Sage Gambit, Ten Thousand Immortals Pressing the Border

This infuriated Zhunti!

He abruptly manifested his Golden Body Dharma Image with eighteen arms and twenty-four heads, grinning hideously as he looked at Yuanshi:

"Fellow Daoist, do you wish to fight?"

Yuanshi looked at Zhunti in surprise, his eyes filled with a look of pity:

"Are you sure!?"

Jieyin suddenly grabbed Zhunti, pressed his palms together, and said to the Four Saints of the Mystic Gate: "In this great calamity, we are here to watch the performance of our disciples; how can the Saints be the ones to strike first?"

Zhunti suddenly came to his senses!

"That was close!"

"If it weren't for Senior Brother's reminder, I would have fallen right into Yuanshi's trap!"

He immediately retorted:

"I don't even care about the few disciples you have in the Chan Jiao."

"I won't mince words: I don't trust you people."

"Let's get this out in the open!"

"If you Saints of the Chan Jiao dare to personally take action against my disciples..."

Zhunti's expression shifted, his face turning ferocious, completely disregarding any image of a Saint, "I will do exactly the same to yours!"

The disciples of the Western Teachings were the key to achieving the Rise of the West!

The Two Sages of the West felt a pang of heartache at the loss of even one!

With the Western Teachings holding such a massive advantage now, the only way for the Chan Jiao to win was for the Saints to intervene!

How could Zhunti possibly allow that?

He immediately used his words to block Yuanshi!

Yuanshi hesitated!

Zhunti was inwardly shocked; did the Saints of the Chan Jiao really intend to enter the fray themselves?

How despicable!

Zhunti's expression grew even more ferocious: "Yuanshi, if you dare to touch one of my disciples, I will surely kill one of yours."

"Let's see who has more disciples!"

Hiss!

The Saints of the Chan Jiao—Taishang, Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Nuwa—all shook their heads.

This Zhunti truly acted like a petty villain!

A naked threat!

Yuanshi was genuinely hesitant!

According to his calculations, if they wanted to break the power of the Western Teachings, they would indeed have to enter the fray themselves.

However, Tongtian had personally guaranteed that his disciples could contend with Minghe.

Taishang and Nuwa had also cast their votes in favor.

In the end, Yuanshi chose to trust Tongtian one last time!

But when it truly came time to make a commitment, Yuanshi could not help but hesitate.

This was the Immeasurable Calamity!

One wrong choice, and he would bury his Chan Jiao!

Not just the Chan Jiao, but the entire Eastern Chan Jiao!!

Yuanshi was a Saint after all; after a brief moment of hesitation, he reached a decision, answering the question with one of his own:

"And what if you *Western Saint*s strike first?"

Zhunti laughed out loud!

He laughed with great satisfaction!

Yuanshi had backed down!

Zhunti and Jieyin exchanged a glance, both seeing the joy in the other's eyes.

Yuanshi had truly backed down!

Otherwise, how could a dignified Saint of the Chan Jiao, the wisest of them all, Yuanshi, dodge such a question?

Zhunti said earnestly: "If we take action ourselves, you may do whatever you wish!"

That was exactly the answer he wanted!

Yuanshi feigned hesitation, pondered for a long time, and finally nodded firmly: "Very well!"

The two Sages of the Western Teachings both revealed mocking smiles!

Seeing the cowardly appearance of the Four Saints of the Mystic Gate, they were certain the Western Teachings would win!

The four Eastern Saints also smiled in unison.

Taishang, Tongtian, and Nuwa signaled to Yuanshi almost imperceptibly: "Well done!"

Yuanshi nodded slightly.

It was the Two Sages of the West he had been calculating against!

Everything that just happened was merely an act!

When it came to the character of the Two Sages of the West, none of the Four Saints of the Mystic Gate could trust them.

A Sage who constantly had "Fellow Daoist, you have an affinity with my West" on his lips.

A sect that would resort to shameless tricks at the slightest disagreement, A sect that dared to even lay its hands on the Six Paths of Reincarnation, Who could trust their character?

Doing so would be irresponsible to the disciples and followers who followed them!

Tongtian had very directly raised this very question.

Yuanshi immediately had a countermeasure, which led to the scene of the four Saints keeping a close watch on the Two Sages of the West.

The Four Saints exerted pressure on the Two Sages of the West, successfully tricking them.

The plan was completed smoothly!

Both sides believed they had succeeded in their schemes.

As for who would achieve the final victory, that remained to be seen!

Yuanshi was truly uneasy.

He asked Tongtian once more:

"Junior Brother, are you truly certain?"

Taishang could trust Tongtian without reservation because the Human Sect's only disciple, Xuandu, would not be participating in the battle at all!

Nuwa could trust Tongtian without reservation because she only had one disciple, Lingzhuzi, entering the fray.

And with Nuwa's cultivation and Luck, protecting Lingzhuzi was effortless.

In other words, nominally, it was the disciples of the four Saints—the Human Sect, Chan Jiao, Biyou Palace, and Wa Imperial Palace—uniting to resist the Western Teachings.

But in reality?

The only major sect of the Mystic Gate truly taking action was Chan Jiao itself!

Logically speaking, Chan Jiao should have been the main force in this confrontation against the West.

Yet Yuanshi knew clearly that, given the cultivation of the Chan Jiao disciples, they were absolutely no match for Minghe.

Therefore, he had no choice but to step back and yield the position.

He had to rely on Biyou Palace!

However, what level of cultivation had the eight true disciples, including Duobao, actually reached...

Who could say for sure?

Yuanshi had no confidence in his heart!

The Western Teachings had ten thousand immortals coming to pay homage, and were led by Minghe, the most elite Quasi-Saint in the Primordial Era, with Lu Ya assisting.

If the Mystic Gate could not hold them back, Yuanshi's Chan Jiao would face the threat of annihilation.

With his own orthodoxy at stake, even he, the most intelligent great power in the Primordial Era, felt a bit flustered!

Tongtian smiled slightly: "Trust me!"

Yuanshi grew anxious.

How could he trust such empty words?

Tongtian sent a secret voice transmission, saying only a few words!

Yuanshi was shocked: "Is that true?!"

Tongtian nodded with a smile.

Yuanshi was overjoyed; if that were the case, what was there to fear?

There was absolutely nothing to fear!

Conversely, he actually began to worry that the two Sages of the West might try to pull some shameless stunts.

Yuanshi stared at the Two Sages of the West with even more ferocious pressure.

Jieyin and Zhunti were bewildered.

Zhunti said angrily, "Yuanshi, what are you trying to do now?!"

Yuanshi kept a straight face, "I'm afraid you'll act shamelessly once you lose later!"

Zhunti was so angry he laughed!

He looked at his own disciples and sneered: with this lineup, how could his Western Teachings possibly lose?

They were overthinking it!!

Zhunti couldn't be bothered to pay attention to Yuanshi.

Jieyin smiled slightly and bowed, "I trouble you both, fellow Daoists!"

Minghe and Lu Ya quickly replied, "How could we dare accept such a grand gesture from the Sect Leader."

The two Quasi-Saints looked at the Ten Thousand Immortals under their command, then at the sparse and scattered troops on the opposite side, their spirits soaring.

Given the disparity in strength between these two sides, it would be difficult for them to lose even if they tried!

Inside the Immeasurable Great Array of Penglai Immortal Island, Lin Dong grabbed a handful of wind and, through the origin of Karma, immediately investigated the situation on the Investiture of the Gods Battlefield in the Earth Immortal Realm with perfect clarity.

"Interesting, interesting!"

"The Four Saints of the Mystic Gate aren't actually entering the fray themselves, but are instead just keeping their eyes on the Two Sages of the West?"

"With the wisdom of the Four Saints of the Mystic Gate, they must be planning before they act... do they already have a way to deal with the Western Teachings?"

"But where does the chance of victory lie?"

"Three hundred against ten thousand... there is absolutely no chance of winning in a one-on-one!"

"Unless it is..."

Lin Dong realized.

So that was it; no wonder the Four Saints were keeping such a close watch on the Two Sages of the West.

This was to prevent them from jumping over the wall like a cornered dog!

Lin Dong found it quite marvelous.

Before he transmigrated, the history recorded in various Primordial Era novels was always about the Mystic Gate Sages acting shamelessly, using their superior status to bully the weak and destroy Jiejiao.

Unexpectedly, now that their forces on the surface were so meager, they had no intention of entering the fray themselves at all!

This was truly a very fulfilling thing.

Additionally, the thread of Karma from just a moment ago seemed to involve a remarkable figure.

"I never would have imagined!"

"A super-powerful entity famous in the later Primordial Era would actually be refined into a puppet by someone..."

"This is truly something beyond imagination!"

He fell into deep thought.

Since that person had been turned into a puppet, where did the myth of them fighting Hongjun and emerging victorious originate from?

He couldn't figure it out at all!

Lin Dong pondered for a while, and the more he thought, the more he felt the waters of the Primordial Era were deep.

"Of the few Chaos Demon Gods who survived the creation of the world, Luohu was executed, and the two ancestors, Yin-Yang and Qian-Kun, were schemed against until they self-detonated."

"I originally thought that person had survived alongside Hongjun and eventually escaped into the Chaos Void... who could have expected such a miserable ending."

"A puppet... heh!"

Even that person had been refined into a puppet by Hongjun at some unknown time; how terrifying was that?

In any case, he would absolutely not leave the Primordial Era world until he attained the Dao!!

"Little Friend Lingbao is likely in trouble; I must give him a warning!"

"I originally thought the Mystic Gate could overcome the West, but if that person joins the battle, even as a puppet, it is definitely not something the Sages can withstand."

"Since Little Friend Lingbao is a direct descendant of the Mystic Gate, he is very likely in danger..."

"Oh well!"

"I will do my best and leave the rest to fate!"

Lin Dong took out an object, left a few words of truth, and with a casual reach, sent it straight toward Little Friend Lingbao along the origin of Karma.

He watched the spherical ball of light before him quietly.

"Perhaps, there is another way to resolve this crisis after all!"

"Let's see what fortune the Sages of the Mystic Gate have!"

On the Investiture of the Gods Battlefield, Minghe led the ten thousand immortals of the Western Teachings, slowly pressing forward toward the group of mighty figures from the Mystic Gate.

"Fellow Daoists of the East, we have come to seek your guidance!"

He was truly in high spirits; where was there any sign of the reluctance one might expect from being coerced?

Minghe's crimson robes fluttered in the wind, and his face lacked even a trace of its usual gloom.

It was as if he were not the same person who had been forcibly abducted to the Western Teachings by Zhunti!

Minghe absolutely refused to admit that he had been taken by force.

Had Sage Zhunti not said it himself? He was fated to be with the Western Teachings!

Minghe believed the Sage was right!

He, Minghe, was indeed fated to be with the West!

Besides him, Minghe, who else had the ability to command the ten thousand immortals of the Western Teachings?

And these cultivators, the lowest in cultivation were Primordial Unity Golden Immortals, with the majority being Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals!

With nearly half of the cultivators being Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, even the Demon Court in its prime did not possess such a scale!

Truly worthy of being a Sage's great sect!

As for the fact that these disciples were almost all former outcasts of Jiejiao, Minghe ignored it entirely.

A hero does not ask about his origins; did he, Minghe, not also abandon his status as the contemporary leader of the Demon Sect to join the Western Teachings?

In any case, these disciples were just like him—disciples of the Western Teachings.

And he was the commander of the ten thousand immortals!

Minghe could hardly believe his own circumstances.

Originally, stumbling upon the unsightly behavior of the two Western Sages should have been a heaven-reaching crime.

Yet, unexpectedly, the two Sages not only took no offense but instead invited him to join the Western Teachings and entrusted him with a heavy responsibility.

They had placed the ten thousand immortals of the Western Teachings directly into his hands.

They allowed him to command the host of immortals and wage war on the Investiture of the Gods Battlefield!

This was completely beyond Minghe's expectations.

He was merely a disciple who had just joined the Western Teachings; what virtue or ability did he have to command such a group of mighty figures?

One had to know that among these ten thousand immortals, there were the two Sages' direct disciples, Bhaisajyaguru and Maitreya...

But the two Sages had appointed him just like that.

Not only did they appoint Minghe as the commander, but they also clarified his status: below the two Sages and above the ten thousand immortals—the true third-in-command!

They even handed over the daily administration of the sect to him.

As for the fundamental scriptures of the Western Teachings, they were taught to him without reservation or concealment.

Minghe was deeply moved!

They were clearly planning to pass the Western Teachings on to him!

Although Minghe had previously been the leader of the contemporary Demon Sect and appeared to be free and unfettered, If he were asked to abandon his status in the Western Teachings and return to being the leader of the Demon Sect, he would absolutely refuse!

Hiding away all day in the temple within the Boundless Sea of Blood—how could that compare to the joy of commanding ten thousand immortals on Mount Sumeru?

Moreover, under the protection of the two Western Sages, Minghe did not worry about his own safety at all.

What's more, he could lead a great army to participate in the Immeasurable Calamity!

Cultivators in the Primordial Era held an extremely contradictory attitude toward the Immeasurable Calamity—they both craved it and feared it!

The reason for the fear was easy to understand: the Immeasurable Calamity swept across the world, and even the most top-tier cultivators (excluding Sages and those at the Hunyuan level) could potentially fall.

For example, Di Jun, Taiyi, and the majority of the Twelve Ancestral Witches...

The reason for the craving was even simpler: after surviving the great calamity, one would receive Merit!!

The most important point was that the Merit obtained from surviving the Immeasurable Calamity was the purest kind.

At other times, even if you performed good deeds and gained Merit, you would inevitably be tainted by other Karma.

And Karma was the thing that gave cultivators the most headaches!

Take the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Jiao, for example; they were the fuse that ignited the Investiture of the Gods Calamity.

The reason was that back when they were assisting the Human Emperor Xuanyuan, their slaughter had been too excessive.

Even though they gained Merit, they were also tainted by Karma.

They were unable to attain the Quasi-Saint realm for a long time.

It became the fuse for the Investiture of the Gods Calamity.

However, the Merit gained from surviving the Immeasurable Calamity was entirely different.

The Immeasurable Calamity was intended to eliminate the Karma within the Primordial Era.

Therefore, the Merit obtained after passing through the Calamity was the purest, and the one most craved by all cultivators.

Minghe craved it even more thirstily.

He was one of the top Quasi-Saints in the Primordial Era.

He had always been ranked alongside Zhen Yuanzi of Wuzhuang Temple and Kunpeng of the Northern Underworld Ice Ocean.

His standing was even above Haotian, the Lord of the Three Realms!

Minghe did not want to be satisfied with merely being a Quasi-Saint!

He wanted to advance even further!

And that required Merit—a great, great deal of Merit!

With the arrival of the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, all the great powers in the Primordial Era could sense it.

In the past, Minghe would never have dared to entertain such an idea.

But now...

Minghe looked at the Ten Thousand Immortals under his command; every single one was at least a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, and the vast majority were Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals.

He suddenly felt infinite confidence!

With this lineup, what could the Mystic Gate use to win?

He let out a loud shout: "Fellow Daoists of the Mystic Gate, we have come to experience your great Supernatural Powers!"

As the voice rang out, the aura on Minghe's body surged violently.

Across countless dimensions, it charged toward the Mystic Gate camp.

With the aura of a top-tier Quasi-Saint unleashed, who could withstand it if the Sages did not intervene?

The Ten Thousand Immortals of the Western Teachings responded in unison.

The cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortals connected as one, soaring straight into the clouds, shaking the Eastern World with their might!

The expressions of the Chan Jiao disciples changed drastically.

From Randeng downward, all lost their color.

The Twelve Golden Immortals, from the Bell-Striking Immortal Guang Chengzi and the Chime-Striking Immortal Chi Jingzi downward, turned as pale as gold foil.

The might of the Ten Thousand Immortals of the Western Teachings descended like a crushing tide.

It was vast and mighty like a heavenly river, pressing down so hard that the cultivators could barely breathe.

Minghe, the commander of the Western Teachings, laughed heartily: "Fellow Daoists of the Eastern Mystic Gate, we have come to experience your Supernatural Powers. Who will offer us guidance!"

He asked three times in succession.

Each time, the voice grew more magnificent than the last.

By the end, the sound reverberated throughout the Earth Immortal Realm, creating an actual echo.

The momentum was terrifying!

The two Sages of the Western Teachings exchanged a glance, both seeing the joy in each other's eyes!

The Dao Heart of the Chan Jiao disciples seemed to have serious problems!

In this confrontation between East and West, Chan Jiao was the main force; defeating them was equivalent to defeating the Eastern Mystic Gate.

Why say so?

The Human Sect did not have a single disciple present!

The Wa Imperial Palace had only one disciple participating, and their cultivation was merely a lowly Primordial Unity.

Biyou Palace had more than them, but only eight!

Only Chan Jiao had many people!

They were clearly the main force of the allied armies of the Mystic Gate Sages.

The joy on the faces of the two Western Sages grew more intense as they stared fixedly at the Four Saints of the Mystic Gate.

As long as there was any sign of the other side intervening personally, then...

They would not blame themselves for taking action as well!

Yuanshi's expression was exceptionally unsightly, so dark it could drip water.

Fortunately, he usually kept a stern face, so no one noticed anything unusual at this moment.

Yuanshi had never imagined that this batch of disciples he had carefully selected and nurtured would have such an unsteady Dao Heart!

The Western Teachings had not even reached them yet; they had merely released their aura.

And yet, look at what these disciples had become?

Disgraceful!

Superbly disgraceful!

It was a waste that when he originally chose his disciples, he would accept none but those with deep roots and superior comprehension.