Chapter 2: When I Was Born, There Was No Buddha in the World!

Qin Hao took a step forward, and with every step, lotuses bloomed beneath his feet.

"With the Great Dao above and the Thick Earth below, I, in the name of the Heavenly Emperor, hereby establish the Great Dao Heavenly Court. I shall use the Investiture of the Gods to pardon and appoint the ministers of the Heavenly Court, use the Chaos Bell to suppress the Qi Luck of the Heavenly Court, use the Zhou Tian Star Array to suppress the stars of the heavens, and use the River Map and Luo Shu Array to suppress the Thirty-Three Heavens. May the Great Dao bear witness."

Boom!

As Qin Hao's words fell, above the Thirty-Three Heavens, the Qi Luck of the Heavenly Court rolled like clouds, and in that instant, it seemed to solidify.

The sound of the Great Dao bell rang incessantly, echoing between heaven and earth.

Everyone on the Honghuang Continent looked toward the Thirty-Three Heavens in reaction.

Golden lotuses surged from the ground, and strange phenomena descended from the sky.

What is this?

Is this a response from the Great Dao?

Ever since the Heavenly Dao appeared, hadn't the Great Dao long since retreated and vanished without a trace?

The living beings of the Honghuang Continent did not understand this scene, but the immortals of the Heavenly Court were deeply shocked.

After the Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, many disciples of the Saints had their names inscribed on the Investiture of the Gods.

Yet, in the eyes of all living beings on the Honghuang Continent, the Investiture of the Gods was merely a means to control the immortals of the Heavenly Court.

But now, what were they feeling?

The immortals of the Heavenly Court felt that their Qi Luck was connected to the entire Heavenly Court and linked to the Investiture of the Gods.

More importantly, after the Heavenly Emperor established the Great Dao Heavenly Court, they felt the shackles on the Investiture of the Gods disappear.

To be precise, after their names were inscribed on the Investiture of the Gods in the past, it had become impossible for them to ever improve their strength again.

Given this, how could these proud disciples of the Saints not be in despair?

As former disciples of the Saints, they had always taken the pursuit of the Dao as their ultimate goal.

As disciples of the Saints, they had spent their entire lives chasing the path of proving the Dao and becoming Saints.

But after their names were inscribed on the Investiture of the Gods, their path to seeking the Dao was abruptly severed.

These disciples of the Saints were, of course, in despair; of course, they were numb.

In the eyes of the disciples of the Saints, were they not mere walking corpses within the Heavenly Court?

But now, after the Heavenly Emperor established the Great Dao Heavenly Court, he had used some unknown method to undo these shackles.

The immortals of the Heavenly Court could once again continue to cultivate and continue to improve their strength.

Of course, their own Qi Luck was now linked to the Qi Luck of the Great Dao Heavenly Court.

If they harbored any thoughts of rebellion against the Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Emperor would perceive it immediately.

Once they betrayed the Heavenly Court, the Qi Luck of the Great Dao Heavenly Court would suppress them directly.

This was the terrifying aspect of a Qi Luck Heavenly Court.

However, the immortals of the Heavenly Court were now all filled with joy.

Everyone present could not help but bow toward the Heavenly Emperor.

"We thank the Heavenly Emperor; may the Heavenly Court be eternal and immortal."

"We thank the Heavenly Emperor; may the Heavenly Court be eternal and immortal."

All living beings on the Honghuang Continent could not help but look toward the Thirty-Three Heavens.

Had the Heavenly Emperor, who had always kept a low profile, finally decided to reveal his ambitions now that the Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods had ended?

With the Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods over and the Saints in seclusion, would the future trend be dominated by the Heavenly Court?

In the Heaven Beyond Heaven, the various Saints watched this scene with indifference and soon withdrew their gazes.

In the eyes of these Saints, the Heavenly Emperor's actions were nothing more than a trivial display.

When there is no tiger in the mountains, the monkey claims to be king.

In the eyes of the Saints, there are only other Saints.

Only Tongtian Jiaozhu watched this scene, his gaze filled with sorrow.

"This is for the best. As the Sect Leader of the Jie Sect, I failed to protect you. From this day forward, you are no longer disciples of the Jie Sect; you are the immortals of the Heavenly Court."

The past Causality was severed; the former immortals of the Jie Sect were now the immortals of the Heavenly Court. Tongtian Jiaozhu closed his eyes.

No one knew what this former Sect Leader of the Jie Sect, a Saint among the Three Pure Ones, was truly thinking in his heart.

Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren simply watched this scene quietly, unimpressed.

Neither of them held the Heavenly Court or the Heavenly Emperor in any regard.

Zhunti Daoren said with unprecedented excitement, "Senior Brother, this Honghuang Continent should now be the world of our Buddha Realm. From now on, the positions of the attacker and the defender have changed."

During the Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren had racked their brains and constantly plotted.

In the end, the Western Sect had changed from its previous state of having only a cat or two.

Now, the Western Sect was filled with former disciples of the Saints.

And unlike the Heavenly Court, the disciples of the Saints in the Western Sect had never died once and had never had their names inscribed on the Investiture of the Gods.

The Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods was a dispute between the Three Teachings.

But they, the Western Sect—their Buddhism—were the greatest victors.

Taiqing Laozi did not hold the Western Two Sages in high regard, and Yuanshi Tianzun looked down upon the Western Two Sages.

But what of it?

From now on, it was time for their Western Sect to flourish.

One day, the Western Sect would eventually surpass the Mysterious Gate lineage, surpass Taoism, and become the greatest orthodoxy on this Honghuang Continent.

The positions of the attacker and the defender have changed.

Given this, how could Zhunti Daoren not be triumphant?

Jieyin Daoren was equally triumphant in his heart; the Mysterious Gate lineage, led by Taiqing Laozi, had been suppressing their Western lineage all along.

Yet even the head of the Three Pure Ones, the orthodox successor of Pangu, who sits high above all, did he not also act as a mere stepping stone for them during the Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods?

Jieyin Daoren looked at Zhunti Daoren and said, "Junior Brother, it is time to make a decision."

"Senior Brother, do you mean to establish our own sect and truly found the Buddha Way?"

Zhunti Daoren pondered for a moment before speaking.

To establish one's own sect and truly found the orthodox lineage of Buddhism.

That would mean completely tearing off the mask and breaking ties with the Mysterious Gate.

Ever since Dao Ancestor Hongjun preached in the Purple Heaven Palace, the Mysterious Gate lineage has grown and flourished across the Honghuang Continent.

The Western Sect, or rather the Shramana, also belongs to the Mysterious Gate lineage.

Zhunti Daoren looked at the billions upon billions of living beings on the Honghuang Continent and nodded, saying, "Dao Ancestor has strictly ordered us to retire to the Heaven Beyond Heaven. Before that, we brothers must legitimize our own lineage. Only then can our Buddhism truly flourish."

Upon hearing Zhunti Daoren's words, Jieyin Daoren did not hesitate and firmly said, "Very well, then today we shall establish the Buddhist lineage. It is time to tell the Three Pure Ones that we brothers have never been anyone's vassals; we are the founders of the Buddha Way."

Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren exchanged a glance and hesitated no longer.

Jieyin Daoren began to proclaim to the heavens and the earth.

"When I was born, there was no Buddha in the world."

"After I was born, the Buddha delivers all living beings."

"The Buddha says: Equalizer."

"I, Jieyin, today establish another path among the Three Thousand Great Daos, which is the Buddha Way."

"I, Zhunti, today establish another path among the Three Thousand Great Daos, which is the Buddha Way."

"I, Jieyin, shall be the First Sect Leader of Buddhism."

"I, Zhunti, shall be the Second Sect Leader of Buddhism."

Following the words of Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren, Buddha-light shone across the heavens and earth, sweeping through ten thousand miles of the void.

All beings on the Honghuang Continent understood in their hearts that from this moment on, the Three Thousand Great Daos had gained one more path: the Buddha Way.

What is going on?

Have the Western Two Sages, who have always kept a low profile and lacked presence among the Saints, also begun to make their moves?

And Taiqing Laozi, who had always been incomparably indifferent, could finally endure it no longer, his expression changing drastically.

He spoke angrily, "Jieyin, Zhunti, you go too far!"

(End of this chapter)