the two words the little carp had shouted earlier, Dongjun finally realized—this was his younger brother whom he had never met.

The expression on Dongjun's face in an instant was simply indescribable.

He seized the opportunity, lunged forward, and blocked Mingguang's sword-wielding hand at close range, facing him directly.

One wore a flowing snow robe, the other a black robe, and their faces, when viewed up close, were both exquisitely beautiful with bright golden eyes, strikingly similar in every way.

Dongjun hesitated before speaking, "Bright...light?"

Dongjun recognized his younger brother, and the fierce aura emanating from him dissipated.

However, Mingguang did not know that the person in front of him was his brother Dongjun, whom he had never met.

Taking advantage of Dongjun's hesitation, he stepped back, pressed down on his sword, spun around, and then thrust upwards. The move was simple yet fierce enough, aiming for the throat of the "demon" he had described.

Dongjun gritted his teeth and took another step back, but his arm, which was used to block, was still cut by his robe, leaving a deep wound.

Fresh blood dripped, and the pain spread.

Dongjun roared, "You want to kill me?! I am your brother, Dongjun!"

Mingguang and Bitao share a skill they both possess: ignoring nonsense.

His older brother, Dongjun, was in Shangqing Realm, busy traveling through the myriad realms with Shangyuan Shenzhen to slay demons and monsters. He didn't even see anyone when he went to Shangqing Realm with his mother last time.

How could Dongjun possibly have come to the competition star realm of Taiqing Realm?

He dared to claim to be his brother, and Mingguang's moves became increasingly fierce, pressing closer and closer step by step.

In the blink of an eye, the unarmed Dongjun was cornered in the corridor with nowhere to hide.

Because the person in front of him was his younger brother, Dongjun could not use any killing moves, nor could he easily break through the spiritual energy barrier in the city. If he forcibly broke through, his power could return, but he could not guarantee that he would not burn everyone in the city.

He could only dodge and weave, while being shocked by his younger brother's mastery of swordsmanship. His moves were ever-changing yet simple, each strike aimed directly at vital points, leaving him defenseless.

Wasn't he lacking in natural talent?!

Even if Dongjun could shift his form and change his steps again, and move nimbly, he would still be unable to dart and leap through the narrow corners of the corridor.

Seeing that Mingguang's longsword was about to strike Dongjun's forehead, Bitao quickly stepped forward, grabbed Mingguang's waist, and pulled him back, saying, "Mingguang, Mingguang! He really is your brother Dongjun!"

Mingguang was embraced by the person he had been thinking about day and night, and against his own will, a tingling and trembling sensation ran through his waist and back.

But then she thought about how Xiao Taozhi had not only traveled with this "demon" before, but had also been seen pulling and tugging at him, showing affection for each other.

Enraged, he turned around with bloodshot eyes and snarled at Bitao, "Let go! You dare to protect him again!"

Bitao: "..." Wow.

I haven't seen Mingguang for a few days, and he looks so fierce.

Bitao was so "fierce" that she loosened her grip.

Or perhaps she was so angry that her legs went weak.

She could hardly contain her laughter. She was already happy to see Mingguang ahead of time. Although Bitao didn't like to create any misunderstandings, the way Mingguang was jealous of her was really charming.

Taking advantage of Dongjun's distraction, before he could even turn his head back, Mingguang swung his longsword in a swift motion, about to slice off his brother's head.

The Supreme God, who had been lurking in the shadows, appeared at the end of the corridor and quietly reinforced the railing behind Dongjun.

To prevent his stubborn and energetic apprentice from breaking through the railing and running away when he's cornered and has nowhere to run.

At the same time, he was thinking that if Dongjun's head were really cut off by his own younger brother, he would definitely be more restrained in his future actions.

At that time, even if my good disciple is only trying to avenge his previous defeat, he will definitely be able to cultivate his skills properly instead of relying on his high talent to slack off on his studies all day, cram at the last minute, and play around everywhere. In every battle, he will be like those demons, habitually relying on his own Golden Crow power.

Anyway, Dongjun's magic power is high, so even if he's cut off and quickly reattached, he won't die. If we take him back to heaven to assume his position in time, the Five Thunderbolts can also heal his injuries.

There's no need to do the mission in this realm anymore. At that time, the Supreme God can use the excuse that his disciple was killed by his closest relative and that he was heartbroken and devastated to extort a huge sum from the Heavenly Dao of all realms!

But at this critical moment—a wave of heat suddenly surged from Dongjun's body, who had no way to avoid it.

The heatwave hit Mingguang head-on, and the longsword that had been aimed at Dongjun's neck stopped abruptly.

He sensed the aura of an adult Golden Crow that could not be faked, and froze in astonishment. The chilling killing intent on his body instantly disintegrated and disappeared without a trace, like a mud ox sinking into the sea.

The Supreme God sighed, filled with regret, and his figure vanished once more.

Although Dongjun hasn't practiced martial arts properly for many years, he's not stupid. It's precisely because he's too clever that he's unwilling to diligently practice those tedious techniques.

Dongjun pretended to break through the city's restrictions, but in reality, he wanted to reveal a trace of the Golden Crow's unique aura.

The Supreme God truly liked his disciple's intelligence, but disliked that he was too intelligent and only knew how to use his intelligence.

The fierce battle suddenly collapsed. Dongjun leaned against the railing, head held high, staring at Mingguang as if he had everything under control.

Actually, there was a layer of fine sweat on my back.

If he were to lose his head here today, his master, the Origin God, would laugh his teeth out.

When did the world begin to change?

Even a random little carp could match his magic seal, so Dongjun simply assumed he had encountered someone with the same extraordinary talent as himself.

But who can tell him when his dull-witted younger brother became so capable?

In a pure contest of techniques and skills, even if he had a weapon, he might not be able to win.

Dongjun was still shaken, but he coldly watched his younger brother, whom he had never met before, waiting for him to admit his mistake, apologize, and call him "brother."

Mingguang slowly lowered his longsword and straightened his posture.

However, the earnest apology and trembling that Dongjun had imagined did not happen.

Mingguang stared intently at Dongjun, his brows furrowed with frost and thunder, his gaze filled not with friendliness or intimacy, but with wariness and suspicion.

He stood tall like a snow-capped mountain pine, his face as cold and ruthless as iron and rock, showing not a trace of panic or remorse for nearly killing his own brother.

It was as if his eyes were saying—you, do you even deserve to be my brother Dongjun?

Dongjun felt a lump in his throat and wanted to curse.

Bitao also felt the heat wave. Although she couldn't smell the Golden Crow's aura, she thought that the two had recognized each other's bloodline when they stopped fighting.

She stretched out her arms and hugged Mingguang affectionately.

That peach-pink face of Dongjun, which looked like it would get slapped if Dongjun even scratched it, leaned directly against Mingguang's arm, rubbed against it, and even changed the tone of his voice.

She said softly, "It's not that I'm trying to help him, he really is Dongjun."

"Mingguang, what are you doing here?"

Mingguang turned his head to look at Bitao, but the frost on his face had not melted at all.

On the contrary, Dongjun's expression was the same as Bitao's when she saw Mingguang under the corridor, as if she had seen a ghost.

"Little carp, what are you doing... Do you know my brother?"

Dongjun reached out to pull Bitao away from Mingguang, but Mingguang raised his sword again, silently blocking Dongjun's hand.

Dongjun: "..."

Just then, a figure suddenly ran out of the inn.

This figure was one of the people who had just opened the window to watch the commotion below.

He had already taken off his clothes and was about to go to sleep, as they would continue their journey the next morning.

Unexpectedly, just by opening a window, I saw the person I had been searching for all along!

He hurriedly put on his clothes haphazardly, and now, after running down, his clothes were disheveled and his long hair was messy.

Standing at the door, he looked around and when he saw Bitao, his heterochromatic eyes swirled.

"Fairy Bitao!" Taiji ran quickly towards Bitao.

Bitao turned around, and Taiji rushed to her. Because of his excessive worry these days, Taiji couldn't suppress his excitement and opened his arms to hug Bitao.

The voice exclaimed in delight, "The Fairy of the Peach Blossom!"

Bitao was embraced by Taiji, Mingguang took a step back, but Dongjun's eyebrows twitched and his expression was strange.

However, Taiji quickly released Bitao, and after scanning her up and down with his round eyes for a moment, he asked, "Fairy Bitao, are you alright?"

Seeing that Taiji was unharmed and in this inn, Bitao figured he must be with Mingguang.

Before Bitao descended to the mortal realm, she asked Mingguang to look after Taiji. Now it seems that he has taken good care of Taiji.

Bitao smiled and said, "I'm fine."

"I have something to do."

Dongjun, who had been standing arrogantly to the side, waiting for his younger brother to apologize, spoke through gritted teeth: "What did he call you?"

"Little carp, what's your name?"

Bitao's head, which had just shrunk, suddenly grew large again.

A numbness ran down the back of my neck, and I retreated without making a sound.

Dongjun darted forward to grab Bitao's wrist, but was once again deflected by Mingguang's longsword from the side.

Dongjun's eyes were crimson, meeting Mingguang's bloodshot eyes in a silent standoff.

A moment later, Dongjun did not raise his hand again, but he glared at Bitao and laughed angrily, "Your name is... Bitao?"

"You are that Bitao..."

"Then why did you tell me... your name is Zhan Kui?"

Bitao was simply hiding her name, which was nothing unusual.

However, when Dongjun suddenly went mad and confessed his love to her, which was overheard by Mingguang, and Mingguang had just fought with his own brother and clearly still had a misunderstanding about her, her concealing her name seemed to have ulterior motives.

Moreover, it's impossible to explain in just one or two sentences; we have to start from the beginning.

Dongjun clearly didn't give Bitao a chance to explain from the beginning.

“Little Carp… no,” Dongjun’s eyes were red and his smile was extremely eerie, “I should call you Bitao.”

"Bi, Tao, Xuan, Xian, right?"

"No wonder you turned the tables so easily, no wonder you won people's hearts so easily."

It turns out he wasn't some unknown little carp, nor did he suddenly "find" a treasure or find a confidante whose schemes and cunning were on par with his own.

Instead, she rose from the body of a wild immortal to the rank of Xuanxian, her fame resounding throughout the nine heavens. She was the Xuanxian Bitao, who single-handedly stirred up unrest among the ancient immortal clans and those holding the rank of merit immortals!

“No wonder, hahaha…” Dongjun nodded and laughed.

He looked at Bitao, his anger at being fooled and mocked, and the shame of having just been filled with excitement and joy to confess his love to someone only to discover that the person was actually his younger brother's lover. These feelings piled up and intertwined, making his whole face contort.

The veins on his forehead and neck bulged. He stood in front of Bitao without taking another step forward, but his eyes were fixed on her, and waves of heat uncontrollably poured out from his body.

"So you've been playing me all along the way."

Dongjun pursed his trembling lips, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth: "The way you looked at me... trying to get my attention, so you were looking at my brother through me..."

This was a thousand times, ten thousand times heavier than the slap that Bitao had given him in the face before.

He was completely disoriented by the heavy slap.

Dongjun was incredibly proud; from the moment he was born, he was the center of attention and the center of everyone's admiration.

Bitao once boasted that the highest peak in the heavens was where Dongjun was born.

He even disdained that position, fled and gave it up, and went to Shangqing Realm in a carefree manner.

He simply cannot accept being used as a substitute.

She'll still treat him as a substitute for her own younger brother!

Bitao listened to Dongjun's accusations with a fascinating expression, finding him utterly unreasonable.

"So what if I don't tell you my name? What obligation do I have to tell you? Just because you're Mingguang's brother, do I have to obediently tell you my name and then treat you like royalty?"

"Stop talking nonsense. When did I ever consider you a substitute for Mingguang?"

Bitao said decisively, "I recognized you at a glance that you are not Mingguang, and I have said from the beginning that I am the lover of Mingguang, the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Realm."

"You also said Mingguang is your brother, and how did I trick you?"

"What do you mean I looked at you in a suggestive way? Did I mislead you? I looked at Yunmeng and the Dharma Protector with that kind of gaze. Who else did I look at with that kind of gaze?"

"That's what I look like, and that's how I look at dogs!"

Dongjun was furious, his finger trembling as he pointed at Bitao: "You still dare to argue?!"

"You knew I was Mingguang's brother, yet you refused to reveal your identity and keep your distance. You accepted my gifts, and then called me 'brother' in an ambiguous way, trying to make me fall for you..."

Dongjun gritted his teeth and took a step closer, saying, "You dare say you weren't deliberately playing me?!"

Before Bitao could retreat, Mingguang, who was holding a sword, stepped forward and blocked her way.

Bitao bristled with fur, ready to fight, but thanks to Mingguang's protection, it quickly deflated like a punctured fish.

He leaned forward slightly, pressing himself against Mingguang's back. He buried his head in Mingguang's back, taking a deep breath, unable to suppress the urge to smile.

I wanted to bite him at an inopportune moment.

Unable to bite, I quietly gave it a kiss.

Taiji, standing beside Bitao, had no idea where to look.

Although they had no idea what was going on, and even less did they understand where the two Mingguang Xuanxian had come from.

If one of the peach blossoms is real, then the other must be a fake!

He stepped forward, blocking Bitao's path, his Sharingan swirling, attempting to confuse the fake.

Dongjun was completely unaffected by Taiji's innate skills. The Golden Crow clan possessed the ability to understand the mind and dispel illusions within their bloodline.

Dongjun repeatedly blocked Mingguang's movements.

He roared, "Mingguang, have you been blinded by greed? She's clearly fooling us brothers, treating us like playthings to be humiliated at will, and you're still protecting her?!"

"Don't make false accusations!"

Bitao hid behind Mingguang, confronting Dongjun through the gap between Mingguang and Taiji: "It's true that I accepted the immortal pearl you gave me, but ask yourself, in this world, who wouldn't want it if it were just given to them? Are you stupid? Besides, did I ask you to dig it up?"

"Wasn't it you who told me to call you 'brother'?"

"You said you'd give me those immortal pearls if I called you 'brother.' You are Mingguang's brother, and I am Mingguang's future wife. What's wrong with me calling you 'brother'?"

"Besides, the idea that I aroused your...emotion is utter nonsense."

Bitao was also quite angry.

But that didn't stop her from slipping her fingers into Mingguang's waistband and subtly hooking his taut waist.

She asked in bewilderment, "We've only known each other for four or five days, and tonight, at this very moment, we've only known each other for four or five days. Who would fall for someone in just four or five days?"

"Moreover, I have always treated everyone equally in my words and actions."

Seeing that the Dharma Protector Master and his entourage had finished checking in, Bitao became even more fearless and said with her neck out, "My teammates are all watching. If you don't believe me, go and ask them to judge whether I tried to seduce you or not!"

"I care about others even more, so why is it that no one else has misunderstood but you have?"

"It's all because you're so self-righteous and delusional!"

As soon as Bitao finished speaking, her teammates came over.

But they had no idea what had happened, let alone why there were two Tingnis, and they were all dumbfounded.

Only the guardian celestial master Han Shang stepped forward and asked Bi Tao, "Fairy, what happened?"

Grasping at a straw, Bitao pointed in the direction of Dongjun and asked, "Guardian Master, tell me, have I done anything ambiguous or seductive to him along the way?"

Han Shang's expression was indifferent as water. He glanced at Ting Ni, who had clearly harbored ill intentions towards the fairy along the way, and spoke in a voice as sharp as shattering ice and jade: "Of course not."

"The fairy is benevolent and righteous, and her kindness to us is as heavy as a mountain. The fairy acts with integrity and purity, and has never made any ambiguous or seductive moves towards anyone."

"ha……"

"Hahahahaha..."

Dongjun was furious.

He laughed and took a few steps back, pointing at Bitao, at Mingguang, and at everyone, saying, "Good...good!"

What a pure, upright, and honorable person she is!

What a fool he is!

What a bewitched, lust-driven younger brother!

The heat radiating from Dongjun's body surged rapidly, and his eyes were now bloodshot, devoid of any trace of the golden light that represented reason.

But his retreat was not an attempt to forcefully break through the barrier and reduce everyone to ashes.

Instead, it is a form of strong suppression and restriction.

His impulsive nature bordered on demonic, and he always needed the Supreme God to set up restrictions on him to suppress his power.

But this was the first time he had ever tried to suppress it himself.

He couldn't... he couldn't possibly burn his own brother and the little carp to death.

Dongjun was breathing rapidly, his eyes closed and his lips bitten, his whole body feeling as if it were on fire.

It felt as if countless sharp thorns were growing from his bones, or as if someone had inserted red-hot iron needles into his flesh.

As Dongjun felt as if his soul was being torn apart, he wondered... When did he begin to lose control of his own power?

The Supreme God appeared, holding some kind of magical artifact in his hand, and gently shook it twice near Dongjun's ear from behind.

"Ring ring—"

Everyone felt a jolt, as if their minds had been swept by a blizzard, and their thoughts were suddenly clear.

The crimson in Dongjun's eyes receded by half in an instant. He turned to look at his master, Shangyuan Shenzhen, and at that moment his eyes looked as aggrieved as a child's.

Everyone was criticizing him, being hostile to him, and rejecting him.

This wasn't the first time Dongjun had encountered such a situation, where he was condemned by everyone.

He had encountered this countless times during his previous tribulations.

But Dongjun never cared.

But this time... he couldn't help but care.

Unable to erupt recklessly, nor able to launch a fierce and decisive counterattack.

Because among them was his younger brother, and even more so... a little carp.

He vanquished demons and monsters, facing life and death without ever retreating.

But for the first time in my life, I understood what it meant to be caught in a dilemma.

The Supreme God spoke, his voice like cold rain, clearing away the remaining crimson in Dongjun's eyes. He pulled Dongjun and said, "Good disciple, my wine jug is empty. Come with me to get another one."

Dongjun nodded with difficulty, stiffly being temporarily pulled away by Shangyuan Shenzhen.

As soon as Dongjun left, everyone in the corridor breathed a sigh of relief.

Mingguang turned around and brushed off Bitao's fingers that were hooked around his waist. Without looking back, he walked straight toward the entrance of the inn.

Bitao's head has grown bigger again.