Chương 143: Tearing Off the Mask

Outside the Hall of Many Treasures, celestial mist swirled and celestial music drifted, creating a scene of peace and tranquility.

Inside the hall, Daoist Duobao, dressed in a purple-gold robe adorned with myriad treasures, sat regally on a throne crafted from primordial divine stone, his face radiating warmth and a benevolent smile.

Inside the hall, Jin Guangxian and Chang'er Dingguang Xian sat on the left. Jin Guangxian sat in the first seat, while Chang'er Dingguang Xian sat in the second seat with his two rabbit companions in his arms.

Seeing this, Chang Er Ding Guang Xian still clung to his rabbit companion, even wanting to perform a "double dragon water-drawing" ritual in the Duobao Hall. Duobao Dao Ren cleared his throat and gave Chang Er Ding Guang Xian a disapproving look.

Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal was a rabbit with a true nature, and even after becoming an immortal, he couldn't change his true nature. He acted the same way he did when he was a wild rabbit.

However, Chang'er Dingguang Xian was still very afraid of Duobao Daoren. Duobao Daoren was his backer, and he owed his current status entirely to Duobao Daoren's support.

Seeing that Daoist Duobao was unhappy, Chang'er Dingguang Xian decided to tone it down. He gently pushed aside his two rabbit companions and tenderly asked them to leave for a while.

The two rabbit companions were naturally unwilling. They pouted and turned their backs, teasing Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal with their tails. Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal almost couldn't resist, his eyes practically glowing green. In the end, however, he was restrained by the authority of Daoist Duobao and sent the two rabbit companions away.

To persuade the two rabbit companions to leave, Long-Eared Immortal Dingguang made many promises, including sparring with them using new techniques after the banquet. Satisfied with these promises, the two rabbit companions departed.

Duobao Daoren couldn't stand Chang'er Dingguang Xian's useless attitude. However, when he saw Chang'er Dingguang Xian and his two rabbit companions spending their days together, Duobao Daoren remembered a woman named Bailian Xianzi.

This was a woman he encountered in his cycle of reincarnation. To save him, she died, her soul even falling into the hands of an Asura.

Daoist Duobao originally regarded this matter as a tribulation of love he had experienced, but for some reason, he now inexplicably thought of this woman.

He had a feeling that his connection with this woman was not over. He believed that one day in the future, he would meet her again.

"Strange, it's just a love affair, what's there for me to care about? Could it be that this woman is related to my future tribulations?"

Daoist Duobao was puzzled. He circulated his profound power and made calculations repeatedly, but he could not figure it out.

As Daoist Duobao was pondering, a powerful aura of magic surged in from outside the hall. Under the influence of this aura, Jin Guangxian and Chang'er Dingguang Xian could barely stay seated and were almost forced to leave their seats.

"snort!"

A ring of precious light rose from Daoist Duobao's body, revealing countless magical treasures. The light spread outwards, colliding with the magical energy outside the hall.

With a loud bang, both forces vanished simultaneously, and the first clash between Fang Yang and Daoist Duobao seemed to have ended in a draw.

Even so, Daoist Duobao's expression remained unpleasant.

He knew he had misjudged Fang Yang; Fang Yang was stronger than he had imagined. If he didn't use any magical artifacts and simply fought Fang Yang like this, he would likely be at a disadvantage.

"How could this be? How could he be so strong? Why did such a powerful figure perform so mediocrely when he first came to Jin'ao Island?"

"Fang Yang, he didn't trust the disciples in the sect from the very beginning. So, he deliberately hid his talent so that we wouldn't notice it."

"Damn it, how can there be such a treacherous being in this world? He's just a human, how dare he understand us so well?"

The Taoist Master Duobao was in a state of great turmoil, his heart churning with turbulent emotions.

Since he began his spiritual practice, Daoist Duobao has never suffered a loss. No one can outwit him, and no one can make him suffer a loss.

However, Fang Yang was just a minor celestial being, yet he managed to outwit him and deceive him.

If he had known earlier that Fang Yang possessed such talent, he would have been determined to subdue Fang Yang no matter what. If Fang Yang had disagreed, he would have continuously suppressed him, ensuring that Fang Yang would never rise to prominence.

However, Fang Yang's caution allowed him to escape the sight of Daoist Duobao and the others. He was an unknown figure, with no one even paying attention to him.

As soon as he was promoted to Golden Immortal, he caught the eye of the Tongtian Sect Master and became his personal disciple. Duobao Daoist and others completely lost the opportunity to deal with or suppress him.

How could Daoist Duobao possibly accept such a thing?

As the divine light faded, Fang Yang, dressed in a Four Symbols Daoist robe, stood at the palace gate. His divine might enveloped him, blocking all gazes that wanted to spy on him.

Behind him, the Nine Luminaries Dao Lord and the Heavenly Dao Lord stood in a row, releasing their auras of ten Great Luo Immortals without any concealment. The overwhelming force was so powerful that no one dared to ignore it.

"Senior Brother, your cultivation is truly remarkable! I've heard that you are the eldest disciple of our sect, so I was itching to test your skills and see if you truly possess the strength to defeat Daoist Ran Deng. After this test, I've realized that your reputation is well-deserved; your magical power is indeed no less than mine. I am truly impressed!"

Fang Yang's words sounded very polite, but every sentence was sharp and sarcastic, mocking Duobao Daoist.

Now that he had decided to break ties with Daoist Duobao, Fang Yang would no longer feign politeness. He was uncomfortable wearing a mask.

He wanted to make his feud with Daoist Duobao public, regardless of saving face or the bigger picture.

The gentle smile on Duobao Daoist's face froze instantly; he could no longer maintain the facade.

What test of cultivation, what reputation is well-deserved, what magical power is no less than mine—is this something a junior disciple should say? If anyone should say it, it should be him.

Fang Yang's words were clearly a mockery of Daoist Duobao, who had cultivated for a long time but had been surpassed by himself. He was subtly reminding Daoist Duobao that he and Daoist Randeng were roughly equal in skill, and that he would eventually be surpassed by a younger generation, becoming a disgrace to his peers.

Jin Guangxian slammed his hand on the armrest, stood up abruptly, and shouted sternly, "Fang Yang, how dare you! Senior Brother is the chief disciple of the Jie Sect, his status is extremely noble. Your provocation is utterly disrespectful to your elders."

Chang Er Ding Guangxian also quickly dropped his frivolous demeanor and stared at Fang Yang with a sinister look in his eyes.

Daoist Duobao slowly raised his hand and stopped Jin Guangxian.

"Junior Brother Fang Yang is too kind. It's only natural for fellow disciples to exchange skills and verify their abilities. I'm very pleased with your cultivation level, Junior Brother. We're all fellow disciples, so there's no need to stand on ceremony. Please, everyone, take your seats."

Having witnessed Fang Yang's strength, Daoist Duobao was even less inclined to start a war immediately. Although he had cultivated the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, his own version of the Immortal Slaughtering Four Swords, the Bingxi version, was not yet complete, and he could not unleash the full power of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation.

Daoist Duobao wanted to step down the stairs, but Fang Yang didn't give him the chance. He looked indifferently at Jin Guangxian and said coldly, "Senior Brother, you have no sincerity at all. How can such a creature with fur and horns, born from an egg and soaked in moisture, be qualified to share a room with me?"