Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

It seems that the Jade Emperor, the puppet ruler of the Three Realms, is now in a truly pathetic position.

Just as the Jade Emperor was lamenting his fate, Li Xiuyuan suddenly shouted, "Jade Emperor, I, your Buddha, will make sure you bunch of scoundrels suffer today!"

The Jade Emperor and the other immortals looked over upon hearing the sound, and saw that Li Xiuyuan's many ancient sorcerers had indeed dug a hole in the Zhou Tian Star Array, but the hole was extremely small. Not even a fly could fly out of it.

However, Li Xiuyuan couldn't fly away, but it was useless. Even if you flew away, the Zhou Tian Star Formation wouldn't be broken. The Jade Emperor could easily put the formation back on your head with a single move.

However, Li Xiuyuan had other ideas, namely, to obtain the Chaos Pearl again while still in the formation.

Although it was only a tiny hole, barely the size of a sesame seed, it was enough for Li Xiuyuan.

At this moment, Li Xiuyuan's divine sense was able to transmit over and directly manipulate the Chaos Pearl outside.

.....................

Chapter 523 Lao Tzu, the Sage

Although Li Xiuyuan only had eleven ancient great shamans create an opening, he did not exit through it. The reason was that if he went out, he would immediately fall back into the range of the Star Array.

The Zhou Tian Star Formation covers a very wide area, so it is undoubtedly impossible for Li Xiuyuan to break it in a short time. However, Li Xiuyuan came up with a way to eliminate the root cause of the problem.

Since we can't break the formation in a short time, we can just capture the person in charge of it!

The opening created by the numerous ancient witches was enough for Li Xiuyuan to regain control of the Chaos Pearl, which was currently outside the great formation and had been out of contact with him for a long time.

The Chaos Pearl is composed of twenty-four Sea-Stabilizing Pearls. Originally, Li Xiuyuan possessed twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls. Later, after fighting against the Ancient Buddha Dipankara, he collected all twenty-four Sea-Stabilizing Pearls. After a series of refinements, they became the Chaos Treasure we know today.

While the celestial officials were still in a daze, Li Xiuyuan manipulated the Chaos Pearl and struck it towards the Jade Emperor. Seeing the Chaos Pearl coming towards him, the Jade Emperor finally understood Li Xiuyuan's intentions.

However, the Jade Emperor is currently controlling the great formation and cannot be in two places at once, so he has to rely on others. And the one closest to him in his divine transformation is the Queen Mother of the West.

The Queen Mother of the West certainly knew she had to withstand the Chaos Pearl's attack, but she feared she was utterly incapable of resisting it. Not only was the Chaos Pearl's owner, Li Xiuyuan, a quasi-saint, whose cultivation was far superior to hers, but the Chaos Pearl itself was forged from twenty-four Sea-Stabilizing Pearls, a genuine Chaos Treasure—how could she possibly withstand it?

However, for the sake of the greater good, the Queen Mother of the West was determined to fight to the death, immediately summoning her own celestial artifact, the Nine Phoenix Hairpin, to try and defend herself. By the time the Great Emperor Gouchen, the Great Emperor Houtu, and the Great Emperor Ziwei arrived to the rescue, the situation was likely already dire.

However, the Queen Mother of the West ultimately underestimated that Chaos Treasure. The Chaos Pearl emitted a faint glow, far beyond what she could withstand.

Under Li Xiuyuan's manipulation, the Chaos Pearl was extremely fast and immediately collided with the Queen Mother's treasured possession, resulting in the Nine Phoenix Hairpin being knocked off by the Chaos Pearl.

The Queen Mother of the West was also injured, knocked to the ground by the Chaos Pearl. At this moment, the Queen Mother of the West had been beaten by Li Xiuyuan. The Queen Mother of the West, who was high in the Lingxiao Palace of the Heavenly Realm, was now knocked to the ground by Li Xiuyuan with a single pearl. Even the Queen Mother of the West lost face and her face was ashen.

Emperor Gouchen, Emperor Ziwei, and many other emperors had already revealed their treasures to come to the rescue, but it was already too late.

The Chaos Pearl, radiating chaotic light, struck the Jade Emperor squarely on the shoulder. The Jade Emperor, unable to withstand the blow, was immediately sent flying.

At this moment, the Zhou Tian Star Formation had lost its main commander, and it could no longer withstand the fierce attacks of the twelve ancient witches. In the blink of an eye, it was broken by Li Xiuyuan.

Li Xiuyuan did not give up. Instead, relying on his Pangu true form, he took revenge on all the immortals!

There were many immortals present, but only the Jade Emperor, the Queen Mother, and the five Great Emperors Gouchen, Houtu, and Ziwei possessed any real fighting power. However, the Jade Emperor was struck on the shoulder by Li Xiuyuan's Chaos Treasure and sent flying quite a distance.

Without tens of thousands of years of quiet recuperation, he probably wouldn't be able to recover to his current near-saint level. It's quite frustrating, really. He only wanted to seek justice, but he never expected to be attacked by Li Xiuyuan and sent to the Heavenly Court.

The Queen Mother of the West was also lying on the ground, unable to get up. It seemed that the impact of the Chaos Pearl on the Nine Phoenix Hairpin had caused her considerable injuries.

Seeing that defeat was inevitable, the three emperors, Gouchen, Houtu, and Ziwei, knew there was no point in staying any longer. As the saying goes, of the thirty-six stratagems, running away is the best.

Having made up their minds, the three emperors decided to flee.

Wang Yang turned his head and laughed, "Where did the three Great Emperors go? Why don't they all go and accompany the Great Heavenly Venerable? Today, we'll gather all four of you."

He then turned around, traversed space, and blocked their path. The three emperors were still in shock when Li Xiuyuan launched a string of Sea-Stabilizing Pearls.

The three emperors were no match for them. They were all sent flying far away, proving that their strength was no less than that of the Jade Emperor.

Li Xiuyuan was in high spirits at this moment, thinking to himself: "They say there are three pure ones and four emperors. Now that I have defeated all four emperors, if I could also defeat the three pure ones, that would be wonderful."

Of course, such thoughts should only be kept in mind and not spoken aloud. If one were to say such a thing, it would likely immediately incur the displeasure of three sages: Laozi, Yuanshi Tianzun, and Tongtian Jiaozhu.

Although Li Xiuyuan now possesses abilities comparable to a sage, he would still be no match for a true sage. At this moment, Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but sigh, "Sages... When will I become a true sage?"

After all, Li Xiuyuan knew that below the level of a sage, all are mere ants. Even a quasi-sage is no match for them.

Thinking of this, Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but sigh. However, upon closer inspection, he spotted Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King. It was just that Li Jing no longer possessed the exquisite pagoda, nor did he have the imposing presence of the Grand Marshal of the Three Realms.

Li Xiuyuan looked over, and Li Jing saw the fate of the three emperors, so he stopped running and let Li Xiuyuan deal with him.

Unexpectedly, Li Xiuyuan suddenly became serious, radiating various Buddhist lights, and then said, "Heavenly King Li, do you know your crime!"

Li Jing, the Heavenly King, had no idea what Li Xiuyuan meant. He immediately knelt down and begged for mercy, saying, "Bodhisattva, spare my life! This disciple knows his sins."

Li Xiuyuan then asked, "King Li, tell me, what crime have you committed?"

Li Jing was quite helpless upon hearing this, but he still forced himself to reply, "This disciple has committed the sin of disrespecting the Bodhisattva."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan smiled and was about to speak again when he noticed movement from the east.

Li Xiuyuan thought to himself: I originally wanted to place one of my own people in the Heavenly Realm, but I didn't expect another saint to come.

Looking up, I saw an old man riding a blue ox coming from afar.

"I?" Li Xiuyuan thought to himself.

If I were to attack him, that would be troublesome.

Chapter 524 The War Ends

The one riding the blue ox in the east is none other than Laozi. Laozi is one of the Three Pure Ones and the eldest disciple of the Chan Sect.

Their hasty arrival is presumably to stop Li Xiuyuan. After all, it's one thing for Li Xiuyuan to storm the Heavenly Court and cause trouble, but if he were to destroy the Heavenly Court in a few moves, it would be a loss of face for many saints.

Because the Jade Emperor and the other immortals in the Heavenly Court are puppets supported by the sages of the three religions. Although they are puppets, one must consider the master before beating a dog. If Li Xiuyuan were to offend the sages, he would not be able to bear it.

Therefore, although Li Xiuyuan fought his way through with great prestige, apart from the 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals whose cultivation was too shallow and suffered heavy casualties, most of the other immortals were seriously injured by Li Xiuyuan.

Li Xiuyuan always leaves himself an out; presumably, the man who came here is here to mediate.

Furthermore, Laozi rode his green ox all the way here, his body radiating supreme chaotic divine light, and brought back to the Southern Heavenly Gate all the immortals who had been knocked down to the mortal realm by Li Xiuyuan.

Even though Li Xiuyuan was arrogant, he still had to be respectful to a sage like Laozi, including the Jade Emperor, the Four Emperors, the Five Emperors, and many other immortals.

Before the immortals could react, Li Xiuyuan spoke first, bowing to Laozi and saying, "This novice greets the Sage. I have some personal grudges with the Jade Emperor, but I did not expect to disturb the Sage. I am truly sorry."

Seeing Li Xiuyuan's sweet talk, the Jade Emperor immediately said, "Your Majesty, do not listen to his explanations. Please, Your Majesty, uphold justice for your disciples. He has turned the entire Heavenly Court upside down. Everyone says that the Three Pure Ones and the Four Emperors are the Three Pure Ones and the Four Emperors, but this Li Xiuyuan has no regard for the dignity of the Three Pure Ones and the Four Emperors. He has injured us. Please, Your Majesty, uphold justice for us and kill this evil monk."

Li Xiuyuan certainly couldn't let the Jade Emperor continue his clamor. The reason for the matter was probably already clear to the Sage, but he still needed to please the Sage verbally to maintain his moral high ground. Thinking this, Li Xiuyuan spoke up: "You damned Jade Emperor! How can you mere mortals compare to the Three Pure Ones? Such words are utterly disrespectful to the Sage!"

Li Xiuyuan wanted to make Laozi feel disgusted with the Jade Emperor, so that he wouldn't be harmed.

At this moment, Lao Tzu finally spoke up, saying, "You two should stop arguing. You are both quasi-sages, only a hair's breadth away from becoming sages like us. Why abandon your dignity and fight like servants?"

Li Xiuyuan immediately replied, "The sage's teachings are correct; the young novice has learned his lesson."

But the Jade Emperor remained silent with a stern face. He was a puppet emperor supported by Laozi and other sages. Today, he had suffered injustice from heaven and earth, and the sages showed no intention of blaming Li Xiuyuan. It seemed that they were unwilling to stand up for him. Well, let the sages do as they please.

Taking the opportunity, Li Xiuyuan asked again, "How will the Sage handle this matter?"

Lao Tzu laughed heartily and said, "Dispose of it? How should it be disposed of? Everyone disperse. If Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva still won't leave, does he intend to stay in the Lingxiao Palace as well?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan calmed down. It seemed that Laozi had only come to rescue the Jade Emperor and others, to prevent him from destroying the Heavenly Court.

However, the Jade Emperor and the others were greatly dissatisfied. The old Jade Emperor, together with the other three, said, "Sage, we must not let that evil monk go!"

However, Li Xiuyuan ignored him and walked quite a distance.

Laozi looked at everyone and laughed, "The one who came out of Li Xiuyuan's Twelve Capital Gods and Demons Formation is the true form of Pangu. In terms of combat power, he is probably on par with a sage."

"Jade Emperor, I bestowed upon you the same Celestial Constellation Formation, and you have the assistance of many immortals, yet you still could not capture him. That is truly your incompetence. I, too, am helpless and powerless to do anything more."

Having said that, he patted the blue ox and headed back home.

The green ox rode on divine light, moving at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, the many immortals could no longer see Laozi riding the green ox.

As for Li Xiuyuan, his original intention in storming the Heavenly Court was to win over Li Tianwang and make him one of his own. In this way, he would have his own people in the Heavenly Realm.

But Lao Tzu's sudden appearance disrupted his plans, whether intentionally or unintentionally, which caused Li Xiuyuan's plan to fail.

The more Li Xiuyuan thought about it, the clearer it became. The Heavenly Court was the nominal ruler of the Three Realms, but it was actually controlled by the disciples of the Chan Sect after the Investiture of the Gods. Behind the Heavenly Court were the two saints, Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun.

It seems the sage saw through his thoughts and didn't want his influence to extend into their territory, the Heavenly Court.

In the end, Li Xiuyuan wisely came down from the Heavenly Court. To put it nicely, Laozi invited him down; to put it bluntly, he was kicked out.

The reason Laozi intervened was that he couldn't tolerate Li Xiuyuan's insolence on his territory. However, now that Li Xiuyuan possessed the abilities of a sage, he was unwilling to make a big fuss.

The blame lies with the Jade Emperor for falling into Li Xiuyuan's trap and being injured by the Chaos Pearl; otherwise, the outcome would have been uncertain. Both Li Xiuyuan and the Jade Emperor possessed the strength of quasi-saints, and both had the Dutian Divine Fiend Formation and the Zhou Tian Star Formation, two of the three great ancient killing formations, making them evenly matched.

However, Li Xiuyuan had many magical treasures, while the Jade Emperor had many allies. Ultimately, however, Li Xiuyuan won.

However, Laozi ordered Li Xiuyuan to leave the Heavenly Court, and Li Xiuyuan did not object. The reason for this was that he had raped seven of the Jade Emperor's daughters on the top of Mount Tai. Logically speaking, he was at a disadvantage, and these things probably could not be hidden from the Sage.

However, the Jade Emperor was too proud to reveal the truth, which benefited Li Xiuyuan instead.

Furthermore, when the Jade Emperor sent troops to attack him, he simply stormed the South Heavenly Gate, defeating and wounding many immortals, thus establishing his authority in the Heavenly Realm.

Li Xiuyuan couldn't possibly disregard the dignity of the Sage and destroy the Heavenly Court. Laozi's arrival at this time was a way of giving him a way out. Li Xiuyuan, knowing what was good for him, readily accepted Laozi's offer.

On one hand, it saved face for Lao Tzu. On the other hand, it brought this situation to a close.

However, the celestial beings in Heaven, led by the Jade Emperor, suffered a great loss. But they could only swallow their anger in silence.

Chapter 525 Reencounter with Bodhidharma

Li Xiuyuan's original intention in the battle in Heaven was to place his own people in Heaven, just like Bodhidharma. However, Laozi's interference forced him to step down.

This battle raged from the Liangzhou Pass all the way to the Heavenly Court, ultimately turning the entire Heavenly Court upside down.

Inside that palace were Xiang Siyu and others, who were presumably kept hidden away, but this time they actually came out to deal with Li Xiuyuan.