The siege of the Interception Sect by the saints
had been turned into a confrontation between East and West.
Not only had Tongtian's crisis been resolved,
but the Mystic Gate had also been united against the West.
What a brilliant move this was!
Taishang and Yuanshi did not understand Tongtian's words.
They did not doubt Tongtian's wisdom—
before the calamity, he had foreseen everything with unparalleled insight and, with unwavering resolve, abolished his own saintly position and disbanded the Interception Sect.
What need was there to question such wisdom?
Tongtian had seen the calamity, while they had not!
That was the difference!
Tongtian's actions won the approval of the two saints.
Taishang was serene and non-contentious.
Since his wisdom fell short of Tongtian's, he did not argue.
Yuanshi's wisdom was exceptional, yet even he fell short.
Taishang asked directly, "Junior Brother, what have we overlooked?"
Yuanshi kept a dark expression as he listened intently.
Tongtian did not answer. Instead, he rose and disrupted the Heavenly Secret!
Taishang and Yuanshi stared at him in surprise.
Yuanshi could not help asking, "Junior Brother, must we be this cautious?"
Disrupting the Heavenly Secret to prevent saints from eavesdropping
was a common measure when saints plotted.
The two saints found it unbelievable.
With the Investiture of the Gods Calamity approaching, the Heavenly Secret was growing increasingly chaotic,
and even saints could not see the whole picture.
This was Biyou Palace, with the Three Pure Ones gathered here.
Who would dare eavesdrop?
Even amid the calamity, the Two Sages of the West would not dare make enemies of the Three Pure Ones!
Why was Tongtian being so cautious?
The next moment, they learned the reason.
Tongtian said calmly,
"Abolishing my saintly position and disbanding the Interception Sect may appear farsighted,"
"but it is merely Biyou Palace's one chance at survival."
"In truth, it is the inferior option."
"At the time, there was no other path."
Taishang and Yuanshi did not understand.
They quietly waited for Tongtian to explain.
Tongtian continued,
"Senior Brothers, do not blame me for being cautious."
"During the Dao-Devil War, Hongjun joined forces with Luohu,"
"destroying the West until only Mount Sumeru remained."
"Luohu was executed, and the Karma was settled."
"But after Hongjun became the Dao Ancestor and merged with the Dao, he had to repay that Karma."
"The Investiture of the Gods Calamity is the preparation for that repayment."
"This calamity will be difficult to overcome!"
Hiss!
Taishang and Yuanshi's expressions changed drastically!
Countless possibilities flashed through their minds, but they never imagined that Tongtian's words would implicate Dao Ancestor Hongjun!
Saints had been entrusted by the Heavenly Dao to wield the Authority of the Heavenly Dao. How could that be a crime?
And how grave could the destruction of the Primordial Era world truly be?
Yet the moment that thought arose, they recalled the harsh decree Hongjun had once issued: "Those who destroy the Primordial Era shall be punished by death!"
Even saints could not escape punishment if they violated this prohibition.
The severity of that punishment was enough to make one's heart tremble.
Taishang frowned deeply, carefully weighing the gains and losses.
Yuanshi, however, suddenly realized something. His face darkened as if water might drip from it.
"We are nothing but pawns on the board!"
"The Investiture of the Gods Calamity is clearly the prelude to the Rise of the West!"
"Its purpose is simply to weaken the foundations of our Mystic Gate!"
After the rise of the West, the Two Sages of the West would certainly be able to repay the Merit debt they incurred when attaining the Dao.
But more importantly...
Dao Ancestor Hongjun's Merit debt would also be fully repaid through this!
Yuanshi truly possessed exceptional wisdom among the saints.
In the original course of the Primordial Era, he had long seen through the hidden truth behind the shift in power after the Investiture of the Gods.
Under the guise of a transaction, he had quietly sent Randeng, Manjushri, Samantabhadra, Cihang, and Juliusun to the West.
Without a sound, he hollowed out the Western Teachings. His schemes were unmatched!
Yuanshi sighed. "Junior Brother, you already did all you could. Thinking it over carefully, aside from abolishing your saintly position and disbanding the Interception Sect, you had no other path."
Tongtian smiled without saying a word.
No!
Times had changed. How could things be judged in the same way?
Back then, Tongtian truly had only one path: abolish his saintly position and disband the Interception Sect.
But now, he had another brilliant plan!
Why not step down and let Duobao take over as sect leader?
Duobao could act boldly and purge the immortals of the Interception Sect.
To comprehend the ultimate principles of heaven and earth and seize a thread of survival was Tongtian's doctrine, but not Duobao's path.
This way, he would neither betray Tongtian's aspirations nor fail to preserve the Interception Sect, and Tongtian would not need to abolish his saintly position.
The prerequisite was that Duobao could stabilize the Interception Sect's Luck!
Fortunately, Senior Lin Dong had bestowed a Chaos Spirit Treasure upon them. Why worry that their Luck would be unstable?
Moreover, Duobao would not be fighting alone.
Besides Duobao, the other seven true disciples would be his most steadfast support.
And Tongtian would be backing him from behind...
What a pity. He only regretted not bringing the Eight Great Disciples to meet Senior Lin Dong sooner!
All of this was because the opportunity had not yet arrived.
Before the opportunity arrived, who could have thought of such a brilliant method?
Even so, Tongtian harbored no regrets.
When had the word "regret" ever existed in a saint's dictionary?
What was done was done.
Next time, he only needed to do better!
Seeing Tongtian remain silent, Yuanshi assumed that he still could not let go and empathized deeply.
If it had been him, how could he not hate seeing his great sect collapse?
Yuanshi said softly, "Junior Brother, we must be especially wary of the Western Teachings' actions. Dao Ancestor Hongjun stands behind them, after all!"
At the thought of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, the patron behind the Western Teachings, Taishang and Yuanshi felt a chill in their hearts.
Within the Primordial Era, saints stood supreme. Beneath saints, all were ants.
That was true.
But above saints stood Dao Ancestor Hongjun!
He was the teacher of the Mystic Gate, the Incarnation of Heavenly Dao, and the only saint in the Dao Integration Realm.
Hongjun was the Heavenly Dao!
His decrees were the laws of the Heavenly Dao.
At that thought, Taishang and Yuanshi's scalps went numb.
All those who attained sainthood possessed great perseverance, great wisdom, great courage, and great conviction.
Yet before the Incarnation of Heavenly Dao, any courage or conviction seemed feeble.
That was only natural.
Looking again at Tongtian's actions, Taishang and Yuanshi could only sigh in admiration.
If it had been them, how could they have broken such a certain-death predicament in so short a time?
Other than resisting head-on, there would have been no other way.
Yet Tongtian had found that sliver of survival and decisively abolished his saintly position, disbanding the Interception Sect.
That decisiveness earned the two saints' heartfelt admiration!
But at the thought of Hongjun...
Taishang and Yuanshi's fighting spirit could not help but sink.
This was not a contest on the same level at all!
Tongtian watched coldly and instantly understood the expressions on the two saints' faces.
Why were they like this?
It was because the paths of the Three Pure Ones differed.
Although the Three Pure Ones had all been formed from Pangu's primordial spirit, their ideals were utterly different.
Yuanshi's path was to create something from nothing, transforming chaos into order.
Taishang's path was that being and nonbeing gave birth to each other, forming the foundation for governing the world.
Tongtian's path was from being to nonbeing, returning from order to chaos.
The three paths connected to form the complete Dao of being and nonbeing, each link closing the cycle.
Put simply, Taishang and Yuanshi's paths emphasized order, and they acted according to order.
Whoever controlled order in the Primordial Era was someone they had to submit to.
What was the doctrine of the Chan Jiao?
To illuminate the ultimate principles of heaven and earth and expound the righteous path of heaven and earth.
They were innately aligned with order, and everything they did emphasized legitimacy.
Who held the greatest authority in the Primordial Era?
The Heavenly Dao—Hongjun!
Without realizing it, they had bowed their heads to Hongjun.
The Human Sect and Chan Jiao, in contrast, fought for Luck from the top down, spreading their traditions and controlling the great righteousness.
Tongtian was different.
His path went from being to nonbeing, while his doctrine was to comprehend the ultimate principles and seize a thread of survival.
That doctrine was filled with a spirit of resistance.
Faced with Dao Ancestor Hongjun's pressure, Tongtian dared to go against him.
It was because he was practicing his own path!
The Three Pure Ones held equal standing.
But because their paths differed, they made different choices when facing the same matter.
There was no distinction of superiority or inferiority.
Tongtian reminded Yuanshi, "Even if the Two Sages of the West have the Dao Ancestor backing them, they must still obey the rules of the Heavenly Dao."
"Nothing will happen beyond our expectations!"
"Senior Brother, your mind is in disarray!"
These words struck like thunder!
Taishang and Yuanshi's hearts jolted.
That was right, their minds were in disarray!
As saints of the Primordial Era, how could they lose their confidence?
With Tongtian's reminder, the two saints' expressions eased.
Yuanshi drew a deep breath. "The Western Teachings have taken in the Interception Sect's discarded disciples. In terms of numbers, they are already the largest sect in the Primordial Era."
Tongtian slowly nodded, acknowledging this.
Taishang agreed as well, but said, "Though the Western Teachings have many people, their sins are grave and they are entangled in Karma. Their destruction is inevitable!"
"Our Mystic Gate can defeat them with ease!"
Taishang declared.
After considering it, Yuanshi nodded in agreement.
That was indeed so.
The Primordial Era did not distinguish right from wrong, only Karma.
Even Tongtian did not dare bear such Karma. How would the Western Teachings dare?
Failure was their only outcome!
The two Saints looked relaxed.
Tongtian, however, stared at them in disbelief. "Do you truly think so?"
Taishang and Yuanshi were puzzled. Could they be mistaken?
Tongtian rubbed his forehead and sighed. "If you cling to that notion, you will surely lose the Investiture of the Gods Calamity!"
The expressions of the two Mystic Gate Saints changed abruptly.
Yuanshi's face darkened like ink, and Taishang did not look well either.
Tongtian seemed to have objections!
Taishang had deeper self-cultivation and recovered first, humbly asking, "Junior Brother Tongtian, please clear up our confusion."
Yuanshi composed himself and likewise bowed to seek guidance.
The Investiture of the Gods Calamity was an Immeasurable Calamity. One misstep in dealing with it could mean the destruction of a great sect!
Who would dare take it lightly?
Tongtian slowly said, "Senior Brothers, have you forgotten the way of the Two Sages of the West?"
Taishang and Yuanshi froze.
The way of the Two Sages of the West?
"Their way is to save others!"
"Jieyin saves others before himself, while Zhunti saves himself before others."
"At its core, both are about saving others!"
"Who needs their salvation?"
"Cultivators burdened by grave sins and entangled in Karma are the ones who most need saving!"
"To the Western Teachings, those nine thousand expelled disciples are not a burden, but priceless treasures!"
Hiss!
Taishang and Yuanshi's expressions changed drastically!
How had they forgotten the way of the Two Sages of the West?
To the Mystic Gate, those furred, horned, wet-born, and egg-born creatures were people steeped in sin.
But to the Western Teachings, they were treasures!
Once converted, they would become vast amounts of Merit and loyal disciples!
Merit was precisely what the Two Sages of the West lacked.
They did not care how great one's sins were.
The greater the sin, the better!
They were even more inclusive than the Interception Sect, accepting all comers!
They did not even fear their disciples rebelling.
Let them rebel if they wanted to!
The Western Teachings would make a grand show of hunting them down and preaching their doctrine.
After catching them, they would convert them again, earning another wave of Merit!
No matter how one calculated it, they would not lose out!
Yuanshi's face completely darkened. "Then would those nine thousand expelled disciples not become loyal disciples of the Western Teachings?"
Tongtian hesitated before finally saying, "Conversion takes time!"
Yuanshi shook his head. "Do not forget the Primordial Era's greatest array for converting people!"
Taishang and Tongtian's expressions shifted slightly. How had they forgotten that?
There were countless arrays in the Primordial Era.
The Demon Clan had the Zhou Tian Star Dou Great Array and the Hunyuan Heluo Great Array.
The Witch Clan had the Twelve Zhou Tian Divine Fiend Great Array.
Each of the three Saints of Biyou Palace possessed an ultimate array.
Taishang had the Primordial Era's greatest Two Forms Dust Array.
Tongtian had the Immortal Slaying Sword Array. When one Saint set it up, even four Saints would struggle to break it.
The Biyou Palace lineage was even more skilled in arrays. The Nine Bends Yellow River Array, Ten Absolute Arrays, and Myriad Immortals Array were all peerless marvels.
Yet the greatest array for converting people belonged to the Western Teachings!
This array was called the Ten Directions Bodhi Array!
It used the Bodhi tree, the original body of the Western Saint Bodhi before he attained the Dao, as its array core.
It sealed the ten directions, isolated inside from outside, and formed a world of its own.
It was a supreme trapping array, but even more so the foremost array for converting people!
Within the array, Buddhist chants rang without end as great powers preached the purest Western teachings.
Anyone whose cultivation was insufficient would ultimately be converted, no matter how steadfast their Dao Heart, becoming the purest kind of Western Teachings disciple.
Trapping people was not the goal. Converting them was!
The Three Pure Ones recalled this array and developed splitting headaches.
This array was as utterly shameless as the Two Sages of the West themselves.
Yet the Three Pure Ones of the Mystic Gate also understood why the Two Sages of the West had created it.
The Western Teachings had been thwarted in their eastward expansion, leaving them no choice but to seek those whom the Mystic Gate disdained.
The Human Sect only accepted members of the Human Race, and had only Xuandu.
Chan Jiao selected disciples with great care, accepting none without profound foundations.
Though the Interception Sect opened its doors wide, one still needed affinity with the sect.
The Western Teachings were different. They accepted all comers!
They cared not for talent, origins, or Karma. So long as one was willing to come, they were welcome!
Unwilling to come?
Saint Zhunti would personally "invite" them!
"Fellow Daoist, you are fated with my West!"
These words were famous throughout the Primordial Era!
This showed just how desperately the Western Teachings craved disciples.
Normally, when the Mystic Gate Saints spoke of this array, it was merely a joke.
But now, who dared underestimate it?
The most convenient solution was to throw those nine thousand deeply sinful expelled disciples into the Ten Directions Bodhi Array for conversion!
The Bodhi tree was a Saint's avatar. How could those disciples resist it?
Tongtian held no hope.
Taishang and Yuanshi looked grim.
If the Western Teachings became the foremost great sect of the Primordial Era, even the Human Sect and Chan Jiao joining forces would struggle to oppose them!
The three Saints looked solemn.
Yuanshi could not help saying, "Must we Saints personally intervene? What would that look like?!"
What he left unsaid was this: if Saints attacked disciples, it would be bullying the weak and utterly ruin their dignity!
Moreover, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had once said that Saints could enter the fray.
The implication was that Saints should contend against Saints.
If they shamelessly intervened, given Zhunti's rogue nature, he would likely follow their example!
Villains would stop at nothing, and no one would find it improper.
This was the Three Pure Ones' awkward position!
For a time, the Three Pure Ones fell silent.
How could they break this deadlock?
Taishang and Yuanshi both looked anxious.
Tongtian reminded them, "Although the Two Sages of the West can swiftly convert disciples, there is one thing they absolutely cannot accomplish in a short time!"
Taishang and Yuanshi both looked over.
Tongtian enunciated each word. "Karma!"
"Though converting disciples earns Merit, resolving such immense Karma is absolutely impossible within a thousand years!"
"No matter how eager the Two Sages of the West are, they must first clear their Karma!"
The two Saints' eyes lit up!
Yuanshi relaxed, his Primordial Spirit Sea of Consciousness ceaselessly deducing.
"The Western Teachings are of utmost importance to the two Saints..."
"The Karma of nine thousand disciples is difficult to erase. Ordinarily, that would be a tremendous blessing, meaning immeasurable Merit."
"But during an Immeasurable Calamity, they would never dare send such disciples directly into battle!"
"If eastern and western disciples clashed and Karma erupted, the Western Teachings might face the danger of sect annihilation!"
"If I were one of the Two Sages of the West, I would never dare take such a risk!"
"How can part of that Karma be eliminated in the shortest time?"
Yuanshi racked his brains while Taishang and Tongtian listened and pondered.
Merit was the most common way to eliminate Karma, but Merit was what the Two Sages of the West lacked most. They would never use it.
Passing tribulations was another path, but before an Immeasurable Calamity, attempting tribulations was no different from courting death.
Taishang pondered bitterly but found no answer.
Tongtian suddenly said, "Western doctrine cultivates this life in pursuit of the next!"
Taishang and Yuanshi exchanged glances, somewhat confused.
To Saints and Quasi-Saints, Western doctrine was like a scam.
Innate great gods only had this one life. Where would a next life come from?
If they could not attain the Dao under such superior conditions in this life, how could they possibly succeed in the next?
But to acquired living beings, Western doctrine was immensely bewitching.
Wait!
Taishang and Yuanshi both looked at Tongtian and spoke in unison. "Reincarnation!"
Tongtian's expression turned solemn. "Precisely. Reincarnation!"
"These disciples have already been brainwashed into loyal followers of the Western Teachings."
"The two Saints can use Supernatural Powers to preserve their Dao Fruits and send them into reincarnation."
"They can use the power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation to erase part of their Karma."
"Bringing them back to the Western Teachings and restoring their cultivation would be effortless!"
The two Saints' expressions changed drastically.
Yuanshi anxiously said, "The Two Sages of the West are targeting the Six Paths of Reincarnation!"
"Fellow Daoist Pingxin may not be able to stop them!"
The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. "No, I must help Fellow Daoist Pingxin!"
Tongtian revealed a strange expression. "Fellow Daoist Pingxin? There is no need to worry."
Huh?!
Earth Immortal Realm, Penglai Immortal Island in the East Sea.
A sphere appeared before Lin Dong, specks of starlight flickering within it and reflecting the distribution of the Saints' strength.
The Investiture of the Gods Calamity was approaching, and the Immeasurable Calamity was descending.
How could Lin Dong miss such a grand event?
With a casual grab, he activated the Wind-Catching Shadow-Seeking Technique, tracing the source of Karma to gain insight into the Saints' movements.
"Interesting, truly interesting!"
"The Three Pure Ones gathered at Biyou Palace to discuss countermeasures. Unlike in my memories, they have not turned against one another. Not bad at all."
The Three Pure Ones had emerged from Pangu's Primordial Spirit and should have been one whole.
Yet in the memories from before his transmigration, the Three Pure Ones had been plotted against by Hongjun, turning brothers against one another.
The Dao Ancestors of the eastern Mystic Gate had actually become a laughingstock for others!
A sense of accomplishment arose in Lin Dong's heart.
Thanks to sending word through Little Friend Lingbao, Tongtian had finally made up his mind.
This satisfaction was beyond words.
"The Western Teachings are secretly building their strength. Even Saint Zhunti, who loves scavenging treasures in the East, is busy presiding over the Ten Directions Bodhi Array!"
Excitement grew in Lin Dong's eyes.
"This array is the foremost in the Primordial Era for converting people. They want to turn the Interception Sect's expelled disciples into loyal followers of the West!"
"Yet these disciples carry Karma too heavy to clear. To erase it, there is only one method—reincarnation through the Six Paths of Reincarnation!"
"They will use great divine abilities to preserve the disciples' Dao Fruits and send them into reincarnation."
"Using the power of reincarnation to reduce their Karma, they will bring them back to the sect as qualified Western Teachings disciples, ready to take part in the Immeasurable Calamity!"
A cold glint flashed through Lin Dong's eyes. "The two Saints have set their sights on Saint Pingxin of the Netherworld Realm."
"Pingxin has only recently attained the Dao. Even with Merit aiding her, her cultivation is insufficient, and it is two against one..."
Pingxin was utterly impartial and compassionate, possessing a heart of great mercy.
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