The words sounded like charity, as though joining the Western Teachings were an insult to one's roots, while being placed on the Investiture of the Gods List was a supreme honor.
Daoist Zhunti was so furious that his fingertips trembled, his face flushed purplish-red. The Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree in his hand hummed and quivered, its branches and leaves rustling violently. Clearly, Primordial Beginning's heart-piercing words had sent his anger blazing.
Even Daoist Jieyin, who had always been compassionate and composed, had his brows knitted into a deep furrow. After chanting a long Buddhist invocation, he slowly said, "Our Western Pure Land is pure and undefiled, and most within our sect are men of noble character. Yet compassion is our foundation. Believers must be allowed to undergo the calamities of the mortal world and have their hearts cleansed in the sea of suffering before they can comprehend the True Meaning of the Three Vehicles and ultimately return to our teachings."
Before he had finished speaking, he reached out and took the Investiture of the Gods List. With a tap of his index finger, golden light burst forth. His brush moved like a sinuous dragon, its strokes sharp and forceful as he swiftly wrote down dozens of names. He then withdrew his hand and steadily returned the list to its place.
That move had been crisp and decisive—as it was clear that the Three Pure Ones were too powerful to stop, he had simply struck first, taking the initiative to fill in names and thereby silencing them.
Sure enough, when the Three Pure Ones saw that the Western Teachings had already listed dozens of people, they could no longer refuse to write down even a single name. They had no choice but to take up their brushes one after another.
Primordial