Jade Pure Yuanshi founded a sect and attained the fruit of Sagehood. A towering Dharma Form slowly rose from Kunlun and appeared before the countless beings of the Primordial World.
The might of a Sage swept across the Primordial World. All living beings bowed under its sudden weight and paid their respects to the Dharma Form. Their cries echoed across the land: "Hail Sage Jade Pure Yuanshi!"
In an instant, the entire Primordial World seemed to come alive, resounding with a vast, joyous chorus. It was the source of the world itself offering praise. Violet Qi surged from the summit of Kunlun Mountain and spread across the sky, like the first ray of light at the dawn of creation. It stretched east to west and north to south, dyeing the heavens a deep violet.
Wherever the Violet Qi passed, Auspicious Clouds churned overhead. Golden flowers formed from the purest innate Dao resonance drifted down, stirring longing in the hearts of all who saw them.
At the same time, golden lotuses bloomed across the earth. Born from the mingling of the earth's pure source energy and the radiance of a Sage's Dao fruit, they gave off a gentle yet boundless vitality.
Heaven and earth rejoiced together. Violet Qi spanned the sky, golden flowers rained down, and golden lotuses sprang from the ground! This was the highest tribute the Heavenly Dao could pay to the birth of a Sage!
At last, the Dharma Form reflected in the eyes of all living beings slowly faded. The Violet Qi vanished, while the golden flowers and lotuses merged into all things.
A clear sword cry rang out from the summit of Kunlun!
"Heavenly Dao, bear witness! I am of the Pangu Orthodox Lineage, Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun! I have observed the Primordial World. The Heavenly Dao follows its own laws, yet beneath those laws, of the Dao's fifty, Heaven manifests forty-nine. What of the one that escapes?"
"Today, I found a sect named the Interception Sect!"
It would seize that escaping chance of survival for all living beings in the Primordial World!
"I take the supreme-grade innate Spirit Treasure, the Green Duckweed Sword, as the instrument of my Dao!" A green sword-light cut across the sky, bearing the Dao resonance of the Interception Sect.
"And I take the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords to safeguard my sect's fortune!" A mysterious formation diagram stretched across the heavens.
Four Immortal Swords, each radiating endless murderous energy, stood at its corners like four gods of slaughter. Every wisp of Sword Qi they released made the Quasi-Saints tremble, while countless streams of Sword Qi raced beneath the formation.
"The Interception Sect is founded!"
As the final word rang out, the Green Duckweed Sword's light pierced the sky!
Boom!
An equally vast cloud of golden merit gathered overhead. Golden light poured like a waterfall into Tongtian. The merit within him from the creation of the world stirred as well. Primordial Violet Qi appeared once more, linking him to the source of heaven and earth!
A moment later, an earth-shaking aura erupted!
"Come!" Tongtian barked, his voice sharp enough to cleave all things. Four rifts opened behind him, and four terrifying waves of murderous energy spread out, making heaven and earth tremble!
Phantoms of the Immortal-Slaying Sword, Immortal-Killing Sword, Immortal-Trapping Sword, and Immortal-Severing Sword hung at the formation's four corners. Their sword intent intertwined. Wisps of unseen fortune rose from Duobao and Golden Spirit and entered the diagram.
"I, Tongtian, attain Sagehood today! My Dao shall seize a chance of survival for all things. Let the Heavenly Dao bear witness!"
Tongtian's aura changed abruptly, as though it were merging with heaven and earth. A towering Dharma Form rose behind him and appeared in the eyes of all living beings.
The beings of the Primordial World could only remain bowed as they paid their respects to Saint Tongtian's Dharma Form. Once again, cries echoed across the land: "Hail Sage Shangqing Tongtian!"
Boundless Violet Qi, golden flowers filling the sky, and golden lotuses covering the earth appeared before them once more.
Only when the signs of Tongtian's ascension finally faded could the countless beings straighten their backs beneath the weight of a Sage's might.
In the west of the Primordial World, baleful energy shrouded the land, and Demonic Energy corroded all things. So little spiritual energy remained that few creatures lived there. As far as the eye could see, all was deathly still.
Mount Sumeru, the source of the western mountain ranges, had once been just as barren. But Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti, two innate divine beings, had persevered, moving Spirit Veins and spiritual plants there from other parts of the Primordial World little by little. At last, they had restored a fraction of the sacred mountain's former vitality.
Now, as Yuanshi and Tongtian attained Sagehood one after the other, Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti stood side by side atop Mount Sumeru.
Jieyin's already sorrowful face grew more strained. Zhunti gripped the Seven Treasures Wondrous Tree, the worry on his face hardening into desperate resolve. They looked toward the fading radiance of the Sages above Kunlun and the East Sea. Wave after wave of terrifying pressure swept across the Primordial World and weighed on their hearts.
From Yuanshi's and Tongtian's ascensions, the two had glimpsed their own chance to become Sages. Unlike those two, however, they were not fully prepared.
"Senior Brother!"
Zhunti looked at Jieyin's sorrowful face, unwilling to accept their plight.
"Heavenly Dao, bear witness! I, Jieyin—" "And I, Zhunti—" "See endless conflict in the Primordial World and living beings struggling through a sea of suffering in search of the Dao. Today, we jointly found the Western Sect! We shall guide all beings toward goodness, ferry them across the sea of suffering, and establish a pure land of ultimate bliss!"
"We take the Jieyin Treasure Banner and the Seven Treasures Wondrous Tree as treasures of our Dao, and the Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus to safeguard our fortune!"
"The Western Sect is founded!"
As their words fell, the heavens changed color. A vast cloud of golden merit gathered in the void!
It poured down upon Mount Sumeru like a waterfall, then split into two streams as it neared Jieyin and Zhunti, entering their bodies. Driven by the merit of founding the sect, the Primordial Violet Qi shook violently. Yet unlike with Yuanshi and Tongtian, it failed to become a bridge to the source of heaven and earth!
Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance. They understood. Without merit from the creation of the world, founding a sect alone could not sufficiently stir the Primordial Violet Qi. They could neither comprehend the complete laws of the Primordial World nor become Sages!
"Senior Brother..." Zhunti's voice was hoarse and trembling. "The merit from founding the sect truly isn't enough for both of us to attain Sagehood..."
Many innate divine beings and countless others watched boundless merit descend upon Mount Sumeru and braced themselves for the might of new Sages. But they waited and waited, and no such pressure came.
"Did those two in the west fail to become Sages?"
As countless beings across the Primordial World wondered, Jieyin's and Zhunti's vast, compassionate voices rang out, vow by vow. Their words reached every ear and were branded into the Heavenly Dao.
"If I become a Buddha, yet my realm has hells, hungry ghosts, or animals, I will not accept enlightenment."
"If I become a Buddha, yet the celestial beings and humans of my realm fall into the three evil paths after death, I will not accept enlightenment."
"If I become a Buddha, yet the celestial beings and humans of my realm are not all the color of pure gold, I will not accept enlightenment."
"..."
"...The forty-eighth vow: When I become a Buddha, bodhisattvas in other worlds who hear my name shall gain great wisdom and profound meditative power..."
One great vow followed another, every word ringing in the ears of all living beings. Zhunti kept pace, sweeping out seven-colored light from the Seven Treasures Wondrous Tree to empower each vow.
When the forty-eighth great vow was branded into the Heavenly Dao, boundless, dazzling Merit Golden Light gathered above—far more than had appeared when they founded the sect. It crashed down from the highest heavens like a burst dam! Its brilliance and sheer scale surpassed even the merit the Heavenly Dao had bestowed when the Three Pure Ones became Sages.
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