Investiture of the Gods: I am Bigan, the Master of Conspiracy

The great calamity was already destined when the world turned against each other. Even if Laozi forcibly defeated Yin Ziyu and others, the chaos in the world would still be beyond repair.

If we continue fighting, will we have to kill all living beings in the Three Realms?
This is simply impossible. First, it would require igniting a great war between sages in the chaos, and then slaughtering all living beings in the three realms. Without the intervention of sages, this is impossible.

If this cannot be achieved, a mess is inevitable, and order cannot be maintained. In that case, the Three Realms will no longer have the power of the Heavenly Dao, and thus enter an immeasurable calamity.

With the rules in disarray, we will enter a chaotic situation of moral decay and social disorder, similar to the transition from the Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties. If it were just that simple, it wouldn't be so bad, but there is also the will of Hongjun, which Laozi has to consider.

After all, Haotian Yaochi's participation in the war represents the intervention of Hongjun's will. If this continues, Haotian Yaochi will become a banner, and all parties will gather on Haotian Yaochi's side. This is the biggest potential hidden danger in the future.

If this continues, it will evolve into a situation where the Heavenly Dao is injured, leading to a struggle for power within the Heavenly Dao.

If the order of this great calamity is relinquished, the future evolution of order will be the flourishing of the Way of the Heart, with all beings uniting themselves to eventually form the will of humanity. Once humanity takes shape, it will become a war between the Way of Heaven and the Way of Humanity.

Faced with two choices, Lao Tzu simply abandoned this mess and relinquished the order of this great calamity.

Once the sages reached a consensus, the final handover ceremony for the disputes in the Three Realms began.

In this great calamity, Yin Ziyu's side achieved a victory in terms of ideology, but not in terms of combat strength, so naturally they could not complete the annihilation battle.

The opponent still has some strength left, but even with that strength, they cannot continue fighting. To fight again would mean transitioning from a great eon to an immeasurable eon.

Just like when Emperor Wu of Han slaughtered Dou Ying's entire clan, the power struggle between Tian Fen and Dou Ying was originally just a matter of whoever lost would go home and enjoy their grandchildren. But Emperor Wu of Han wiped out the losing clan. How could this game continue? This terrified Tian Fen.

Similarly, this struggle for the Great Calamity is merely a battle for control of the Three Realms' order; forcibly pushing it to an immeasurable Great Calamity would not warrant such a move.

In this respect, Lao Tzu was quite rational in making his choices.

Meanwhile, within the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, chaotic sword energy danced like an angry dragon, relentlessly bombarding the Eternal Calamity Indestructible Formation.

The chaotic sword energy carried supreme power capable of destroying the world, aiming to shatter and obliterate all obstacles in its path.

However, the Eternal Array, composed of five supreme treasures, is also terrifying beyond compare.

After all, this is the great formation that Lao Tzu used to comprehend the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation. If the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation cannot break through to the Primordial Chaos level, it cannot be defeated.

Although the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation is famous, its potential is very low. This formation can be a massacre for quasi-saints with insufficient defense.

However, it is ineffective against sages, while the Zhou Tian Xing Dou and Du Tian Shen Sha are truly powerful formations that can intimidate even sages.

However, for non-saints, simply observing the celestial constellations is not just about slaughter, but about crushing them like ants.

If it were during the Investiture of the Gods period, and Tongtian did not have the Zhuxian Sword Formation but instead had the Dutian Divine Fiend Formation, then the Four Sages would not have dared to break the formation easily, and the outcome might have been quite different.

Even within the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, this Myriad Realms Unbreakable Formation is like an impenetrable barrier. No matter how rampant the chaotic sword energy of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation is, it remains unmoved, rendering the seemingly indestructible sword energy helpless.

If nothing changes in the external environment, it's normal for this battle to break the formation to remain deadlocked for ten thousand years.

In the ancient times, the three friends of Jade Capital Mountain—Qiankun Daoist, Hongjun Daoist, and Yin-Yang Daoist—broke the formation. Qiankun Daoist possessed the Taiji Diagram, Hongjun Daoist possessed the Pangu Banner, and Yin-Yang Daoist possessed the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus. Ultimately, the result of breaking the formation was the death of Qiankun and Yin-Yang, while the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation was destroyed.

In other words, a single Tai Chi diagram is enough to essentially complete the entire Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation.

With the combined power of the five supreme treasures, and without any fundamental improvement to the Zhuxian Sword Formation, it is essentially unbreakable, and the final result is that the Zhuxian Sword Formation will inevitably be broken.

It should be noted that Jin Ling's cultivation of character and control over the Zhuxian Sword Formation are far inferior to Luo Hou's.

Although Lao Tzu prioritized alchemy in his own Dao, his Dao in weapon crafting and formation was naturally no less than that of Yuan Shi and Tong Tian.

One can imagine how powerful the Eternal Array of the Five Treasures is.

At this stalemate, within the Eternal Calamity Formation, Xuandu, with a solemn expression, couldn't help but sigh and slowly said to Tathagata Guangchengzi and the others beside him, "Fellow Daoist Tathagata, the Sage has made his choice and decided to relinquish this great calamity."

Upon hearing this, Guang Chengzi was immediately astonished and exclaimed in disbelief, "How could this be? If we were given more time, breaking the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation would be a piece of cake!"

Xuandu sighed again, his expression full of helplessness: "Now the three realms have all rebelled, and Ziyu has perfected a completely new realm. Moreover, all the demon caves have been wiped out. The situation is beyond human control. Even if we break the formation, what then?"

Yes, even if the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation wins, it can no longer affect the overall situation. It's just that the Eternal Calamity Indestructible Formation will prevent everyone from dying and being listed on the list.

However, the foundation has been destroyed, and the situation is beyond saving.

The Buddha's expression grew increasingly solemn, a hint of unwillingness flashing in his eyes. He asked in a deep voice, "Is there truly no way to reverse this defeat?"

Xuandu nodded slightly and affirmed, "The sages have already discussed and agreed that after the Great Tribulation, the Human Sect, the Chan Sect, and Buddhism will all close their mountains and sects and no longer participate in the order of the Three Realms, and will wait for future changes. Now the Ten Thousand Buddhas Formation has been broken, and even the three fellow Daoists Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Dipankara have been listed as gods."

Upon hearing this, the Buddha fell silent, his expression shifting repeatedly.

Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Dipankara are all pillars of Buddhism. The current situation is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the foundation of Buddhism, and even a devastating blow to the Chan school of Buddhism. The Ten Thousand Buddhas are the foundation of Buddhism. With the Ten Thousand Buddhas gone, the foundation of Buddhism has also suffered a devastating blow.

Therefore, the future landscape of Buddhism will undergo a major change. The power of the original Western religion will rise, with Maitreya Buddha and Medicine Buddha being the backbone of the original Western religion. Moreover, it will occupy a dominant position in the context of the decline of the Chan religion and the majority of the original Jie religion's Ten Thousand Buddhas being listed.

In other words, the Buddhist framework will lead to the future Buddha ascending the throne ahead of time, and the Tathagata Buddha will gradually become the Ancient Tathagata Buddha, and the twelve-petaled golden lotus for receiving the Buddha will be given to Maitreya Buddha.

Under such circumstances, Tathagata had no choice. If he had not entered the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, he would have had to face Wutian and prevent Wutian from exerting his power. However, entering the formation weakened his control over the situation.

After all, Buddha and demon are mutually hostile yet complementary, and this is a game of strategy. Under this premise, it is destined that Tathagata must break the formation. If he does not enter the formation, he will have to fight Wutian.

The failure of the Journey to the West signifies the shattering of the grand blueprint for sweeping across the Three Realms with Buddha as the leader and faith as the weapon. The possibility of attaining enlightenment through this means is also gone, and those who followed him for this blueprint will leave, or even replace him.

Now that Xuandu has spoken, Tathagata can only sigh. After all, those within the Zhuxian Sword Formation cannot know what is happening outside. Even if they do know, it is only through the words of a sage. However, Jieyin and Zhunti did not inform Tathagata separately, but rather Xuandu relayed the message.

After a long silence, Buddha said helplessly, "Enough!"

After a brief discussion, Buddha sighed again, his voice echoing throughout the Zhuxian Sword Formation, and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha, Fellow Daoist Jinling, I admit defeat in this great calamity. I beg you to show mercy and release Tang Sanzang and his companions. I promise to reduce the number of scriptures delivered on the journey to the West by one book."

Upon hearing this, the Holy Mother Jinling nodded slightly and said, "In that case, I will put away the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation and let Tang Sanzang continue his journey to the West!"

After speaking, the Holy Mother Jinling swiftly formed hand seals. In an instant, the entire Zhuxian Sword Formation shone brightly, then receded rapidly like a tide and disappeared into the horizon.

As the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation was deactivated, the dense aura of calamity in the sky began to slowly dissipate, as if a nightmare had ended, as if the entire Three Realms had experienced a great dream.

At this moment, everyone was shocked to realize that the one in charge of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation was actually an avatar of Yunxiao, and that Yunxiao could control two such terrifying formations at the same time.

The chaos in the Three Realms was far from over, and the great battle at Zhennan Pass was also erupting. Yang Chan and Zhang Jiao's uprising was to support the Great Shang's northern expeditionary army, thereby completing the Great Shang's northern expedition and restoring order to the Three Realms. War clouds loomed over Zhennan Pass, and the oppressive atmosphere made everyone feel suffocated. Even though the battle at Zhennan Pass was an internal uprising by Yang Chan and Zhang Jiao, the ultimate result was to help the Great Shang successfully launch its northern expedition.

Only in this way can the human race be truly reconciled and its unification achieved, whether it be the Xuanyuan lineage or the Chengtang lineage.

Yang Jian, Nezha, and Lei Zhenzi, like three war gods of the Chan Sect, guarded this place, resisting wave after wave of fierce attacks from Wen Zhong's army.

An endless array of supernatural powers and spells crashed down on the Zhennan Pass's restrictions, seemingly threatening to shatter the heavens and earth, but the Zhennan Pass remained as solid as Mount Tai.

Just then, Yang Chan's army arrived, their purpose being to break through Zhennan Pass and support Wen Zhong's northern expedition.

The divine fire of the Lotus Lantern rose like a sun, bringing boundless light and immediately attracting the attention of the Chan Sect members.

Yang Jian spotted Yang Chan at a glance, and was slightly taken aback. A complex look flashed in his eyes, and he blurted out, "Sister, do you really want to fight your brother?"

At this moment, Yang Jian felt both shocked and a touch of indescribable bitterness.

Yang Chan looked at Yang Jian, her eyes filled with helplessness. She sighed softly and said, "Brother, we each serve our own masters and follow our own paths. It is truly a matter of necessity!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Jian felt a pang of pain in his heart. He sighed as well, his expression dejected: "So be it. Since that's how it is, there's no other way but to fight today."

Yang Chan nodded slightly, her gaze firm, and said, "Brother, Zhennan Pass is now facing enemies on two sides, and its fall is inevitable. If you are willing to withdraw, I will naturally let you go!"

Yang Jian gave a bitter smile, his smile full of vicissitudes and helplessness, and said, "Since my sister says that we should each serve our own masters and follow our own paths, how can I, as her brother, leave? As a general, if I desert in the face of battle, how can I face the world?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Chan nodded again, her expression becoming resolute: "In that case, we have no choice but to break through the pass and welcome the Shang army into the pass!"

In an instant, the battle to break through the pass began. The defenses in the north were much weaker. After all, the north was meant to defend against the south, and if the north fell, there would be no need for Zhennan Pass to exist.

When the Battle of Zhennan Pass began, the Sage had already made his decision. Guang Chengzi, in his capacity as the leader of the Chan Sect, used his supreme power to spread the decree throughout the Heavenly Court and the Chan Sect disciples of the Three Realms: "Disciples of the Chan Sect in the Heavenly Court and the Three Realms, listen to my command! Return to Kunlun Mountain immediately! From this day forward, the Chan Sect will declare a period of seclusion and ascetic cultivation!"

Guang Chengzi's decree was like a rolling thunderclap. Every disciple of the Chan Sect heard it clearly and dared not slacken in the slightest. In an instant, the Chan Sect immortals in Chang'an began to withdraw one after another, and the Chan Sect immortals in the Heavenly Court also began to leave the Heavenly Court. Those who had achieved sainthood in their physical bodies resigned voluntarily and were immediately re-deified.

When Guang Chengzi's decree was delivered to Yang Jian, Yang Jian, Nezha, and Lei Zhenzi were instantly struck dumb as if by lightning.

After all, they didn't know the sage's choice, and they didn't know why they gave up.

Nezha's eyes widened in disbelief. He quickly looked at Yang Jian and blurted out, "Three eyes, what do we do now?"

Lei Zhenzi also looked solemn and frowned as he said, "Why is that? But we have no choice but to obey the sect leader's decree."

Yang Jian looked at Yang Chan, who was attacking the city with all her might below, and his tense expression relaxed.

Although they didn't know why Guang Chengzi had issued this decree, they could only obey and didn't need to ask too many questions. They would find out the reason when they returned and asked their master.

Yang Jian, as the commander-in-chief, straightened his expression and said decisively, "The arrival of the sect leader's decree clearly indicates a major change in the calamity. It must be the will of a sage. In that case, let us obey the sect leader's decree and retreat."

Compared to having to fight with his sister, this decree is a relief.

At that moment, Yang Jian used his magic power to loudly inform Yang Chan: "Sister, the sect leader has issued a decree that the disciples of the Chan Sect should withdraw. I will entrust Zhennan Pass to you."

Upon hearing this, Yang Chan also secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly replied, "That's excellent! I can guarantee that you and the others will leave safely!"

Without further hesitation, Yang Jian immediately ordered, "Disciples of the Chan Sect, listen to my command and follow me to evacuate Zhennan Pass."

All the disciples of the Chan Sect sprang into action instantly. In a flash, Yang Jian led his disciples in a streak of light, heading towards Kunlun Mountain in the west, and disappeared from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye.

Seeing that Yang Jian and the others had successfully evacuated, Yang Chan's expression turned solemn, and she immediately ordered: "Move into Zhennan Pass, close the restrictions, and invite the Northern Expeditionary Army to enter the pass!"

As Yang Chan gave the order, everyone moved into Zhennan Pass, and the massive restriction slowly closed, emitting a muffled rumble.

At this moment, Wen Zhong, holding a pair of male and female whips, sat majestically atop the black Qilin. Having already received the decree from the Golden Spirit Mother to enter the pass immediately, he shouted, "Enter the pass!"

The words "entering the pass" resounded like thunder throughout the heavens and earth. In an instant, the Northern Expeditionary Army surged into Zhennan Pass like a surging tide.

At the same time, the Grand Master Xuandu of the Human Sect also announced a decree: "Disciples of the Human Sect, listen to my command! Return to Shouyang Mountain immediately! Shouyang Mountain is now closed!"

At this moment, Sun Wukong watched helplessly as his master Subhuti died at the hands of Yin Ziyu. His anger erupted like a volcano, his eyes turned blood red, and his aura became violent and raging. He wished he could tear Yin Ziyu to pieces immediately to avenge his master's death.

He rushed towards Yin Ziyu without regard for anything else, but Yin Ziyu simply waved his sleeve, and an invisible yet powerful force surged forth like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing Sun Wukong and sending him to Lion Camel Ridge in the blink of an eye.

As soon as Sun Wukong regained his footing, the Buddha's heavy voice rang in his ears: "Wukong, you are no match for this man. Go to Lion Camel Ridge and rescue your master first."

After the Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva offered some words of advice, Sun Wukong, though still filled with resentment, knew he was no match for Yin Ziyu. Helpless, he could only suppress his grief and anger and follow his master's teachings, deciding to first escort Tang Sanzang to complete his pilgrimage.

Sun Wukong then rescued Tang Sanzang from Lion Camel Ridge and continued their journey to the West.

At this time, the order of the Three Realms began to change in an orderly manner. The Chan Sect and the Ren Sect gradually withdrew from the Heavenly Court, and the Jie Sect began to take over the order. At the same time, Laozi also left the Tushita Palace and returned to the Chaos Taiqing Heaven.

Two years later, Tang Sanzang and his three companions arrived at Mount Ling. This time, they obtained eighty copies of the true scriptures, and then the four returned to Chang'an.

As the Buddha watched Tang Sanzang and his companions depart, he knew they would not return, for the Northern Expeditionary General in the East was also replacing the Tang Dynasty.

Facing the assembled Buddhas, the Buddha Tathagata looked somber and sighed, saying, "The Journey to the West was not completed, the Great Tribulation failed, Dipankara Buddha, Manjushri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas, and Vairocana Buddha were listed as gods, and ten thousand Buddhas died. All of this is the fault of this humble monk. This humble monk hereby abdicates, and Maitreya Buddha shall become the master of Mahayana Buddhism."

Upon hearing this, Guanyin Bodhisattva was greatly alarmed and hurriedly stepped forward to dissuade him, saying, "Buddha, it doesn't have to be this way. This great calamity is unpredictable and treacherous. Even saints cannot fully control it, let alone us. I hope Buddha will reconsider."

Maitreya Buddha also hurriedly intervened, saying sincerely, "Please, Buddha, rescind your order. Mahayana Buddhism is currently at a critical juncture of survival and cannot be without your guidance. I hope you will prioritize the greater good."

The Buddha Tathagata slowly waved his hand, his eyes filled with self-reproach, and said, "The Journey to the West was an opportunity for the rise of Mahayana Buddhism, but this opportunity was miserably lost in my hands, and I must take responsibility for it. It is a fact that I was defeated by Ziyu in the great eons of competition. Maitreya Buddha is the future Buddha, with unparalleled wisdom and radiant virtue. From now on, the rise and fall of Mahayana Buddhism will depend on Maitreya Buddha. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, there is no need to persuade me any further."

After speaking, the Buddha Tathagata solemnly presented the twelve-petaled golden lotus, which carried the treasure of Buddhism's destiny, to Maitreya Buddha.

Seeing that their attempts to dissuade them were futile, all the Buddhas wore expressions of helplessness.

After several attempts to decline, Maitreya Buddha finally had no choice but to accept the position of Buddha.

Subsequently, Maitreya Buddha honored Tathagata Buddha as the Ancient Buddha Tathagata, Guanyin Bodhisattva as the Ancient Buddha Guanyin, and Kong Xuan as the Ancient Buddha Kong Xuan. At the same time, he bestowed the title of Medicine Buddha upon the Future Buddha.

After Maitreya Buddha ascended to the throne, he announced that Mahayana Buddhism would relocate to Mount Sumeru, thus consolidating control of the West and ceasing its involvement in the struggle for the order of the Three Realms. (End of Chapter)