Investiture of the Gods: Why Did Only the Jie Sect Bear the Burden?

The gap on the Investiture of the Gods List was like a decree of heaven that should have suppressed the Primordial World.

It had been pried open in front of everyone.

Outside Golden Turtle Island.

The Three Steles stood upon the surface of the sea.

The bodies of the steles no longer trembled.

The golden light no longer surged.

They simply reflected those eight characters in silence.

Past Merits Are Not Crimes.

Shangqing Is Innocent.

The quieter they were, the more blinding they became.

The Investiture of the Gods Accountability Ledger hovered before Zhao Xuan.

Three pages had already been settled.

The three charges leveled by the Investiture of the Gods List had been checked off, stroke by stroke.

Deeply involved in the world.

Heavy with the karma of the killing tribulation.

Numbers vast and chaotic.

Every charge remained.

Yet, beside every charge, a counter-account had been added.

With the accounts present, the charges could not stand firm.

Zhao Xuan did not speak further.

He merely watched the shadow of the list high above in the nine heavens.

It was as if he were waiting for it to mend that gap.

It was also as if he were waiting for it to redefine a charge against the Jie Sect that could actually hold water.

But the Investiture of the Gods List did not move.

The gray-white heavenly laws upon the list swirled several times.

Each time they neared that gap, they would halt before the first page of the Accountability Ledger.

They could not mend it.

They could not suppress it back down.

On Golden Turtle Island, the Ten Thousand Immortals no longer shouted.

At this moment, no one needed to shout.

They had already heard it.

They had already seen it.

The past merits of the Jie Sect should not become crimes.

The Shangqing principle of teaching without discrimination should not become a crime either.

Holy Mother Guiling stared at the shadow of the list and suddenly let out a low chuckle.

"Why have you stopped writing?"

She wanted to say more.

Zhao Xuan did not raise his hand.

He merely turned his head to glance at her.

The words that had reached Holy Mother Guiling's lips were swallowed back down by force.

She suddenly understood.

One could not be impatient now.

It was others who should be impatient.

Zhao Gongming watched this scene and whispered, "Senior Disciple Brother is waiting."

Yun Xiao nodded gently.

"Waiting for them to take the bait."

Qiong Xiao looked toward the nine heavens.

"And if no one takes it?"

Yun Xiao was silent for a moment.

"Then the entire Primordial World will see it."

As these words fell, the area outside Golden Turtle Island grew even quieter.

Those overseas rogue cultivators, envoys of the Dragon Clan, and various onlookers who had yet to depart all subconsciously held their breath.

They suddenly understood the terrifying nature of Zhao Xuan.

He did not need to continue speaking.

As long as he stood there.

As long as the General Register remained open.

As long as the Three Steles stood tall.

The fact that the Investiture of the Gods List could not provide an answer was, in itself, the answer.

Amidst the sea mist in the distance, several overseas rogue cultivators exchanged glances, yet none dared to speak.

In the past, they only knew that the Jie Sect had ten thousand immortals coming to pay homage, and its momentum was overwhelming.

They had also heard those words: that Jie Sect disciples had impure roots and foundations; that Jie Sect members did not cultivate virtue; that the Jie Sect delved too deeply into worldly affairs and was tainted by the tribulation.

Having heard these things so often, they had begun to sound like the truth.

But today, as the General Register opened and the old accounts were overturned, they suddenly remembered.

Who had the East Sea relied upon for its stability all these years?

When chaos erupted among the overseas rogue cultivators, who had stepped out to mediate?

And who had been suppressing the Sea Eyes, water veins, demons, and evil cultivators that no one else was willing to manage?

If all these things counted as crimes, then what did those who benefited from them become?

Further away, several Mountain and Earth Gods used the essence of incense to gaze toward the East Sea from afar.

Their cultivation was not high, yet they knew better than many immortals what the Jie Sect had done over the years.

When human tribes were harassed by evil cultivators, it was the Jie Sect disciples who arrived the fastest.

When the spiritual veins of mountains and rivers fell out of balance, it was also the Jie Sect's branch members who acted the most.

The Heavenly Court's decrees were slow to arrive.

The Chan Sect immortals rarely came.

The Western Sect practitioners only spoke of fate.

In the end, those who remained to clean up the mess were almost always from the Jie Sect.

But now, these very deeds were to be turned into the crimes of the Jie Sect.

An old Mountain God looked toward Golden Turtle Island, his lips moving, yet in the end, he dared not make a sound.

He only whispered to the minor deity beside him, "Remember this day."

"Some accounts are not forgotten; it is just that, until now, no one dared to overturn them."

This silence, transmitted through the Haotian Mirror, pressed all the way into the High Heaven Hall.

Haotian stood before the Imperial Throne, his expression somber.

None of the immortals in the hall dared to raise their heads.

They, too, had seen that gap.

Taibai Jinxing stood to the side, letting out a long sigh in his heart.

This situation was difficult to handle.

If one claimed the Jie Sect was guilty for involving itself in worldly affairs, Zhao Xuan would ask who had invited the Jie Sect to do so.

If one claimed the Jie Sect was burdened by heavy killing karma, Zhao Xuan would ask who had benefited from the Jie Sect's pacification of the chaos.

If the Jie Sect's numbers were flourishing yet chaotic, Zhao Xuan simply pushed the blame onto the Shangqing Orthodoxy.

Every sentence appeared to be an inquiry regarding the Investiture of the Gods List.

Every sentence struck directly at the Heavenly Court.

Haotian said coldly, "The Investiture of the Gods List was ordained by the Dao Ancestor."

"Does Zhao Xuan truly believe that with a mere Accountability Ledger, he can alter the heavenly mandate?"

Taibai Jinxing lowered his head.

He could not respond.

Because Zhao Xuan had never said he wanted to alter the heavenly mandate.

Zhao Xuan only wanted the heavenly mandate to settle the accounts clearly.

Yet, that was precisely the most fatal part.

If it were settled clearly, the Heavenly Court would look unsightly.

If it were not settled clearly, the charge of the Investiture of the Gods List would be missing a piece.

Haotian stared at Zhao Xuan in the mirror.

The anger in his eyes deepened.

Yet, he never opened his mouth to issue an order.

He knew very well.

At this moment, whatever the Heavenly Court said would be recorded into that Investiture of the Gods Accountability Ledger.

What Zhao Xuan was waiting for was for someone to speak first.

Inside Yuxu Palace.

The atmosphere was likewise cold to the extreme.

Yuanshi Tianzun sat high upon the cloud bed.

His face was expressionless.

The Twelve Golden Immortals stood below, none daring to move first.

Guangchengzi's expression was unsightly.

He knew that Zhao Xuan's questioning was no longer just directed at the Heavenly Court.

The Chan Sect was also involved.

The general column for the Merits and Demerits of the Three Sects.

Chan Sect in seclusion.

Chan Sect avoiding the tribulation.

Chan Sect in pure cultivation.

These few words were harsher than any insult.

Because they were all true.

Chijingzi could not help but whisper, "Master, if we let him continue to question—"

Yuanshi Tianzun glanced at him.

Chijingzi immediately shut his mouth.

Inside Yuxu Palace, the chill grew heavier.

Yuanshi did not respond.

At this moment, nothing was appropriate to say.

If he said the Jie Sect should be diminished, it would be equivalent to admitting that the Investiture of the Gods was aimed at the Jie Sect's momentum.

If he said the three sects should bear it together, the Chan Sect disciples would be unable to avoid the tribulation.

If he said the Jie Sect's past merits should not be audited, then he would be personally handing the word "justice" into Zhao Xuan's hands.

Therefore, he could only remain silent.

His silence was heavier than the anger of Guangchengzi and the others.

On Mount Sumeru.

Daoist Zhunti looked toward Golden Turtle Island, the smile on his face fading slightly.

"Senior Brother."

"If we of the Western Sect speak now—"

Daoist Jieyin slowly shook his head.

"No."

Zhunti's brows twitched slightly.

Jieyin looked at the Investiture of the Gods Accountability Ledger before Zhao Xuan.

"If we speak now, our Western Sect will also be entered into the ledger."

Zhunti did not speak again.

He knew clearly how many benefits the Western Sect had taken from the East over these years.

The Jie Sect stood at the front, quelling chaos.

They stood at the back, claiming things were "fated."

The Jie Sect shouldered the karma.

They reaped the fortune.

If they truly entered that ledger, they would likely look no better than the Heavenly Court.

Wind blew across Mount Sumeru.

The water in the Merit Pool rippled gently.

Zhunti suddenly let out a laugh.

It was very soft.

And very faint.

"Interesting."

Jieyin glanced at him.

Zhunti offered no explanation.

He simply continued to look toward the East Sea.

Outside Golden Turtle Island.

The Investiture of the Gods List remained suspended.

The Heavenly Court made no sound.

Yuxu Palace made no sound.

The Western Sect made no sound either.

All four sides were watching.

All four sides refused to take the lead.

Zhao Xuan finally lowered his head.

He looked at the Investiture of the Gods Accountability Ledger.

The old accounts of the first three pages were settled.

The Ledger of Worldly Entry.

The Ledger of Killing Tribulations.

The Ledger of Prosperous Numbers.

All three pages were clear.

Zhao Xuan spoke slowly.

"First question: What is the Jie Sect's crime for being on the list?"

"The Investiture of the Gods List lists three crimes."

"Deep involvement in the world, heavy killing tribulations, and excessive, chaotic numbers."

"Now, all three crimes have been verified and cleared."

"To this question."

"Is there anyone left to answer?"

No one responded.

Sea winds swept across the Three Steles.

The eight characters on the steles remained clear.

Past Merits Are Not Crimes.

Shangqing Is Innocent.

Zhao Xuan nodded.

"Good."

He turned past the first three pages.

The fourth page slowly unfolded.

The tip of the brush descended.

Second question.

The benefit of the Investiture of the Gods List: the Heavenly Court gains deities, the Chan Sect avoids the tribulation, the Western Sect gains influence, and the Xuan Sect gains order.

The cost of the Investiture of the Gods: why must it be borne solely by the Jie Sect?

The characters were formed.

There was no thunder.

There were no strange phenomena.

Only that single page of paper began to glow, slowly.

High above the nine heavens, the phantom of the Investiture of the Gods List faltered.

Zhao Xuan looked up.

His voice was very soft.

"This question."

"Who will answer it?"