“Senior Sister, in the coming days… ahem, I have divined that many events will unfold. If one day the immortals of the Severing Sect follow Senior Brother Duo Bao to surround Spirit Mountain, the Western Sect will certainly try to defend themselves with sophistry. According to my calculations, their sophistry will mainly take three forms.

First, they will deny everything vigorously, claiming the insulting things weren’t their doing. If this happens, don’t interfere – just pretend I never said these words. Senior Brother Duo Bao and the others can handle it easily. The evidence should be ironclad at that point.

Second, the Western Sect will admit fault directly and find a scapegoat to try to quell the Severing Sect’s anger. This is their usual tactic – they might even kill this scapegoat in front of you all. At this point, you can choose to speak up or not… If you do speak up, play to your strengths – appear melancholy and concerned, argue a few points from the Western Sect’s perspective, and then apologize on their behalf. I’ll design the specific words for you later.

The third scenario is that the Western Sect will produce so-called evidence proving the stone tablets were planted by others to frame them, with a self-consistent story. In this case, you must step forward and pin them down.”

“Pin them down? You mean pounce and bite them like this – awoo? But I cultivate Spirit Soul techniques and defensive arts…”

“…Wait, let me reconsider whether I should entrust such crucial scheming to you.”

“Eh?”

In the depths of her dao heart, Senior Sister Turtle Spirit kept replaying Junior Brother Chang Geng’s words as she observed the situation before her. She could do this, she definitely could. It was just that, being her first time plotting against others, she felt somewhat nervous. Her dao heart, dormant for dozens of grand kalpas, was now beating erratically.

Junior Brother Chang Geng was truly a wonderful person. Handsome and intelligent, always full of schemes – no problem could stump him. She had even occasionally heard Master praise Junior Brother Chang Geng, saying he was likely already planning how to wrestle with the Heavenly Dao… How frightening!

Ah, she couldn’t let her mind wander – she needed to stay focused on the situation at hand.

Turtle Spirit Immortal snapped back to attention, watching the Western Sect’s response. Before coming, Senior Brother Duo Bao had transmitted to them that they should surround but not attack, letting Senior Sister Jin Ling act freely. The goal was to force out the two Saints of the Western Sect.

To avoid the Saints directly slaughtering their elite forces, they wanted the Saints to fight first, and then their disciples would battle – this was the Severing Sect’s ideal scenario. Of course, the two Western Sect Saints would surely have countermeasures. Today’s battle was far from the simple “surround, kill, retreat” pattern; it was layered with schemes within schemes.

As Junior Brother Chang Geng had said, the key to victory lay in whether they could force out the Western Sect Saints. This required the Severing Sect to be “in the right” while maintaining constant pressure on the Western Sect.

The “task” Junior Brother Chang Geng had assigned her was both crucial and challenging.

Turtle Spirit Immortal observed:

Senior Sister Jin Ling’s wrathful presence was overwhelming – several Western Sect elders were so frightened they couldn’t speak.

Their side had thousands of immortals surrounding Spirit Mountain, with almost all the Severing Sect’s elite forces present, their pressure extending for a hundred thousand miles.

The heavens changed color, and space itself twisted.

It was as if they meant to sink the Western Ox Continent from the primordial world.

This was with their fellow disciples showing restraint, not fully revealing their dao realm, merely maintaining an intimidating presence.

Senior Sister Jin Ling’s Dragon Tiger Ruyi Scepter blazed with light, while Senior Sister Yun Xiao’s Primordial Golden Dipper also shone brilliantly.

Understanding the situation, Turtle Spirit Immortal’s eyes flickered with green light, and her jade flute emitted waves of power.

The Severing Sect immortals were displaying their treasures!

“Wait! Wait!” a Western Sect elder called out loudly. “There seems to be some misunderstanding between us!”

Turtle Spirit Immortal almost broke character.

These people were exactly as Junior Brother Chang Geng had described – normally they bullied the kind-hearted with tyrannical arrogance, smirking while saying things like “you have a karmic destiny with our Western Sect” and “better my friend die than me,” doing all manner of evil with no conscience.

But once they encountered a predicament like this, faced with pressure from a stronger force, they would withdraw like turtles, shirking responsibility without any dignity.

Their Western Sect was rotten to the core, all because their sect leader lacked proper conduct.

Thinking this, Turtle Spirit Immortal felt no more guilt in her heart and began preparing her tactics, ready to deliver her lines.

It all depended on which script the Western Sect would choose!

As previously agreed while they were en route, Junior Sister Qiong Xiao stepped forward at this moment…

Qiong Xiao’s beautiful face turned cold, her Golden Crocodile Shears emitting roars while the Dragon Binding Rope coiled around her like a living azure dragon.

She shouted coldly:

“Misunderstanding? Then we have far too many misunderstandings.

Some Western Sect you are!

Since ancient times, you’ve been poaching our Severing Sect disciples into your Western Sect, using every means possible, forcing and snatching them away!

Our Master, remembering that the two Western Sect Saints heard the dao together at the Purple Void Palace, chose not to hold it against you, yet you still thought our Severing Sect was easy to bully!

All these years, you’ve been sowing discord between the three sects of our Dao School, both openly and in secret!

The several conflicts and bloodsheds between the Enlightenment and Severing Sects – every single one had your Western Sect’s shadow behind it!

You Western Sect yearn for your great rise, claiming Heaven’s Mandate is with you, yet you use such unscrupulous means for this rise – aren’t you ashamed!

Bah!

Now that the great tribulation has descended and you’ve offended my brother-in-law, being written into the tribulation, instead of thinking how to survive it, you’re still using your scheming ways, inciting the Enlightenment Sect to join hands against our Severing Sect, treating the blood ties between our three Dao School sects as nothing!

These stone tablets – you deliberately made them appear ancient?

What, trying to make people think the conflict between Enlightenment and Severing Sects was ordained since ancient times?

Your intentions are despicable! Today our Severing Sect must settle this matter of life and death with you!”

After speaking, Qiong Xiao’s chest heaved continuously – she had truly worked herself into a fury. Her Golden Crocodile Shears struck directly at the five elders before her.

Turtle Spirit Immortal’s heart jumped – she truly feared Qiong Xiao’s move would directly draw out the Saints.

The Golden Crocodile Shears transformed into an ancient azure dragon. The elders, having been on guard, responded together. Treasure light bloomed as they joined forces to block the Golden Crocodile Shears.

Being chosen as vice sect leaders, they naturally had real ability.

Qiong Xiao’s almond eyes widened, and she was about to step forward when she was stopped by Senior Sister Yun Xiao’s glance from the side.

Yun Xiao took the opportunity to step forward.

Just one step, but the several elders retreated together, their eyes full of wariness as their treasures blazed with light.

An elder hurriedly called out: “Immortal, please don’t attack! Is the Severing Sect so unreasonable as to destroy our Spirit Mountain without explanation or distinction?! We are both great sects under Saints – this is too much!”

Yun Xiao parted her thin lips, her voice drifting into the clouds, echoing throughout Spirit Mountain:

“Right and wrong will be judged by all. No matter how you try to argue this matter, what’s done is done. Since the Western Sect has chosen to oppose our Severing Sect with malicious intent, trying to make our Severing Sect fight the Enlightenment Sect to the death, is it unreasonable for our Severing Sect to come today and fight you to the death?”

“The origin of these stone tablets is still unclear!”

“This is the Immortal Alliance framing us!”

“Our Western Sect has always kept to ourselves regarding the Severing Sect – how, how could it not possibly be the Enlightenment Sect’s scheme?”

Yun Xiao’s beautiful brows furrowed slightly, and she was about to attack directly.

But Qiong Xiao let out a light snort from the side, pointing her Golden Crocodile Shears at these elders and scolded:

“You just said this was the Immortal Alliance framing you? So you’re saying the Heaven Palace deliberately set you up? In other words, you’re saying my brother-in-law is deliberately smearing your Spirit Mountain?”

The elders frowned, and one hurriedly said: “That’s not…”

“Alright, I understand!” Qiong Xiao turned to leave. “Wait a moment while I go to Heaven Palace to call my brother-in-law to come settle this matter!”

“That – that won’t be necessary!”

A Western Sect vice leader called out: “Immortal, please wait. Why trouble Golden Star over this matter? This… sigh… we didn’t want to air our dirty laundry.”

Turtle Spirit Immortal, who had been waiting for this moment, felt her heart skip a beat.

Here it comes!

As all eyes in heaven and earth fell on that elder, he sighed and said slowly:

“This matter was indeed done by a disciple of our Western Sect, but it was his unauthorized action, having nothing to do with our Western Sect itself.

Recently, with the killing tribulation manifesting, everyone in our Western Sect has been quite anxious. Some disciples reported to their teacher, speaking of inciting conflict between the two tribulation-facing sects of the Dao School, letting you fight each other until one is wounded.

What childish scheming! How disgraceful!

The teacher immediately rebuked that disciple and expelled him from Spirit Mountain. We can all testify to this, as we saw it with our own eyes.

Unexpectedly, he used his identity to travel to the Three Thousand Worlds, found a place of flourishing incense, and committed this act…”

As this elder “told” this story, every sentence was heartfelt, his eyes even tearing up when speaking of their grievances.

The performance was simply…

At the Tai Bai Palace in Heaven Palace, before the pill room of Little Qiong Peak.

Even Great Master Xuan Du couldn’t help muttering: “Did this happen like that?”

“Of course not,” Li Chang Shou said slowly. “This is a prepared script from the Western Sect, a common tactic to minimize big issues and dissolve small ones.”

Great Master smiled and said: “Could these all be your masterwork, Junior Brother?”

Li Chang Shou nodded while saying: “How could that be possible? Of course not. Senior Brother, you don’t know how busy I’ve been lately, constantly rushing about. The Western Sect deliberately meant to sow discord within the Dao School – an unforgivable crime.”

Those present immediately understood something and, without further comment, continued watching the situation unfold, the Taiji Diagram ready at any moment.

In the bronze mirror’s display, after that elder finished his story, the Western Sect handed over a Golden Immortal realm cultivator who had been beaten until his qi was barely holding on. Before the Severing Sect could speak, they directly killed him, destroying his primordial spirit and offering up his head.

Golden Spirit Immortal cursed the Western Sect’s shamelessness and was about to swing her Jade Ruyi.

The several Western Sect vice leaders wailed to heaven and earth, repeatedly shouting that the Severing Sect was unreasonable and just wanted to bully them with superior force.

The Severing Sect’s immortals advanced together a hundred zhang, but a cold dao rhythm flowed everywhere, making the Great Luo and Golden Immortals tremble in fear.

A Saint’s dao rhythm.

The Western Sect vice leaders’ tone immediately changed.

One elder shouted: “The Severing Sect truly has fine methods – do you mean to dominate the primordial world?”

“Acting like this, do you still have any regard for the Saints’ face? If you dare step forward half a step, even at the cost of our lives, we will defend Spirit Mountain’s holy ground! We will certainly request our teacher to take action and leave you all at the foot of our Spirit Mountain!”

Jin Ling was furious and about to step forward to fight, to clash with a Saint.

Duo Bao, hiding in the shadows, sighed inwardly at this sight, knowing he must appear and that what followed would be quite passive.

The Western Sect having two Saints in one sect was the most troublesome problem.

Today the Severing Sect was determined to beat the Western Sect Saints into leafless tree stumps, but they had to first force out either Zhunti or Jieyin, letting Patriarch Tong Tian drag them outside heaven for battle.

The Severing Sect’s position relative to Saint Zhunti was held by Duo Bao, the eldest senior brother.

Thus, Duo Bao had hidden first, preparing to appear later when the situation turned passive. As long as Duo Bao appeared after – or simultaneously with – Saint Zhunti, the Severing Sect would have won half the battle today.

If they forcefully pushed against Spirit Mountain, that wasn’t impossible, but casualties would be extremely heavy, with all the Severing Sect immortals having to face at least half a Saint’s wrath.

Although there were always many handsome, elegant, charming, and universally beloved human cultivators who liked to talk about the Sixth Saint’s strength, the Saint realm completely crushed the Great Luo realm.

Unless one had cut off their three corpses and was a quasi-Saint only a thread away from the Saint realm, when facing the Sixth Saint, they could at most hold on and fight for a while – winning was impossible.

At this moment, the Severing Sect’s “major force” clearly couldn’t overcome the Western Sect, and Duo Bao had no choice but to…

“Th-that!”

A clear voice suddenly rang out, and the tense Spirit Mountain seemed to have been hit with a pause button.

All gazes and immortal consciousness turned toward the source of that clear voice, seeing an immortal maiden wearing a thin cyan long dress, nervously gripping her jade flute as she slowly floated forward to Immortal Yun Xiao’s side and said softly:

“Senior Sister Jin Ling, I feel that today we might be… acting a bit too aggressively.”

At these words, the Severing Sect immortals were full of confusion, with some showing complete bewilderment.

The Western Sect’s side was first stunned, then all greatly delighted, looking at that immortal maiden as if seeing a brand new female Saint.

Internal disagreement within the Severing Sect?

At this crucial moment, Turtle Spirit Immortal, one of the Eight Great Disciples, actually stood out to speak for their Western Sect.

Heaven-sent opportunity!

However, what the Western Sect cultivators didn’t notice was that at this moment, besides calling out “Immortal’s righteousness! Our Western Sect’s crimes don’t warrant this!” they didn’t know what else to say.

Turtle Spirit Immortal said softly: “To be fair, indeed, their crimes don’t seem to warrant this.”

Qiong Xiao hurriedly transmitted beside her: “What are you saying?! This is a moment concerning our sect’s fate!”

Turtle Spirit Immortal could only give her a slightly apologetic look before continuing: “Senior Sister Jin Ling, Senior Sister Yun Xiao, aren’t we being too aggressive? Their Western Sect has already offered a disciple’s life in compensation – are we planning to destroy their Spirit Mountain today?”

The Severing Sect immortals frowned, unable to understand what approach this was.

The Western Sect cultivators each sighed with emotion, repeatedly saying “Exactly, exactly.”

Golden Spirit Immortal’s brows furrowed slightly, but she said: “Sister, I know you’re soft-hearted and can’t bear to see living beings suffer, but today it was their Western Sect who first intended to destroy us.”

“Why do you say that?”

Turtle Spirit Immortal said seriously: “Our Severing Sect is known for having ten thousand immortals paying court, already the sect with the most disciples among the Great Saint Sects, and we cultivate on immortal islands with no direct conflict with their Western Sect. By reason, they shouldn’t intentionally want to oppose us. Perhaps there are some schemes within that we should investigate clearly before confronting them?”

“Sister, you…”

Golden light flickered in Jin Ling’s eyes as if trying to see through Turtle Spirit Immortal.

At this moment, Yun Xiao, who had already understood the calculations involved, also spoke gently to Turtle Spirit Immortal: “Their Western Sect does have a direct conflict with us.”

“Please teach me, Senior Sister,” Turtle Spirit Immortal looked around Spirit Mountain and said softly: “I feel that since they could become Saints, they must be individuals of pure character recognized by the Heavenly Dao. Being a Great Saint Sect, they have Saints restraining them – they couldn’t possibly be this bad, right?”

On Little Qiong Peak, the Great Master and Kong Xuan watched this scene in the bronze mirror with complete confusion.

Kong Xuan wondered aloud: “Has the Severing Sect produced a traitor? And a great disciple at that? How can she be so contrary?”

“Long Shou, what does this mean?”

Great Master was completely puzzled, “Why is Junior Sister Gui Ling arguing for the other side?”

Li Chang Shou smiled and said: “Don’t worry, Senior Brother. Cloud probably understands now – I gave Cloud some hints before, and this is a perfect time to act out a scene with Senior Sister Gui Ling.”

“What’s the reasoning here?” Kong Xuan asked in confusion.

Li Chang Shou looked toward Ling E at his side, who blinked and said softly: “Could it be that move?”

“Which move?” Li Chang Shou’s eyes held some mischief, “Why don’t you explain in detail.”

Ling E giggled, “I don’t know either!”

Just as Li Chang Shou was about to explain, a dialogue came from the bronze mirror.

Yun Xiao sighed softly: “Sister, your thoughts are still too naive.”

Golden Spirit Immortal said coldly: “Not to mention their actions in recent centuries, just before the great tribulation, the Western Sect, for their great rise, was just spreading teachings in the mortal world that numbed people’s nature, only hoping for better destinies after reincarnation.

Moreover, they build karmic fire divine kingdoms, accept beasts and fierce beasts, forcefully convert people, and harm lives everywhere.

In their Saints’ eyes, even this world isn’t as important as their Western Sect’s rise – what more expectations do you have of them?”

“How could Saints be like this?”

Turtle Spirit Immortal’s eyes were full of unwillingness and disbelief, “The Western Sect Saints should speak of reason and righteousness.”

“Golden Spirit Immortal, don’t speak nonsense!”

A Spirit Mountain elder roared: “Speaking so wildly, you’ll pay the price! Turtle Spirit Immortal is correct – our teacher is pure and complete virtue!”

“Senior Sister,” Turtle Spirit Immortal continued persuading, “I think today we should still be cautious. Their Western Sect has already admitted their fault, acknowledging these stone tablets were their doing, intended to sow discord between the three sects of the Dao School, making us fight to the death with the Enlightenment Sect. But it was just an idea, they haven’t done it yet…”

“My foolish sister!”

Wu Dang Immortal declared: “Isn’t having such thoughts enough? They’ve already taken action, just short of spreading these stone tablets! This is already an enormous crime, forming a death feud with us!”

“Correct!”

Lü Yue called out loudly: “Today if this poor Dao doesn’t level this Spirit Mountain, my heart’s fire won’t be quenched!”

The Severing Sect immortals began shouting one after another:

“Senior Sister Gui Ling, you’re too gentle! You’ve been deceived by the Western Sect’s hypocritical side!”

“The Western Sect still dares mention the word virtue! Bah! Aren’t they afraid of heaven’s punishment?”

“Let the Western Sect people make a great dao oath saying what they just said!”

“Trash Western Sect! I’ll fight them to the death!”

In an instant, the Severing Sect immortals were stirred up, each on the verge of erupting!

The Western Sect immortals still hadn’t recovered, not understanding why a Severing Sect great disciple had come forward to plead their case, yet somehow seemed to have angered the Severing Sect immortals even more.

Today already seemed set for a bloody battle, yet they still dared not respond directly, after all their side had too many scandals and guilty conscience matters.

Why had they suddenly become so passive?

“Sigh—”

A sigh floated over slowly, Saint dao rhythm transformed into clear immortal light, directly suppressing the noisy waves of the surrounding Severing Sect immortals.

The Western Sect Saints had no choice but to show themselves.