Though the audience across the seventy-two provinces didn't know the conspiracy at play,
from the reaction of the Gao Family's Three Demons, one could surmise that the downfall of the Gao Family Ancestral Land and the slaughter of the entire clan was instigated by none other than the Wu Gou Buddha Son.
And it sounded Buddha Son was a "double agent."
Shuttling promises between the Tiannan Gao Family and the Demon Buddha Temple.
In saying so, it really seemed as if there was a scheme.
At the same time, everyone could see that no matter how much the Three Emperors of the Gao family said at this point, it would be of no use.
The Gao Family, on the brink of death, had become an incredibly tempting piece of meat.
Even with the Nirvana Demon Buddha's decree, would the Three Arhats really stop if there truly was some scheme behind the Wu Gou Buddha Son?
The Three Arhats would strike to kill.
Indeed, that's exactly what happened.
Upon hearing this, Shipi, Kongchan, and Lian Sha exchanged glances, smiled at each other, and declared loudly,
"Do not speak nonsense, our fellow Daoists. The Wu Gou nephew and Qingjing, indeed, belong to our Demon Buddha Temple."
"It won't be long before Brother Qingjing enters the Demon Buddha lineage, establishes his own line, and becomes an ancestor Buddha."
"There's no need for panic, dear fellow Daoists. Go to your deaths in peace."
Shipi, in particular, was the most forthright speaker.
And he certainly could do as he said, drenched in blood yet surrounded by a brilliant Buddha Light, he resumed controlling the Nine Venerable Transcendent Bodhisattvas to press the attack, continuing to besiege the Gao Family's Three Demons.
Countless Bodhisattva Bullets poured out, turning that territory into a pool of rainbow, blood, and flesh—a magical yet brutal spectacle.
Before, everyone knew that such attacks were usually futile.
The Gao Family's Three Demons could exploit the power of the Ten Thousand Marvels Sky-reaching Treasure Tower to defeat Shipi.
But this time, an unexpected twist occurred.
Initially, the Three Demons could gain some advantage.
Gradually, all the spectators realized that the Qi inside the bodies of the Ultimate Happiness Realm powerhouses Gao Yang, Gao Zhan, and Gao Wei was weakening little by little.
It was an unmistakable change; their Yuan essence, blood energy, and Source Qi were all being lost.
It was as though the Dharma Bodies of the Three Demons had developed "leaks" that could not be plugged.
Ordinarily, mortals and cultivators watching such a great battle could only see the outcome and the process, ignorant of the details and secrets.
However, as special sects grew in strength, these kinds of live broadcasts came with annotations.
For instance, at this moment, a cultivator from the Ting Di Sect pondered for a few breaths and then revealed a secret upon those Spirit Mirrors and Crystal Balls.
The entire world could see:
"The Gao Family is an Alchemist member; the source of their bloodline comes from Lord Ten Thousand Marvelous Gao Huan."
"The entire clan is connected to the progenitor, mutually enhancing one another."
"If the entire Gao Family were to perish, it would greatly backlash against the likes of Gao Zhan and Gao Yang, with the progenitor Gao Huan suffering even more."
"It's like a cancer without its blood roots and sinews, which will gradually wither."
As this secret annotation was revealed, the world instantly erupted.
The cultivator from the Ting Di Sect couldn't have been clearer—it was almost an indication that the Gao Family was finished.
The visible weakening of the Gao Family's Three Demons, the frantic trembling and shrinking of the sky-reached Ten Thousand Marvelous Treasure Banner, the unclear ranting and roaring of Gao Huan hiding in the Cancer Secret Realm... all these signs were ironclad corroborations.
Realizing this, everyone, whether they were mortals or many great forces, were shocked beyond measure.
Within the Longevity Heavenly Dynasty's seventy-two provinces, before the fall of the governmental Tian Chao, the largest forces were actually not the various great sects of Daoist, Buddhist, and Demon, nor the heterodox side doors.
It was another kind of power: the large clan families.
Great crowds of powerful beings are bound together by surnames and bloodlines.
There are class distinctions within the large clan.
The strongest are naturally the Xiu Family and Si Family, two mysterious clans with histories even longer than the Tian Chao itself.
Next in rank are the Zhang Family, Li Family, Wang Family, and so on.
They were also in the second tier.
This clan rose to prominence because of Gao Huan, strengthened by fortune.
Before the Yang Sui Uprising, they were not called the "Tiannan Gao Family" but simply the Gao Family.
This was because the Gao family controlled more than just the Tiannan Province.
Such clans of this caliber would grow ever stronger and their foundation ever deeper as years passed, immune to common disasters and calamities.
Regrettably, doom loomed over the Gao Family.
The abolition of the imperial title and naming by Tao Qian was the first major blow to the Gao family, and now came the second.
And this time, there was barely any chance of survival for the Gao family.
Although there had been incidents like the "fall of the Zhu Family" before, now, everyone was watching with anticipation.
Under the watchful eyes of countless witnesses, the tide of the battlefield began to shift little by little.
From the Three Demons having the upper hand to a deadlock, and then to a stalemate.
Gao Yang, Gao Zhan, and Gao Wei sensed something was amiss and wanted to retreat, even thinking of leaving this realm to hide in their ancestor's Secret Realm and cling to life.
Sadly, it appeared Lord Ten Thousand Marvelous Gao Huan also faced a dire fate.
Within that colossal cancer, he howled and roared continuously.
The Ten Thousand Marvelous Treasure Banner trembled incessantly, trying to retract.
This change left the Three Demons both shocked and angry as they cast spells to retain the great object, all while involuntarily shouting:
"Ancestor, do not recall the treasure; your descendants still need to preserve their lives."
"Ancestor, please stop; if you take back the Treasure Banner, your grandchild's life will be in jeopardy."
"I beseech the Ancestor to swiftly cast a spell to rescue us three. As the saying goes, 'As long as the green hills are there, we need not worry about firewood.' With the three of us alive, we can still bear offspring and spread the branches of the Gao family."
Listening to the roaring of the Three Demons, the audience exchanged puzzled glances.
It seems that even the mighty from the Ultimate Happiness Realm cannot maintain their composure in the face of life and death.
These few sentences were quite undignified.
But upon closer consideration, it seemed normal.
The reversal of fortunes had been far too swift. It should be known that not long ago, these three emperors of the Gao Family, with their excellent appearances, were so rampant.
Upon their arrival, they intended to take the Devil Concubine back home, to keep like a caged bird.
That manner, which looked down upon the world, was indeed intimidating.
Less than half an hour!
The Gao family faced extinction, and they were about to die; even the Gao family's ancestor might perish.
Especially the next moment, when the familiar Buddhist chant "In heaven and on earth, I alone am honored. I shall see all living beings through birth, old age, sickness and death" came from the direction of Tiannan Province.
A brand-new, freshly born Great Compassionate and Merciful Transcendence Bodhisattva, created from the blood and flesh of Gao family members, with a Divine Skill faster even than the Heart Light Escape Technique, left Tiannan in an instant, entered Qiantang, stepped into the provincial capital, and thousands of Buddhist arms thundered down, pouring out Divine Power Treasures.
The situation worsened once more; even the impenetrable Sky-reaching Treasure Banner began to show signs of damage.
After all, it was a treasure of enlightenment. Gao Huan seemed to feel pain from this and wanted to retract the treasure back to the Outer Realm, but was hindered by three unworthy descendents.
Before he could resolve to exterminate the three children and forcibly withdraw the Treasure Banner,
A more tragic and inconceivable disaster unfolded:
"In heaven and on earth, I alone am honored."
"I shall see all living beings through birth, old age, sickness and death."
The Buddhist chants resounded continuously; one after another, freshly minted Transcendence Bodhisattvas rushed over.
Soon, there were fifteen.
Worse yet, Shipi Kongchan and Lian Sha, the Arhats who had annihilated the Gao family, also took the opportunity to return.
This time, the Sky-reaching Treasure Banner that pierced the sky could no longer be retracted.
Then, the Three Arhats from the Demon Buddha Temple each spoke aloud with laughter:
"The three Daoists must not leave; the main act has just begun."
"Rest assured, we will grant the three of you a swift end."
"As for Senior Gao, since he has thrust this object into this realm, we must give him a special reception to avoid any breach of etiquette."
No sooner had the three uttered their ill-intentioned words,
Than over a dozen Great Transcendence Bodhisattvas swarmed up, blocking the lower half of the giant object beneath the sky dome.
All kinds of fierce Divine Skills bombarded it wildly.
Bright sparks that could be clearly seen even from neighboring provinces burst forth.
Seeing this scene, everyone was stunned.
Then, they all realized what the Mechanical Bodhisattvas were doing.
All men, or male demons and alien species, began to feel a phantom pain.
In those Spirit Mirror Crystal Balls, the faces of shocked audiences from the Seventy-two provinces were reflected.
"No... this can't be real, right?"
"Is my thinking mutated and twisted? Did I misinterpret this scene that so much resembles a castration?"
"No, nobody is mistaken, it is indeed as it seems. The true form of the Ten Thousand Marvels Sky-reaching Treasure Banner is, in fact, Lord Ten Thousand Marvelous Gao Huan's despicable thing."
"There are records in unofficial history that Gao Huan had a habit of using all treasures to adorn his own yang," he said. "Since he entered the Daoist Transformation Realm, it's normal for that thing to transform into such a precious treasure."
"The Bodhisattvas are truly cruel, are they actually cutting off Gao Huan's thing alive?"
"Do the Three Arhats from the Demon Buddha Temple intend to publicly castrate a Daoist Transformation Realm old monster before the eyes of the whole world?"
When that unbelievable, once-in-a-millennium spectacle occurred,
Even forces that had no interest in provincial situations or fortunes turned their attention.
For instance, at that moment, Yunrong beside Tao Qian could not help but let out a light laugh, then transmitted a message:
"What a tragic fate for that Daoist Transformation Realm old monster, arguably the first of its kind in a millennium."
"My grandmother, far away at Jade Ring Mountain, has heard the news and is now watching the commotion through the Haotian Divine Mirror."
After Yunrong finished, Yuan Gong's uncontrollable loud laughter also came through.
"Hahaha... this trip was not in vain, not in vain at all."
"These three bald thieves are truly rotten to the core."
"Who would have thought that Gao Huan, a hero of his time, a powerful Daoist Transformation strongman, would have this day?"
"Throughout history, only those Daoist Transformation predecessors who perished and vanished have been heard of, but never one who was publicly castrated."
"No, that's not right."
"I remember now, though Shipi Kongchan is disgusting, he wouldn't be this cruel, except for... Duobao, it must be his idea behind the scenes."
"You sneaky old man, I like that."
After speaking, Yuan Gong burst into another fit of laughter.
Tao Qian heard everything clearly; Yuan Gong at this moment truly matched his own Master in terms of unorthodoxy; they were both irreverent old rascals.