As soon as the Monkey moved, Ye Xingchen's figure had already taken a step forward, launching a punch directly at Taishang Laojun. Ye Jingyu followed without hesitation, bringing the Heavenly Venerate Blade with him. Among the Sages, Taishang Laojun possessed the highest cultivation; if he didn't deal with him, who else would he engage?

As for Zifeng and Ouyang Jun, they attacked the Nether Cult Master simultaneously… "Yuanshi, today you and I must settle the grievances of these years…" Tongtian let out a long roar, drawing his Qingping Sword and lunging straight toward Yuanshi Tianzun. Seeing his Master take action, Liang Xiaoke could hardly remain standing still; shaking the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords, his figure pounced forward. Facing Yuanshi Tianzun alone might prove difficult, but with his Master present, couldn't he manage by launching sneak attacks from the side?

All this happened incredibly fast. By the time Taishang Laojun and Yuanshi Tianzun reacted, intending to aid Amitabha, Ye Xingchen and Ye Jingyu were already upon him. The Heavenly Venerate Blade and Star Burst struck toward him, leaving them no leisure to rescue Amitabha. A crooked staff appeared in his hand, and his figure rapidly retreated, fleeing tens of thousands of kilometers away, successfully evading their assault. But at this moment, Amitabha felt an immense power surging from the Seven-Treasure Wonderful Tree; his face was etched with horror. He never imagined that Zhunti Daoist, the one closest to him usually, would be the first to strike him down.

Moreover, Zhunti Daoist was so close, and the attack arrived so suddenly; how could he possibly defend himself? Fortunately, the Nine-Grade Lotus Pedestal beneath him possessed an automatic self-protection function. The instant Zhunti moved, streaks of golden light illuminated, completely enveloping him. However, this was merely an automatic defense, entirely unprompted by Amitabha. While sufficient for standard attacks, the one striking him was Zhunti Daoist, unleashing a fully charged blow. In mere moments, the golden radiance shattered, and just then, the Monkey's Ruyi Jingu Bang smashed down violently. With a deafening BOOM, the Ruyi Jingu Bang struck Amitabha’s head without obstruction, causing golden light to erupt everywhere, dazzling him. The immense force blasted him entirely off the Nine-Grade Lotus Pedestal, sending him flying an unknowable distance…

"You bald donkey, daring to suppress Old Sun for five hundred years back then! Today, Old Sun shall repay that single mountain of vengeance!" After smashing Amitabha away, Sun Wukong stood directly atop Amitabha's Nine-Grade Golden Lotus, pointing down at the fallen figure and grinning menacingly. Amitabha clutched his head, feeling a throbbing headache. Only someone of his stature could withstand a blow from Sun Wukong without his crown dissolving, but as the leader of a sect, being struck like this was a massive blow to his pride. His perpetually somber face contorted into expressions of rage, yet his fury wasn't directed at Sun Wukong, but rather toward Zhunti Daoist. "Why is this?" Amitabha truly could not fathom why Zhunti Daoist, his closest companion, would suddenly turn against him.

"Why? Shakyamuni, have you forgotten how you attained enlightenment all those years ago? How you transcended?" Zhunti Daoist’s face twisted into a sneer of disdain. Amitabha paused, recalling the scene of him comprehending all causality in the world beneath the Bodhi Tree, becoming Amitabha, the supreme leader of a sect. The Bodhi signifies great wisdom, the symbol of ultimate understanding. And Zhunti Daoist held another identity: Patriarch Puti, and his Seven-Treasure Wonderful Tree was formed from the very Bodhi Tree under which he had attained enlightenment. Indeed, it could be said that his comprehension of that realm, his transcendence, was all due to Zhunti subtly guiding him. In essence, Zhunti was at least half his master. Yet, after he became the sect leader, he reveled in the adoration of countless Buddhist followers, while Zhunti remained behind him; many followers didn't even know Zhunti existed.

Even he himself had never truly regarded Zhunti as an equal, always addressing him as 'Daoist Brother,' never offering a shred of true respect. Thinking of this, Amitabha finally understood why Zhunti had attacked him. A wry smile touched his lips; it seemed he had become too greedy. "So, this Monkey is a chess piece you placed long ago, then?" Amitabha looked at Zhunti and said with a bitter smile. "Correct. Your conduct has deeply disappointed me. He is indeed a piece I placed, a piece meant to deal with you!" Zhunti made no attempt to deny it, speaking frankly. "Heh, Monkey, did you hear that? You are merely one of his chess pieces!" Amitabha glanced back at the Monkey and chuckled faintly. "You bald donkey, even at this stage, you try to sow discord between us? A chess piece, a player—what does it matter? In the end, it comes down to whose fist is harder! Watch Old Sun's next strike…" Sun Wukong was not falling for Amitabha's ploy; he gripped the Ruyi Jingu Bang tighter and charged again.

Zhunti Daoist also smiled slightly, holding the Seven-Treasure Wonderful Tree, executing a series of profound steps—the "Seven Stars Treading the Moon Steps!" With every step, a formidable power coalesced, a might that even a Sect Leader would find daunting. Each footfall carried the power to shatter stars, to shatter the cosmos itself… By the time he reached Amitabha, this surging power forced Amitabha to stumble backward repeatedly, while the Monkey's staff blurred into countless shadows, completely enveloping Amitabha, showing only brilliant sparks scattering across his body.

Pressed breathless by Zhunti Daoist and his disciple, Amitabha’s frustration boiled over. He abandoned his defensive posture, letting out a low hum. His six-zhang tall form suddenly shimmered, and a colossal figure erupted from within his body. It was a figure radiating fiery red light, with a crimson sun wheel burning fiercely behind its back—the Immovable Wisdom King, Akala, one of the Five Great Wisdom Kings. The moment this Tathagata appeared, it swept a palm toward Sun Wukong. It was precisely this avatar of Amitabha that had once suppressed Sun Wukong beneath Five Elements Mountain.

Seeing the Tathagata emerge, the ferocity on Sun Wukong’s face intensified. His body shook, and the eighteen-faced, twenty-four-armed Battle-Victorious Buddha and Wukong Daoist manifested simultaneously to meet the Great Sun Tathagata. As soon as the Immovable Wisdom King appeared, the other Four Wisdom Kings manifested as well: Trailokya-Vijaya from the East, transforming into Akshobhya Tathagata, manifesting three heads and eight arms, with streaks of azure light erupting from his back; Amritakundalin from the South, taking the form of Ratnasambhava Tathagata, his face grotesque, surrounded by blazing fire. Mahakala from the West, taking the form of Amitayus Tathagata, his expression formidable, like a War God descending. Vajrayakṣa from the North, taking the form of Amoghasiddhi Tathagata, his face savage, truly like a Yaksha born anew, constantly emitting surges of vicious energy… With these five Wisdom Kings present, Amitabha’s body immediately erupted with an aura entirely different from before—an aura of slaughter, devoid of any trace of mercy.

Especially the Yaksha King Amoghasiddhi and the Great Wisdom King Amitayus, they joined the Great Sun Tathagata in assailing the Monkey’s three avatars, intending to utterly annihilate them. The other two Great Kings turned their attention toward Zhunti Daoist alongside Amitabha's main body. Trailokya-Vijaya Akshobhya Tathagata held various magical shields in his eight arms, blocking Zhunti Daoist’s Seven Stars Treading the Moon Steps, while Ratnasambhava Tathagata held a flaming circlet in his hand, attacking Zhunti Daoist like a Wind Fire Wheel. As for Amitabha’s true form, he wielded a Vajra Pestle, smashing toward Zhunti Daoist. Seeing Amitabha’s fierce onslaught, Zhunti Daoist ceased holding back. His body shook, and a golden Buddha with eighteen faces and twenty-four arms emerged from within him, grasping the innuendo, the umbrella, the precious mirror, the vajra pestle, the Demon-Slaying Sword, the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, and eighteen other weapons and magical artifacts. He immediately engaged the two Great Kings, while he himself tightly gripped the Seven-Treasure Wonderful Tree, now transformed into a long sword, to meet Amitabha.

As the two great Sect Leaders clashed, the world violently shook; waves of golden light erupted from their epicenter, sweeping over everything nearby. The space of the Primordial Realm was thousands of times sturdier than the Celestial Realm, and the rocks and flora here were far more robust than in the Heavens, yet facing this golden radiance, they were ruthlessly swept away as if they were mere tofu—no mountain, no river, no blade of grass could withstand the aftershocks of their battle… A radius of several thousand miles was razed flat, yet their fight was only just beginning to escalate… Meanwhile, Sect Master Tongtian, grasping the Qingping Sword, battled Yuanshi Tianzun, who wielded a Three Treasures Ruyi scepter. Streaks of sword energy shot forth continuously, but every single one was blocked by the Ruyi in Yuanshi Tianzun's hand. The Four Immortal-Slaying Swords summoned by Liang Xiaoke were entirely unable to harm Yuanshi Tianzun; for the moment, a definitive victor could not be determined… As for the Nether Cult Master, he sat upon the Nine Nether Lotus Platform, possessed the Abi Sword and the Yuantu Sword, essentially enjoying an innate state of invincibility. Yet, Zifeng and Ouyang Jun were no saints either, especially since their coordination was flawless, managing through sheer, intense battle will to hold the Nether Cult Master in place. As for Ye Xingchen and Ye Jingyu, they pressed Taishang Laojun into continuous retreat purely through their formidable combat power; though retreating, Taishang Laojun showed no signs of defeat. Seeing their attack arrive once more, a faint smile touched Taishang Laojun’s face. He suddenly pointed a single finger, and the void of the Primordial Realm tore open at that exact spot. The Taiji Diagram then flew out from him, instantly releasing dense mists…

In front of Ye Jingyu and Ye Xingchen, a thick fog instantly materialized. Even Ye Jingyu's Eye of Reincarnation and Ye Xingchen's Aurora Eye could not discern reality from illusion. "Do the two of you dare to enter the formation to fight?" Taishang Laojun asked with a beaming smile, his figure retreating slightly as he stepped into the great formation—the Taiji Two Forms Formation, one of the three great ancient fierce formations. Ye Xingchen frowned, still analyzing the formation's might, when Ye Jingyu, manifesting his Pangu True Body, charged directly in. If he could shatter a piece of the sky, could he not shatter a mere formation? Seeing Ye Jingyu rush in, Ye Xingchen did not hesitate; starlight flashed beneath his feet, and he too plunged inside… As soon as Ye Jingyu entered, he found himself in a world, one both familiar and strange to him. Towering buildings surrounded him, and the roads were not filled with ornate carriages, but with mobile iron boxes. Others might not know what they were, but Ye Jingyu clearly understood: those were automobiles, the vehicles most familiar to him from his previous life… Unconsciously, he arrived at the entrance of a school. His attire had transformed into a black school uniform. The moment he stepped onto the campus, he saw two lines of neatly dressed young men standing along the roadside, respectfully bowing to him: "Brother Yu…" Brother Yu? What a strange title!

Yet, it seemed to strike a chord deep within Ye Jingyu’s heart. Yes, that was the very thing he had yearned for in his past life: the dream of one day becoming the overlord of the school, with everyone else as his followers, deferentially addressing him. Was all this real? "Good morning, Brother Yu!" At that moment, a group of exquisitely beautiful girls, dressed purely, approached, enveloping him in their center as they walked toward the school grounds. Ye Jingyu felt bewildered, wondering if he were dreaming. Almost instinctively, he extended his right hand and gently pinched a young woman’s bottom. The soft sensation was intoxicatingly sensual, and the girl shot him a flirtatious glance, unbearably charming.

Ye Jingyu even knew her name: Yang Ying, the class monitor, who had always been infatuated with him—even her position as monitor existed because she was 'his woman.' Could all of this be real? At this moment, he forgot Luo Ling'er, forgot Liang Xiaoke, forgot Luo Ruofeng, forgot the Dou Hun Continent, forgot the Twelve Heavenly Witches, forgot everything he had experienced. He was just an ordinary high school student, a high school student dominating his campus. Yes, this was the life he wanted, the life he had dreamt of! Gradually, those deeply etched memories began to feel like a distant dream in his heart…

Transmigration? Reincarnation, Zhurong—these were tales of myth and legend. What did they have to do with him? He just wanted to live as a pampered second-generation heir, to lead a carefree life. None of that mattered to him… Yes, it had to be this way, absolutely this way… Ye Jingyu forgot everything and walked with the crowd toward the classrooms. The teacher lecturing him was also a stunning beauty; every time she passed his desk, a wave of fragrance drifted by. On several occasions, when she stood before him to explain a concept, the curves of her ample chest swung right before Ye Jingyu’s eyes… What a blissful existence… Yes, he sank into this life… After entering the formation, Ye Xingchen also found himself in a campus, though this was a university, seemingly holding a graduation ceremony.

He wore a doctoral cap, held his diploma, and wore a smile of pure happiness. Occasionally, classmates would approach him for a photo, and his father stood not far away, wearing the brightest smile, filled with pride. What destiny, what latent potential, what fate mattered to him now? He graduated smoothly, found a decent job, then met a gentle and kind woman named Susan. They married, settled down, and lived happily ever after… This life was comfortable, this life was fulfilling, making Ye Xingchen unwilling to think of anything else. He simply lived this simple, happy life with Susan. Those passionate, bloody days of his previous life seemed like a dream, a dream beginning to fade… All mention of potential, all sense of mission, were erased from his memory… The Taiji Two Forms Formation, while lacking the killing intent of the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array or the sheer viciousness of the Twelve Heavenly Witch Annihilation Formation, was the most potent illusionary formation in existence—a terrifying structure capable of turning the illusory completely real. Anyone entering this formation risked losing their true self. At this moment, both Ye Jingyu and Ye Xingchen had lost themselves… Time passed day by day within the formation, and outside the formation, time passed just as quickly… Clashes between those at the Cult Master realm were not like ordinary struggles; they were immortal and indestructible beings, making a swift victory near impossible.

In a flash, decades passed. The vast, boundless Primordial Realm was smashed to pieces. Fortunately, this expanse of void was limitless, having no borders and no time. Below, the Celestial Realm, guarded by the remaining figures, barely withstood the onslaught of magical artifacts. During these decades, everyone’s cultivation increased rapidly. Especially Yao, who had dual-cultivated with Ye Jingyu, successfully broke through that threshold. Luo Ling'er, possessing the Pure Spirit Body, faced no restrictions and also advanced smoothly. As for Jiufeng, guided by some memories of the Twelve Heavenly Witches, she too managed to take that final step… With their enhanced power, the Nine Provinces Barrier became even more stable, finally allowing Chen Xiaolong and Wang Xiaohu to break free and re-enter the fray… By this time, the Nether Cult Master, relying on the Nine Nether Lotus Platform, the Abi Sword, and the Yuantu Sword, was gradually gaining the upper hand. He sat upon the Lotus Platform, pointed a single finger, and the Abi Sword lunged straight for Ouyang Jun. Facing this piercing strike, Ouyang Jun snorted coldly, shaking his water-blue long sword, unleashing a massive wave of water that erupted from him, blasting toward the Nether Cult Master. "Heh heh, Water Passes Without Trace? This must be the Water Passes Without Trace Swordplay you comprehended. It seems unimpressive now. Take this one move from me: Great Annihilation—Heaven and Earth Leave No Mark…" Seeing the sword strike that resembled a vast ocean, the Nether Cult Master smiled triumphantly, suddenly roaring with laughter, and clapped a hand directly toward Ouyang Jun.

In that instant, an extremely potent dark force instantly materialized, forming a gigantic black ocean that engulfed the expanse of water Ouyang Jun had conjured. It was like pouring a bucket of ink into a basin of clean water, instantly staining the entire expanse black. Ouyang Jun's water-blue long sword began to show cracks, looking like shattered glass, before finally snapping apart with a loud crack. Not only that, but his body was also eroded by this dark energy, revealing streaks of fissures. Great Annihilation, true, complete destruction? "Ouyang…" Seeing Ouyang Jun suddenly injured, a cry escaped Zifeng’s lips. He shook his Purple Moon Blade, his figure transforming into a massive Flame Demon, charging directly at the Nether Cult Master.

"Hahaha! While your cultivation and talent are adequate, you lack one fatal element: accumulation! This Venerable One has lived for billions of years; how could you possibly comprehend the vastness of what I have accumulated? Today, I shall let you witness my true might…" Facing Zifeng’s colossal Flame Demon form, the Nether Cult Master merely laughed maniacally. Amidst his laughter, a black gourd appeared in his hand. Entirely black, yet faintly rippling with golden patterns, it emitted a peculiar aura, much like a black hole… "Devouring Heaven Gourd, go!" The Nether Cult Master gave a light hum, and the gourd shot toward the sky, transforming into a massive gourd so vast its opening was larger than most black holes. An irresistible suction formed, directly drawing in the Flame Demon that Zifeng had transformed into.

The moment Zi Feng was sucked into that gourd, he felt himself transported to an icy world. Everything surrounding him was pitch-black, formed from the coldest of all elemental energies—the Nine Nether Force condensed into absolute ice. A biting, extreme cold lunged towards Zi Feng’s form. The vast expanse of purple flames that had filled the sky now seemed like tiny chicks encountering an eagle, rapidly sputtering out to reveal Zi Feng’s true body. This frigid energy was his natural nemesis. Even with his considerable strength, he could only just manage to ward off the onslaught of the chilling attacks.

At this critical juncture, Chen Xiaolong and Wang Xiaohu rushed forward, preparing to throw themselves recklessly at the Nether Cult Master. However, they were intercepted by Ouyang Jun. “Quickly, hurry and help Xingchen and the other two! Especially that kid Ye Jingyu—he is the protagonist of this century! You must get him out of the Taiji Liangyi Formation…” Ouyang’s body was spewing blood everywhere, yet his gaze remained piercingly sharp. He had waited tens of thousands of years for this day. To secure the final victory in this grand game, they had all sacrificed too much. They absolutely could not give up now. Zi Feng could die; he [Ouyang] could die; even Ye Xingchen could perish, but Ye Jingyu absolutely must not die. He was the hope of them all; as long as he lived, as long as he achieved the ultimate victory, everything could begin anew...

Seeing the blood-soaked Ouyang Jun and the fiercely contorted visage of the Nether Cult Master, Wang Xiaohu and Chen Xiaolong simultaneously bit down hard on their lips, forcibly suppressing the grief surging in their hearts before turning and lunging toward the Taiji Liangyi Formation. The Saint does not die, the Heavenly Dao does not cease; they absolutely could not surrender so easily... (The next chapter will be the final conclusion, and it might be quite long, so if I can finish it today, it will be updated today; if not completed today, it will be updated tomorrow!)