"Moreover, I have something else to tell you. You pose a threat to the Heavenly Dao, which is why the three of us Saints have joined forces to deal with you."
"It's not just us; even the familiar Three Purities and Nuwa cannot tolerate your existence."
No sooner had these words been spoken than four streaks of red light flew in from outside the heavens.
All eyes immediately turned to look, and they were utterly astounded to see the Three Purities and Nuwa, the four Saints, themselves.
The Tongtian Hierarch and the others landed atop Daxiong Hall, and all gazes were filled with stupefaction, shock, and horror.
They could not recall how many years it had been since they last saw so many Saints gathered together.
Now, the eight mighty Saints had all come together for the sake of Sha Chen.
Moreover, from Tathagata's words, it seemed that Sha Chen had threatened the Heavenly Dao, prompting the Saints to intervene and erase his existence.
Incredible.
Everyone was profoundly shocked and terrified.
The Sect Hierarch looked at Sha Chen, a hint of pleasant surprise and resignation in his eyes. "Lad," he said, "it seems you have broken through your shackles. The strength you possess now may well be unsurpassed by any of us."
"But what a pity. With several Saints such as us joining hands, not even our Teacher might be a match for us. And you, you might very well meet your demise here!"
Tathagata had stood up by now. "Sha Chen," he said, "in fact, I've long been aware that Jin Chanzi and Sun Wukong were under your command. Today, I ordained them as Buddhas precisely to force you to show yourself."
"You really walked into the trap. Now, with the eight of us Saints united, we can reduce all six paths of the Three Realms to dust. With your insignificant power, how could you possibly resist?"
All present were frightened out of their wits.
Sun Wukong, Jin Chanzi, and others like Ao Lie were even more astounded and incredulous, realizing their identities had long been exposed.
Yet Sha Chen appeared completely composed, wearing a slight smile.
"You eight Saints have banded together against me. It seems you are already under the Heavenly Dao's control. Although you have your own consciousness, your strength and bodies are not within your control."
The Tongtian Hierarch said, "We simply stand on different sides. As Saints of the Heavenly Dao, we must obey its commands. Now that your existence threatens the Heavenly Dao, it naturally wants to eradicate you."
"Striking you down is not what I wish for, but failing to do so, I fear all my life's cultivation of the Heavenly Dao might be lost."
Sha Chen laughed heartily. "Predecessor, you need not blame yourself. Although eight Saints have gathered here, I do not fear in the least."
His gaze swept over them, and he could confirm the strength of these Saints—Laozi and Tathagata were both Superior Saints.
Tongtian Hierarch, Lord Yuan Shi, and Saint Jieyin were all Middle-ranked Saints, with Lord Yuan Shi being the strongest among them.
Nuwa and Saint Zhunti were Lower-ranked Saints, with Saint Zhunti being stronger than Nuwa.
Despite such a formidable lineup, Sha Chen was not the slightest bit fearful.
Sun Wukong, Jin Chanzi, Ao Lie, and others stepped forward, expressing their willingness to help Sha Chen against the Saints.
Tathagata laughed loudly. "This is a battle between Saints. You lot of Quasi-Saints will only meet with slaughter."
Sha Chen replied, "That may not be the case. I have prepared some means to deal with Saints for them. You all ought to be careful."
With a wave of his hand, the Saints in Daxiong Hall and all the people regularly arrayed there vanished. They reappeared at the edge of the cosmos.
Countless mighty ones directed their gazes there, clearly sensing their presence.
Soon after, a great many were astounded, for they had not expected Sha Chen to truly intend to confront these Saints.
Moreover, it seemed he had chosen to fight in the cosmos to avoid damaging the Three Realms.
Just when they thought Sha Chen had gone mad and was seeking his own death, they saw him take out the four Swords of Immortality and set up the Sword Technique of Immortality.
With another wave of his hand, he also released individuals like Black Bear Spirit, Nezha, and Red Boy. He had found them all before coming to Lingjiu Mountain.
Not only that, but there were also dozens of true dragons led by Ao Moer, each one at the Quasi-Saint Realm.
After countless years of growth, the Dragon Clan had quietly reached its current state. Had it not been for Sha Chen's extraordinary actions, the mere appearance of these Quasi-saint True Dragons would have been enough to shock the world.
At that moment, the eyes of the whole world were on the cosmos.
Tathagata and the others also wore grave expressions. They hadn't expected Sha Chen to have so many strategies up his sleeve. Nor had they anticipated the assistance of the Dragon Clan, which had developed to such an extent in silence.
Tathagata even thought of uttering some threats but then realized that in a battle of this level, every threat was pale.
Since the Dragon Clan had chosen to intervene, they were clearly prepared for a do-or-die situation.
The Tongtian Hierarch said, "You've set up the Slaying Immortals Formation. With yourself and these dragons, you can indeed suppress various strategic points. However, at most, you could only trap three Saints. There are eight of us here; you can't hold us all off."
Sha Chen laughed heartily.
"I never said I would personally take command within the Slaying Immortals Formation. To face you all, I must oversee the entire situation."
The Tongtian Hierarch questioned, "Then who will you have preside? Without a Saint, the Sword Array of Immortality cannot stop the advance of Saints. During the Divine Enthronement War, I alone, with the might of my entire sect, could trap three Saints but couldn't stop the advance of four."
Before Sha Chen could reply, a woman came forward—it was Siti. She said, "I will be your opponent. Be careful."
She then rushed into the heart of the Slaying Immortals Formation, taking her position at a strategic point. The aura she exuded was that of a Middle-ranked Saint.
