Saintly Demeanor!

Her enchanting beauty, coupled with her peerless looks, made Tongtian's heart flutter, leaving him lost in thought for a long time.

After a while, he gazed at her flushed face, recalling the Saint who once resided in the highest heavens, looking down upon all beings, and now was the person beside him.

A burning passion ignited within him; how could he still care about day or night?

He scooped her up in his arms, and their figures vanished in an instant.

Only a lingering gasp remained in the hall, echoing softly between the beams, recounting the tender moment they had just shared.

Meanwhile, Laozi--

Throughout these thousand years, he had never rested, traveling alone across the four corners of the Primordial World.

Wherever he arrived at a place of spiritual significance, he would stand still for a long time, concentrating and contemplating.

Though his cultivation had not surged dramatically, his eyes had long since shed their superficiality, settling into a profound depth born from experiencing the vicissitudes of life.

He had witnessed the blooming of spring flowers and the fruition of autumn harvests, the endless cycle of reincarnation;

He had also seen countless beings born, grow, and eventually return to dust.

One day, he ascended a mountain brimming with spiritual energy as usual, standing atop its peak.

Past experiences flashed through his mind like a scroll unfolding--

Once... twice... thrice...

Suddenly, his entire body trembled violently!

The Primordial Violet Qi deep within his brow stirred intensely, as if trying to break free from his body.

An indescribable sense of mystery slowly rose from the depths of his heart, permeating his entire being.

His once slightly turbid eyes gradually became clear and luminous, as if clouds had parted to reveal the moon.

The next moment, he soared into the air, sat cross-legged in the void, and uttered the words of the Great Dao:

"The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name..."

His voice, initially low, then spread in all directions, soon resounding throughout heaven and earth, shaking the cosmos.

As billions of beings looked up, seeking the source of the sound, Laozi's eyes snapped open. His voice, like a booming bell, declared loudly:

"Heavenly Dao bears witness! Today, I, a descendant of Pangu, the third disciple of the Dao Ancestor—Laozi—establish a teaching in this Primordial World, known as 'Daoism'!"

"Shouldering the responsibility of enlightening all living beings, I wield the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Taiji Diagram, to stabilize the world's destiny. My honored title is Grand Pure Saint—Daoism is hereby founded!"

With a thunderous roar, heaven and earth trembled.

Heavenly Dao sensed it and sent down its response.

In an instant, vast merit condensed into clouds, surging and gathering from the highest heavens.

Laozi's mind jolted, and the primordial merit of heaven-opening that had been contained within him for so long suddenly erupted in brilliance.

A moment later, auspicious clouds descended, and golden light scattered across the universe.

A powerful aura erupted from within him!

Centered on him, it spread rapidly in all directions like a tidal wave, covering the entire Primordial World in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, myriad realms trembled, and the void quaked.

Countless anomalies churned and rose in the vast sky, and billions of beings involuntarily prostrated themselves in worship.

"We respectfully welcome the Grand Pure Saint!"

Just then.

The great powers who had been in seclusion and diligent cultivation all awoke, their divine senses sweeping out.

"Hiss—another Saint has been born? How long has it been?"

"Truly astonishing! Now, only Fuxi, Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti have not yet attained the Dao. I wonder who will be next?"

"In my opinion, it's most likely Fuxi.

He has the support of Saint Tongtian behind him, with profound destiny."

"Indeed, with Tongtian's abilities, guiding him a little to help him reach the Great Dao would not be difficult."

"But I always feel that Tongtian and Fuxi have other plans, and they might not act rashly..."

As the immortals were still discussing.

Laozi, high in the void, suddenly turned, his gaze fixed on Kunlun Mountain, and said in a deep voice:

"Second Brother, the time has come. Why don't you seize the opportunity to establish your teaching!"

Yuanshi, who was in quiet cultivation, felt his heart leap. Just as a look of joy appeared on his face and he was about to move to offer his congratulations, he was frozen in place by this sharp command.

In an instant, his blood surged, and his spiritual platform became clear.

The wisp of Primordial Violet Qi between his brows twitched violently, as if resonating with the hidden heavenly secrets.

He began to whisper uncontrollably:

"Establish teaching... establish teaching... must establish teaching..."

As he murmured, his eyes gradually brightened, and divine light flickered within them.

In a daze, a flash of inspiration struck his mind like lightning, bringing sudden clarity.

He raised his head, looking towards the sky above Kunlun Mountain, and proclaimed loudly:

"Heavenly Dao, bear witness! Today, I, Pangu's direct descendant, the Dao Ancestor's fourth disciple, Yuanshi, establish the Heavenly Origin Sect here!"

"To 'explain' is to reveal. To reveal the righteous path to the world, to illuminate the profound mysteries to all under heaven, to align with heaven and respond to people, and to wield the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Pangu Banner, as the sect's artifact, ensuring eternal prosperity! My title is the Primordial Pure Saint—Heavenly Origin Sect, established!"

Rumble--!

Heavenly Dao responded once more.

Boundless clouds of merit gathered in the sky again.

Yuanshi also drew upon the world-creating merit he possessed.

In an instant, auspicious clouds descended, and golden rays illuminated the eight directions.

A mighty pressure surged from within him, sweeping across the four poles, scouring the six directions, and enveloping the entire Primordial World.

The world, which had not yet calmed down, now became even more turbulent, its momentum intensifying.

Omens of good fortune piled up in the void, echoing the scene of Laozi's ascension to sainthood.

As all beings were about to rise, they were immediately pressed back to the ground by this even more formidable saintly might.

"We pay our respects to the Primordial Pure Saint!"

This scene and situation left many powerful beings, who had been speculating about who would ascend to sainthood, speechless.

Immediately, meaningful gazes quietly turned towards Spirit Mountain in the west.

Jieyin and Zhunti felt the mockery in these gazes and became anxious.

Seeing that Nuwa had already attained sainthood, and now Laozi and Yuanshi had consecutively achieved the Dao, how could they lag behind?

Unfortunately, they had not yet found a method to prove their Dao, harboring great ambitions but unable to act upon them.

Fortunately, as Laozi's voice calling Yuanshi to establish his sect reached their ears, the two looked at each other and suddenly had an epiphany.

They immediately stepped off their lotus platforms together, facing the sky and vowing:

"Heavenly Dao is clear and bright. Today, we, Jieyin and Zhunti, jointly establish a sect in the Western lands, named: Western Teach."

"To ferry all sentient beings from suffering to joy, to guide the lost back to enlightenment, to build a pure Buddhist kingdom, and establish a Land of Ultimate Bliss. With the Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit, to suppress the sect's fortune—Western Teach, established!"

As their words fell, Heavenly Dao responded, and the merit clouds in the sky slowly condensed.

Unfortunately, the two possessed no world-creating merit.

Seeing the auspicious clouds about to form but lacking the strength to sustain them, the expressions of the two brothers changed slightly, and they sighed in unison:

"Suffering!"

Thinking of the ineffable wonders of the saintly realm, and knowing the heavenly law that the strong dominate and the weak are controlled.

The two gritted their teeth, hardened their hearts, and spoke again:

"If I ultimately attain supreme, perfect enlightenment, the Buddhist kingdom I manifest will be complete with immeasurable merit and splendor; within it, there will be absolutely no hell, hungry ghosts, or beasts, the three evil paths!"

"All beings sinking in the sea of suffering, even the souls in the depths of the netherworld, can be reborn in my realm, hear the Dharma, be enlightened by me, and all achieve Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, never falling into reincarnation. If this vow is not fulfilled, I shall not become a Buddha!"

"If this vow is not fulfilled, I shall not attain supreme enlightenment. If I become a Buddha, all sentient beings in the ten directions who have sincere faith and yearn for my land, even those who merely utter ten phrases, if they are not reborn, I shall not become a Buddha."

"Except for those who commit the five heinous sins and slander the Dharma. If I attain the Dao, all sentient beings in the ten directions who aspire to Bodhi, cultivate good deeds extensively, and wholeheartedly wish to be born in my land, upon their deathbed, if I do not personally lead the holy assembly to welcome them, I shall not attain the supreme enlightenment."

"Should I ultimately achieve supreme, perfect enlightenment..."

"Should I ultimately achieve supreme, perfect enlightenment..."

After an unknown amount of time, the Buddhist chants in the sky gradually faded.

In an instant, heavenly rain of wondrous flowers fell like snow, and golden lotus platforms emerged from the earth.

A brilliant golden light pierced through heaven and earth, and a sarira rose into the air, emitting a faint, elegant sandalwood fragrance that permeated the mind and spirit.

At this moment, the two fellow disciples made forty-eight grand vows, establishing the Western Teach and the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

They vowed to enlighten all lost sentient beings, resonating with Heavenly Dao, and vast merit descended from the heavens, converging above their heads.

Centered on them, an indescribable power spread out, enveloping the entire Primordial World.

Wherever it passed, mountains and rivers trembled, and the void stirred.

Countless auspicious phenomena swirled in the sky, astonishing all beings, who involuntarily prostrated themselves on the ground, kneeling once more.

"We respectfully welcome Saint Jieyin!"

"We pay homage to the Dharma chariot of Saint Zhunti!"

Within a single day, four Saints were born, shocking and agitating all beings in the Primordial World.

Everyone understood the profound meaning behind this.

Countless divine senses quietly gathered in the void, murmuring in low voices.

"The era of the simultaneous rise of Saints has arrived. From now on, we must be doubly cautious in our actions."

"Until one has proven the Saintly fruit, they are ultimately like ants and weeds.

In the future, I must admonish my disciples never to provoke the disciples of Saints lightly."

"I understand! So, to become a Saint, one must establish a lineage!"

"Hiss—Brother, your insight is profound! If we count them, besides Saint Nuwa, whether it's Saint Tongtian or these four today, all have established their own teachings."

"Although Nuwa hasn't founded a sect, she created humanity and controls the destiny of the Intercepting Sect. How can this achievement be inferior to establishing a teaching?"

On the Three Immortal Islands, Sect Master Tongtian suddenly felt four Saintly pressures surge towards him. His brows furrowed, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes, and he uttered a single word coldly:

"Disperse."

As his voice fell, his words became law, and the principles of order moved in response.

The four auras that had been surging and pressing down like a tide, before even reaching the islands, suddenly disintegrated. It was as if an invisible giant hand had shredded them in the void, silently and without a trace.

Witnessing Tongtian's single utterance dismantle the might of the four Saints, Laozi, Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti's expressions all sank.

They had originally intended to use this opportunity to display their Saintly might, awe the Primordial World, and gain universal reverence.

But they never expected their grand plan to be so easily thwarted by a single, understated sentence!

Though separated by immeasurable distances, a sense of unwillingness simultaneously arose in the hearts of the four. As if their thoughts were connected, they once again unleashed their overwhelming Saintly might.

If their previous display was merely an unintentional ripple from their attainment of the Dao, this time it was a deliberate exertion of pressure.

Instantly, four pressures, a hundred times more formidable than before, condensed into a tangible form, surging towards the Three Immortal Islands like a furious, surging ocean.

Even though their target was confined to a single island, the sheer aura caused billions of beings in the Primordial World to tremble in fear, their faces turning pale.

Some gazed at the void, their eyes filled with dread and unease.

'Do they really think they can act so arrogantly?'

Tongtian's gaze turned cold, and he snorted inwardly.

How could he not know that the four's actions, while ostensibly a show of force, were actually a probe of his own strength?

Unfortunately, they had chosen the wrong opponent.

His anger rising, Tongtian no longer held back.

He slowly raised his right hand and waved his wide sleeve.

In an instant, under the watchful eyes of countless powerful beings and all living creatures, four sword lights shot out from the Three Immortal Islands, slicing through the sky and heading directly towards the four directions.

The sword lights appeared ordinary and unadorned, as if they could be easily blocked and even Heavenly Immortal realm cultivators could withstand one or two.

But the moment they saw the sword shadows, the expressions of the four Heavenly Dao Saints changed drastically!

Without hesitation, Laozi unleashed the Taiji Diagram, Yuanshi raised the Pangu Banner, Jieyin summoned the Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit, and Zhunti revealed the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree.

In an instant, the radiance of the Innate Supreme Treasures illuminated the heavens, their might sharp and fierce. The spiritual energy within a radius of hundreds of millions of miles was annihilated, leaving the heavens and earth empty.

The four Saints' hasty response completely shattered their Saintly demeanor.