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

The underworld.

While everyone's attention was drawn to the confrontation between Laozi and the immortals of the Jie Sect, a silver streak of light silently left the Netherworld, like a hidden lightning bolt, instantly piercing the sky and heading straight for the Southern Continent of the lower realm.

Guanjiang Estuary, Erlang Zhenjun Temple.

This place is always bustling with worshippers, but today, a somber atmosphere permeates the depths of the temple.

"Kang Anyu, Zhang Boshi, Li Huanzhang, Yao Gonglin, Guo Shen, Zhijian!"

As soon as Yang Jian landed, his icy voice resounded throughout the entire training ground.

Six figures instantly appeared, none other than the six brothers of Meishan. Seeing Yang Jian's solemn expression, and even the trace of Yin energy from the underworld clinging to his silver armor, they were immediately alarmed.

"Second Master, what happened?" the eldest brother, Kang Anyu, asked hurriedly.

"Point troops."

Without a word, Yang Jian slammed his three-pointed, double-edged sword heavily on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. "Pass on my order! Gather those 1,200 grass-root gods... no, bring all 1,800 reservists training on the back mountain too! Make it a total of 3,000!"

"Put on your armor! Grab your weapons! Follow me and charge!"

Before Yang Jian could utter the word "Heaven," a gentle yet slightly helpless voice suddenly drifted out from the main hall of the Zhenjun Temple.

"Disciple, where are you going to kill your way to?"

Upon hearing this voice, Yang Jian, who had been exuding a murderous aura and preparing to fight to the death, suddenly froze. The feeling was like a fierce tiger preparing to descend the mountain being suddenly pressed down on the back of its neck by an invisible hand.

The six brothers from Meishan looked at each other in bewilderment; that voice... it sounded so familiar.

Yang Jian slowly turned around, his gaze piercing through the layers of curtains to look at the center of the hall.

There sat a middle-aged Taoist priest dressed in a light blue robe and holding a feather fan, slowly sipping his tea. His hair and beard were white, and his face was thin and refined. He looked like a Taoist immortal, yet he also exuded a profound and unfathomable aura.

He was none other than Yu Ding Zhenren, one of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect and Yang Jian's mentor.

"Master...Master?"

The murderous intent in Yang Jian's eyes vanished almost entirely, replaced by disbelief and a deep sense of apprehension. "You... why are you here?"

Since the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, Jade Cauldron Immortal has returned to the Golden Cloud Cave of Jade Spring Mountain to cultivate in seclusion, rarely concerning himself with worldly affairs. Even though Yang Jian has obeyed orders but not summons for so many years, Jade Cauldron has never interfered.

But today, at this critical juncture, Master suddenly appeared at the mouth of the Guanjiang River.

What does this tell us?

"If I don't come, am I supposed to just stand by and watch you go to your death?"

Master Yuding put down his teacup, sighed, and a hint of seriousness appeared on his usually calm face. "You're going to storm the execution ground? To go head-to-head with a sage?"

"My disciple, you're foolish."

Yang Jian's grip on the three-pointed double-edged sword tightened, his knuckles turning white. "Master, you know. Chan'er is there. If Su Bai dies, Chan'er will not live alone. I couldn't save Mother back then, am I supposed to watch my sister suffer too..."

"That's no reason for you to go and die!"

Master Yuding stood up, and with a gentle wave of his feather fan, a soft force instantly sealed off the entire Guanjiang Estuary, freezing the three thousand grass-root gods who had just gathered in place.

"Look at the sky," Jade Cauldron Immortal pointed overhead, "Master Taiqing's avatar has already made his move. Don't you understand what that means?"

"This means that this is the shared will of several sage lords!"

"Master, I'm here to watch over you." Master Yuding walked up to Yang Jian, patted the shoulder of his most prized disciple, and said earnestly, "This is a battle of gods, a contest of great powers. Although you, Yang Jian, have achieved physical sainthood, you are still just a slightly larger ant in front of those beings."

"If you go, not only will you fail to save anyone, but you will also destroy the entire Guanjiang Estuary, and even the last chance of your precious little sister's life."

Yang Jian trembled all over, his eyes reddening.

He understood.

The master's arrival was not merely a dissuasion, but a warning. It was Yuanshi Tianzun telling him: You are a third-generation disciple of the Chan Sect; you can't afford to sit on the wrong side.

"Are we just going to watch like this?" Yang Jian's voice was hoarse.

"Watch closely." Jade Cauldron Immortal's gaze was profound as he looked towards the Underworld. "Since Su Bai has so many past lives and karma, it's not necessarily a dead end. Since Laozi hasn't directly killed him, it means there are still variables. If you act rashly, those variables will truly become your fate."

Yang Jian gritted his teeth, and finally, his hand, which was tightly gripping his weapon, fell limply to his sides.

The three thousand grass-root gods ultimately failed to take even half a step beyond the mouth of the Guanjiang River.

……

In the underworld, before the Hall of the Yama.

With Zhao Gongming being "persuaded to withdraw" and the immortals of the Jie Sect being suppressed by the Holy Might, the situation here has completely fallen into the control of Laozi.

The illusory image of Laozi riding a green ox slowly dissipated, transforming into an ordinary old Taoist priest. However, with each step he took, a golden lotus would bloom in the void, supporting his body and keeping him untouched by dust.

He walked straight through the three suppressed immortals, past the glaring Zhao Gongming, and arrived in front of Su Bai, who was bound hand and foot.

Although Su Bai looked somewhat disheveled at this moment, his eyes remained clear and bright, even carrying a hint of mockery.

"Su Bai".

Laozi looked down at him, his tone indifferent as still water, "Do you know your crime?"

"A crime?" Su Bai scoffed, struggling to move his neck, which was tightly bound by the Immortal-Binding Rope. "I wonder which crime Laozi is referring to? Is it saving Yang Chan? Becoming Jin Ling's disciple? Or helping the human race control the floods?"

"Don't be so quick to use your words."

With a flick of his whisk, Laozi unleashed an invisible pressure that instantly weighed on Su Bai's shoulder, causing his bones to crack.

"You shouldn't have, you absolutely shouldn't have, disrupted the grand scheme of things."

"Heaven and earth are in order, and all things have their constant order. You severed the cause and effect of the Investiture of the Gods, which is defying Heaven; you disrupted the cycle of reincarnation in the underworld, which is disrupting the law; you colluded with the remnants of the Intercepting Sect, attempting to oppose the Heavenly Court, which is disloyalty."

"Any one of these offenses wouldn't be enough to make you die a thousand times over?"

Laozi's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable sense of judgment: "However, considering your past life's merits to humanity and Heaven's benevolence, if you are willing to confess your sins, cleanse yourself of this malevolent aura, and undergo reincarnation, this humble Taoist may perhaps show leniency."

Hearing this, Su Bai smiled.

They laughed unrestrainedly, laughing so hard they were doubled over.

"Hahaha... What a wonderful order between heaven and earth! What a wonderful show of leniency!"

Su Bai abruptly raised his head, staring directly at this lofty incarnation of a saint, his eyes filled with mockery:

"Laojun, we are all intelligent people, why bother with these high-sounding but meaningless platitudes?"

"What do you mean by disrupting the overall situation? It's just that I, this pawn, didn't follow the path you prescribed!"

"What do you mean by 'going through the cycle of reincarnation'?" Su Bai glanced at the Buddha watching the show not far away and sneered, "Are you suggesting they turn me into an idiot and stuff me into one of the Eight Heavenly Dragons of Buddhism, to be an obedient watchdog?"

"What you fear is not that I will wreak havoc on the primordial world, but that I will become uncontrollable!"

"You want me to bow down? You want me to be your puppet?"

Su Bai spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his eyes defiant and unruly:

"That old geezer is wicked!!"

Upon hearing this, the Jade Pool fell into a deathly silence.

Zhao Gongming's eyes widened, and he thought to himself: Awesome! Daring to call the Sage a decrepit old man to his face, I've decided this brother-in-law is the one!

Laozi's face instantly darkened, and a hint of anger flashed in his normally calm eyes.

How many years has it been? Since he became a saint, who has dared to speak to him like that?

"Stubborn and obstinate."

Lao Jun snorted coldly, "It seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin. In that case, I'll strip you bare of all your past lives and see what you still have to rely on!"

……

And above the thirty-third heaven, in the Lingxiao Palace.

The Jade Emperor had already sat back on his dragon throne.

Seeing Laozi's aggressive posture in the water mirror, and hearing Su Bai's words, "That old geezer is really bad," the Jade Emperor's tense face suddenly relaxed.

He picked up the glass of fine wine in front of him, took a small sip, and a hint of amusement and ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

"Laojun, you are still so domineering."

"Now that you've taken over everything, now that you're showing me absolutely no respect..."

The Jade Emperor put down his wine cup and gently tapped the armrest of his dragon throne with his fingers.

"Then let my eyes go blind for once today."

Originally, as the ruler of the Heavenly Court, if Su Bai were to be found to have some earth-shattering secret, or if the situation were to completely spiral out of control, he would have an obligation to intervene and maintain the balance of the Three Realms.

But now?

The Jade Emperor looked at the chaotic underworld reflected in the water mirror, at the suppressed immortals of the Jie Sect on the Jade Pool, at the indignant human ancestors (in the direction of the Fire Cloud Cave), and then at the arrogant Laozi.

"Reveal my imperial edict."

The Jade Emperor lazily said to Taibai Jinxing beside him, "I have caught a cold today and have a splitting headache. I need to go into seclusion to recuperate. The matters in the Lingxiao Palace and the Underworld are entirely entrusted to Laozi."

"No matter what happens, even if the sky falls... don't bother me."

Venus was taken aback, but immediately understood and bowed, replying, "Your subject obeys the decree."

The Jade Emperor looked at the empty palace, a self-mocking and manic smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

"These three realms are long overdue for chaos."

"Since you don't take me seriously, then I'll watch you botch this show! I'll watch you suffer the consequences of Su Bai's actions!"

"The mighty Heavenly Emperor has been reduced to this position, less than a demonic dragon..."

The Jade Emperor abruptly smashed the glass cup in his hand to the ground, his eyes filled with resentment and venom:

"What kind of spineless ruler of the Three Realms is he?!"