Had there been no true crisis, Laozi would surely have maintained his supposedly detached air of serene nonaction.
But now, his face showed unprecedented shock and panic.
There was no other reason!
Gu Changqing's move had made him sense an aura even fiercer and more violent than Tongtian's.
Moreover, Tongtian's earlier intervention had merely been meant to hold the Four Saints in check, keeping Gu Changqing safe and undisturbed.
This time, however, the moment Gu Changqing struck, vast, surging killing intent swept forth.
In other words, this move had been unleashed for slaughter.
Before his words had even faded!
Divine radiance flashed above Laozi's head, and the Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda of Heaven and Earth appeared.
In an instant, the pagoda swelled against the wind, showering merit mystic light over him, Xuandu, and the others.
This was an innate Merit Supreme Treasure with peerless defenses. Once deployed, it placed its wielder in an invincible position.
Throughout the endless ages, Laozi had used this Spirit Treasure only a handful of times.
That alone showed how horrified he was. He dared not be careless in the slightest.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the three Sages-Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti-also acted.
Each deployed a defensive Spirit Treasure, protecting both himself and his disciples.
The members of the Three Teachings also retreated rapidly, trying to flee the area.
Yet swift as they were, the towering sword light descending from the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array was even faster than lightning, impossible to track.
Rumble!
All living beings watched as the sword light swept outward like a mighty torrent of Heaven and Earth, utterly unstoppable.
In a single instant, it engulfed everything on the battlefield.
Laozi, Yuanshi, Jieyin, Zhunti, and every disciple of the Three Teachings were swallowed by that tribulation light, leaving the scene hidden from view.