Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

Meanwhile, the East Wind Patriarch, being in seclusion, was entirely unaware of the events outside. Naturally, there was no question of evading fortune or misfortune.

"East Wind, dare you come out and meet me?"

Li Mingzhu stood outside Qingxuan Island, shouting loudly.

The East Wind Patriarch, who was in seclusion, was utterly enraged upon hearing Li Mingzhu's voice. Continuing his seclusion was, of course, impossible. Enraged, he stormed out of Qingxuan Island to see just who dared to trouble this old patriarch.

The hostility in Li Mingzhu's voice was unmistakable to the East Wind Patriarch. Having lived for tens of thousands of years as a Daluo Golden Immortal, the patriarch was no stranger to hostility. Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived the War between Witches and Demons.

One must know that the War between Witches and Demons was exceedingly perilous back in the day. Compared to that, the Divine Enthronement tribulation of this yuanhui seemed like child's play in the face of a true catastrophe.

"Who dares disturb this patriarch's peace?"

The East Wind Patriarch swept out of Qingxuan Island with a wave of his wide sleeves, shouting thunderously.

The patriarch's half-gray hair was casually tied with a jade hairpin. He wore a black Daoist robe, which appeared to be a fine Spiritual Treasure. If not for his ferocious visage, he might have possessed some trace of Immortal charm.

"Li Mingzhu of the Jie Sect!"

"Fuyao of the North Sea!"

Li Mingzhu and Fuyao answered simultaneously, their voices booming like rolling thunder, their momentum not yielding an inch to this East Wind Patriarch.

"Li Mingzhu of the Jie Sect? This humble Daoist neither has deep grudges nor close ties with the Jie Sect. Why, then, do you disturb this patriarch's peace?"

The East Wind Patriarch roared at Li Mingzhu. However, compared to his earlier domineering tone, his demeanor was noticeably weakened this time.

The reputation of the Jie Sect was not one the patriarch dared to disregard. Though he didn't fear these individuals before him, the powerful Jie Sect behind them was not something easy to provoke.

"You, East Wind Patriarch, indeed bear no personal grudge against this humble Daoist. However, your subordinate East Wind Pavilion nearly claimed the life of my junior. Murder and plunder—such grievances in the Primordial World are irrevocable, are they not?"

Li Mingzhu sneered coldly, flicking a jade scroll straight toward the East Wind Patriarch, its contents recounting the events on East Wind Island restored by the River Map and Luo Book.

After reading it, the East Wind Patriarch's face turned ashen. He had never expected that the yellow-robed store manager would dare provoke members of the Jie Sect, especially so brazenly in the East Sea.

While it was true that the store's entire group had been eradicated by Yun Xiao, the East Wind Patriarch didn't feel particularly distressed. His concern now was finding a way to extricate himself from this situation.

Judging by the current scene, it seemed evident that Li Mingzhu had no intentions of letting the matter slide.

"May I ask, Fellow Daoist, which sage's disciple of the Jie Sect might you be? Why has this poor Daoist never heard of you before?"

With an unassuming smile, the East Wind Patriarch inquired, hiding his earlier fury and murderous intent completely. This level of composure was the fruit of countless millennia of cultivation.

Although the evidence provided by Li Mingzhu was conclusive, the patriarch had to verify his identity thoroughly. What if this was a scheme for fraud?

"This humble Daoist is the first disciple under the Wudang Saint Mother. I am my teacher's sole disciple and have only recently entered her tutelage. It is natural that the patriarch has not heard of me."

Li Mingzhu replied without arrogance or annoyance. This karmic entanglement was bound to reach a conclusion, but there seemed no harm in delay.

"Ah, so you are the esteemed disciple of the venerable Wudang. This poor Daoist must have been blind. The wrongdoing under East Wind Island indeed stems from my subordinates' actions, but all those involved have already been annihilated. What more does Fellow Daoist wish to pursue?"

The East Wind Patriarch's gaze fixed on Li Mingzhu. Though merely a junior by status, Li Mingzhu seemed to have access to Yun Xiao's Spiritual Treasures and formations, and Yun Xiao herself had intervened to save his junior. This clearly demonstrated Li Mingzhu's standing within the Jie Sect. The patriarch dared not underestimate him, but neither was he someone to be trifled with at will.

The East Wind Patriarch indeed lived up to his age of tens of thousands of years. Merely through the information on the jade scroll, he had deduced so much.

"Where there is cause, there must be effect. This humble Daoist has come to resolve this karma!"

A dominating spear intent surged around Li Mingzhu, brooking no compromise.

"The Overbearing Spear of the Demon Saint Gui Che?"

As the patriarch felt the spear intent radiating from Li Mingzhu, he immediately recognized it, the impression etched deeply in his memory.

"No, something seems different!"

The East Wind Patriarch murmured to himself again. Though similar in its overbearing nature, Li Mingzhu's spear intent was unmistakably more domineering.

"So, Fellow Daoist intends to measure strength against this poor Daoist?" The East Wind Patriarch quickly regained composure, staring at Li Mingzhu.

"Indeed. Fuyao, he's yours!"

Li Mingzhu smiled as he patted Fuyao on the shoulder, pushing him forward.

This, after all, was the reason he brought Fuyao here. Even the Kunpeng had said that Fuyao needed to undergo more trials. Li Mingzhu was merely providing him the opportunities.

Brains alone wouldn't suffice; strength also had to grow.

The East Wind Patriarch turned his gaze to Fuyao upon hearing this. Having focused entirely on Li Mingzhu earlier, he now fully noticed Fuyao and realized that this young man was no ordinary figure either.

Fuyao donned a black-and-white Daoist robe and carried no weapon. Seeing that Li Mingzhu had pushed him forward, he resigned himself to fate with a polite bow.

"Fuyao of the North Sea seeks guidance, life and death disregarded!"

Fuyao's tone was measured and respectful. In stark contrast to Li Mingzhu's domineering presence, he exuded an aura of refinement and composure.

Yet the more the East Wind Patriarch scrutinized Fuyao, the more he felt a resemblance to someone, though the air about Fuyao seemed distinctly different.

"Begin!"

The East Wind Patriarch snorted coldly. Cyan light erupted around him, and a massive pair of hammers materialized in his hands—the Wilderness Hammer, a mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.

It was precisely these mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures that had secured his current renown and his foothold in the East Sea. These hammers had played no small part in his rise to power.

Upon hearing this, Fuyao surged forward. While not transforming into his true form, an image of a Yin-Yang fish formed in the skies above.

Upon closer inspection, it was actually a Kun and a Peng spinning in tandem—the Kunpeng True Form!

"In the North Sea dwells a fish, its name is Kun. The Kun is so large, one cannot fathom its breadth. It transforms into a bird; its name is Peng. The Peng's back is so vast, it stretches like clouds across the sky in flight..."

In later generations, the Daoist Master of the Southern Flower, Zhuang Zhou, Laozi's second direct disciple, composed the "Carefree Trip" to depict the Kunpeng True Form.

The Kun embodies Yin, while the Peng represents Yang. This is the way of Yin-Yang. The cultivation methods of the Kunpeng Clan have always been closely intertwined with the Yin-Yang Dao. Watching Fuyao's display of the Kunpeng True Form, it was apparent he had grasped its profound truths. No wonder the Kunpeng could confidently let him walk unguarded across the Primordial World.

"The Kunpeng True Form—are you the Demon Master's son?"

As a former war general of the Demon Clan, the East Wind Patriarch naturally recognized the Kunpeng. Moments earlier, he had suspected Fuyao might be related to the Kunpeng, but the difference in temperament had led him to dismiss the idea. Now, seeing the Kunpeng True Form, his earlier doubts were entirely dispelled!

Unconcerned by whether the East Wind Patriarch recognized him, Fuyao pushed forward with the Kunpeng True Form, aiming to attack!