txolops Chapter 169 Yuanshi Talks About the Investiture of the Gods
Chapter 169 Yuanshi Talks About the Investiture of the Gods
Looking at the mountain of merit coins before him, Taibai couldn't help but swallow hard.
While these merits may not be as vast as those required to achieve sainthood, the sheer amount accumulated here, like soil piled up into a mountain, is already awe-inspiring.
He didn't take it all; he only took a little over half. The rest, with a wave of his hand, transformed into a sky full of golden light, showering the entire Wuyi Mountain.
The portion he took was more than enough to elevate his natal spiritual treasure, the Geng Metal Longsword, to the level of a supreme treasure of merit.
However, he knew in his heart that such treasures, which were forcibly elevated through merit, had a fundamental flaw:
Its power fluctuates depending on the amount of merit one possesses; if one's merit is diminished, its rank will drop.
"Fellow Daoist Hongyun, you can go to Wuzhuang Temple now and find your old friend, Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi, and give him this letter."
Taibai composed himself and handed over a letter that he had prepared beforehand.
The letter requested Zhen Yuanzi to capture some rogue immortals burdened with heavy karma.
Hongyun accepted the gift with both hands, but did not open it. He simply bowed respectfully to Taibai, then rode on a cloud and headed towards Longevity Mountain.
As the red clouds departed, Taibai stood alone atop Mount Wuyi, gazing into the vast distance.
Suddenly, the scenery around him began to shake. After a moment of disorientation, he looked again and found himself in front of the familiar Kunlun Mountains.
Although there was no decree from the Primordial Celestial Venerable to summon him, at this time and place, who else could have moved him here so urgently besides that teacher?
Taibai had already guessed that this urgent summons to him must be closely related to the matter of the Great Tribulation.
He suppressed his many thoughts, straightened his clothes, and flew straight towards the Jade Void Palace.
Halfway through the cloud path, a slightly dim streak of light flashed past ahead.
Taibai hesitated for a moment, then quickened his pace and stepped forward, bowing respectfully as he said, "Vice Master."
Unexpectedly, Ran Deng seemed not to hear or even glance at him. He only let out a very light but chilling snort from his nose, and his body suddenly rose up, disappearing into the distance at an even faster speed.
Taibai's divine sense swept over it quietly, and he understood slightly.
At this moment, Randeng, let alone the Quasi-Saint realm, even the foundation of a Great Luo Golden Immortal at its peak appeared unstable and dim.
Taibai shook his head inwardly, stopped thinking about it, and continued on his way.
When they arrived at the Jade Void Palace, they found the palace gates deserted, and the figures of the celestial children and the melodious sounds of rare birds that once filled the air were nowhere to be seen.
Taibai composed himself and entered the main hall. Sure enough, only Yuanshi Tianzun sat on his cloud bed in the vast hall, and even the white crane attendant who usually served him was not by his side.
This tranquility only serves to highlight the extraordinary secrecy and solemnity of the matter.
Taibai stepped forward and bowed respectfully, saying, "Disciple Taibai greets Master."
Yuanshi Tianzun nodded slightly, his gaze, as deep and still as a pool, falling on Taibai. Without much pleasantry, he went straight to the point:
"This great calamity is called the Conferment of Gods. As the Heavenly Dao evolves, 365 righteous gods need to return to their positions to complete the Heavenly Court's authority and ensure the smooth operation of the Heavenly Cycle."
My intention is to have disciples of the Jie Sect fill this list. What do you think?
Although Li Bai had anticipated this, he was still taken aback.
He hadn't expected that Yuanshi Tianzun would be so straightforward and lay everything bare without any concealment.
While this move is certainly to solicit opinions, isn't it also a form of informing and scrutinizing?
If this is done behind his back, and the matter comes to light in the future, causing turmoil within the Jie Sect, his position as a disciple caught between the two sects will become even more precarious.
"Master, I think it's feasible, but the disciples who make the list need to be those disciples of the Jie Sect who are burdened with karma. This way, we can also help Master Tongtian clean up the Jie Sect."
Upon hearing this, Yuanshi Tianzun declared that no matter when or where, ( ) would always be your most loyal reading companion. A faint ripple passed through his all-seeing eyes, and he frowned slightly.
He had naturally calculated that the number of places would be far from enough by relying solely on those with heavy karma within the Jie Sect.
He had considered capturing some heretical immortals from the primordial world to fill the ranks, but this matter concerned the dignity of a sage. As the true descendant of Pangu, how could he personally engage in such a trivial matter as capturing ants?
Therefore, the original plan also included disciples of the Jie Sect such as Zhao Gongming and the Three Immortal Maidens of Sanxiao.
However, Yuanshi knew that Taibai had a close relationship with those people, and if they were to be included on the list, this disciple would be the first to object.
This puts them in a dilemma.
"What you say is something I am well aware of. However, within the Jie Sect, those who have enough karma to be listed are few and far between, far from enough to fill the God List."
"Do you intend for me to personally capture those ancient immortals and send them to the Investiture of the Gods?"
Taibai was prepared. Upon hearing this, he no longer hesitated. He immediately used his divine sense as a guide to condense his plans and some memories about how to handle the matter into a ray of light and respectfully presented it.
It clearly shows how he instructed Hongyun to go to Wuzhuang Temple to ask Zhenyuanzi to capture the Karmic Immortal, as well as the various connections and considerations behind this plan.
The Primordial Celestial Venerable received that ray of spiritual light and instantly understood it.
His holy countenance showed a slight pause at first, then relaxed, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.
Taibai pondered to himself, "Yuanshi Tianzun truly knows his brother's temperament well; his prediction was absolutely correct."
According to the original destiny, Tongtian would indeed have set up the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation and the Myriad Immortals Formation at Jiepai Pass.
After these two great formations were broken one after another, he really intended to reopen the earth, water, wind, and fire formations, destroying heaven and earth. In the end, he was taken back to Zixiao Palace and imprisoned by Dao Ancestor Hongjun.
"Rest assured, Master, I will soon go to Biyou Palace on Jin'ao Island to inform Master Tongtian of this matter."
"But may I ask you, teacher, is this great calamity truly meant to fill the Investiture of the Gods list, or to overthrow the Shang dynasty and establish the Zhou dynasty, forcing humanity to bow down and call themselves 'Sons of Heaven'?"
This has always been a question in Taibai's mind. If it is only for filling in the list, then there is still room for maneuver in the matter of Dijiang being reincarnated as Dixin.
However, if the Shang Dynasty is to be destroyed and the human race to submit, the matter becomes much more complicated.
Since Di Jiang has already been reincarnated as Di Xin, if the Shang Dynasty is destined to perish, then assisting Di Xin would be going against the will of Heaven and might incur a backlash from Heaven.
However, if one goes with the flow, one will ultimately not escape death.
Therefore, he must first understand the key points before devising a solution.
"The primary task of the Investiture of the Gods was to fill the Investiture of the Gods list within the grand scheme of the fall of the Shang and the rise of the Zhou."
As for whether humanity will submit, it is not certain this time, but it is the will of Heaven. If it fails this time, this trend will continue in future great eons.
In other words, the core of this great calamity lies in the completion of the Investiture of the Gods, with the human race submitting to the throne; this is merely icing on the cake.
"Does the teacher mean... that the Shang Dynasty is doomed to perish? And in what manner will it fall?"
After hearing this, Yuanshi Tianzun had roughly guessed Taibai's thoughts, but he did not reveal them. He simply sighed and said:
"Just follow your heart. With your current level of cultivation, there are few in this world who can take your life. If you encounter a powerful enemy, you can summon the Pangu Banner at any time."
Taibai bowed solemnly to Yuanshi Tianzun and then left Yuxu Palace.
At this point, he fully understood his master's attitude: as long as the eon is completed, everything else can be considered.
The most difficult hurdle now is persuading Tongtian. With a great calamity looming, Taibai dares not delay and immediately sets off on a cloud, flying straight towards Jin'ao Island in the East Sea.