Tongtian's Strategy to Slay Minghe

The Two Sages of the West departed with Minghe.

By all logic, the Three Pure Ones should have been pleased to witness such a spectacle!

Yet within Biyou Palace, the Three Pure Ones wore grave expressions.

Yuanshi said darkly, "The Two Sages of the West truly never miss an opportunity!"

Tongtian nodded. "Indeed..."

Minghe was not part of their plans!

Who could have foreseen that such a top-tier Sect Leader would become entangled in the Investiture of the Gods?

None of the sages had anticipated this during the assembly at Zixiao Palace.

Yuanshi said in a low voice, "Though your apostate disciples are formidable in battle and numerous, they lack a commander."

A rabble is easy to handle.

But with Minghe as their commander, the situation changes drastically!

Yuanshi's expression grew heavy. "They have become an army!"

An army led by a Quasi-Saint, composed of ten thousand immortals!

Our disciples are in grave danger!

Tongtian also found this deeply troubling.

Everything Yuanshi said was spot on!

Taishang suddenly spoke. "That Mad Immortal, Lu Ya, seems to have also been taken in by the Western Teachings!"

Yuanshi and Tongtian stared at Taishang in shock.

Taishang smiled bitterly. "I happened upon this news."

Yuanshi erupted in fury. "That wretch dares to betray Junior Sister Nuwa?!"

What audacity!

Lu Ya, known as the Mad Immortal, was one of the Quasi-Saints of the Primordial Era.

But the sages knew his true origins—he was the Tenth Prince of the Golden Crow of the Demon Court!

He had always sought refuge under Nuwa's protection.

Otherwise, he would have perished long ago!

Now he betrays the Mystic Gate and defects to the West!

An utter traitor!

Yuanshi sighed. "We are in deep trouble!"

Taishang nodded.

But Tongtian's mind stirred.

Lu Ya dares to betray?

Where does he get the nerve?

If he truly dared to rebel, why didn't he do so long ago?

This is the Immeasurable Calamity!

Is he not afraid of Nuwa's wrath striking him down?

Which great sect welcomes a traitor?

Unless...

Tongtian looked up at the sky.

Unless that one secretly guided him, prompting Lu Ya's defection to bolster the Western Teachings' foundation!

Otherwise, even with twice the courage, Lu Ya wouldn't dare!

Yuanshi murmured, "Minghe is one of the Three Thousand Guests of Zixiao Palace, a top-tier Sect Leader of the Primordial Era."

His Demon Sect followers are no fewer than the disciples of the Western Teachings!

His management skills are outstanding!

The Two Sages of the West will surely put him to great use!

As for Lu Ya, a prince of the Demon Court, he received a complete royal education and lacks no organizational ability.

Yuanshi racked his brains for a solution.

His own disciples were too few!

The Human Sect had only Xuandu, and he was not participating in the Investiture.

The Chan Jiao had slightly more, but still only a little over forty.

The Jiejiao had merely ten!

Adding in the one from Wa Imperial Palace...

No matter how Yuanshi looked at it, there was no chance of victory!

He pressed his forehead and sighed, "Do we really have to step in ourselves?"

That was a last resort!

The two Sages on the opposite side were utterly shameless!

If Yuanshi went down, the Two Sages of the West would surely follow suit!

The resourceful Sage of Chan Jiao found himself at a loss!

Taishang suddenly looked at Tongtian: "To catch the bandits, catch the leader first. Do your disciples have the confidence to send Minghe and Lu Ya onto the list?"

Yuanshi was dumbfounded!

What had he just heard?

Taishang was asking whether Tongtian's disciples could slay Minghe and Lu Ya?

If they could kill Minghe, that would be one thing!

But were Minghe and Lu Ya so easy to kill?

Lu Ya could be set aside for now—merely a remnant of the Demon Court, a high-level Quasi-Saint with a special status, worth a try.

But Minghe was incredibly hard to kill!

Yuanshi asked himself: if he had faced Minghe at the Quasi-Saint stage, what could he have done?

The outcome would be uncertain!

Minghe's most troublesome asset was his Blood God Son Great Method.

He had comprehended this supreme supernatural power from the Boundless Sea of Blood!

The Blood God Sons could corrupt Primordial Spirits, or transform into clones to harm enemies.

And of these clones, Minghe had 480 million!

One man alone was an entire army of cultivators!

Moreover, they shared a single mind, making them a peerless demonic legion!

Before Yuanshi attained the Dao, without the Myriad Heavens Auspicious Cloud or the Pangu Banner, he would have been helpless against Minghe.

Not just Yuanshi—all Quasi-Saints in the Primordial Era had no good solution!

Hence Minghe's famous words: "As long as the Blood Sea is not dry, Minghe will not die!"

Arrogant and domineering, fully displaying the style of the Demon Sect Leader!

He was one of the top three Quasi-Saints of the Primordial Era, a headache for everyone!

Yuanshi couldn't understand why Taishang would place his hopes on Tongtian's disciples?

On the Investiture of the Gods List, there were only eight disciples from Biyou Palace!

Unexpectedly, Tongtian was seriously considering it!

Yuanshi's eyes widened—what was going on?

Taishang asked in earnest, and Tongtian was even less likely to be joking!

Could the disciples of Biyou Palace really kill Minghe?

Relying on Duobao, Zhao Gongming, and the others?

Yuanshi suddenly felt that there were many secrets within the Mystic Gate that he had not yet grasped.

Just like when Pingxin had attained the Dao, and why her cultivation had skyrocketed...

Could it be that the disciples of Biyou Palace also harbored unknown secrets?

Tongtian pondered for a long time, then finally nodded: "It can be done!"

Yuanshi was shocked, unable to believe it!

That was Minghe!

Minghe, the Demon Sect Leader!

Minghe with 480 million Blood God Sons!

Even he, when he was a Quasi-Saint, had been powerless against him—how could Duobao and the others kill him?

No matter how he thought about it, it was absurd!

Taishang was moved: "It really can be done?"

Tongtian smiled: "Naturally!"

For other cultivators, Minghe was indeed a tough nut to crack.

First of all, his vast Merit was enough to inspire fear!

Strange, wasn't it?

The Demon Sect Leader's merit is no less than that of the Complete Perfection of Mystic Gate!

In fact, some great powers have even less merit than him!

Merit is the credential of the Heavenly Dao.

If your merit is inferior to Minghe's, and you still want to kill him?

Not being killed in return would already be a blessing!

Where does Minghe's merit come from?

Though the Boundless Sea of Blood is the ultimate yin and filth, it accommodates the filth of the Primordial Era, rendering great service to heaven and earth.

He also created the Asura race, earning additional rewards from the Heavenly Dao.

Thus, to kill Minghe, one's merit must far surpass his!

Otherwise, don't even mention it!

Only after passing the merit barrier does the contest of cultivation, supernatural powers, and spiritual treasures begin!

This is another headache.

Minghe is a Peak Quasi-Saint, with 480 Million Blood God Sons—each drop of blood can regenerate!

Extremely difficult to kill!

Moreover, he is protected by the Twelve-grade Karma Fire Red Lotus, and the two innate spiritual treasures, Yuantu and Abi, guard his path.

Countless Demon Sect followers guard him...

Killing him is as hard as reaching the heavens!

Yuanshi's headache was something Tongtian understood all too well.

In the past, Tongtian would never have dared to agree.

That would be irresponsible toward his disciples' lives!

But ever since he led his disciples to visit Senior Lin Dong on Penglai Immortal Island, Tongtian was full of confidence!

Just a mere Minghe!

He believed that Duobao and the other Eight Great Disciples would not let him down!

Yuanshi stared intently at Tongtian, seeking any trace of bravado.

But Tongtian was calm, confident and assured!

Yuanshi clapped his hands and laughed: "Good!"

Though he didn't know where Tongtian's confidence came from, since he said so, he trusted that he could slay Minghe!

At this moment, the first wisdom of the Sages spun wildly.

"In that case, we have a way!"

"It should be done like this..."

Taishang and Tongtian nodded repeatedly: "Good!"

On Penglai Immortal Island, Lin Dong held the Wind Tail, his smile deepening.

"My merit has taken effect! Pingxin, in the Six Paths of Reincarnation, fought one against two, overpowering the Two Sages of the West and making them lose great face!"

"But they didn't come out empty-handed either; they turned around and subdued Minghe into the Western Teachings."

"The Western Fate Great Method is indeed formidable!"

Before him, a light orb projected countless images.

On the side of the Western Teachings, densely packed...

Lin Dong frowned: "The Western Teachings have many disciples, and with Minghe and Lu Ya leading them, how will the Mystic Gate respond?"

Unless a great power could slay Minghe...

But was that possible?

He recalled the books of the Primordial Era from his past life—during the Investiture of the Gods, the Sages of the Human and Interpretation Sects personally descended.

This time, would they act personally?

"After the Investiture of the Gods, the Sages will retreat, leaving only Quasi-Saints in the Primordial Era."

"Calculating the time, that Monkey is almost ready to be born."

"In that case, I can also set my pieces and lay my plans."

After all, I am a Golden Immortal of the Origin!

Lin Dong chuckled lightly, pulled out a Mystic Yellow Embroidery Needle, and casually tossed it.

The needle pierced through the Immeasurable Great Array, crossed countless time and space, and fell into the Primordial Era!

He lightly tapped the light orb.

The colors on the orb shifted and changed.

One moment, the air was ethereal with immortal mist, serene and tranquil.

The next, Sha Qi flooded the space, Karma interwoven!

Faintly, the ancient bell tolled.

"The calamity is here."

At the same moment, The Sages raised their heads in unison:

"The great tribulation begins!"

The sound of the Bell of Heaven and Earth echoed through the void, its reverberations drifting across the Earth Immortal Realm.

All the great powers wore solemn expressions.

The Immeasurable Calamity had begun!

Within the Earth Immortal Realm, aside from the disciples of the Sages and the followers of the Hunyuan, all cultivators sealed their cave dwellings shut, not daring to step outside.

Even the instigator of the tribulation, Haotian, along with the renowned Zhen Yuanzi and Kunpeng of the Primordial Era—three of the most top-tier Quasi-Saints—

All tightly closed their doors, guarded their Dao fields, refused visitors, and stayed within.

This was the Immeasurable Calamity.

Caught in the tribulation, those with shallow fortune would perish, body and Dao extinguished, reduced to ashes!

Not a shred of carelessness could be tolerated.

Within the Thirty-Three Heavens, Hongjun's eternally unchanging face revealed a rare trace of a smile:

"The long-laid tribulation has finally begun!"

"After this calamity, I take another step closer to repaying the Karma of the Primordial Era."

"Once that Karma is settled, then... the Heavenly Dao... heh!"

Even Hongjun's Dao Heart could not suppress a flicker of excitement!

His mind involuntarily recalled a scene he could never forget:

In the endless Chaos Void, The Three Thousand Great Dao Demon Gods stood arrayed, their auras terrifying beyond measure.

The light of three thousand laws clashed and shone, shaking the entire chaotic world.

They were the darlings of the Great Dao, its representatives in Chaos.

A giant beyond description swung a peerless axe, cleaving through Chaos, separating the clear from the turbid.

Accompanying the boundless radiance was a rain of blood across the sky.

A voice of grief and fury rang through the void: "Pangu, you dare slay us? This is an unforgivable sin. You will fall!!"

The answer was a single, ruthless axe-stroke.

After that stroke, the Chaos Demon God who had spoken was utterly annihilated.

Pangu said calmly, "I walk my own Dao. What care I if the road ahead is rough?"

His voice was ice-cold, nearly freezing all the Chaos Demon Gods in place.

Then, with a single cry, all the demon gods surged forward in fury and terror.

They knew—

It was either their deaths, or Pangu's.

There was no other path!!

That great battle engulfed the entire Chaos Void, and not one of the Three Thousand Great Dao Demon Gods escaped.

This was the great tribulation before the creation of the world.

Hongjun would never forget.

That battle churned the entire Primordial Era!

The Three Thousand Great Dao Demon Gods and Pangu all fell!

Only a few demon gods remained—Hongjun, Yang Mei, Luohu, and a handful of others.

No!

There was also the newly created Primordial World!

Hongjun clenched his fist tightly.

"Pangu... the Half-step Great Dao Demon God of Strength... a good death!"

"If he hadn't died, how could we Chaos Demon Gods ever rise?"

Yet, even with Pangu dead, recalling the impression Pangu had left on him, Hongjun still shuddered with fear.

What terrified him most was that, every time he recalled it, it felt as if Pangu was staring at him!

Those great beings who had not experienced the battle before the opening of the heavens could never imagine how brutal Pangu truly was.

With a casual sweep of the Sky-Opening Axe, several Chaos Demon Gods fell.

Anyone Pangu set his sights on would never survive the next moment.

Among the Three Thousand Great Daos, strength reigned supreme... this was a record earned entirely through slaughter!

Hongjun involuntarily clenched his fists!

He knew that Pangu had seized his mind.

Even after countless eons, a massive shadow still lingered in his heart.

To dispel the shadow in his heart, he would need to surpass the Pangu of old in cultivation.

But that was no easy feat!

Pangu's cultivation back then was Half-step Great Dao!

Hongjun waved his hand, as if that could drive away the shadow Pangu had left on him.

"The first step to surpassing Pangu—controlling the Primordial Era—I have already achieved."

"Next, I must slay the saints and seize control of the Heavenly Dao!"

"Only by stealing the Heavenly Dao can I ascend to the Great Dao!"

"Only then can I dispel the fear of Pangu in my heart!"

Hongjun's gaze flickered as he tirelessly deliberated the finer details.

His eyes shifted slightly downward, landing on the East Sea of the Earth Immortal Realm, where there was nothing but seawater!

Hongjun knew that Penglai Immortal Island was not within the Primordial Era.

What occasionally appeared above the East Sea was merely its exit.

The great god on Penglai Immortal Island was also one of his targets!

"Once my plan succeeds, I can use the Heavenly Dao to ascend to the Great Dao."

"As long as I succeed in my ascension, whether it's Pangu or the mysterious master of Penglai Immortal Island, they will all face punishment!"

Time meant nothing to a Great Dao Saint.

Both Pangu and the mysterious master of Penglai Immortal Island were thorns in Hongjun's heart.

If these two thorns were not removed, Hongjun felt his Dao Heart would never be complete.

It was a strange sensation, an intuition from Hongjun's soul.

A cultivator's intuition was the keenest.

He sensed that to advance his cultivation further, he would inevitably cross paths with these two.

Pangu had fallen when he opened the heavens.

But the master of Penglai Immortal Island still existed!

Hongjun was silent for a moment, then finally raised his hand and casually drew a line, creating a Space-Time Gate:

"I trouble you, fellow Daoist, to return and aid me!"

From the other side of the Space-Time Gate came an aged voice: "You are me, and I am you; why must it be so?"

Hongjun said softly: "Good!"

With that settled, he finally set aside his worries.

Now he could properly enjoy the Immeasurable Calamity he had designed—the Investiture of the Gods Calamity!

Hongjun was quite satisfied with the current situation.

Earlier, when Tongtian had discussed the Investiture of the Gods List at Zixiao Palace, he had caused no small amount of trouble.

Hongjun had once worried that the Investiture of the Gods Calamity might not achieve his goals.

But as things developed to the end, He was completely reassured.

There was even a small surprise.

Tongtian had abandoned his saint seat and disbanded Jiejiao, allowing the Western Teachings to feast heartily.

In terms of disciple numbers, cultivation, and combat power, They were unquestionably the strongest in the Primordial Era, with over ten thousand cultivators—a true gathering of Ten Thousand Immortals—and this did not even count the Demon Sect followers Minghe had brought.

The Investiture of the Gods List had only three hundred and sixty-five slots.

As long as the Western Teachings were not annihilated.

After the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, they would surely rise to great prominence!

This was even better than what Hongjun had designed in his plans!

Even Hongjun, with his temperament, found it exceptionally satisfying!

He could not be more satisfied!

With just the meager number of disciples the saints of the Mystic Gate had, what could they possibly use to stop the Ten Thousand Immortals of the Western Teachings?!

Hongjun seemed already able to see the boundless Merit after the calamity!

The sound of the Bell of Heaven and Earth rang out.

The Three Saints of the Mystic Gate and one Hunyuan all turned their Dharma Eyes toward Mount Sumeru in the West.

They fixed their gazes firmly on the two Sages of the West!

Jieyin and Zhunti immediately felt the pressure multiply!

The two Sages were baffled!

Zhunti flew into a rage: "Four fellow Daoists, what is the meaning of this?"

The Immeasurable Calamity had just begun. The two Sages of the West were watching their disciples preen with pride, when suddenly four immense pressures came crashing down from across the void.

Even a Sage with the best temper could not tolerate this, let alone the two Sages of the West, who were notorious for their shamelessness!

Yuanshi's face was dark, his voice icy cold, and his words stabbed straight into Zhunti's heart:

"Two fellow Daoists, your reputation for character has spread across the entire Primordial Era. In calculating for our disciples, we must keep our attention fixed on you!"

Zhunti was half-furious.

What did it mean, "reputation for character has spread across the entire Primordial Era"?

This was clearly saying his character was poor.

It was practically pointing a finger in his face and cursing him!

Zhunti said coldly: "Yuanshi, do not spout blood and slander me!"

Yuanshi said calmly: "How Fellow Daoist Minghe of your sect joined the teachings—all fellow Daoists saw it clearly."

"The disciples of my Mystic Gate are far too precious; they are absolutely fated to have no connection with your Western Teachings."

"You are a Sage. If you insist they are fated... who among them dares to resist you?"

Even with Zhunti's thick skin, he was flushed red with shame.

He now wanted to manifest his Golden Body Dharma Image and have a good "discussion of the Dao" with Yuanshi!

It was said that hitting a man should not strike his face, and cursing a man should not expose his weaknesses.

Yuanshi was deliberately picking at Zhunti's scars, and picking at two at once!

He had not uttered a single curse word, but it hurt Zhunti more than a torrent of profanity.

Being defeated by Pingxin was a humiliation.

Forcibly dragging Minghe into the sect—that method was indeed not very honorable.

But as long as no one brought it up, Zhunti could pretend it had never happened.

Yet before all the saints, Yuanshi had brought it up directly and bluntly.