Time rewound to a moment earlier,
inside the Jade Void Palace,
Taishang Laojun and Yuanshi Tianzun were holding a meeting with several of their disciples. The retreat of Buddhism and the growing strength of the Interception Sect had both given them some ideas.
Unfortunately, the meeting ended badly.
Laozi had gotten savvy!
Or rather,
after discovering that even Bi Xiao could become a Saint, his attitude toward Renjiao had fundamentally changed.
A hero needed allies.
After all, Yuanshi and he were only brothers. What if they fell out someday, just like Tongtian?
By then, Tongtian would have the Interception Sect's ten thousand immortals paying court, and Yuanshi would have the Chanjiao's Twelve Golden Immortals... though they couldn't quite scrape together the full twelve anymore.
But what about him?
Did he have Xuandu?
In terms of cultivation, Xuandu was no weaker than those fellows, and he also carried the immense fortune of the human race.
But two fists couldn't beat four hands!
And the disciples of the Interception Sect and Chanjiao had far more than four hands. You could just as easily say forty—or even four hundred!
How could he let his precious eldest disciple face them all alone?
So,
when they brought up the dissolution of Buddhism and all the territory left vacant, Taishang Laojun said that Renjiao should get a share too.
That made Yuanshi Tianzun very unhappy.
What?
My Chanjiao fought the battles, took the blame, and offended everyone...
Did your Renjiao contribute anything during the whole Investiture of the Gods?
And now?
Now that you've realized there's something to gain, your Renjiao shows up? Wasn't that a bit shameless?
"Junior Brother Yuanshi, that's not right!"
Taishang Laojun had only just started entertaining the idea, but hearing this left him displeased too. He frowned and retorted,
"What do