Kunpeng was furious that these great powers had turned their backs on him at the last moment and pushed all the blame onto him. Seeing them quietly withdraw, signaling their separation from him, only intensified his rage.
"Are you all so fickle? One moment you were fighting alongside me, and now you turn against me. Do you have any shame, calling yourselves great powers!"
Kunpeng refused to be made a scapegoat for no reason. It was everyone who had plotted together to seize Penglai Immortal Island, forcing Xu Fang's hand and attempting to kill him to claim the island for themselves.
Now these fellows, just to save their own lives, surrendered and admitted defeat to Xu Fang, and on top of that, they were pushing him forward as a sacrificial lamb. Did they really think he would be the one to take the fall?
Thus, Kunpeng immediately began to curse them incessantly, enumerating their faults.
The great powers had no desire to argue further with Kunpeng, but since Kunpeng was relentless and his insults grew more vicious, any trace of guilt they had felt vanished. Their faces turned indignant.
"Kunpeng, you wretch, you have the audacity to accuse us? In this Primordial world, who is more fickle than you!"
"Indeed, if it weren't for you constantly fanning the flames here, why would we have had to fight Daoist friend Xu Fang?"
"Kunpeng, the situation has come to this, and you still resist? Why don't you surrender quickly? Perhaps Daoist friend Xu Fang might spare you!"
The great powers spoke one after another, either fiercely condemning Kunpeng and listing his crimes, or urging him to face reality and surrender.
Poor Kunpeng, who just moments ago had been the de facto leader of these great powers, leading them in a united assault against Xu Fang and holding the dominant position.
Now the situation had abruptly reversed, and he had become the target of everyone's ire, under siege by a host of great powers.
With so many great powers speaking in unison, one after another, even Kunpeng, skilled as he was with words, was rendered speechless with anger, experiencing what it meant to have no defense.
Xu Fang and his companions were stunned, never having expected things to develop in this direction.
However, after a moment of contemplation, they quickly came to terms with it.
Although the defection of these great powers was sudden, it was, in retrospect, entirely logical.
After all, trapped within the formation of magical artifacts, unable to break free, and unable to defeat Xu Fang, continuing to oppose him would only be a futile effort.
They might even suffer the same fate as those unlucky souls, dying in regret, either by a surprise attack from a magical artifact or by being suppressed by Zhen Yuanzi and the others.
Given this, it was better to surrender and admit defeat, to seek a glimmer of hope for survival.
These great powers harbored precisely these thoughts. While verbally berating Kunpeng into silence, they simultaneously retreated, falling back to Zhen Yuanzi and the others.
Zhen Yuanzi and his companions immediately became vigilant, facing them with a sense of grave danger.
However, these great powers showed no intention of attacking. Instead, they put away their magical artifacts and weapons, cupping their hands in salute to Zhen Yuanzi and the others.
"Fellow Daoists, we were misled by that Kunpeng earlier and have offended you. We beg for your forgiveness!"
"Yes, we didn't know each other before, but now we're all good Daoist friends!"
"Haha! The weather is quite pleasant today!"
The great powers spoke one after another to Zhen Yuanzi and the others, their enthusiasm akin to that of close companions, a far cry from their earlier hostility.
Their actions were intended to reiterate their stance, draw a clear line, and also to show goodwill to Zhen Yuanzi and the others, demonstrating the sincerity of their surrender.
Of course, it was also a precaution against the humiliated Kunpeng erupting in a fit of rage and attacking them.
At this moment, Kunpeng, abandoned by everyone, stood alone in the field, like a discarded dog.
Who knew if this dog, cornered, would suddenly make a desperate final stand?
Indeed, seeing the great powers act in this manner, Kunpeng could no longer contain himself.
"Enough! You scoundrels, how dare you treat me like this!"
"You thought Kunpeng was useless just because I haven't shown my power!"
Seeing these great powers not only betray him but also insult him to his face, Kunpeng, already short-tempered, finally erupted.
In his furious rage, Kunpeng's body erupted with light, stirring the surrounding spiritual energy into chaos. Circles of mana vortices appeared, exuding an aura of terror.
Kunpeng immediately shot up into the air, charging towards the great powers, a cruel smile on his face.
These individuals, who dared to treat him so, he was determined to slaughter them all, to vent the hatred in his heart!
In his enraged state, Kunpeng had forgotten that he was currently within the formation of magical artifacts, a place where Xu Fang was the one in control of everything.
Seeing Kunpeng launch a sudden attack, Xu Fang, who had been observing the scene, immediately moved his mind and summoned the magical artifacts that had been idly watching.
The magical artifacts acted instantly, appearing before Kunpeng and blocking his path.
"Xu Fang, what are you doing!"
Kunpeng, seeing this, felt a sense of foreboding. Xu Fang was an enemy to these great powers. By preventing him from killing them now, didn't that mean he had agreed to their surrender?
However, he had no time to ponder further, as he was engulfed in the siege of magical artifacts, struggling to cope.
The great powers, witnessing this, were overjoyed, their eyes lighting up. They quickly turned towards the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda, cupping their hands in salutation.
"Thank you, Daoist friend Xu Fang, for your intervention. We are grateful for your kindness and will never oppose you again!"
"Indeed, we were all misled by Kunpeng earlier and have now awakened."
"Daoist friend Xu Fang, we must part ways eventually. If you would release the formation, we shall take our leave!"
Seeing Xu Fang intervene, the great powers naturally believed that Xu Fang had accepted their surrender. With that in mind, they seized the opportunity, speaking in unison and requesting Xu Fang to let them leave.
Kunpeng, trapped within the encirclement of magical artifacts, was shocked by their words and immediately cried out.
"You fickle wretches, may you all die a horrible death!"
If these great powers were truly released by Xu Fang, wouldn't he be the only one left here?
At that point, not only would he have to face the numerous magical artifacts, but Zhen Yuanzi and the others would also be free to deal with him. How could he possibly cope?
Therefore, to prevent such a scenario, Kunpeng directly addressed Xu Fang.
"Xu Fang, if you let these fellows go, you'll be releasing a tiger back into the mountains. Be careful, they might covet your Penglai Immortal Island in the future!"
"You saw their greedy expressions earlier. Do you really think they'll give up so easily?"
Upon hearing this, the great powers were filled with indignation. If Kunpeng was destined to die, did he have to drag them down with him?
Just as they were about to retort, Xu Fang's voice emerged from within the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda, reaching the field.
"Kunpeng, you're still being stubborn at this point. Do you think these words can reignite the conflict between us?"
The great powers were overjoyed to hear this, marveling at Daoist friend Xu Fang's clear sense of right and wrong. It seemed they were finally able to escape this ordeal.
"However, what Kunpeng says is not entirely without merit. How can I be sure that you have truly abandoned your greed?"
Xu Fang's voice echoed again, addressing the great powers.
"Perhaps you are colluding with this Kunpeng, putting on a show and feigning surrender, all to make me deactivate this formation?"