On the contrary, the two Saints directly entrusted the Western Teachings to Minghe.
Jieyin said to Minghe,
"Fellow Daoist, you were a living being born from the Boundless Sea of Blood, but the nature of our Western Teachings does not truly suit the Sea of Blood."
"The Sea of Blood may have brought you into being, but it has also restricted your further progress."
He said solemnly,
"I have an idea. If it succeeds, Fellow Daoist's cultivation may well advance another step!"
Minghe was slightly startled, then overjoyed.
His cultivation was at the Peak Quasi-Saint level. If he advanced further, then he would be... Hunyuan, or a Saint!
Minghe pressed his palms together and said respectfully, "I beg the Saints to show mercy."
Zhunti smiled.
"The doctrine of our Western Teachings is to cultivate this life and seek the next!"
"Now, Fellow Daoist must exchange this body for another and journey through reincarnation!"
Minghe was slightly stunned. Reincarnation?
Jieyin explained,
"The Human Race is now the protagonist of heaven and earth. Fellow Daoist can pass through the Six Paths of Reincarnation and use its purifying power to erase the Karma upon you."
"Fortunately, Fellow Daoist previously experienced the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, and most of your Karma has already been cleared away."
"Furthermore, Fellow Daoist possesses great Merit, so there is no need to worry about the Mystery of the Womb."
Zhunti sighed.
"Our Western Teachings are on the verge of rising. Once Fellow Daoist successfully reincarnates, you will immediately take charge of the Western Teachings."
"At that time... with this boundless Merit, Fellow Daoist's future will be limitless!"
Minghe immediately knelt. "Many thanks to the two Saints for nurturing me!"
His primordial spirit leaped unceasingly within his Sea of Consciousness. This was his supreme great opportunity!
Jieyin said, "Since that is the case, we should not delay. Fellow Daoist, come with me!"
In a single thought, the Saint crossed countless reaches of time and space.
He arrived within Tianbi Kingdom.
There was a noblewoman there named Lady Maya.
Jieyin met her in a dream and told her, "Madam, please give birth to a Buddha!"
He tossed the crimson jade sphere in his hand, and it flew straight into Lady Maya's belly.
Lady Maya jolted awake from her dream and hurriedly summoned her attendants.
"I saw a Western Saint in my dream. He said that a Buddha had entered my womb."
Her attendants were overjoyed.
Lady Maya only felt waves of unceasing labor pain.
After seven days and seven nights, she gave birth to a mighty being.
At that moment, two flying dragons arrived uninvited. One spewed hot water, while the other spewed cold water, bathing him.
The mighty being stood upon the earth and walked seven strides. A lotus bloomed beneath every step.
With one hand pointing to heaven and the other to earth, he declared, "Above and below heaven, I alone am supreme!"
Thunder boomed beneath the bright sky, radiant clouds filled the air, and Merit descended from heaven, entering the mighty being's body.
The mighty being grew with the wind and swiftly became an adult.
The mighty being comprehended the Dao beneath the Bodhi Tree for several days before finally attaining enlightenment and becoming a Buddha!
Jieyin said at the proper moment, "Our Western Teachings shall henceforth be renamed Buddhism!"
"Sakyamuni shall preside over the great teaching. He shall be the World-Honored One Buddha Ancestor!"
Thus, Buddhism was established.
The eastward spread of Buddhist teachings had begun!
Within the Six Paths of Reincarnation in the Netherworld Realm,
At the very moment Sakyamuni was born,
Pingxin was astonished to discover that another mighty being had been born within the Boundless Sea of Blood.
What puzzled her was that it seemed none of the Saints had noticed his birth.
As the controller of the Six Paths of Reincarnation and the true ruler of the Netherworld Realm,
Pingxin could not possibly ignore such an anomaly.
Thus, she left the Six Paths of Reincarnation and went directly to the shore of the Sea of Blood.
Pingxin saluted the mighty being. "Fellow Daoist, how have you returned?"
The mighty being looked somewhat bewildered.
He frowned. "Yes, why have I returned? And why was I born in the Boundless Sea of Blood?!"
The mighty being patted his forehead.
"Isn't this Minghe brat's territory? Where did he go?"
Pingxin smiled.
"It has been countless ages since Fellow Daoist perished. Seas have turned into fields, and even the protagonist of the Primordial Era has changed twice."
"Fellow Daoist Minghe has already joined the Western Teachings and is now their current leader."
"He established the Great Thunderclap Monastery on Mount Sumeru and calls himself the World Honored One of Buddhism. He is quite imposing!"
Pingxin's words were full of mockery toward Minghe!
The mighty being froze before erupting in fury.
"Minghe actually dared establish a lineage on Mount Sumeru?!"
He seemed to hold Minghe in extreme contempt!
Pingxin said with a smile,
"No, Buddhism was not established by Minghe. It was founded by the two Saints of the Western Teachings, Jieyin and Zhunti!"
The mighty being was stunned. "Jieyin and Zhunti both became Saints?"
He frowned. "Then has Hongjun also attained the Dao?"
Pingxin smiled happily.
"That is correct. Hongjun attained the Dao. He is the teacher of all Saints and the Incarnation of Heavenly Dao!"
The mighty being suddenly flew into a rage.
"Incarnation of Heavenly Dao? Is he worthy?!"
Pingxin said leisurely,
"Fellow Daoist, do not underestimate him. He is now at the Peak Dao Integration Realm!"
The mighty being became even more furious.
"That hypocrite has actually risen to power. I will expose him and leave him utterly disgraced!"
Pingxin shook her head directly.
"Fellow Daoist, that will not work. Though your cultivation is high, you are still somewhat inferior to Hongjun!"
The mighty being burst into laughter.
"Before, I did not know why I had returned. Now I do!"
"Heavenly Dao wants to use my hand to kill Hongjun!"
"But there is no rush to settle accounts with Hongjun. I will first go to Mount Sumeru and kill the thief who stole my Mount Sumeru!"
"How can just any stray dog or cat occupy my Mount Sumeru?!"
Pingxin smiled even more happily. With a casual gesture, a streak of light flashed into the mighty being's hand.
"This contains intelligence on the Primordial Era. I wish Fellow Daoist success!"
The mighty being thanked her joyfully. "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist. When my Seven Kills Banner appears one day, I will certainly avoid your Six Paths of Reincarnation!"
Pingxin smiled again.
She directly returned to the Six Paths of Reincarnation.
She was utterly astonished. She had never expected the Lord of the Seven Kills Oath to awaken!
It had truly exceeded all her expectations.
"Strange. The Rise of the West is imminent, yet the West's true original master has awakened?"
"He should have been completely annihilated!"
"Who could possibly have the ability to awaken him?"
Pingxin pondered long and hard without finding an answer.
Then, a flash of insight suddenly crossed her mind.
"Heavenly Dao!!"
Hiss!
A great calamity was about to descend upon the Primordial Era!
On Penglai Immortal Island in the East Sea,
Lin Dong grabbed a handful of Wind Tail, his expression strange.
"Heaven and earth are divided into Yin-Yang."
"The East belongs to immortals, while the West belongs to demons. This has long been the established trend."
"Dao Ancestor Hongjun forcibly pushed the West from demons toward immortals, creating immense Karma!"
"I never expected that one to return!"
"The Primordial Era is becoming harder and harder to understand!"
"Still, it is becoming more and more interesting!"
Lin Dong casually summoned Monkey.
"Wukong, go to Jin'ao Island in the East Sea and find Little Friend Lingbao at Biyou Palace. Deliver this news to him."
Seeing Monkey's eager expression,
"Go wherever you want to have fun. If you cause trouble, just remember to come back!"
Monkey respectfully saluted him, then transformed into a streak of light and vanished!
Lin Dong watched the excited Monkey and shook his head slightly.
Monkey was truly fortunate in this life.
He had not experienced the life-and-death partings of his monkey tribe.
Nor had he endured a difficult life in pursuit of the Dao.
The moment he was born, he possessed the cultivation of a half-step Golden Immortal by Penglai Immortal Island's standards. Naturally, he could roam the world freely.
Although Penglai Immortal Island was vast, Lin Dong was its only cultivator.
Monkey was his disciple, and the island's rare birds, exotic beasts, Ginseng Baby, and Ganoderma Horse all dared not play with Monkey.
Sun Wukong had a lively temperament.
How could he possibly endure that?
If Sun Wukong was to cultivate properly, he would need to suffer setbacks before he could truly strive forward.
Thus, Lin Dong never mentioned Monkey's cultivation.
As long as he encountered obstacles in the Primordial Era, Monkey would surely become motivated.
One had to know that in another time and space, Monkey had reached the Primordial Unity True Immortal Realm in a very short time.
That speed surpassed everyone else's by far.
Hongjun had certainly plotted against Monkey, but in some sense, he had also laid a solid foundation for him.
Otherwise, who could be like Monkey and go from a newcomer with no comprehension of the Dao to directly cultivating to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm in such a short time?
In the end, it was all the result of Hongjun's manipulation behind the scenes.
Lin Dong did not care at all if Monkey caused trouble outside.
What great trouble could a mere half-step Golden Immortal possibly cause?
Even if he did cause trouble, there was nothing to fear. As long as he returned to Penglai Immortal Island,
Even a Hunyuan Infinite Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal would be unable to do anything to him!
Lin Dong temporarily set Monkey's matter aside.
Instead, he was quite interested in what had just happened.
"Strange. How could that Lord of Seven Kills have awakened?"
"Even stranger, aside from Saint Pingxin, no other Saint noticed him."
"Saint Yuanshi entrusted himself to the void of Heavenly Dao, existing everywhere and nowhere absent."
"How could anything that happened in the Primordial Era escape their notice?"
"Yet this matter seemed to have been blocked off!"
Lin Dong found it indescribably bizarre!
Could there really be things in the Primordial Era that even Saints failed to notice?
In truth, there were many things Saints could not perceive.
In theory, Saints were omniscient and omnipotent beneath Heavenly Dao.
However, due to the mutual interference of the Saints, this omniscience and omnipotence was greatly weakened.
They did not know much information involving the other Saints.
But the resurrection of the Lord of the Seven Kills Oath was a world-shaking matter. From Hongjun and Shangqing above to Taishang, Yuanshi, Nuwa, and the Two Sages of the West below,
Not one of these Saints knew about it.
Yet Pingxin, who stood apart from them within the Six Paths of Reincarnation, was able to witness it.
Utterly bizarre!
Lin Dong tapped the table again and again.
His expression gradually turned solemn.
This was completely different from the general trend of the Primordial Era that he knew.
The books from before his transmigration had never mentioned it either!
Lin Dong's gaze gleamed with excitement.
It was better for the general trend to change.
That way, it would be full of novelty.
If everything remained unchanged,
what would be the point?
His puzzle-solving life would become fun again.
Now came the question:
Why had none of the Saints noticed this?
That was not normal!
Lin Dong tapped the table again and again.
All sorts of guesses in his heart were cast aside.
His eyes grew increasingly brilliant.
"The Witch-Demon Calamity, the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, the Journey to the West Calamity—they have several things in common: all of them were designed by Hongjun."
"Without his interference in the Witch-Demon Calamity, the Witch Clan would have become the sole protagonists of heaven and earth during that era."
"Without his interference, the Investiture of the Gods Calamity could not have been set in motion at all—there would not have been enough baleful aura and Karma in heaven and earth..."
"The Journey to the West Calamity was even more so. He directly gathered the Saints and forcibly unified their thinking!"
"In that case..."
Lin Dong's eyes shone even brighter.
"These calamities were all calamities that Hongjun believed should happen!"
"Their purpose was fundamentally the same: to promote the Rise of the West and repay Heavenly Dao Karma."
The corners of Lin Dong's lips curled upward. He was somewhat excited.
"But these are merely the general trends of Heavenly Dao as Hongjun sees them!"
"What if someone refuses to acknowledge them?"
Hongjun was the Incarnation of Heavenly Dao. His words were the decrees of Heavenly Dao.
Among the Saints and cultivators of the Primordial Era, who would dare refuse to acknowledge his words?
Even if they were dissatisfied, so what?
Would they not still have to obediently comply?
But Lin Dong burst into laughter. He had discovered a startling truth.
"If we shift our gaze a little further back, we can see Heavenly Dao's intentions without Hongjun's influence."
"The Three Dragon-Han Clans stood side by side in the east. Who ruled the Western World? Demon Ancestor Luohu!"
"Luohu unified the Western World."
"If there had been no Dragon-Han Calamity, no conflict between Dao and Demon..."
"Then the east would have belonged to the Dao Ancestor, while the west would have belonged to the Demon Ancestor!!"
Lin Dong's hand, which had been tapping the table, suddenly stopped.
He finally came to a conclusion.
"To Heavenly Dao, letting nature take its course is the true general trend of Heavenly Dao."
"Dao and Demon are one body, two sides of the same whole produced by the evolution of the Great Dao."
"Yet now Hongjun wants to revitalize the Western World and make Immortal Dao flourish greatly there..."
"That fundamentally violates Heavenly Dao's balance of Yin and Yang."
"Therefore... Heavenly Dao does not permit it!"
"The Lord of the Seven Kills Oath returned to life from the void, was born in the Boundless Sea of Blood, and possesses power no less than Hongjun's..."
"This is Heavenly Dao's dissatisfaction!"
Lin Dong laughed heartily.
He was delighted beyond measure.
"The Primordial Era is going to have quite a show!"
Lin Dong muttered, "So Heavenly Dao has consciousness! That makes things even more interesting!"
He did not know that when he had expounded the Dao to Little Friend Lingbao, the consciousness attached to Tongtian had been the Heavenly Dao Origin.
Otherwise, Lin Dong would have reached this conclusion much earlier.
Lin Dong contentedly drank a cup of Enlightenment Tea.
"The Primordial Era is becoming more and more interesting!"
"Heavenly Dao actually made a move. Heh!"
After Monkey left Penglai Immortal Island, he was delighted beyond measure.
He had been born loving excitement!
Unfortunately, Penglai Immortal Island had only himself and his master.
There were many rare birds, exotic beasts, Ginseng Babies, Ganoderma Horses, and all kinds of spirits on the island,
but not one of them dared play with him.
Who told him that he was his master's disciple?
He was born with an exalted status.
It was not that those spirits disliked playing with Monkey; they simply did not dare!
Their blessings were insufficient. Becoming friends with Monkey would diminish their fortune.
And how could Monkey dare play wildly before his master?
What if his master reprimanded him?
Monkey admired Lin Dong's cultivation and Dao attainment wholeheartedly!
Now things were different. Sun Wukong had been ordered by his master to go out and play!
The sea was vast enough for fish to leap, and the sky boundless enough for birds to fly!
Sun Wukong was free!
Monkey soared on a streak of escaping light toward Biyou Palace on Jin'ao Island in the East Sea.
He was a Quasi-Saint. If he wanted to travel, there was no need for him to use an escape technique at all. With a thought, he could tear open a spatial gate; reaching anywhere was merely a matter of thought.
But Monkey loved to play.
Even while traveling, he wanted to enjoy the scenery along the way.
Still, Monkey's escape technique was truly formidable. Even without using a spatial gate, he spent very little time.
Tongtian, in Biyou Palace, was suddenly stunned.
Duobao and the other Eight Immortals hurriedly asked, "Master, could something have happened?"
Tongtian nodded solemnly.
"You eight shall accompany me to welcome an honored fellow Daoist."
Huh?!
An honored fellow Daoist?!
Could the Saints be arriving?
Duobao and the others looked at one another.
After the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, the reputation of their eight Quasi-Saints of Biyou Palace had resounded throughout the Three Realms.
Even the Saints held them in high regard.
If the Saints personally arrived, having a few of them accompany them would have been sufficient.
Yet they had not expected Tongtian to require all eight of them to attend.
That was an exceptionally grand reception!
Though Duobao and the others were puzzled,
they still obeyed Tongtian's command.
The gates of Biyou Palace were thrown wide open.
Tongtian took the lead, with the Eight Great Disciples—Duobao, Jinling, Wudang, Guiling, Zhao Gongming, and Sanxiao—following behind him.
They stood quietly beside the gates, awaiting the honored guest's arrival.
Before long, a small figure came running over.
Tongtian praised, "This fellow Daoist has truly shown us great respect!"
Duobao was even more confused.
In a Saint's sacred ground, one could not use escape techniques and could only travel on foot. This was an unspoken rule among the Saints' sacred grounds.
Even when their eight Peak Quasi-Saints visited another Saint's sacred ground, they had to do the same.
It was ordinary etiquette.
But why did Duobao sense a trace of being flattered by favor from his own master?!
The feeling was so intense
that Duobao found it especially unreal. Could I be imagining things?
"Master is a supreme Saint at the Eleventh Heaven of the Dao Integration Realm. Is there truly someone in the Primordial Era who could make him feel flattered by favor?"
"Would even having such a thought not be an insult to Master?"
Thinking of this, Duobao felt deeply ashamed of his own thoughts!
Before you continue