Soon, Shen Gongbao and Qingxu Daode Zhenjun were escorted out of Yuxu Palace by Wuliang Xianweng.
Once they were out of everyone's sight, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun quietly turned his head, casting a somewhat flattering look at Wuliang Xianweng beside him, and lowered his voice: "Senior Brother, you'll have to go easy on us later. If the marks are too obvious, I really won't be able to show my face!"
Before Wuliang Xianweng could reply, Shen Gongbao let out a cold snarl: "Senior Brother Qingxu, I suppose you've forgotten what you're supposed to do next? Go easy on you? I can't believe you even said that. If you actually get off lightly, Uncle Tongtian will think Master is deliberately slapping him in the face."
"Shen Gongbao, if you can't speak properly, then shut your mouth! How on earth does hitting me a little lighter become Master slapping Uncle's face?"
Shen Gongbao could not help wearing a sneering smile: "Am I wrong? To refine the Five-Fire Seven-Fowl Fan, you plucked the natal feathers of quite a few Jiejiao junior brothers and sisters. Now that you are going there in person to make amends, and you still show up looking completely unscathed—if you were Uncle Tongtian, tell me, would you mind?"
With that, Shen Gongbao turned his gaze to Wuliang Xianweng, his expression earnest: "Senior Brother, for the sake of the Chan Sect, I suggest you hit him as hard as you can. It would be best to leave Qingxu Daode Zhenjun completely paralyzed. That way, when Third Uncle witnesses Qingxu Daode Zhenjun's miserable state, he might feel a pang of compassion and stop holding a grudge against him!"
Hearing this, Wuliang Xianweng's body trembled slightly, a look of grave solemnity flashing through his eyes.
Normally, he cared about the entire Chan Sect above all else. Although he understood that much of what Shen Gongbao just said was intended to beat Qingxu Daode Zhenjun down, Shen Gongbao was right.
If Qingxu Daode Zhenjun was driven out by Master Tongtian before he even set foot on Jinbie Island, how could he possibly accomplish Master's grand undertaking, and how could they extricate the entire Chan Sect from the God-Conferring Tribulation?
Therefore...
Sensing the constant changes in Wuliang Xianweng's expression, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun felt like he was losing his mind: "Shen Gongbao, didn't I just have a fight with you? Besides, I was the one who got the worst of it just now! Why do you keep hounding me endlessly?"
Shen Gongbao sneered: "You think this is endless? Let me tell you, since you dared to plot against me, you can just wait for my endless retaliation!"
Wuliang Xianweng frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of reproach and persuasion: "Junior Brother Shen, no matter what, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun is your senior brother. You ought to show him the utmost respect; how can you keep bickering over some trivial matter?"
As he spoke, Wuliang Xianweng first glanced at Qingxu Daode Zhenjun, then refocused his gaze on Shen Gongbao, pleading earnestly: "Today, I shall make the call. You will apologize to Qingxu Daode Zhenjun immediately, and from now on, let the grievances between the two of you be put to rest. How about that?"
Shen Gongbao ignored Wuliang Xianweng's words and merely smiled: "Senior Brother, you'd better hurry up and carry out our punishment, or Master will be waiting for a long time!"
Wuliang Xianweng stared at Shen Gongbao, his eyes full of disappointment.
He realized that Shen Gongbao had truly changed.
If it were before, upon hearing what he just said, Shen Gongbao would not have hesitated in the slightest. But now, he was actually dodging his suggestion.
It seemed he really needed to pay close attention to Junior Brother Shen's character from now on, lest he inevitably stray from the right path.
With a trace of complicated emotions, Wuliang Xianweng said with a stern face: "Prepare yourselves, I am now going to execute the punishment."
With that, he brought his peach-wood staff down heavily against the ground.
The next instant, two thick branches lashed down fiercely toward Shen Gongbao and Qingxu Daode Zhenjun respectively.
Clearly, Wuliang Xianweng had taken Shen Gongbao's words to heart, and this time he held back no mercy at all.
"Crack."
"Crack."
Every falling branch drew a miserable shriek from Qingxu Daode Zhenjun.
However, Shen Gongbao's expression at the moment was the exact opposite of Qingxu Daode Zhenjun's.
Shen Gongbao's true form was a thunder leopard, and the physical strength of a demonic beast was not something ordinary cultivators could match, even though Qingxu Daode Zhenjun was a full tier higher than Shen Gongbao.
Not to mention that under the influence of the Twelfth-Grade Creation Green Lotus Seed, Shen Gongbao's Xuanming Dao Body was already transforming into a Chaotic Dao Body.
With Shen Gongbao's current physical defense, although Wuliang Xianweng's attacks were not quite like being tickled, they posed no pressure on him whatsoever.
Therefore:
"Senior Brother, use some strength! Don't let yourself be fooled by Qingxu Daode Zhenjun. With the way you're attacking right now, it's basically no different from a tickle. He's just putting on a show for you!"
Qingxu Daode Zhenjun was so furious his eyes nearly split open: "Shen Gongbao, you bastard, you'll come to a bad end!"
Shen Gongbao's tone remained calm: "Senior Brother Qingxu, stop acting now. Did you really think Senior Brother wouldn't see through your little tricks? A mere bit of pain—what is that in the face of our entire Chan Sect's life and death? Don't be so selfish; just take your punishment properly so you don't displease Third Uncle and ruin Master's grand undertaking."
"Damn you..."
The second half of Qingxu Daode Zhenjun's sentence was choked right back into his throat, because Wuliang Xianweng had suddenly increased his strength by a full fifty percent compared to before.
It was not until ten minutes later that Qingxu Daode Zhenjun's shrieks finally subsided.
By this time, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun had collapsed completely to the ground, lacking even the strength to stand up.
Seeing this, Shen Gongbao hurriedly limped over, hauled him up by the arm, and shouted loudly: "Senior Brother Qingxu, I knew Senior Brother's punishment would be an absolute breeze for you! You truly are a role model for us junior brothers!"
While speaking, Shen Gongbao leaned close to Qingxu Daode Zhenjun's ear and whispered with a cold laugh: "Senior Brother, this is only the beginning. I'll have plenty of time to keep you company and play with you later. If I actually let you finish Master's mission smoothly this time, I'll take your family name!"
Hearing this, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun, who had already been tossed about to the point of having no strength left, gave a violent jolt. He looked at Shen Gongbao in absolute terror: "You're a madman!"
If it were in the past, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun would only have laughed with disdain if Shen Gongbao had said such a thing. But having just witnessed Shen Gongbao's ruthless drive to hurt others by eight hundred even if it meant hurting himself by a thousand, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun knew that Shen Gongbao would definitely do what he just said.
He had gone mad!
At that moment, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun's gaze toward Shen Gongbao changed.
After about a quarter of an hour, the three of them dragged their half-crippled bodies back into Yuxu Palace once more.
Seeing Qingxu Daode Zhenjun's miserable state, everyone present was greatly startled: "To accomplish this mission, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun is really going all out!"