Nuwa had thought that Tongtian had been discovered. Watching Taishang Laojun disappear into the distance, she stood frozen for a long while, unsure what to do.
Should she follow them?
And whom should she help?
Should she help Taishang Laojun and Yuanshi Tianzun fight Jieyin and Zhunti? Or help Jieyin and Zhunti fight Taishang Laojun and Yuanshi Tianzun?
Neither option seemed very appropriate!
But what if she didn't follow them?
If Taishang Laojun thought it over and realized she hadn't come out to help his brothers, what would she say then?
Should she just openly break with them?
The more she thought about it, the more of a headache she got. Nuwa instinctively lowered her eyes to Xuanming. "Young man, what do you think we should do now?"
"What should we do?"
Xuanming paused, then said, "Of course we find Grandmaster and head back. We can't keep following them around to watch the excitement, can we?"
"Watch the excitement? That's not a bad idea!"
Nuwa gave Xuanming a thoughtful look. "It'll let you feel the power of a battle between Saints firsthand. That should keep you from getting more and more disrespectful in the future!"
"Uh..."
The smile froze on Xuanming's face. Awkwardly, he moved the hand he'd had around Nuwa's slender waist away.
"Well, you see, Grandmaster, you were flying so fast that I was afraid I'd fall!"
"Heh..."
Nuwa laughed noncommittally. She didn't bother to investigate whether Xuanming was telling the truth. Once she'd reached the highest point and stopped, she gently waved a hand toward the Heavenly Court, which had been reduced to ruins.
"Whoosh!"
A flash of glowing green light passed over the scene, and the buildings that had collapsed and shattered were restored to their former grandeur.
Not only that,
even the Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Generals who had been slapped into oblivion by Jieyin woke up at Nuwa's mere gesture.
"Th-this is?!"
"I'm not dead?!"
"Thank goodness!"
"A Saint! Saint Nuwa saved us!"
"Thank you, Lady Nuwa, for saving our lives!"
At someone's lead, everyone—including the Jade Emperor, whose body had been restored—knelt before Nuwa.
"Rise."
Nuwa sighed. It was a good opportunity to win people over, but she felt listless and didn't want to say another word.
After all, most of them were from Chanjiao.
Unless something unexpected happened, when they came over from the main world, these people would likely be reduced to fragments all over again.
So why had she saved them?
It wasn't because she was kindhearted. She simply didn't want to see the ancestral home of the demons reduced to ruins!
"Junior Sister, what brings you here?"
Just as the Heavenly Court had been restored and the immortals and gods were overcome with gratitude, the two Tongtians finally appeared beside Nuwa after receiving her summons.
"Didn't I tell you to just keep an eye on Xuanming?"
The Tongtian from the main world glanced at Xuanming, who was standing obediently nearby, and furrowed his brows. His instincts told him something had happened.
"Taishang Laojun came looking for you just now!"
Nuwa explained how Xuanming had given her an Innate Supreme Treasure, which had drawn Taishang Laojun to them. Then she glared at the two of them in annoyance.
"I thought you'd been discovered. How could I not worry? So I came along with him. Who knew they'd end up fighting?"
"Heh heh... Xuanming really saved the day this time!"
Journey to the West Tongtian had been wondering how Yuanshi Tianzun had ended up fighting the Two Saints of the West. At Nuwa's explanation, he immediately laughed.
"Huh? What did I do?"
Xuanming, who had been standing off to the side like a prop, looked bewildered. Aside from binding Nuwa, a neutral Saint, more closely to their group, he didn't think he'd done anything special.
"You got Senior Brother out of the way!"
Journey to the West Tongtian declared with certainty, "If Senior Brother had been there, they definitely wouldn't have started fighting."
"Exactly!"
Tongtian and Nuwa nodded in agreement. "With Senior Brother gone, given Second Brother's temper and pride, he wouldn't have given Buddhism the chance to say a word."
"In fact, he didn't!"
Nuwa spread her hands helplessly as she recalled the details she'd just learned. "Second Brother didn't waste a single word. He slapped Buddhism's Quasi-Saints, Great Encompass Golden Immortals, and a hundred thousand monks into oblivion."
"Then no wonder Jieyin and Zhunti lost their tempers!"
Journey to the West Tongtian sounded gleeful. "They got those few assets by tricking, swindling, and doing whatever it took. Then Second Brother wiped them out just like that. Of course they'd lose their tempers!"
"Then let's make them even angrier!"
A playful smile flashed across Tongtian's eyes. "Fellow Daoist, if I remember right, Duobao and the others kept their Buddha spirits, didn't they?"
"Why not finish what you started and send them on their way?"
"Hm?!"
Journey to the West Tongtian's eyes lit up. He couldn't help smacking his thigh. "Why didn't I think of that? Fellow Daoists, wait here for a moment. I'll be right back!"
"Wait, don't rush!"
Seeing that, Xuanming quickly called out to Journey to the West Tongtian, looking at him with an innocent expression. "Grandmaster, slapping them to death would be a bit too cruel. After all, they're also Senior Brothers from our Interception Sect!"
"How about this..."
"Slap all the other disciples of Buddhism to death, and leave only those few uncles and aunts from our Interception Sect. I'm sure they'll be grateful to you!"
"Hm??"
Journey to the West Tongtian furrowed his brows on instinct. With his wild and arrogant nature, he wasn't fond of this kind of saintly behavior.
But,
before he could open his mouth to refuse, Tongtian came around and nodded in agreement. "Fellow Daoist, I think Xuanming has a point. Just deal with those other disciples of the Western Teachings."
"And the few who are left?"
"Heh... keeping them in a state of constant fear will be far more satisfying than slapping them to death!"
"I see!!"
Only then did Journey to the West Tongtian understand. He looked at Xuanming with an approving expression. "No wonder you're that girl Bi Xiao's disciple. You're just as mischievous as she is!"
"Uh... am I?"
Xuanming scratched his head uncertainly. His master seemed gentle to him. Had Grandmaster been locked up for too long and gotten his memories mixed up?
"All right, you all wait here for a bit. I'll be back in a moment!"
Journey to the West Tongtian didn't dawdle. After greeting the others, he vanished from sight in a flash.
Meanwhile,
in the chaos,
as laws rampaged wildly in every direction, Jieyin and Zhunti's battle against Yuanshi Tianzun had already reached its climax.
They traded blows with magical treasures, clashed their laws, and brought out every technique they could use.
At first, Yuanshi Tianzun had managed to gain a slight advantage with his superior magical treasures. But the longer the fight went on, the heavier his heart sank.
They were too fast!
Those two old bastards, Jieyin and Zhunti, had improved far too quickly!
Back during the Investiture of the Gods, even the two of them together hadn't been a match for him!
But now?
Yuanshi Tianzun felt that if the fight continued, those two bastards would suppress him!
How was this right?!
Before you continue