The Heavenly Dao Investiture of the Gods, the Slaughter Tribulation Begins
On the other side, at the Purple Heaven Palace.
Haotian, having gained too much power, started plotting something else after obtaining the Holy Throne, claiming that the Heavenly Court was empty and needed some strong individuals to fill the void.
When Haotian spoke of these powerful figures, he made a pointed remark, implying that they should be drawn from the various sages, which made the Three Pure Ones and the Two Western Sages shudder with anger.
They are utterly ignorant and arrogant.
They actually set their sights on them!
After hearing Haotian's words, Hongjun did not reply immediately, his mind racing with countless thoughts.
Originally, there was such a link in the future trend of heaven and earth; otherwise, the Heavenly Court would not have been established.
After the Three Sovereigns' Tribulation of the Human Race passed, the next Tribulation was about to begin, but it had clearly gone astray.
The tide has turned!
Therefore, Hongjun was deep in thought, communicating with the Heavenly Dao. All the mechanisms of heaven and earth were running in his mind, and strange phenomena appeared in his eyes. Everything in the Primordial World and the ultimate principles of heaven and earth flashed through his eyes.
After a short while, the secrets of heaven gradually became clear.
Hongjun put away his thoughts, his gaze swept over the saints, and finally settled on Haotian. He slowly said, "Haotian, what you say makes sense. The Heavenly Court has just been established, and it needs manpower to maintain order in the Primordial World."
Upon hearing this, the faces of the Three Pure Ones and the Two Western Sages all changed, turning ashen as if they had eaten excrement.
No way, is the Dao Ancestor really serious?
Did they really believe Haotian's slander?
What's the use of giving this kind of trash more people?
In stark contrast to them, Haotian was overjoyed and excited upon hearing this. He had only intended to give it a try and had not held out much hope, but the Dao Ancestor had agreed!
This is such a pleasant surprise!
Hongjun ignored the reactions of the saints and continued speaking without any emotion:
"Since the Witch-Demon Catastrophe, the balance of the Celestial Sphere has been disrupted. The beings of the Primordial World no longer think of repaying Heaven and Earth, nor do they accumulate merit. They act recklessly and wantonly commit Slaughter. If this continues, it will inevitably be difficult to maintain the fundamental order..."
"I shall once again unleash a calamity, cleansing heaven and earth. All those caught in this calamity shall fill the vacancies in the Heavenly Court, serving Heaven to atone for their sins!"
"As Heaven-Appointed Sage, you should naturally exert your strength."
Finally, Hongjun's eyes flickered, and he looked at all the saints.
The Three Pure Ones and the Two Western Sages straightened their expressions and respectfully said, "Disciple understands."
Hongjun nodded slightly, quite satisfied with the reactions of the saints. He raised his hand and grabbed a golden scroll, then said, "This is the Investiture of the Gods Scroll!"
"Those who made it onto the list in this calamity are divided into eight divine divisions according to Celestial Sphere 365 celestial bodies: Thunder, Fire, Plague, Fighting, and the constellations."
Those with deep roots and profound virtues attain the path of immortality, while those with slightly less virtuous foundations attain the path of divinity. The remaining beings still Reincarnation of reincarnation; this is the natural order of creation.
"This calamity of gods and immortals involves all living beings in the Primordial World, a mixture of humans and immortals, all facing this tribulation together."
As soon as the words were spoken, the expressions of the Three Pure Ones, the Two Sages, and Haotian all changed; it seemed things had gotten out of hand.
Especially Haotian, who originally only wanted to gather some manpower, but now it seems that the entire Primordial World is about to be drawn into it.
However, this doesn't seem to be a bad thing; the ultimate beneficiary is still the Heavenly Court!
"Teacher! Are we disciples of the Three Teachings among them?" Yuanshi couldn't help but ask, his expression solemn and somewhat unwilling.
Hongjun nodded slightly and said, "All living beings in the Primordial World are subject to this calamity. The Way of Heavenly Dao is impartial, and your Three Teachings are naturally included as well; it is unavoidable."
He spoke expressionlessly, which startled the Three Pure Ones. Had the Dao Ancestor gone mad?
They even uttered phrases like "Heavenly Dao is perfectly just."
Everyone here is one of our own, so we can turn a blind eye. We might let things slide if there's good news, but why can't we let the bad news slide?
Stop fooling around!
Zhun Ti immediately said with a mournful face:
"Teacher! Our West is barren, and we, your disciples, have always been compassionate and dedicated to saving all living beings. We are all people of high moral character and integrity, and we have never committed any unnecessary killings. Why are we also caught in this calamity?"
"Junior brother is right, please investigate, teacher," Jieyin, his expression extremely bitter, with a spirit of "If I don't go to hell, who will?"
Hongjun shook his head slightly, somewhat helplessly. These guys usually seemed clever, but why did they get stuck on a rut at the crucial moment?
Can I truly lead you into tribulation?
Do you even know how to use polite phrases?
With that thought, Hongjun tossed aside the Investiture of the Gods the Gods and said calmly, "I am preoccupied with many affairs and have countless responsibilities. The Investiture of the Gods of the Gods shall be entrusted to you."
"You must be completely impartial and just, without personal emotions, and certainly not deliberately targeting any particular party."
"I believe you all already know which beings should be on the list and which should not, so I will not say any more."
The Investiture of the Gods was placed before the saints, gleaming with flawless golden light.
The Three Pure Ones, the Two Western Sages, Haotian were taken aback for a moment, then immediately shouted in unison, "We will obey our Master's decree!"
As they spoke, a strange expression appeared on everyone's face.
If it weren't for the last sentence, they would have truly believed that the Dao Ancestor was being utterly impartial and uncompromising. But upon hearing the last sentence, the saints instantly understood and exclaimed inwardly.
This is the taste!
It was a false alarm.
I thought it was for real.
The Dao Ancestor's meaning was clear: he would not interfere; the Investiture of the Gods would be handed over to them, and they could choose whoever they wanted to be on it.
Moreover, the meaning behind his words was quite clear; he was practically naming names.
Now, the Human Race has become a pawn abandoned by the Heavenly Dao, or is it on Ling Xiao's side?
Therefore, the candidates for this list are quite obvious.
At this moment, Haotian was so happy he almost laughed out loud. Coming to the Purple Heaven Palace not only granted him a saintly position, but also solved the Heavenly Court's manpower problem.
Most importantly, suppress the Human Race and their mortal enemy, Ziwei, and then send all the powerful Human Race to the Investiture of the Gods —wouldn't that be wonderful?
You, once members of the Ziwei clan, are now my subordinates.
Just thinking about it made Haotian feel comfortable.
But his relief was short-lived; he quickly regained his composure. The powerful backer behind Ziwei was someone he couldn't afford to offend.
Thinking of this, Haotian chuckled and asked, "Teacher, what if someone disagrees and tries to sabotage the Investiture of the Gods?"
His meaning was very clear; he was practically saying it outright.
What if Ling Xiao intervenes?
The Three Pure Ones and the Two Western Sages all turned their heads, silently giving Haotian a thumbs up in their hearts. This kid is getting bolder and bolder, and he's getting a bit arrogant.
They dare to ask any question directly.
What a brave warrior!
Hongjun glanced at Haotian and said expressionlessly, "It's alright. With your master here, anyone who dares to disrupt the grand plan will suffer the wrath of Heavenly Dao."
"The seal of Heavenly Dao will be lifted soon, so you need not worry."
He showed no sorrow or joy, his eyes were as calm as still water, giving people a chilling feeling that penetrated to the core.
This may be the final tribulation; after it passes, everything will be different.
"Kill them! Kill them until the world is turned upside down!"
An inexplicable chill permeated Purple Heaven Palace. The saints felt a chill and responded in unison, "We understand, and we will certainly not fail our teacher's expectations!"