End of All Things, Removing the Firewood from Under the Cauldron

A water qilin and a fire qilin opened their mouths and spat out True Water of Heaven and Divine Fire of Scarlet Brightness. The two intertwined in the void, forming a Water-Fire Taiji Diagram that erupted with the force to suppress all things.

Wangshu's divine soul tried to struggle, but with her current strength, she was no match for two Great Luo cultivators. In the blink of an eye, the pair forcibly sealed her away.

"Excellent Water-Fire Taiji Diagram!"

After comprehending the Tai Xiao Divine Thunder, Xuan Yin had also gained a deep understanding of balance. The two could balance water and fire, allowing the two Great Daos to manifest the wonder of water and fire aiding one another. This undoubtedly showed their profound comprehension of their respective Daos.

The Wangshu Immortal Sword was suppressed by the Water-Fire Taiji Diagram, its spiritual radiance dimming. In but a moment, the sword was drawn into the Water-Fire Gourd.

As for Xuan Yin, adhering to the principle of plucking every feather from a passing goose and leaving no hide on a fleeing beast, he descended directly into Xian'a Mountain Grotto-Heaven below and thoroughly looted it.

Though this grotto-heaven could not be called vast, the presence of an Innate Spiritual Treasure within it had nevertheless created some fortuitous opportunities over time.

The power of the Lunar Star nurtured all things. The immortal herbs, spiritual medicines, Copper Essence Iron Mother, and other materials here had all acquired an attribute of extreme cold under its influence.

"Let's go!"

Only after thoroughly stripping Xian'a Mountain Grotto-Heaven clean did Xuan Yin reluctantly depart.

This time, although he had not obtained any rare treasures, he had gained a deeper understanding of the Divine Dao and the authority that existed between heaven and earth.

The Immortal Dao and Divine Dao had now developed into states of mutual dependence.

He had even heard that Primordial Heavenly Venerate had established his dojo on Mount Kunlun because he valued the immense fortune of the former Home of All Gods. He wished to become the source of the laws of all gods and further reinforce his title as the Most Ancient Source.

The origin of gods and the beginning of immortals—when the two became one, one became the unquestionable source of Immortals and Gods.

"Senior Uncle-Master may appear tranquil and detached, neither fighting nor contending, but in truth, his plans run deep and far. At every crucial juncture, he has made his moves and laid his arrangements. Second Martial Uncle has never even bothered to conceal his ambition. So why does my own Teacher turn a blind eye to all of it?"

In Xuan Yin's impression, although his Teacher was known as End of All Things, in this age, aside from establishing the Jie Sect's lineage upon the principle of education for all, he truly had not made any influential arrangements.

Was it beneath his contempt?

Or did he have other plans?

Or perhaps the other Sages simply gave his Teacher no chance to interfere in the present world?

Xuan Yin did not know. He merely decided to speak with Sect Master Tongtian in detail.

Soon, he returned to Upper Clarity Peak.

Without the slightest hesitation, he went directly before Sect Master Tongtian. "Teacher, I encountered some matters during this journey and have questions I hope you can clarify for me!"

"Speak."

Sect Master Tongtian nodded slightly. "Some matters are harmful rather than beneficial once known. But since you have already come into contact with the corresponding karma, I will not hide them from you."

Hearing this, Xuan Yin cautiously asked, "Teacher, Sages can perceive the future. Do you know of the anomaly surrounding Chang'er Dingguang Immortal?"

"I do."

Sect Master Tongtian nodded. "I also know that you understand some matters of the future. Do you know why I accepted you as a Direct Disciple?"

Xuan Yin pondered for a long while before cupping his hands respectfully. "Please enlighten me, Teacher."

"Because you have no shame!"

Sect Master Tongtian slightly raised his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through eternal time and space. "Since you learned of Epoch Reincarnation from Xuan Shuang, I shall tell you certain things directly!"

"Across the past twenty Samsaras, the Investiture of the Gods tribulation unfolded every time. In ten of those epochs, Chang'er Dingguang Immortal chose to wave the Six Souls Banner and use it to curse the Four Sages. In the other ten, he betrayed the Jie Sect while taking the Six Souls Banner with him!"

"How could I condemn the current Chang'er Dingguang Immortal for deeds that have not yet occurred?"

"As for you..."

"You did not exist in the previous twenty Samsaras. Yet in this epoch, your existence is the greatest variable of my Jie Sect!"

"I have summed up the lessons of past failures. There were many causes, but at the root of it, I was always too concerned with saving face!"

"Jin Ling and the others were the same!"

"Sometimes, I also wonder whether the final outcome of the Investiture of the Gods tribulation might have changed if I had learned from the Two Sages of the West."

Sect Master Tongtian moved his fingers, and scenes from past epochs appeared before Xuan Yin. Some showed Chang'er Dingguang Immortal waving the Six Souls Banner and severely injuring the primordial spirits of the Four Sages. Others showed Chang'er Dingguang Immortal defecting to the Four Sages with the Six Souls Banner. Yet most of them depicted the brutal scenes of the Immortal-Slaying and Myriad Immortals Formations.

There was even one epoch in which the Jie Sect Disciples acted decisively and severely wounded the Exposition Sect as soon as they struck, only for future Great Luo cultivators to descend and stop them!

Watching those brutal scenes unfold, Xuan Yin's heart surged. Across the past twenty epochs, the Jie Sect had never escaped the fate of defeat and destruction!

Heaven's Will could not be defied!

As he watched Samsara repeat itself again and again, those were the only five words Xuan Yin could think of.

He even subconsciously ignored Sect Master Tongtian calling him shameless!

So what if he had no shame?

Could face fill his stomach?

Sect Master Tongtian withdrew his divine ability and sighed softly before continuing, "Apart from my inability to let go of my pride, the most fundamental reason behind these repeated failures... is that my foundation in the present world is still too shallow!"

"If the Immeasurable Kalpa descended and I commanded the power of the final tribulation, then let alone four Sages—even the one in the Purple Heaven Palace would have to avoid my edge!"

Xuan Yin fell into thought. The Dao Fruits of the Three Pure Ones respectively lay in the past, present, and future. The Dao Fruits of Taishang Laojun and Primordial Heavenly Venerate had long approached perfection in the present world, and they also had the Two Sages of the West aiding them. Sect Master Tongtian truly was at a disadvantage!

Sect Master Tongtian's Dao Fruit, meanwhile, could only truly reach perfection when the final tribulation descended, unleashing the terrifying power that symbolized the End of All Things!

Among the Six Sages, Grand Pure Sage was the strongest because his Dao Fruit symbolized the foundation of existence, allowing him to wield his greatest power in the current time and space.

Primordial Heavenly Venerate's Dao Fruit was the cause of all fruits before World Creation, the Most Ancient Source. The power he could mobilize also far exceeded that of the other Sages.

Xuan Yin did not know Nuwa's circumstances.

But the Dao Fruits of the Two Sages of the West were likely the same as Sect Master Tongtian's, existing in the future. Their present selves were merely projections of their future selves!

And in order to perfect their own Dao Fruits and bring about the Great Prosperity of the Buddhist Sect, they had no choice but to act against the Jie Sect, using the fortune of its lineage to nourish the West in return!

Thus, the Four Sages' Zhuxian Formation had, from beginning to end, been part of the Great Trend of the Heavenly Dao!

Xuan Yin frowned slightly and slowly said, "Then, Teacher, have you never considered finding allies? For example, Nuwa Sage of Tai Su Heaven?"

Sect Master Tongtian shook his head. "Those who follow different paths cannot make common plans! With Fu Xi around, it is already good enough that Martial Sister Nuwa can barely maintain neutrality!"

What Nuwa Sage cared about most was undoubtedly her elder brother, Fu Xi. A Sage was Indestructible Through Ten Thousand Calamities and naturally would not fear schemes from other Sages.

But Fu Xi was different!

Even though he had become the Heavenly Emperor of the Human Race, so long as he was not a Sage, there remained the possibility of him being plotted against.

Yet upon hearing this, a bold idea could not help arising in Xuan Yin's heart. "Teacher, Martial Brother Duobao is destined to become the Buddha. Why not try directly bringing the Jie Sect into the Buddhist System and give those two Martial Uncles a performance of removing the firewood from under the cauldron?"

"After all, you are third in the Mystic Gate. With your strength, even if you joined the Buddhist Sect, you should be able to secure the position of Third Sect Master, shouldn't you?"

"Then Martial Brother Duobao would be the Present Buddha, and you would be Tongtian Buddha, an Ancestor of Ten Thousand Buddhas just like those Two Sages!"

"That would make it three against two. And with the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation, the advantage would be yours!"