"What's got you in such a panic?!"
Seeing Randeng, who was usually so composed, scrambling over in a complete fluster, Jieyin and Zhunti's hearts leaped into their throats.
What had happened now...
No, wait!
With Buddhism in its current state, what else could possibly happen?
At that thought, Jieyin immediately relaxed. He glared at Randeng irritably. "Even if the sky falls, your uncle and I will be here to hold it up. What's the point of panicking like this?"
"...It was your uncle who did it!"
If Jieyin hadn't said that, it might have been all right. But the moment he did, Randeng's eyes reddened. He glared at Sect Leader Tongtian in the distance and ground out:
"Master, Uncle Tongtian flipped our entire Spirit Mountain upside down!"
"What?!"
At Randeng's words, Jieyin's wizened face flushed red. He whipped around and glared furiously at Sect Leader Tongtian.
"Fellow Daoist, isn't this going too far?"
"Too far?"
Sect Leader Tongtian smiled without answering directly. "Jieyin, when you attacked my disciples in the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, why didn't you think you were going too far?"
"What?"
"All I've done is destroy the headquarters of your Buddhism, and you think that's too far? How do you expect to survive from now on?"
"?!"
Jieyin grabbed Zhunti, who was about to charge forward. A hint of unease flashed across his face. "Fellow Daoist, what do you mean by that?"
"Is it so hard to understand?"
Sect Leader Tongtian looked around, then glanced at Dingguang Xian and Piluxian, who were behind Randeng. A hint of amusement entered his voice as he said:
"My meaning is simple. From now on, there'll be no place for your Buddhism in the prehistoric world!"
"W-what arrogance!"
Jieyin's face darkened completely. He ignored Zhunti, who stood fuming beside him, and raised a hand to summon the Green Lotus Treasure Banner.
"Fellow Daoist, since that's the case, why don't we settle this with a fight?"
"Excellent!"
Sect Leader Tongtian readily agreed. Smiling, he summoned the Four Immortal Slaying Swords and said bluntly, "Fellow Daoist Zhunti, don't even think about sneaking an attack. Both of you, come at me together!"
"Hmph!"
Zhunti snorted without the slightest embarrassment. He summoned the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, then raised a hand in invitation.
"Fellow Daoist Tongtian, come with us into the chaos!"
"Of course!"
Sect Leader Tongtian nodded to Xuanming at his side, then controlled the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation and headed into the chaos first.
Jieyin and Zhunti followed after him, somewhat puzzled. But seeing that Xuanming was only a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, they didn't give him much thought. They formed hand seals and went after Tongtian.
Once the three of them had left, silence fell over the scene.
Everyone looked at one another, their expressions turning strange.
There was only one reason: of the three people who had come from Buddhism, two had once belonged to the Interception Sect!
"Good disciple~!"
Bi Xiao, usually the most mischievous and yet the one who hated traitors most, was the first to lose patience. She turned to Xuanming beside her.
"Tell me, what should we do with these Interception Sect traitors?"
"Well..."
Xuanming rubbed his chin and stared at Buddha Tathagata across from him, who was edging over to join Randeng and the others. He drew a finger across his throat.
"Master, Uncles and Aunties, the Grandmaster has ordered that not a single member of Buddhism be spared!"
"Understood!"
At Xuanming's words, a delighted smile appeared on Bi Xiao's face. She was about to call on her senior brothers and sisters to attack when Daoist Duobao, the Senior Brother of the Interception Sect, stopped her.
"Junior Sister, wait!"
Daoist Duobao looked conflicted, yet there was a hint of relief in his expression. He stared at Dingguang Xian and Piluxian among the Buddhists, his voice taking on a pleading note.
"Could you let Senior Brother speak with them? If I don't learn why they betrayed the sect, I'll die without knowing the reason!"
"This..."
Bi Xiao hesitated. To be honest, she wanted to know why they had betrayed the Interception Sect and their Master, too.
But this wasn't something she could decide on her own!
Bi Xiao turned to Xuanming at her side, the newly appointed Deputy Sect Leader of the Interception Sect.
"What do you think, good disciple?"
"Of course, that's fine!"
Xuanming smiled and nodded. It would take a little while to destroy Buddhism anyway, so listening to some gossip would be a nice way to pass the time.
However,
unlike Daoist Duobao, Dingguang Xian and Piluxian, who had spotted their own counterparts across from them, had no desire to chat.
"Senior Brother, you're confused!"
Long-Eared Dingguang Xian, one of the Seven Attendant Immortals and a staunch confidant of Sect Leader Tongtian, stepped forward with a grim expression.
"No reason can excuse their betrayal of the sect!"
"Exactly!"
Piluxian, also one of the Seven Attendant Immortals, stepped forward as well. "Traitors deserve to die. What's the point of wasting words on them?"
"Junior Brothers, you're mistaken!"
Daoist Duobao gazed at Tathagata in the distance with a conflicted expression. "Since we've made mistakes, we deserve whatever punishment we receive."
"But that doesn't mean the reason is unimportant!"
"Only by knowing the reason can we avoid making the same mistake again!"
"And besides..."
At this, Daoist Duobao paused and looked at the Interception Sect disciples behind him. He gave a self-mocking smile.
"Once we've learned the full story, our Junior Brothers and Sisters can take it as a warning and make sure they don't end up as brainless as we were!"
"This..."
Although Dingguang Xian and Piluxian were reluctant, they had nothing more to say after hearing Daoist Duobao's explanation.
Otherwise, wouldn't they look guilty?
So,
led by Daoist Duobao, the three went forward and formed a standoff with Tathagata, Joyful Buddha, Vairocana Buddha, and the others.
"Who... are you people, really?!"
Daoist Duobao and the others hadn't tried to hide their conversation, so Tathagata and his companions had heard it all. Especially when Joyful Buddha and Vairocana Buddha saw those familiar faces, their hearts nearly stopped.
Fortunately, Buddha Tathagata, who believed he had seen through everything, stepped forward with a cold sneer.
"Fellow Daoists, at this point, you're still acting? Show your true forms already!"
"What?"
"You have the nerve to ambush Buddhism, but not to show your real faces? Or are you simply the sort who hides in the shadows?"
"..."
As Tathagata's words fell, everyone present wore strange expressions. They looked at him as if he were an idiot.
What did he mean, acting?
Even Sect Leader Tongtian had shown up, and the man still thought this was all an act? Did he really think they'd dare frame the Interception Sect right in front of Sect Leader Tongtian?
"Pfft!"
Bi Xiao couldn't hold back. She burst out laughing, then gave Daoist Duobao a strange look.
"Senior Brother, I always thought you used to be pretty clever."
"What?"
"Does joining Buddhism make you bald and affect your intelligence, too? That's simply terrifying!"
Before you continue