The wild dog spirit left Emperor Jun and the others, filled with trepidation, fearing that Taiyi might accidentally end its dog life.
Emperor Jun and his entourage paid no mind to the minor demon. Led by Bai Ze, they proceeded towards Zhang Yuan.
Upon arriving at Zhang Yuan, Bai Ze addressed them:
"This great demon is named Ji Meng. He has the head of a dragon and the body of a human, with hands like eagle claws. Feathers sprout from his arms, and his body is clad in dragon scale armor. In his grasp, he wields a three-pronged steel trident used for stirring the seas. With every wave of his hand, storms and tempests follow. Where his rain falls, enemies perish. Thus, he is also known as the Rain Master."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jun inquired further of Bai Ze:
"In your estimation, should we attempt to persuade him to surrender, or engage him in battle?"
Bai Ze shook his head and said with a wry smile:
"My King, I fear persuasion will be in vain. Ji Meng is naturally arrogant. If he is not defeated, he will likely not submit!"
Emperor Jun nodded at this and declared:
"Then I shall defeat him into submission!"
As Emperor Jun prepared to act, Taiyi quickly intervened:
"Big Brother, leave the fighting to me!"
With that, Taiyi approached Zhang Yuan and loudly bellowed:
"Ji Meng, come out and accept your death!"
The moment Taiyi's words fell, the skies above Zhang Yuan churned with wind and clouds.
Bai Ze, from a distance, cautioned:
"Second King, be careful! Ji Meng is about to appear!"
Taiyi, unconcerned, replied:
"Bai Ze, rest assured, he cannot harm me!"
Just as Taiyi finished speaking, a voice boomed from within Zhang Yuan:
"Who dares to trespass upon my domain and act so presumptuously!"
And with that, a creature with the head of a dragon and the body of a human emerged.
Upon seeing Taiyi, Ji Meng spoke:
"Is it you, you impudent fool, who has come to disturb my slumber?"
Taiyi smiled faintly and said:
"Perhaps I've come to send you to the heavens instead?"
Emperor Jun then cautioned:
"Taiyi, be gentle. Do not take his life!"
Upon hearing Emperor Jun's voice, Ji Meng finally noticed Emperor Jun, Bai Ze, Xi He, and Chang Xi.
Seeing Bai Ze, Ji Meng addressed him:
"Bai Ze, why are you not in your own mountain realm? Have the lessons of last time not been enough?"
Bai Ze, enraged, retorted:
"Ji Meng, do not be so insolent!"
Upon seeing Xi He and Chang Xi, Ji Meng's eyes lit up, and he laughed heartily:
"What beautiful maidens! Why don't you come back with me and be my wives! I promise to 'cherish' you dearly!"
Ji Meng emphasized the word "cherish" with a heavy tone, causing Xi He and Chang Xi's faces to turn pale with anger!
Hearing Ji Meng's lewd remarks towards Xi He and Chang Xi, Taiyi unleashed a furious punch directly at Ji Meng.
Taiyi's punch was fueled by righteous anger. Ji Meng was utterly incapable of withstanding it and was immediately sent flying, crashing through several large mountains.
Witnessing Ji Meng's battered state, Bai Ze inwardly rejoiced at his own good fortune. Had this punch landed on him, he would have been half-crippled, if not killed.
Though Ji Meng was sent flying and shattered several mountains, the dragon scale armor he wore, a defensive spiritual treasure of the middle-grade innate quality, absorbed the full impact of Taiyi's blow, protecting him from fatal harm.
Ji Meng rose from the pile of rubble, his gaze fixed on Taiyi with newfound solemnity, no longer daring to speak so carelessly.
Seeing that Ji Meng could still stand after taking his punch, Taiyi regarded him with a hint of respect.
Taiyi bellowed:
"Ji Meng, you are no match for me. Will you surrender now?"
Ji Meng chuckled and retorted:
"Surrender? You must be dreaming!"
Seeing that Ji Meng was unharmed, Chang Xi spoke:
"Brother Taiyi, shall we kill him?"
Taiyi, seeing Ji Meng's refusal to surrender and hearing Chang Xi's words, turned to her and replied:
"Fear not, Sister Chang Xi. Your brother will deal with him!"
Upon receiving Taiyi's assurance, Chang Xi happily exclaimed:
"Brother Taiyi is the best! Thank you, Brother Taiyi!"
Taiyi turned back to face Ji Meng.
Ji Meng felt as if he were being eyed by a venomous serpent, a chilling sensation piercing his very bones.
Ji Meng stared intently at Taiyi. Suddenly, Taiyi moved. Before Ji Meng could react, Taiyi was already beside him, delivering a kick that sent Ji Meng sprawling to the ground.
Taiyi then planted his foot on Ji Meng's body and continued to stomp down, one kick after another.
In a short while, Ji Meng was spitting blood from the relentless assault.
This was still with Taiyi holding back, following Emperor Jun's instruction to spare Ji Meng's life. Had Taiyi unleashed his full power, Ji Meng would have been annihilated by now.
Being ground beneath Taiyi's feet, Ji Meng felt as if each of Taiyi's steps was a weight from an ancient, divine mountain. With every descent of Taiyi's foot, Ji Meng felt his very bones threatening to disintegrate. He immediately cried out:
"I surrender! Stop! I surrender!"
Taiyi, ignoring his pleas, delivered two more powerful stomps before jumping off Ji Meng's body. He said menacingly:
"Weren't you so tough just now? Why are you surrendering?"
Saying this, he kicked Ji Meng again, sending him flying towards Emperor Jun. He then addressed Emperor Jun:
"Big Brother, the rest is up to you."
Seeing Ji Meng within reach, Chang Xi unconsciously landed two more kicks on him.
While Taiyi had shown some restraint, Chang Xi did not. Ji Meng, already severely injured by Taiyi, was knocked unconscious by Chang Xi's two kicks.
Chang Xi, as if oblivious, gazed at Taiyi with infatuation and said:
"Brother Taiyi is so handsome! I like Brother Taiyi!"
Her words caused a sudden silence to fall upon the clearing. Everyone stared at Chang Xi.
Chang Xi, still lost in her dreamy thoughts, seemed unaware of the attention. Xi He, unable to bear it any longer, gently tugged at Chang Xi's hand.
Chang Xi finally snapped back to reality and, seeing everyone looking at her, was overcome with embarrassment and fled into the distance.
Emperor Jun, finding the situation unbearable, said to Taiyi:
"What are you waiting for? Go after her!"
Taiyi finally came to his senses and quickly flew in the direction Chang Xi had gone.
Emperor Jun looked at the unconscious Ji Meng on the ground and said to Bai Ze:
"Wake him up and ask if he will submit. If not, kill him. After all, you two have a history."
Upon hearing this, Bai Ze immediately channeled a bit of spiritual energy into Ji Meng. In a short while, Ji Meng slowly regained consciousness.
As Ji Meng awoke and recalled Taiyi addressing Emperor Jun as "Big Brother," he immediately, despite his pain, knelt before Emperor Jun and hastily declared:
"Ji Meng is willing to submit to the Great King. I beg the Great King not to despise me!"
Seeing that Ji Meng had surrendered before he even had a chance to speak, Bai Ze lamented internally, thinking that if he had just killed Ji Meng directly, it would have been a clean end. Alas, such regret!
Seeing Ji Meng's submission, Emperor Jun allowed him to tend to his own injuries. He then approached Xi He and, with deep affection, said:
"Fellow Daoist Xi He, I love you. Will you be my Dao companion?"
Xi He gazed into Emperor Jun's earnest eyes and recalled all the moments they had shared on their journey. With a blush, she replied:
"I will!"