On the Dragon-Slaying Platform, I was executed and became Yang Jian's brother-in-law.

Beyond the thirty-three heavens lies the Tushita Palace.

The Six Ding Divine Fire within the Eight Trigrams Furnace burned quietly, occasionally emitting a soft, crisp crackling sound. Laozi sat cross-legged on a futon, his eyes slightly closed, his spirit wandering in the vast emptiness.

It was as if the great formation that had just suppressed the Yellow River from thousands of miles away was nothing compared to a crisp sound from the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

What bothered Lao Jun even more was that Zhang Daoling's voice, filled with sobs and despair, kept buzzing around his ears like an annoying fly.

"Teacher, save me! The Jie Sect has rebelled! Heaven is on the verge of collapse!"

Laozi slowly opened his eyes, and those seemingly cloudy old eyes seemed to contain the profound truth of the birth and death of the universe. He did not move immediately, but instead peered through the layers of clouds and mist, his gaze piercing straight into the Lingxiao Palace.

Inside the Lingxiao Palace, Zhao Gongming was slaughtering everyone for Su Bai's sake, and the Three Immortals of Sanxiao had set up the Nine Turns Yellow River Formation to isolate heaven and earth for Su Bai's sake. Meanwhile, the Jade Emperor, the Lord of the Three Realms, was hiding under the table, and amidst his seemingly panicked cries, a hint of barely perceptible smugness played on his lips.

"snort."

Lao Jun gave a soft hum and flicked the whisk in his hand slightly.

"Haotian, Haotian, your little tricks can only fool those fools below."

"Do they want to use this evil dragon to cause trouble, and to exploit the resentment of the Jie Sect members, to purge the old Taoist and Yuanshi's influence in the Heavenly Court? Do they want to use this opportunity to reclaim their power and truly become the sole ruler?"

Lao Jun shook his head, a faint mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Have you forgotten who established this Heavenly Court, and who truly governs the Three Realms?"

"I'm having trouble distinguishing between the two kings."

Since that good-for-nothing Zhang Daoling can no longer keep order, and since the Jade Emperor wants to muddy the waters, if this old man doesn't step in, the Heavenly Court might really be overturned by these "deified" guys.

"Green Ox, keep an eye on the fire."

Lao Jun gave a casual instruction, then his figure gradually became ethereal, transforming into an indescribable purple aura that drifted down.

……

Above the underworld, as the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation dissipated, the suffocating pressure of the saint did not leave; instead, it grew even heavier.

Inside the Lingxiao Palace.

Zhao Gongming, who was still chasing and beating Zhang Daoling, suddenly froze.

The entire hall fell silent instantly.

Auspicious purple clouds rise from the east, stretching for 30,000 li, marking the beginning of the road to Hangu Pass.

An elderly man with white hair and a youthful face, dressed in a Bagua Taoist robe, slowly materialized in the center of the hall, riding a phantom of a blue ox. He did not release any terrifying aura, but the moment he appeared, both Zhao Gongming, who had the cultivation of a quasi-saint, and the Buddha Tathagata, who was watching the show, subconsciously stood up and respectfully bowed.

"Greetings, Saint!"

"Greetings, Lao Tzu!"

All the immortals bowed their heads, silent as cicadas in winter.

At this moment, the Jade Emperor, who had been hiding under the table, finally crawled out in a fluster. He straightened his crooked crown, his face showing the excitement of "seeing his father," and quickly walked to Laozi, bowing deeply.

"Laojun! You've finally arrived!"

"This...this situation is completely out of my control! The Three Immortals of Sanxiao are setting up an array in the Underworld to oppose the Heavenly Court, and Zhao Gongming is openly committing murder in the Lingxiao Palace. The rules of the Heavenly Court have been completely destroyed today!"

At this point, the Jade Emperor subtly shifted the subject, throwing out the hottest potato:

"And then there's Su Bai! Although he rebelled in this life, he was, after all, Yinglong in his previous life, who helped the Yellow Emperor slay Chiyou and assisted Yu the Great in controlling the floods, making immense contributions to our human race! This... how should we deal with him? I am truly torn. I beg Your Majesty to make the decision!"

This move can be described as extremely insidious.

The Jade Emperor ostensibly sought instructions, but in reality, he was putting Laozi in a very difficult position.

Everyone knows that the foundation of the Human Cult lies in the human race. If Laozi were to kill Su Bai, a great contributor to humanity, without distinguishing right from wrong, what would the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of Fire Cloud Cave think? What would the entire human race think? The Human Cult's fortune would surely suffer a backlash!

But if we release Su Bai, where will the Heavenly Court (that is, the Chan Sect and the Human Sect) put its face?

Laozi glanced indifferently at the Jade Emperor, who was putting on a great show, his calm gaze sending chills down the Jade Emperor's spine.

"You flatter me, Great Celestial Venerable."

Laozi's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority: "You are the ruler of the Three Realms, and it is only right that you uphold the rules of the Heavenly Court."

As he spoke, Laozi turned around and glanced at the group of immortals below, each with a different expression.

The immortals of the Jie Sect glared angrily, not daring to move, but their eyes clearly showed their defiance. Zhao Gongming, in particular, stood with his neck stiff, looking like a tough nut to crack, as if he wanted to be killed or tortured at will.

Those with the background of the Chan Sect, such as Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, seemed somewhat embarrassed at this moment, and even dared not look Laozi in the eye.

After all, Su Bai's "third incarnation" had just been revealed, and he had genuinely helped the Yellow Emperor. Back then, the entire Chan Sect had descended the mountain to assist the Yellow Emperor, so they owed Su Bai a debt of gratitude for fighting alongside him. If they were to join Zhang Daoling in calling for war, it would seem somewhat ungrateful.

"Su Bai's matter is indeed somewhat special."

Laozi spoke slowly, his voice echoing throughout the hall:

"Assisting the Yellow Emperor in quelling the floods is a great merit that cannot be denied."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope flashed in the eyes of Zhao Gongming and the Three Immortals, while the Jade Emperor frowned slightly.

But then, Laozi abruptly changed his tone, his voice turning cold:

"However, their disturbance of the underworld, their collusion with the demon race, and even their attempt to defy fate and sever cause and effect during the Investiture of the Gods calamity are grave mistakes that cannot be ignored!"

"Merit is merit, and fault is fault. Merit must be rewarded, and fault must be punished!"

With a gentle wave of his whisk, Laozi caused the water mirror, which had been suspended in mid-air, to shine brightly once more, and the scene that had been paused seemed to begin to flow again.

"This child's soul is strange, and the entanglement of cause and effect is so deep that even I could not fully see through it. That one severing of the cause and effect of the Investiture of the Gods is not something an ordinary being could do."

Laozi's profound gaze seemed to pierce through the water mirror, staring directly at the soul in the scene, swept up by fate. He always felt that Su Bai possessed some kind of "variable" that even a sage could not control.

"If that's the case, then let's continue watching."

"It's not too late to determine reward or punishment after we've seen all his past and present lives and investigated the root causes of everything!"

After saying all this, Laozi ignored everyone's reaction and slowly turned around, casting his gaze towards the underworld and towards the three female immortals who had just been suppressed by him and were now filled with resentment and unwillingness.

There was no compassion in his eyes, only the cold indifference of the Great Dao.

"Clouds, Jade Clouds, Azure Clouds."

Laozi's voice, like the tolling of a judgment bell, struck heavily into the hearts of the Three Immortals.

"During the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, you did not understand the will of Heaven and went your own way. You set up an evil formation to cut off the three flowers on the tops of the disciples of the Chan Sect and hindered the army of Xiqi, which led to the calamity that befell you. This is the retribution for your actions."

"I originally thought that the suppression of the Investiture of the Gods over the past countless years could wear away your resentment and make you understand the principle of following the will of Heaven."

"But unexpectedly, today you have once again unleashed that malevolent formation for the sake of Su Bai, even going so far as to say, 'We don't need this world anymore'?"

Laozi's aura suddenly surged, making the entire Three Realms seem to shrink by three inches in that instant.

"What? Wasn't the lesson learned back then enough?"

"Do you intend to plunge the Three Realms into chaos once more and repeat the tragedy of the Investiture of the Gods for the sake of such trivial personal feelings?!"