Telling on Them to Their Elders

Jiang Ziya bore the task of wielding the Investiture of the Gods Scroll and appointing the gods for the Heavenly Court.

As for the task of wielding the Investiture of the Gods Scroll, Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning, Heavenly Lord of Morality, Zhunti, and Jieyin had discussed it beforehand and forcibly obtained it from Hongjun.

It was all to better lay their plans against Sect Master Tongtian and the Sect of Interception.

And when the Three Sects had signed the Investiture of the Gods Scroll anew this time, Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning had conveniently taken back both the Investiture of the Gods Scroll and the God-Beating Whip.

With the Investiture of the Gods Scroll and the God-Beating Whip in the hands of a Sect of Enlightenment disciple—and Jiang Ziya at that, whom Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning had raised from childhood to be utterly loyal to the Sect of Enlightenment—

the Sect of Enlightenment could be said to have scooped every last benefit into its own hands during the Investiture of the Gods Calamity.

How did that saying go? You may be as strong as you please, but I am the referee.

And Jiang Ziya was precisely the one serving as that referee.

But now, Jiang Ziya was gone?

This was damned awkward!

The referee was fucking gone—how were they supposed to appoint gods now? How could they appoint them?

What were they supposed to use to appoint them?

Could they possibly find some ordinary Sect of Enlightenment disciple to replace Jiang Ziya and shoulder the great task of appointing gods?

Was this some kind of joke?

To wield the Investiture of the Gods Scroll, hold the God-Beating Whip, and shoulder the great task of appointing gods—

how could just anyone take on something like that?

It had to be one chosen by Heaven. Without immense fortune upon them, who could possibly do such a thing?

Take Haotian Shangdi, for example. Though it was true that he had once been Hongjun's attendant, he had still undergone countless tribulations before accumulating enough fortune to bear the karmic burden of the Heavenly Emperor and become lord of the Heavenly Court.

Jiang Ziya likewise carried immense fortune upon him, enough to shake all beings of the primordial world.

For the sake of this Investiture of the Gods Calamity, Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning had been laying plans since long ago, spending vast amounts of time and effort and drawing quite a few Saints into it.

It could be said that, aside from Sect Master Tongtian, every other Saint had left their hand upon Jiang Ziya.

Such a man, one who conformed to Heaven's mandate and bore immense fortune, a man meant to appoint the gods—

was now fucking gone?

Gone just like that, without a sound?

And he could not even be divined?

Where was Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning supposed to find another person capable of shouldering the great task of appointing gods on such short notice?

At this moment, Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning was on the verge of completely losing his mind!

Jiang Ziya was the Heaven-appointed god-investor.

Now that he was gone, if they simply dragged someone in to appoint the gods, that person would lose Heaven's protection and would lack the karmic destiny needed to bear the Investiture of the Gods Scroll and the God-Beating Whip.

That would make them an unlicensed appointee!

Once that happened, not only would that unlicensed appointee suffer a karmic backlash so severe that both body and soul would be annihilated, but even the Sect of Enlightenment would be tainted by that karma.

Under such karma, even Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning, a Saint though he was, would not have an easy time of it!

"How hateful!"

"Detestable!"

The more he thought, the angrier he grew; the angrier he grew, the more he thought. Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning threw all concern for his dignity aside and raised his head in a furious roar.

When a Saint was enraged, heaven and earth trembled!

At that moment, thick clouds continuously gathered above Jade Void Palace. Lightning flashed, while streams of laws darted ceaselessly through the sky.

Overwhelming pressure descended from the heavens, bearing down upon Kunlun Mountain, which stretched for countless miles.

In that instant, countless living beings dwelling upon Kunlun Mountain fell trembling to their knees in terror.

Some newly transformed little spirits could not withstand such immense pressure at all, and their bodies and souls were directly snuffed out.

Countless years of bitter cultivation vanished in a single day!

Let us speak of both sides.

While Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning trembled with rage over Jiang Ziya's disappearance, Zhunti and Jieyin wore equally unpleasant expressions atop Mount Sumeru of the Western Sect.

Beneath a massive bodhi tree, Zhunti and Jieyin sat upon Pure Meditation Cushions, their faces full of sorrow.

Though the cushions could preserve clarity of mind, they could not dispel the agitation in Zhunti and Jieyin's hearts.

"Eldest Brother, the teacher will not intervene. What are we to do about this Investiture of the Gods Calamity?"

Jieyin gazed mournfully at the lotus pond before him and said in a desolate voice:

"Our Western Sect has been poor for so long, always suppressed by the Three Eastern Sects. You and I, brothers, have spent all these years running about in the East!"

"At long last, we have such a fine opportunity as the Investiture of the Gods Calamity. First, our Western Sect does not need to participate; second, we can even make some plans for ourselves!"

"Things have turned out well indeed—causality and destiny have gone awry, and even the Investiture of the Gods Scroll can no longer be counted on. Alas!"

Hearing Jieyin's grumbling and lamentation, Zhunti's expression was no better:

"Our Western Sect lacks the foundations of the Three Sects in the east. Though we are far from the east, there is no telling whether this tribulation will spread to our west!"

"In my view, we should quickly summon all our disciples back."

"They are not to go east on their own again. We shall stay peacefully in the west, sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight, and watch the Three Sects of the east battle until they are hopelessly entangled!"

Jieyin nodded in agreement.

"What Eldest Brother says is absolutely right. But would that not mean wasting such a fine opportunity for nothing?"

"With the great tribulation imminent, Second Brother, do not cling to temporary gains. So long as our Western Sect continues to hide its brilliance and bide its time, quietly weathering this tribulation..."

"When that time comes, no matter which of the Three Sects in the east loses the fight, we will have suffered no losses. Then, we can head east..."

At this point, Zhunti said no more and merely nodded lightly.

Though Zhunti did not spell it out, how could Jieyin fail to know what he had in mind? He immediately agreed:

"What Eldest Brother says is absolutely right. I was too shortsighted. This way, our Western Sect can preserve much of its strength and wait for changes to arise!"

"Indeed, indeed..."

Seated beneath the bodhi tree, Zhunti and Jieyin came to an agreement. The sorrow on their faces vanished in an instant, replaced by smiles whose meaning was impossible to read.

"Masters, you've finally returned..."

Just as Zhunti and Jieyin had finally relaxed, two wolf-like howls suddenly rang out, nearly startling them both.

Two figures came scrambling and tumbling up Mount Sumeru to the bodhi tree, threw themselves around Zhunti and Jieyin's legs, and burst into tears.

Zhunti and Jieyin both froze when they saw the two before them.

Were these not their disciples, Golden Sword and Bronze Sword?

Why were the two of them so grief-stricken?

The pair had deeply embraced the Western Sect's creed and gone east in search of treasures fated to them.

So why were they crying so mournfully now?

Their tale would sadden any listener and bring tears to any witness!

Could it be that they had found something good—an Innate Spirit Treasure, or perhaps an innate spirit root?

And had wept for joy?

"What happened to you two?"

"You are disciples of Saints. What sort of appearance is this, weeping and sniveling?"

"Why are you shedding such bitter tears?"

Zhunti looked at Golden Sword and Bronze Sword as he questioned them.

"M-Master... we were beaten..."

"Ah, that person was utterly vile! Not only did he beat the two of us, he even... even took all our treasures..."

The more Golden Sword and Bronze Sword spoke, the sadder they became. In the end, they simply clung to each other and wailed:

"And not only that—our clothes... that villain stole our clothes too!"

"He was nothing but a bandit!"