Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods-Chapter 14 The Profound Bond and Heavy Obligation Duel with Duobao, Ultimately a Perfect Test for All

Chapter 14: Chapter 14 The Profound Bond and Heavy Obligation Duel with Duobao, Ultimately a Perfect Test for All

Chapter 14: A Battle of Loyalty and Deep Emotion with Duobao, Culminating in the Ultimate Test

"Compensate? Can you afford it?"

Bixiao chuckled, her demeanor entirely unbecoming of an elder, but her aura was nonetheless oppressive.

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"What do you mean by that?"

Li Mingzhu's expression remained unchanged as he spoke in a deep voice, suppressing his anger with great effort.

"The fruit this little creature stole was none other than the Innate Spirit Root Dragon Peach. It blossoms every ten thousand years, fruits every ten thousand years, and matures in ten thousand years. If this little one had only plucked the ripe Dragon Peaches, it wouldn't have mattered. But it didn't discriminate, plucking indiscriminately, whether ripe or not, thereby damaging the Spirit Root."

Gui Ling Saint Mother paused, then continued, "Now do you understand? Dozens of Dragon Peaches wouldn't matter much, but damage to the Spirit Root—how do you propose to compensate for that?"

"How about these two Innate Spiritual Treasures?"

Li Mingzhu brought out two Innate Spiritual Treasures he had looted from Xuanlong Palace, showing no hesitance about their value.

Spiritual Treasures could be looted or sought again, but there was only one little Zhu Xiong.

"The treasures are nice, but they are treasures of the Dragon Palace. Although we at Golden Turtle Island do not fear the Dragon Clan, we are disinclined to involve ourselves in such karmic entanglements."

Duobao shook his head, indicating that they would not accept these two treasures.

"How about these two?"

Gritting his teeth, Li Mingzhu took out the Qiankun Ring and the Hun Tian Silk. To save little Zhu Xiong, he was ready to relinquish all he had.

As always, Spiritual Treasures could be regained, but if Zhu Xiong were gone, he would truly be gone forever.

"These treasures bestowed by Nuwa are certainly supreme and sufficient compensation—but do you think we dare accept them?" Duobao assessed the treasures but still refused.

The reasoning was the same as before: unwillingness to provoke karmic ties with Nuwa.

"Then what do you want?" Li Mingzhu enunciated each word with suppressed fury, teetering on the brink of losing control, his reason nearly consumed by anger.

"Nothing else. Its life forfeit!"

Rising to his feet, Duobao pointed at little Zhu Xiong, speaking nonchalantly, his face devoid of any expression.

"Duobao, don't push your luck. Do you really think I, Li Mingzhu, fear you?"

Li Mingzhu had reached his limit. Raising the Qiankun Ring, he hurled it at Duobao, abandoning all thought of cultivation or wisdom.

If you want to kill little Zhu Xiong, you'll have to kill me, Li Mingzhu, first.

"Bang!"

With a resounding boom, Duobao effortlessly caught the Qiankun Ring between his fingers.

"Decent force, but not enough," Duobao remarked, shaking his head. He showed no anger toward Li Mingzhu's attack.

"Three-foot Magic Sword, manifest!"

Li Mingzhu shouted, unleashing the Three-foot Magic Sword he had comprehended from the Illusory Realm. Even with Golden Turtle Island's fortified arrays and stable laws, ripples spread through the void.

Such was the domineering nature of the Three-foot Magic Sword—an unparalleled weapon that could battle beyond its wielder's level, especially in its perfected form. While still in its nascent stage, it already displayed terrifying prowess.

The gleam in Duobao's eyes sharpened, and even the Gui Ling Saint Mother felt her heart stir, contemplating whether to join forces with Wudang to seize Li Mingzhu for their sect.

But Li Mingzhu, consumed by rage, failed to notice such subtleties. His sword descended, its target Duobao.

He knew he was no match, yet he still drew his sword.

"Impressive technique, but the skill is still lacking!"

Duobao remained unperturbed, effortlessly blocking Li Mingzhu's sword with a mere finger. Even a thrust aimed directly at the heart could not harm him.

"If it's a contest of courage and strength you seek, I shall grant you a chance. If you can withstand a single strike of my Daoist Skill, this matter will be resolved, and you shall remain an esteemed guest of Golden Turtle Island. The little creature will also remain unharmed. However, life and death will be your own responsibility."

With a wave of his wide sleeve, Duobao seemed to restore Li Mingzhu's clarity, his voice calm and indifferent.

"Very well, I agree!"

What reason did Li Mingzhu have to refuse?

Suspended mid-air, Zhu Xiong—although silenced by a binding—shed streams of tears, mouthing the words "Don't do it." Yet Li Mingzhu could not hear him.

Had Li Mingzhu been thinking straight, he might have discerned the contradiction in Duobao's words. Earlier, they dared not even accept the Qiankun Ring or the Hun Tian Silk; now, they claim disregard for his life or death?

The karmic consequences involving Nuwa were clearly heavier, but Duobao still made this proposition.

Li Mingzhu, acting solely on emotional impulse, had abandoned rationality. If reason had prevailed, he would have noticed this glaring flaw in the logic.

"Have you truly made up your mind? It's just a mere plaything. Once you agree, your soul may dissipate into nothingness!" Duobao pressed once more, his last four words resounding loudly.

"To hell with your nonsense!"

In the throes of fury, Li Mingzhu even cursed aloud with foul language from his past life on Earth. Duobao dismissed it as something Li Mingzhu had picked up in the mortal world, not taking offense.

To immortals like you, Zhu Xiong may be just a trivial creature, but to me, he is a friend—a brother!

"Alright then, you've swung your sword once. Now I shall swing mine."

Duobao's expression remained placid as a three-foot-long magic sword materialized in the void, its blade pitch-black.

Unlike Li Mingzhu's ethereal sword, Duobao's conjured sword was close to solid and real.

Such was the power of a Quasi-Sect Leader. Mastery of one technique unlocked mastery of all techniques. Just by witnessing Li Mingzhu's use of the sword, Duobao not only grasped it but deduced its subsequent evolutions.

Li Mingzhu turned a gentle gaze toward Zhu Xiong mid-air, as if silently saying, "Hold on—I'm coming to save you."

Abandoning his earlier Three-foot Magic Sword, he chose instead to focus purely on defense, aware of the vast disparity in their grasp of the sword technique.

With the Qiankun Ring taken, he had no means of offense. Relying solely on the Hun Tian Silk for defense was his best option.

"Watch closely!"

Duobao seemed almost intent on theatrics. His sword split through the void, reaching Li Mingzhu in an instant.

The sword point scraped against the Hun Tian Silk without piercing it, seemingly stopped. But in truth, endless streams of sword qi surged straight through.

Pain!

A searing, heart-wrenching pain. It was truly as if a thousand swords pierced his heart.

Li Mingzhu had no strength to resist—only the will to endure. Yet human endurance has its limits. No matter how tough Li Mingzhu was, the unrelenting agony ultimately plunged him into unconsciousness.

As Li Mingzhu's awareness faded, eight lofty immortals exchanged knowing smiles.

"Well, Wudang Junior Sister, are you satisfied now?"

Duobao's resentful facade gave way to a half-hearted smirk as he glanced at Wudang.

"Hmm, not bad. Although his temperament still needs work," Wudang replied, deliberately downplaying her approval despite her true satisfaction.

"Senior Sister Wudang is just being coy. Honestly, if that boy hadn't attacked Elder Brother Duobao, I bet Senior Sister wouldn't be satisfied at all!"

Zhao Gongming teased, showing no hesitation to jab at Wudang. Their camaraderie allowed such jesting without offense.

.....

The group soon began congratulating Wudang, who graciously accepted their well-wishes, hinting that she expected substantial gifts for the formal apprenticeship ceremony to come.

Meanwhile, Zhu Xiong, still suspended mid-air, was dumbstruck. The immortals wanted to take Mingzhu as a disciple? Was all that just an act?

Upon realizing the truth, Zhu Xiong bore no resentment toward the eight immortals. He only felt like crying—for at least they had survived.

Noticing Zhu Xiong's expression, the eight immortals all turned their gaze upon him, causing the frightened creature to duck his head even lower.

Having just escaped calamity, Zhu Xiong couldn't handle being spooked again.

"This little creature barely has any meat on its bones. How are we supposed to eat it?"

Zhao Gongming's dark face lit up with a mischievous grin as he eyed Zhu Xiong like a meal, pondering aloud how to prepare him.

"Brother Gongming, how could you! Look how adorable this little fellow is. Why don't we take him to Three Immortals Island to breed with our celestial rabbits? Maybe then our rabbits will turn adorable too!"

Bixiao interrupted Zhao Gongming, her expression sweet and innocent. But to Zhu Xiong, her words were nothing short of a death knell.

....

In the end, Zhu Xiong fainted cleanly, collapsing straight into unconsciousness from fright.

Yet Bixiao's words that day would haunt Zhu Xiong as a nightmare for the rest of his life.

"You all... sigh!"

Duobao scolded both Bixiao and Zhao Gongming but seemed at a loss for further words.

Had it been just one mischief-maker, be it Bixiao or Zhao Gongming, there might have been hope. But when these two teamed up, they were truly a pair of troublemakers.

Fortunately, everyone else had grown used to it.

"To have your meridians cleansed and refined by a Quasi-Sect Leader's mana—you're likely the first to enjoy such fortune. Conveniently, the grand assembly is in a month."

Duobao glanced at the unconscious Li Mingzhu, smiling. With a wave of his wide sleeve, both Li Mingzhu and Zhu Xiong were sent to the Jingshui Cave Mansion.

This had been merely a trial. Even if Li Mingzhu had failed, nothing serious would have happened—but failure would nonetheless have precluded his full acceptance as a disciple and junior member of their sect.

The test was neither of Li Mingzhu's strength nor his temperament, but of his unwavering loyalty and refusal to abandon others.

If Li Mingzhu could demonstrate such loyalty to Zhu Xiong today, he would surely exhibit the same devotion to the Jie Sect in the future. The Jie Sect's strength and prosperity had always depended on this unity of purpose.

As for any lingering resentment Li Mingzhu might feel upon learning the truth, Wudang was confident that once Li Mingzhu witnessed all that the Jie Sect had to offer, he would come to understand.

But for now, Li Mingzhu remained unconscious, unaware of the truth. By the time he awakened, it would be the day before the grand assembly.