Volume I: The Great Calamity of the Lich 232: Kunpeng Resolves His Karma, Di Jun Flies into a Rage

Kunpeng looked at the two with a fearless expression.

"Do not think that I am ignorant of your plight. Since you have made great vows to achieve sagehood, you cannot simply act as you please without resolving the karma attached to those vows, can you?"

Upon hearing Kunpeng's words, the pupils of the two Sages of the West constricted, but then Kunpeng grew smug. Seeing this, the two Sages looked at Kunpeng with great irritation.

"What do you want? You must either join our Western Sect or swear to abandon this method of making great vows so that we may sever the karma between us. Otherwise, now that we have attained sagehood, we have countless ways to deal with you!"

As they spoke, the two Sages unleashed their overwhelming pressure directly upon Kunpeng.

"Fine, do not strike yet! Listen to me first!" Feeling the weight of their power, Kunpeng was instantly terrified.

"Very well, speak quickly. If..." Zhunti sneered, eyeing him.

"You simply want me to sever our karma without it affecting your sect's fortune, isn't that it?"

The two Sages remained silent, staring at him, waiting for his conditions.

"You see these two, do you not? My condition is simple: I want them to disappear from the Primordial World." Kunpeng stated his objective without hesitation.

The two Sages gasped. They had not expected Kunpeng’s hatred to be so profound that he would demand they kill Di Jun and Tai Yi.

"That is impossible. Choose something else!" Although the two Sages knew that Di Jun and his brother were likely doomed to a grim fate, they did not believe they could allow themselves to be manipulated by Kunpeng indefinitely. Once such a promise was made, there would be no turning back.

Kunpeng understood much from their reaction. Meanwhile, Di Jun and Tai Yi were incensed by his words.

"Kunpeng, you old thief! How dare you! When have we ever offended you?"

"Why would I not dare? Stop making excuses for your own ambitions! Do you really think I cannot see through your petty schemes? Do you truly believe you have any chance left?"

"Silence!"

Di Jun and Tai Yi immediately drew their magical weapons, ready to strike at Kunpeng.

"Di Jun, Tai Yi, do you take us for nothing? How dare you act with such violence in our presence!" Zhunti flicked his sleeve, freezing their attacks in place, leaving the two brothers seething with frustration.

Seeing this, Kunpeng addressed the two Sages. "You said I have no choice but to join the Western Sect, did you not? I can agree, but I have conditions!"

"Oh? Tell us, what are your conditions?" Jie Yin asked, his heart stirring.

"Once I join the Western Sect, I must receive a share of the opportunities that come to the sect. That is not an unreasonable demand, is it?" Kunpeng looked at them with slight anxiety. "Also, I ask you to retrieve the primordial spirit imprint I left on the Demon-Summoning Banner from the Sage Nuwa."

"That is enough! Do not push your luck!" The two Sages quickly stopped him as he opened his mouth to speak further.

Kunpeng fell silent in embarrassment, though he was inwardly pleased. He had known from the start that he could not succeed in attaining sagehood through his initial scheme. He lacked the opportunity to become a Sage, and the two Western Sages would never sit by and watch him siphon their fortune. Had it not been for the existing karmic ties between them, he would never have dared to take such a risk.

"It seems my plan has succeeded!" Kunpeng had successfully leveraged the weaknesses of the Western Sages; otherwise, facing Di Jun and Tai Yi alone would have been dire.

"Sage Jie Yin, is it appropriate for you to act against my demon kin like this?"

"Demon Emperor, you are mistaken. This was entirely Kunpeng's choice; my brother and I merely followed his intent. Besides, we had no other choice. You witnessed the entire process." Zhunti dismissed Di Jun’s questioning, unbothered. They were Sages now; he cared little for Di Jun, and not punishing him for his disrespect was already a gesture of courtesy toward him and Nuwa. Did he really think the entire Primordial World must obey him just because he was the Heavenly Emperor?

"Do as you please, Demon Emperor. Since we have achieved our goal, we shall take our leave." With that, the two Sages vanished from the North Sea.

"Brother, must we really go to Nuwa and ask for that primordial spirit imprint on Kunpeng's behalf?"

"That is a trivial matter. Nuwa does not care much for the demon race; her only concern is Fuxi. Given our standing, she will not refuse us!"

Back in the North Sea, with the Sages gone, only Di Jun, Tai Yi, and Kunpeng remained.

"Does the Demon Emperor intend to stay in my North Sea indefinitely?" Now that he was part of the Western Sect, Kunpeng no longer showed any fear of Di Jun.

"Do you really think the Western Sages value you? You have merely jumped from one chessboard to another," Di Jun mocked coldly.

To Di Jun's confusion, Kunpeng only sneered.

"That is still better than staying in your Heavenly Court. If it hadn't been for your ambition, forcing me to join, do you really think I wanted to be there?"

Hearing this, Di Jun was consumed by rage. In his view, allowing Kunpeng to join the Heavenly Court was a favor, and he could not believe Kunpeng’s insolence.

"Very well! Since you are no longer of our Heavenly Court, hand over the treasures of our fortune!" Di Jun demanded the return of the merit-based spiritual treasures, the Demon Script Scrolls and the Judgment Pen.

"How thick-skinned can you be? These were treasures I obtained from the Dao Ancestor himself, and it was through my own efforts that they became merit-based treasures. Give them to you? Who do you think you are?"

"Brother, why waste words with him? Let us just beat him into submission!"

Enraged, the two brothers attacked. Tai Yi, already furious that his own innate treasure had fallen into the hands of Tong Tian, welcomed the outlet.

Kunpeng transformed into a giant Kun and dove deep into the North Sea.

"You coward! Do not blame us if we boil this North Sea dry today!"

The next moment, the two brothers assumed their true forms, wreathed in purple-red True Sun Fire. As the fire manifested, the North Sea began to boil, its icy waters rapidly changing temperature. Deep below, resting on the eternal glacial ice, Kunpeng remained indifferent to the fury of Di Jun and Tai Yi above.