Their remaining in the Heavenly Court and accepting immortal posts had never meant they had submitted to Haotian or willingly allowed themselves to be commanded by the Heavenly Dao. They had merely assessed the situation, endured in silence, and bided their time.
More importantly, the True Spirits of these core Jie Sect cultivators had never been locked down or bound by the Investiture of the Gods.
Those listed during the Investiture of the Gods Calamity had their fates tied to the Heavenly Court. They could not act freely and were shackled by the Heavenly Dao.
Yet these people had either escaped through Formations, avoided the calamity through their foundations, or luckily slipped off the list. Though they appeared to hold positions in the Heavenly Court, they were in truth free and unfettered, beyond the constraints of the Heavenly Rules of God Conferment.
Their sole purpose in remaining in the Heavenly Court was to make use of its vast opportunities and the grand transformation brought by the fusion of the Myriad Worlds. They sought opportunities to seize auspicious qi, accumulate foundations, and wait for the day Jie Sect could rise again. When had they ever possessed even the slightest intention of running errands for Haotian or serving the Heavenly Court?
Clouds churned through the great hall. Zhao Gongming swept his gaze across his fellow disciples and former comrades. His voice was low, yet every word rang clearly in their ears, piercing straight to their hearts as he laid bare their thoughts:
"Haotian wishes to use the strength of our Jie Sect to harvest the forces of the Myriad Worlds for the Heavenly Court and strengthen the foundations of the Heavenly Dao. How delusional!
"We may have accepted the Heavenly Court's decrees and nominally hold immortal offices, but we bear none of