My brother is so cunning

Chapter 1181 Appealing to Emotions
The Tongtian Sect Leader immediately set off, flying towards the direction of the Zhuxian Sword Formation.

His robes fluttered, and the aura of a saint was concealed within him. As soon as he reached the edge of the chaotic domain, the Golden Immortal of the Chan Sect guarding the formation sensed his presence and shouted sharply, "You demon of the Jie Sect, how dare you trespass into the Chan Sect's Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation! You're courting death!"

Before he finished speaking, Guang Chengzi had already flown out with the Zhuxian Sword. With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a chaotic sword aura. The sword aura was as black as ink, carrying the power to tear apart heaven and earth, and went straight for the face of the Tongtian Sect Master.

But the Tongtian Sect Leader remained completely calm, slowly reciting the very lines he often used during the Investiture of the Gods: "The Three Pure Ones' power is even more wondrous, the sun and moon in the gourd can go east and west at will. Later, the Jie Sect and the Chan Sect separated, I now have the banner of the Tongtian Sect Leader."

The moment the poem was recited, he raised his hand and waved it lightly. The seemingly casual movement contained the Daoist wisdom of a sage. The chaotic sword energy that was powerful enough to severely injure a Golden Immortal vanished like a bubble the instant it touched his palm, without even causing a ripple.

The Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, after so many years, it still looks exactly the same; it feels so familiar.

The Tongtian Sect Leader chuckled and stepped into the formation. The malevolent energy and distorted spacetime within the Chaos Domain automatically dispersed around him, as if he were not stepping into a world-destroying killing formation, but strolling leisurely in the courtyard of his own Biyou Palace, extremely composed.

Guang Chengzi was both shocked and furious to see the sword energy easily neutralized. He stepped forward again with his sword to block him, shouting, "Master Tongtian! This is a crucial area within the Chan Sect's formation. How dare you act so presumptuously!"

The Tongtian Sect Leader turned to look at him, a cold glint in his eyes—it was this Guang Chengzi who killed the Holy Mother of Fire Spirit during the Investiture of the Gods, and then swaggered up to Biyou Palace to report it, his words full of contempt. He had not forgotten this debt!

"You're the one who's being insolent!" The Tongtian Sect Leader raised his hand and slapped her across the face with lightning speed.

Before Guang Chengzi could even see the other's movements, he felt a sharp pain in his cheek. He was like a spinning top struck by a huge force, flying through the air and crashing heavily into the barrier of the sword formation. He coughed up blood, and most of his bones were shattered. Although he did not die, he was seriously injured and unconscious.

"Yuanshi Tianzun is utterly incompetent at teaching his disciples!"

The Tongtian Sect Leader withdrew his hand, his tone tinged with disdain: "Where did you get the nerve to swagger around my Biyou Palace back then? Now you don't even have basic manners, daring to address a senior by his name. I've already held back by beating you half to death!"

He was secretly pleased—this slap finally got him revenge for what he had done back then!
I've wanted to slap him for hundreds of years!
The commotion within the formation reached the ears of Yuanshi Tianzun. He immediately rose, holding the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi, and led a group of Golden Immortals from the Chan Sect to rush over. They had assumed that Tongtian had come to break the formation, but the oppressive aura of a saint instantly erupted around him, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Before he could speak, the Tongtian Sect Leader softened his tone, his gaze falling on him with a complex emotion: "Senior brother, it's been many years since we last met, and you seem to be even more fixated on the word 'orthodoxy' than before."

Yuanshi Tianzun was taken aback, not expecting Tongtian to have such an attitude, and for a moment he did not know how to respond.

The Master of Heaven walked up to him, his tone becoming increasingly earnest, filled with a tender reminiscence of the past: "Do you still remember the days when we listened to Master Hongjun preach in Zixiao Palace? Back then, you, me, and my senior brother Laozi sat together, and Master said that the three of us came from the same school and should protect the primordial world and all living beings together, and should not fight among ourselves. But since the Investiture of the Gods, the three of us brothers have become strangers, and even fought each other."

He paused, a hint of melancholy flashing in his eyes: "I know you disapprove of the Jie Sect's 'education for all,' thinking that most of the disciples I've taken in are heretics; you also disapprove of my good grand-disciple compiling new knowledge for the Jie Sect—that is, so-called technology—thinking that it disrupts the order of Heaven. But senior brother, what is the Heavenly Way? Is only the Chan Sect's 'interpretation' the absolutely correct Heavenly Way?" "Back then, during the Investiture of the Gods, you said the Jie Sect defied Heaven, but my Jie Sect disciples only wanted to protect their fellow disciples and uphold their own path; now, my Jie Sect is spreading the Way of Technology, only wanting to reduce the suffering of mortals and bring more peace to the Three Realms. Are these things also wrong?"

The Tongtian Sect Leader's voice grew gentler, filled with heartfelt sincerity: "I have come today not to compete for superiority, nor to avenge past grievances. I simply wish to persuade you to cease hostilities. If you withdraw your sword formation and cease your enmity with all living beings and with my Jie Sect, the Three Realms will still revere the Chan Sect, and the mortal world will continue to interpret the Heavenly Dao with your sage's words. My Jie Sect is even willing to cede thirty percent of the incense offerings to Xiniu Hezhou. Why must we, fellow disciples, fight to the death?"

“Look at the mortals outside the formation. They just want to live a good life, but because of our struggle, their families have been destroyed, and they have been displaced. In the end, won’t the karmic debts we create still fall on us? Master Hongjun once said, ‘The will of the people is the will of Heaven.’ You insist on destroying Free City and severing the inheritance of the way of technology. Aren’t you afraid of chilling the hearts of the people and incurring the wrath of Heaven?”

“Senior brother, we have lived for so many years, seen the changes of the world, and witnessed the pain of life and death. Is the reputation of the Chan Sect and the orthodoxy of the Three Realms more important than the lives of all living beings? You and I are both saints, and we should take it upon ourselves to protect the primordial world, rather than plunge the Three Realms into war for our own selfish reasons.”

The Master of the Heavenly Sect also learned acting skills by watching TV every day. Every word he uttered was filled with the warmth of loyalty and righteousness. He did not have the aloofness of a saint, but rather seemed like an ordinary person who was worried about his brothers.

Yuanshi Tianzun was also stunned. Tongtian's words struck his heart like a hammer, causing a slight wavering in his heart.

The key point is that the attitude of the Tongtian Cult Master was completely unexpected to him.

He should have been furious, demanded an explanation, launched a major attack, verbally abused and berated him, or even resorted to violence without saying a word.

However, this wavering lasted only a moment before it was forcibly suppressed by the Primordial Celestial Venerable.

He suddenly realized that the Jie Sect's "education for all" was fundamentally incompatible with the Chan Sect's "elite orthodoxy"; the technology spread by Wen Rui would cause mortals to no longer admire the heavens, thus severing the foundation of the Chan Sect's teachings!
If they agree to the peace talks, the Chan Sect will be replaced by the Jie Sect and the Free City sooner or later. It will be impossible for them to pick up the remnants of the faith and vows of sentient beings from the Jie Sect's fingers, just like the Western Sect did!
"enough!"

Yuanshi Tianzun interrupted Tongtian sharply, his tone resolute: "Tongtian, you need not say any more! The Chan Sect and the Jie Sect follow different paths and cannot work together! Hearing that Rui has disrupted my Heavenly Dao, I will surely eliminate him! Today, if this Zhuxian Sword Formation does not flatten Freedom City, I will not withdraw it!"

Seeing his resolute expression, the last glimmer of hope in Tongtian Sect Leader's eyes vanished. He gently shook his head, his tone tinged with regret: "Senior Brother, I have done my duty as a fellow disciple, I have been more than benevolent and righteous. It is you who insisted on going against the will of Heaven. When divine retribution comes in the future, you cannot blame anyone else."

After saying that, he didn't linger any longer. He turned around and walked out of the formation with a look of utter desolation. His hunched back seemed to be bearing pain, as if he were grieving the loss of a brother.

Yuanshi Tianzun even subconsciously raised his hand, almost blurting out, "Junior brother, please stay...", but in the end, he silently watched him fly away.

Just as the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation was activated, the Tongtian Sect Master transmitted a message through divine sense, directly entering Wen Rui's sea of ​​consciousness: "The matter has been settled. Yuanshi refused to negotiate, and his attitude was resolute."

(End of this chapter)