"Junior Brother, what happened?"
Taishang Laojun, who had been hurrying toward the battle with Journey to the West Tongtian, saw Yuanshi Tianzun return with a grim expression. A hint of astonishment crept into his voice.
How many years had it been?
Ever since the two of them had failed to take down Tongtian together, how many years had passed since they had seen that expression on his face?
Could it be...?
Taishang Laojun felt an inexplicable chill in his heart. He instinctively glanced back at Journey to the West Tongtian and saw him wearing an utterly harmless smile. Only then did his anxiety ease.
But the very next moment...
"Whoosh!"
With a faint whistle through the air, Yuanshi Tianzun came to an abrupt stop in front of Tongtian, staring at him with a complicated expression.
"Junior Brother Tongtian, what exactly is going on?"
"Want to know?"
Sect Leader Tongtian still wore that utterly harmless smile.
"Of course!"
Yuanshi Tianzun nodded firmly. He needed to figure out whether Tongtian's strength had increased so dramatically that none of them could tell his true body from a clone, or whether there was some other misunderstanding.
For instance, had someone taken his form?
"Senior Brother should know!"
Sect Leader Tongtian looked toward Taishang Laojun, who stood nearby with a bewildered expression. "Senior Brother, you saw it just now too, didn't you? Doesn't the person Junior Sister Nuwa sculpted for me look incredibly lifelike?"
"???"
Before Taishang Laojun could make sense of what Tongtian had said, Yuanshi Tianzun lost his patience.
"Junior Brother Tongtian, do you think I'm an idiot?!"
Staring at Tongtian's innocent expression, Yuanshi Tianzun gritted his teeth and snapped, "If Junior Sister Nuwa could sculpt someone like you, wouldn't the Primordial World have descended into chaos long ago?"
"Junior Brother, don't get worked up. Take your time and explain."
Taishang Laojun was still completely lost. Seeing how agitated Yuanshi Tianzun was, he hurried over to smooth things over.
"Take my time? There's no time to take!"
Thinking of Jieyin and Zhunti getting thrashed by the unknown Tongtian, Yuanshi Tianzun quickly gave a brief explanation.
"What?!"
Taishang Laojun was astonished when he heard the story. "You mean there's another Tongtian fighting Fellow Daoist Jieyin and Fellow Daoist Zhunti?"
"Exactly!"
Yuanshi Tianzun nodded firmly, then added, "And that Tongtian is incredibly powerful. Fellow Daoist Jieyin and Fellow Daoist Zhunti can't fight back at all!"
"Gasp?!"
Taishang Laojun drew in a sharp breath and instinctively looked at Tongtian. "Junior Brother, you... could this be a clone?"
"Absolutely not!"
Before Tongtian could answer, Yuanshi Tianzun said firmly, "Senior Brother, don't forget: if a clone can fool your eyes and mine, then its true body must be far stronger than the two of us!"
"This..."
Taishang Laojun hesitated. He admitted that Tongtian was very powerful, but powerful enough that even he couldn't distinguish his true body from a clone? Wasn't that a bit too much?
"Heh..."
Seeing Taishang Laojun and Yuanshi Tianzun frozen in disbelief, Tongtian's smile grew wider, and his tone took on a teasing lilt.
"Senior Brother, you still don't believe me? I already told you: Junior Sister Nuwa sculpted that clone for me."
"Bullshit!"
Yuanshi Tianzun was on the verge of losing it. If Nuwa really had that kind of skill, wouldn't she have had a much bigger presence during the Investiture of the Gods?
"Junior Brother Tongtian, since you insist, shall I call Junior Sister Nuwa here so you can all confront each other face-to-face?"
"What's the harm?"
Sect Leader Tongtian raised an eyebrow. Before the furious Yuanshi Tianzun could do anything, he lifted a hand and beckoned toward the sky.
"Junior Sister Nuwa, both Senior Brothers seem eager to see you. Why don't you come out?"
"Coming~!"
Nuwa, who had been watching the situation from the shadows, stepped out of the Wa Imperial Palace with a smile and appeared beside them in a single stride.
"Senior Brother Taishang, Senior Brother Yuanshi, how have you been?"
"...Not too well!"
Seeing Tongtian summon Nuwa with a single sentence, Taishang Laojun and Yuanshi Tianzun exchanged a glance. Their eyes clearly asked the same thing: How did this woman get involved?
"Junior Sister!"
Yuanshi Tianzun was the first to recover. He pointed toward the chaos. "According to Junior Brother Tongtian, the clone you sculpted was strong enough to overpower the Two Saints of the West?"
"Well, you see..."
Nuwa blinked her big eyes a few times and feigned innocence. "Senior Brother, you should know this. Even brothers born of the same mother can have completely different talents."
"..."
Yuanshi Tianzun took a deep breath. He knew Nuwa was talking nonsense, but in the end he couldn't help asking again:
"Junior Sister Nuwa, are you saying that person really was sculpted by you?"
"If not, then what?"
Nuwa didn't answer him directly. Instead, she asked, "Senior Brother Yuanshi, then you tell me—what was it?"
"Me?!"
Yuanshi Tianzun was furious. If I knew, would I be asking you? I'm asking because I don't know!
"Enough, Junior Brother!"
Taishang Laojun had gathered the gist of things. He held back Yuanshi Tianzun, who was about to press further, and forced a smile as he tried to smooth things over.
"Since Junior Sister Nuwa and Junior Brother Tongtian both say so, then that must be what happened. Surely they wouldn't lie to you?"
As he spoke, Taishang Laojun looked up at Sect Leader Tongtian. "Junior Brother, I assume you wouldn't mind taking us to witness your clone's strength?"
"Not at all!"
Journey to the West Tongtian smiled. He understood Taishang Laojun's intentions: he wanted to see for himself whether the story was true.
But that suited him just fine.
After all, their goal this time was to destroy Buddhism and help Yunxiao attain sainthood, not to deal with those two old men.
"Let's go!"
Taishang Laojun gave Tongtian a long look, then beckoned to Yuanshi Tianzun, who still seemed confused. The two transformed into streaks of light and headed toward the battlefield.
On the way, Yuanshi Tianzun couldn't hold back any longer. Frowning, he asked, "Senior Brother, do you really believe what they said?"
"Does it matter whether we believe them or not?"
Taishang Laojun kept a straight face, but his voice carried a trace of worry. "Junior Brother, whatever happens in a moment, don't act rashly."
"What do you mean?"
Yuanshi Tianzun furrowed his brow even more. What did he mean, don't act rashly no matter what happened? If that brat Tongtian took a dump on his head, was he supposed to just put up with it?
"Put up with it!"
As if he had seen Yuanshi Tianzun's indignation, Taishang Laojun raised his voice slightly. "Junior Brother, have you ever considered how serious the consequences would be if what they said turned out to be true?"
"Hmm?!"
Yuanshi Tianzun's expression stiffened. He really hadn't considered that.
How could that be possible?
Back then, they had used every means imaginable to become saints, and only just managed to attain sainthood.
And now he was supposed to believe that Nuwa could casually sculpt someone with the strength of a saint?
Then what had all their efforts and schemes been for?
For the love of scheming?
Before you continue