On the Treasure Distribution Rock, the atmosphere was a frantic scramble of divine greed. The Western Sages, Jieyin and Zhunti, were working like men possessed, their hands darting into the Chaos mists to snatch whatever glittered. They weren't above a little "divine intervention," using their status as the Saint's new disciples to bully lesser immortals away from the choicest spiritual lights.
"Hehe..." Zhunti chuckled, his arms already full of shimmering artifacts. The humiliation of their earlier beating seemed to have faded in the heat of the hunt.
But the shadows beside them lengthened. Di Jun and Tai Yi appeared like twin golden protectors, flanking the Sages with identical, mischievous smirks.
"Taking treasures is a heavy labor, Fellow Daoists," Tai Yi said, his voice dripping with mock concern. "Why don't we lend a hand?"
"Di Jun! Tai Yi!" Zhunti's smile faltered for a heartbeat before his new status bolstered his spine. "You still haven't recognized the reality of the world? We are Disciples of the Dao Ancestor now. If you want to play games, go find a corner. I'll deal with you once I've finished here!"
In his mind, the Crows were simply suffering from a bout of "status envy." He truly believed that a few centuries of meditation and a purple robe made him untouchable.
"Why wait for later?" Di Jun laughed.
Every time the Sages reached for a Spirit Treasure, the Crows were there—not to take it, but to disrupt the flow of energy. Tai Yi's Chaos Qi acted like a disruptive wind, knocking treasures from their grasp or sending them spinning into the hands of other, terrified immortals.
"Bastards! Are you seeking death?" Zhunti roared as a top-tier artifact he had nearly claimed spiraled away.
"Come then," Tai Yi invited, his golden aura flaring. "If you make the first move, I'll be happy to beat you to a pulp right here on the Saint's porch."
The Sages were trapped. They wanted the loot, but the Crows were playing the role of cosmic spoilers. Before they could mount a true defense, a low hum vibrated through the rock. The remaining treasures suddenly transformed into streaks of brilliant spiritual light, scattering into the four directions of the Honghuang world to await their destined masters.
The Western Sages stood with empty hands and green faces, their rage boiling over. But before they could strike, the bell of Zixiao Palace tolled one last time.
Inside the hall, the atmosphere was funereal. Hongjun stood on his dais, his form beginning to blur into the background of reality.
"This matter is concluded," he said, his voice no longer human, but a resonant echo of the universe itself. "I shall merge my essence with the Heavenly Dao, completing its number."
The hearts of the gathered titans skipped a beat. If the Saint merged with the Dao, he would no longer be a presiding judge. The Great Desolation was about to become a lawless land once more.
"All of you... disperse," Hongjun commanded.
As the crowd filed out, Di Jun and Tai Yi felt a prickle on their necks. They looked back and saw the Saint giving them a singular, meaningful look—a gaze that felt like a question or a warning. They couldn't decipher it, and they didn't linger to try.
Outside the gates, the Western Sages were waiting, their expressions twisted into "intoxicating" smiles of malice.
"Useless birds!" Zhunti spat, manifesting his newly acquired treasures. "Are you ready to pay the price for the Rock?"
"Hehe," Di Jun sneered, the River Chart and Luo Scroll unfolding around him while the Pure World White Lotus bloomed at his feet. "You think a few scraps of the Saint's leftovers will save you?"
"I didn't even have to hunt you," Tai Yi added, the Chaos Bell hummed with a destructive frequency. "You delivered yourselves to me. Did you forget the beating you took a thousand years ago?"
Boom!
The four collided in the Chaos airflows, their power so immense it felt as if they were carving new worlds out of the void. The fleeing immortals stopped to watch, expecting the Sages' new gear to turn the tide.
Suddenly, a streak of blood-red light cut across the grey mists.
"It's Zhunti!" someone shouted. The "Sage" was sent spiraling through the void, his face a bruised ruin, his aura shattered. Even with the Saint's gifts, he was a child before Tai Yi's Law-tempered strength. He scrambled back to Jieyin's side, his mind screaming in denial. It's the Bell! If I had an Innate Supreme Treasure, I'd be the one laughing!
Jieyin didn't argue. He activated the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus, scooped up his battered brother, and fled into the distance.
"This is not over, Golden Crows!" Jieyin's voice echoed back, pathetic even in its bravado. "We will make you pay for every drop of this blood!"
The Crows prepared to give chase, but a trio of figures blocked their path. The Sanqing—Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian—stood in the void, their new Innate Supreme Treasures radiating a pressure that made the Chaos currents still.
"Hehe," Yuanshi chuckled, his gaze scanning the brothers with a condescending pity. "I wondered who was making such a ruckus. Just two little Golden Crows."
"Little?" Di Jun's brow twitched. He was in no mood for the "Pangu Lineage" arrogance. "You want to end up like those two Western rats?"
"Ridiculous," Yuanshi said, his eyes full of cold pride. "The West cannot be compared to the Sanqing. Do not mistake our Junior Brothers' incompetence for our own."
"You look like birds of a feather to me," Tai Yi smiled. "Aren't you all 'Sect Brothers' now?"
Yuanshi's face darkened instantly. It was a sore spot; being equated to the Westerners was a stain on his pride. "Golden Crow! You truly believe we won't strike you down here?"
"Try it," Tai Yi challenged.
Laozi stepped forward, placing a hand on Yuanshi's arm. "Enough. It is beneath us to slaughter them today. The world has spent too long equating the 'Three Pure Ones' with the 'Three Crows.' It is a comparison that breeds only foolishness."
He looked at Di Jun and Tai Yi with a chillingly calm smile. "Go back. Tell Ling Xiao that the Sanqing seek a competition. We wish to show the Great Desolation that we are unique—and that the Golden Crows are but a shadow of the true Pangu legacy."
"I'll tell him," Di Jun said, a strange, predatory smile crossing his own face. "I'll be sure to tell him exactly how much you've grown."