The Pangu Sky-Opening Axe had already split into three, becoming three Innate Supreme Treasures.
Yang Mei was not worried in the slightest!
Tongtian looked at him with a faintly mocking smile. "Dao Ancestor, given the character of Western cultivators, I think you should swear an oath before Heavenly Dao."
Jieyin and Zhunti flew into a rage. "Tongtian, how dare you!"
Tongtian said calmly,
"I am merely making a judgment based on the past conduct of our fellow Daoists from the West."
"Am I wrong?"
Zhunti's face turned green. Tongtian was practically pointing at his nose and cursing him!
Yang Mei was slightly angered.
Hongjun's disciple was truly detestable, daring to doubt him!
He was a mighty expert at the Peak Dao Integration Realm. Once anger rose within him, a terrifying aura surged from his body.
The Four Saints of the Mystic Gate immediately found their breathing growing hurried!
Yet Tongtian withstood the pressure, remaining exceptionally composed. "Dao Ancestor, what do you think?"
Yang Mei was mildly surprised.
He suddenly examined Tongtian carefully, then came to a realization.
"No wonder you can withstand my aura. You are only a tiny step away from the Dao Integration Realm!"
"Hongjun truly accepted a fine disciple!"
What?!
The Three Saints of the Mystic Gate and the Two Sages of the West all turned to look at Tongtian.
Tongtian had actually reached the Twelfth Layer of the Heavenly Dao Realm?!
How had he cultivated?!
This fellow had hidden himself deeply!
He had not revealed even the slightest hint of it!
Faced with the probing gazes of the Sages, Tongtian merely smiled. "I was fortunate enough to encounter a little opportunity."
The moment those words came out,
not only did the Two Sages of the West want to beat him up,
even the Three Saints of the Mystic Gate wanted to have a match with him!
They had all been Sages of the Primordial Era before. What sort of opportunity could make Tongtian's cultivation advance by leaps and bounds like this?!
There had to be limits to humility!
Otherwise, it would just become showing off!
Yang Mei said flatly, "You may rest assured. I always keep my word."
He sneered,
"The only one who has Karma with me is Hongjun, not you."
The Four Saints of the Mystic Gate relaxed slightly.
Taishang, who had remained silent all this time, solemnly asked Tongtian, "Junior Brother, does Martial Nephew Duobao have a solution?"
Yuanshi's eyes widened.
"Senior Brother, that is the incarnation of a mighty expert at the Peak Dao Integration Realm!"
"No matter how extraordinarily talented Martial Nephew Duobao is, facing Great Immortal Yang Mei's incarnation will not be easy, will it?"
What Yuanshi truly wanted to say was that this was simply impossible.
How could such a gap in cultivation realms possibly be erased so easily?
Tongtian smiled. "Can we simply give up?"
Taishang, Yuanshi, and Nuwa were slightly stunned before slowly nodding.
That was right!
They could not simply give up!
They could only treat a dead horse as though it were alive.
The corners of Yang Mei's lips curled up slightly as he judged in his heart, Foolish!
He directly transmitted his voice to his incarnation.
"Let them experience what true despair is!"
Above Penglai Immortal Island,
Lin Dong wore an exceedingly wonderful expression!
"The big shot really knows how to play!"
"One person acting in two roles!"
"His true self established the Mystic Gate, yet his puppet wants to slaughter the Mystic Gate instead!"
"Is this the routine of creating enemies for himself, then eliminating them?"
He paused slightly before suddenly falling silent.
Lin Dong's fingers lightly tapped against his table in a steady rhythm.
Once, once...
Yet Lin Dong's eyes gradually lit up.
"So that's how it is!"
"So that was the truth!"
"Yang Mei's true self indeed has great Karma with Hongjun."
"Everything he has done is completely flawless."
"If it were anyone else, they would also come to settle Karma with Hongjun at the first opportunity."
"It just so happened that Hongjun wanted the West to rise and repay the Karma of heaven and earth."
"Then Yang Mei simply went with the flow, using their karmic connection to ruthlessly take advantage of Hongjun first!"
"On the surface, Hongjun seemed to be suffering a loss... but in reality... not only would he easily and smoothly repay all the Karma of Heavenly Dao..."
"He would even lay the groundwork for Hongjun to accept Yang Mei..."
"He could directly and completely whitewash Yang Mei!"
"What an ingenious scheme!"
Lin Dong was convinced.
Hongjun truly knew how to play!
Clearly, it was one of his own puppets, yet through a series of maneuvers, he had forcibly given him a legitimate identity.
Impressive!
Lin Dong applauded and praised the great Hongjun!
This sort of maneuver was truly beyond what ordinary people could imagine!
Wait!
Something seemed wrong!
In terms of Heavenly Dao status, Yang Mei indeed ought to be the Western Dao Ancestor.
Hongjun himself was the Eastern Dao Ancestor and also the Incarnation of Heavenly Dao!
The Eastern and Western Dao Ancestors being separate people had originally been a means of balancing Yin-Yang!
But if they directly became the same person...
then Heavenly Dao would be completely controlled by Hongjun!
Lin Dong immediately understood Hongjun's ultimate goal.
"Hongjun has only one ultimate goal: steal Heavenly Dao and attain the Great Dao!"
"This is his true final objective!"
"He wants to replace Heavenly Dao, transforming from its incarnation into one who truly controls it!"
"The authority of the Eastern Dao Ancestor alone is insufficient for Hongjun to control Heavenly Dao."
"The authority of the Western Dao Ancestor alone is likewise insufficient!"
"But the authorities of both the Eastern and Western Dao Ancestors, combined with the Incarnation of Heavenly Dao, are enough!"
"Repaying the Karma of Heavenly Dao is merely the first step!"
"Making 'Yang Mei' sit in the position of Western Dao Ancestor is the next crucial priority!"
"Heh, worthy indeed of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, who sits quietly in Zixiao Palace and controls the rise and fall of eras!"
Lin Dong sneered.
"But will the Sages of the Mystic Gate permit it?"
He did not know about the Human Sect or Chan Jiao,
but judging from the disciples of Shangqing he had encountered, they would not be very willing!
The changes in the Primordial Era were becoming increasingly interesting!
Lin Dong was growing more and more expectant!
The Sages could not help but turn their gazes toward the Immortal Slaying Sword Array.
The success or failure of the Investiture of the Gods Calamity rested in their hands.
The Three Saints of the Mystic Gate were filled with concern!
That was Great Immortal Yang Mei's Quasi-Saint incarnation.
Could Duobao and the others handle it?
The Three Saints had no confidence.
The Two Sages of the West, however, were full of anticipation!
That was Great Immortal Yang Mei's Quasi-Saint incarnation!
Who could possibly withstand it?
Western Teachings had victory in the bag!
Duobao smiled as he looked at the Ten Thousand Immortals of Western Teachings.
Just as Teacher Minghe had taught him,
he had to use this battle to crush the confidence of Western Teachings' first-generation disciples!
What was the point of being invincible by himself?
Every Sage's sect always had one or two most outstanding disciples.
Those disciples were the pillars of the other disciples.
Only by destroying their pillars could he cause the Dao Hearts of Western Teachings' first-generation disciples to completely collapse.
Duobao had always taken great pride in his identity as a member of the Mystic Gate.
He pointed to his master Tongtian, whom he revered.
Tongtian had sacrificed so much for disciples like them.
Duobao felt exceedingly guilty.
He believed that he should shoulder the corresponding responsibility!
He would crush this generation of disciples from Western Teachings!
The Rise of the West?
Duobao had no intention of allowing the West to rise!
Duobao smiled at Lu Ya.
"Fellow Daoist, my grand array has been set up here all this time. Are you not going to break it?"
"You must remember our wager!"
Lu Ya's face turned pale!
In his eyes, Duobao was a Chaos Demon God!
His apparent honesty and steadiness were all disguises.
This fellow was even more vicious than the Chaos Demon Gods of legend!
Duobao added more fuel to the fire.
"Fellow Daoist, if you do not break the array, that means you are admitting defeat yourself."
"Then I may have no choice but to activate the grand array!"
Hiss!
Lu Ya sharply sucked in a breath.
He was instantly caught in a dilemma!
Even Teacher Minghe could not break the Immortal Slaying Sword Array. Could he do it?
The answer was no!
Lu Ya turned back to look at the Ten Thousand Immortals of the West, then immediately sucked in another cold breath!
Every one of them had gone pale, and immense terror had appeared in their eyes!
Lu Ya's heart sank.
These disciples' Dao Hearts had completely collapsed!
If they did not break the array soon, these disciples would be finished. Any dream of advancing their cultivation another step would be nothing but fantasy!
A fierce glint flashed through Lu Ya's eyes.
Since these disciples would most likely be ruined anyway, he might as well pile up lives to overcome it!
It could be considered putting trash to use!
Lu Ya had never been a softhearted person!
Just as he was about to answer, his heart suddenly stirred.
It was not only Lu Ya.
The Eight Immortals of Biyou Palace all trembled and looked over at once.
They saw a green-robed Daoist cross through time and space and arrive within the great array.
The expressions of all the great powers changed: Peak Quasi-Saint!
The green-robed Daoist saluted the great powers. "This humble Daoist is Daoist Yang Liu of the Western Teachings. Greetings, everyone!"
Daoist Yang Liu of the Western Teachings?
Duobao and the other Eight Immortals of Biyou Palace frowned deeply!
This Daoist Yang Liu was a Peak Quasi-Saint!
Since when had the Western Teachings gained another figure like this?
The Eight Immortals had never imagined that someone could suddenly take another's place!
That was impossible.
After all, outside lay the Investiture of the Gods Battlefield, amid the Immeasurable Calamity.
Furthermore, the Sages of both East and West were guarding it!
Who could enter so easily?
Without permission from the Sages of both sides, how could anyone possibly get in?
But what Supernatural Powers did this Daoist Yang Liu possess?
As Duobao pondered,
Zhao Gongming secretly transmitted his voice. "Senior Brother, this Daoist Yang Liu cultivates the Space Law Great Dao!"
He paused, then added,
"His attainments in the Space Great Dao surpass mine!"
Duobao was startled and looked at Zhao Gongming in shock.
Jinling, Wudang, Guiling, and Sanxiao all looked over.
Zhao Gongming nodded fiercely!
Duobao slowly nodded.
A powerful wariness toward Daoist Yang Liu arose within him.
Only the Eight Immortals knew
that they had entered the Quasi-Saint realm
because of a supreme opportunity!
On Penglai Immortal Island, a supreme existence had selected the laws most suited to them.
That being had also inscribed a series of insights.
That was how the Eight Immortals had acquired their laws.
And what Zhao Gongming had obtained was the Space Law Great Dao.
Regarding his understanding of the Space Great Dao, Tongtian had once remarked, "It surpasses even Fellow Daoist Zhenyuan's understanding!"
The Eight Immortals had all taken pride in the law Great Daos they comprehended.
Yet they had never expected that this unknown Daoist Yang Liu's attainments in the Space Great Dao would be even greater than Zhao Gongming's.
In other words,
the Daoist Yang Liu before them was a truly top-tier Quasi-Saint of the Primordial Era!
He was not some random filler!
Where had such an expert emerged from?
Completely unlike the Eight Immortals, Lu Ya's mood instantly pulled back from the brink of despair!
He had nearly been forced to use human lives to break the array!
He had never expected there to be such a reversal!
The main branch had actually sent another great expert!
Lu Ya promptly yielded his position as commander.
He had always known his own limits. That was the key to his survival after the Demon Court's destruction; otherwise, he would have long since been killed off.
Duobao asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, are you here to break the array?"
Daoist Yang Liu answered as if it were only natural, "Of course!"
He raised his eyes to look at the Eight Immortals and praised, "The cultivation of you eight Fellow Daoists is truly profound!"
Daoist Yang Liu strangely pointed at the great array. "Fellow Daoist Duobao, are you not activating the Immortal Slaying Sword Array?"
Duobao's eyes narrowed slightly. From that single sentence alone, he could see Daoist Yang Liu's confidence!
He shook his head. "My cultivation is limited. Whether I activate it or not makes little difference!"
Duobao asked in return, "Fellow Daoist, are you ready to break the array?"
Daoist Yang Liu gave Duobao a thumbs-up. "Fellow Daoist, what boldness!"
He smiled at Duobao.
"Since that is the case, I will not take advantage of you. All of you, come at me together!"
Duobao's pupils contracted slightly!
On the Investiture of the Gods Battlefield, the Sages and great powers all stared into the great array, closely watching how matters developed!
When Daoist Yang Liu spoke those words,
although the Four Saints of the Mystic Gate looked unpleasant, they did not find him particularly arrogant.
After all, he truly possessed that strength!
He was the avatar of Great Immortal Yang Mei, a great power at the Peak Dao Integration Realm.
If he could not act arrogantly even before Quasi-Saints, that would be far too pathetic!
Still, the Four Saints could not help feeling concerned.
Could Duobao and the other Eight Immortals truly withstand him?
Yuanshi's expression shifted constantly, as though he had made a major decision.
He steeled himself.
Yuanshi transmitted his voice to the Sages. "Tongtian, admit defeat. At worst, we will let them win this round!"
Taishang, Tongtian, and Nuwa all looked over, greatly shocked.
The previous wager had been too enormous!
If they truly admitted defeat, the Mystic Gate would be utterly defeated.
The Rise of the West would become unstoppable!
How could the Sage of Chan Jiao say something so unwise?
Yet Yuanshi's expression was extremely calm at that moment.
"Duobao, Jinling, and the other Eight Immortals are the next generation of cultivation seeds of our Mystic Gate. We cannot let Daoist Yang Liu destroy them."
"We Sages have never considered gains and losses in a single city or territory."
"We consider eternity!"
"Take a step back, and the sea and sky will open wide. Even if we lose the wager, at most we will lose face."
"As long as the Eight Immortals remain... sooner or later, today's Karma will be reclaimed."
Taishang and Nuwa's expressions softened.
They admitted that Yuanshi was right!
Duobao was facing a Quasi-Saint avatar of a great power at the Peak Dao Integration Realm.
Though Daoist Yang Liu was a Quasi-Saint, his status was there for all to see!
It would be extremely difficult for Duobao to defeat him!
If things went badly, even his Dao Heart might suffer a devastating blow.
That would truly be more loss than gain!
In the end, the three Sages simply did not believe Duobao had any chance of victory.
Not to mention Duobao,
even if their avatars fought Daoist Yang Liu, they would most likely lose.
If even their Sage avatars could not accomplish it, what right did they have to demand that a group of Second Generation Disciples do so?
That was far too unreasonable!
Thus, Yuanshi's proposal was only natural.
Rather than let the Eight Immortals suffer a crushing defeat, or even lose their Dao Hearts,
it would be better to concede gracefully and decisively, preserving these cultivation seeds.
They could wait until the next great calamity to reclaim this Karma!
It could be said that Yuanshi truly thought highly of Duobao and the other Eight Immortals.
Otherwise, he would never have made such a suggestion.
Even for Sages, admitting defeat so readily required tremendous courage!
Tongtian shook his head. "We cannot admit defeat!"
Yuanshi grew anxious. "Junior Brother!"
In his view, there was no need whatsoever to fight a battle they were certain to lose!
Would it not be better to cultivate properly and challenge Daoist Yang Liu again later?
Tongtian said solemnly, "The Biyou Palace lineage has never had a tradition of voluntarily giving up in the face of hardship."
"That does not accord with our Dao!"
"Our doctrine is to perceive the ultimate principles of heaven and earth and seize a sliver of life."
"If they do not even dare to face hardship... then what Dao are they cultivating, and what truth are they seeking?"
Yuanshi was speechless!
He inwardly complained, Those who follow different Daos cannot make plans together!
But Yuanshi admitted that Tongtian had a point.
That was indeed the case!
If he ordered the Eight Immortals to surrender, they would also be unwilling!
Only by clashing with him would they know the outcome!
That was the cultivation path of the Biyou Palace lineage!
Yuanshi had no choice!
Nuwa chuckled. "Senior Brother, have you forgotten their Merit?"
Yuanshi gently shook his head.
This was an Immeasurable Calamity!
Merit could indeed preserve one's life, but it was not absolute.
Did Minghe of the Western Teachings lack Merit?
He did not!
He was the creator of the Asura race, the current leader of the Demon Sect, and the master of the Boundless Sea of Blood.
Did Minghe possess less Merit than anyone else?
And what had happened?
It had only preserved his life!
All the Sages knew that Minghe had not completely perished. He had been reborn on Mount Sumeru.
That could also be said to be Merit protecting him.
But no one knew how long it would take for Minghe to cultivate his full strength back!
Before you continue