Chapter 49

But he then revealed, "You possess the status of the Lord of the Flying Bear. This is an anomaly within the tribulation.

If you seize it properly, perhaps you can grasp a sliver of life."

Jiang Ziya was overwhelmed with excitement upon hearing this and begged Li Er for guidance.

Li Er said that this was why he had come. His green ox slowly departed, leaving behind these words: "I will give you three days to settle your mortal affairs. Come to Xuandu Purple Mansion to see me in three days."

Jiang Ziya was shocked and thrilled. This opportunity to connect with a Saint was unprecedented for him.

Even if he could only become a registered disciple, he would be fully satisfied.

Three days later, he arrived at Xuandu Purple Mansion as promised. Guided by the status of the Heavenly Scroll, the Investiture of the Gods List, he successfully seized this opportunity.

He cultivated Daoist arts within Eight Sceneries Palace, studying countless Daoist techniques and military manuals.

Yet the Taishang Lineage unexpectedly accepted another human disciple after Xuandu.

This news spread through the ears of All Saints like the wind, stirring up tremendous waves.

All Saints were astonished. None had expected Li Er, who had always remained inactive and free of contention, to take the initiative to accept a disciple.

Even as a registered disciple, his seniority would be extraordinarily high.

The Taishang Lineage had only one direct disciple: Xuandu.

Xuandu was the Imperial Tutor of the Three Sovereigns, and among his disciples were the Three Sovereigns Saint of the Human Race.

So what abilities did Jiang Ziya possess to enter the Taishang Lineage and become its registered disciple?

The gazes of All Saints fell upon Jiang Ziya, and they discovered in surprise that he bore the Visage of the Flying Bear.

Two Visages of the Flying Bear had actually appeared in the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods, leaving All Saints puzzled.

Yet this outcome also made Tongtian breathe a sigh of relief.

Yuanshi of the Chan Sect felt the same.

Compared to having the Buddhist Sect intercept the opportunity, All Saints would rather Li Er hold another Visage of the Flying Bear, a protagonist of the investiture.

Li Er stood with the Daoist Sect. He had not established a sect, and none of his disciples would enter the killing tribulation, making him naturally easier to accept than the Buddhist Sect.

Gradually, All Saints understood that the so-called investiture would have the two bearers of the Visage of the Flying Bear each establish a faction and ultimately compete for victory. The victor would carry out the duty of investiture on Taishang's behalf.

However, whether Shen Gongbao or Jiang Ziya would become the one to conduct the investiture was still unknown.

By orthodox standing and inner disposition, Jiang Ziya seemed to hold every advantage.

But what left All Saints helpless was Jiang Ziya's terrible aptitude, which nearly made them question Li Er's judgment.

He had cultivated the Dao for decades, yet had not even crossed into the realm of a mortal immortal. He could not even be considered an immortal.

Ever since Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao had respectively entered Eight Sceneries Palace and Western Spiritual Mountain to cultivate,

the gap between them had gradually become apparent.

Shen Gongbao at Spiritual Mountain possessed exceptional aptitude, and with the careful guidance of the Two Sages of the West, his progress was swift.

Nourished further by the Eight Treasures Merit Pool, his cultivation speed was nothing short of astonishing.

For the sake of their hope in this great tribulation, the Two Sages of the West had spared no expense.

Since entering the Buddhist Sect, Shen Gongbao had advanced by leaps and bounds. He had now reached the Golden Immortal realm.

Jiang Ziya, on the other hand, had yet to achieve the Immortal Path. The enormous gap between him and Shen Gongbao left All Saints bewildered.

They had never heard of a disciple with such poor aptitude. He had not even attained the Immortal Path. With cultivation as negligible as Jiang Ziya's, he seemingly could not even wield basic magical power, much less control the Heavenly Scroll, the Investiture of the Gods List, and complete the task of investiture.

This caused All Saints to begin doubting whether Jiang Ziya's Visage of the Flying Bear was genuine.

Compared to the second-generation disciples of the Chan and Jie Sects, Jiang Ziya's cultivation was vastly inferior. Even the third-generation disciples recently accepted by those second-generation disciples were beyond his comparison.

Looking at the contrast between the two protagonists of the investiture, All Saints could not help shaking their heads and questioning whether Taishang had misjudged him.

By observing figures such as Dao Venerable Xuandu, Great Emperor Fengdu, the Three Sovereigns Saint of the Human Race, and the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, Jiang Ziya discovered that they all possessed immense merit, great destiny, and incomparably noble fates.

This gave him a vague understanding that Taishang Supreme Saint's initiative in taking him in must carry profound meaning.

He understood that his opportunity had not yet arrived.

Therefore, Jiang Ziya was not impatient.

However, the Western Buddhist Sect felt uneasy about this situation.

Within Spiritual Mountain, Jieyin and Zhunti saw Shen Gongbao's advancing cultivation and began discussing how to bring him fully into the Buddhist Sect, thereby strengthening its power.

As they steeped spiritual tea, they discussed the inevitability of the Buddhist Sect's prosperity and the necessity of repaying the merit owed to the Four Realms' vast source.

Zhunti proposed that since they had already been drawn into the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods, they could no longer avoid the killing tribulation.

He had originally intended to use the one conducting the investiture to maneuver between the Chan and Jie Sects, using this to develop the Buddhist Sect.

He frankly admitted that neither his nor Jieyin's cultivation could contend with Taishang, so they could only strengthen the Buddhist Sect in this manner.

However, Jieyin had reservations, worried that they would lose to Taishang again.

He reminded Zhunti that they had both lost to Taishang before. Whether this time would be an exception was difficult to say. As the Daoist Sect Leader, how could Taishang allow the Buddhist Sect to flourish?

Compared with Jieyin, who was immersed in a sorrowful state of mind, Zhunti displayed his wisdom—he knew how to assess the situation.

Faced with Jieyin's confusion, Zhunti smiled and calmly accepted the reality of failure. "Losing to Grand Supreme Elder Lord is not shameful. It is not the first time the two of us have lost to him.

Even if we lose again this time, it will not matter."

His tone shifted as he said to Jieyin, "Senior Brother, I have discovered an important issue concerning Shen Gongbao."

Jieyin asked, "What issue?"

Zhunti continued, "Shen Gongbao and Jiang Ziya emerged in response to the tribulation. The key to this struggle for investiture lies between the two of them.

Therefore, I intend to take Shen Gongbao to Eight Sceneries Palace to pay respects at the mountain gate and ask Grand Supreme Elder Lord for the Investiture of the Gods List."

Jieyin was somewhat confused. "Taishang controls the Investiture of the Gods List, and Jiang Ziya is already his disciple. Why would he hand over the list?"

Zhunti smiled confidently. "Because Shen Gongbao is the orthodox choice.

I have observed that the Human Race Destiny and the power of the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods upon him are things Jiang Ziya does not possess.

I conclude that Shen Gongbao is the true protagonist of the investiture."

"Since that is the case,"

Zhunti said firmly, "we need only have the two of them fight. I will bring the momentum of the investiture to Eight Sceneries Palace and pay respects at its mountain gate.

Grand Supreme Elder Lord will have no reason not to hand over the Investiture of the Gods List."

After Zhunti's analysis, Jieyin finally understood the logic behind it.

As Zhunti had said, although Li Er controlled the Investiture of the Gods List, during the great tribulation, the key figure was the key to controlling it.

Shen Gongbao, who bore the Visage of the Flying Bear, was precisely that key figure.

Therefore, Zhunti's desire to bring Shen Gongbao and demand the Investiture of the Gods List was entirely reasonable.

After all, Jiang Ziya had not even attained the Immortal Path. How could he possibly control the Investiture of the Gods List? The final candidate could only be Shen Gongbao, a disciple of the Buddhist Sect.

Jieyin also laughed. "Better a fellow Daoist die than this poor Daoist. Whoever gets listed will still be decided by our Western Sect, won't it?"

When he first heard Zhunti's words regarding the notion of "better a fellow Daoist die than this poor Daoist,"

Jieyin questioned his junior brother Zhunti. "Junior Brother, have you been associating with Shen Gongbao again lately?"

Zhunti's tone always emphasized "a fellow Daoist dies." At first hearing, it seemed rather reasonable, and it was remarkably similar to Shen Gongbao's style.

Ever since learning that Shen Gongbao's phrase, "Daoist friend, please stay," concealed a sinister mystery, Jieyin had tried his best to avoid excessive contact with him.

Yet to Jieyin's surprise, Zhunti seemed entirely unafraid of associating with Shen Gongbao.

Zhunti nodded. "Yes, but I find Shen Gongbao's words quite reasonable. His understanding of Buddhist teachings may not be orthodox, but he has found another path. It is still a profound interpretation."

Hearing Zhunti's words, an ominous premonition rose in Jieyin's heart. "Junior Brother, you will not encounter some mishap on this journey, will you?"

Within Eight Sceneries Palace, although Jiang Ziya's aptitude was far from satisfactory, his temperament was well suited to cultivating the Dao.

Even though he had never achieved the Immortal Path, he remained calm.

Ever since meeting Li Er, the latter had told him that his fate could only grant him the blessings of a mortal general or minister, and that he had no affinity with the Immortal Path.

Therefore, Jiang Ziya understood clearly that his future depended on his status.

Among the Human Race, Emperor Yi of Shang had reached the time to determine the successor to the Human King.

The eldest prince Wei Zi Qi, second prince Wei Zi Yan, and third prince Zi Shou each had their own distinguishing traits.

In the end, Wei Zi Qi could not inherit the throne because of his mother's low status. Zi Shou, as the legitimate son, was established as heir.

After Emperor Yi passed away, he entrusted the young king to Grand Tutor Wen Zhong and established Prince Zi Shou of Shou as Emperor Xin of Shang, namely King Zhou.

Since King Zhou ascended the throne, the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods had grown increasingly intense.

Clearly, this great tribulation was destined to erupt during Di Xin's generation.

Within Eight Sceneries Palace, atop a waterfall, Jiang Ziya sat cross-legged before a chessboard opposite Li Er.

Li Er gently placed a chess piece and sensed an abnormality in the Investiture of the Gods List and the God-Beating Whip.

Jiang Ziya asked why. Li Er merely smiled faintly, knowing that someone had begun to grow restless.

Zhunti brought Shen Gongbao to the mountain gate of Eight Sceneries Palace, intending to request an audience with Li Er.

He had come this time for the Heavenly Scroll, the Investiture of the Gods List, and the God-Beating Whip.

With Shen Gongbao, a bearer of the Visage of the Flying Bear, his confidence had greatly increased.

Yet Li Er had no intention of paying them any attention and continued playing chess with Jiang Ziya.

Just as the game neared its end, Zhunti and Shen Gongbao suddenly appeared before them. Zhunti's expression seemed somewhat unsightly.

"Senior Brother Taishang."

Zhunti spoke.

"The Buddhist Sect has come to pay respects at your mountain today, yet you ignore us so completely. That seems inappropriate.

I, Zhunti, personally came here. My declaration was loud enough for All Saints to hear, yet Li Er ignored me, leisurely playing chess and leaving me outside the mountain gate.

Though I did not care about face, I still had to preserve my image before my disciple.

Today, this was not only to pressure him, but also to obtain the Heavenly Scroll, the Investiture of the Gods List.

I had arrived with great force, only to be suppressed outright. If I still spoke gently, even the remaining momentum would likely vanish completely."

However, Shen Gongbao, who had followed him here, felt turbulent emotions within and wore a strange expression.

He laughed inwardly at Zhunti for walking a path toward death after so many years of saying "Master, please stay."

He understood that his own power from the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods and his Human Race Destiny both originated from Li Er.

Yet now he had humiliated himself by coming before Li Er to flaunt the Buddhist Sect's presence. Li Er probably thought him extremely foolish.

Li Er naturally noticed Zhunti's embarrassment and gaze. Entirely unafraid, he even said with a trace of mockery that Zhunti had already left the Daoist Sect and established the Buddhist Sect on his own. What face did he have to meet him? Calling him senior brother was truly unworthy.

His attitude left Zhunti extremely helpless.

So Zhunti changed the subject and stated that he had come for the Investiture of the Gods List and the God-Beating Whip.

He mentioned that both were bearers of the Visage of the Flying Bear, that Shen Gongbao was accompanied by great destiny, while Jiang Ziya under Li Er's tutelage could hardly attain the Immortal Path.

The new Emperor of Shang had already ascended the throne, and the great tribulation had begun. It was time to hand over the Investiture of the Gods List.

However, Li Er did not care in the slightest. He mocked Zhunti lightly, saying that since Zhunti knew the Investiture of the Gods List was in his hands yet still dared demand it, was Zhunti too arrogant, or did he think Taishang could no longer wield a blade?

Zhunti merely raised an eyebrow in response, then looked toward Jiang Ziya, whose expression remained calm.

He suggested letting the Investiture of the Gods List choose its own master and seeing whom it would ultimately select.

Li Er answered calmly, proposing the Green Lotus Precious Color Flag as the stake.

Upon hearing this proposal, Shen Gongbao was greatly shocked.

He knew that although Zhunti was ordinarily miserly, this time he was actually willing to use a precious Innate Spiritual Treasure as a wager. It was beyond belief.

After weighing matters in his heart, he decided that if they lost the contest, he would rather Zhunti obtain this treasure than let an outsider have it.

As this thought flashed through Shen Gongbao's mind, he and Zhunti saw a streak of golden radiance shoot skyward from the depths of the Ninth Scene of Eight Sceneries Palace.

Immediately afterward, the chaos and primordial mist of the Ninth Scene began to tremble. Then they saw the scene within the chaos shift, and a streak of golden radiance erupted from the space it revealed.

After creating the Ninth Scene, Li Er had kept the Heavenly Scroll, the Investiture of the Gods List, sealed there, waiting for the appropriate moment to arrive.