180: Chapter 180 The Peach Banquet: The Standoff Between the Sages Ends

Even so, Yuanshi Tianzun had always cared deeply about his Face; even when he was in the wrong, he would never willingly concede the upper hand.

As the number one trash-talker of the Primordial World, it was impossible for him to admit defeat verbally.

He raised his eyes coldly, his gaze shooting toward Zhunti like a sharp blade. His voice was bone-chillingly cold, carrying the indignation of someone forced to make excuses:

"Junior Brother Zhunti, there is no need to say more. Guangchengzi is the head Disciple of my Chan Sect. With outstanding talent, he is currently in seclusion at Kunlun Mountain, attempting to break through to the Quasi-Saint realm. As he is at a critical juncture and cannot be distracted, he is unable to attend the banquet."

"There is no need for Junior Brother Zhunti to trouble yourself with such trivial matters."

These words seemed tough, but in reality, they were merely a cover-up. Every immortal god in the hall understood this, yet no one dared to point it out.

But since Zhunti had already made a move, how could he stop after just one stab?

Upon hearing this, he immediately feigned sudden realization, the mockery in his eyes deepening. He spoke again, continuing to twist the knife:

"Oh? So he is attempting to break through to the Quasi-Saint realm..."

"I had thought he was in seclusion to stabilize his Daluo Dao Fruit?"

Crack! Zhunti's words were like a bolt from the blue.

They made the members of the Chan Sect bury their heads even lower, almost pressing them against the floor, not daring to utter a sound.

Yuanshi Tianzun's already pale and livid Face instantly darkened, as if water could drip from it.

Every word of Zhunti's was grating to his ears, nearly causing him to lose control. His fingertips tightened slightly, and the cold air around him almost froze into frost.

He opened his mouth, wanting to shout a stern rebuke, wanting to find another excuse to maintain his dignity, but when the words reached his lips, he couldn't utter a single syllable.

Zhunti's words contained not a shred of falsehood. Even though he was the number one trash-talker of the Primordial World, he was rendered speechless at this moment, his heart filled with the indignation of being in the wrong and stifled, yet with nowhere to vent it.

Behind Zhunti, the Disciples of the Western Sect all lowered their eyes, but their shoulders shook uncontrollably as they struggled to suppress the urge to laugh.

Those subtle, stifled laughs were like countless fine needles, pricking Yuanshi Tianzun until he lost all Face. He felt as though the gazes of all the immortal gods in the hall had turned into mockery and schadenfreude.

He stared fixedly at Zhunti opposite him, anger surging in his eyes, yet he was completely helpless.

His gaze swept across the Saints in the hall, first falling upon the seats of the Jie Sect.

The Master of the Jie Sect, Tongtian, had an indifferent expression. Sensing Yuanshi Tianzun's gaze, he snorted coldly without taking any action.

It was clear he had no intention of getting involved and was just watching the show.

Beside him, Duobao, Jin Ling, Holy Mother Wudang, and other Jie Sect Disciples were tasting the Flat Peaches and immortal nectar, their eyes occasionally sweeping toward that side.

Looking to the other side, Fuxi and Shi Yan sat side by side, both with calm expressions, without a ripple.

Fuxi lightly traced the Eight Trigrams patterns with his fingertips, the light of divination faintly swirling in his eyes, as if nothing in the world could enter his heart.

Shi Yan leaned lazily against a cloud pillow, his brows and eyes relaxed. He remained completely uninvolved throughout, looking entirely like someone who had nothing to do with the matter and was just watching from above.

Only Nüwa, looking at the two people in the hall who were at daggers drawn, shook her head helplessly and sighed inwardly: "It has started again."

Since becoming a Saint, the verbal disputes and conflicts over Face between the Chan Sect and the Western Sect had never ceased.

Unwilling to watch this pointless standoff any longer, she waved her hand gently, and a soft, seven-colored divine light radiated from her body. Ling Zhuzi, beside her, immediately understood and followed closely behind.

The next moment, their figures turned into specks of flowing light, silently merging into the interlayer of space, out of sight and out of mind.

Thus, only Yuanshi Tianzun and Zhunti remained in the hall, facing each other from afar, their gazes hostile.

One side was cold and indignant, extremely stifled. The other was mocking and playful, holding the winning hand.

The pressure of the Saints collided faintly, causing fine ripples in the Void Realm. All the immortal gods in the hall trembled, and the entire Flat Peach Banquet fell into a deathly silence.

Haotian, the host of this Peach Banquet, sat on the main seat watching this scene, feeling only a splitting headache and utter helplessness.

Although he was a Saint-in-waiting, in front of true Saints, his weight was ultimately insufficient.

Unable to mediate, he could only turn his head helplessly. Pulling Yaochi and Princess Longji beside him, he took the nine-thousand-year Flat Peaches from the table and silently tasted them, pretending not to see this awkward standoff.

In any case, it wasn't his Face that was being slapped.

The hall was deathly silent, the standoff lasting for a long time. Finally, Grand Supreme Laozi, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them.

The Qi of Chaos and clarity swirled in his eyes, his expression indifferent and uncontentious. Watching the two parties who had made such a scene that they couldn't back down, he finally spoke faintly: "Enough."

"At the Flat Peach Banquet, where all spirits gather, there is no need to argue over such trivial matters. Let this end here."

Grand Supreme Laozi was the personal Disciple of Hongjun and possessed two supreme treasures; both his strength and status were extremely formidable. His words still carried great weight.

Upon hearing this, the mockery in Zhunti's eyes subsided slightly, but he was secretly satisfied in his heart.

He never really intended to fight Yuanshi Tianzun to the death. Speaking up this time was purely to damage the Chan Sect's Face and make Yuanshi Tianzun embarrassed in public. Now that his goal had been achieved, it was the perfect opportunity to use Grand Supreme Laozi's words to go with the flow.

If this standoff were to continue, it would conversely be inferior. Knowing when to stop while ahead was the wisest choice.

Immediately, he pretended to pout resentfully, his gaze toward Yuanshi Tianzun still carrying a hint of sarcasm. He spoke slowly, his tone relaxed yet stifling:

"Fine, fine. Since Senior Brother is so protective and won't allow Junior Brother to show some concern for our nephew, then I will not ask."

"It was Junior Brother who spoke too much and disturbed Senior Brother's mood. I hope Senior Brother will not blame me."

Zhunti's words, soft yet pointed, praising on the surface but criticizing in secret, once again made Yuanshi Tianzun's chest feel stifled. His heart was filled with a mixture of indignation, resentment, and shame.

He wanted to continue the standoff with Zhunti, he wanted to think of how to refute him! He wanted to regain his lost Face!

But his eldest brother had spoken. As Yuanshi Tianzun, who respected rules and the order of seniority the most, he could only grit his back teeth and squeeze a few words through them. His voice was dry and hoarse, carrying undisguised indignation and stiffness:

"Good!"

After saying this word, he paused, his Dao body trembling for a moment, before he forced out one last polite remark, his tone cold and stiff, without a hint of a smile:

"Naturally, I will not blame Junior Brother."

Watching Yuanshi Tianzun's appearance of having suffered a setback but having nowhere to vent, a flash of satisfaction crossed Zhunti's eyes. On the surface, however, he pretended to be respectful, slightly cupping his hands, his tone still relaxed:

"In that case, many thanks to Senior Brother for your magnanimity."

A Saint standoff that had shaken the Peach Banquet thus came to an end.

Below, that ancient Innate Divine Being let out a long sigh of relief in his heart. "Whew— Ah... it's finally over."

He dispersed the surrounding Restrictions and had the female immortals continue pouring the immortal nectar. Having been frightened by the Saints for so long, he needed to soothe his nerves with the pleasures of food and drink.

The Peach Banquet finally returned to its proper track. Seeing this scene, Haotian had Yaochi take Princess Longji out for a stroll. The Peach Banquet was about to enter its climax.

Haotian stood in front of the imperial throne, his half-Saint pressure erupting around him. Attracting the attention of the entire hall, he said in a loud voice: "Fellow Daoists, look toward me. I have an announcement to make!"