Zhunti, standing to the side, exclaimed, "Master Tongtian, your words are utterly wrong! Pangu created heaven and earth; both heaven and earth were created by Pangu. How can there be a distinction between east and west? Not only does the Master allow his disciple to defy heaven, but he also does not understand the timing of heaven and does not follow the will of heaven. To do such a heaven-defying thing is already a grave mistake. Now, he has no respect for his elders and has even abandoned the title of the Three Pure Ones. This is truly a great act of rebellion, and you have completely disgraced the sages." After saying this, he turned to Laozi and Yuanshi and said, "My two fellow Daoists, please do not hesitate. First, seize this rebellious disciple and take him to Zixiao Palace to be dealt with by our teacher, so as to rectify the heavenly way."
Although Laozi resented Zhunti's nonsense, he couldn't refuse to fight since Tongtian had already attacked, so he took out his flat staff and engaged him in battle. Yuanshi, needless to say, had already taken out his jade ruyi and joined the fray. The three clashed, causing the heavens and earth to tremble violently, and the sun and moon to lose their light. For a time, they fought fiercely, exchanging blows.
All three were transformed from the primordial spirit of Pangu. Although the imprints within their primordial spirits differed, they ultimately shared the same origin, and their understanding of each other was the deepest. Laozi focused on alchemy and weapon crafting, Yuanshi Tianzun emphasized the cultivation of the primordial spirit, and Tongtian focused on the cultivation of magical power and the Way of Spells. Although the Three Pure Ones differed, they were also interconnected. For example, Laozi, though emphasizing alchemy and weapon crafting, could not be said to be ignorant of cultivating the primordial spirit. On the contrary, his methods of cultivating the primordial spirit were not much inferior to Yuanshi Tianzun's; otherwise, his cultivation would not have been higher. The differences were subtle, and everyone understood them; they simply focused on different aspects of their cultivation. The person who knows oneself best is oneself, and one's greatest enemy is also oneself. The three were of the same origin, and their inherited memories were not significantly different. Each knew what methods the other possessed, making their battles the most troublesome, much like fighting one's own shadow.
All three were saints, capable of destroying stars and shattering the heavens and earth with a mere wave of their hands. Fortunately, they all controlled the power of their attacks, so no major damage was caused. However, the prolonged battle had left them all somewhat anxious.
Upon seeing this, Zhunti shouted, "Brother Dao, don't panic! The villain is formidable. Let me come and help you." With that, he took the Seven Treasures Tree and jumped into the battle, raising his hand to unleash a beam of seven-colored golden light towards Tongtian.
Tongtian was overjoyed at this moment. Fighting with Laozi and Yuanshi was too awkward. The three of them knew each other best, and each other's attacks were predictable, making it meaningless and leaving Tongtian unable to use his strength. Now, Zhunti's intervention gave him a target to vent his anger on, and for a moment he abandoned Laozi and Yuanshi to fight him. Seeing the Seven Treasures Tree sweeping towards him, Tongtian swung his sword back to thrust, but suddenly felt his Qingping Sword vibrate, as if it was about to be swept away by the Seven Treasures Tree. Startled, Tongtian quickly withdrew his sword.
This Seven Treasures Tree was originally crafted by Zhunti, serving as his artifact for attaining enlightenment. When Zhunti transformed from the Bodhi tree, he broke off a Bodhi branch and forged this treasure. Zhunti added the seven treasures of Western lapis lazuli to it, infused it with a great deal of karmic power, and further enhanced it with the merit he accumulated upon attaining enlightenment. This greatly increased the treasure's power, placing it at the same level as, or even surpassing, the Qingping Sword in Tongtian's hands. The greatest use of this treasure is not in striking enemies, but rather in cleansing people and objects like the Five-Colored Divine Light. Zhunti, seeing the barrenness of the Western Regions, devised this idea. When the merit is accumulated, it can not only send people into reincarnation but also generate a suction force that can pull in other people's magical treasures and even opponents.
The cult leader was surprised, but he understood the power of the item. He then manifested auspicious clouds above his head and emitted a wisp of pure energy to protect the Qingping Sword, making the entire sword appear bluish-green. The cult leader and Zhunti resumed their battle. As usual, Zhunti brushed away the Seven Treasures Tree, but this time he could not brush away the Qingping Sword either. The sword was protected by the unique Shangqing Immortal Light of Tongtian, which the Seven Treasures Tree could not brush away.
Seeing that the Seven Treasures Tree technique was ineffective, Zhunti remained unperturbed and continued his battle with the Tongtian Sect Leader. Zhunti manifested a cloud of auspicious light above his head, within which shimmered golden light and within stood a Bodhi tree. Wisps of Sanskrit chants emanated from it, and Sanskrit characters continuously flew from its leaves, heading towards the Tongtian Sect Leader's Qingping Sword. The Tongtian Sect Leader paid no heed, focusing solely on attacking Zhunti. However, when the Sanskrit characters struck the sword, the Shangqing Immortal Light was instantly dissolved. Only then did the Sect Leader realize that the Sanskrit characters were also a form of attack employed by Zhunti.
Tongtian snorted coldly and said, "Your skills are too petty to be worth looking at." He then pointed to the auspicious cloud above his head, and a clear sound rang out from within the cloud. The sound of a golden bell suppressed the Sanskrit and vanished into the void.
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