Three Steles Establish Rules, Tongtian Cuts Karma!

High Heaven Hall.

Haotian stood before the Imperial Throne.

His face was livid.

The immortals in the hall all lowered their heads.

No one dared to speak.

Because they had all just seen it too.

The merit from the Southern Wilderness had vanished into the stele outside Golden Turtle Island.

The Heavenly Court had lost face.

And it had lost merit, too.

What was even more terrifying was that those three steles had already been seen by the Primordial World.

Where did the disaster come from?

Who should have been in charge?

Who bears the merit and the karma?

These three questions were simple.

Yet they were like three blades.

Each one slashed across the face of the Heavenly Court.

When that Heavenly Patrol Bureau official returned to the Heavenly Court, Haotian's gaze fell upon him.

"Who told you to write those words?"

The official knelt in the hall, his entire body trembling.

"Your Majesty, Zhao Xuan forced the question in front of the Southern Wilderness envoys and numerous rogue cultivators."

"If I had not written it, I fear..."

Haotian said coldly:

"Fear what?"

The official's lips quivered.

"I fear it would have looked even worse."

Haotian laughed in anger.

"And writing it made it look good?"

The official dared not speak.

Taibai Jinxing stood to the side, his expression equally grave.

He whispered:

"Your Majesty, those three steles are somewhat troublesome."

Haotian looked at him.

Taibai Jinxing continued:

"If every request for aid must first state the cause of the disaster and the party responsible, then the accumulated matters of the various departments of the Heavenly Court will likely all be dug up."

"Moreover, the merit has already been inscribed on the steles."

"This indicates that Heaven and Earth acknowledge this act."

The hall grew even quieter.

Haotian understood, of course.

Heaven and Earth acknowledge.

These four words were more difficult to deal with than Zhao Xuan's mouth.

If Zhao Xuan spoke with reason, one could still refute him.

But when the three steles gained merit, who could refute that?

Haotian stared in the direction of the East Sea.

"I would like to see."

"Just how long those three broken steles can hold back the Heavenly Court."

He raised his hand.

A Heavenly Emperor Decree materialized.

Taibai Jinxing's expression shifted.

"Your Majesty."

Haotian said:

"Pass an order to the Heavenly Patrol Bureau."

"The Three Steles outside Golden Turtle Island are disrupting the order of the Three Realms."

"Command them to remove the steles."

Taibai Jinxing's heart sank.

"Your Majesty, I fear this is inappropriate."

Haotian's gaze turned cold.

"What is inappropriate about it?"

Taibai Jinxing steeled himself.

"The Three Steles have just received merit."

"If the Heavenly Court orders their removal now, how will the living beings of the Primordial World perceive it?"

Haotian said coldly:

"I am the Heavenly Emperor."

"The order of the Three Realms is determined by the Heavenly Court."

"Erecting steles outside Golden Turtle Island to hold the Heavenly Court accountable."

"This is disorder."

Taibai Jinxing's lips moved.

In the end, he lowered his head.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

Kunlun Mountain.

Yuxu Palace.

Yuanshi Tianzun opened his eyes.

His gaze fell toward the East Sea.

After a long while.

He said coldly:

"A fine Zhao Xuan indeed."

Guangchengzi stood below the hall, his expression heavy.

"Master, if those three steles remain standing."

"From now on, whenever the living beings of the Primordial World seek aid, their first reaction will be to ask who is responsible."

"The Heavenly Court will suffer."

"The Chan Sect will also suffer."

Yuanshi did not deny it.

Because Guangchengzi was right.

Zhao Xuan's three steles were not striking at any single event.

They were striking at the muddled accounts of the Primordial World's past.

In the past.

Whoever held high status could define righteousness.

Whoever had the loudest voice could cast aspersions.

Whoever had the most disciples would be the one to fill the gaps.

That would no longer work.

Write first.

Save later.

Once this rule was established, it would no longer be so easy for the Chan Sect to stand on the shore and accuse the Jie Sect of being tainted by karma.

Chijingzi whispered:

"Master, the Heavenly Court intends to remove the steles."

Yuanshi said indifferently:

"Let them try."

Guangchengzi looked up.

"Does Master believe the Heavenly Court cannot remove them?"

Yuanshi did not answer.

His gaze crossed the East Sea and landed in the direction of Biyou Palace.

"Zhao Xuan dares to erect the monuments."

"Tongtian dares to protect them."

Guangchengzi's heart jolted.

Yuanshi continued:

"Do not keep staring at those three monuments."

"Stare at Tongtian."

"Zhao Xuan has been paving the way for so long."

"If it were only for three monuments, one would be underestimating him."

Bajing Palace.

The Taiqing Saint slowly opened his eyes.

Xuandu stood to the side.

"Teacher."

"Those three monuments in the East Sea..."

Taiqing glanced toward the East Sea.

"Karma is returning to its place."

Xuandu was stunned.

Taiqing did not continue to explain.

He only said softly:

"That child of the Jie Sect."

"He sees things too clearly."

Xuandu's heart stirred.

He rarely heard his teacher evaluate a disciple of the Three Teachings in such a way.

After a moment, Taiqing added:

"Seeing too clearly."

"Is also prone to incurring the displeasure of the Heavenly Dao."

Xuandu lowered his head.

"Then, Teacher, do you believe he will stop?"

Taiqing closed his eyes.

"If he were going to stop."

"He would not have erected those three monuments."

Outside Golden Turtle Island.

The Heavenly Court decree arrived.

This time, it was not Taibai Jinxing who came.

It was the Chief Official of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau.

He brought thirty-six heavenly soldiers with him.

Standing before the three stone monuments.

His face was pale.

Because he did not want to come either.

But the Heavenly Emperor Decree had been issued.

He had no choice but to come.

"Immortal Zhao Xuan."

The Chief Official of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau spoke, biting the bullet.

"His Majesty has issued a decree."

"The Three Steles outside Golden Turtle Island are disrupting the order of the Three Realms."

"I ask that you remove them, Immortal."

Holy Mother Guiling laughed outright.

"Disrupting the order of the Three Realms?"

"Is asking you to clearly state who neglected their duties considered disrupting the order?"

Holy Mother Jinling's gaze turned icy.

Zhao Gongming gripped the Golden Whip in his hand.

Zhao Xuan, however, remained calm.

He looked at the Chief Official of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau.

"Have you read the inscriptions on the steles yourself?"

The Chief Official of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau was taken aback.

"I have."

"Which sentence disrupted the Three Realms?"

The Chief Official of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau fell silent.

Zhao Xuan pointed to the first stele.

"Where do disasters come from—is that disruptive?"

He pointed to the second.

"Who should have been in charge—is that disruptive?"

He pointed to the third.

"Who bears the merit and the karma—is that disruptive?"

Sweat beaded on the forehead of the Chief Official of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau.

Zhao Xuan took a step closer.

"You came today to remove the steles."

"You must also write."

The Chief Official of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau looked up abruptly.

Zhao Xuan said:

"Write it clearly."

"The Heavenly Court forbids the beings of the Primordial World from asking where disasters come from."

"It forbids the beings of the Primordial World from asking who should have been in charge."

"It forbids the beings of the Primordial World from asking who bears the merit and the karma."

"Once you write that, you may remove them."

The face of the Chief Official of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau turned deathly pale.

How could he dare to write that?

If these three sentences were written down, the Heavenly Court would look even worse than it did now.

Zhao Xuan looked at him.

"What?"

"Do you not dare to write it?"

The throat of the Chief Official of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau went dry.

"Immortal, this minor official is merely acting under orders."

Zhao Xuan nodded.

"Then go back and tell the Heavenly Emperor."

"If he wants the steles removed."

"Tell him to come and write it himself."

The Chief Official of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau felt as if he had been granted an amnesty; he turned and prepared to leave.

But at that very moment.

Above the nine heavens.

A surge of Heavenly Court fortune suddenly pressed down.

A Heavenly Emperor Decree descended from the sky.

It hovered above the Three Steles.

Golden light descended.

It sought to forcibly erase the inscriptions on the steles.

Holy Mother Guiling's expression turned frigid.

"Haotian truly dares!"

Zhao Xuan looked up, gazing toward the sky above Golden Turtle Island.

There had been nothing there before.

But as the Heavenly Emperor Decree pressed down upon the Three Steles, a golden thread of karma, so faint it was nearly invisible, was finally forced out.

One end connected to the Heavenly Court.

The other end connected to the Jie Sect.

Along the line lay the Sea Eye.

There were stars.

There were human tribes.

There were disputes among rogue cultivators.

There was every single deed the disciples of the Jie Sect had performed for the Heavenly Court over these years.

Holy Mother Guiling's expression shifted.

"What is this?"

Zhao Xuan's voice was cold.

"Old Merit Karma."

"In ordinary times, it is a merit."

"But once the Investiture of the Gods List appears, it becomes a shackle."

"The more one has done for the Heavenly Court, the easier it is to be dragged onto the list."

The faces of the Jie Sect immortals changed in unison.

Master Tongtian's voice drifted out from Biyou Palace.

"So that is how it is."

Zhao Xuan looked up.

"Master."

Tongtian's voice came from Biyou Palace.

It was exceptionally cold and stern.

"Sever it."

Sword intent descended.

Clang!

That thread of Old Merit Karma connecting the Heavenly Court and the Jie Sect snapped on the spot.

The next moment.

High above the nine heavens, the phantom of an ancient, simple scroll trembled violently.

The Investiture of the Gods List had actually been forced to reveal its shadow by this single sword strike.

Golden light rippled across the list.

Names, not yet fully solidified, sank deep within the golden glow.

At the very top, two characters slowly emerged.

Jie Sect.