My brother is so cunning

Chapter 1172 A Disordered Mind
At this moment, if the two saints of the Western Sect had a momentary lapse of judgment and launched a fierce counterattack, and Wen Rui were to be careless for a moment, he could have been killed by the two of them working together.

Therefore, this worldline altered by Wen Rui will be affected by the magical historical correction force, directly and seamlessly connecting to the subsequent Journey to the West: Great Tribulation storyline.

During the Journey to the West, the Chan Sect and the Heavenly Court unconditionally cooperated with the Western Sect, even sending their own people to play tricks on the Western Sect, handing over the metaphysical lineage of Jambudvipa, which made it impossible for the Western Sect to survive in its birthplace, India, and thus ushered in a second spring in the East.

This promise is tantamount to presenting the authority and merit of the Three Realms to the Western Religion. Even Chiang Kai-shek would not dare to make such a heavy promise to a certain Hopeful country that supports him. How is this any different from treason?
In another timeline, the Western Church happened to gain such a great benefit.

The Guide and the Sage Zhunti exchanged a glance, a clear hint of interest flashing in their eyes—how could they not be tempted?
In Wen Rui's eyes, the Western Sect was nothing more than a "peace ally," always having to follow the wishes of mortal beings, living like a supporting green leaf; but if they agreed to Yuanshi Tianzun's request, the Western Sect could leap to become the number one sect in the Three Realms, dominate the great eon, and monopolize the merits, which was a peak they had never dared to imagine in the ten thousand years since the founding of the sect!

Sage Zhunti tightened his grip on the Seven Treasures Tree slightly, and his Adam's apple bobbed as if he wanted to agree.

The Guide Daoist lowered his eyes, his mind racing as he weighed the pros and cons: destroying the Jie Sect would allow the Western Sect to control the Three Realms, and Buddhism could spread throughout the East; but once he took action, he would bear the karmic burden of killing countless beings, and the public sentiment he had painstakingly regained would completely collapse. Without killing an entire generation to replace the bloodline and the race, it would be difficult to clear his name. Moreover, Wen Rui's ability to rewind time, his merits in the Heavenly Dao, and his spiritual cultivation that was no less than that of the Buddha meant that he might not be able to defeat him easily...

Moreover, the Jie Sect is not without sages, and the Tongtian Sect Leader would not stand idly by and watch the Jie Sect perish again.

"How about it? This condition is a hundred times better than what the Jie Sect offered you, isn't it?"

Seeing that the two saints were moved, Yuanshi Tianzun's tone became even more urgent: "As long as you nod, today's matter will be forgiven, and we will still be allies. This time, all you need to do is protect the allied forces and ensure that the disciples of our two sects are safe and that our lineage continues unbroken. I will then personally go and kill him! Even if Tongtian Jiaozhu tries to stop me, I will not spare his life, even if it costs me a great deal!"

The Buddha was sweating profusely with anxiety, but dared not interrupt—this was a contest between sages, and he, a mere half-step sage, had no right to speak.

If we were to ask who most wanted Wen Rui dead, it would undoubtedly be Tathagata. Tathagata and Wen Rui didn't have any personal grudges; it was simply out of concern for the future of Western Buddhism.

He is the Buddha of the present, and sooner or later he will enter Nirvana and return to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, entrusting all worldly affairs to the future Buddha, Maitreya.

Although Maitreya Buddha possesses profound Buddhist teachings, high spiritual attainment, and unparalleled magical power among all Buddhas, he is somewhat lacking in cunning compared to Wenrui.

The future is the Dharma-ending Age, and for Maitreya Buddha to cooperate with Wenrui is tantamount to seeking help from a tiger. The future of Western Buddhism is worrying.

Faced with the overwhelming temptation of "leading the great calamity, monopolizing the merits, and becoming the number one religion in the East" offered by Yuanshi Tianzun, the Guide Daoist first raised his hand to stop the hesitant Zhunti Saint, his gaze calm yet firm as he met Yuanshi Tianzun's eyes, his tone unwavering: "Fellow Daoist Yuanshi, your conditions are indeed an opportunity that no religion in the Three Realms could refuse. If it were a thousand years ago, when the Western Sect was still struggling to survive in the barren lands of the West, perhaps we would have agreed without hesitation."

He paused, then pointed to the sky outside the camp—there, though the nano-clouds had stopped playing the song, fragments of the "Peaceful Alliance" projection remained, and the cheering figures of ordinary people could be vaguely seen: "But things are different now. Fellow Daoist only sees the glory of 'Dominating the Great Calamity,' but forgets that beneath the Great Calamity lie the lives of billions of beings. If we agree to join forces with you, we will be wielding our swords against those who yearn for peace. Before we can quell the Great Calamity, we ourselves will become the Great Calamity itself that beings must face!" Sage Zhunti suddenly became alert, suppressing the impulse in his heart, and clasped his hands together, saying, "I am ashamed, I am ashamed. Fortunately, my senior brother reminded me, and I almost lost my Dao heart due to attachment to appearances."

With clear eyes, he said in a deep voice, "The purpose of the Western religion in spreading its teachings is to save all sentient beings, not to seize power. If we allow the Dharma to be tainted with bloodshed for the sake of the empty title of 'the greatest religion in the East,' then what will be passed down will no longer be compassion, but greed."

"Greed?" Yuanshi Tianzun sneered, "You are merely afraid of the Heavenly Dao merits of the Creation Heavenly Venerable, and afraid of the vows of all beings in the Jie Sect! What 'dare not bear the karma of killing' is nothing but an excuse for being greedy for life and afraid of death!"

"Fellow Daoist, have you ever considered why we are afraid?"

The Guide Daoist countered with a hint of pity: "It's not that we fear Wen Rui's methods, but rather that we fear going against the will of sentient beings and severing the foundation of the Buddhist lineage. The Western Sect's current status is not due to power gained through conquest, but to the merits accumulated by generations of monks who have guided sentient beings. If we agree to your request, even if we could truly destroy the Jie Sect, the Western Sect would lose the hearts of the people and be rejected by Heaven. It would be destroyed before the next great eon could pass."

He raised his hand and conjured two beams of light and shadow: one was a scene of the Western Sect and the Chan Sect joining forces, staining the Three Realms with blood, but ultimately being devoured by the Heavenly Dao and leaving the temples desolate; the other was a scene of the Western Sect cooperating with the Creator God, where Buddhism and technology coexisted, all beings were at peace and the incense was thriving.

“Fellow Daoist, please look, this is the outcome of two choices. What the Western Sect wants is never a temporary peak, but a long-term inheritance, so that Buddhism can truly protect all sentient beings, rather than become a tool for fighting for power and profit.”

Sage Zhunti added, “Moreover, your promise, fellow Daoist, inherently harbors hidden dangers. Today you can promise that the Western Sect will lead the Great Tribulation, but if we truly destroy the Jie Sect tomorrow, how can your Chan Sect forever remain content to play a supporting role? We have not forgotten the lessons of the Investiture of the Gods. Rather than believing in empty promises, it is better to choose tangible stability. By cooperating with the Jie Sect, the will of all beings can restrain all parties, and the Western Sect can peacefully spread its teachings. That is enough.”

Upon hearing these words, Yuanshi Tianzun's face grew even more ashen, yet he could find no reason to refute them.

He thought that benefits could easily sway the Western Church, but he forgot that although the two saints were fond of profit, they valued the long-term survival of the sect even more.

For a moment, Yuanshi Tianzun also began to doubt himself, wondering if he was wrong, if he was like Tongtian Jiaozhu back then, blinded by evil thoughts, about to make a huge, low-level mistake, and about to ruin a good hand.

But Yuanshi Tianzun was extremely unwilling to retreat in such a half-hearted manner. He believed that the essence of cultivation was to achieve a clear mind. How could one cultivate if one's mind was not clear?

For example, if you are scolded and go to a monk for advice, the monk will say, "The other person has created bad karma with their words, so you should not argue back. Let go of this thought and you will be at peace."

The Taoist priest would say, "Swearing makes your mind clear; swearing makes your mind dirty." He would also say, "If someone insults you, you must insult them back. That's how you accumulate good karma. They're asking for it, so you're doing them a favor by insulting them. By insulting them, you're actually helping them reap the consequences."

Besides, Kunlun Mountain's Jade Void Palace was blown up by Wen Rui. There's nowhere to retreat if we want to take a step back. Even the Primordial Celestial Venerable, who had to endure both excrement and urine, couldn't swallow this insult!
(End of this chapter)