Listening to the Dao in the West, the Three Pure Ones Part Ways

The disciples of the Three Pure Ones arrived, and soon a Bhikshu led the two inside. They saw two Saints seated high above the clouds. Aside from pilgrim guests like Li Yunjing and Randeng, a host of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Bhikshus from the Western Sect attended the two sect leaders.

All these disciples of the Western Sect chanted Buddha's name, their Buddhist chants echoing throughout the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss like an all-pervading spring breeze, nourishing the entire world.

However, it was not yet the time for Buddhism to flourish. Although the Western Sect had many members, most of them had low cultivation. There was only one Quasi-Saint who could be called a Buddha, and the number of Grand Unity Golden Immortals at the Bodhisattva level was also not large. They were weaker than both the Jie Sect and the Chan Sect.

Far from the future when Buddhism would flourish and nearly unify the world.

Li Yunjing and Randeng paid their respects to the Saints and offered their congratulations. Like other guests, they took their seats on either side, waiting for others to arrive and to listen to the Saints' Great Dao.

Seven days later, Saint Zhunti, one of the two Saints of the Western Sect, sat atop a golden lotus. A world appeared in his palm, seemingly real yet illusory, filled with various Buddhist realms. It was the legendary "Buddha Kingdom in the Palm" immortal art.

A Daoist appeared, the venerable Buddha Zhunti, one of the two Saints of the Western Sect. The Daoist sat on a golden lotus, calling himself a Buddha, which was quite astonishing. The Western Buddhist realms gradually approached Zhunti, seemingly real yet illusory, and flew into his hand. It was impossible to tell if it was small or large, filled with Buddhist realms, the Buddhist realms within his palm.

"Bodhi originally had no tree, nor the bright mirror a stand. Originally there was not a single thing, where could dust alight? The Western Pure Land opens wide the door of convenience. Enter the door of ultimate bliss, and karma will not cling, right and wrong will not stain, you will not fall into heavenly disaster, nor be destroyed by human calamity, not descend into the five elements, nor be ruined by strife."

Saint Zhunti directly began to expound his Great Dao. For a time, heavenly flowers scattered, and all sorts of auspicious energy filled the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Li Yunjing listened with rapt attention, but towards the end, he frowned. You're expounding the Dao, fine, but why are you recruiting disciples?

"The world is impermanent, the land is fragile. The four great elements are empty, the five aggregates are without self. Birth, death, change, transformation, illusion, and rootlessness. The mind is the source of evil, the body is the nest of sin. Observe thus and gradually escape from the cycle of birth and death. Excessive desire leads to suffering, birth and death are tiring, arising from greed. Few desires and non-action lead to freedom of body and mind."

But then, Daoist Jieyin manifested between heaven and earth, expounding his Great Dao.

The two Saints each preached for three months, all of them only giving a superficial taste, but the profound meaning still brought Li Yunjing great shock and enlightenment.

This time, besides people with backgrounds like Li Yunjing, many rogue cultivators from the Primordial Desolation also came to the West to listen to the two Saints of the Western Sect preach. Now, after witnessing the Saints' great methods, many beings were indeed swayed by Zhunti and Jieyin and joined the Western Sect.

In an instant, the entire Western Sect's strength increased fivefold. This was even with the two Saints of the West being selective; otherwise, they would have immediately surpassed the Jie Sect in numbers and become the foremost sect in the world.

Li Yunjing paid no mind to the Western Sect's increase in strength. It was all in the future, and he couldn't stop it anyway. He might as well quietly comprehend the great methods and advance to the Quasi-Saint realm as soon as possible.

Therefore, upon returning to "Mount Kunlun," Li Yunjing immediately went into seclusion to cultivate, summarizing and expanding upon the Great Dao of the two great Saints, Zhunti and Jieyin.

One day, on "Mount Kunlun," the pressure of two Saints suddenly manifested. Li Yunjing quickly awoke from his seclusion and immediately calculated with his fingers, revealing a wry smile. The inevitable had arrived.

It turned out that due to the differing doctrines of the Jie Sect and the Chan Sect, their disciples frequently clashed. This time, Wuyunxian of the Jie Sect had a conflict with True Person Taiyi. Wuyunxian was no match and immediately called for his fellow disciples, thus triggering a melee.

The result, naturally, was that the Jie Sect had the upper hand, beating the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect into a panicked retreat. This situation immediately angered the Primordial Heavenly Venerate and, in turn, alerted Sect Master Tongtian.

The two Saints began to accuse each other over matters concerning their disciples, nearly coming to blows.

Seeing this scene, Taishang Laojun shook his head helplessly. Fate cannot be defied. It seems the separation of the Three Pure Ones is inevitable. The Heavenly Dao also does not permit the three brothers to remain united and dominate the Primordial Desolation!

At this moment, the Primordial Heavenly Venerate reprimanded, "Third Brother, look at the kind of disciples you've taken in! Arrogant and lawless! Where is the respect for teachers and the Way? Where are their manners and upbringing? A bunch of creatures hatched from eggs or born from moisture!"

"Second Brother! What do you mean by that?" The words of the Primordial Heavenly Venerate made Sect Master Tongtian's face turn red with anger. If he hadn't retained a shred of reason, he would have unleashed the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation and settled the score with the Primordial Heavenly Venerate.

"Second Brother! Third Brother! Please stop arguing! Although 'Mount Kunlun' is vast, it cannot accommodate the Dao traditions of us three brothers."

Taishang Laojun suddenly manifested between them, suppressing their argument. Seeing them calm down, he continued, "Your eldest brother has decided to take Xuandu and go to 'Shouyang Mountain' to cultivate. You two can handle matters here as you see fit!"

"Eldest Brother, Pangu opened the heavens, and we three brothers have been together since then. How can we separate? My Second Brother and I were just having a momentary argument!" Tongtian suddenly became anxious. While he was angry just now, he hadn't expected the Three Pure Ones to split up!

"Eldest Brother, my Third Brother and I just had a verbal spat. You can't leave!"

Such a major event as the separation of the Three Pure Ones was naturally something the Primordial Heavenly Venerate also did not wish for. He immediately followed Sect Master Tongtian's lead and began to explain.

"Forget it, fate cannot be defied! Even Saints cannot defy the great trend of heaven and earth," Laojun explained.

The Primordial Heavenly Venerate and Sect Master Tongtian both calculated with their fingers, and indeed, the separation of the Three Pure Ones was unavoidable. If they forced it, who knew what kind of trouble their disciples would cause.

Saints do not become entangled in karma. If something were to happen, it would naturally fall upon their disciples. If things continued like this, the next conflict between disciples might result in casualties.

"Since that is the case! Then I too shall lead my disciples away from 'Mount Kunlun' and seek another place to settle!" Since he knew separation was inevitable, Sect Master Tongtian made a decisive move and turned to leave, returning to the "Upper Pure Palace."

"This?"

The Primordial Heavenly Venerate was a little stunned. He hadn't expected the Three Pure Ones to simply disband like this.

Li Yunjing watched the scene before him and sighed. He suddenly walked up to the Primordial Heavenly Venerate, bowed, and said, "Second Uncle-Master, this is the 'Enlightenment Tea Leaves' I've saved. I offer them to you with filial piety. In the future, every three thousand years, I will return to 'Mount Kunlun' to visit you."

"Yunjing... you... Uncle-Master will keep the 'Chaos Palace' for you. Whenever you wish to return and live here, you are welcome to stay for a while." Looking at such an understanding disciple as Li Yunjing, the Primordial Heavenly Venerate was filled with emotion and finally made a promise to Li Yunjing.

A promise to keep a home for him on "Mount Kunlun"!

If Sect Master Tongtian's disciples were all like Li Yunjing, even if it defied heaven, the Primordial Heavenly Venerate would have kept Third Brother's lineage. However, thinking of the vast majority of his other disciples being creatures hatched from eggs or born from moisture, the Primordial Heavenly Venerate felt genuine disgust from the bottom of his heart.