Hongjun is the Mastermind

The siege of the Intercepting Sect by all the Saints, was turned into a confrontation between the East and the West.

Not only did this resolve Tongtian's predicament, but it also united the Mystic Gate to oppose the West.

How brilliant was this strategy?

Taishang and Yuanshi could not understand Tongtian's words.

They did not doubt Tongtian's wisdom—

before the great calamity, he used his peerless insight and willpower to abolish his own Saint position and disband the Intercepting Sect.

Why question such wisdom?

Tongtian saw the great calamity, but they did not!

This was the difference!

Tongtian's actions were recognized by the two Saints.

Taishang, with his pure and effortless nature, did not contend, as his wisdom was not as profound as Tongtian's.

Yuanshi's wisdom, though superior, also fell short.

Taishang directly asked, "Junior Brother, what did we overlook?"

Yuanshi's face darkened as he listened intently.

Tongtian did not answer; instead, he first made a move to disrupt the heavenly secrets!

Taishang and Yuanshi looked at him in shock.

Yuanshi could not help but ask, "Junior Brother, is such caution necessary?"

Disrupting the heavenly secrets to prevent Saints from eavesdropping

was a common tactic for Saints planning their strategies.

The two Saints found it incredible.

The Investiture of the Gods Calamity was approaching, and the heavenly secrets were becoming increasingly chaotic, making it difficult for Saints to grasp the full picture.

This was Biyou Palace, with the Three Pure Ones present, who would dare to eavesdrop?

Even during the great calamity, the Two Sages of the West would not dare to incur the wrath of the Three Pure Ones!

How cautious was Tongtian?

The next moment, they understood the reason.

Tongtian said calmly:

"Abolishing my Saint position and disbanding the Intercepting Sect may seem like foresight,"

"but it was the only chance for survival for the Biyou Palace lineage."

"In reality, it was a last resort."

"At the time, there was no other path."

Taishang and Yuanshi were confused.

They waited for Tongtian to reveal the truth.

Tongtian continued:

"Please do not blame my caution, Senior Brothers."

"In the past, during the conflict between Dao and Demon, Hongjun joined forces with Luohu,"

"destroying the West, leaving only Mount Sumeru."

"Luohu was executed, and the karmic debt was cleared."

"However, Hongjun became the Dao Ancestor, and after merging with the Dao, he must repay the karmic debt."

"The Investiture of the Gods Calamity is a prerequisite for repaying this debt."

"This calamity will be difficult to overcome!"

Hiss!

Taishang and Yuanshi's expressions changed drastically!

Countless conjectures flashed through their minds, but they never expected that Tongtian's words would actually involve Dao Ancestor Hongjun!

Saints were entrusted by the Heavenly Dao to wield its authority; how could this be a sin?

And how great could the offense be for destroying the Primordial Era world?

However, the moment the thought arose, they remembered Hongjun's stern decree: "Those who destroy the Primordial Era shall face death!"

Even Saints, if they violated this prohibition, could not escape punishment.

The penalty was so severe it made their hearts palpitate.

Taishang's brow furrowed as he carefully considered the gains and losses.

Yuanshi, however, suddenly awoke with a start, his expression as grim as if water were about to freeze on his face.

"We are merely pawns on a chessboard!"

"The Investiture of the Gods Calamity is clearly a prelude to pave the way for the great prosperity of the West!"

"Its sole purpose is to weaken the foundation of our Mystic Gate!"

After the West's great prosperity, it would indeed allow the Two Sages of the West to repay the karmic debt from their path to enlightenment.

But more crucially...

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's karmic debt would also be completely cleared through this!

Yuanshi, as expected, was among the Saints with unparalleled wisdom.

In the original trajectory of the Primordial Era, he had already seen through the secrets of power shifts after the Investiture of the Gods.

Under the guise of a transaction, he had quietly sent Randeng, Manjushri, Samantabhadra, Maitreya, and Julusun to the West.

Silently, he had hollowed out the Western Teachings, his schemes unmatched!

Yuanshi sighed, "Junior Brother, you have done your best. After careful consideration, unless you abolish your Saintly position and disband the Intercepting Sect, you have no other path."

Tongtian heard this and smiled without speaking.

No!

Times have changed, how can they be judged the same?

At that time, Tongtian indeed only had the path of abolishing his Saintly position and disbanding the Intercepting Sect.

But now, he had a different brilliant plan!

Why not abdicate and let Duobao take over as Sect Master?

Duobao could make drastic changes and purge the Intercepting Sect's immortals.

To comprehend the ultimate principles of heaven and earth and seize a sliver of hope for survival – this was Tongtian's doctrine, but not Duobao's path.

In this way, it would neither violate Tongtian's will nor harm the Intercepting Sect, and he would not need to abolish his Saintly position.

The prerequisite was that Duobao could stabilize the Intercepting Sect's destiny!

Fortunately, he had received a Chaos Spirit Treasure from Senior Lin Dong, so why worry about unstable destiny?

Moreover, Duobao was not fighting alone.

Besides Duobao, his seven true disciples were his most solid support.

And Tongtian was backing him from behind...

Alas, he only regretted not bringing the eight true disciples to pay respects to Senior Lin Dong sooner!

All of this was due to the lack of opportune moments.

When the opportune moment did not arrive, who could have thought of such a brilliant method?

Even so, Tongtian had no regrets in his heart.

In a Saint's dictionary, where could the word "regret" be found?

What has been done, has been done.

Next time, one simply needs to do better!

Seeing Tongtian's silence, Yuanshi mistook it for lingering resentment, and felt empathy.

If it were himself, seeing his great sect fall into ruin, how could he not hate it?

Yuanshi said in a low voice, "Junior Brother, we must be extremely vigilant of the Western Teachings' actions, for Dao Ancestor Hongjun stands behind them!"

The moment they thought of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, the backing of the Western Teachings, Taishang and Yuanshi felt a chill in their hearts.

In the Primordial Era, Saints were supreme, and all below Saints were like ants.

This saying was true.

But above Saints, there was Dao Ancestor Hongjun!

He, the teacher of the Mystic Gate, the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao, the only Saint in the Dao Integration Realm.

Hongjun was the Heavenly Dao!

His decree was the law of the Heavenly Dao.

Upon realizing this, Taishang and Yuanshi felt their scalps tingle.

Those who could achieve sainthood all possessed great willpower, great wisdom, great courage, and great faith.

But facing the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao, any courage and faith seemed frail.

This is completely normal.

Looking again at Tongtian's actions, Taishang and Yuanshi could only admire him.

If it were them, how could they have broken free from a certain death situation in such a short amount of time?

There was no other way but to resist head-on.

Yet Tongtian found that sliver of hope, decisively abandoned his Saintly position, and disbanded the Intercepting Sect.

This decisiveness earned the genuine admiration of the two Saints!

But when they thought of Hongjun...

Taishang and Yuanshi's fighting spirit couldn't help but falter.

This was not a battle between equals at all!

Tongtian watched with cold eyes, instantly understanding the expressions of the two Saints.

Why were they like this?

It was because the Dao of the Three Pure Ones each differed.

Although the Three Pure Ones were all born from Pangu's Primordial Spirit, their philosophies were completely distinct.

Yuanshi's Dao was from nothing to something, transforming chaos into order.

Taishang's Dao was the mutual generation of existence and non-existence, the foundation of governing the world.

Tongtian's Dao was from something to nothing, returning order to chaos.

The three were connected, forming a complete Dao of existence and non-existence, a closed loop.

Simply put, Taishang and Yuanshi's Dao emphasized order and acted according to order.

In the Primordial Era, whoever controlled order, they had to submit to.

What was the doctrine of the Heavenly Origin Sect?

To understand the principles of heaven and earth, to expound the righteous Dao of heaven and earth.

They were inherently on the side of order, and everything they did required legitimacy.

In the Primordial Era, who held the greatest authority?

The Heavenly Dao, Hongjun!

Unconsciously, they bowed their heads to Hongjun.

In contrast, the Human Sect and the Heavenly Origin Sect, in their struggle for destiny, all acted from top to bottom, passing down traditions and holding righteousness.

Tongtian was different.

His Dao, from something to nothing, taught the understanding of ultimate principles and the interception of life.

This doctrine was filled with a spirit of rebellion.

Facing the pressure of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, Tongtian dared to act against him.

It was because he was practicing his own Dao!

The status of the Three Pure Ones was equal.

However, due to their different Daos, their choices when facing the same matter varied.

There was no distinction between high and low.

Tongtian reminded Yuanshi, "Even if the Two Sages of the West have the backing of the Dao Ancestor, they must still abide by the rules of the Heavenly Dao."

"Nothing can happen that exceeds our expectations!"

"Senior Brother, your mind is in turmoil!"

These words struck like thunder!

Taishang and Yuanshi's hearts trembled.

That's right, their minds were in turmoil!

As Saints of the Primordial Era, how could they lose their confidence?

With Tongtian's enlightenment, the expressions of the two Saints eased.

Yuanshi took a deep breath, "The Western Teachings have taken in the discarded disciples of the Intercepting Sect, and in terms of numbers, they are already the foremost sect in the Primordial Era."

Tongtian nodded slowly, acknowledging this statement.

Taishang also agreed, but said, "Although the Western Teachings have many people, their sins are deep, and they are entangled in karma, destined for destruction!"

"Our Mystic Gate will defeat them with ease!"

Taishang declared.

Yuanshi pondered and then nodded in agreement.

Indeed, it was so.

The Primordial Era did not distinguish between right and wrong, only between karma.

The karma that even Tongtian dared not bear, how could the Western Teachings dare?

Failure was their only outcome!

The two Saints relaxed their expressions.

Tongtian looked at them in disbelief, "Do you truly think so?"

Taishang and Yuanshi looked confused: Was there a mistake?

Tongtian sighed, holding his forehead, "If you hold this belief, you will surely lose the Investiture of the Gods Calamity!"

The expressions of the two Saints of the Mystic Gate changed drastically.

Yuanshi's face turned as dark as ink, and Taishang's expression was also displeased.

Tongtian seemed to have an objection!

Taishang, with his deeper control over his emotions, was the first to recover and humbly asked, "Junior Brother Tongtian, please enlighten us."

Yuanshi composed himself and also bowed to seek guidance.

The Investiture of the Gods Calamity, an immeasurable tribulation, required the slightest carelessness to lead to the destruction of a great sect!

Who dared to take it lightly?

Tongtian slowly said, "Senior Brothers, how could you forget the Dao of the Two Sages of the West?"

Taishang and Yuanshi were stunned.

The Dao of the Two Sages of the West?

"Their Dao is to ferry others!"

"Jieyin ferries others first, then himself; Zhunti ferries himself first, then others."

"The core is to ferry others!"

"Who needs them to ferry?"

"Cultivators with heavy sins and entangled karma need the most ferrying!"

"For the Western Teachings, the nine thousand apostates are not burdens, but priceless treasures!"

Hiss!

Taishang and Yuanshi's faces changed greatly!

How could they forget the Dao of the Two Sages of the West?

For the Mystic Gate, those with fur and horns, born of wetness and hatching from eggs, were people of deep sin.

But for the Western Teachings, they were treasures!

Once ferried, they would become a massive source of merit and loyal disciples!

What the Two Sages of the West lacked was precisely merit.

They did not care about the magnitude of the sins.

The greater the sin, the better!

They were even more inclusive than the Intercepting Sect, accepting all who came!

They did not even fear their disciples rebelling.

If they rebelled, let them rebel!

The Western Teachings would loudly pursue them, propagate their teachings.

After capturing them, they would ferry them again, gaining another wave of merit!

No matter how you calculated it, they wouldn't lose!

Yuanshi's face turned completely black, "In that case, wouldn't the nine thousand apostates become the loyal disciples of the Western Teachings?"

Tongtian hesitated, and finally said, "Ferrying requires time!"

Yuanshi shook his head, "Don't forget the foremost array in the Primordial Era for ferrying people!"

Taishang and Tongtian's expressions changed slightly: How could they forget this?

There were countless formations 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.

The three Saints of Biyou Palace each had their own ultimate formations.

Taishang had the foremost array in the Primordial Era, the Two Forms Dust Array.

Tongtian had the Immortal Slaying Sword Array, which, when set up by one Saint, was difficult for four Saints to break.

The Biyou Palace lineage was even more skilled in formations; the Nine Bends Yellow River Array, the Ten Absolute Arrays, and the Myriad Immortals Array were all peerless and exquisite.

However, the foremost array for ferrying people was in the Western Teachings!

This array was called the Ten Directions Bodhi Array!

Using the original Bodhi wood, the body of the Saint of the West before proving the Dao, as the core of the formation.

It seals the ten directions, isolates the inside from the outside, and creates its own world.

This is the supreme entrapment formation, and even more so, the foremost formation for salvation!

Within the formation, Buddhist chants echo, and great powers expound the purest Western Great Law.

Those with insufficient spiritual power, no matter how firm their Dao heart, will eventually be converted and become the most orthodox disciples of the Western Teachings.

Trapping people is not the goal; saving them is!

The Three Pure Ones recalled this formation and were plagued by headaches.

This formation was like the nature of the Two Sages of the West, utterly shameless.

However, the Three Pure Ones of the Mystic Gate understood why the Two Sages of the West had created this formation.

The Western Teachings' eastward expansion was blocked, and in their desperation, they specifically sought out those disdained by the Mystic Gate.

The Human Sect only accepted humans, with only Xuandu as a member.

The Heavenly Origin Sect was highly selective, only accepting those with profound roots.

Although the Intercepting Sect opened its doors wide, one needed to be fated with the sect.

The Western Teachings, however, were different; they welcomed all who came!

They didn't look at bone structure, background, or karma; as long as one was willing to come, they were welcome!

Not willing to come?

Saint Zhunti would personally "invite" them!

"Fellow Daoist, you are fated with my West!"

This saying was renowned throughout the Primordial Era!

The eagerness of the Western Teachings for disciples was evident.

Normally, when the Saints of the Mystic Gate discussed this formation, it was merely a casual remark.

But now, who dared to underestimate it?

Nine thousand disciples burdened with heavy sins, thrown into the Ten Directions Bodhi Array for conversion, was the most convenient method!

The Bodhi wood was a clone of a Saint; how could those disciples resist?

Tongtian held no hope.

Taishang and Yuanshi had grim expressions.

If the Western Teachings were to become the foremost sect in the Primordial Era, even the combined forces of the Human Sect and the Heavenly Origin Sect would struggle to defeat them!

The three Saints wore solemn expressions.

Yuanshi couldn't help but exclaim, "Must we Saints personally intervene? What kind of precedent would that set?!"

His unspoken words were: If Saints were to act against disciples, it would be bullying the weak and losing all face!

Moreover, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had once said that Saints could enter the fray.

The implication was that Saints should contend with Saints.

If they shamelessly acted, Zhunti's shameless nature might follow suit!

Villains would stop at nothing, and no one would find it objectionable.

This was the dilemma of the Three Pure Ones!

For a moment, the Three Pure Ones fell silent.

How could they break the stalemate?

Taishang and Yuanshi looked anxious.

Tongtian reminded them, "Although the Two Sages of the West can quickly convert disciples, there is one thing they absolutely cannot do in a short period!"

Taishang and Yuanshi looked at him simultaneously.

Tongtian said, word by word, "Karma!"

"Although converting disciples earns merit, resolving vast amounts of 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 eyes of the two Saints lit up!

Yuanshi relaxed, his Primordial Spirit continuously deducing within his sea of consciousness.

"The Western Teachings are of utmost importance to the Two Sages..."

"The karma of nine thousand disciples is difficult to resolve. Normally, it's a great blessing, signifying immeasurable merit."

"But in the great calamity, they absolutely wouldn't dare let these disciples directly enter the battlefield!"

"If disciples from the East and West clash, and karma escalates, the Western Teachings might face the danger of annihilation!"

"If I were the Two Sages of the West, I would never dare to take such a risk!"

"How can we eliminate some of this karma in the shortest amount of time?"

Yuanshi began to ponder, while Taishang and Tongtian listened and thought.

Eliminating karma through merit was the most common method, but the Two Sages of the West were severely lacking in merit and would never resort to it.

Undergoing tribulation was another path, but before the Immeasurable Calamity, undergoing tribulation was akin to seeking death.

Taishang pondered bitterly, finding no solution.

Tongtian suddenly said, "The Western Teachings advocate cultivating the present life to seek the next!"

Taishang and Yuanshi exchanged glances, feeling a bit perplexed.

To Saints or Quasi-Saints, the Western Teachings were like a scam.

The innate great gods only had this one life; where would there be a next?

If they couldn't achieve the Dao with such superior conditions in this life, how could they succeed in the next?

However, for beings born after the Primordial Era, the Western Teachings were extremely seductive.

Wait!

Taishang and Yuanshi simultaneously looked at Tongtian and said in unison, "Reincarnation!"

Tongtian's expression turned solemn, "Precisely, reincarnation!"

"These disciples have been brainwashed into loyal followers of the Western Teachings."

"The Two Sages can use their divine abilities to protect their Dao fruits and send them into reincarnation."

"They can then use the power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation to eliminate some of their karma."

"It will be easy for Jieyin to bring them back to the Western Teachings and restore their cultivation!"

The expressions of the two Saints changed drastically.

Yuanshi said anxiously, "The goal of the Two Sages of the West is the Six Paths of Reincarnation!"

"Fellow Daoist Pingxin might not be able to stop them!"

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became, "No, I must assist Fellow Daoist Pingxin!"

Tongtian revealed a peculiar expression, "Fellow Daoist Pingxin? There's no need to worry."

Huh?!

In the Earth Immortal Realm, on Penglai Immortal Island in the East Sea.

A sphere appeared before Lin Dong, with specks of starlight flickering within, displaying the distribution of power among the Saints.

The Investiture of the Gods Calamity was approaching, and the Immeasurable Killing Tribulation was imminent.

How could Lin Dong miss such a grand event?

He casually reached out, activating the Catching Shadows technique, following the origin of karma to discern the movements of the Saints.

"Interesting, truly interesting!"

"The Three Pure Ones are gathered at Biyou Palace, discussing countermeasures. They haven't turned against each other as in my memories, which is quite impressive."

The Three Pure Ones originated from Pangu's Primordial Spirit and should have been one.

However, in his memories before traversing worlds, the Three Pure Ones were manipulated by Hongjun, leading to fratricidal strife.

The Dao Ancestor of the Eastern Mystic Gate had become a laughingstock!

A sense of accomplishment filled Lin Dong.

It was fortunate that he had conveyed a message through the little Daoist friend with the spirit treasure, which had helped Tongtian make up his mind.

This satisfaction was indescribable.

"The Western Teachings are secretly accumulating strength. Even Saint Zhunti, who always loved to search for 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 abandoned disciples of the Intercepting Sect into loyal followers of the West!"

"But these disciples carry too much karma. To clear their karma, there is only one method—reincarnation through the Six Paths of Reincarnation!"

"They will use great divine abilities to protect the disciples' Dao fruits and send them into reincarnation."

"By borrowing the power of reincarnation to reduce karma and bringing them back to the sect, they become qualified Western disciples and can participate in the Immeasurable Calamity!"

A cold glint flashed in Lin Dong's eyes, "The Two Sages are eyeing Saint Pingxin in the Netherworld Realm."

"Pingxin has just achieved the Dao. Even with the help of merit, her cultivation is insufficient, not to mention it's two against one..."

Pingxin was just and loving, possessing great compassion.