Primordial Era: A God-Level Choice, Possessing Zhao Gongming at the Start.

Chapter 414 The Great Tribulation Begins, Discussions of the Great Tribulation taking place in Zixiao Palace

After the initial shock, doubt quickly arose in Ao Qing's eyes. What was the purpose of the Sage's visit to the East Sea?

Was it merely to help him upgrade the grade of a few acquired spiritual treasures in the East Sea?

Based on Ao Qing's understanding of Zhao Gongming, things are definitely not that simple.

After considering for a moment, Ao Qing said, "May I ask what matters Your Majesty has to do for me in the East Sea this time? If my Dragon Clan can do it, we will certainly not refuse."

Zhao Gongming didn't waste any words and went straight to the point, "Back then, the great war of the saints shattered the primordial world. It was the Dao Ancestor who appeared and, with his supreme power, stabilized the Three Realms. At the same time, two saints of the Western Sect rebelled against Xuan and established Mahayana Buddhism. To repay the karmic debts of the past in the West, the Dao Ancestor promised that in the next great kalpa, the West would prosper. The Dragon Clan should know about this, right?"

Ao Qing nodded. "The Dragon Clan knows about this."

"Good to know. I've calculated that within a hundred years, a new great calamity will descend upon the Three Realms!"

"What?"

"So fast?"

Ao Qing, the Turtle Prime Minister's face suddenly froze, his eyes widened instantly, and a chill uncontrollably surged from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, even making the hairs on his body stand on end.

Ao Qing and Prime Minister Turtle were all too aware of the terror of the Great Calamity.

What is a calamity? In essence, a calamity is a great cleansing of all living beings by the Heavenly Way.

In ancient times, the Demon Ancestor Rahu acted recklessly, causing the Great Calamity of the Dragon and Han Dynasties. On the surface, the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin races suffered heavy losses, but in reality, in places unseen, the myriad races of the primordial world suffered the most devastating casualties.

In the late Lich Wars, the primordial pillars of heaven and Mount Buzhou collapsed, and water from the nine heavens, along with fire, water, and wind, poured down, causing countless lives to perish.

Needless to say, during the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, the saints unleashed their full fury, shattering the primordial world. Some races were even completely wiped out in this great calamity.

A great calamity is actually a synonym for death and destruction. From mortals to quasi-saints, everyone can enter a calamity and perish.

Even a saint who is high above is in great danger if he is afflicted by calamity energy. Do you not see the saint Zhunti who perished in the Zhuxian Sword Formation?

The appearance of the Great Calamity was not unexpected for Ao Qing and the Turtle Prime Minister. What truly surprised them was the speed at which the Great Calamity descended!

The three great calamities of Longhan, Wuyao, and Fengshen were all separated by extremely long intervals. Now, only a few years have passed since the end of the Fengshen calamity, and a new great calamity is about to erupt.

Before Ao Qing and the Turtle Prime Minister could react, Zhao Gongming continued, "I have calculated that someone from your Dragon Clan will also be involved in this great calamity."

If Ao Qing, the Turtle Prime Minister, could barely maintain his composure when he heard Zhao Gongming say that a new great calamity would descend within a hundred years, now that he heard Zhao Gongming say that his dragon clan would also enter a calamity, Ao Qing could no longer maintain his composure and suddenly slumped into his chair, his face pale.

The dragon race has barely survived to this day and preserved some of its strength. Now that another great calamity has arisen, is it truly the will of heaven to destroy the dragon race?

After a long pause, Ao Qing asked, trembling with fear, "May I ask, Sage, if we follow the trajectory of the Great Calamity, what will be the final fate of my Dragon Clan?"

Zhao Gongming glanced at Ao Qing and said, "This calamity is a great calamity for the West, and the fate of the Dragon Clan will naturally benefit the West."

Ao Qing's face turned deathly pale. He abruptly stood up and pleaded, "Please, Sage, save my Dragon Clan!"

Ao Qing knew Mahayana Buddhism and the two saints, Zhunti and Jieyin, all too well. If the dragon race really fell into their hands, how could they possibly fare well?

Zhao Gongming nodded. "The relationship between the Jie Sect and the Dragon Clan over the years is obvious to all. When the Dragon Clan is in trouble, the Jie Sect will naturally help."

Upon hearing this, Ao Qing, the Turtle Prime Minister, suddenly raised his head, his heart filled with excitement. It was indeed the right decision to maintain good relations with the Jie Sect over the years.

Zhao Gongming pointed to the Sea-Stabilizing Needle and a set of armor he had just crafted, nodded, and said, "Within five hundred years, a calamity will come to the East Sea Dragon Palace. At that time, you can give this set of armor and spiritual treasures to him."

Ao Qing nodded, his expression softening somewhat, but he still seemed hesitant to speak.

"If you have anything else to say, just say it."

Ao Qingdao said, "The Sage just said that our Dragon Clan will also be involved in this great calamity, then..."

Ao Qing clearly wanted to learn the identity of the dragon clan member who would be entering the calamity from Zhao Gongming, so that he could prepare in advance and have a better understanding of the situation when the calamity truly arrived.

Zhao Gongming shook his head and said, "I only calculated that when the great calamity arrives, someone from your dragon clan will enter the calamity, but the secrets of heaven are obscure, and the great calamity has not yet arrived. As for the specific calamity, I don't know either."

According to the original timeline, in the great calamity of Journey to the West, the White Dragon, who is the third prince of Ao Run, the Dragon King of the West Sea, was the one who caused the calamity.

However, while the current timeline is largely the same as the original historical timeline, the specific details are vastly different.

For example, the Dragon Clan is still a unified entity, not divided by the Heavenly Court into the Four Seas Dragon Kings of the East, West, South, and North. Instead, the Dragon Clan of the East Sea remains the patriarch, ruling over billions of aquatic creatures in the Three Realms.

Since the Dragon Clan was not divided by the Heavenly Court, where did the West Sea Dragon King Ao Run come from? Since Ao Run did not exist, the White Dragon, the son of the calamity in the original historical timeline, would naturally be changed accordingly.

Seeing that Ao Qing was uneasy, Zhao Gongming comforted him, "Clan leader, there's no need to worry too much. This great calamity of the westward journey not only concerns the Dragon Clan, but also our entire Xuanmen lineage. As long as the Dragon Clan acts according to plan, not only will there be no danger, but we can also take advantage of the situation to reap a great deal of fortune!"

"Yes, my dragon race, thank you for your guidance!"

Ao Qing nodded solemnly at Zhao Gongming.

After leaving the Dragon Clan, Zhao Gongming calculated that it would be several decades before Sun Wukong was born, so he went directly back to Mount Emei and waited in Luofu Cave.

In the Thirty-Three Heavens, in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the two saints, Cundi and Jieyin, were also waiting. With their keen sixth sense, the saints also sensed that the great calamity that would bring prosperity to the West was not far off.

Ten years passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, in the Thirty-Three Heavens, the sound of the Xuanhuang Dao Bell suddenly rang out, its melodious sound spreading throughout the Three Realms and reaching the ears of countless living beings.

As the Daoist voice fell, wisps of calamity energy suddenly rose from every corner of the Three Realms. The immense calamity energy spread, and the billions of living beings in the Three Realms were greatly alarmed.

"This is the aura of a great calamity. How much time has passed since the last great calamity, and yet a new great calamity has descended upon the Three Realms?"

An ancient, powerful being who was in seclusion suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with utter disbelief. "This is absolutely impossible!"

These ancient and powerful beings, some of whom are even cultivators who have existed since the Dragon-Han Great Calamity, have survived several great calamities until now.

They were very clear about the Great Calamity; ultimately, it was a great cleansing of all living beings by Heaven and Earth.

A new round of great calamities will only erupt after a long interval between them. The outcome and trend of two great calamities erupting in a very short period of time are unpredictable, even to them.

On the shores of the East China Sea, in a luxurious and prestigious Crystal Palace, Ao Qing suddenly stood up, his expression changing drastically. "The Sage was right after all; the great calamity has descended so quickly."

In the Thirty-Three Heavens, in the sacred halls of the saints, the Heavenly Court, the Lingxiao Palace, the Netherworld, and the Senluo Palace, all the saints, Haotian, and the Mosquito Daoist, the representative of the Underworld, set off together for the Zixiao Palace.

The elements that once hindered everyone's progress—earth, fire, water, and wind—could no longer stop them. Before long, everyone had gathered in front of the Zixiao Palace gate.

Taiqing is the second-generation senior disciple of the Xuanmen sect, so everyone's attention naturally turned to him at this moment.

Taiqing nodded slightly, stepped forward, and knocked on the gate of Zixiao Palace.

A moment later, the gate opened, revealing a space shrouded in twilight. Without the slightest hesitation, everyone stepped inside.

In the Purple Cloud Palace, in the midst of chaos and ignorance, the Dao Ancestor sat on a futon, quietly looking down upon all the saints.

"We pay our respects to our teacher (the Daoist Ancestor)."

All the great beings, led by the Sage of Taiqing, bowed to Hongjun in unison.

After exchanging greetings, the two Western Saints couldn't wait to ask, "Master, the calamity is rising and spreading throughout the Three Realms. Is it time for our West to prosper?"

Before the Dao Ancestor could respond to the two, all the saints, including Haotian and Zhao Gongming, had already cast disdainful glances at the two Western Saints.

They've openly betrayed the Xuanmen sect and established Mahayana Buddhism, so why are they still calling themselves teachers? They really have no shame!

The two Western Saints, however, paid no attention and stared intently at Hongjun on the prayer mat.

Hongjun nodded and said, "This great calamity is the great calamity of the Western world's prosperity. I summoned you here precisely for this great calamity."

The group bowed again, saying, "Please enlighten us, Master (Dao Ancestor)."

Hongjun's expression became more serious. "This great calamity involves five individuals. The first is in the Earthly Immortal Realm, on a large mountain in the sea near Aolai Country in the Eastern Continent of Shengzhou. The second is among your disciples of the Human Sect. The third is in the Heavenly Court. As for the fourth, he is in your Mahayana Buddhism. The fifth is among the Dragon Clan."

As soon as Hongjun finished speaking, everyone's expression changed. If that's the case, then this is no different from the previous Investiture of the Gods calamity. Almost all the mortal sects, including the Xuanmen and Buddhist sects, have been affected by the calamity.

Zhunti and Jieyin's faces lit up with joy. "Good, good! All the people of the Xuanmen have entered the tribulation, and they will all become stepping stones for the prosperity of the West in the future."

Hongjun continued, "To achieve the goal of perfecting this great calamity, one must go through eighty-one tribulations. Once the eighty-one tribulations are completed, Buddhism will flourish, and that will be just around the corner."

"Huh? Eighty-one tribulations?"

The two Western Saints, who had been so elated just moments before, suddenly looked dejected. Eighty-one tribulations! Wouldn't their great prosperity in the West then be like a reflection in water, a flower in a mirror—a pipe dream?

"As I said before, this great calamity is purely to repay the karma caused by the Eastern cultivators shattering the Western ancestral vein in the battle of Mount Sumeru. Therefore, the eighty-one tribulations will not be too difficult. As long as you in the West work hard, it will not be difficult to get through them."

Hongjun gave the two Western Saints a meaningful look.

The two Western Saints' hearts skipped a beat. Did their teacher mean that the so-called eighty-one tribulations were just a formality?

After telling all the sages about the great calamity of the westward journey, Hongjun vanished in a flash. He had already given them the general framework; the remaining details were for the sages to discuss themselves.

Inside the Zixiao Palace, everyone sat on prayer mats and began to discuss the matter.

The journey westward is from east to west, and naturally, most of the so-called eighty-one tribulations are arranged from the east.

As for the West, it is only qualified to orchestrate a few calamities.

Zhunti, his face etched with worry, spoke first, "Senior Brother Taiqing, our Western Regions have always been extremely barren. Back when Senior Brother Tongtian set up the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation at Tongguan..."

Zhunti and Jieyin brought up the Zhuxian Sword Formation set up by Tongtian Jiaozhu back then. Zhunti and Jieyin were invited to take action back then, which caused the East to owe the West a huge karmic debt. Zhunti's purpose in bringing this up now is self-evident.

After hearing this, Taiqing simply nodded slightly, "I understand."

Zhunti and Jieyin were overjoyed and hurriedly looked at Yuanshi.

Yuanshi gave a slight hum, which also meant he agreed to the request from the two Westerners.

After discussing the matter for a while in Zixiao Palace, the general framework was set, and the details were also discussed.

So everyone left Zixiao Palace. When Tongtian Jiaozhu and Zhao Gongming arrived at the gate of Zixiao Palace and were about to return to the Three Realms, they heard a familiar voice, "Fellow Daoist, please wait."

The Tongtian Sect Leader, Zhao Gongming, turned around and saw Zhunti looking at them with a smile.

"Senior Brother Tongtian"

Zhunti hurriedly stepped forward and greeted him warmly.

The Tongtian Sect Leader waved his hand dismissively, showing no respect to Zhunti or Jieyin, saying, "I am a disciple of the Xuanmen sect, while you two are Buddhists. We are completely unrelated. I am not your senior brother."

Even with Zhunti's composure, he couldn't help but feel somewhat embarrassed when Tongtian Jiaozhu exposed his true intentions.

Jieyin chanted a Buddhist prayer and said very sincerely, "Senior Brother Tongtian, Junior Nephew Gongming, this great calamity is extremely important for our Western Paradise. I hope you two..."

(End of this chapter)