The Investiture of the Gods

It seemed like the opportune moment for Zhunti to visit, and perhaps he could even win an Innate Five Directions Flag.

Amidst the intermingling golden light, Zhunti's gaze focused on the brilliance.

Finally, they saw a solemn scroll, a golden榜, tearing through the Ninth Scenery with an incredibly awe-inspiring presence, ultimately appearing outside the Eight Sceneries Palace.

At the same time, a whip appeared.

The whip was three feet six inches and five fen long, with twenty-one sections, each section bearing four talismans, totaling eighty-four talismans.

This was a subordinate treasure alongside the Heavenly Scroll and the Reincarnation Brush—the God-Beating Whip.

Thus, the Heavenly Scroll Investiture of the Gods List and the God-Beating Whip finally appeared as destiny decreed.

At this moment, Zhunti, Jiang Ziya, Shen Gongbao, and Li Er all gazed at the Investiture of the Gods List shrouded in golden light.

The golden light was brilliant, exuding majesty, inspiring reverence in all who beheld it.

"Is that the Heavenly Scroll Investiture of the Gods List?"

A tremor of shock flickered in everyone's eyes.

Regardless of their cultivation level, all could feel the fluctuation of rules and order emanating from the Investiture of the Gods List.

Among the Heaven, Earth, and Human Books, the Heavenly Scroll was undoubtedly the most noble.

The golden light flowed, enveloping the Investiture of the Gods List like mist, appearing gentle yet containing an indestructible might.

Zhunti felt that power, unable to remain calm within.

Shen Gongbao and Jiang Ziya stared blankly at the Investiture of the Gods List before them.

Even though they knew this was the core of the great tribulation, seeing it in person evoked an indescribable feeling.

The Investiture of the Gods List was now on the verge of fully emerging, reaching a critical juncture.

Zhunti's words were interrupted by Li Er, who turned to Shen Gongbao, "Will you try to claim it first?"

Although he appeared to yield to Jiang Ziya to test the waters, Zhunti also worried that Li Er might secretly assist Jiang Ziya's side.

Upon receiving the command, Shen Gongbao merely smiled nonchalantly.

He already knew everything was a facade; he was well aware of whether he could claim the Investiture of the Gods List.

For him, the Green Lotus Precious Color Flag had nothing to do with him anyway; if he lost, he lost.

However, just as Shen Gongbao predicted, when he injected his spiritual power into the Investiture of the Gods List, the golden list remained unresponsive.

Zhunti, his mental state shattered, roared, "Impossible! My disciple is at the Golden Immortal realm, how can he fail to claim the Investiture of the Gods List? Jiang Ziya is merely an immortal who hasn't yet achieved immortality, how could he possibly claim it?"

Endless shock surged within him.

The moment the various Saints sensed the emergence of the Investiture of the Gods List and saw Shen Gongbao's failure to claim it, they suddenly understood: the true protagonist of the Investiture of the Gods was Jiang Ziya.

Witnessing this scene, the expressions of the Saints were complex and difficult to describe, a mixture of joy and sorrow.

In contrast, Li Er's expression was calm, and he looked at Zhunti with a half-smile, reminding him, "Zhunti, a bet is a bet. It's time to hand over the Green Lotus Precious Color Flag."

Hearing this, Zhunti's face grew even more grim.

The Green Lotus Precious Color Flag was a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure of their Western Buddhist Sect. He had originally only intended to reveal it when he was certain of winning the bet.

Now, he not only faced a humiliating situation but also stood to lose this precious item.

The unwillingness and impatience in his heart were beyond words.

Finally, he couldn't help but shout, "I don't believe it! I must first verify the authenticity of this Investiture of the Gods List."

He brandished the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, sweeping it towards the Investiture of the Gods List in the void.

The Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree was his Dao Attainment Supreme Treasure, capable of sweeping away anything, possessing immense power.

Zhunti hoped to use this opportunity to verify the Investiture of the Gods List's authenticity and salvage some dignity.

However, Li Er did not stop him, seemingly allowing him to try.

This person had always been deeply thoughtful, meticulously considering every action before acting, but once he committed, his actions were always decisive and resolute.

But this time, facing the mysterious Heavenly Scroll Investiture of the Gods List, he clearly encountered a situation he couldn't handle.

Zhunti was destined to face an unpredictable challenge this time.

The might contained within the mysterious Heavenly Scroll Investiture of the Gods List far exceeded his imagination, as if it held the power of the world's order and rules.

Even he dared not lightly underestimate this power.

Even though the Investiture of the Gods List had not yet revealed its full strength, its tribulation aura alone made him feel pressured.

His Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree trembled in his hand; he felt a strong sense of threat.

Despite his best efforts to resist, he was still forced to retreat, spitting blood under the oppressive force of the tribulation.

At this moment, his heart was filled with unwillingness and terror.

He knew he dared not lightly challenge the true power of the Investiture of the Gods List.

This was not only because of the Investiture of the Gods List's own power but also because the power of the world's order and rules it contained made him unable to resist.

At this moment, he seemed to have lost control; facing such a powerful external force, he felt utterly helpless and dejected.

Within the sacred dojos, Yuanshi and Tongtian silently observed everything.

Upon seeing Zhunti's situation, they both chuckled.

They knew Zhunti was truly in trouble this time.

Facing such a challenge, even a Saint would feel pressured.

At this moment, Zhunti had lost his usual composure and confidence. His expression was incredibly grim, as if he had fallen into deep distress.

Zhunti's voice, questioning Li Er, echoed through the air: "Is this Investiture of the Gods List real?"

His words carried a strong sense of uncertainty and distrust.

Li Er responded calmly: "Whether it's real or not isn't for you or me to judge, but rather to see Jiang Ziya's capabilities."

Although Zhunti maintained a tough exterior, he was deeply shaken internally.

He harbored doubts about Li Er's answer and further questioned, "Can your disciple Jiang Ziya alone make it recognize him as its master?"

But Li Er did not directly respond to this.

He merely encouraged Jiang Ziya to prove himself through action.

Jiang Ziya nodded, showing absolute trust in Li Er.

He knew that just because others couldn't accomplish something didn't mean his master couldn't.

Therefore, he stepped forward, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

He was Taishang's registered disciple. All the Saints were very curious about his actions.

They all wanted to know what this young man could do. Would he gain the recognition of the Investiture of the Gods List? This was a question for them, and even more so a challenge for Zhunti.

However, regardless of how these varied gazes focused on him, Jiang Ziya seemed unaffected.

He closed his eyes and began to cultivate a special technique.

This technique originated from the Daoist art of Taishang Induction.

For all mortals who had not yet obtained Spiritual Power, this was an unimaginable realm.

This was the only cultivation method his teacher, Li Er, had given him.

Today, he was prepared to put it into practice.

At this moment, the Visage of the Flying Bear manifested behind him, and a special mysterious power enveloped him.

His figure began to float, seemingly pulled by some force towards the Investiture of the Gods List and the God-Beating Whip.

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Jiang Ziya successfully grasped the Investiture of the Gods List and the God-Beating Whip in his hands.

At this moment, Zhunti's expression changed drastically, shocked by what was happening before his eyes.

The other Saints, without exception, also revealed expressions of shock.

They had originally thought Shen Gongbao would be the one to manage the Investiture of the Gods, but reality had exceeded their expectations; the true person in charge of the Investiture of the Gods was none other than Jiang Ziya.

When the vital energy surged from Jiang Ziya, revealing the prestige of the Visage of the Flying Bear, a storm of shock surged within these Saints.

They immediately thought this must be a tactic from Li Er; only this Supreme Saint could create such profound and marvelous methods.

Zhunti's unwillingness and shock intertwined, his heart bleeding at this moment.

He had intended to force the issue, but reality had slapped him in the face once again.

He felt as though he had brought disgrace upon himself, utterly losing face.

Li Er, on the other hand, appeared calm and composed. He directly demanded the Green Lotus Precious Color Flag from Zhunti.

Zhunti wasted no words and handed over the flag.

Then, taking Shen Gongbao with him, he left the Eight Sceneries Palace in a sorry state.

Inside the Eight Sceneries Palace, Li Er looked at Jiang Ziya, a smile appearing on his face.

He had long known that the Investiture of the Gods List would choose Jiang Ziya as its custodian, but seeing this scene unfold still evoked a sense of emotion within him.

It seemed that their Taishang lineage had truly achieved the feat of gathering the Heaven, Earth, and Human Books.

Looking across the four Saints of the Three Realms, who would dare act like his Taishang lineage? Only this lineage stood out uniquely.

Zhunti, who had arrived with great enthusiasm this time, returned disappointed and was thoroughly dragged into the mess.

One must know that the Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods was no longer limited to the disciples of the Saints but had spread throughout the entire Primordial World.

This tribulation had both good and bad aspects. The good was that the Saints could avoid the slaughter, while the bad was that all parties had to contend based on their strength.

Although Zhunti was powerful, if he only intended to fish in troubled waters, he would likely not get his wish.

Li Er had long seen through his intentions, leaving him nowhere to hide.

Although the disciples of the Two Sages of the West were stable, under Li Er's strategy, Buddhism was dragged into the fray.

Why was this so? Because Buddhism's destiny was closely linked with Shen Gongbao, and Zhunti could not sever his connection with him.

Facing Li Er's gaze, Zhunti felt extremely awkward.

He had failed to obtain the Investiture of the Gods List and the God-Beating Whip, and instead lost the Green Lotus Precious Color Flag, a clear loss outweighing any gain.

Facing Shen Gongbao, the true orchestrator of the Investiture of the Gods, all words seemed pale and powerless.

Shen Gongbao, cultivated by Zhunti, was not the true candidate for the Investiture of the Gods, leaving Zhunti helpless.

Similarly, Shen Gongbao's expression shifted as he faced this situation.

Especially after witnessing his master Zhunti's performance, he understood even more the gap between Saints and Saints.

Shen Gongbao firmly believed in the promise Li Er had given him.

Among all the Saints, he was convinced that only Taishang could change his destiny.

As for his master Zhunti, Shen Gongbao didn't care much, adhering to the principle of "letting a fellow Daoist die rather than myself."

Even between master and disciple, he prioritized preserving himself.

He felt no sense of belonging to the Buddhist Sect, focusing solely on his own growth.

Although Zhunti had accepted him as a disciple and used the Eight Treasures Merit Pool to help his cultivation surge, in Shen Gongbao's eyes, these were nothing.

If he hadn't possessed the Visage of the Flying Bear, would Zhunti have made such an effort? The answer was clearly no.

During the days he was secretly planted by Li Er, Shen Gongbao had only one goal: to use the name "Fellow Daoist, please stay"

to send the Buddhist Sect on a journey to the Investiture of the Gods stage.

Jiang Ziya being recognized by the Investiture of the Gods List and the God-Beating Whip today was nothing in Shen Gongbao's eyes.

He even took "Fellow Daoist, please stay"

to its extreme, using it on his master Zhunti as well.

Outside the gates of Mount Sumeru, his voice was filled with power, forcing Zhunti, who was about to leave, to stop in his tracks.

Zhunti realized that only his unfortunate disciple would say such a thing, and he became extremely displeased, even contemplating killing Shen Gongbao.

Although Zhunti knew Shen Gongbao was a core figure in the great calamity of Investiture of the Gods and could not be killed due to the Visage of the Flying Bear, he forcibly restrained himself.

He turned to look at Shen Gongbao, and though his expression revealed no emotion, he still asked, "What is it?"

Shen Gongbao deeply understood the change in Zhunti's attitude and had his own way of dealing with it, not caring at all.

He chuckled inwardly, thinking, If I can't even withstand this little pressure, how can I be qualified to ** and manipulate others?

Facing the impending great calamity and the matter of Investiture of the Gods, Shen Gongbao prepared to enter the world and lay his plans.

He planned to preemptively position himself within the Human Race to gain the advantage. He believed that as long as he maintained a stable lead, even if Jiang Ziya held the Investiture of the Gods List, his duty to deify the heavens would not have a decisive impact.

He even intended to scheme the deaths of important generals from the opposing camp one by one, rendering Jiang Ziya's Investiture of the Gods meaningless.

Shen Gongbao's words were filled with cunning and confidence.

His words caused Zhunti's attitude to improve, reigniting his confidence.

Zhunti understood the depth of Shen Gongbao's schemes; his glib tongue was more powerful than any Innate Spiritual Treasure.