After guarding the gates for a hundred years, I drove the Heavenly Saint to madness.

Chapter 221 Knowing When to Stop, Reviving Tongtian

Outside Jiepai Pass, all was deathly silent.

Xiao Wuji stood atop the city wall with his hands behind his back, staring at Hongjun, who stood indifferently above the clouds, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

Based on what I've said before, when faced with such a deal, the first thought that comes to mind is: take advantage of someone's misfortune.

Now that the chips have been opened, we can keep adding more.

He slightly bent his fingers and gently stroked them inside his sleeve.

He was considering whether he could take this opportunity to extract a few more innate treasures from Hongjun.

Or, they could directly demand the Western Religion's Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus of Merit, a treasure that underpins the religion, and completely drain the lifeblood of Cundi and Jieyin.

This isn't about greed; it's about squeezing every last drop of profit out of the competition. Enriching oneself is a way of suppressing the opponent, which is perfectly reasonable.

However, just as Xiao Wuji was about to speak, a faint sound of robes rustling reached his ears.

Xiao Wuji paused slightly, glancing back out of the corner of his eye.

Yunxiao and the Holy Mother of Wudang stood side by side not far behind him.

These two remaining female immortal disciples of the Jie Sect were unmoved even when Mount Tai collapsed before them, and they never bowed their backs even when facing the butcher's knife of the Heavenly Dao Saint.

But at this moment, their delicate bodies trembled slightly uncontrollably in the cold wind.

Xiao Wuji saw their eyes. Those usually aloof phoenix eyes now held no trace of the majesty of a supreme power. What surged in their eyes was extreme anticipation, an undisguised tension, and even a heartbreaking plea.

The fall of their master was a bloody wound torn in their hearts.

Now, with the hope of being brought back to life right before their eyes, they were terrified that Xiao Wuji would refuse.

Seeing the two elders pleading for his light, Xiao Wuji swallowed back the threat that was on the tip of his tongue.

He let out a helpless, bitter laugh in his heart.

He was always rational, cold-blooded, and self-interested. But he was not made of stone. The Tongtian Sect Leader treated him well, passing on the supreme swordsmanship to him, fighting alone into the chaos for him, and even igniting the source of a saint.

This cause and effect, this debt of gratitude, is too heavy, too deep. He couldn't bring himself to sever his master's only chance of survival just to extract a few magical treasures.

Moreover, Xiao Wuji raised his head and met Hongjun's calm and unwavering eyes once again.

He knew very well that Hongjun's bottom line was unlikely to be tested repeatedly.

Hongjun yielded out of concern for the collapse of the Heavenly Dao. If this old fox were truly driven into a corner and recklessly overturned the chessboard, then the Jie Sect would truly suffer a complete defeat.

Too much of a good thing can be bad; know when to stop.

"Fine."

Xiao Wuji took a deep breath, and all the aggressive sharpness around him disappeared.

He looked directly at Hongjun, nodded slightly, and said in a steady and firm voice, "The Dao Ancestor's word is as good as gold. I agree to this deal."

Immediately afterwards, Xiao Wuji turned his head and looked at Consort Pingxin standing beside him.

He was in charge of the boundary marker, but the matter of Laozi entering the Six Paths of Reincarnation to cleanse his true spirit was a momentous event concerning the operation of the Netherworld's origin, and it required the approval of the Lord of the Earthly Path.

As Consort Pingxin met Xiao Wuji's gaze, a subtle hint of disappointment flickered deep in her eyes.

As the ruler of the Earthly Dao, who is opposed to the Heavenly Dao, she originally intended to use Xiao Wuji's fearless and crazy spirit to strengthen the foundation of the Earthly Dao.

But having lived through countless eons, she also understood Xiao Wuji's concerns.

She certainly understands the principle of knowing when to stop.

If Hongjun is pushed too far, both sides will suffer heavy losses. Insatiable greed will inevitably backfire.

Empress Pingxin's expression returned to solemnity. Without hesitation, she nodded slightly to Xiao Wuji and Hongjun.

The Lord of the Underworld granted the deal.

Seeing that everyone had reached a consensus, Dao Ancestor Hongjun did not waste any more words.

With the great calamity now over, the will of Heaven has been redefined, and words are superfluous.

Hongjun raised his withered hands and slowly formed an ancient and complex Dao seal in front of his chest.

The Jade Tablet of Creation, suspended above his head, suddenly began to spin!

hum!

Boundless pure light poured out from the Jade Tablet of Creation.

The light was not dazzling, yet it ignored the wind, snow, and formations, instantly illuminating the entire Jiepai Pass and penetrating the barrier of the Thirty-Three Heavens.

What happened next made all the powerful beings present hold their breath, feeling the absolute shock from the highest authority of the Heavenly Dao.

Hongjun Daozu closed his eyes and, with his supreme status of merging with the Heavenly Dao, forcibly stirred the long river of time!

Time and spacetime reversed at this moment.

In that vast and boundless river of heavenly Dao, specks of azure starlight were forcibly extracted by Hongjun from the cracks of time.

It's not just the long river of heaven.

In the chaotic ruins where the Tongtian Sect Leader self-destructed and perished, countless strands of Shangqing aura, which were wandering in the storm of destruction, were forcibly captured and gathered by the boundless pure light.

Life and death reversed, something created from nothing.

This supreme divine power, which was almost like forcibly altering the underlying rules of heaven and earth, made Zhunti and Jieyin, who were standing aside, tremble with fear and dare not even breathe.

In a short while, the azure starlight extracted from the Heavenly Dao and Chaos slowly intertwined above the palm of Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

A wisp of true spirit, emanating a faint yet extremely pure Shangqing sword intent, gradually took shape in the void.

Although this wisp of true spirit was small and its light dim, it exuded an unyielding and indomitable spirit, which was the mark of the Tongtian Sect Master's unyielding true spirit.

"Reaching the Heavens".

Hongjun Daozu looked at the faint ball of true spirit in his palm, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

He raised his hand and gently pushed the ball of true spirit toward the top of Jiepai Pass.

A bluish halo passed through the wind and snow, slowly drifting down.

"Tongtian has fallen."

The ancient voice of Dao Ancestor Hongjun resounded throughout the heavens and earth, setting the fate for this third junior brother of the Xuanmen sect.

"The sacred foundation of the past has turned to ashes. Although the true spirit still exists, it is no longer at its peak. It needs to enter the cycle of reincarnation to cleanse itself of impurities and rebuild its essence."

"I will return in time."

As soon as he finished speaking, the faint wisp of azure spirit floated up to Yunxiao.

thump.

Yunxiao's knees buckled, and he collapsed heavily onto the cold bluestone bricks of the city wall.

She stretched out her hands, her fingers trembling violently.

As if holding the most precious and fragile thing in the world, he carefully held that ball of true spirit radiating the intent of the Shangqing sword in his palm.

The familiar sword intent, the familiar Daoist rhythm.

Even if it was extremely faint, even if it lacked the world-destroying power of a saint, it was still her master.

"Master————"

Yunxiao burst into tears. Warm tears streamed down her face, landing on the back of her hand. These were tears of joy at having something lost and then found.

The Virgin Mary beside them also prostrated herself and wept bitterly. They had completely shed their pretense of strength and cried like two children who had found their parents.

On the city wall, there was a mixture of sorrow and joy as people were reborn after surviving a calamity.

Xiao Wuji stood aside, watching his master and senior master, who were filled with mixed emotions of sorrow and joy.

He didn't make a sound to disturb them, but simply turned his head slowly, not wanting to look any further.

The core of the Jie Sect is Tongtian. Now that Tongtian has been revived, although he has not gained much benefit, it may not necessarily be a bad thing.

Actually, it's not necessarily true that they didn't gain much benefit. After all, given this delay, Xiao Wuji believed that these guys would probably not dare to act recklessly before Taiqing returned.

For Xiao Wuji now, time is the most precious thing.

After all, Jiepai Pass hasn't been breached yet. We can still continue to collect the system's rewards.