Chapter 40

Venerable Yuanshi's gaze was profound, as though he had long seen through everything.

At this moment, they bore the dignity of the Chan Sect and the honor of the Daoist tradition.

Xuandu knew that this mission would be no easy matter.

He would be facing Zhunti, who had been stripped of his Saint position.

Though it was an unprecedented challenge, he did not shrink back.

Because he knew this was the trust and expectation his master, Li Er, had placed in him.

He had to give it his all and defend the dignity of the Daoist tradition.

Venerable Yuanshi looked at Xuandu, his eyes revealing admiration and trust.

He knew Xuandu's strength was no longer to be underestimated and that he possessed the ability to battle Zhunti.

Moreover, the Precious Lotus Lamp, Human Scroll, Reincarnation Brush, and other treasures in Xuandu's hands only made him stronger.

Xuandu might not lose this battle.

The two stood quietly in the void, as though awaiting the arrival of a storm.

Though Zhunti's schemes were ingenious, they were still not worth mentioning in their eyes.

They knew that if they could make Zhunti understand the gap between the Daoist tradition and the Western Sect this time, it would deal the Western Sect a heavy blow.

At this moment, Li Er within Eight Sceneries Palace was also watching the battle that was about to come.

He knew Xuandu's strength and resolve, but he also understood the difficulty of this battle.

Still, he believed Xuandu could accomplish this mission and win a victory for the Daoist tradition.

Just then, the fluctuations of the mountain-protecting formation grew even more intense.

Xuandu tightened his grip on the Mountain-Splitting Great Axe, preparing to meet the coming challenge.

He knew that this battle would determine the future of the Daoist tradition, as well as his own fate.

But he had no fear, for he was already prepared, awaiting the descent of the killing calamity.

True Lord Yuding and Yang Jian stopped outside the mountain gate of Eight Sceneries Palace.

They paid their respects to the Supreme Saint and begged him to grant them the Mountain-Splitting Axe.

True Lord Yuding understood that whether they went to East Emperor Jun, a giant of the Daoist tradition, or to the Human Sacred Temple, they would ultimately have to deal with Supreme Saint Li Er.

Therefore, they went directly to Eight Sceneries Palace and implored Li Er.

True Lord Yuding was willing to bear all consequences, including accepting Venerable Yuanshi's punishment.

After learning of True Lord Yuding's determination, Li Er calmly agreed.

Then, the Mountain-Splitting Axe enshrined in the Human Sacred Temple flew out from the Human Ancestral Mother and landed before True Lord Yuding and Yang Jian.

Yang Jian and True Lord Yuding's gazes sharpened, and they exclaimed in unison upon seeing the great axe.

Overjoyed, the two fell to their knees. "Thank you, Supreme Saint!"

Their gratitude was beyond words.

When speaking of the bond between master and disciple, they further stressed that they would never forget the Saint's grace.

Seeing this, Li Er said faintly, "Yuding, your master is with me. Your transgression will be dealt with by your master in the future."

Then he ordered, "Go."

Just as expected, Yang Jian's act of splitting the mountain to save his mother had already caused subtle friction between the Heavenly Court and the Saint's disciples. This incident would have far-reaching consequences for the future Heavenly Court and the Chan Sect lineage.

But one fact could not be changed—that the current ruler of the Heavenly Court had been born in accordance with the Heavenly Dao, and the emergence of the Investiture of the Gods List beneath him was likewise an act in accordance with Heaven's will.

This was not something anyone could foresee in advance or delay.

Haotian's status as the Heavenly Emperor had been acknowledged by the Dao Ancestor, representing the legitimacy of his position.

The appearance of the Heaven, Earth, and Human Books signified that the order of the world was about to change.

The Earth Book had already appeared alongside Zhen Yuanzi.

The Book of Life and Death had appeared alongside Great Emperor Fengdu.

Only the Heavenly Scroll remained unfathomably mysterious.

The Heavenly Scroll had not appeared during the era of the ancient Heavenly Court because its true ruler had not yet been born. Haotian's appearance now marked the time for the Heavenly Scroll to emerge.

Whether sooner or later was merely a matter of time.

When facing Venerable Yuanshi's **, the Saints naturally had their own plans and strategies.

Thus, Li Er held no blame toward Yuding and instead left him for Yuanshi himself to handle.

The matters of Peach Mountain and Yaoji were still stirring heated debate throughout the Primordial World, drawing the attention of many Quasi-Saint giants.

Peach Mountain, where Yang Jian's mother was imprisoned, was like a ** keg, needing only a single spark to trigger a heaven-shaking change.

After Yang Jian split apart Peach Mountain's prison, the atmosphere between heaven and earth suddenly became oppressive.

Numerous Quasi-Saint giants turned their eyes toward the scene, awaiting the grand drama about to unfold.

They knew full well that this involved the dignity of the Heavenly Court and the attitude of the Saint's disciples, and they were all curious how this dispute would end.

At that moment, a chilling, murderous aura surged forth from the direction of the South Heaven Gate, seemingly heralding the outbreak of a great battle.

Several incomparably powerful auras erupted, shocking every Quasi-Saint giant present.

Their gazes focused as they watched the space above Peach Mountain gradually stabilize.

Then, countless powerful figures stood proudly in the void, while ranks upon ranks of neatly arranged heavenly soldiers and generals formed an immensely grand spectacle.

At the forefront of those heavenly soldiers and generals stood the incomparably majestic Heavenly Emperor Haotian and Queen Mother of Yaochi.

Their appearance immediately made True Lord Yuding sneer inwardly.

Clearly, they had come precisely to deal with his and Yang Jian's actions.

As Haotian's voice echoed across Peach Mountain, its majesty shocked everyone present.

The Quasi-Saint giants were even more shaken by Haotian's forcefulness. They had never expected Haotian to be so overbearing when confronting the Saint's disciples.

His appearance was undoubtedly a declaration to the world of his authority and status. He was not only the Heavenly Emperor, but one unafraid of any Saint's disciples.

Faced with Haotian's questioning, True Lord Yuding had no choice but to reveal himself and cup his hands in salute.

Yet Haotian ignored his salute and directly called out the fact that, as one of the Saint's disciples, he had interfered in the affairs of the Heavenly Court.

Though True Lord Yuding's expression turned slightly cold, he still tried to explain and plead.

He mentioned Yaoji's identity and Yang Jian's filial piety, hoping Haotian would show mercy.

But Haotian remained unmoved. His cold response made True Lord Yuding realize that today's plan would likely not go as hoped.

True Lord Yuding emphasized once more, "Yang Jian is a ** of the Chan Sect. I must help him.

I hope the Heavenly Emperor will not take offense."

Then, a majestic aura of Imperial Dao laws erupted from Haotian's body, sweeping through the surroundings like a storm.

True Lord Yuding sensed an intense threat and swiftly summoned the Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Immortal-Slaying Sword, for defense.

Haotian mocked, "Doesn't the Chan Sect have Twelve Golden Immortals? Call all of them here now. Let me see whether you Saint's disciples truly have no regard for their elders, to the point that you would even interfere in my Heavenly Court."

As Haotian's words fell, heaven and earth changed color.

In other directions around Peach Mountain, eleven streams of battle intent rose into the sky. They belonged to the remaining eleven Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect.

Their arrival made the situation even more tense.

When Haotian saw the Chan Sect Golden Immortals coming to support True Lord Yuding, he was even more delighted.

He hoped this conflict would only grow more intense.

Then he gave an order. "Heavenly soldiers and generals, kill!"

As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, Haotian's intention to unleash a bloodless killing calamity seemed to meet an insurmountable obstacle.

After a sharp cry, he ordered the heavenly soldiers and generals to fight the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect. Yet the heavenly soldiers and generals behind him did not move, as though restrained by some mysterious force.

That power came from Senior Brother Xuandu, who stood apart from the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect. What he brought was not merely the Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Eight Sceneries Palace Lamp, but also a symbol of his status.

As Xuandu's calm figure appeared in the void above Peach Mountain, the entire scene grew tense.

Haotian's expression also turned grave. Xuandu's arrival had clearly exceeded his expectations.

He had calculated that the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect would appear, but he had never expected Xuandu to personally involve himself in this matter.

Xuandu's status was extraordinary. Ever since the Supreme Saint mended the heavens, he had kept an extremely low profile, as had his master, the Supreme Saint.

This made Haotian feel an irresistible pressure in Xuandu's presence.

Xuandu's name had already resounded throughout the Primordial World during the Witch-Demon Calamity. Though he was a Saint's disciple, his actual strength was exceptional.

During the human race's killing calamity, he fought East Emperor Taiyi head-on, slew the Three Corpses, and stepped into the Quasi-Saint realm, becoming famous in a single battle.

He had also served as Imperial Tutor to the Three Sovereigns during the rise of the human race, protecting the Three Sovereigns Saint of humanity. His status was exalted, and his standing was no less than that of the Three Sovereigns themselves.

Furthermore, Xuandu's Evil Corpse incarnation was Great Emperor Fengdu, lord of the underworld. He and Haotian each held authority—one governed the Heavenly Court, while the other commanded reincarnation.

His strength and status inspired awe. He could not simply be regarded as an ordinary Saint's disciple.

After learning of Xuandu's reputation and strength, Haotian was troubled by the possibility that Xuandu would interfere in this killing calamity.

Although Haotian held the moral high ground at the moment and had the Western Sect's support, he still feared Xuandu's appearance.

He saluted Xuandu and tried to explain that the Saint's disciples he had mentioned did not refer to Xuandu, but rather to the Chan Sect Golden Immortals.

However, the Chan Sect Golden Immortals also became wary of Haotian's words, sensing the attempt to sow discord within them.

In truth, though they had set their sights on Xuandu, they also understood the gap in strength between themselves and him.

Xuandu understood that the Chan Sect members were inferior to the Daoist tradition he represented.

His smile and words concealed the Daoist tradition's pride toward the Heavenly Court, reminding Haotian that even as the Heavenly Emperor, he was still limited.

In response to Haotian's unspoken inquiry, Xuandu stated with ease and clarity, "I represent the Daoist tradition."

This news was undoubtedly a tremendous blow to Haotian.

He knew that the force behind the Daoist tradition was Saint Li Er, unfathomably deep and immeasurable.

Compared to the intricate disputes among the Saints, Haotian's position as Heavenly Emperor appeared fragile and powerless at this moment.

The power of the Daoist tradition Xuandu mentioned placed immense pressure on him. He realized that his decision no longer concerned a simple struggle between Saints and the Heavenly Emperor, but a deeper contest of forces that could even affect the entire structure of the Heavenly Realm.

Fear and helplessness filled his heart. He knew that when facing the Daoist tradition, he had no choice but to yield.

Haotian smiled bitterly to himself. Zhunti, Zhunti, you have truly ruined me this time.

At this moment, he genuinely wanted to back down and no longer involve himself in this **.

Xuandu continued, explaining to Haotian, "Has the Heavenly Emperor considered the deeper meaning behind today's situation? Even if this reaches the Purple Cloud Palace and offends the Saints, what benefit can the Heavenly Emperor gain?"

Haotian's expression was severe. He realized that Xuandu's words had struck directly at the heart of the matter.

He had originally believed that his joint plan with Zhunti was flawless, but now it seemed that everything had been within the other side's grasp.

Xuandu reminded him, "Even if the Heavenly Emperor achieves his goal, he must still consider what follows.

Are the powers of the Saint's disciples truly so easy to control? In the end, the Heavenly Emperor may become a blade in another's hand, only to receive none of the outcome he expected."

Haotian's heart jolted, and his expression changed completely.

He understood the meaning behind Xuandu's warning.

He realized that his plan was not as perfect as he had imagined and might even lead to an irreparable outcome.

Xuandu pressed further, "Is such an outcome truly what the Heavenly Emperor wants?"

All kinds of complicated emotions churned within Haotian.

He began to hesitate and regret. Once brimming with confidence, he now fell silent.

He knew he had overestimated his alliance with the Western Sect and underestimated the Daoist tradition's strength.

This silence was more like helpless hesitation.

Time passed bit by bit, yet neither side showed any intention of continuing the fight.

Xuandu's voice broke the silence. "Since today's matter was caused by the Chan Sect, why not take a step back and seek a peaceful resolution?"

Haotian's face darkened as he considered Xuandu's suggestion.

He knew that he was already in a difficult position.