Two days passed in a blur.
On this dawn, fog shrouded Heavenly Wave Lake, and spirit fish flocked to the surface, eagerly absorbing the ethereal mist.
Before long, as sunlight spilled across the lake, a streak of Flowing Light broke through the void, instantly landing on the waterâs surface, transforming into a Daoist robe elder with white hair and a scholarly appearance.
The elder swept his gaze around, and seeing no one, he couldnât help but smile slightly.
He tidied his attire, then stepped onto the water, progressing step by step toward Hualong Island,
A moment later, the Daoist robe elder crossed several hundred miles of lake, about to reach the islandâs edge, when a towering figure suddenly appeared several miles away.
The newcomer was tall, with a stern appearance, clad in a luxurious Purple Gold Myriad Phenomena Robe.
Upon seeing this person, the Daoist robe elder frowned, but before he could speak, the figure flashed and instantly appeared before him.
"Zhao Chongjing, why arenât you staying in Wanbao Hall? Why have you come to Hualong Island today?"
The Daoist robe elder coldly snorted, speaking in a deep voice, "Zhao Tianyi, this isnât Foreign Affairs Hall; why shouldnât I come here? I should instead be questioning youâIâm here by decree, yet youâre here uninvited. Hmph, when weâre before the Three Ancestors later, donât blame me for charging you with negligence."
The newcomer was indeed the Hall Master of Foreign Affairs Hall, Zhao Tianyi.
In fact, upon receiving the First Daoistâs message, Zhao Tianyi hurriedly rushed to Hualong Island with his things.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Chongjing of Wanbao Hall arrived first, and the two happened to meet face-to-face.
Zhao Tianyi, hearing this, immediately countered, "What a coincidence! I was invited by Daoist, which is why Iâm here today."
"You too?!" Zhao Chongjing raised an eyebrow, suddenly chuckling coldly, "Ha, what a coincidence indeed!"
Only two generations separated Zhao Chongjing and Zhao Tianyi, and since Zhao Tianyi broke through to the Divinity Transformation Realm, the two became destined rivals under destinyâs design.
From vying for True Monarch ranking during the Divinity Transformation Stage, neither was able to decisively outperform the other until both broke through to Returning to Void, later becoming masters of Foreign Affairs Hall and Wanbao Hall.
Despite over seven thousand years, these two never got along, secretly harboring countless grudges.
Perhaps it was destinyâs arrangement that these two hall masters once again "reunited" on Hualong Island.
Zhao Tianyiâs face darkened; he ignored Zhao Chongjingâs mocking smile and headed straight into the island.
"Wait!" Zhao Chongjing flashed forward, suddenly blocking his path.
"Little Yi, do you not understand the rules of first come, first served? Iâm here first; move to the back."
Facing Zhao Chongjingâs provocation, Zhao Tianyiâs expression grew darker, "Move aside, donât force me to act!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Chongjing secretly rejoiced, deliberately inciting, "Try acting? If not, donât blame me for looking down on you."
Goodness!
An old monster who has lived seven or eight thousand years speaking so flippantly and impulsively, if seen by those in the Divinity Transformation Stage, would be utterly shocking!
"Hmph!" Zhao Tianyi wouldnât fall for the trap easily, merely snorted coldly, his entire being suddenly transforming into a streak of Flowing Light, shooting towards the islandâs interior.
"Trying to escape? Itâs not that easy!" A harsh look flashed in Zhao Chongjingâs eyes, and his hidden right hand in his sleeve suddenly moved.
The next moment, countless thick vines grew from nowhere, weaving into a lightning-fast net that caught Zhao Tianyi straightaway.
Bang!
The vine net just shrank into a ball when it was pierced by dazzling golden light, layers of vines instantly turning into myriad debris.
Zhao Tianyi stepped on a golden Light Sword, suddenly flying out from the endless debris, but couldnât advance further because Zhao Chongjing was already smilingly blocking his way.
"Youâve broken the rules!"
"No, you... broke the rules!" Zhao Chongjing cunningly countered without falling into the trap.
Zhao Tianyi suppressed his anger, softly saying, "Zhao Chongjing, stop being unreasonable! If we disturb the First Daoist, both our faces will be lost."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Chongjingâs heart tightened, ready to retort.
Just then, both suddenly changed expressions as a clear voice suddenly reached their ears: "Since youâre here, come together!"
"Yes!"
"By command!"
Neither Zhao Tianyi nor Zhao Chongjing dared hesitate, nodding immediately in acknowledgment.
Then, the two exchanged glances, simultaneously snorting coldly and turning their heads aside.
Yet, they both soared into the air, competing in flight towards the islandâs depths.
Soon, they entered the courtyard side by side, successfully meeting Zhao Sheng, who was enjoying tea under the tree.
"Tianyi, greet Daoist!"
"Wanbao Hall, Zhao Chongjing, greets Daoist!"
Their greetings seemed identical, yet subtly different.
Zhao Chongjingâs heart sank, secretly sensing something awry.
At this moment, Zhao Sheng, smiling, said, "No need for formalities, come sit."
Seeing the Daoistâs affable demeanor, Zhao Chongjing felt slightly relieved, quickly moving to the seat beside Yun and cautiously sitting down.
In contrast to the cautious Zhao Chongjing, Zhao Tianyi appeared much more relaxed, casually walking to Zhao Shengâs left and sitting freely on the seat.
Zhao Sheng first poured tea for each, then signaled them to taste the tea.
Zhao Tianyi took a sip and marveled, "This teaâs lingering flavor is refreshing, truly a top-grade worldly treasure!"
After tasting, Zhao Chongjing commented, "This tea is full of Taoic resonance, three parts nourishing Primordial Spirit, six parts supplementing vitality, and one part connecting to the Tao, truly not of this world!"