Wait a minute, where is my master?

Looking at the fist that suddenly appeared and the all-too-familiar golden spiritual power, Ye Fudao was dumbstruck for a long moment, unable to help but let out a curse.

"Shit!"

He felt as if a million Stone Beasts were stampeding through his heart.

You come neither early nor late, just when the Four Divine Monarchs have left and I've already taken all the beating.

You just had to time it like this, huh!

For some reason, as Ye Fudao looked at the fist appearing out of thin air, he felt a bit aggrieved.

Of course, this feeling was fleeting. Soon, he began to ponder how he should deal with this mysterious enemy now that the Four Divine Monarchs weren't around.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the spatial channel.

The owner of the fist — Jin Xu, was examining the situation on the other side with a strange expression, using his Spiritual Sense.

Although Ye Fudao quickly concealed his aggrieved expression, the sharp Taoist still caught it.

"This guy on the platform, turning young and old, is he the master that the enchanting woman spoke of?

"But shouldn't the mastermind, either extremely ferocious or extraordinarily composed, have a look in his eyes, when he found he'd punched a hole through the spatial channel, like Xu Qian without Spirit Stones at Tianxiang Building, being kicked out?"

The little Taoist was puzzled, not understanding what a mere fist had to do with such a sorrowful glance.

He thought about it for a moment and then shook his head with a chuckle.

"Ha, what am I pondering over? Just go over there, use the 'Truth-Telling Skill', and ask him directly."

Beyond such trivial matters, what Jin Xu wanted to know more about was the affair with the ink jade fishing rod. After all, it was this object that had fished him over to the Nine Provinces Realm.

One step taken.

The little Taoist casually stepped out from the Chaos Space and approached the small platform by the four-colored pond.

"Ye Fudao?"

Upon exiting the spatial channel, Jin Xu looked down at the man on the platform, whose appearance had stabilized into youth, and asked softly.

"It's me."

Ye Fudao responded neither humbly nor arrogantly, his face expressionless, and it was unclear what he was thinking. Whether or not he had figured out a way to deal with this 'tough enemy' on his own.

"You..."

Just as Jin Xu was about to speak, having seen the other acknowledge his identity, Ye Fudao on the platform preempted him assertively.

"Considering your cultivation and strength, picking specifically on a mere Mahayana cultivator from the Great Thousand World, aren't you somewhat demeaning your status as a powerful being?

"Could it be that Ye has done something to offend you or your descendants!?"

Having said this, Ye Fudao actually sat down cross-legged on the platform, his eyes revealing a fearless look.

However, in secret, the runes representing sharpness, oblivion, and life and death quietly spread from his legs and soundlessly merged into the small platform beneath him.

"What is my cultivation, what is my strength? Hahahahahahahahaha."

After hearing this, the little Taoist was initially taken aback, then suddenly burst out laughing.

Honestly, Jin Xu was also curious what exactly his cultivation and strength were. Although his spiritual power had progressed later on, the golden spiritual power flowing inside him was only slightly more than that of a Mahayana cultivator from the Nine Provinces Realm in terms of quantity.

But in terms of quality, this golden spiritual power flowing through him — saying it was unmatched was no exaggeration.

"Why are you laughing?"

Seeing the little Taoist laughing inexplicably, Ye Fudao, who had been manipulating the three rune stones, paused in his actions, his face showing a puzzled expression in a timely manner.

Honestly, he felt a bit guilty, thinking his covert actions had been discovered.

"When something is funny, naturally I laugh. That's not important." Jin Xu curbed his laughter and said playfully, then continued. "You indeed have offended me. Back in the Mountain and Sea Realm, you were the one who instigated the Demon Sect's Great Elder to steal the fishing rod. Plus, the Demon Lord of the Nine Provinces once received your legacy, thus committing numerous evils there.

"If we trace the roots, blaming you wouldn't be unfair.

"And that enchanting woman, beguiling the Chaos Clan, kept my master trapped within a formation for months.

"Also..."

The little Taoist stood in mid-air, counting off the issues one by one on his fingers. With each issue he mentioned, he stepped forward.

By the time he spoke of the 'dense Black Qi above Ye Fudao's head, with vaguely millions of resentful souls emerging.'

Jin Xu had already stepped onto the same small platform where the other resided.

"Of course, these actually don't matter; the main thing is, if I don't strike you with the 'Hand Palm Thunder' today, I really won't feel at peace."

As his shoe touched the platform's surface, the corners of the little Taoist's mouth lifted, he spoke warmly.

Meanwhile, a beam of white light had already lit up in his palm.

Before striking with the 'Hand Palm Thunder', Jin Xu planned to first use the 'Truth-Telling Skill' to clarify all his doubts.

After all, once hit by the 'Hand Palm Thunder', the other probably wouldn't be able to answer any more questions.

Sitting cross-legged on the small platform, Ye Fudao, having regained his expressionless face, instinctively furrowed his brows upon hearing Jin Xu's words.

His heart was filled with doubts, and he vaguely felt that this terrifying existence was mocking him with his words.

Stealing the fishing rod was indeed his doing, but he had not expected the ink jade fishing rod, which had been wandering around the Small Thousand Realm, to catch the interest of such a dreadful being.