Chapter 123: Taiqing, you thick-browed and big-eyed fellow, you have betrayed the revolution too

Filthy!

Truly filthy!

One must say, as expected of the Western Two Sages.

And above the Thirty-Three Heavens, the Heavenly Emperor also gave a response, consisting of only a single, simple word—Fight.

Within the Heavenly Court, Qin Hao looked at the challenge in his hand, a strange expression on his face.

The Western Two Sages, challenging him at a time like this; he wondered where they found the courage.

He stood up, the Three Thousand Great Dao Long Rivers beneath his feet appearing and disappearing.

Under the deduction of countless Qi Luck, he had already deduced the Three Thousand Great Daos; the Three Thousand Great Daos were almost perfectly under his control.

It would not be long before he could fuse the Three Thousand Great Daos into one, using the Three Thousand Great Daos as the master outline to take that step.

And at this time, the Western Two Sages actually challenged him.

Truly, ignorance is fearless.

After a moment of thought, Qin Hao had also more or less guessed the thoughts of the Western Two Sages.

Do they feel the Heavenly Court's strength is too formidable, so they are preparing to pick a soft persimmon, and thus directly preparing to challenge him?

How truly clever!

Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren, these two Western Saints—you could say they have no shame, you could say they are despicable and shameless.

But you have to admit that these two Saints are always able to obtain the greatest benefits in the end.

Whether it was the preaching at Purple Heaven Palace, or the Lich Calamity, or the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, behind these were the secret machinations of the Western Two Sages.

And the Western Two Sages also relied on these secret actions, time and time again, to gain great advantages.

By the time of the Investiture of the Gods Great Calamity, the Western Two Sages had already established their momentum, or rather, Buddhism had established its momentum.

With the cleverness of the Western Two Sages, they naturally assumed that the Heavenly Emperor in the Heavenly Court lacked sufficient strength and had not yet become a Saint.

That is why they challenged the Heavenly Emperor, rather than challenging the Heavenly Court.

Three days passed amidst the anticipation of everyone in Honghuang.

Three days later, Qin Hao and all the Saints arrived at the dueling ground in Heaven Beyond Heaven.

The various Saints of the Heavenly Court were extremely dissatisfied with the Western Two Sages.

Challenging the Heavenly Emperor?

How dare the Western Two Sages?

It is simply absurd.

The other Saints only suspected that the Heavenly Emperor's strength was extremely formidable, perhaps even surpassing that of a Saint.

But within the Heavenly Court, these Saints were absolutely certain.

The Heavenly Emperor does not appear to be a Saint on the surface, but in reality, his strength is unfathomable.

Because even though they had already broken through to become Saints, they still felt a heavy pressure when facing the Heavenly Emperor.

Only the Western Two Sages still harbored a sense of wishful thinking at this time.

At the dueling ground in Heaven Beyond Heaven, the void seemed to be torn apart by an invisible force, forming a huge rift that looked like a portal leading to another dimension.

Qin Hao, dressed in imperial robes and draped in brilliant stars, descended instantly onto this chaotic battlefield.

Behind him, the various Saints of the Heavenly Court followed closely, their eyes filled with deep dissatisfaction and contempt for the Western Two Sages.

At this moment, the two Western Saints, Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren, also appeared in this Chaos, their faces carrying a trace of imperceptible nervousness; clearly, they knew that today's battle was no small matter.

Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren were in front, followed by Taiqing Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun.

Taiqing Laozi was, at this moment, dissatisfied with the Western Two Sages to the extreme.

This Jieyin Daoren had acted first and reported later, challenging the Heavenly Emperor without asking for his opinion at all.

This was simply not holding him, Taiqing Laozi, in any regard.

Since when could mere Western Two Sages decide things for him?

It was fortunate that he had joined the Heavenly Court early.

Hmph!

Otherwise, he might have truly been used as a tool by these Western Two Sages.

But fortunately, he had joined the Heavenly Court early and had long been a person of the Heavenly Court.

Didn't expect that, did you, Jieyin Daoren, Zhunti Daoren?

To be honest, Taiqing Laozi had not expected that the Western Two Sages could persist until now, not only failing to join the Heavenly Court but now insisting on going all the way to challenge the Heavenly Emperor.

According to Taiqing Laozi's thoughts, the Western Two Sages should have been able to join the Heavenly Court even earlier than him.

After all, Taiqing Laozi knew what joining the Heavenly Court represented.

Joining the Heavenly Court represents benefits.

The Western Two Sages had not yet joined the Heavenly Court at this time, choosing instead to challenge the Heavenly Emperor.

This was only because they felt that the existence of the Heavenly Court hindered their interests.

Yet they did not know that if they joined the Heavenly Court, they might be able to obtain even greater benefits.

Who told the Western Two Sages to be so poorly informed?

They did not know that the Heavenly Court now ruled over the Heavens and Myriad Worlds, ruling over many worlds.

If they could join the Heavenly Court, they could not only preach in the Honghuang Continent but also preach throughout the Heavens and Myriad Worlds.

But it is better that the Western Two Sages remain ignorant of all this.

That way, in the future, it will be Daoism that flourishes in these Heavens and Myriad Worlds, not some Buddhism.

Taiqing Laozi looked at the Western Two Sages with a feeling of "the world is muddy, but I alone am clear."

Western Two Sages, oh Western Two Sages, you two old things, you have always liked to scheme against others, but this time, you have miscalculated.

Taiqing Laozi watched the Western Two Sages as if watching a good show.

Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren were still looking at Old Ancestor Taiqing, preparing to let Taiqing Laozi speak first.

After all, Taiqing Laozi had always acted as the leader among them.

Who would have thought that at this moment, Taiqing Laozi would remain silent.

Jieyin Daoren did not understand what Taiqing Laozi was thinking at this time.

Could it be that because he had acted first and reported later, he felt he had lost face?

Truly, it was Taiqing Laozi, always so obsessed with face.

Oh Taiqing Laozi, Taiqing Laozi, sooner or later, you will stumble again because of this obsession with face.

Jieyin Daoren thought to himself, not without malice.

He stepped forward and said, "I, Jieyin, pay my respects to Your Majesty the Heavenly Emperor."

"I, Zhunti, pay my respects to fellow Daoist Heavenly Emperor."

Zhunti Daoren also spoke immediately afterward.

Although they were challenging the Heavenly Emperor today to strike at the Heavenly Emperor's prestige.

They absolutely could not offend the Heavenly Court to the point of no return; the Heavenly Court was currently too powerful and its strength too overbearing.

If they offended the Heavenly Court, it would be too difficult to spread their teachings.

They truly did not want to think that by challenging the Heavenly Emperor, they were challenging the Lord of the Heavenly Court.

Challenging the Heavenly Emperor was equivalent to slapping the Heavenly Court in the face.

However, this was also a helpless choice for the Western Two Sages, a path to survival they had managed to find after much thought in their current dead end.

Before the Heavenly Emperor could speak, Old Ancestor Minghe could no longer hold back.

Old Ancestor Minghe already held a great grudge against the Western Two Sages in his heart; he remembered clearly how Dizang Wang Pusa had oppressed him.

All of this was because the Western Two Sages were backing them; it was the Western Two Sages who gave them the courage.

Furthermore, how dare the lowly Western Two Sages challenge the Heavenly Emperor now?

It was the Heavenly Emperor who had given him, Old Ancestor Minghe, the opportunity to attain the Dao and become a Saint.

Naturally, Old Ancestor Minghe could not stand to see the Western Two Sages challenge the Heavenly Emperor.

As a loyal and devoted subject of the Heavenly Emperor, Old Ancestor Minghe did not hesitate at all and directly rebuked them.

"Jieyin, Zhunti, with your strength, you dare to challenge the Heavenly Emperor? You are truly ignorant and do not recognize the might of Heaven."

Old Ancestor Minghe coldly scolded, "With your strength, what qualifications do you have to make the Heavenly Emperor act? I will satisfy you myself."

Hearing the words of Old Ancestor Minghe, the expressions of Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren turned ugly.

However, the current Old Ancestor Minghe was no longer the Old Ancestor Minghe of the past.

In the past, Old Ancestor Minghe had not attained the Dao and become a Saint, so they had arranged for Dizang Wang Pusa to be stationed at the Sea of Blood and Xuehai Minghe to convert the Asura Clan.

It was effectively shitting on Old Ancestor Minghe's head, and the key was that Old Ancestor Minghe did not even dare to say a word.

But today is different from the past; now Old Ancestor Minghe has already attained the Dao and become a Saint.

Facing a Saint, the Western Two Sages did not dare to be so casual.

Even though Old Ancestor Minghe was a newly born Saint and the Western Two Sages were veteran Saints who had attained sainthood long before Old Ancestor Minghe.

Even so, the Western Two Sages did not have much confidence.

The main reason was that they had made the Three Thousand Great Grand Vows and were Loan Sages.

If they owed a debt to someone else, the Western Two Sages would probably just default on it.

But they could not default on a debt owed to the world.

Before repaying the Three Thousand Great Grand Vows and settling this debt to the world, their strength improved very slowly, or rather, it did not improve at all.

Why were the Western Two Sages so anxious?

More anxious than Taiqing Laozi, because the situation they faced was different.

Taiqing Laozi sought to strengthen Taoism to find an opportunity to break through beyond the Saint realm.

While what the Western Two Sages had been doing all along was repaying the Three Thousand Great Grand Vows.

Therefore, the Western Two Sages were much more anxious than Taiqing Laozi.

Saints like Taiqing Laozi had too many choices, while the Western Two Sages had no choice at all.

Facing the words of Old Ancestor Minghe, although Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren were angry, they did not respond.

Their goal was clear: to battle the Heavenly Emperor.

The Heavenly Emperor had not attained the Dao and become a Saint; by challenging the Heavenly Emperor to a battle, the hope of victory was very high.

If it were any of the other Saints of the Heavenly Court, the battle would be troublesome.

Jieyin Daoren said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist Minghe, I have come for this battle to challenge fellow Daoist Heavenly Emperor; what is the meaning of you acting like this?"

"Fellow Daoist Minghe, we are challenging the Heavenly Emperor; for you, Old Ancestor Minghe, to overstep your bounds like this is simply not holding fellow Daoist Heavenly Emperor in your eyes."

Zhunti Daoren also stood out and accused Old Ancestor Minghe.

Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren were the founders of Fomen, most skilled in the art of sophistry, capable of turning black into white.

Now, as soon as they spoke, they stood on the moral high ground, pointing fingers at Old Ancestor Minghe, and even inadvertently began to sow discord between the lines.

Old Ancestor Minghe no longer feared the Western Two Sages; he sneered and said, "Sharp-tongued, you think you can challenge His Majesty with just that? Hmph, ignorant."

Old Ancestor Minghe truly felt that the Western Two Sages were courting death.

Did they really think that the strength of a Saint made them invincible under Heaven?

Facing the Heavenly Emperor, the Western Two Sages dared to be presumptuous with that little bit of strength.

Jieyin Daoren no longer took the Heavenly Emperor's bait; he looked at the Heavenly Emperor and said, "If fellow Daoist Heavenly Emperor is unwilling to accept our challenge, we shall leave now."

As soon as Jieyin Daoren spoke, it was another remark that put the Heavenly Emperor on a pedestal.

Now that it has reached this point, what if the Heavenly Emperor truly refuses this challenge?

Then the goals of Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren would also be achieved.

Qin Hao looked at Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren indifferently and said, "Come at me together."

Saints?

In the eyes of the Heavenly Emperor, Saints are now nothing more than insignificant dust.

Since Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren are so eager to be ignorant, Qin Hao can only satisfy them quickly.

Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren had originally been thinking about how to provoke the Heavenly Emperor into dueling them alone.

Now, hearing the words of the Heavenly Emperor, they could not help but be overjoyed.

Does the Heavenly Emperor mean that he intends to fight their Four Sage Alliance alone?

Jieyin Daoren hurriedly spoke up, "Since Fellow Daoist Heavenly Emperor makes such a request, then we shall not be polite."

Jieyin Daoren immediately called out to Taiqing Laozi, advising him, "Taiqing Laozi, since Fellow Daoist Heavenly Emperor has a request, let us satisfy him."

Jieyin Daoren was still afraid that Taiqing Laozi would care about his reputation and refuse to strike, so he prepared to do some ideological work on Taiqing Laozi.

However, during the Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, Taiqing Laozi had already participated in the siege of Tongtian Jiaozhu.

This should not be a big deal either.

Who would have thought that Taiqing Laozi looked at Jieyin Daoren as if he were a fool, and then Taiqing Laozi took a step forward.

He walked from behind Jieyin Daoren to behind the Heavenly Emperor.

"This poor Daoist Taiqing, greets the Heavenly Emperor."

At this action of Taiqing Laozi, Yuanshi Tianzun was also somewhat stunned.

However, after Taiqing Laozi joined the Heavenly Court, he had already given Yuanshi Tianzun some hints, more or less, though he had not stated it clearly.

Only then did Yuanshi Tianzun realize that Taiqing Laozi had already joined the Heavenly Court.

Yuanshi Tianzun did not understand how Taiqing Laozi had joined the Heavenly Court, and Yuanshi Tianzun felt somewhat uncomfortable in his heart.

What is going on with the Eldest Senior Brother? Why does he do things now without consulting him?

The other Saints of the Heavenly Court looked at this scene, and after exchanging glances, they also understood.

So Taiqing Laozi had already joined the Heavenly Court and become a member of the Heavenly Court.

It was truly unexpected that the always arrogant Taiqing Laozi would choose to join the Heavenly Court.

However, of all the Saints present, none were as stunned as Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren.

Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren watched this scene with wide eyes; for a moment, even with their cultivation as Saints, their minds experienced a momentary lapse in thought.

Mainly, who could have imagined that you, Taiqing Laozi, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, would actually betray the revolution?

Jieyin Daoren still could not quite believe it, and he asked Taiqing Laozi, "Fellow Daoist Taiqing, what are you doing?"

"Fellow Daoist Jieyin, I am sorry, but this poor Daoist joined the Heavenly Court long ago."

Taiqing Laozi's expression was calm.

Once one reaches the level of a Saint, whether one cares about reputation or not, both are merely means to serve oneself.

Taiqing Laozi continued calmly, "The Heavenly Court is the orthodoxy of Honghuang, and His Majesty is the Lord of the Heavenly Court. Fellow Daoist Jieyin, Fellow Daoist Zhunti, do not harbor delusions of blocking the magnificent momentum of the Heavenly Court. You are not qualified to be enemies with the Heavenly Court."

Taiqing Laozi's words were calm, yet he was disparaging Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren.

"This poor Daoist knows that you have long held grievances against the Heavenly Court, and have even made many petty moves, wanting to harm the Heavenly Court and harm the Heavenly Emperor. This poor Daoist advises you to stop early; otherwise, it will be too late for regrets, too late for regrets!"

(End of this chapter)