My brother is so cunning

Chapter 1168: Abandoning Darkness and Turning to Light
Wen Rui watched the two of them working together, a cold smile playing on his lips, but his face remained impassive. He simply said, "It is a blessing for the Three Realms that you two have such an understanding. As long as we are truly willing to end the war, there will be plenty of opportunities for cooperation in the future."

"Sincerity goes without saying!"

The Guide Daoist spoke with certainty, patting his chest with a confident air: "Fellow Daoist Wenrui, rest assured, from this day forward, the Western Sect is willing to set aside past prejudices and work with you to protect the peace of the mortal realm. We are deeply grateful for your assistance in the reconstruction of Mount Ling, and the Western Sect will always remember this kindness. We will treat you with courtesy in the future and will never again cause conflict!"

As he spoke, he deliberately took half a step closer to the tablet camera, his voice gentle yet authoritative, as if speaking to all beings in the Three Realms: "Wise beings of the Three Realms, the Western Sect was indeed somewhat hasty in its pursuit of the 'Buddha Kingdom' vision. Today, guided by the Heavenly Dao and inspired by Fellow Daoist Wenrui, we have awakened. From now on, we will take 'compassion' as our foundation, widely spread the Dharma, protect all beings, keep war away from the mortal realm, and let peace forever reside in the Three Realms!"

The Sage Zhunti added at the opportune moment, his eyes sincere and his tone earnest: "Indeed! We and the Creator Heavenly Venerable you worship are all beings of supreme wisdom and perfect morality. As such extraordinary figures, we can often communicate with a single glance and understand each other perfectly. In the future, the Western Sect is willing to join hands with ordinary people to purify the mind with Buddhism and improve life with technology, and together build a peaceful and prosperous world!"

Their high-sounding words, coupled with their composed and calm demeanor, instantly captivated the mortal world. The comments on the tablet's live chat visibly shifted in direction—

"They say he's a saint, how could he be as low-class as those Western religious thieves? It seems there really is true scripture above, but the fake monks below are reciting it wrong."

"The Guide Daoist and the Sage Zhunti are truly magnanimous! They even think of protecting us mortals!"

"That's wonderful! With Buddhism to bring peace of mind and technology to bring happiness, I'll never have to fear war again!"

"Perhaps we really misunderstood the Western religion before, and they were also doing it for the good of all beings? But we can't just listen to what they say, we also have to see what they actually do."

Cheers came through the tablet's speakers, and the live stream chat became more friendly. The two saints exchanged a glance, a hint of a smile flashing in their eyes, but they still maintained their composure, without losing their composure in the slightest. They looked dignified and majestic.

Wen Rui knew perfectly well that this was not an "awakening" at all, but a precise "battle for popular support"—it not only won back favors but also repackaged past "radicalism" as "pursuing the right path." He was more shrewd than anyone else in his calculations.

"It is truly rare for the two of you to have such a heart."

But he could only play along, his tone softening slightly: "The construction team for the reconstruction of Mount Ling will set off early tomorrow morning, and will certainly not delay the spread of the Dharma by the Western Sect. We can discuss the follow-up cooperation matters slowly, and we must make sure that both parties are satisfied and that all beings are at ease."

Unfortunately, in this battle of wits, Wen Rui could only be said to have a slight advantage.

Even now, Wen Rui still feels a lingering fear, thankful that he set a time-reversal time bomb, which allowed him to return to the time before he was pulled into the mandala by jumping through timelines.

Don't be fooled by Wen Rui's transformation into a cyber Buddha in the mandala, where his spiritual power rivals that of the two saints. But to defeat them and break through their spiritual world will be far from easy.

The immortality of a sage lies not only in the immortality of his physical body, but also in the immortality of his spirit.

In other words, their sea of ​​consciousness mandala cannot be broken. Once Wen Rui enters, even if he causes chaos inside, he will never be able to get out.

Going back in time to the period before they entered is probably the only way to escape. The spiritual battle within the mandala seems to be eroding the Daoist hearts of the two Western Saints, but how easily can the Daoist hearts of saints be eroded?

It took these two saints countless eons, countless billions of years, to solidify their Dao hearts. If Wen Rui were to be erased, it would take no less time.

Wen Rui also has a major weakness, which is that he is not used to the "super long standby" of gods. He finds it hard to live a year as a day. After living for more than 700 years, he already wants to die. If he were trapped in the sea of ​​consciousness and mentally fighting with the two saints for hundreds of billions of years, he would rather just die cleanly.

Immortality, in a sense, is also a curse on intelligent beings.

Having gained a small advantage in the battle of the spiritual realm, he withdrew, letting the two Western saints know that he was not entirely powerless to resist. That was enough; there was no need to endure a hundred billion years of torment like an eagle trying to determine the final victor.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist! We deeply admire your magnanimity!"

The guide nodded slightly, his demeanor composed, without the slightest attempt to ingratiate himself, yet exuding friendliness in every way.

Saint Zhunti also expressed his gratitude, his smile gentle and proper, as if he truly admired the Creator.

These two are saints who understand the principle that "cultivating immortality is not about fighting and killing, but about human relationships and worldly wisdom." When acting with Wen Rui, they can keep up with each other's rhythm and cooperate with each other in a way that is quite like the tacit understanding between veteran actors.

The setting sun streamed through the window, casting its light on the two saints' composed figures, giving them a truly "compassionate saintly" air.

Wen Rui quickly stood up, stepped forward and shook hands with the two saints. The three of them grinned at the camera, and then a series of flashes went off, capturing this historic and even epic moment.

That's not all. Wen Rui picked up his tablet, smiled gently at the live stream camera, and said, "All beings of the Three Realms, rest assured. From now on, the Demon Alliance will be officially renamed the 'Alliance of All Beings.' The Alliance of All Beings and the Western Sect will join hands to build peace. True progress is never about who defeats whom, but about all forces striving towards the goal of 'peace and happiness for all beings.'"

The moment the live stream ended, the light on the tablet screen went out, and the "gentle" atmosphere in the meeting room receded like the tide.

The smile on the Guide Daoist's face faded first, and the temperature in his eyes dropped faster than the ice of the mandala. He did not turn around immediately, but spoke slowly to the Creator Heavenly Venerable. His tone was peaceful, but every word was barbed: "Fellow Daoist Wenrui, it is truly a blessing for the Three Realms that we have reached a consensus on peace today. However, you now have the support of all living beings and your momentum is at its peak. I hope that you will not forget your original intention of 'saving all living beings' in the future, and do not let the sharpness of technology overshadow your compassion for all living beings."

Saint Zhunti chimed in, "Indeed, while the Western Sect is willing to let go of the past, it cannot tolerate others making underhanded moves. After all, we cultivators abhor 'betrayal of faith and righteousness,' wouldn't you agree, fellow Daoist?"

The meaning behind these words couldn't be clearer—don't think you can be arrogant just because you have popular support, and don't even think about secretly plotting against the Western religion, otherwise they will have plenty of ways to retaliate.

Hearing the two men's warnings in unison, Wen Rui not only wasn't annoyed, but smiled, put the tablet back in his pocket, and spoke slowly, as if chatting casually, yet he precisely hit the two saints' weak points:
"Rest assured, my two fellow Daoists, I have always kept my original intention in mind. As for you two, you signed this peace agreement so readily today, and the photos of you shaking hands and making peace have spread throughout the Three Realms. I wonder what the Primordial Heavenly Venerable of the Chan Sect will think when he sees this scene of 'abandoning darkness for light'?"

(End of this chapter)