Today, with the Western religions reforming and establishing Buddhism, Dipankara felt it was time for him to show his abilities. So he summoned Manjushri and others. After all, Dipankara was nominally the deputy leader of the Chan sect, so there was nothing wrong with this move.

Of the five, Julu Sun was closest to Randeng; Wei Hu was enlightened by Randeng and later became a disciple of Qingxu Daode Zhenjun, but in reality, he was always taught by Randeng, so he could be considered half a disciple of Randeng. As for Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Cihang, they received help from Zhunti in the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation and subdued their mounts, the lion, the elephant, and the rabbit, which can be considered to have a karmic connection.

Seeing the two Western Saints demonstrate the Great Law of the Sages, the group felt exhilarated and secretly marveled, thinking that the Western Law was no less powerful than the Great Law of the Three Pure Ones of Taoism. Ran Deng, observing their expressions, was secretly pleased, but gazing at the soaring golden light in the west, he seemed to be talking to himself, sighing, "Truly, the Buddha's teachings are boundless, capable of saving all those with affinity!" The four Golden Immortals, all shrewd and perceptive, felt a chill upon hearing Ran Deng's words, roughly guessing his meaning. However, having been part of the Chan Sect for millennia, they harbored some affection for it, and thus remained silent.

The four Golden Immortals were not stupid; they understood what Randeng was thinking. The four of them already had some karmic connection with the Western Sect. Julu Sun was saved by Jieyin back then, and the three great Bodhisattvas' mounts also owed Zhunti a karmic debt. How could they not understand Randeng's meaning now?

Wei Hu, receiving a signal from Ran Deng, said resentfully, "I, Wei Hu, am merely a descendant disciple. I shouldn't be discussing the affairs of my senior uncles and masters, but I am truly filled with resentment. Uncle Yun Zhongzi has only been a disciple for a few million years, yet he is the most favored by our master, and now his status is above all of you senior uncles!" He paused, then continued, "Uncle Yun Zhongzi secluded himself during the Investiture of the Gods, causing all of you senior uncles to lose all your cultivation. If our master had arrived earlier, this wouldn't have happened!" Although Ran Deng saw the four Golden Immortals' expressionless faces, he knew their hearts were in turmoil. He rebuked Wei Hu, "Stop talking nonsense! Our master is a sage, knowledgeable of heaven and earth, and has a deep bond with the Twelve Golden Immortals. How could he not know about their predicament in the Yellow River Formation? Our master must have a deeper meaning. Whatever our master does, we will obey, even if it means our own deaths!" A true master of words doesn't make blatant declarations, but rather conveys subtle meanings through eloquent phrases! Randeng, being an inherently cunning individual, is naturally a master in this regard. While constantly protecting Yuanshi Tianzun, he subtly points out Yuanshi's sinister intentions and ulterior motives to the others.

The four Golden Immortals were filled with turbulent emotions, thinking: "Our teacher is a sage; he should have foreseen our calamity at the Nine Turns Yellow River Formation. Why did he arrive so suddenly, just when we had lost all our cultivation? And why was Yun Zhongzi unharmed during the Investiture of the Gods, yet reaped all the benefits afterward?"

When people think about something, if they think positively, things get better and better; if they think negatively, they feel that even if the sky were to fall, it wouldn't be as serious as they thought. For example, the Four Golden Immortals, who usually held Yuanshi in high esteem, now felt that the Investiture of the Gods seemed to be Yuanshi's deliberate act, and couldn't help but feel dejected.

How could Yuanshi Tianzun really be blamed for this? The Twelve Golden Immortals were facing a calamity of death, and Yuanshi Tianzun used the Hunyuan Golden Cauldron Calamity to alleviate some of their tribulation power—this was originally a good thing. But now, his disciples have misunderstood him, which is truly terrible. However, as a sage, Yuanshi Tianzun naturally wouldn't lose face by explaining to his disciples. Even knowing they misunderstood him, he could only let them be. As for Yun Zhongzi's matter, it was Yun Zhongzi himself who didn't want to participate in the Investiture of the Gods. Even if Yuanshi Tianzun had some favoritism towards Yun Zhongzi, how could he go so far as to sacrifice all twelve disciples to benefit just one?

Wei Hu then said, "Senior Uncle, you don't need to blame me. I have something to say that I just have to say! You, Senior Uncle, are the only Quasi-Saint of the Chan Sect, yet you are still being sidelined by Uncle Yun Zhongzi. Now that all of you have lost your powers, I'm afraid you'll all have to rely on Uncle Yun Zhongzi's whims from now on!" Upon hearing this, Randeng gazed at the golden light in the west, sighed deeply, and said, "The world is full of troubles. Is there really such a paradise? I wish to let go of everything and find a pure land in my heart!" At this moment, the thoughts of the four were distorted under the deliberate guidance of Ran Deng. Their master's bias, even abandonment, left them deeply resentful. Ju Liusun was relatively unaffected, but the biggest difference lay with Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Cihang. These three had witnessed the great Western Buddhist arts before, especially the Golden Body Technique, which they found incredibly powerful. Previously, during the "Yellow River Formation," the Twelve Golden Immortals had lost all their magical power. Although aided by Laozi's Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, they could only barely recover their cultivation to the Celestial Immortal realm. To them, this level was utterly insignificant, like ants, and the three were unwilling to accept this. However, Taoism emphasizes cultivating one's foundation, especially since disciples of the Human and Chan sects prioritized the advancement of their Taoist practice rather than magical power. For the time being, there was no good way to quickly improve the Twelve Golden Immortals' cultivation. However, the three of them had received guidance from Zhunti in the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation and discovered that the Western Great Law was very different. Zhunti was able to enable the three of them to reopen their Three Flowers and gather their Five Qi, which was an extraordinary method that made the three of them have some thoughts in their hearts.

All sorts of thoughts flooded their minds at once. Upon hearing Ran Deng's sigh, they felt a strong sense of empathy. Each of them was at a loss for words and sighed in response.

Julusun was closest to Randeng. He exchanged a glance with the other two, including Wenshu, and rose to say to Randeng, "Teacher, this matter is of utmost importance. Perhaps we should allow ourselves some time to consider it?" He knew better than to force it. Randeng understood this perfectly. The four were already moved; the seed had been sown. With proper cultivation, the harvest would naturally follow when the time was right…

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