The Western Duo Has Arrived

Jiang Ziya had no choice but to lead out his donkey, the Four-Not-Like, and head once more for Kunlun Mountain.

Three trips in three days—naturally, he got another vicious scolding.

He was in charge of the Investiture of the Gods List, conferring gods upon heaven and earth.

It sounded lofty, but doing it was lowly and vulgar.

At this point, Jiang Ziya wanted to put himself on the Investiture of the Gods List.

A million-strong army marched out of Xiqi, originally poised to sweep through everything like rotten wood, but now something truly bizarre had happened.

Shi Ji alone had already scared him witless, and now an even more formidable Gu Changqing had appeared.

With one finger, he had cut away Xuandu's Three Flowers, then silently wiped off Lu Ya's head.

Mahavairocana had arrived riding the great sun, only to end up on the Investiture of the Gods List the moment he struck a pose.

Jiang Ziya was on the verge of shutting down!

Those had all been peak Quasi-Sages, among the most formidable beings beneath the Saints!

Any higher, and they could only invite the Saints themselves to intervene.

Yuanshi looked at the trembling Jiang Ziya kneeling before him and frowned. "If you keep this up, you'll wear down the threshold of Jade Void Palace."

"This disciple has truly exhausted every trick."

Before Gu Changqing's absolute power, all his schemes were futile.

It was not that Jiang Ziya lacked intelligence, but that Gu Changqing had dealt him a dimensionality-reduction strike.

"Tell me. What happened this time?"

Yuanshi was already irritated whenever he saw Jiang Ziya. Could this man actually get anything done?

If he could not...

Then he still had to do it!

There was no helping it. Great Shang had Gu Changqing.

Thinking of Gu Changqing, Yuanshi felt somewhat sympathetic toward Jiang Ziya and did not find him quite so detestable anymore.

Jiang Ziya replied, "Gu Changqing first beheaded Lu Ya, then killed Wuchao. Even the Chaos Bell fell into his hands. Rumor has it that he has attained the Dao. In this disciple's humble opinion, Gu Changqing today cannot be opposed by anyone but a Saint."

"What?"

Yuanshi's face showed alarm. "Even the Chaos Bell was taken by that brat?"

When Jiang Ziya nodded, Yuanshi's blood pressure instantly soared. That was a supreme treasure even more powerful than the Pangu Banner and Taiji Diagram!

How had it ended up in Gu Changqing's hands?

Damn Western Sect. It could not accomplish anything, yet it was more than capable of ruining things.

Fine, they could send people to their deaths—but why did they have to send treasures too?

Wasn't that just strengthening the enemy?

Facing Yuanshi's fury, Jiang Ziya became even more frightened.

Jade Void Palace suddenly felt so empty, so cold!

Thinking of the Western Sect, Yuanshi lowered his blood pressure and said, "Since Gu Changqing first slew Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva and then killed Mahavairocana, why not go to Mount Sumeru and seek an audience with the Two Sages of the West?"

Seek an audience with the Two Sages of the West?

Jiang Ziya's face turned bitter.

First, a Bodhisattva had fallen because of him; then, a Buddha had fallen too. How many heads did he have to pay for that?

Seeing Jiang Ziya's troubled expression, Yuanshi added, "You are one favored by destiny. No one would dare harm you in the slightest."

Was that so?

Jiang Ziya felt that Yuanshi was setting him up.

The Investiture of the Gods was a massive pitfall to begin with!

Back then, Shen Gongbao had always coveted the Investiture of the Gods List and God-Slaying Whip in his hands. Now, even if Jiang Ziya offered them to him, he would not want them. Whenever they met, Shen Gongbao acted even closer than a blood brother!

Watching Jiang Ziya's dejected back, Yuanshi sighed inwardly:

Ziya, it was not that I did not want to help you. It was that I could not beat him.

He had the Chaos Bell in his left hand and the God Slaying Spear in his right. How was I supposed to fight that?

Thinking of that monstrous Gu Changqing, Yuanshi felt a tightness in his chest again.

When the Demon Extermination Alliance was established at Eight Scenery Palace, everyone had agreed to advance and retreat together. Yet when Gu Changqing began slaughtering everyone, the Saints were all off cooking their own meals.

He alone had to bear all the pressure. It was unfair!

The eldest brother was somewhat better, at least upgrading the equipment of his Chan Sect disciples.

As for the Two Sages of the West, they were simply chanting scriptures off to the side.

The thought alone was infuriating!

Meanwhile, Jiang Ziya rode his donkey to Mount Sumeru and met the Two Sages of the West.

"Two Uncle-Masters, you must stand up for Ziya!"

The Two Sages of the West:

What was going on?

You were a Chan Sect disciple. Why had you come to us asking us to stand up for you?

Had you gone to the wrong door?

Jiang Ziya continued, "That remnant of the demonic path, Gu Changqing, is incomparably formidable. He has slaughtered countless experts of my Chan Sect, then even cut away the Three Flowers atop Grand Master Xuandu's head..."

Jiang Ziya spoke through tears and snot. When it came to playing the victim, he had learned without a teacher and could compete with Haotian.

The Two Sages of the West: Did you need to tell us that? If Gu Changqing were not formidable, could he have forced your master to seek aid at Eight Scenery Palace?

If that brat were not formidable, would we be hiding out on Mount Sumeru?

We would have long since gone to the Eastern Lands to seize resources!

Jiang Ziya continued, "Not only did Gu Changqing brutally murder cultivators of the Mystic Sect, he also slew Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva. After that, he killed Daoist Lord Lu Ya and seized his treasures."

"Mahavairocana merely wished to reason with him for a few words, yet Gu Changqing killed him as well. Even the Chaos Bell fell into enemy hands!"

"What!"

Zhun Ti's voice rose sharply.

It was one thing for you to wreak havoc among the Mystic Sect, but why had you dragged our Western Sect into it too?

Had you not noticed that we had only symbolically sent a few people?

Jiang Ziya kept piling hatred onto Gu Changqing. It sounded like the truth, but it completely twisted black and white.

Yet the Two Sages of the West believed him!

Because in the North Sea, Zhun Ti had once schemed against Gu Changqing.

Their karmic ties had been forged more than a decade ago!

"Martial Nephew Ziya, we will stand up for you in this matter. Though the Mystic Sect and Western Sect differ in doctrine, we share the same roots and origins. We should stand together through thick and thin."

Jie Yin spoke at this point. Whether or not they could kill Gu Changqing was another matter, but they at least had to retrieve the Chaos Bell.

As for Lu Ya and Mahavairocana, it was better to resolve enmity than deepen it.

But the Immortal Slaying Flying Knife and Chaos Bell still had to return to the Western Sect!

Jiang Ziya: They were this easy to talk to?

Sure enough, crying children got milk!

As for smearing Gu Changqing, he felt no psychological burden whatsoever.

You had driven me into this state. Was I not allowed to badmouth you a little?

The three of them headed toward Chong City.

The Two Sages of the West had a clear understanding of Gu Changqing's strength. Even if he was not as strong as Yuanshi, he was definitely not far behind.

Otherwise, Yuanshi would never have had Jiang Ziya come begging at Mount Sumeru. He would have handled it himself.

Against someone like Gu Changqing, sending only one person would be nothing but delivering food.

At dusk, the setting sun melted like gold.

Gu Changqing stood atop Chong City's walls, admiring the boundless scenery.

The sunset was infinitely beautiful, only it was near dusk.

Just then, golden lotuses rose in the west and spread toward Chong City.

Heavenly flowers rained down, while the sound of Dharma conches continued without pause.

They had come. They had finally come!

Judging by that spectacle, Saints had to be on the move.

That particular brand of ostentation could only belong to the Western duo.

Gu Changqing had waited a long time, and at last, this day had arrived.

By ordinary logic, after beating the young, the old would come. Even Mahavairocana had died. If the Two Sages of the West still did not show themselves, that would be rather unscientific.

The Western duo descended outside Chong City with their special effects fully maxed out, Jiang Ziya following behind them.

Gu Changqing smiled inwardly and strode before the two Sages.

"Changqing greets the two Uncle-Masters."

Gu Changqing saluted the two Sages. His strength was no weaker than theirs, but his seniority was a level lower.

Jie Yin replied, "Martial Nephew Changqing has attained the Dao. From now on, we may address one another as fellow Daoists."

Gu Changqing smiled. "Uncle-Master sounds better. The ethics of master and disciple must not be forgotten."

Jiang Ziya: They were being this polite? Shouldn't they have started by maxing out their special effects, bringing out every treasure, and suppressing him with overwhelming force?

Why were they making small talk?

Jiang Ziya began to feel cold.

Then Zhun Ti said, "Regarding the matter in the North Sea more than ten years ago, I offer Fellow Daoist Changqing my apology."

Gu Changqing smiled. "Hehe, a small matter, a small matter. Uncle-Master Zhun Ti need not dwell on it."

Jie Yin then said, "Daoist Lord Lu Ya and Mahavairocana offended Fellow Daoist. That they met their tribulations today was simply the working of fate and had nothing to do with the karma between our two sects."

Jiang Ziya: The plot seemed wrong!

Gu Changqing smiled. "Personal karma, personal tribulations. Uncle-Master Jie Yin sees things clearly. No wonder he could become the leader of a sect."

Jie Yin continued, "Now that the karma has been settled, could Fellow Daoist Changqing return the Immortal Slaying Flying Knife and Chaos Bell to the Western Sect?"

Gu Changqing took out the Immortal Slaying Gourd and the Chaos Bell. "Are these what the two Uncle-Masters mean?"

Seeing that Gu Changqing was not going back on his word, Jie Yin said joyfully, "Precisely. Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Changqing."

"No need to thank me." Gu Changqing smiled. "I bought these with money."

The Two Sages of the West: ?

Could these things be bought with money?

Jie Yin's expression turned bitter.

Zhun Ti's expression darkened.

Warmth rose in Jiang Ziya's heart. Good! It was better if the negotiations fell apart!