Before Nuwa could decide what to do, she realized that the situation unfolding before her had become hard to understand.
The reason was that Yuanshi Tianzun, who had been intent on sending the Interception Sect onto the Investiture of the Gods, had taken the initiative and started the discussion.
"Master, since we're rebuilding the Heavenly Court, we can't let things run as freely as they did under the demon race!"
Ignoring the startled looks from the others beside him, Yuanshi Tianzun put on a solemn, compassionate expression, his voice full of indignation.
"What a fine situation the demon race was in back then! But because they were allowed too much freedom, the entire Heavenly Court fell apart!"
"Exactly!"
Taishang Laojun glanced casually at Tongtian, then chimed in. "The demon race's Heavenly Court was destroyed not only because the Wu Clan refused to obey orders, but also because the demons themselves kept changing their commands. Many great demons would follow orders but refuse to appear when summoned. As a result, it was difficult for the Heavenly Court to enforce its will..."
"Fear not!"
Hong Jun, seated on the high dais, nodded calmly. A hint of approval appeared on his placid face.
"Your concerns are reasonable, so I've prepared a treasure!"
As he spoke, Hong Jun raised a hand, and a brocade scroll radiating five-colored light appeared before them.
"This treasure is called the Investiture of the Gods. Anyone whose name appears on it will become a divine soldier or general of the Heavenly Court, serving the court!"
"But you needn't worry!"
"Those who join the list will be subject to the control of whoever holds it, but they'll live as long as Heaven and Earth, and their cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds!"
"So..."
Hong Jun paused and looked down at their faces. "The Investiture of the Gods has three hundred and sixty-five principal gods. Go back and discuss how best to assign them. I won't get involved."
"This..."
As Hong Jun finished speaking, the Three Pure Ones, who already knew the truth, remained unruffled. But Jieyin, Zhunti, and Nuwa, who knew nothing of the matter, couldn't sit still.
They weren't fools!
No matter how grand Hong Jun made it sound—with eternal life and soaring cultivation—none of that could hide one fact.
Those whose names appeared on the list would be subject to the control of its holder!
What did that mean?
It meant that if their disciples were put on the list, then even if the so-called holder ordered them to kill their own families, they would have no way to resist.
Wasn't this just handing people over to the Heavenly Court for free?
And with Hong Jun himself presiding over things, they had no room to maneuver—not to mention finding a few people to put forward just to humor him.
Were they really going to hand their disciples over to the Heavenly Court to be ordered around?
Jieyin Daoist, growing more and more aggrieved, wore a face like a corpse and spoke in a plaintive voice. "M-Master, surely this isn't right? The West is already vast and sparsely populated, and my few disciples are all more useless than the last..."
"Fellow Daoist Jieyin, you don't need to worry about that!"
Before Jieyin could finish, Tongtian—yes, Sect Leader Tongtian himself—cut in with a beaming smile.
"Rebuilding the Heavenly Court is a major undertaking. With those three or four men of yours, you think you can make the list? Have you lost all sense of your own standing?"
"Is the Investiture of the Gods meant for trash?"
"Obviously not!"
"To make the list, one must first be a paragon among people. Otherwise, how could they govern the Great Desolation? What ability would they have to manage it?"
"Do you want the new Heavenly Court Master is building to repeat the demon race's mistakes?"
Tongtian glanced at Jieyin, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, and Yuanshi Tianzun, who sat beside him with his mouth hanging open. Still smiling, he went on:
"If you want a place on the Investiture of the Gods, you should start by learning from my senior brothers."
"Whether it's Renjiao or Chanjiao, they'd rather have no disciples than settle for mediocrity. They wouldn't even look at anyone who wasn't an elite!"
"Why? It's obvious they've been preparing to make the list and help Master govern the Great Desolation!"
"Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, don't you agree?"
"???"
When Sect Leader Tongtian finished speaking, jaws dropped all around Zixiao Palace. Taishang Laojun and Yuanshi Tianzun were completely dumbfounded, while Jieyin, Zhunti, and Nuwa—as well as Hong Jun on the high dais—were at a loss.
What was going on?
Had they switched places?
Tongtian had always been a little arrogant and overbearing, but he'd never been much of a talker.
What had gotten into him today?
Could it be...
Hong Jun, guessing that something was up, hurriedly tried to divine the truth, but the Heavenly Dao struck him down with a resounding blow.
He didn't have permission!
Before he fully merged with the Heavenly Dao, his authority in the Great Desolation World was not much greater than that of the other sages.
At most, he had permission to communicate with the Heavenly Dao.
As for anything else?
Sorry!
If another sage disrupted the heavenly secrets, there was nothing he could do about it. That was one of the reasons he wanted to suppress the Interception Sect.
They were too powerful!
Especially since Tongtian himself was incredibly powerful...
He was afraid!
If the Heavenly Dao decided Tongtian was better suited to become its administrator, wouldn't all his years of scheming end up paving the way for Tongtian?
With that in mind,
though he had no idea why Tongtian had changed so much, Hong Jun weighed the pros and cons. Before the two weaklings could react, he intervened and rejected the proposal himself:
"Taishang, Yuanshi, I appreciate your intentions, but this matter truly shouldn't be left to you."
Ignoring the immediate darkening of Tongtian's expression, Hong Jun explained calmly, "Renjiao and Chanjiao have few disciples to begin with. If all of them were put on the Investiture of the Gods, how could their teachings be passed down?"
"Right, right!"
Finally recovering from his shock, Yuanshi Tianzun cursed inwardly as he hurriedly nodded.
"Master is absolutely right. There are only a little over a hundred elite disciples in all of Chanjiao. Even if every one of them made the list, it wouldn't be enough. This is something Junior Brother must do!"
"Exactly!"
Taishang Laojun had been somewhat reluctant, but when he saw that Tongtian wanted to spare none of the few remaining disciples of Renjiao either, he grew angry. His voice cold, he chimed in:
"Junior Brother Tongtian, your Interception Sect is said to draw ten thousand immortals to its gatherings, and it has no shortage of Great Unity Golden Immortals. Surely you can pick a few to help Master solve this problem?"
"Or are you planning to watch Master's new Heavenly Court go without anyone to serve it?"
"So what if I am?"
Hearing the threat in Taishang Laojun's voice, Sect Leader Tongtian flew into a rage and replied coldly.
"Hm?"
Taishang Laojun exchanged a glance with Yuanshi Tianzun, unable to believe what he'd just heard.
So he asked again, unwilling to accept it. "Y-you just said what?"
"I said, so what if I am?"
Sect Leader Tongtian smiled. Repeating the words slowly, one by one, he lifted his head and stared straight at the astonished Hong Jun on the high dais.
"Master, could it be that this Investiture of the Gods was made specifically for me, Tongtian? That only people from the Interception Sect can make the list, and no one else?"
Before you continue