"Innate Supreme Treasure!"
"This is the aura of an Innate Supreme Treasure!!"
Feeling that aura, which even made his heart skip a beat, Yuanshi Tianzun came to his senses and immediately grew excited.
"Senior Brother, did you feel that? This, this seems to be a newly born Innate Supreme Treasure?!"
"Indeed!"
Taishang Laojun furrowed his brows. He had naturally sensed the aura too, but he wasn't as excited as Yuanshi Tianzun.
"Junior Brother, do you think the timing of this appearance makes sense?"
"This..."
The look on Yuanshi Tianzun's face froze.
Oh, right?
It hadn't appeared earlier or later, but just when the Western Teachings and that brat Tongtian had joined forces and were preparing to challenge them, an Innate Supreme Treasure had suddenly appeared?
Did that make sense?
Not at all!
Never mind that Innate Supreme Treasures only appeared when the world was created. Even if one had somehow been missed, it shouldn't have appeared now, should it?
But...
"Senior Brother, how about I go take a look?"
Yuanshi Tianzun glanced at Taishang Laojun, conflicted. He understood the logic, but he still couldn't resist the temptation of a wild Innate Supreme Treasure.
"I'll go!"
Taishang Laojun's expression shifted slightly. Smiling without a trace of warmth, he looked at Yuanshi Tianzun. "Junior Brother, this whole mess was started by your Chanjiao. Now the wronged party has come knocking, so it wouldn't be right for you not to stay here!"
"You?!"
Yuanshi Tianzun's face darkened. What did he mean, the mess was started by Chanjiao?
Hadn't Renjiao taken part too?
Renjiao only had a handful of people, but... a handful of people were still people!
Besides, hadn't their teacher arranged this in the first place?
What did Chanjiao have to do with it?
Well...
Though Yuanshi Tianzun was grinding his teeth with anger, he still let out a helpless sigh under Taishang Laojun's knowing gaze.
"You're absolutely right, Senior Brother. Then I'll trouble you to make the trip!"
"It's no trouble, no trouble..."
Taishang Laojun waved a hand with a chuckle. "This is probably just a decoy Third Brother set up to lure us away from the Heavenly Court. You must guard it well. Otherwise, if the Dao Ancestor holds us accountable, neither of us can bear the consequences!"
"..."
Yuanshi Tianzun drew a deep breath. He could only hope this really was a decoy set by Sect Leader Tongtian—and, ideally, that it would get Taishang Laojun beaten senseless.
Otherwise?
Even if they won a complete victory this time, or even managed to suppress Third Brother, he probably wouldn't be happy.
Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens,
in an unknown region,
two sorrowful-looking Daoists sat facing each other atop a massive Thirty-Six Grade Lotus Platform, absorbing the endless stream of faith power.
Suddenly, they both opened their eyes at the same time, surprise glinting in their gazes.
"Senior Brother, did you sense it?"
"Of course!"
Jieyin nodded firmly. After calculating with his fingers for a moment, he frowned. "The heavenly secrets are in disarray, too obscure to make out. I only know that this Innate Supreme Treasure was born somewhere in the prehistoric world. I can't determine its exact location yet!"
"Then let's go back!"
Zhunti glanced up at the endless faith power above them, his voice betraying a hint of anticipation.
"The eastward spread of Buddhist teachings is about to begin, isn't it? We can return and gather the faith power there. By then, we'll surely be able to break through another minor stage!"
"Excellent!"
At Zhunti's words, a rare smile appeared on Jieyin's sorrowful face.
"Taishang and Yuanshi are fools. To this day, they only know about fortune and merit, yet they don't realize that faith power is what matters most!"
"Hahaha... Thank goodness they don't know. Otherwise, why would they have let us spread Buddhism eastward?"
"Let's go and spread the faith among the people as soon as possible. By the time they realize what's happening, it'll be too late!"
"Excellent!"
As Jieyin and Zhunti's voices faded, their enormous figures gradually vanished from the lotus platform.
However,
when they returned from the chaos to the prehistoric world and reached their headquarters, the successive messages they received left them reeling.
"Jin Chanzi and Guanyin, the ones in charge of spreading Buddhist teachings eastward, were killed?"
"Tathagata led people to fight the Heavenly Court?"
"This, this... Outrageous!!"
Jieyin and Zhunti recovered from their shock and flashed in front of Tathagata and the others, instinctively about to scold them and send them back.
What were they thinking?
If the person in charge died, they could simply appoint someone else. Before Buddhist teachings had spread east, everything was still negotiable.
However,
before they could say a word, a gigantic palm came flying through the air in the distance and slammed straight into the Buddhist ranks.
Screams rang out all around!
Eight Buddhas, including Buddha Tathagata, Ancient Buddha Dipankara, and Medicine Buddha, had their bodies smashed apart by that single blow. Only their bewildered Buddha spirits remained, standing there in a daze.
As for the other Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and warrior monks?
They were wiped out!
All the Bodhisattvas, including Samantabhadra and Manjushri, had been reduced to ashes by that single blow, without even leaving behind a Buddha spirit.
At the same time, a haughty voice, seething with anger, rang in their ears.
"A bunch of ignorant bald donkeys! Even your saints don't dare say a word, and now you think you can run wild in my Heavenly Court?"
"Get lost, now!"
"If you don't, none of you will be leaving either!"
"..."
Roused by the voice, Buddha Tathagata and the others looked at Jieyin and Zhunti in terror, as though they were wives being ravaged in front of their husbands...
"Y-you bastards!!"
Jieyin came to his senses, his face turning livid. He immediately struck back with a palm, aiming squarely at the assembled generals of the Heavenly Court.
"Brother Yuanshi, you've gone too far! Do you really think the West has no one to stand against you?!"
"Huh??"
Yuanshi Tianzun, who had just vented his anger, clearly hadn't expected Jieyin and Zhunti to arrive so quickly. He hadn't had time to stop Jieyin, and the attack landed unhindered.
BOOM!!!
The deafening blast made the entire Heavenly Court tremble. The Jade Emperor and the other Heavenly Court generals were reduced to their primordial spirits, just like the members of Buddhism.
Those whose names were on the Investiture of the Gods would be fine; they would recover after some rest.
But as the overseers of the Investiture of the Gods, the Jade Emperor and Yang Jian—along with a few others who weren't on the list and were merely helping out in the Heavenly Court—were the ones who suffered terribly.
That single palm strike had cost them at least ten thousand years of cultivation!
"Damn it!!"
Now reduced to a chibi version of himself, Yang Jian felt his cultivation draining away and glared at Yuanshi Tianzun.
Weren't you a saint?
Weren't you supposed to be powerful?
How could you not even block their attack?
What exactly were you protecting?!
"..."
Perhaps sensing his Grand Disciple's resentment, Yuanshi Tianzun came to his senses and immediately flew into a rage, summoning the Jade Ruyi.
"Jieyin, Zhunti, do you really mean to fight me?"
Before you continue