Primordial World

Since he had already agreed to the Western Sect's alliance, he couldn't easily go back on his word.

But Xuandu's power and his undisguised Daoist Sect attitude made him start to waver.

Haotian began to realize that he needed to carefully consider every step he took from now on.

The agreement between him and Xuandu had indeed led to a rather awkward situation.

However, the current situation had just begun, and even though he held an advantageous position, he still needed to carefully consider his subsequent choices.

In comparison, offending the Daoist Sect and Taishang Saint was an extremely risky matter.

Haotian had to consider it carefully, so he wanted to know how Xuandu planned to take a step back.

Xuandu stated that the day's events were the fault of Yuding and Yang Jian, and as the senior disciple of the Daoist Sect, he could punish them on behalf of the Heavenly Emperor: Yuding would be confined for a thousand years, and Yang Jian would need to reincarnate.

Xuandu's proposal, while seemingly severe, was actually lenient. For a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, time and reincarnation were not major issues.

Although Yuding and Yang Jian were punished, they could likely return to their original state not long after.

This method not only resolved the violation of heavenly laws but also successfully saved Yaoji, allowing both sides to get what they needed.

However, if Haotian still insisted on siding with Zhunti, then he would have to face the wrath of the Daoist Sect and the pressure from Taishang Venerable.

After much consideration, Haotian chose to accept Xuandu's terms.

Xuandu's words proved their weight here.

Xuandu's intervention today was the best way to resolve the matter.

"Thank you for your help, Senior Brother Xuandu."

Yang Jian said gratefully.

Xuandu the Great Sage accepted Yang Jian's thanks, stating he would never forget it.

Then Yang Jian laughed and took his own life with his axe.

True Lord Yuding saw this, collected Yang Jian's true spirit into his sleeve, and said with a calm expression, "Is the Heavenly Emperor satisfied with this?"

Haotian did not respond to Yuding, as he was merely a subordinate of a Saint and a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, not worthy of speaking with him.

Only Xuandu made him wary.

Xuandu knew very well that Haotian's choice of the Daoist Sect conveyed his stance to Xuandu.

Xuandu nodded and agreed to relay it to his master.

After resolving the matter, Haotian felt the atmosphere was awkward and waved his hand, ordering all the heavenly soldiers and generals to return to the Heavenly Court.

The Twelve Golden Immortals of the Heavenly Origin Sect watched this scene with complex emotions.

They had witnessed the entire event, seeing how the once arrogant Heavenly Emperor showed no will to fight against Xuandu. The battle they had expected had ended just like that.

In the end, they could only remain silent, feeling the gap in strength that allowed the senior disciple of the Daoist Sect to subdue his enemies without a fight.

However, Xuandu paid no mind to their thoughts. At this moment, he was only thinking about how to completely resolve this matter and return.

His eyes flashed as if he could pierce through the void, gazing at someone hidden in the depths.

"Saint Zhunti, the Heavenly Emperor has left. What are your plans?"

Xuandu spoke coldly.

Others might have thought that this dispute was completely over after Haotian led the Heavenly Court gods away.

But in Xuandu's eyes, this was just the beginning.

Although this tribulation against the Saint's disciple had ended, the conflict between the Daoist Sect and the Western Sect had just begun to surface.

As soon as Xuandu finished speaking, Saint Zhunti appeared in the void not far away.

The Twelve Golden Immortals of the Heavenly Origin Sect present immediately recognized Saint Zhunti, and all of them were shocked.

Zhunti stepped through the air, his aura like a storm, making the Golden Immortals of the Heavenly Origin Sect feel immense pressure.

Zhunti slowly walked towards Xuandu, his deep gaze fixed on him.

"As expected of a disciple of Grand Supreme Elder Lord," he said slowly, "When did you discover I was hidden in the void?"

Xuandu smiled faintly and said calmly, "There's no need to discover, nor to guess. This day's tribulation was orchestrated by a Saint. For such a grand event, a Saint would naturally be present."

Although his tone was polite, it carried a hint of sarcasm. He was extremely displeased with Zhunti's scheme against the Daoist Sect today.

Zhunti was deeply displeased with Xuandu's subtle mockery. He had just fallen from Sainthood, and now even Li Er's disciple dared to be so disrespectful to him.

In response, Zhunti coldly replied, stating he couldn't understand Xuandu's words.

Xuandu, however, remained unwavering. He had come on the orders of his master, Taishang, to seek an explanation from Zhunti for today's events. His words were filled with determination and force, causing a sensation throughout the field, and the eyes of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Heavenly Origin Sect widened in horror.

Zhunti did not mince words when challenged by the Quasi-Saint Xuandu, questioning the truth of Xuandu's statements and implying that even as a Quasi-Saint, Xuandu was not qualified to demand an explanation from him.

He further mocked Xuandu, suggesting that due to the rise of the Human Race and the honor of being the Imperial Tutor to the Three Sovereigns, Xuandu had lost his reverence for Saints.

Xuandu responded that reverence should only be given to Saints worthy of it, and that those who only scheme behind people's backs and resort to underhanded tactics need not be revered.

These words were undoubtedly the most powerful response to Zhunti.

Upon hearing this, Zhunti's expression turned completely cold, and he was deeply angered by Xuandu's audacity.

He believed that the disciples under Taishang **lacked discipline and declared that he would teach Xuandu how to respect his master and his elders in place of Xuandu's own master.

He looked deeply at Xuandu, his heart burning with rage.

Xuandu's words had already caused him to lose face completely, leaving him with no way to back down.

For an existence like Zhunti, while dignity could be lost, it had to be maintained in front of those who were worthy.

If he were facing Li Er, he would have turned and left without hesitation.

However, facing Xuandu's challenge, he chose to confront it head-on.

Xuandu's aura was imposing, and facing Zhunti, he did not hesitate to launch his challenge.

He was determined to emulate his master Li Er and attempt to slay a Saint.

He waved his hand, and the Profound Heaven Daoist, transformed from the Eight Sceneries Palace Lamp, and the Great Emperor Fengdu, transformed from the Lingjiu Palace Lamp, instantly appeared.

Immediately after, the two supreme spiritual lamps, Heaven and Earth, shone like the sun and moon in the sky. Xuandu unleashed all three lamps in his hand, their might shaking the heavens.

This demonstrated the shocking power of the Eight Sceneries Palace lineage.

Zhunti could not help but lament the abundance of spiritual treasures Li Er had bestowed upon his disciple.

Xuandu's supreme treasures and spiritual treasures made him envious.

At this moment, Jieyin also made his move. Countless Jieyin Banners appeared around him, filling the void.

Simultaneously, the voice of Yuanshi echoed in the void, as if heralding the beginning of a great decisive battle.

Above Peach Mountain, the aura of battle spread like dragons in the void.

Yuanshi and Xuandu fought against the Two Sages of the West respectively, drawing the attention of countless powerful beings from the Primordial World.

The clash at the Saint level was immensely powerful and impossible to ignore.

This "Contention of Saints"

attracted the attention of many Quasi-Saint titans.

Many had a thought: "Have the Heavenly Origin Sect and the Western Sect finally gone to war?"

The struggle for the orthodox path was difficult to resolve peacefully, and even Saints had their times of conflict.

Therefore, the conflict between the Heavenly Origin Sect and the Western Sect was not unexpected.

Haotian, having just left, recalled this moment and felt fortunate to have chosen the Daoist Sect over the Western Sect.

He thought to himself, "If I had chosen the Western Sect, I fear the Saints of the Heavenly Origin Sect would not have let me off either."

Yuanshi harbored no goodwill towards the Two Sages of the West. The moment he made his move, he unleashed the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Pangu Banner, showing his high regard for this battle.

Seeing this, Jieyin's face grew more troubled, and he said, "Brother Yuanshi, this is but a small matter today; there's no need for such a conflict, is there?"

Golden light scattered, and mysterious sariras fell, causing the void to tremble and the heavens and earth to roar.

Xuandu and Zhunti clashed on the battlefield, with the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree and the Heaven, Earth, and Man lamps engaging in a fierce collision.

At this moment, both felt an irresistible, terrifying force. As their bodies intertwined, they were sent flying backward.

Zhunti exclaimed, the Precious Lotus Lamp in Xuandu's hand should not be with him.

Xuandu smiled and countered, offering no explanation.

In reality, how could Li Er, in cultivating Xuandu, only impart two of the Heaven, Earth, and Man lamps?

Xuandu's current status and position were crucial to the Grand Pure lineage. Without sufficient foundation, how could he truly be unleashed? The Way of Taishang, the Yin-Yang Furnace, and the Four Symbols Tower, combined with the Three Talents Great Formation of the Heaven, Earth, and Man lamps, possessed enough power to push Xuandu to the limits of a Quasi-Saint.

In contrast, Zhunti's realm had fallen, and his advantage in Innate Spiritual Treasures was no longer present.

In terms of realm alone, he was at a significant disadvantage in this battle, his former Saintly might gone.

Facing the damage to his own Dao Foundation, Haotian's defection, and Xuandu's prepared assault, Zhunti realized his miscalculation today.

With the Innate Three Talents Great Formation of the Heaven, Earth, and Man lamps deployed, Xuandu split into three, transforming into three streams of light that shot towards Zhunti.

At this moment, he was unstoppable, his powerful killing intent engulfing Zhunti, causing Zhunti's expression to become grave, fearing that if this continued, Xuandu's words of slaying a Saint would not be empty threats.

Above Peach Mountain, in the void, the place that was originally Yaoji's residence had now become the epicenter of a battle between Saints.

As the immense pressure from Yuanshi and Xuandu's battlefield spread outwards, the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Heavenly Origin Sect and other Quasi-Saint titans were all solemn.

They had personally witnessed how Xuandu, relying on his own strength, had pushed the two Saints, Jieyin and Zhunti, into a desperate situation.

The plight of a grounded phoenix being worse than a chicken was vividly displayed at this moment.

Although such a comparison might seem blunt, it was the reality.

It was inevitable that Yuanshi, leveraging the foundation of the Three Pure Ones and the Innate Supreme Treasure, would suppress Jieyin, and Xuandu's battle against Zhunti was even more shocking to all present.

After Xuandu displayed the might of an Innate Spiritual Treasure, Zhunti was like a phoenix that had fallen from the sky, losing his lofty power.

Many Quasi-Saint titans witnessed firsthand how Xuandu repeatedly forced Zhunti to show signs of defeat.

At this moment, they realized that Saints, after losing their Saint Dao Fruit, were not much different from ordinary Quasi-Saint titans.

As the battle continued, the celestial phenomena caused by Yuanshi and the Pangu Banner gradually subsided, while Jieyin and Zhunti were both heavily wounded.

Especially after Zhunti's Bodhi Dharma appearance was breached by Xuandu, it collapsed instantly, shocking many Quasi-Saint titans.

At this moment, even the battle-hardened titans found it hard to believe what they were seeing—Xuandu could actually slaughter a Saint?! This shock lingered in their hearts for a long time.

Facing this scene, the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Heavenly Origin Sect and other powerful figures could not help but marvel at Xuandu's strength.

They watched intently, their eyes fixed on this earth-shattering battle between Saints.

At this moment, everyone's gaze was dazed, having never expected that the lofty Saints could also have such a moment of disgrace.

Most importantly, although Jieyin was defeated by Yuanshi, this was still within reason.

After all, among the Saints, the Three Pure Ones were exceptionally powerful.

Their origins stemmed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit, so it was not surprising even if they were defeated.

However, Xuandu actually defeated Zhunti, which was beyond everyone's expectations.

The Twelve Golden Immortals of the Heavenly Origin Sect all showed expressions of disbelief; even though they had witnessed it with their own eyes, they still could not believe it.

This feeling was as if they, with their Grand Unity Golden Immortal cultivation, had managed to slay a Quasi-Saint, which was deeply shocking.

For Zhunti, even though his Saint position had fallen and his Saint Dao Fruit was shattered, he was still a Saint.

Although Xuandu did not kill him outright, breaking his Saint Dao Fruit, stripping him of his Saintly status, and then defeating him under the Innate Three Talents Great Formation was no different from slaughtering a Saint.

Yaoji's words at this moment, "The disciples of Saint Taishang truly cannot be treated with ordinary eyes,"

"In the current Primordial World, although there are countless Quasi-Saints, the one who truly dares to call himself the foremost beneath the Saints is likely none other than Dao Venerable Xuandu,"

The Twelve Golden Immortals of the Heavenly Origin Sect all understood her meaning and felt the same.

They undoubtedly accepted this title wholeheartedly.

Xuandu, of course, was unaware of the evaluation everyone had of him at this moment, and even if he knew, he would not have cared too much.

At this moment, under everyone's watchful eyes, he took a deep breath. The top-tier Innate Three Talents Great Formation was also a great strain on him. After all, he was not someone who had severed the Three Corpses, so the consumption was immense, even if it wasn't outwardly apparent.