Sage Plots to Block the West

Hiss!

The air pressure inside Biyou Palace was terrifyingly low.

If Duobao and the other Eight Great Disciples were to enter now, they would absolutely be unable to withstand such pressure.

Even though they were peak Quasi-Saints!

Tongtian stated the consequences directly, and all the Sages agreed quite readily.

But it was precisely because they understood the horror of it that the Sages felt so unsettled.

If they had not experienced the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, the group of Sages would never have worried about this.

In the Sages' understanding, under the Heavenly Dao, Sages were immortal and indestructible.

As long as they were Sages, who could possibly endanger their lives?

But after the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, such wishful thinking no longer existed!

What did Yang Mei, the puppet avatar of Hongjun, say?

He intended to suppress the Sages for several epochs.

Moreover, Yang Mei wasn't just talking; he truly had the ability to do so.

What were the Sages thinking at the time?

What would it matter if they were suppressed by Yang Mei for a few epochs?

Looking back now, they were filled with lingering fear!

If they had truly been suppressed by Yang Mei for several epochs, the Heavenly Dao would likely have changed by now!

And what would be the consequence of the heavens changing?

They would fall!

A true, permanent fall.

Even if Hongjun had not succeeded in stealing the Heavenly Dao, he would have forced the Sages to consume the Saint-Slaying Pill, causing their primordial spirits to be severed from the Heavenly Dao.

In this way, not only would the Sages lose their positions, but they would not even be able to keep their lives!

Fortunately, there was that axe strike from Tongtian.

Otherwise, the Sages might have truly fallen!

Yet even now, with the Investiture of the Gods Calamity over, they remained in danger.

Yuanshi and Tongtian had already made it clear and explicit:

If Hongjun wanted to steal the Heavenly Dao, he would inevitably have to eliminate them, the Sages.

As the foundation of the Heavenly Dao's rule over the Primordial Era, they were naturally the guardians of the Heavenly Dao.

Hongjun wanted to steal the Heavenly Dao?

The Sages would absolutely never agree!

They would definitely stand in opposition to Hongjun; this was certain!

On this point, all the Sages were well aware.

Yuanshi took a deep breath, "The Rise of the West is being pushed by Hongjun; he will not allow anything to go wrong with this Investiture of the Gods Calamity!"

"If we dare to do anything to sabotage it... he will inevitably come looking for trouble with us!"

The Sages fell silent all at once.

Having understood Hongjun's intentions, the Four Saints of the Mystic Gate naturally did not want the West to rise.

No!

They did not want the West to rise according to Hongjun's vision!

However, at the Zixiao Palace council, all the Sages had agreed, whether they were willing or not.

The Heavenly Dao had recorded it, and that was the most troublesome part.

Tongtian thought for a moment, frowning as he said:

"We cannot act rashly; Hongjun has stated that we Sages are not permitted to intervene."

"Otherwise, Hongjun would have an excuse!"

Taishang, Yuanshi, and Nuwa were shrouded in gloom.

They recalled the questions Tongtian had specifically raised when they were discussing the Investiture of the Gods, and their hearts were once again filled with lingering fear.

If Tongtian had not raised those questions, they would likely have already been fed the Saint-Slaying Pill by Hongjun and stripped of their status as Sages.

It seems this is a taboo!

Taishang said slowly:

"Even if we do not take action ourselves, it is not difficult to prevent the Rise of the West from proceeding."

The three sages looked at Taishang simultaneously.

Taishang sneered: "So what if we do not take action? Can Buddhism really bypass us if they want to gather the Ninety-Nine Eighty-One Tribulations?"

He paused, "Below the Heavenly Court, the disciples of the various sages should also start moving!"

The eyes of the three sages lit up at the same time.

It is true that Western Buddhism Spreading East is happening, but for the Journey to the West to occur, it is inevitable that they must bypass the Mystic Gate.

As for the disciples of the Mystic Gate, not to mention anyone else, just take the eight great disciples of Biyou Palace...

What does the West have to fight with?

Taishang's words were filled with murderous intent!

Tribulations, tribulations.

If Rulai truly dared to emerge, what would be so strange about him being killed once again?

Yuanshi frowned: "It is just that Haotian in the Heavenly Court... is not easy to control."

Haotian was originally the gate-keeping boy for Hongjun, is there any need to ask where his inclinations lie?

Tongtian chuckled: "Senior brother, there is no need to worry about that."

"Haotian is not a problem!"

"You must know that Hongjun is conspiring to steal the Heavenly Dao; this matter is top secret. Apart from us four sages, no one else in the Primordial Era knows about it!"

Yuanshi thought about it and agreed.

Even the wisest can make a mistake; he had not expected that he would have overlooked this matter.

Tongtian said leisurely:

"Not to mention that Haotian's rise to power in the past was recommended and strongly supported by us Three Pure Ones, even just considering the Karma of the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, he should contribute."

Hm?!

The three sages looked over in unison. Was there some other Karma involved in this?

Why did they not know about it?

Tongtian then recounted that piece of past Karma.

Nuwa said with disdain:

"Zhunti is truly base. He actually schemed against Fairy Yunhua and kept shouting about killing her?!"

"He is truly not a man of honor!"

Yuanshi nodded: "So it was the matter regarding Yang Jian's mother. This can indeed be utilized."

"I will have Yang Jian make a trip!"

Among the disciples of Chan Jiao, Yang Jian was one of the few who had managed not to go astray. Although he was a third-generation disciple, his cultivation had already reached the level of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

He was one of the disciples Yuanshi focused on cultivating.

However, no matter how much he was cultivated, he was still inferior to the Eight Immortals of Biyou Palace.

Yuanshi had always been unable to forget about Jinling!

Tongtian paused, then smiled again, "In reality, our situation is not that dire!"

Eh?!

The three sages did not understand.

They were currently facing the great terror of Hongjun; one slight misstep and they would fall into an bottomless abyss.

How could Tongtian's expression be so relaxed?

He was truly relaxed.

Tongtian smiled:

"Fellow Daoists, have you forgotten that there is still that Lord of Seven Kills within the Boundless Sea of Blood!"

The Devil Ancestor Luohu!

Taishang, Yuanshi, and Nuwa were jolted into alertness!

That's right, how could they have forgotten about him?

Tongtian said indifferently:

"Luohu has returned from the River of Time. Who would believe he isn't carrying out a mission bestowed upon him by the Heavenly Dao?"

"The Rise of the West that Hongjun wishes to realize is, in the eyes of Luohu, an unforgivable sin."

"The Rise of the West as envisioned by Luohu is completely different from Hongjun's!"

"The prosperity of the Original Demon Cult is what Luohu believes the West should look like!"

The Sages all agreed in unison.

"How could Luohu ever tolerate Buddhism occupying the Western World?"

"You must remember, during the Dao-Demon struggle, Mount Sumeru was the sacred mountain of the Original Demon Cult!"

Yuanshi's eyes lit up.

"In that case, we don't even need to take action ourselves."

"This way, we won't give Hongjun any excuse to intervene!"

"Furthermore..."

"We can assist Luohu based on how the Investiture of the Gods Calamity unfolds."

Yuanshi said fiercely, "We are, after all, Sages of the Heavenly Dao; naturally, we have an obligation to maintain the balance of Yin-Yang!"

The Sages looked at each other and smiled in unison!

They were, in the end, Sages of the Heavenly Dao.

Maintaining the Heavenly Dao was their mission!

The atmosphere among the Sages instantly lightened.

They were all Sages; once they made a decision, they would naturally do their utmost to carry it out.

There was not a shred of any other distracting Thought-form.

Yuanshi cast this matter aside and hurriedly said to Tongtian, "Junior Brother, let us discuss the matter of Jinling!"

Tongtian was stunned and said, "Senior Brother, is there really such a rush?"

Yuanshi said solemnly, "Great changes are coming to the Primordial Era; no one knows what the world will look like in the future."

"It is a tradition for the great sects of the Sages to hand over responsibilities to the second generation!"

"Buddhism is now managed by Rulai, Martial Nephew Duobao has taken up the mantle in Biyou Palace, and Martial Nephew Xuandu is outstanding enough within the Human Sect, so there is no need for me to worry!"

Yuanshi smiled bitterly, "Only my Chan Jiao... is suffering from a lack of successors!"

"If we don't seize the time now, I fear there will be no time left later!"

"One step slow, every step slow!"

"By then, my Chan Jiao will truly have no way forward!"

Nuwa remained silent.

Matters involving the inheritance of a lineage must be fought for with all one's might.

There is no room for mercy here.

Since the topic had reached this point, Yuanshi simply laid the matter out in the open!

"Chan Jiao is different from the other great sects."

"The doctrine of Chan Jiao is to clarify the righteous principles of heaven and earth and to expound the correct theories of heaven and earth."

"It has always followed an elite path."

"There are very few disciples who can align with this path."

He paused for a moment and said helplessly, "Even the temperaments of Guang Chengzi and Chi Jingzi, the teachers of the Human Race Emperor, are somewhat lacking."

"The Investiture of the Gods Calamity exposed all of their flaws!"

"To be honest, their performance brought me shame!"

"For them to take charge of Chan Jiao... they are completely unqualified!"

The group of mighty figures looked at each other, all speechless!

Yuanshi was right.

To control Chan Jiao, one must not only have sufficiently high cultivation and attainment, but also the ability to control everything.

A disciple like this, no matter which sect they were placed in, would be cultivated as a core member or even a future leader.

Where could such a talent be easily found?

It was not that the requirements of Yuanshi were too high, but rather that a Sage's great sect required such high standards!

Yuanshi was clearly dissatisfied with the disciples he had cultivated himself.

He did not want to settle.

Therefore, Yuanshi sought help from Tongtian.

Tongtian pondered for a moment:

"After the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, Jinling was conferred as Doumu Yuanjun, which indeed meets the requirements of Martial Brother."

The Eight Immortals of Biyou Palace were all conferred as gods in their physical bodies.

Because they were on the winning side, the divine positions they obtained were not low.

Naturally, the Eight Immortals could not go there in their true bodies; they all placed an avatar in the Heavenly Court to inherit the Merit of the Heavenly Dao.

Tongtian nodded.

"Since you have brought this up, Martial Brother, I will summon Jinling and ask for her opinion."

He said to Yuanshi, "However, Martial Brother, if Jinling is unwilling, I will not force her."

Yuanshi was overjoyed and quickly bowed: "Rest assured, Martial Brother."

Tongtian then summoned Jinling, and stated the matter to her straightforwardly, "Your Dao requires you to independently lead a great sect before there is any possibility of attaining the Dao."

"Your Martial Uncle Yuanshi is currently thirsting for talent and wants you to go over and lead Chan Jiao,"

"All the Sages are here, and I am asking for your opinion."

Jinling was stunned; she had never expected to receive such news.

For a moment, she was actually hesitant!

Leading a great sect was an incredibly rare opportunity.

But if she went to Chan Jiao, wouldn't that be a betrayal of Biyou Palace?

Yuanshi spoke up: "Martial Nephew, joining Chan Jiao does not mean you are no longer a disciple of Biyou Palace."

"Martial Brother Tongtian is no longer establishing a great sect,"

"If you want to attain the Dao, you need to lead a great sect; this matter has a hundred benefits for you and no harm."

Tongtian laughed: "That is exactly right!"

Jinling's doubts vanished, and she immediately said: "This disciple is willing!"

Yuanshi was overjoyed, clapping his hands and laughing: "Jinling, from now on you are the second-generation leader of Chan Jiao!"

"I shall announce this to the Primordial Era!"

Before he could inform the Three Realms, Wudang rushed over in a hurry.

Tongtian asked curiously: "What is the matter?"

Wudang bowed to the Sages.

Her voice was slightly hurried: "Master, it is bad, Martial Uncle Wukong has gone to the Heavenly Court!"

Hmm?!

Sun Wukong went to the Heavenly Court?

Tongtian was slightly dazed, then waved his hand: "He is a Quasi-Saint with a body full of magical treasures; it is fine, no one can bully him."

Wudang was even more anxious, "Master, an Angel just descended to the mortal realm to deliver invitations for the Peach Banquet."

"Martial Uncle Wukong asked a few extra questions, wondering if he had been invited."

"As a result, that Angel spoke rudely and angered Martial Uncle; now Martial Uncle has gone to find Haotian Shangdi to reason with him!"

Huh?!

Tongtian was speechless!

He had always thought that Monkey was a man of the world; how could he get into a dispute with a lowly Angel?

Yuanshi's heart stirred, and he frowned: "Martial Nephew, are you saying the Angel spoke rudely?"

Wudang nodded: "Yes!"

Yuanshi sneered, "Buddhism has made a move!"

The three Sages looked over simultaneously, feeling quite strange.

How did Buddhism get dragged into this?

Yuanshi explained, "What place is this? Biyou Palace! A Sage's dojo."

"Could the Angel sent to deliver the invitation not know that?"

"Any cultivator, upon arriving at a Sage's dojo, would tuck their tail between their legs and behave."

"Are Sages, or even the disciples of Sages, people they can afford to provoke?"

The expressions of the Sages changed.

Yuanshi said slowly, "Those who can hold a position like a messenger Angel must be tactful and worldly; how would they dare to speak rudely at a Sage's dojo?"

Yuanshi sneered, "I don't believe for a second that there isn't someone pulling strings behind this!"

The faces of the Sages darkened.

This was a scheme carried out right in front of them at Biyou Palace!

What was shameful was that it had actually succeeded!

The primordial spirits of Sages are anchored in the void of the Heavenly Dao, existing everywhere and at all times.

Let alone scheming against a Sage's disciple, Anyone who even conceived such a thought would be sensed by the Sages the very first moment.

However, as luck would have it!

Tongtian had summoned the Sages to discuss major matters, disrupting the Heavenly Secret in advance!

But because of this, While it was true that no one could spy on the Sages' conversation, It had also hindered the perception of the Four Saints of the Mystic Gate.

Thus, Sun Wukong had been successfully schemed against right at the entrance of Biyou Palace on Jin'ao Island in the East Sea!

The expressions of the four Sages were unsightly!

Yuanshi gritted his teeth and said: "I had intended to let Yang Jian have a proper talk with Haotian, but it seems that is no longer necessary!"

Taishang said slowly: "It would be better to let Taishang Laojun make a trip!"

The three Sages looked at each other and said in unison: "Agreed!"

Haotian's actions amounted to biting the hand that fed him.

Regardless of whether Haotian had ordered it or not, this Angel was sent by him, so he should take the blame.

Wudang asked anxiously: "Master, esteemed uncles, will Junior Uncle-Master Wukong suffer any losses?"

Taishang, Yuanshi, and Nuwa all looked at Tongtian.

They had never met Sun Wukong, And they did not understand his level of cultivation.

Tongtian sneered: "Rest assured, in this Primordial Era, he is the only one who bullies others; for someone else to bully him? That's a long way off!"

Taishang advised: "Junior Brother, do not be careless. Haotian is also a peak Quasi-Saint, and he holds the righteousness of the Heavenly Emperor..."

Tongtian was unimpressed, "Rest assured, Senior Brother."

"Fellow Daoist Wukong is covered in Dharma treasures; to completely break through his defenses, one would need a Sage to strike..."

"Otherwise, who could possibly defeat him?"

Hm?!

The three Sages looked at Tongtian in surprise.

Tongtian smiled with profound meaning, "Fellow Daoists, do not forget whose disciple Fellow Daoist Wukong is!!"

Taishang, Yuanshi, and Nuwa suddenly realized.

They all set their minds at ease.

Sun Wukong is, after all, the disciple of the Great God Lin of Penglai Immortal Island!

The Monkey's cultivation might not count for much in the eyes of the Sages.

But to scheme against the Monkey—where does that put the Great God of Penglai Immortal Island?

How could a mere Sage withstand the wrath of a Great God?

Tongtian continued:

"Senior Lin entrusted Fellow Daoist Wukong to me, yet I allowed him to be schemed against."

"Although Senior said to let Fellow Daoist Wukong settle the Karma of the Journey to the West."

"In the end, he still suffered a silent loss."

"If I don't do something, wouldn't I be failing to live up to their schemes?"

Yuanshi hurriedly reminded him, "Junior Brother, the Rise of the West is inevitable; we cannot intervene!"

Tongtian laughed heartily, "Senior Brother, rest assured!"

He tore open a portal through space and bowed toward the Six Paths of Reincarnation: "Fellow Daoist Pingxin, I intend to give Buddhism a taste of their own medicine; I ask for your assistance!"

Pingxin replied gladly: "I am already aware; rest assured, Fellow Daoist!"

The two Sages handled the matter with extreme simplicity.

The Three Saints of the Mystic Gate watched, feeling quite bewildered.

The two Sages spoke in such an abrupt, disjointed manner that it was exhausting to listen to.

Tongtian explained, "With Western Buddhism Spreading East, if Buddhism wants to flourish, they must preach in the Human Realm."

"Rulai must have cast the disciples of the Western Teachings into the Six Paths of Reincarnation, calling it a way to restore their Dao Heart."

"Since that is the case, if I ask Fellow Daoist Pingxin to help punish them, how could that not be a fitting reward for their efforts?!"

The Three Saints all agreed in unison.

Back when Pingxin attained the Dao, it was Tongtian's Primordial Violet Qi that she had accepted.

Furthermore, Pingxin's ability to increase her cultivation and beat the two Sages of the West was also tied to her Karma with Tongtian.

Now, by punishing the disciples of the Western Teachings, she could actually repay a portion of her Karma to Tongtian.

How could Pingxin be anything but satisfied!

Tongtian gazed indifferently toward the Western World, "They are probably rejoicing right now, aren't they?"

The Four Saints of the Mystic Gate all sneered in unison!

Those two Sages of the West likely had no idea that a great disaster was already looming over them!

On Mount Sumeru in the West, Jieyin and Zhunti looked at each other and smiled.

Zhunti laughed: "Haotian is quite sensible; he agreed so easily, which was beyond my expectations."

He had intended to scheme against the Monkey, and had gone through Haotian to do it.

He had assumed Haotian wouldn't dare, as it involved scheming against a Quasi-Saint within a Sage's domain.

Yet, he hadn't expected Haotian to agree so readily.

Indeed, anyone capable of becoming the Lord of the Three Realms is a clever person!

Jieyin let out a long sigh of relief, "Sun Wukong falling into our trap is only the beginning,"

"Next, it will be time for Rulai to step in and properly suppress that Monkey."

Jieyin sighed, "It won't be easy to suppress that Monkey; he is at the Quasi-Saint realm!"

Zhunti comforted him, "Senior Brother, do not worry; the World Honored One Rulai has fully recovered his cultivation and Dao attainment, so suppressing the Monkey should be no problem."

Jieyin smiled bitterly:

"How can I not worry?"

"That Monkey's cultivation is at the Quasi-Saint level; with him participating in the Journey to the West, the quality of the eighty-one tribulations has been raised to a whole new level... I don't know if Rulai can hold his own!"

Zhunti remained dismissive,