Jieyin and Zhunti

After some idle chat, Zhen Yuanzi took the initiative to offer to explain the Dao Ancestor Hongjun had taught at the Purple Heaven Palace to Shi Mo.

"Brother Zhenyuan is an honest man!" Shi Mo's regard for Zhen Yuanzi had grown considerably, so he readily nodded in agreement.

As Zhen Yuanzi expounded on the Dao, Hong Yun added his own understanding from the side. Before long, he and Zhen Yuanzi were debating their differing interpretations, and Shi Mo also offered some of his own insights.

The moment Shi Mo began to speak, both Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun were astonished. They realized his understanding of the Dao Ancestor Hongjun had taught was no worse than theirs. Some of his unconventional insights even inspired them.

After all, Shi Mo had come from a later age. His perspective was different, and many of his ideas were things Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun of this era could never have imagined.

Thus, Zhen Yuanzi's lecture soon turned into a discussion of the Dao among the three of them.

Before they knew it, decades had passed. Feeling that they had all gained a great deal, the three grew restless after sitting in one place for so long. At Shi Mo's suggestion, they continued repairing the Western Land's leylines.

Shi Mo's cultivation had advanced rapidly, and he had gained a deeper understanding of the leyline network. With Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun's help, their repairs naturally became much more efficient.

In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of years passed. The three had repaired most of the major damaged leylines across the Western Continent.

Before long, it was as if spiritual energy had returned to the entire Western Continent. The land, once barren and desolate, gradually brimmed with life, and more creatures began to appear.

If things continued this way, the power of the leylines and earthfire would flow and nourish the Western Land on its own. Even if Shi Mo and the others stopped meticulously repairing the remaining damaged and clogged leylines, they would eventually heal by themselves.

These changes naturally alarmed the Western sages, Jieyin and Zhunti, who had been meditating in seclusion ever since returning from the Purple Heaven Palace.

Jieyin and Zhunti left Mount Sumeru in the Western Continent. After sensing what was happening, they soon found Shi Mo and the others still hard at work repairing the Western Land's leylines.

Within the residence Shi Mo had established in the Western Continent, among a complex network of leylines and several connected main spiritual veins, he saw two figures suddenly appear: a plump, amiable Daoist and a gaunt Daoist with a sorrowful expression. Shi Mo paused in surprise, then quickly rose and saluted them.

"This is Shi Mo. May I ask if you two are the renowned brothers Jieyin and Zhunti of the Western Land?"

"Hm? So you're fellow Daoist Shi Mo. You recognize us?" Zhunti's gaunt, sorrowful face instantly blossomed into a smile when he realized Shi Mo knew who he was.

But when he saw the Wind-Fixing Pearl floating above Shi Mo's head, a subtle glint of greed flashed in his eyes.

Seeing his reaction, Shi Mo quietly drew the Wind-Fixing Pearl into his body, then smiled.

"You two are among the most renowned great powers of the Western Land. Your names resound throughout the Primordial World. How could I not know of you?"

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, secretly wondering whether they really were that famous throughout the Primordial World.

Still, hearing such polite praise from a Daluo Golden Immortal whose cultivation was no weaker than theirs pleased them greatly, and their regard for Shi Mo rose considerably.

At the same time, Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun hurried over.

Since they had all listened to the Dao at the Purple Heaven Palace, they already knew one another. They exchanged a round of pleasantries upon meeting.

"Fellow Daoists, you've repaired the leylines of our Western Land. Such selfless righteousness—Brother Jieyin and I truly don't know how to thank you!" Zhunti spoke gratefully of their work, then continued without pause:

"How could Brother Jieyin and I stand by and do nothing when such an important task is at hand?"

Seeing his righteous and earnest expression, Shi Mo couldn't help laughing inwardly. This fellow clearly saw the benefits and wants a share of the spoils.

Well, the Western Land's leylines are almost completely repaired already, and we've earned a fortune in merit. There's no harm in letting them have the scraps.

After exchanging glances with Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun, Shi Mo readily agreed to let Jieyin and Zhunti help.

After repairing the Western Land's leylines for so long, Shi Mo and the others were already tired of the work. If not for the merit, Hong Yun—who had never been one for patience and helped here and there with little consistency—would have left long ago.

Hong Yun had managed to persevere for so long this time because he had left early before, and the later upheaval of the leyline and earthfire powers had cost Shi Mo the chance to attend the lecture at the Purple Heaven Palace. He felt guilty about it.

With Jieyin and Zhunti's help, the final repairs to the Western Land's leylines went even more smoothly.

Just a few thousand years later, the repairs were successfully completed. Jieyin and Zhunti also gained some merit, and secretly regretting that they had not joined in earlier, they warmly invited Shi Mo and the others to visit Mount Sumeru in the Western Continent.

Everyone said the West was barren, but it was only when he reached Mount Sumeru that Shi Mo realized the Western Land was not lacking in foundations at all. Jieyin and Zhunti had simply gotten their hands on them.

After all, Zhunti's true form was the Western Innate Geng Metal Bodhi Tree, one of the finest innate spiritual roots in the Primordial World.

Shi Mo wasn't entirely sure of Jieyin's origins, but they were clearly no less impressive.

Mount Sumeru was the two men's cultivation abode. Not only was it where the power of the Western Land's leylines converged, but it also produced abundant resources and treasures. It was every bit as impressive as Nine Tripod Iron Fork Mountain, which Shi Mo had now transformed.

It truly is the home of the Two Sages of the West and the birthplace of the Western Religion. No wonder Jieyin and Zhunti later founded the Western Buddhist Sect and established the Western Paradise. After Jieyin and Zhunti introduced him to Mount Sumeru, Shi Mo couldn't help marveling to himself.

After exchanging insights and discussing the Dao, they prepared to part ways. Zhunti took the initiative to invite Shi Mo to cultivate in the Western Land, and only then did Shi Mo understand why they had been so warm toward him.

So this tradition of the Two Sages of the West going around recruiting talent had a long history.

Without it, the Western Buddhist Sect would have struggled to flourish as it later did, given how barren the Western Land was.

After politely declining, Shi Mo left with Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun. Looking at the Western Land, now brimming with life, he couldn't help thinking:

Now that the Western Land's leylines have been repaired, it'll probably flourish sooner and faster in the future. That means the Western Land's karmic debt to me will only grow. When they can't repay such a huge debt, recruiting me to the West may well be Jieyin and Zhunti's best option.

Could they already have realized this? Is that why they've been so proactive and eager to recruit me? Shi Mo didn't dare underestimate the wisdom of the Two Sages of the West.

If, in the future, they insist that I'm destined to join the Western Land, offering me a lofty position such as Buddha, Bodhisattva, or vice-leader of the Western Religion, and inviting me to enjoy an easy, carefree life in the Western Paradise, should I go or not? At the thought, Shi Mo felt his head begin to ache.