Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan nodded inwardly. Given the status of the Sage of Reception, there was no need for him to deceive him. It seemed that he was still highly regarded in Buddhism.

Li Xiuyuan pondered for a moment and replied, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesties. However, I am a Buddhist monk by birth, and I would never leave the Buddhist order to join another. I was born a Buddhist, and I will die a Buddhist!"

As he spoke, his tone was firm and resolute, as if it would never change.

In order to leave a good impression on the two Western Saints, Li Xiuyuan naturally said a lot of nice things. It must be said that Buddhism was the most suitable place for him.

First of all, Li Xiuyuan's foundation is in Buddhism. Secondly, he has just arrived at a time when Buddhism is flourishing and he is about to embark on his journey to the West, so he can make some plans.

Furthermore, none of the three—Laozi, Yuanshi Tianzun, or Nuwa Niangniang—were truly sincere; they simply couldn't bear to see others prosper.

That's why he said he would take him as his disciple. It's obvious who is better or worse. Li Xiuyuan wasn't blinded by greed.

As for the Tongtian Sect Leader, he might be the most sincere saint, but the Jie Sect has already declined, so why would Li Xiuyuan continue to get stuck in this quagmire?

If the Tongtian Sect Leader were still the one with all the immortals paying homage, Li Xiuyuan might have considered it, but now it's not possible.

Li Xiuyuan needs to catch the wave of the flourishing of Buddhism in order to become stronger and even plan for more benefits.

Finally, let's talk about Houtu, the goddess of peace in the underworld. She already has the answer, which probably no one would have expected!

Chapter 381 The Thirteen Ancestral Witches

At this moment, Lady Pingxin was a little displeased after hearing these words. This Jianglong, who possessed the essence and blood of the Father God, actually refused her request, and so decisively at that.

However, Lady Pingxin was clearly wrong. Li Xiuyuan said calmly, "Lady Pingxin, I only obtained Pangu's essence blood by accident and inherited the power and laws of the Great God Pangu. But I had already entered the Buddhist sect and cannot break free from it."

He paused and then said, "However, if the Witch Clan doesn't mind, I can serve as the thirteenth Ancestral Witch, and at the same time, I can also be in Buddhism."

After saying that, he gazed at Houtu. At this moment, she was no longer in her true form as an ancestral witch, but Li Xiuyuan could still feel a strong sense of goodwill from her. He thought this must be intuition!

The people of the Wu tribe are straightforward and frank. Houtu thought highly of Li Xiuyuan and expressed it in her heart.

Li Xiuyuan harbored a desire to play both sides, wanting to remain in Buddhism while also becoming the thirteenth Ancestral Witch, so that the treasures of the Witch Clan accumulated over millions of years could all belong to him.

"That's acceptable, this humble monk agrees. I wonder what Your Majesty thinks?"

As soon as he spoke, Cundi Buddha immediately agreed. He knew in his heart that Li Xiuyuan was the thirteenth ancestral witch of the witch clan. If he continued to stay in Buddhism, then the influence of Buddhism would surely increase greatly.

Moreover, relying on Li Xiuyuan's relationship with the Wu Clan, an alliance between the two families could be formed. It turns out that Houtu's incarnation as the Six Paths of Reincarnation, and the Netherworld, possessed significant merit; the Sages were unwilling to relinquish it and wanted to place their own people there.

Especially among Buddhists, such as Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who made a great vow that he would not become a Buddha until hell was emptied, Buddhism's power in the underworld is second only to the Witch Clan, but they are often ostracized by the Witch Clan.

Now that the two have formed an alliance, with a reliable ally, the Buddhist sect can free up more resources!

Empress Pingxin's wrinkled face seemed to wrinkle even deeper after hearing Li Xiuyuan's words. She knew exactly what Bifang was thinking: he wanted to stay in Buddhism but also wanted the benefits of the Witch Clan.

There's no such thing as a free lunch, but Houtu was unwilling to refuse. First of all, since the death of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, there was Chiyou and then Xingtian, but to this day, the Witch Clan lacks someone to take the lead.

Moreover, Li Xiuyuan possesses the essence of Pangu's blood, which makes him even more likely to gain the approval of the Wu Clan, including Houtu, who feels a natural affinity for him.

After a moment's thought, Lady Pingxin replied, "Very well, if you wish to remain in Buddhism, I will not stop you, but first you must remember that you possess the bloodline of Pangu and are also a member of the Wu Clan."

As she spoke, her voice was clear and resonant, a reminder to Li Xiuyuan.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan nodded and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, as long as the Witch Clan will not betray me, I will never do anything to betray the Witch Clan."

He readily agreed, but the promise was a matter for later; for now, he needed Houtu's approval.

After all, the Wu Clan's treasures, accumulated over millions of years, must contain many valuable items. If Li Xiuyuan could obtain them, why would he let them go?

Li Xiuyuan would seize any opportunity, and since the Sage Zhunti beside him had already agreed, he didn't object.

“Little one, stop calling me Empress Pingxin. From now on, you should call me elder sister, thirteenth brother.”

As she spoke, Houtu laughed, and her aged face transformed, eventually becoming an old woman, and then a beautiful young woman.

Houtu's true appearance was finally revealed. She was dressed in a light green robe, with a white gauze over it, revealing her graceful neck and clearly visible collarbone. The folds of her skirt flowed like the radiance of snow and moonlight, cascading lightly to the ground, trailing more than three feet, making her gait even more elegant and graceful.

Her long, black hair was tied up with a ribbon and adorned with a butterfly hairpin. A strand of hair fell in front of her chest. She was lightly powdered, which only enhanced her color. The faint blush on her cheeks created a delicate and lovely look, as pure as flower petals. She was like a butterfly fluttering in the wind, or like clear and pure ice and snow.

Upon seeing Houtu's appearance, Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but think to himself, "Indeed, she is worthy of being called Houtu; her beauty is in no way inferior to that of the Goddess Nuwa."

Li Xiuyuan replied casually, "Yes, I've met Sister Houtu!"

Having said that, he immediately agreed and even called her "sister," a title that gave him an advantage, since she had lived longer than his ancestors.

After Houtu saw Li Xiuyuan recognize her as a relative, she smiled and said, "Little one, you stay in the Buddhist sect for now, and remember to come to the Netherworld to find me."

Having said that, her figure vanished, appearing and disappearing just as quickly.

In truth, Houtu had many things she wanted to say to Li Xiuyuan, but there were too many people around, so she couldn't bring herself to say them.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan nodded quickly and replied, "Don't worry, Sister Houtu, I will definitely come to find you."

As he spoke, he shouted loudly.

"Little one, your big sister is waiting for you!"

As he spoke, a voice echoed in Li Xiuyuan's mind, and then the figure vanished without a trace.

"Fellow Daoists, the show is over. You may all return now!"

As he spoke, the Buddha said calmly.

Although the crowd was furious at the sight of the two men's arrogant demeanor, they did not try to take them away, since they had already agreed to let Jianglong choose for himself.

But unexpectedly, this kid was so cunning. Not only did he stay in Buddhism, but he also joined the witch clan, which was a great help to Buddhism.

The group left without a word. Tongtian Jiaozhu felt a little regretful. If he could have recruited Li Xiuyuan, the Jie Sect might have had a chance to rise again.

On the contrary, when Nuwa was leaving, she gave him a cold look, clearly harboring great resentment.

Li Xiuyuan was secretly shocked when he saw this, wondering when he had offended this woman.

Chapter 382 Suppressing the Great Roc

What Li Xiuyuan didn't know was that in Nuwa's mind, you possess the bloodline of the Wu tribe and are willing to befriend Houtu, but you also possess the bloodline of the human race and are unwilling to say anything nice to her, resolutely refusing her.

If Li Xiuyuan knew, he would definitely be both amused and exasperated: "Elder sister, although the Wu tribe is relatively easy to get along with, I am in contact with you, so it's inevitable that Houtu will have some doubts."

If he had to choose between the two, the Wu Clan would naturally be the better option. After all, the Wu Clan's treasures held immense appeal for Li Xiuyuan, and what good things could Nuwa possibly offer?

After seeing the saints leave, Cundi Buddha and Amitabha Buddha breathed a sigh of relief. They thought to themselves, "Thank goodness they left, otherwise things would have gone on forever."

Zhunti looked at Jianglong and said calmly, "Jianglong, come forward!"

After saying that, he looked closely and felt extremely envious. This little guy possessed the essence and blood of the Great God Pangu, and was no less than the twelve Ancestral Witches who once dominated the world. Moreover, he could cultivate the Path of the Primordial Spirit.

Then they wouldn't be like the Wu tribe, just a bunch of mindless brutes. They would know the secrets of heaven and possess the power and laws of Pangu, with limitless potential.

Unfortunately, there were only a few strands of Primordial Purple Qi left in this world, and they had all been used up. Otherwise, Li Xiuyuan would still have had a great chance of achieving enlightenment.

At that time, Buddhism will have three saints, whose prestige will be no less than that of Taoism. You should know that the two saints who betrayed Taoism in the past were under tremendous pressure and were always worried about the counterattack of the Three Pure Ones.

Fortunately, after the Investiture of the Gods, the group had long since parted ways; otherwise, the two Western Saints would never have betrayed them!

Nothing in this world is perfect. Li Xiuyuan possessing Pangu's essence blood is already quite good. At least he can become a powerful figure in the Three Realms. Even if he can't compare to a saint, he is still the strongest below a saint.

The two sages secretly thought about it and became even more determined to cultivate Jianglong properly. After all, they had been thinking about it for a long time, and now that they discovered that Li Xiuyuan's potential was ten times greater than they had imagined, there was no need to hesitate.

Upon hearing Zhunti call his name, Li Xiuyuan immediately stepped forward and respectfully said, "Jianglong greets the Sage!"

As he spoke, he bowed sincerely. He had no choice but to be respectful in front of a saint before he had achieved the status of a quasi-saint.

"Please keep these three golden pills safe."

After saying this, the Sage Zhunti produced three golden pills in his hand, which were placed in a jade bottle. The golden pills inside shone brightly, and the originally white mutton-fat jade bottle now shone with golden light.

Li Xiuyuan was surprised when he saw this. He hadn't expected that the two sages thought so highly of him. They must know something about him, but he didn't know how much they knew.

However, seeing that the two people wouldn't say anything, Li Xiuyuan naturally wouldn't admit that he had done those bad things!

"Thank you for the blessing, Your Majesty!"

As he spoke, Li Xiuyuan thanked the two people. This was a real benefit; each Nine-Turn Golden Pill could immediately allow one to enter the realm of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

These three pills were naturally extremely valuable. In addition, the Buddhist sect was not wealthy to begin with, so in Li Xiuyuan's mind, it was truly remarkable that they were able to give away these treasures.

After all, Li Xiuyuan possessed the memories of the Dragon Subduer, and he knew clearly what treasures Buddhism possessed.

"These are all things you deserve. There are very few people in Buddhism who can shoulder great responsibilities. I hope you will reach the level of a quasi-saint soon."

As he spoke, the Sage Zhunti nodded with a smile.

"Yes!"

Li Xiuyuan quickly responded, and then his gaze fell on the Golden-Winged Roc, which was still there.

After carefully storing the golden pill, Li Xiuyuan placed it in his system space and treasured it, waiting for the right time to consume it. Currently, he was at the sixth level of the Nine Revolutions Yuan Technique, which was just the beginning. He would consume it after encountering a bottleneck.

Li Xiuyuan asked, "Sage, what should be done with this Golden-Winged Roc?"

After saying this, he became curious, because he knew that the Garuda was probably related to Buddhism, and even if it left Mount Ling, it was probably still part of their scheme.

Therefore, Li Xiuyuan did not say anything about killing him directly.

Zhunti glanced at the Roc indifferently and said in a deep voice, "This bird is disobedient, so let it be suppressed for a hundred years! Hopefully, this will temper its character. After this tribulation is completed, it can return to Mount Ling."

As he spoke, he raised his large hand, and before the Golden-Winged Roc could react, the colossal hand that blotted out the sky directly suppressed it.

The Golden-Winged Roc was also unfortunate. When the saints came over, he was so frightened that he dared not move. Moreover, he was very clear about his relationship with Buddhism.

It's best to stay by the side of a Western sage. If you are disliked by other sages and killed, then you'll have nowhere to turn for help.

As for the other sages, they were quite familiar with the Golden-Winged Roc, this extraordinary creature of heaven and earth. This fellow was a Buddhist, and right now the most important thing was to subdue the dragon, so they didn't pay too much attention to him.

Upon seeing this, Li Xiuyuan was secretly shocked. Sure enough, no saint was simple; even the relatively weak Saint Zhunti was so powerful.