Originally, only the Buddha knew about the incident, but now that Xu Fang had revealed it, the Jade Emperor and the others were aware as well. This was a blow to the Buddha's pride. These were all prominent figures in the Three Realms. While they might not openly mock him, they would surely ridicule him behind his back.

  "Xu Fang!"

  The Buddha seethed with anger, wishing he could banish Xu Fang to the deepest depths of the Eighteen Layers of Hell, never to reincarnate. Throughout history, only Xu Fang had managed to humiliate him to such an extent.

  If not for Master Bodhi's influence, he would have personally dealt with Xu Fang long ago.

  Fortunately, now that the demon race's blade was about to finish Xu Fang, he could finally feel some relief.

  The strength of Kun-Peng's avatar was well-known to them. Moreover, this avatar contained a drop of Kun-Peng's true essence, which held a portion of his true power.

  Therefore, Xu Fang, who had just ascended to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, was no match for Kun-Peng. No matter how prodigious his talent, he couldn't compare to Kun-Peng.

  "Brother Buddha, I never expected you to be humbled by such a fly. Truly, this has given us a new perspective! Hahaha!"

  A voice from a glowing sphere mocked openly.

  The mighty Buddha, ruler of the Great Thunderclap Temple in the Western Paradise, had his avatar killed by a mere ant. This was a joke that would amuse them for a century.

  The demon race had always been at odds with the Western Paradise, so seeing the Buddha humiliated brought them great joy.

  "Brother Buddha, with your profound cultivation, how could you be humbled by a fly? Surely, that fly below is just spouting nonsense. Fellow Daoists, don't believe it, right? Brother Buddha!"

  Another divine sense chimed in, seemingly defending the Buddha but laced with sarcasm, though not as blatant as the demon's.

  "It's just an avatar. Fellow Daoists, there's no need to make a fuss. Losing composure doesn't suit your status."

  The Buddha snorted, his voice tinged with displeasure. He saw through the intentions of these old foxes.

  "Jade Emperor, don't stay silent. This boy is from your Heavenly Court. What do you think? What are his chances against Kun-Peng?"

  The demonic figure in the glowing sphere turned to the Jade Emperor, who had been silent, and asked indifferently.

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  The Jade Emperor's expression darkened as he snapped out of his contemplation of the battle between Xu Fang and Kun-Peng. He replied calmly, "The outcome is still uncertain. How would I know? Besides, although Xu Fang is from the Heavenly Court, his actions do not entirely represent the Heavenly Court's will."

  "So, let's watch the battle in silence. Perhaps it will be your demon race that loses!"

  The Jade Emperor's tone was indifferent. He understood the demon's intentions—they wanted to drive a wedge between the Heavenly Court and the Western Paradise.

  Currently, he lacked absolute power and relied on the Western Paradise. He had no intention of breaking ties with the Buddha, and the Buddha likely felt the same. After all, the Buddha's goal was the Heavenly Court, and the quickest way to control it was to control him!

  "Hmph!"

  The demonic figure snorted and fell silent, turning his attention back to the fierce battle between Xu Fang and Kun-Peng's avatar.

  ...

  On the battlefield, it didn't take long for Xu Fang's body to be covered in wounds. Two large chunks of flesh had been sliced off his arms by Kun-Peng.

  "Such terrifying power! As expected of an avatar infused with Quasi-Sage essence. Its strength is truly formidable, completely different from the Buddha's Quasi-Sage avatar!"

  Xu Fang panted heavily, enduring the pain. Fortunately, his physique was strong; otherwise, Kun-Peng's strikes would have killed him instantly. The pain was unbearable for an ordinary person.

  "Brat, if you surrender now and kneel to beg for mercy, I might consider leaving your corpse intact. But if you continue to resist and anger me, I'll chop you into mincemeat and grind your soul to dust!"

  Kun-Peng rested his blade on his shoulder, his tone arrogant and disdainful.

  "If kneeling only gets me an intact corpse, only a fool would kneel. As the great teacher of the demon race, why do you talk so much during a fight? Were you a gossip in your past life? Kill me if you must, but first, you'll have to actually defeat me!"

  "Without even defeating me, you dare to spout such nonsense. How shameless to call yourself the great teacher of the demon race! If Emperor Jun were still alive and saw you disgracing the demon race like this, he'd probably die of anger all over again!"

  Xu Fang leaned on the Ghost-Mourning Blade, retorting sharply.

  Even if he couldn't win, he wouldn't lose in terms of spirit.

  "Arrogant brat! Your tongue is as sharp as a blade. When I grind your soul into powder, you'll understand true suffering!"

  Kun-Peng's avatar was furious. Without hesitation, he swung his blade at Xu Fang, determined to annihilate this sharp-tongued pest.

  The blade's wind was sharp and unstoppable, its heavy aura enveloping Xu Fang. Xu Fang tried to retreat but found himself locked in place by the oppressive energy.

  "This old guy has some tricks up his sleeve!"

  Xu Fang realized the danger and summoned the Immortal-Slaying Flying Blade to block the strike, while the Ghost-Mourning Blade crossed in front of him.

  Throughout the battle, Xu Fang had rarely used magical techniques, relying mostly on his physical strength.

  This was the demon race's fighting style. Their powerful physiques and immense strength made their bodies their greatest weapons, not magical techniques.

  Moreover, magical techniques were less effective for demons, so they focused on honing their physical prowess, which came naturally to them.

  Xu Fang's ability to withstand so many direct attacks from Kun-Peng was already remarkable.

  Splat!

  Kun-Peng's blade struck Xu Fang, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood. The force of the blow sent him flying dozens of feet, his feet dragging two deep trenches into the ground.