Descending into Journey to the West? The Three Demons of Shituoling! The Furious Sect Leader Tongtian!

Amidst the chaos, there was neither day nor night.

Time and space barely seemed to exist there. In a daze, who knew how many years passed?

Not only that, danger lurked everywhere in the chaos.

Aside from primordial ferocious beasts capable of swallowing entire worlds, fierce winds and baleful energies that could snuff out the soul-flames of Great Unity Golden Immortals were also commonplace.

This was truly a forbidden zone for immortals!

Even Quasi-Saints who had severed their Three Corpses had to tread carefully in the chaos, or they could fall at any moment.

But naturally, this was no great concern for a Saint, who could bring all things into being with a single thought.

"Whoosh!"

As a dazzling beam of light tore through the darkness, four Immortal-Slaying Swords, their entire lengths shimmering with countless bolts of lightning, appeared.

"We're here!"

Within the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation, Sect Leader Tongtian, still dressed in his gray robe, looked up at the faintly visible vortex in the distance.

"If your coordinates are correct, that world is hidden inside!"

"Phew~!"

Xuanming took a deep breath, calming his dizzy head after their rapid journey, then turned to look at Sect Leader Tongtian.

"Grandmaster, remember, no matter what happens over there, you have to stay calm!"

"..."

Sect Leader Tongtian stared at Xuanming, speechless. "You little brat, keep stringing me along and see if I don't throw you out!"

"Grandmaster, the main thing is, words alone aren't proof!"

Xuanming felt rather aggrieved, too. If he hadn't been afraid this powerful figure might get worked up and slap him to death, he would have told him everything already.

But would he dare?

Above him, his most trusted master and senior brothers had joined forces to suppress him. Below him, his closest disciples had defected with his trump cards...

Leaving aside whether Sect Leader Tongtian would believe in things that hadn't happened yet, even if he did, could he really keep his temper?

When a Saint flew into a rage, heaven and earth crumbled. By then, who knew where a puny Golden Immortal like him might get blown away to?

So even though Tongtian had made his displeasure clear, Xuanming clenched his teeth and refused to say a word.

"Hmph~!"

Seeing this, Sect Leader Tongtian gave an unhappy snort. But after glancing at the vortex in the distance, he said no more.

He would find out the truth soon enough!

"Let's go!"

Having made up his mind, Sect Leader Tongtian swept his hand through the air. The four lightning-wreathed Immortal-Slaying Swords immediately sprang into motion, shielding the two of them as they charged into the vortex.

The next moment...

Pop~!

With a sound like a hole being punched through an air wall, the scene before Xuanming and the others abruptly changed. A scene straight out of hell appeared before them without warning.

In the city below, a Green Lion, a White Elephant, and a Golden-Winged Great Peng were feasting on the city's inhabitants.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng was especially terrifying.

It opened its massive beak, and tens of thousands of people struggled and wailed as they were sucked inside.

"What... what is this?!"

Sect Leader Tongtian had instinctively concealed their presence. As he watched the scene before him, his eyes held nothing but shock and fury.

"How dare these wretches slaughter living beings like this? They're going to destroy the very foundation of my Interception Sect!"

"Grandmaster..."

Suppressing the urge to rush out and get beaten up, Xuanming quietly reported from beside him, "Senior Brothers Qiushou and Lingya have already defected to the Western Teachings. They're now the mounts of the Western Teachings' Bodhisattvas Manjushri and Samantabhadra..."

"What?!"

Before Xuanming had finished speaking, Tongtian suddenly whipped around, his aura growing unsteady.

"Did you just say they... they defected to that Western Teachings of Jieyin and Zhunti?!"

"That's right!"

Xuanming nodded and reminded him with some concern, "Grandmaster, don't act rashly. It would be bad if we were discovered..."

"And what if we are?!"

Before they'd come, Sect Leader Tongtian had promised to stay calm. Now, he no longer cared what would happen if they were discovered.

He couldn't accept this!

Even if the Green Lion and White Elephant had defected to Chanjiao or Renjiao, he could still have accepted it. After all, the Three Pure Ones shared one origin.

But they had actually defected to the Western Teachings, an organization not even fit to lace the Interception Sect's shoes?

"Ptooey!!"

The angrier Tongtian grew, the more furious he became. He flung out his hand, and the three demons of Shituoling, who were tormenting humans in the distance, suddenly felt a chill run down their backs.

"Not good!!"

The Golden-Winged Great Peng's heart lurched. It still didn't know who had attacked them, but whoever it was had power beyond anything it could withstand. It immediately revealed its ten-thousand-zhang true form, trying to tear through space and escape.

The Green Lion and White Elephant beside it followed suit.

But before they could reveal their true forms, the world spun around them. When they came to their senses, two figures stood before them.

"Y-you dare?!"

The Golden-Winged Great Peng defiantly raised its head. "Do you know who I am? How dare you meddle in Buddhism's affairs! When Tathagata arrives, you'd better hope you don't get scared out of your wits!"

"Tathagata? Who's that?"

Sect Leader Tongtian furrowed his brow. Among the old Quasi-Saints and even the Great Unity Golden Immortals of the Primordial World, he didn't recall anyone by that name.

"Grandmaster..." Xuanming hesitated beside him.

"If you have something to say, then say it!"

Sect Leader Tongtian's face darkened. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Even the Seven Attendant Immortals could defect to the Western Teachings. What else could I possibly be unable to accept?"

"B-but Tathagata is Senior Brother Duobao!"

"What?!"

Tongtian's eyes widened as if he'd heard something unbelievable. "Y-you mean even Duobao defected to the Western Teachings?!"

"Yes!"

Xuanming nodded again. He had heard people in later generations say there was more to the story, but looking at Tongtian now, it didn't seem that way at all!

Hadn't the Golden-Winged Great Peng, Green Lion, and White Elephant nearly been crushed to death by him?

That's right!

When he heard that his personal disciple, Senior Brother of the Interception Sect and leader of the myriad immortals, Daoist Duobao, had also defected to the Western Teachings, Sect Leader Tongtian could barely contain the murderous intent deep inside him.

The clearest proof?

The three demons of Shituoling, who had barely managed to stay on their feet, were now sprawled on the ground, barely clinging to life.

"M-Master... it's Master..."

Though the aura Sect Leader Tongtian had "unintentionally" released made them feel like they were about to die, when the Green Lion and White Elephant recognized him, they were not afraid. Instead, they were overjoyed.

"Qiushou, Lingya!"

Sect Leader Tongtian came back to himself, suppressed the savagery deep within him, withdrew his aura, and looked coldly at the Green Lion and White Elephant.

"Do you have anything to say?"

"Master!!!"

The Green Lion and White Elephant rose to their feet and knelt before Sect Leader Tongtian, weeping and wailing.

"Master, you... you finally came to help us!"

"Waaah..."

"Master, the people of Buddhism... those bastards aren't human! They treat our fellow Interception Sect members like cattle and horses, and they even force us to slaughter mortals everywhere, deepening the Interception Sect's sins!"

"Master, please, save our brothers!!"

Sect Leader Tongtian: "???"