Chapter 387: Buddhist Sect's Advancement, All Saints React!

At the peak of Mount Sumeru, the ancient, unchanging chaotic currents were now gently pushed aside by an invisible, vast force.

It was not a violent rejection, but a warm, moist order, a brand‑new law, announcing its birth here.

Chen Ku's dharma-body stood in the depths of the void, his gaze piercing layer after layer of spacetime curtains.

His divine sense remained still, yet his mind‑lake already reflected three figures of utmost brilliance.

Such majesty had long surpassed the realm of ordinary quasi‑sages, even towering above Maitreya and the others.

This was a leap in the essence of life, a complete sublimation of the Dao and the Law.

Chen Ku's gaze first fell upon the figure that was the grandest and most compassionate.

Jieyin.

He was no longer the Daoist bearing a sorrowful expression from before.

Now he was perfect in form, solemn in appearance, his ears hanging to his shoulders, as if able to hear the suffering of all beings in the three realms and six paths.

His eyes were clear and bright, devoid of emotion, only reflecting the birth and death of the cosmos, the turning of all things.

An ultimate compassion and tranquility emanated from every pore, condensing into substantive Dao resonance that soothed this violent void.

Beneath his feet, there was nothing substantial.

Myriad chains of law and order intertwined on their own, winding together, finally condensing into a golden lotus of the Great Dao that spanned heaven and earth.

The lotus's roots were not rooted in stone, but plunged deep into the source of the void, drawing power from the Great Dao.

Treading the earth, taking root.

These four words were no longer metaphor; they were now a true manifestation.

He is the Buddha, and the Buddha is the root.

In his palm, a more exquisite lotus platform flickered in and out of view; each flash seemed to guide countless lost souls to their final refuge.

This is the true Jieyin Buddha.

A single thought can ferry all beings.

A single word can establish a Buddha‑land.

Chen Ku's gaze then shifted, falling upon another figure.

Zhunti.

His transformation differed from Jieyin's grandeur, yet possessed its own ultimate purity and mystery.

His hands formed a strange seal, unknown among known mudras; it was a new dharma he had comprehended from his own Great Dao during this seclusion.

Once the seal was completed, the Buddha‑light between heaven and earth seemed to have found its source, bowing to him.

The flesh‑crown atop his head rose high, no longer mere hair but a condensation of merit and wisdom.

The simple monk's robe on his body had become a vessel for the Great Dao.

Countless profound Buddhist‑Dao divine patterns flowed and faded on its own, sketching ineffable mystical images.

There were scenes of preaching under the bodhi tree, of the smile that transmitted the dharma with a flower, and of the wrathful vajra subduing demons.

Auspicious harmony.

Holiness.

These two words are insufficient to describe even a fraction of his present state.

He merely stood still, yet endless golden wheels of merit manifested around him, layer upon layer, misty and fluctuating.

The density of that merit was almost a substantive ocean, lifting him above the mundane world and above all laws.

He is the manifestation of the Buddha‑Dharma, the 'holy' one who walks the world.

Unlike Jieyin's 'ferrying', Zhunti's Dao tends to illuminate the nine heavens and ten earths with his flawless Buddha‑light, cleansing the dust and gloom in the hearts of myriad beings.

Finally, Chen Ku's gaze converged on the third figure.

Hongyun Laozi.

Compared with the blazing golden light of Jieyin and Zhunti that almost turned the whole of Mount Sumeru into a Buddha‑land, the radiance surrounding Hongyun was far more inwardly gathered.

Yet this inward gathering was not weakness, but an ultimate concentration.

Upon his head there were no auspicious clouds, no merit golden wheels.

Only a fist‑sized spiritual flame rose and burned quietly.

That flame displayed an extraordinary nine‑color hue; its dancing fire held no violence or heat, emitting only a purifying power that cleanses the heavens and ages, washing away the world's beings.

That power was pure to the extreme.

It seemed that any resentment, curse, or karma in the world, upon touching this flame, would instantly dissolve into the most primordial void.

Ineffable.

This is a Dao‑fire born solely for purification.

"Hehe, congratulations, Master, Uncle, and fellow Daoist Hongyun!"

A gentle voice sounded, breaking the eternal silence of this place.

At some point, Chen Ku's true self had stepped out of the void, his form solidified, a smile on his face.

He released no pressure, yet naturally merged his aura with that of the three sages, without the slightest abruptness.

As his words fell, the aura of Jieyin, Zhunti, and Hongyun—capable of suppressing the ages—gradually retracted into their bodies.

They almost simultaneously opened their eyes and looked toward Chen Ku.

"It seems this seclusion has brought each of you extraordinary gains."

Chen Ku's smile was sincere, coming from the heart.

Hearing this, a barely restrained joy appeared on Jieyin's solemn face—the joy of seeing his own Dao flourish and even surpass his original expectations.

"Hehe, this seclusion has made my Buddhist Dao wondrous method ever more refined and profound!"

His voice was loud yet gentle, each word carrying the power to calm hearts.

Disciple, the Mahayana Buddhist teaching you originally proposed is indeed vast and boundless, astonishing both ancient and modern times.

Terms: Mahayana Buddhism – but it's a sect/teaching? It's a Buddhist teaching. Should we list as "Mahayana Buddhism"? It's a teaching, maybe considered a sect/faction? It's a doctrine. The instruction says list sect/clan/faction/people. So "Mahayana Buddhism" could be considered a sect/faction. But we need to translate meaning. "Mahayana Buddhism" = "Mahayana Buddhism". We'll list as "Mahayana Buddhism". Also "doctrine" = "doctrine" but that's generic, not a proper name. So ignore.

Jieyin looked at Chen Ku with admiration.

Terms: Jieyin – already in glossary. Chen Ku – protagonist name, needs pinyin. So list Chen Ku.

As a Saint, he had believed his vision was already sufficiently lofty.

Terms: Saint – but it's a rank/title? In cultivation context, "Saint" is a realm/title. Should list as "Saint". However, "Saint" is a title; we should translate meaning: "Saint". It's a rank/title. So include "Saint". Also maybe "vision" not needed.

But looking back, when they first founded Buddhism, he and Zhunti were more focused on how to establish the teaching and how to gain a foothold in this Primordial Great Age.

Terms: Zhunti – glossary. The Primordial Great Age? "Primordial" is a term for primordial chaos era; "Great Age" means "great age". Together "the Primordial Great Age"? Might be a place? It's a setting. Could be considered a place name? Not a proper noun; it's descriptive. Probably not list. "Establishing a teaching" generic. So maybe no new terms.

By that time, Chen Ku had already mapped out a complete progression path for the Buddhist Sect from Hinayana to Mahayana.

Terms: Buddhist Sect – "Buddhist Sect". Hinayana and Mahayana are terms; but they are part of Buddhist teachings. Might list as "Hinayana" and "Mahayana"? They are teachings, not sects? Could be considered factions within Buddhism. The instruction: list sect/clan/faction/people. So we could list "Hinayana" and "Mahayana". But we already have Mahayana Buddhism; we could add Hinayana as "Hinayana Buddhism". However, the terms appear in quotes; they are proper terms. We'll include them as "Hinayana" and "Mahayana". Also "advancement path" generic.

Before this retreat, Jieyin's grasp of Mahayana Buddhism was still merely theoretical.

Terms: Jieyin already. Mahayana Buddhism again.

Only now did he truly fuse that vast doctrine into his own Saint's Great Dao, completing this astonishing transformation.

Terms: Saint's Great Dao – actually "Saint's Great Dao". But "the Great Dao" is already in glossary as "the Great Dao". "Saint" is Saint. So "Saint's Great Dao" maybe not needed as separate term; we have Saint and Great Dao already.

Such foresight and vision transcending the age left even Master Jieyin in awe.

Terms: Master – generic title, not a proper name. So ignore.

"Not bad, not bad!"

No terms.

Zhunti's voice rang out, light and carefree.

Terms: Zhunti.

"This retreat, I too have made considerable progress."

No new terms.

He opened his palm, and a strand of pure, ultimate Buddha light danced in his palm, seemingly containing the prayers and wishes of countless beings.

Terms: Buddha light – generic? Might be considered an item/artifact? It's a manifestation of light. Not a proper name. Probably ignore.

"Although seated atop Mount Sumeru, one can still accumulate boundless merit in the unseen depths."

Terms: Mount Sumeru – a place. Should translate meaning: "Mount Sumeru". Also merit – glossary.

Unlike Jieyin's "Jieyin Salvation," Zhunti's path is like embodying an eternal Buddha sun, his holy light constantly shining upon the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, nurturing all beings.

Terms: Jieyin's salvation – actually "Jieyin's salvation" is a term: Jieyin's salvation. Could be considered a technique? It's a phrase. We'll treat as a technique: "Jieyin's Salvation". But we need to translate meaning: "Jieyin's Salvation". However, the term includes the name Jieyin; we might list as "Jieyin's Salvation". But the instruction: list technique/item/artifact. So we can include "Jieyin's Salvation". Also Buddha sun – generic. Nine Heavens and Ten Earths – a cosmological concept, maybe a realm? Could be considered a place? It's a phrase referring to the universe. Might be considered a realm? Not sure. Probably not list as a proper name. All living things generic.

All phenomena are empty, yet cause and effect are not.

No proper terms.

Each of his universal illuminations is a cause.

Terms: Universal illumination – generic.

In the unseen depths, countless beings benefit, their gratitude and vows turning into boundless merit that continually flows back to him.

Terms: Merit again.

This is the true origin of the title "Zhunti Buddhist Mother."

Terms: Zhunti Buddhist Mother – a title. Could be considered a rank/title: "Zhunti Buddhist Mother". But we already have Zhunti as a person; this is his epithet. Might list as "Zhunti Buddhist Mother". However, the instruction: list official & sect rank/title. So we can include "Zhunti Buddhist Mother". Also Buddha Mother – generic.

His Dao has begun to truly benefit the Primordial.

the Primordial

Chen Ku smiled and nodded, turning his gaze to Hong Yun.

Terms: Chen Ku already. Hong Yun – a person's name? It's a nickname or epithet used as a name. According to rules, we must keep pinyin for person's name. So "Hong Yun". Also note: Hong Yun Elder Ancestor later. So we list Hong Yun.

After hearing Jieyin and Zhunti's exposition, Hong Yun Elder Ancestor's expression shifted subtly.

Terms: Jieyin, Zhunti, Hong Yun Elder Ancestor – a title: "Hong Yun Elder Ancestor". Could be considered a rank/title: "Elder Ancestor Hong Yun". We'll list as "Hong Yun Elder Ancestor". Also Dao rhythm – generic.

It was a complex emotion mixed with joy and a hint of embarrassment.

No.

"Uh... I, the humble Daoist, fall short of the two of you in grasping the deeper, more exquisite mysteries of the Buddhist Sect."

Terms: Humble self – generic, used by a monk. Buddhist Sect again.

His voice lost its former carefreeness, now tinged with humility.

No.

"However, this retreat also allowed me to cultivate a method for condensing primordial spiritual fire."

Terms: method of condensing primordial spiritual fire – could be considered a technique: "Primordial Spiritual Fire Condensation Method". We'll list as "Primordial Spiritual Fire Condensation". Also Primordial Spiritual Fire – maybe an item/artifact? It's a type of fire. Could be considered an item: "Primordial Spiritual Fire". We'll list both? The instruction: list technique, item/artifact. So we can include "Primordial Spiritual Fire" as an item, and "Primordial Spiritual Fire Condensation Method" as technique. But we need to avoid duplication? It's okay to list both if they appear. The phrase "one side condensing primordial spiritual fire's method" translates to "a method of condensing primordial spiritual fire". So the method is the technique; the fire itself is the item. We'll list both.

He pointed to the nine-colored spiritual fire atop his head; the flames swayed gently at his will.

Terms: Nine-Colored Spiritual Fire – an item/artifact. Also top of the head – generic.

"Moreover, I have integrated the light of my origin's auspicious clouds into it."

Terms: Auspicious Cloud Light – generic.

"In the future, if used to salvage souls and purify resentment, it will have remarkable effects."

Terms: Salvation of souls – generic. Purification of resentment – generic.

Hong Yun openly acknowledged the gap between himself and Jieyin and Zhunti.

Terms: Hong Yun, Jieyin, Zhunti.

This gap stems not from cultivation level but from the depth of understanding of the Buddhist Sect's core teachings.

Terms: Buddhist Sect.

After all, Jieyin and Zhunti are the founders of this Buddhist Sect; their Dao perfectly aligns with the Sect's law, and each advancement perfects and elevates the entire Sect.

Terms: Jieyin, Zhunti, Buddhist Sect, founders of the teaching – maybe a title: "Founders of the Buddhist Sect". Could list as "Founders of the Buddhist Sect". But it's descriptive. Might not need.

And Hong Yun ultimately became a midway monastic, integrating his own Dao into the Buddhist Sect.

Terms: Hong Yun, midway monastic – generic. Buddhist Sect.

All he could do was, within the Buddhist Sect's framework, develop his own Dao to the utmost.

Terms: Buddhist Sect.

To achieve such accomplishments today is already a tremendous fortune.

No.

This, too, is reasonable and not blameworthy.

No.

As Hong Yun's words fell, the surrounding void rippled mysteriously from the phrase "salvaging souls, purifying resentment."

Terms: Hong Yun, salvation of souls, purification of resentment – generic phrase.

Jieyin and Zhunti felt the ancient sorrow in their eyes ease slightly, a pure golden gleam appearing in their pupils.

Terms: Jieyin, Zhunti.

Chen Ku's expression likewise shifted slightly.

Terms: Chen Ku.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, you're being overly modest."

Terms: Hong Yun, fellow Daoist – generic.

Zhunti let out a long laugh; its sound waves rolled, yet were held in check by an invisible force around the Three Saints, not leaking the slightest.

Terms: Zhunti, Three Saints – a title referring to the three saints: Jieyin, Zhunti, Hong Yun. Could be considered a rank/title: "Three Saints". We'll list as "Three Saints". Also Three Saints all over – generic.

"To comprehend a method of salvation and transcendence amidst extinction, these spiritual fires already possess boundless merit, truly extraordinary!"

Terms: Method of salvation and transcendence – generic. Spiritual fire – generic. Merit – glossary.

"Exactly."

No.

Jieyin the Saint nodded slightly; his aura grew ever more compassionate, as if resonating with Hong Yun's newly comprehended method.

Terms: Jieyin Saint – a title: "Jieyin Saint". But we already have Jieyin as a person and Saint as a rank. Could list as "Jieyin Saint". However, we might just keep Jieyin and Saint separate. The instruction: list official & sect rank/title. So "Saint" is a rank. We already have Saint. The combination "Jieyin Saint" is just person + rank. Not needed separately. Hong Yun. Method generic.

"This method aligns with our Buddhist Sect's vow to save all beings; it is truly a match made in heaven, with ideas in harmony."

Terms: Buddhist Sect, salvation of all beings – generic.

"Fellow Daoist, your gains this time are not inferior to those of my two fellow disciples."

Terms: Fellow Daoist – generic, fellow disciples – generic.

The praise of the Two Saints is utterly sincere.

Terms: Two Saints – referring to Jieyin and Zhunti. Could be a rank/title: "Two Saints". We'll list as "Two Saints".

They are Saints; a single thought enables them to perceive the source of all phenomena.

Terms: Saint – already.

Although Hong Yun's method appears singular, its significance for the Buddhist Sect's future fortune and the resolution of immeasurable calamities is staggeringly profound; they understood it as clearly as observing fire.

Terms: Hong Yun, Buddhist Sect, fortune – generic, the Great Calamity – glossary.

Thus, the Three Saints completed their retreat successfully.

Terms: Three Saints – already.

Jieyin and Zhunti, the Buddhist Dharma grew ever more profound; the union of their Saintly forms with the fortune of the Western Sect reached perfection.

Terms: Jieyin, Zhunti, Buddhist Dharma – generic, the Western Sect – glossary, fortune – generic.

Hong Yun, having discovered his own Dao, ignited a strand of compassionate flame that purifies all spirits amidst the mundane karmic fire.

Terms: Hong Yun, the Great Dao – glossary, mundane karmic fire – generic, purification of all spirits – generic, flame of compassion – generic.

A tacit session of discussing the Dao and praising each other paused; the three Saints' gazes withdrew from each other, like three divine thoughts penetrating heaven and earth, descending together.

Terms: Discussing the Dao and praising each other – generic. Three Saints – already. Penetrating heaven and earth – generic.

Their sights were directed toward the vast expanse beneath Mount Sumeru.

Terms: Mount Sumeru – already.

Just a single glance.

No.

Only a single glance.

No.

The forms of the three Saints trembled slightly in unison.

Terms: Three Saints – already.

Even Jieyin, whose mind had long been as still as an ancient well, could not suppress a flicker of astonishment on his face etched with ten thousand years of sorrow.

Terms: Jieyin.

"Huh?"

No.

Zhunti let out a low cry; the golden light in his eyes surged, as if he wished to see through the very essence of each disciple's body and soul.

Terms: Zhunti.

"The changes among the Buddhist sect's disciples... are also astonishing!"

"Junior nephew, during our seclusion, your instruction to the disciples is truly... truly, your methods reach the heavens!"

Zhunti's voice carried a tremendous tremor.

He is a sage.

What he saw was far beyond what ordinary eyes could perceive.

The countless Buddhist disciples below the mountain were no longer a uniform golden sea radiating Buddhist aura.

But a river of stars!

A river of Buddhist law formed from hundreds of millions of brilliant stars!

Today's Buddhist disciples are not merely those who have mastered a few supernatural abilities and understood a few volumes of sutras.

Their foundations, their very essence, have undergone a transformation.

Every move, every breath, carries a solemn, mountain-like aura, the steadiness forged through countless refinements.

More importantly, from each disciple emanates a unique aura of the Great Dao belonging to them alone.

Some are fierce as an angry Vajra, some compassionate as a lowered-brow Bodhisattva, some swift as lightning, some tranquil as an ancient stone...

Myriad phenomena, yet at their root they all unite under Buddhist doctrine.

This is no longer mere uniform replication, but a true blossoming of a hundred flowers, a contention of myriad Dao!

No need for many words.

Zhunti instantly understood the source of all this.

Such a feat of turning decay into marvel, transmuting stone to gold—aside from that nephew who constantly cries bitter, who else could?

Only Chen Ku could cause such a world-shaking change in the Buddhist sect in such a short time.

Jieyin's astonishment on his face gradually turned into deep relief, that relief even carrying a hint of ease as if a burden had been lifted.

He gazed at the brilliant Buddhist river of stars below, unconsciously murmuring to himself.

"Marvelous..."

"Truly marvelous..."

He uttered "Marvelous" twice, then let out a long sigh; his words could be called shocking to the world and outrageous to convention.

"Our Western Buddhist sect now has successors!"

If any primordial great power were present upon hearing this, they would surely be terrified to the point of their soul fleeing.

Jieyin's words were no longer mere praise.

Within those words lay a hidden intention to step aside and yield the virtuous position, to fully entrust the entire Buddhist Dao lineage to Chen Ku's hands!

This is not a momentary impulse.

It is reasonable and inevitable, as the Great Dao reveals.

By now, everyone in the primordial realm knows that Chen Ku of the Western Sect already possesses the ability and qualification to oversee a Dao lineage and teach countless beings.

Even in Jieyin's view, the position of sect leader of the Western Buddhist sect would be far more suitably held by Chen Ku than by himself.

One could even say that without Chen Ku, there would be no flourishing of today's Buddhist sect.

Perhaps...

In Jieyin the sage's heart, an idea arose that could not be suppressed.

Perhaps he and his junior brother, these two so-called Buddhist sages, should follow the Dao ancestor's example, retreat behind the scenes, and no longer interfere in specific teachings.

And this vast expanse of heaven and earth shall be left to Chen Ku alone to single-handedly uphold the future of the Buddhist sect.

Thinking thus, Jieyin felt an unprecedented ease in his heart.

Little did he know.

Just as he had just given rise to the thought of abdicating,

Upon hearing this, Chen Ku's face, which had been relatively calm, instantly collapsed.

His features were painfully scrunched together.

"Ah..."

A long sigh, like weeping and lamenting.

"Bitter... truly bitter..."

"Master, you are truly overpraising me; I, your disciple, absolutely do not wish to become a sect leader!"

Chen Ku shook his head repeatedly, waving his hands, his motions so large as if the sect leader's position were a scorching hot potato, an absolute deadly weapon.

Upon saying that,

this scene appeared.

The three sages before him—Jieyin, Zhunti, together with the newly enlightened Hong Yun—were all simultaneously stunned.

On their faces simultaneously appeared an ineffable expression.

Good fellow!

The Buddhist sect has been made by you so unprecedentedly unique, its fortune so flourishing that even we sages are startled, and yet you brat still complain here?!

Moreover, to hold sway over a sage's Dao lineage!

What supreme authority and honor this is!

Were it any other primordial great divine ability wielder, even those guests of the Ziwei Palace, hearing this would be moved to lose their Dao heart.

You brat...

You actually still resist from the depths of your heart?!

Jieyin and Zhunti silently glanced at each other, each seeing in the other's eyes a trace of utter helplessness.

Regarding this nephew (disciple), they truly have no recourse left.

Of course, the several sages also understand that Chen Ku's words are more a jest born of his nature.

After a moment of bewilderment, the atmosphere in the venue once again became solemn.

The three Saints all gathered their expressions.

Chen Ku also seemed to have thought of something crucial; the grimness on his face vanished, replaced by a touch of solemnity.

His gaze swept over Jieyin and Zhunti, finally resting on Hong Yun, as he opened his mouth to ask:

Terms: Also he refers to Chen Ku.

"Master, Uncle-Master, and Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, the three of you leaving seclusion on the same day—could it not be mere coincidence?"

Chen Ku's tone sounded like an inquiry, but his eyes and demeanor clearly bore a sense of certainty.

"Surely, it is because of the impending all-out war of the ghouls?!"

"Indeed!"

In the void, a soundless tone seemed to descend, corroborating Chen Ku's words.

Jieyin, Zhunti, and Hong Yun's expressions shifted slightly; even the Dao heart of these Saints, as still as an ancient well, rippled faintly.

Terms: They nodded at the same time. No.

"Not bad!"

Jieyin spoke first, his voice as usual, carrying a feeling of resolving all things' sorrow and tranquility, yet deep within that tranquility lay a hint of gravity that could not be ignored.

"While I was in the meditation of extinction, a sudden impulse arose, and I caught a glimpse of a corner of heavenly secrets."

His gaze seemed to pierce the dome of the Great Thunderclap Temple, looking toward the outside of the Thirty-Three Heavens shrouded in endless calamitous killing qi.

"Within the inscrutable workings of fate, that calamitous killing qi is no longer comparable to what it once was."

"It keeps growing and strengthening, turning into a malignant tumor that infects myriad Dao, causing the laws of heaven and earth to fall into disorder, becoming ever more intense."

"This battle seems unavoidable."

Each word seemed to carry the echo of the Heavenly Dao, affirming Chen Ku's judgment.

This is not speculation, but a sage's insight into the great trend of the Heavenly Dao, the roar of the impending world‑upending flood already issuing from its source.

Beside him, Zhunti's Seven Treasure Wonderful Tree moved without wind, its seven‑colored treasure light slightly retracting, revealing a sharp intent of extinction.

Beneath Hong Yun's daoist robe, his fingers unconsciously twitched lightly.

Though the two spoke no words, those subtle movements already revealed their stance.

Their perception was no different from Jieyin's.

The storm that would sweep across the primordial heavens and earth is truly coming.

"In the past, during the Dragon‑Han and Dao‑Demon calamities, once fully detonated, it would dye all living beings with blood and cause myriad things to wither."

"Under the entanglement of cause and effect, no one can escape."

"In the end, it will inevitably cause the great calamity to spread completely, leaving less than one in ten of the living beings between heaven and earth."

Hong Yun finally spoke, his countenance solemn, his voice low; the eyes that usually held a gentle smile now drooped, a deep reluctance flickering within.

Since he severed his past and took over the Buddhist gate, that "old‑good‑person" nature, though altered many times by the cleansing of the sage's fruition, has become more resolute and more profound.

Yet the kindness rooted deep in his soul has never been extinguished.

He thought of the countless living beings; they might still be fighting over a spiritual root or a cave dwelling, unaware that the catastrophe of collapsing heavens was already gathering above their heads.

Whenever he imagined the scene of blood flowing like pestles and bones piling into mountains, his sage heart, already as hard as metal and stone, would surge with waves of sorrow.

His words were both a lament and a reminder.

"We… must not be careless either."

After all, the four of them—three sages and one Grand Unity Golden Immortal—joining forces to guard the West can naturally sit high on the cloud terrace, laugh at the winds and clouds, and be unaffected by the karmic force of the Great Calamity.

But beneath the Buddhist gate, there are countless disciples.

In the Western lands, there are hundreds of millions of beings who believe in them.

Sages can survive the Great Calamity; what about them?

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere inside the Great Thunderclap Temple grew heavier by a degree.

On Jieyin's and Zhunti's faces, that characteristic bitterness surfaced once again.

However, Chen Ku, upon hearing those words, did not care.

He even laughed lightly and shook his head.

"Hehe, no need to worry!"

The laughter was not loud, yet it seemed to carry a power that dispelled all gloom, causing the temple's solemn and still atmosphere to instantly relax.

"First, the Western domain is inherently barren and far from the Eastern mainland's realm of right and wrong, its karmic entanglement with the witch and demon races being the shallowest, making it hard for the core of the calamity storm to reach here at first."

"Second..."

Chen Ku paused slightly as he said this.

Earlier he had been lamenting repeatedly, as if the Western Buddhist gate were about to collapse at any moment.

But now, as his words left his mouth, an unsurpassable aura of dominance and arrogance erupted from him, filling the entire Great Thunderclap Temple!

"Moreover, even if the great calamity truly spreads and inundates the West, what harm would that do?"

"The four of us joining forces are more than enough to guard a realm of heaven and earth, letting it become its own world, invulnerable to myriad calamities!"

What immense confidence!

What utter arrogance!

This is absolute strength sufficient to crush everything, bringing him absolute confidence!

What of the Great Calamity?!

To the myriad beings of the primordial world, it is a heaven‑washing catastrophe capable of cleansing heaven and earth, a terrifying calamity that makes even sages look like ants.

Yet in Chen Ku's eyes, it seems no more than that.

Three sages and one Grand Unity!

With such a fearsome lineup, looking across the entire primordial world, aside from the exalted Dao Ancestor Hongjun, who could match it?

Not to mention a mere Wu Clan calamity—even if the Dao Ancestor himself were to appear, they'd still dare to cross him!

Chen Ku had absolute confidence; as long as the four of them were willing, they could use supreme power to temporarily sever the entire Western lands from the primordial world, forming a separate realm, protecting every living being within it, so that they would remain untouched by even a trace of calamity karma.

These words rang like thunder; each character struck the hearts of Jieyin, Zhunti, and Hongyun.

The gravity and worry in the three men's eyes vanished instantly.

Indeed.

They had forgotten that the Western lands were no longer the pitiful, weeping, wandering place they once were.

Three Sages and a Primordial Unity!

Such power is enough to make them fearless of any wind and rain.

The grimness on Jieyin's face faded, replaced by a sense of peace.

The radiant light of Zhunti's Seven Treasure Wonderful Tree flowed and returned to a state of perfect harmony.

Hongyun also slowly lifted his head; the sorrow in his eyes was replaced by a clear, resolute brightness.

Thus, the Western Buddhist sect, which had just been tumultuous due to the impending Great Calamity, promptly returned to its former tranquility and peace.

Jieyin, Zhunti, and the others no longer chose to go into seclusion.

Nor did they emerge into the world to stir up the primordial realm.

They simply sat quietly on the lotus dais of the Great Thunderclap Temple, occasionally opening their eyes to guide disciples on the path of cultivation, or casually bestowing a beam of Buddhist light, teaching one or two supreme divine abilities.

That's all.

Nothing else!

Now, the final battle between the Wu and the Yao is a momentous event that shakes the entire primordial world, the ultimate act that decides who will be the protagonists of heaven and earth.

Before this battle fully erupts—or, before this Great Calamity completely concludes—any rash action could drag one into boundless turmoil.

All they need to do is wait.

In fact, it's not only the Buddhist folk who are like this.

At this moment, the entire primordial world has fallen into an unprecedented, eerily extreme stillness.

The thick, inseparable calamity miasma spread like an invisible great net over the nine heavens and ten earths, leaving every living being gasping for breath.

The wind in the mountains ceased, the birds in the forests fell silent, and the waters of rivers and streams seemed to slow their flow.

Countless beings trembled with fear, hiding in their lairs and caves, daring not to make a sound, seeking shelter, hoping merely to evade the lethal calamity that might strike at any moment.

And those once mighty titans who had commanded the winds and clouds and overlooked a domain now tightly sealed their cave doors, activated their mountain-protecting formations, completely withdrew from the world, and devoted themselves to secluded cultivation.

……

The summit of Kunlun Mountain.

Deathly stillness.

A stillness so profound it could freeze one's primordial spirit enveloped this ancient divine mountain.

The Dao's rhythms flowed, yet soundlessly, as if even the Great Dao itself held its breath in this atmosphere of utmost gravity.

Three figures sat cross-legged upon the cloud bed, arranged in the triad formation, their breaths intertwined yet each independent, upholding an absolute domain.

Taiqing Laozi, Yuying Yuanshi, Shangqing Tongtian.

The Three Pure Ones.

In the original course of the Heavenly Dao, Kunlun at this moment had long lost its former completeness; the Three Daoist lineages had already split, each choosing a place to establish their own dojo—a settled fact.

Yet a variable has arisen.

Chen Ku, this anomalous presence in the Buddhist sect, rose to power with an overbearing, unreasonable posture.

His existence was like a sharp wedge, forcibly driven into the trajectory of the Heavenly Dao's operation, causing the heavens to tremble.

It is precisely this tremendous external pressure that has repeatedly compelled the Three Pure Ones, who were destined to split, to join forces.

They had tried to strangle the Buddhist sect and suppress Chen Ku, but each attempt ended in failure.

This instead became the bond that held their alliance together—a bitter irony.

Even when the Three Pure Ones joined forces, they could not fully suppress Chen Ku's growing momentum.

If they were to split, dividing the Daoist lineage's qi fortune into three, would that not be courting death, destined to be utterly crushed by the thriving Buddhist sect and reduced to mere footnotes?

Such consequences are unbearable for any of them.

Thus, Kunlun remains the Kunlun of the Three Pure Ones; for major affairs, they still stay together.

Unless there is nothing important, they will return to their respective dojos to cultivate.

Now, this heavenly trend that ought to have occurred has been forcibly rewritten by Chen Ku alone.

At this moment, the three's gazes seemed to pierce endless void, crossing millions of miles of mountains and rivers, simultaneously landing on two utterly different directions.

One direction: demonic qi surged to the heavens, the imperial flowing fluid gathered into a sea, a majestic Heavenly Court hung above the nine heavens, and the roars of countless demons seemed to ring in their ears.

The other direction: murderous qi condensed into an abyss, turbid qi solidified into massive pillars, twelve towering figures stood firm upon the earth, and the Wu clan's battle cries shook the Netherworld.

"Heavenly secrets lie in Chaos; victory and defeat are hard to predict."

Yuanshi's voice rang out, devoid of any emotion; each syllable struck like jade on stone, eliciting layer upon layer of echo in the vast hall.

"But once this battle begins, it will be the final outcome of this Great Calamity."

This is a definitive statement.

It is the final judgment made by the sages based on their insight into the workings of the Heavenly Dao.

Beside him, Tongtian's Qingping sword at his waist trembled faintly; he nodded heavily, his brow beneath the sword blades holding both fighting spirit and solemnity.

Laozi, who had been resting with closed eyes, twitched his eyelids imperceptibly.

In the blink of his ancient, still-water eyes, a faint flash of light came and went, yet it made Yuanshi and Tongtian's hearts jump in unison.

"When the great battle ends, whichever side is utterly destroyed……"

Laozi's voice was aged and even, revealing no emotional fluctuation, yet it caused the temperature in the hall to plummet.

The foundation accumulated over hundreds of millions of years… perhaps… we could take care of the 'tidying up' for it.

His voice was very soft.

But when it fell into the ears of Yuanshi and Tongtian Jiaozhu, it was no less than a thunderclap.

Yuanshi's and Tongtian Jiaozhu's gazes instantly met, and the air in the hall suddenly became more viscous.

Without words, the tacit understanding born of the same origin already comprehended everything.

Since half of the human race's fortune had fallen to the Buddhist sect and could not be recovered, beneath the seemingly non‑acting countenance of this Supreme Purity Saint had already accumulated too much sorrow.

To strengthen the Ren Sect, to revive the might of the Dao, had become his deepest obsession.

The hidden meaning behind his words could not be more obvious.

Whether the Wu Clan or the Demon Race wins or loses, everything left behind by the defeated side will become the victor's spoils.

And they, the Three Pure Ones, could very well become that final 'victor'.

The Demon Race's Zhou Tian Star‑Dou Grand Formation, the Wu Clan's Pangu Hall, and even the endless heavenly treasures and earthly riches they control, along with their vast fortune…

As long as we wait until they both suffer mutual injury, the dust settles, and the saints descend to reap the fruits, who would dare to object?

Who could object?

Under the saints, all are ants.

This is no empty talk; it is the coldest truth of the Primordial World.

In order to strengthen the Dao's unity, and to once again press the Buddhist sect firmly beneath him, this Supreme Purity Saint who advocates 'non‑action and tranquility' finally revealed his most profound and ruthless aspect.

Non‑action is merely a means.

Action is the true purpose.

Yuanshi's visage was hidden within the auspicious clouds, indistinct, but his slight forward lean of the body already revealed his stance.

Tongtian Jiaozhu frowned, deep in thought.

Just… I don't know…

His voice carried a sharper edge than Yuanshi's, pointing straight to the heart of the matter.

When the great war truly erupts, will Pingxin and Nüwa really stand by and do nothing?

That question caused the faint warmth that had just risen in the hall to instantly cool.

Two saints.

Two saints deeply connected to this war.

Nüwa.

Demon Race saint.

Even though she has long dwelt in the Nüwa Palace, pure and detached from the world, unconcerned with outside affairs, who dares say her karmic ties to the Demon Race have been severed?

Moreover, her brother, Fuxi, remains the Xi Emperor of the Demon Court to this day.

For Fuxi's sake, what Nüwa might do is beyond anyone's prediction.

The other, Pingxin.

The former ancestral witch Hou Tu, having transformed her body into the cycle of reincarnation, although she attained the Hunyuan Saint position, she also eternally guards the netherworld.

But could her blood‑line tie to the Wu Clan really be completely erased merely because she embodied reincarnation?

No one dares to draw that conclusion.

If these two saints, disregarding everything, personally enter the fray, the course of the Great Calamity will produce a variable that no one can control.

By then, if the Three Pure Ones try to reap the fisherman's gain, they will likely only invite disaster upon themselves.

Tongtian's words were like a bucket of cold water poured onto the hearts of Laozi and Yuanshi.

Faced with Tongtian Jiaozhu's doubts, Laozi's deep eyes slowly lifted, as if seeing through the river of time, perceiving the supreme rule hidden in the darkness.

He pondered a moment, each word spoken with unusual clarity.

It ought… not to.

Or rather, even if they wished, the Heavenly Dao would not permit it.

Laozi's tone carried an unquestionable certainty.

He had already touched the terrifying will behind this Great Calamity.

That is the will of the Heavenly Dao.

Cold, unfeeling, existing only to drive the great trend forward.

Before this will, even saints are not omnipotent.

This is the Heavenly Dao's shackle, which no saint's power can shake.

His words fell.

Within the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, they once again fell into that suffocating silence.

The three saints said no more, merely waiting in silence.

Waiting for the blood‑stained catastrophe destined to sweep across the Primordial World and bury an era, to have its curtain rise.

……

In Taisu Heaven, within the Nüwa Palace!

Inside the palace, all sounds ceased.

A nine‑colored jeweled lotus lamp hung from the ceiling, shedding myriad rays of pure light; as the glow flowed, it illuminated this saint's dojo with crystal clarity, untouched by a speck of dust.

Wherever its light reached, the concepts of time and space became blurred.

Eternal tranquility is the sole theme here.

But today, this age‑old tranquility has been shattered.

It was not due to an external invasion, nor a holy sermon; the oppressive weight that made hearts pound came from that figure upon the throne.

Nüwa.

In the primordial world, the first being to attain sainthood through merit.

Mother of all spirits.

Her figure shrouded in a hazy Dao rhythm, indistinct yet seemingly containing all the beauty of the world.

Each breath resonates with the supreme law of this heaven and earth.

Yet now, this Saint who holds the authority of creation, is utterly devoid of her usual calm and transcendence.

Her brows, beautiful enough to make the sun, moon, and stars pale, are tightly knotted together, forming an unbreakable river character.

Her slender, jade-white hands rest unconscious on the armrest, fingertips whitening from excessive force, a barely perceptible tremor revealing the storm within her heart.

Before her, the void is not void.

It is an endless, tangled web of cause and effect, a ceaselessly flowing river of fate, intricate and unending.

This is the supreme heavenly secret that only a Saint can perceive.

In the past, this river of heavenly secrets, though vast, had clear currents; every tributary's direction, every ripple's surge, was clearly reflected in her saintly heart.

But now, the entire river has turned into a chaotic blood-red expanse.

Thick killing intent and resentment surge up from the riverbed, staining everything a shocking crimson.

Countless beings' wails and curses sink and float within, coalescing into a terrifying force capable of shaking a Saint's heart of the Dao.

The Great Calamity!

Those two words weigh heavily on Nüwa's heart, making this immortal Saint feel a suffocating oppression.

Her gaze pierces the layers of bloody mist, locking firmly onto the two thickest, most violent strands of fate's main current.

One strand: demonic aura soars to the heavens, Golden Crow cries, star banner flutters, the roars of myriad demon hosts seem to ring in her ears.

The other: killing aura rolls, turbid mist spreads, twelve towering figures roar, wielding fists capable of tearing the earth apart.

The Wu Clan.

The Demon Race.

These two strongest fate currents of the primordial world are now, in an irredeemable posture, madly colliding, tearing, and entangling with each other.

No retreat.

No turning back.

Their sole aim is to utterly crush the opponent, grind them to powder, and wipe them completely from this world!

And at the confluence of these two torrents, in the center of the most chaotic, bloodiest whirlpool, Nüwa saw a familiar figure.

That figure holds an ancient zither, surrounded by endlessly flowing Bagua symbols, frantically calculating, seeking a sliver of life from this deadly situation.

Elder brother...

Fuxi!

In Nüwa's beautiful eyes, the last trace of lucidity and calm was utterly drowned by worry the moment she saw that figure.

Her gaze seemed to pierce the barrier of the Great Primordial Heaven, pass through the thirty-three heavens, and land directly on the primordial wasteland about to become a meat grinder.

Without a doubt, Nüwa is worrying for Fuxi!

The Wu-Demon war, the Great Calamity has arrived.

This is no ordinary brawl, not a matter of hot-headedness, but under the operation of the Heavenly Dao, an indiscriminate great cleansing sent down to purge excess karma and cause from this world!

It is a great catastrophe!

Moreover, it is a deadly situation set up by the Heavenly Dao.

As a Saint, she knows this better than anyone.

In this Great Calamity, there is no protagonist, nor any victor.

All participants are merely sacrifices.

Sacrifices who offer their flesh and divine souls to fill the Heavenly Dao's deficit!

Whether Wu Clan or Demon Race, neither will gain any advantage.

Their fate is only mutual annihilation, a tragic exit from the historical stage.

And her elder brother Fuxi, as the Demon Race's Xi Emperor, standing at the heart of the Great Calamity, how could he escape?

Nüwa's fingertip, that tremor grows ever more evident.

She attempts to calculate.

With her Saintly power, she plucks the threads of fate, seeking a fork in Fuxi's destiny that could let him escape the deadly situation.

Yet, as her divine sense just touches that bloody fate vortex, a tremendous terrifying backlash erupts!

The Heavenly Dao warns!

Cold, emotionless, devoid of any feeling, its will clearly tells her—do not intervene!

Under the Great Calamity, even a Saint cannot defy heaven.

Any being that tries to interfere with the Great Calamity's course will suffer the backlash of the entire world's karmic force.

Such consequences, even she cannot bear.

The radiance within Nüwa's Palace seems to have dimmed somewhat.

Nüwa slowly withdraws her gaze; in those eyes that reflect the birth and death of myriad heavens, for the first time arises a feeling of helplessness.

What does becoming a Saint matter?

What does immortality matter?

She can create all things, reshape earth, fire, water, and wind, yet cannot pull her brother from his destined death.

She can only watch helplessly.

Watching him step by step walk into the abyss.

Watching him being utterly swallowed by that blood‑colored vortex...