Under no circumstances could they allow the Jade Emperor to monopolize this great path alone.

Determined, Maitreya immediately summoned all the gods and Buddhas of Mount Ling and headed towards the Heavenly Court.

At the same time, such a thought occurred in the minds of many strong beings.

The path of the Heavenly Emperor was too domineering, and once someone reached its end, all paths would bow, and no one in the Three Realms could contend with the Jade Emperor. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

In the sky above the Heavenly Court, the battle between the Jade Emperor and the Eastern King continued, clearly reaching a critical moment.

Neither was holding back their power any longer, the Dao had manifested, and at this moment, the outcome would determine who would claim the great path, with neither willing to give up.

Every clash between them shook the Three Realms, their auras began to contend, making the originally ethereal crowns solidify.

Everyone knew that it was time to determine the victor, and this Dao of the Heavenly Emperor would soon have its master.

"Come on!" the Eastern King murmured softly.

At that moment, he was in a sorry state, surrounded by a vast but thinning purple aura, his purple immortal robe tattered, and his breath weak, no longer possessing the domineering confidence he had when he boldly charged the Gate of the Southern Heavens.

The Jade Emperor was also in a very sorry state, but compared to the Eastern King, he was faring much better; though his emperor’s robe was also torn, his breath was not so weak.

"Alright!" The Jade Emperor saw the Eastern King nod solemnly.

"This is my final sword strike." The Jade Emperor raised the Treasured Sword in his hand, his fingers lightly brushing over the blade as it lit up brilliantly, illuminating the entire Heavenly Court.

All those present closed their eyes under the illumination of the sword light, unable to look directly at it.

Even the Eastern King had to admit that this sword strike was formidable; he felt the danger and his body even began to tremble slightly.

Over all these years, the Jade Emperor had not only not declined as the rumors suggested but had instead grown even stronger, his Sword Dao cultivation almost catching up to that of the Revered Heavenly Spiritual Treasure before his transcendence.

The surrounding purple aura quickly gathered, reforming into a purple immortal robe that enveloped the Eastern King.

Suddenly, the brilliant sword light surged out, striking the Eastern King instantly.

The Eastern King, not one to show weakness, fixed his gaze; the thin purple aura that had been drifting around the Jade Emperor instantly turned into flames.

This was a type of flame never seen before, fueled by the purple aura, seemingly ethereal, yet the Jade Emperor could clearly feel his control over the Dao weakening under the flame’s burn.

The purple flames could actually plunder someone else’s Dao, which took the Jade Emperor by surprise.

Over all these years, not only had he not been idle, but the Eastern King had also been busy, exploiting the Divine Fusang Tree to develop this miraculous Purple Flame capable of plundering the Dao.

The resplendent sword light struck the body of the Eastern King, shattering his purple clothes and leaving a deep scar underneath, with blood continuously flowing from the wound. The Eastern King turned pale, the sword strike damaging his essence and nearly robbing him of his ability to fight.

The Jade Emperor was also not faring well, the mysterious Purple Flame continuously weakening his control over the Dao, instilling a sense of panic in him for the first time.

Fortunately, everything was settled, the Eastern King had lost, and as long as he fully occupied this great path, a brand new world lay before him.

However, just as he was about to end the life of the Eastern King, a voice tinged with compassion reached his ears.

"Amitabha Buddha, Your Majesty, please show mercy!"

Accompanied by the voice was an endless Buddha’s Light, the golden Buddha’s Light cloaked the entire Heavenly Court in a golden haze.

Dense crowds of Arhat Bodhisattvas and Buddhas arrived outside the Gate of the Southern Heavens, a presence formidable enough to earn sidelong glances from everyone.

Maitreya Buddha made his move. He stopped the Jade Emperor from killing the Eastern King.

The Jade Emperor saw Maitreya’s smiling face, yet his own was expressionless, merely asking softly, "Does Mount Ling also wish to stop the Heavenly Court from executing the traitor?"

Maitreya, however, smiled and shook his head, saying, "Your Majesty is too severe. The Eastern King is a former ruler of the Heavenly Court, once the foremost male celestial of the Three Realms, a man of great merit. How could he be spoken of as a traitor?"

The Jade Emperor merely laughed. He was astounded by Maitreya’s shamelessness; this was clearly an attempt to distort the facts.

"Surely this is not for Mount Ling to manage!" the Jade Emperor purposefully showed a displeased expression.

The experience of many years as the Heavenly Emperor had made his aura incredibly powerful, which would definitely intimidate an ordinary person.

However, to Maitreya, this seemed to have no effect at all, as his face still bore his trademark smile, seemingly undisturbed by the change in the Jade Emperor’s attitude.

Smiling, he said, "The Eastern King is the foremost male celestial of the Three Realms, a benefactor to countless beings within the realms. The old monk is also considering the stability of the Three Realms. The Emperor, being the Lord of the Three Realms, should also think more of all living beings."

"So, the Buddha Ancestor from the East is going to intervene definitively?" the Jade Emperor said with a hint of threat.

By this point, Maitreya had already prepared for a showdown. Rather than waiting passively, it was better to take decisive action; otherwise, once the Jade Emperor unified the Three Realms with his overbearing Dao, they might not even have the chance for confrontation.

"Amitabha Buddha. Our Buddhist Sect is compassionate, and I trust Your Majesty will also consider these myriad of souls," Maitreya said, bringing his hands together.

Amid these words, the people of Mount Ling had already prepared for battle.

In contrast, many people in the Heavenly Court hesitated and did not take a stance. As Maitreya said, the Eastern King had helped many people in his day, and these acts of kindness had bound them with karma. At this moment, they simply could not stand up to help the Jade Emperor.

Because this also meant that the Eastern King might die, and then, their Daoist Hearts being flawed, not only would eternal life be hard to achieve, but even their current cultivation levels might drop.

The Jade Emperor looked around and saw only a few people standing behind him. He knew that many of them were hesitant because of the Eastern King.

He quickly contained his emotions, then turned around and asked, "Then according to the Buddha’s wish, what should be done?"

He indeed wanted to see what plan this newly appointed Buddha was ultimately devising.

Knowing the timing was ripe but not wanting to push the Jade Emperor too hard, Maitreya then said, "Since the Eastern King has been defeated, he naturally should pay a price. How about stripping him of his title and confining him on Yingzhou Island?"

This way, although the Jade Emperor could not immediately take over the Dao, the Dao had tilted towards him due to one victory and one defeat, merely delaying the time it would take for him to occupy that Dao.

"Yingzhou Island must be destroyed, otherwise how can I explain this to the people?" the Jade Emperor said coldly.

He had already decided to retreat one step, because apart from Maitreya, he had also sensed hidden malice.