Chef God of the Wuxia and Fantasy World

Yunxiao suddenly found himself unable to move, which greatly alarmed him. He looked up and saw that Laozi's sleeves were bulging and his true energy was flowing, which meant that Laozi had stopped Yunxiao.

Before Qiongxiao's Eye-Slaying Pearl could even get close to the Primordial Being's body, the Primordial Being's Pangu Banner unleashed a chaotic sword aura that slashed straight at Qiongxiao. How could Qiongxiao possibly withstand it? With a scream, her body was instantly cleaved in two, and a wisp of her true spirit also headed towards the Investiture of the Gods.

After killing Qiongxiao, Yuanshi turned to Laojun and said, "Senior brother, our teacher said that all those below the sage level are in danger of being listed on the list. We still need to follow the way of Heaven!"

How could the Primordial Being not know that it was Laozi who stopped Yunxiao from making a move? But the Primordial Being was ultimately concerned about the dignity of a sage, how could he take the initiative to kill a junior? But if he let Yunxiao go today, firstly, he was afraid that Yunxiao would report the matter of the Investiture of the Gods to Tongtian, and secondly, he was afraid that Yunxiao would retaliate in the future. Then who among his disciples in the Chan Sect could resist him? He couldn't possibly be the sage who went around putting out fires everywhere, could he?

Laozi looked up at the sky, sighed deeply, and murmured, "The Three Pure Ones of Taoism, after millions of years, have finally come to an end today!" After saying this, he released himself into the clouds.

Lao Tzu is the head of the Three Pure Ones. Today, his brothers are looking down on him, and he himself is the one who is in charge and involved. How can he not be disheartened?

Seeing the two girls die tragically one after another, Yunxiao was already heartbroken, tears streaming down her beautiful eyes.

Yunxiao remained silent, placing the Hunyuan Golden Cauldron aside. He carefully arranged the bodies of his two sisters, tears streaming down his face as they fell onto their corpses. But they had died at the hands of a sage; how could Yunxiao possibly restore them? Finally, unable to hold back any longer, Yunxiao buried his face in their bodies and wept bitterly.

Laozi's eyes were tightly closed, and Yuanshi was neither able to see nor hear. In the distance, Nezha and the others from the Shang Dynasty heard Yunxiao's cries and were all saddened. Nezha was even a little angry: Is this the leader of the Chan Sect whom I have joined? As a saint, he acts so despicably, it is despicable!

After crying for a while, Yunxiao got up again, picked up the Hunyuan Golden Cauldron, and coldly looked at Laojun and Yuanshi, saying, "Under the Heavenly Dao, retribution is inevitable. The two of you have plotted against the Jie Sect, which is of the same lineage. I'm afraid that the Ren and Chan sects will eventually suffer immeasurable calamity!"

After saying that, he raised the Hunyuan Golden Cauldron and headed towards the Primordial Cover.

Yunxiao was a Great Luo Golden Immortal, and the Hunyuan Golden Cauldron in his hand was a top-grade innate spiritual treasure. Even a Quasi-Saint would not dare to be careless in the slightest when he saw it. However, to a Saint, it was nothing more than an ant baring its fangs and claws.

He immediately raised the Pangu Banner and covered the sky with it. The Pangu Banner then emitted streams of chaotic sword energy, shattering the golden light emitted by the Hunyuan Golden Cauldron.

After a brief standoff, the golden light of the Hunyuan Golden Cauldron was extinguished, and it only spun a few times in the air before flying back.

Yunxiao coughed up a mouthful of blood, already injured.

The innate treasures in the hands of a sage are so powerful that even a peak Quasi-Saint would be powerless against them, let alone a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Yuanshi Tianzun showed no mercy, and his Three Treasures Jade Ruyi hurtled straight down into the sky.

Knowing that resistance was futile, Yunxiao glanced at the two girls on the ground and slowly closed his eyes.

Chapter Forty-Nine: The Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation

"Original dare you!" Just then, a furious shout was heard, and a long sword came from the sky, slashing the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi away.

As Yuanshi caught the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi, his expression turned very ugly.

The people on the ground looked up and saw blue lotus flowers falling from the sky, accompanied by celestial music and a fragrant aroma. They felt as if they were bathed in a spring breeze, and their hearts were filled with joy.

Then a Kui ox appeared, riding on seven-colored clouds. On it sat a Taoist priest, dressed in a celestial robe, with a square face and a broad nose. He was handsome, but his appearance was filled with a murderous aura. He was none other than the Shangqing Sage, Tongtian Jiaozhu.

Behind the Tongtian Sect Leader were many inner disciples of the Jie Sect, including Duobao Daoren, Jinling Shengmu, Wudang Shengmu, Guiling Shengmu, Jinguang Xian, Wuyun Xian, Pilu Xian, Lingya Xian, Qiushou Xian, Jingu Xian, and Changer Dingguang Xian. They were truly majestic and domineering.

Upon seeing the corpses of Qiongxiao and Bixiao, and Yunxiao with her eyes open, her face filled with surprise and grief, Tongtian's expression immediately darkened, and he cursed loudly: "Yuanshi! You, a saint, have actually treated your juniors so cruelly! You are truly not a son!"

The tirade left Yuanshi Tianzun's face as black as charcoal, but knowing he was in the wrong, he couldn't refute it and could only let out a cold snort without saying a word.

Laozi sighed and said, "Junior brother, we belong to the Three Pure Ones, so why bother?"

Tongtian coldly said, "Laozi, how dare you mention the Three Pure Ones again? When you and Yuanshi used your status as sages to bully my disciples, the Three Immortals, why didn't you mention the Three Pure Ones then? Today, the three of us meet, and in the future, the prehistoric world will spread the word that the Taoist Three Pure Ones have been separated from us."

Originally, Tongtian didn't have much of a problem with Laozi. When the sages discussed the Investiture of the Gods, Laozi handed the Investiture of the Gods list and the God-Slaying Whip to Yuanshi. Although Tongtian left in a huff, he didn't think much of it. However, Laozi and Yuanshi schemed against Tongtian, personally dealing with the second-generation disciples of the Jie Sect. Tongtian's most beloved Three Immortals, the Three Immortals, suffered two deaths and one injury. How could the proud and arrogant Tongtian tolerate this?

Even though Laozi was a man of tranquility and inaction, he was still saddened. Although he had long anticipated this outcome, it was still painful for Laozi to hear it from the mouth of Tongtian Jiaozhu, one of the Three Pure Ones. To others, the "Three Pure Ones of Taoism" was just a name, but to Laozi, the head of the Three Pure Ones, it meant so much. How could others possibly understand?

But he and Yuanshi were indeed in the wrong. He could say that he was upholding the Dao Ancestor's Heavenly Dao, but how could he face the masses of the Jie Sect?

Seeing Laozi's expression, Yuanshi naturally knew what Laozi was thinking, and immediately spoke up: "Tongtian, you are not following the teacher's instructions, but insisting on going your own way and trying to hinder the Investiture of the Gods. If you return to Biyou Palace, my senior brother and I may let it go. But if you continue to act stubbornly, my senior brother and I will have no choice but to capture you and take you to Zixiao Palace so that the teacher can convict you. By then, it will be too late to regret."

Sages value their reputation above all else, so how could Tongtian tolerate Yuanshi's words? He immediately retorted angrily, "Yuanshi, you have no shame whatsoever! Back then, in Zixiao Palace, we agreed that if a sage did not participate in the Investiture of the Gods, the disciples would each accept their fate. Yet you broke your promise, and your own disciples are so useless that twelve of them couldn't even defeat three of my disciples. And yet you still have the nerve to answer me today! If I were you, I would have already bound myself and gone to Zixiao Palace to beg my master for forgiveness!"

Yuanshi was so angry that his face turned blue, but he didn't know how to refute Tongtian! It wasn't that Tongtian was good with words, but that it would be beneath his dignity and composure for Laozi and Yuanshi, the two saints, to fight against the Three Immortals together.

How could Yuanshitian not know these things, but what could he do? Was he supposed to just watch helplessly as his twelve Golden Immortal disciples died one by one, severing the lineage of the Chan Sect?

Saints! They may appear to be saints, but deep down they're still just human! The blame lies with the Twelve Golden Immortals; if they could defeat the Three Immortals, what would Tongtian have to say? Ultimately, in the primordial world, strength is what matters!

Being a sage requires extraordinary abilities. Yuanshi quickly regained his senses and sighed inwardly at Tongtian's rapid progress in cultivation, which had made him so easily attached to appearances. He then said, "Tongtian, I will not engage in any more verbal sparring with you. Today, we must have a battle!"

Tongtian sneered, "It's only right. Today, I'll show you the power of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Tongtian summoned the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation and the Immortal Slaughtering Formation Diagram, and set up the Immortal Slaughtering Formation.

The Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, set up by sages, cannot be broken by any group other than the Four Sages. The reason why the Jie Sect flourished and became more prominent than other sects with the Four Sages was precisely because of the power of this Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation. This is because no single sage could defeat Tongtian unless the Four Sages joined forces.

Previously, before the Three Pure Ones separated, it was theoretically impossible for the Four Sages to unite against Tongtian. However, things are different now because the Jie Sect has developed too rapidly, squeezing out the development of the Human Sect, the Chan Sect, and the Western Sect, thus causing the Four Sages to unite behind Tongtian's back.

This time, Yuanshi Tianzun and Laozi descended together to lure out Tongtian Jiaozhu, and together with the two Western Saints, they broke the Zhuxian Sword Formation, divided the four Zhuxian Swords, and completely destroyed the Jie Sect, thus allowing their sect to continue to develop.

At this moment, Yuanshi faced the Zhuxian Sword Formation, but he closed his eyes and remained silent. He knew that he and Laozi could not break the Zhuxian Sword Formation controlled by Tongtian, so he was waiting for the two Western Saints to come and help.

After seeing Yuanshi's reaction, Laozi secretly shook his head and said to Yuanshi, "Junior brother, how about we go to the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation?"

"Senior brother!?" Yuanshi was taken aback.

Lao Tzu shook his head, for he had recently predicted that the Western Church would flourish after the Conferment of Gods.

Lao Tzu, being the head of the Three Pure Ones of Taoism, naturally did not want to see the Western Sect come from outside. However, this was the destiny set by Heaven, and Lao Tzu could not stop it. Therefore, Lao Tzu only hoped that he and Yuanshi could break the Tongtian Zhuxian Sword Formation, so as to cut off the excuse for the two Western Sect members to come to the East.

Laozi was the head of the Three Pure Ones. When Laozi, Yuanshi, Tongtian, Jieyin, and Zhunti listened to his teachings in Zixiao Palace, Laozi was the eldest disciple of the Dao Ancestor. The latter five all established their own sects and became saints, but Laozi was the first to realize the truth on his own, while the other four merely imitated him. The difference in their levels of cultivation was immediately apparent.

Lao Tzu's teachings on humanity occupied a key position in the prehistoric human race. Therefore, although all sages are immortal, Lao Tzu's cultivation and attainment of Taoism are the highest.

As Lao Tzu said, "Respect and follow the original nature."

The two men immediately alighted from their carriages and shouted in unison, "Rise!"

Three red lotus flowers, each over a foot long, rose from Laozi's head, each topped with the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, a treasure of acquired merit, radiating boundless rays of merit. On Yuanshi's head, however, were three white lotus flowers, each topped with the supreme innate spiritual treasure, the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner.

Laojun held a flat cane in one hand and the innate treasure Taiji Diagram in the other; Yuanshi held the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi in one hand and the innate treasure Pangu Banner in the other, rushing towards the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation.

On the other side, Tongtian released three blue lotuses above his head and held a Qingping sword in his hand. Laozi's flat cane, the original three treasures jade ruyi, and Tongtian's Qingping sword were all transformed from three parts of the twelfth-grade blue lotus. They were the magic weapons used by the three of them before they went to the Dao Ancestor's Treasure Sharing Cliff. Now, after hundreds of millions of years of training, they have all reached the realm of top-grade innate spiritual treasures.

Tongtian sneered, "Don't blame me for not reminding you when you lose face. The Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation cannot be broken without the gathering of four sages!"

Lao Tzu said, "What's so difficult about that? Let me show you our skills!"

Having said that, he shouted, "Go!"

With a loud "boom," three golden lotuses above Laozi's head each emitted a ray of red light, which then transformed into three Taoist priests standing behind Laozi. The three Taoist priests looked exactly like Laozi, but they wore red, blue, and white Taoist robes respectively. They bowed to Laozi and said, "This humble Taoist, Taiqing (Yuqing, Shangqing), greets fellow Taoist!"

Laozi nodded slightly, and the three Taoists stood behind him, charging towards the Immortal Slaughtering Formation together.

Tongtian and Yuanshi were both greatly surprised by Laozi's actions. As they were both transformed from the original god Pangu, they naturally knew each other well. Although Laozi's cultivation and magic were higher than theirs before, they were not far behind. But now that Laozi had mastered the "One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones" technique, it was feared that the two of them would never be able to catch up with Laozi in the future.

Although Tongtian was shocked, he refused to admit defeat, saying, "Hmph! They are nothing but three quasi-saint avatars. All those below the level of a saint are mere ants!"

Upon hearing this, Yuanshi also came to his senses and was overjoyed. He knew that this "One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones" was just a facade. It could deal with those below the level of a sage, but for ordinary people, as Tongtian said, they were nothing but ants.

However, within this Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, as long as the 'Three Pure Ones' can hold back two of the swords, preventing the formation from functioning smoothly, it will be enough for Lao Tzu and himself to break the other two.

Although Yuanshi cooperated with the two Western Saints, he was ultimately a respected figure in the Daoist sect. It would be best if he could defeat Tongtian and also prevent the two Western Saints from coming to him, thus saving himself the infamy of leading the Western religion into the East.

At that moment, Yuanshi said to Tongtian, "Tongtian, this is my senior brother's great technique. How could you possibly see through it? Today, I will definitely break your Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation and capture you!"

Tongtian remained silent and turned to enter the Zhuxian Sword Formation. Laozi and Yuanshi exchanged a glance, and then Yuanshi broke the most powerful sword in the east, the "Zhu" sword. Laozi broke the "Lu" sword in the south, while also assisting the "Sanqing" Daoist. Taiqing Daoist broke the "Xian" sword in the west, and Yuqing and Shangqing Daoists broke the "Jue" sword in the north.

Meanwhile, the group engaged in a fierce battle within the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation. The actions of a sage were extraordinary, but fortunately, the formation was protected by a Sumeru barrier erected by the group, so there was no concern about damaging the heavens and earth. The onlookers only saw lightning and thunder, howling rain, and the surging of elemental forces from all directions within the formation, but they could not see anything inside the formation itself.

It was truly a scene of chilling winds and menacing shadows, with dark clouds obscuring the sun and moon. A scene of utter desolation and utter gloom, where the air was thick with bleakness and the earth was shrouded in smog.

The primordial chaos lasted only a moment, yet the great formation has existed for a thousand years.

Suddenly, a long roar came from within the sword formation, followed by two figures flying out.

Upon closer inspection, everyone realized that it was Laozi and Yuanshi. Laozi's old face was flushed red, and his beard and hair were flying even without wind. Yuanshi, on the other hand, was quite disheveled, with a livid face and his hair bun was all messed up.

The members of the Jie Sect, unaware that Tongtian had already won, roared with approval and knelt before the Zhuxian Sword Formation, saying, "May our master (ancestor) live as long as the heavens!"

It turns out that the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation was made up of innate treasures, which could reverse the universe. After Laozi, Yuanshi, and others entered the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, they each did their own thing, trying to break the sword formation.

Although Lao Tzu's "One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones" technique was powerful, it was not conducive to a prolonged battle under the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation set up by the sage. Tongtian was also extremely frustrated when he was surrounded and attacked by everyone inside the formation.

Among them, the Three Pure Ones only defended and did not attack. Laozi had the Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Pagoda protecting him, so he was not afraid of Tongtian's attack. He was more than capable of dealing with a single "Lu" Immortal Sword. However, he had to take care of the Three Pure Ones, so he could not attack freely and only occasionally used the Taiji Diagram to sweep towards Tongtian.

Even so, Tongtian was not having an easy time. The Taiji Diagram was a world unto itself, capable of stabilizing earth, water, wind, and fire, which conveniently prevented the Zhuxian Sword Formation from absorbing the power of the primordial elements. Every time Laozi waved the Taiji Diagram, Tongtian's Zhuxian Sword Formation would pause for a moment.

The most relaxed one was undoubtedly Yuanshi. Within the great formation, Yuanshi had no worries at all. The Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner above his head protected his entire body, and the Pangu Banner in his hand shot out thousands of chaotic sword energies towards Tongtian. Tongtian was usually good at offense, and most of the magic weapons he had were also offensive. Tongtian was the one who attacked others, never the one being chased and attacked like this. Therefore, even with the body of a saint, Tongtian was forced to defend himself by the chaotic sword energy, and the "Zhu" Immortal Sword hanging in the east was also about to fall.

Tongtian, a saint, was renowned throughout the prehistoric world for his ruthless killings. How could he be defeated so easily? Before long, Tongtian also discovered that the two Daoists, Yuqing and Shangqing, were the weakest. Without hesitation, he shouted loudly and risked being struck by the Primordial One. The Four Swords of Zhuxian spun rapidly in the sky, their power tilting towards the two Daoists, Yuqing and Shangqing.

Laozi and the Primordial Secret Passage were in trouble and wanted to rescue each other, but how could they possibly arrive in time? Just then, two bolts of lightning struck down from the sky, scattering the two Daoists, Yuqing and Shangqing, who flew back into Laozi's body.

Laozi sighed deeply, had no choice but to take in Taiqing Daoist, exchanged a glance with Yuanshi, and then prepared to leave.

But how could Tongtian let the two of them have their way? He simply slashed the two swords, "Zhu" and "Xian," towards Yuanshi, while the two swords, "Lu" and "Jue," were aimed at Laozi.

With the defensive treasure, the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Pagoda, above his head and the Taiji Diagram in his hand, Laozi managed to withstand the two sword strikes with all his might. However, Yuanshi was not so lucky. Although the Pangu Banner was balanced in offense and defense, and the Apricot Yellow Banner was also known for its defense, its power was greatly reduced within the Tongtian Zhuxian Sword Formation. How could it withstand the "Zhu" and "Xian" sword strikes? He was only hit by the "Zhu" sword and let out a muffled groan, almost falling to the ground. However, the two managed to get out of the formation.

After Laozi went into battle, he remained silent, filled with regret. He had been too arrogant; he hadn't brought the Eight Trigrams Palace Lamp, a high-grade innate spiritual treasure from the Eight Trigrams Palace. Otherwise, if he had used the Eight Trigrams Palace Lamp to protect Shangqing and Yuqing, this defeat wouldn't have happened. But now it was too late. Shangqing and Yuqing had been scattered and sent flying back; it would take some time for them to recover their original fighting strength. But how could the Investiture of the Gods war drag on?

Laozi, feeling disheartened, simply boarded the carriage with Yuanshi and headed towards Western Zhou. But from afar, Tongtian flew out from the Zhuxian Sword Formation and said to the two, "We'll give you three days. If you still can't break the Zhuxian Sword Formation after three days, I will mobilize all the disciples of the Jie Sect and command the Yin Shang army to slaughter every last member of Western Zhou!"

Chapter 50: The Grand Finale

Laozi and Yuanshi returned to the Western Zhou camp. Ignoring Jiang Shang and the others who came to pay their respects, they conjured a thatched hut and went inside to rest.

Lao Tzu sat upright with his eyes closed, expressionless. Yuan Shi had no choice but to sit in meditation with Lao Tzu.

Three days passed in this way, and the deadline mentioned by Tongtian was fast approaching, but Laozi seemed to have never moved.

How could Yuanshitian bear it? He had already staked the entire fate of the Chan Sect on the Western Zhou. If the Western Zhou were to fall, the Chan Sect would have no place to stand in the prehistoric world, which would be no different from the extinction of the sect.

At that moment, Yuanshi gently awakened Laozi, saying, "Senior brother, it seems the time Tongtian spoke of has come."

Lao Tzu suddenly opened his eyes and stared directly at the Primordial One. Even the Primordial One, with his composure, felt a chill run down his spine.

Laozi looked for a moment, then sighed and said, "Junior brother, even though we are sages, we are powerless! Although the Tongtian Jiejiao is biased, it is still a branch of our Taoism!" After a pause, Laozi continued, "Junior brother, this is the will of Heaven, so it is not your fault. It is inevitable that the Western Sect will come to the East. In the future, our Taoism will probably never have the glory it has today again!"

Upon hearing this, Yuanshi remained silent for a long time. After a long while, he sighed and looked at the Jie Sect beings in the distance. He said to Laozi, "Brother, I know that this may be an excessive act, but if my Chan Sect is destroyed, what will become of Taoism and the Western Sect?"

Lao Tzu was taken aback by these words and didn't know how to respond.

Just then, a golden light suddenly shot up from the western sky, accompanied by the sound of chanting that resounded throughout the primordial world. Golden lotuses then floated down from the sky, filling the air with a misty fragrance.

Two Taoist priests arrived, riding on auspicious seven-colored clouds, sitting side by side and singing.

On the right is a man with a double hairpin, a round face and a plump body, holding the Seven Treasures Tree, a primordial spiritual treasure. He is none other than Zhunti, the second leader of the Western Sect, who sings: "Born from the pure lotus platform, the Dharma gate of the Two Vehicles is opened. The exquisite relic transcends the mortal world, the jeweled necklace is peerless. Purple flames rise in the Eight Virtues Pool, and golden moss grows on the Seven Treasures Tree. It is only because the Eastern Land has many outstanding talents that we meet and form a sacred embryo."

On the left, a man with a sallow complexion, his face showing both suffering and great compassion, was barefoot. He was none other than the Western Paradise leader, Jieyin, who sang: "Great Immortal, barefoot, fragrant with dates and pears, your feet tread on auspicious clouds, even more extraordinary. Twelve lotus platforms display Dharma treasures, white light appears by the Eight Virtues Pool. Longevity equal to Heaven and Earth is no exaggeration, blessings as vast as the waves are no madness. Cultivating relics, you attain the name of embryonic breathing. Please rest, the Western Paradise is the ultimate bliss."