Asking All Directions, a Sigh in Zixiao Palace

Asking the Four Directions, a Sigh in Zixiao Palace

This time, there was no heavenly thunder.

Yet in the hearts of the Ten Thousand Immortals on Golden Turtle Island, it was as if something had smashed down hard.

Master Tongtian stood before Biyou Palace, and his gaze finally went completely cold.

When the words before had written of his disciples' deaths, of their true spirits entering the list, of his orthodoxy withering, he had not spoken.

But when this line of words fell—

The aura of all Golden Turtle Island sank.

Losing the teaching.

Those two words were too heavy.

To a saint, disciples entering the tribulation, followers withering away, a teaching's lineage collapsing and scattering—this was losing the teaching.

If the Investiture of the Gods succeeded—

Heavenly Court Gains Divinity.

Chan Sect avoided calamity.

Western Sect Gains Power.

Xuan Sect Order.

But what would Tongtian gain?

His disciples dead to the last.

His orthodoxy shattered.

The Ten Thousand Immortals withered away.

And in the end, he would still be told that he did not understand the Heavenly Mandate.

Tongtian looked at that page.

For a long time, he did not speak.

Only the hand inside his sleeve slowly closed around the hilt of the Green Duckweed Sword.

Outside Golden Turtle Island.

Zhao Xuan stopped writing.

On the fourth page, profit and cost stood side by side.

On the left were the gains of the four sides.

On the right was the cost paid by Jie Sect.

Clear and distinct.

Plain and obvious.

Not the slightest bit profound.

Nor the slightest bit concealed.

Who gained the profit.

Who paid with lives.

This should have been the simplest principle.

Yet this game of the Investiture of the Gods just so happened not to be like this.

Zhao Xuan raised his head and looked toward the Investiture of the Gods List.

"Investiture of the Gods List."

"You say Jie Sect should enter the tribulation."

"Then today, I'll ask it clearly."

"Heavenly Court Gains Divinity, so why are the lives not paid by Heavenly Court?"

Inside High Heaven Hall.

Haotian's expression changed abruptly.

But Zhao Xuan's voice did not stop.

"Chan Sect avoids calamity, so why are the lives not paid by Chan Sect?"

In Yuxu Palace.

The Twelve Golden Immortals all changed color at once.

"Western Sect Gains Power, so why are the lives not paid by the Western Sect?"

On Mount Sumeru.

Zhunti's smile vanished completely.

"Since the Xuan Sect Order is to be established, why should it not be borne jointly by all sides of the Xuan Sect?"

Between heaven and earth of the Primordial World.

Countless gazes fell upon that General Ledger.

Zhao Xuan said, word by word, "Why, in the end—"

"Must only my Jie Sect give up our lives?"

When those words fell.

On Golden Turtle Island, the Ten Thousand Immortals could no longer hold themselves back.

Some people's eyes were red-rimmed.

Some gnashed their teeth and growled low.

Some gripped their magical treasures tightly.

Some looked at the Investiture of the Gods List as if they wished they could tear that phantom of the list to shreds.

They had not suddenly become fierce.

They had finally understood.

Before, they had only known that the Investiture of the Gods was unfair.

Now they knew where the unfairness lay.

Before, they had only known that someone was plotting against the Jie Sect.

Now they knew who was taking the benefits, and who was making the Jie Sect pay with lives.

That clarity hurt more than anger.

Zhao Xuan turned and looked toward the Ten Thousand Immortals on Golden Turtle Island.

"Junior brothers and sisters."

"Do you see it clearly now?"

No one answered.

But everyone's gaze had already given the answer.

Zhao Xuan pointed at the fourth page.

"This is the Investiture of the Gods."

"It is not as simple as the Heavenly Court lacking people."

"It is not as pleasant-sounding as disciples of the three sects entering the tribulation."

"And it is certainly not as fair as depth of roots, shallowness of practice, thickness or thinness of fortune and virtue."

"It is taking what all four sides gain and writing it as the Heavenly Mandate."

"Then taking what the Jie Sect loses and writing it as deserved."

"They gain profit—that is the greater picture."

"We give up our lives—that is the Heavenly Mandate."

"They avoid the tribulation—that is purity and quietude."

"If we do not die—that is failing to understand the larger situation."

"They take away divine positions, destiny, order, and the future."

"We leave behind corpses, true spirits, infamy, and severed Daos."

"And then they still want to tell the Primordial World—"

"The Jie Sect—"

"Does not recognize the Heavenly Mandate!"

On Golden Turtle Island, a Jie Sect disciple lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.

He was not crying.

He was angry to the very extreme.

Bi Xiao's eyes were blood-red.

"On what grounds?"

At last, she asked those three words.

Very softly.

Yet they were like the very same question in the hearts of the Ten Thousand Immortals.

On what grounds?

On what grounds was the Heavenly Court short of people, and the Jie Sect had to die?

On what grounds did the Chan Sect avoid the tribulation, and the Jie Sect had to die?

On what grounds did the Western Sect gain power while the Jie Sect went to die?

On what grounds did the Xuan Sect need to be stabilized, yet it was still the Jie Sect that had to die?

Zhao Xuan turned back around.

He looked toward the Investiture of the Gods List.

"I ask this on behalf of the Jie Sect."

"And I ask it on behalf of all those forced by the Heavenly Mandate to bow their heads.

"The profits of the Investiture were taken by all four sides."

"The Cost of the Investiture fell on the Jie Sect alone."

"Is this called the Heavenly Mandate?"

"Or is it called dividing the spoils?"

Dividing the spoils.

The instant those two words left his mouth.

Inside High Heaven Hall, Haotian suddenly stepped forward.

"Zhao Xuan!"

This furious shout finally carried out of the Haotian Mirror.

But the moment the voice fell.

On the fourth page of the Investiture of the Gods Accountability Ledger, a small line of text appeared.

The Heavenly Court has responded.

Haotian's face abruptly stiffened.

Taibai Jinxing closed his eyes.

This was bad.

Zhao Xuan had waited for it.

Outside Golden Turtle Island.

Zhao Xuan raised his eyes and looked toward the direction of the Heavenly Court.

"Since the Heavenly Emperor has responded."

"Then please answer."

"The Heavenly Court gains divinity."

"Why, then, was the decree not issued by the Heavenly Court?"

Haotian's fury was forcibly lodged in his throat.

How could he answer?

Say that the Heavenly Court had no one?

Then the Jie Sect deserved to die?

Say that the Heavenly Court governed the Three Realms?

Then why was it unwilling to bear even the price of filling the divine positions itself?

Say that the Investiture of the Gods was the Dao Ancestor's decree?

Then that would push every account back to Zixiao Palace.

Haotian could not answer.

Nor did he dare to answer.

Inside High Heaven Hall, the faces of the gathered immortals looked worse than the next.

They had never seen the Heavenly Emperor trapped in such a dilemma.

Zhao Xuan did not urge him.

He merely waited.

A moment passed.

Haotian made no sound.

So Zhao Xuan raised his brush and wrote on the fourth page:

The Heavenly Court gains divinity, yet does not answer for its cost.

The stroke fell.

Before the Haotian Mirror, Haotian's face was livid.

In Yuxu Palace.

Guangchengzi looked at that line of words and felt his scalp go numb.

Because he suddenly realized that if Chan Sect spoke up at this moment, it would meet the same end.

Zhao Xuan would ask:

Chan Sect avoids calamity, so why does Chan Sect not pay the price?

Who could answer?

How could they answer?

Which of the Twelve Golden Immortals was willing to ascend the list?

Who was willing to be driven by the Heavenly Court after death?

Who was willing to have their immortal path cut off?

No one was willing.

Since no one was willing, then do not say Jie Sect deserved to die.

This was the most ruthless part of this page of the accounts.

It did not curse.

It only asked.

It asked until you dared not acknowledge it.

And dared not deny it either.

Outside Golden Turtle Island.

Zhao Xuan indeed looked toward Yuxu Palace.

"Chan Sect."

"Can you answer?"

Within Yuxu Palace, no one made a sound.

Zhao Xuan set down his brush.

Chan Sect avoids calamity, yet does not answer for its cost.

He looked toward the west again.

"Western Sect."

"Can you answer?"

Atop Mount Sumeru.

Zhunti's gaze was deep and shadowed.

Jieyin lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Zhao Xuan wrote again.

Western Sect Gains Power, yet does not answer for its cost.

At last.

Zhao Xuan did not look at the Heavenly Court again.

Nor did he look at Yuxu Palace again.

Nor did he look at Mount Sumeru again.

He merely lowered his head and looked at the blank final line on the fourth page.

That line was written as Xuan Sect Order.

But beneath that line, there had never been anyone who paid the cost.

Zhao Xuan slowly spoke.

"Heavenly Court Gains Divinity, yet the Heavenly Court does not answer."

"Chan Sect avoids calamity, yet Chan Sect does not answer."

"Western Sect Gains Power, yet Western Sect does not answer."

"And Xuan Sect Order."

"Primordial World's heaven and earth, all souls and living beings—have you ever seen it?"

When those words fell.

Between heaven and earth, it suddenly grew terrifyingly quiet.

Inside High Heaven Hall, Haotian lowered his eyes.

Within Yuxu Palace, Guangchengzi clenched his fingers tight.

Atop Mount Sumeru, Zhunti no longer smiled.

Before Biyou Palace, Tongtian did not move at all.

Throughout the Primordial World's heaven and earth, everyone who had ever heard the words "Heavenly Mandate" fell silent at this moment.

They finally understood.

The Heavenly Mandate also had to pay its bill.

This bill called the Investiture of the Gods—everyone wanted to profit from it.

But no one was willing to put their life on the line.

On Golden Turtle Island, the Ten Thousand Immortals held their breath.

Zhao Xuan stood before the Three Steles, the tip of the brush in his hand still not descending.

On the fourth page, only the final blank line remained.

Xuan Sect Order.

Yet no one answered for its cost.

Until a certain moment.

Beyond the Nine Heavens, within the chaos.

Inside an ancient Dao palace that had been wreathed in Purple Aura all year round.

A soft sigh suddenly sounded.