Yuanshi Tianzun Descends Upon Western Kunlun, Yuanshi Tianzun Plots with Lu Ya!

Kunlun Mountain, Jade Void Palace.

After leaving the Purple Firmament Palace, Supreme Purity Sage and Yuanshi Tianzun returned directly to the Jade Void Palace.

Inside the main hall of the Jade Void Palace, Yuanshi Tianzun sat cross-legged in the void, seemingly deep in thought.

Just then, Yuanshi Tianzun's gaze turned toward Western Kunlun.

With a flash of light, Yuanshi Tianzun vanished from the cloud bed in the void.

Within a hidden cave abode in the Western Kunlun mountain range, a middle-aged man in a Daoist robe sat meditating in a secret chamber.

At that moment, the middle-aged man, who had been cultivating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

With a flash of light, the middle-aged man disappeared from the secret chamber.

Outside the hidden cave abode, a stern-faced elder stood quietly in the air.

When the middle-aged man arrived outside the cave abode and saw the visitor, his brows furrowed.

He then cupped his hands in salute. "May I ask why Fellow Daoist Yuanshi has come?"

Yuanshi Tianzun said, "Lu Ya, I have indeed come this time to tell you of an enormous opportunity."

That was right. This middle-aged man was none other than Lu Ya, the renowned independent immortal of Western Kunlun in the Primordial World!

Lu Ya frowned as he looked at Yuanshi Tianzun. "What enormous opportunity are you referring to, Fellow Daoist Yuanshi?"

Yuanshi Tianzun looked around.

Lu Ya immediately said, "Fellow Daoist Yuanshi, please enter my cave abode so we may discuss this in detail!"

Yuanshi Tianzun nodded. "Good!"

Yuanshi Tianzun then followed Lu Ya into the cave abode.

Inside a grand hall within the cave abode.

Lu Ya personally prepared two cups of tea, then he and Yuanshi Tianzun took their seats.

Lu Ya said, "Fellow Daoist Yuanshi, what matter did you just say you had come to discuss with me?"

Yuanshi Tianzun said, "Fellow Daoist Lu Ya, I naturally came for the matter of the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation!"

Lu Ya said in surprise, "What? The Investiture of the Gods Tribulation?"

Yuanshi Tianzun nodded. "Correct!"

Lu Ya asked, "Another tribulation has arrived? What race will be the protagonist of this tribulation?"

Yuanshi Tianzun said, "The human race!"

Lu Ya asked doubtfully, "The human race? They are the protagonists of this Investiture of the Gods Tribulation?"

Yuanshi Tianzun said, "Fellow Daoist Lu Ya, you have been in seclusion for too long."

"Since the Witch-Demon Tribulation, Fuxi, the Human Sovereign of the human race, led humanity to become the protagonist of the Primordial World."

"Now, after several changes of dynasties, the human race of the Primordial World has reached the era of the Great Shang Dynasty."

Lu Ya pondered for a long while before saying, "Fellow Daoist Yuanshi, I suspect this Investiture of the Gods Tribulation will not merely involve the human race, will it?"

Yuanshi Tianzun said, "To be honest with you, Fellow Daoist Lu Ya, although the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation has the human race as its protagonist—"

"In truth, the Heavenly Emperor and Heavenly Empress of the Heavenly Court feel that the vast Heavenly Court has only a sparse few immortal gods."

"Thus, Haotian bitterly appealed to the Dao Ancestor, saying that the vast Heavenly Court had no one to command and could not even maintain the operation of the stars of the heavens."

"Therefore, the Dao Ancestor bestowed the heavenly book, the Investiture of the Gods List, and initiated the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation!"

Lu Ya asked doubtfully, "Gods???"

Yuanshi Tianzun said, "Correct. Those invested during the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation shall collectively be known as gods!"

Lu Ya asked, "What is the difference between immortals and gods?"

Yuanshi Tianzun said, "Previously, in the Primordial World, anyone who cultivated the Dao successfully was an immortal."

"Gods, however, lose their physical bodies and retain only their true spirits or primordial spirits. They can only rely on immense fortune to maintain their realms."

"That is the difference between immortals and gods!"

Lu Ya asked, "Fellow Daoist Yuanshi, how many experts must be placed on the list in the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation?"

"And how will the experts placed on the list be assigned?"

Yuanshi Tianzun said, "By order of the Dao Ancestor, the investiture shall be divided into three ranks: those with profound foundations shall attain the immortal Dao; those with somewhat lesser foundations shall attain the divine Dao; and those with shallow foundations shall attain the human Dao!"

Lu Ya nodded. "Fellow Daoist Yuanshi, I understand!"

"However, what does this Investiture of the Gods Tribulation have to do with me?"

Upon hearing this, Yuanshi Tianzun frowned. "Fellow Daoist Lu Ya, that is not correct."

"During the Witch-Demon Tribulation, the Witch and Monster Clans committed endless resentment and baleful karma throughout the Primordial World."

"Now that the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation has begun, Fellow Daoist Lu Ya, it can allow the Monster Clan to cleanse away the endless resentment and karmic debt it bears!"

After hearing Yuanshi Tianzun's words, Lu Ya fell into deep thought.

In truth, Lu Ya only half believed Yuanshi Tianzun's words.

Lu Ya thought, During the Witch-Demon Tribulation, if Hongjun and the current Sage Realm cultivators had not plotted against the Witch and Monster Clans—

How could the experts of the Witch and Monster Clans have suffered such devastating losses and completely withdrawn from the stage of the Primordial World?

Now Yuanshi Tianzun has come here merely to use the killing tribulation and karmic debt borne by my Monster Clan as an excuse.

That way, I will have no choice but to cooperate with Supreme Purity Sage, Yuanshi Tianzun, and those other Sage Realm cultivators.

The moment Lu Ya thought of cooperating with several Sage Realm cultivators, he immediately felt that it was extremely unwise.

After all, every one of the current Sage Realm cultivators was ruthless and vicious.

After a moment, Lu Ya came back to his senses and looked at Yuanshi Tianzun.

Lu Ya said, "Yuanshi Tianzun, I have one final question."

Yuanshi Tianzun said, "Please speak, Fellow Daoist Lu Ya!"

Lu Ya said, "I wish to know exactly how many experts the Heavenly Court needs to place on the list."

"And which factions in the Primordial World are included among those being targeted?"

Yuanshi Tianzun said, "Fellow Daoist Lu Ya, I will tell you plainly: the Heavenly Court requires three hundred and sixty-five experts to be placed on the list."

"These experts placed on the list will become the Eight Divisions' Orthodox Gods, each governing their respective offices and overseeing the stars of the heavens."

"In addition, there will be two thousand subordinate gods under the Eight Divisions' Orthodox Gods, as well as eighty-four thousand heavenly soldiers and generals, for a total of eighty-six thousand three hundred and fifty-six divine positions!"

Lu Ya's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. "Fellow Daoist Yuanshi, why are so many experts needed for the list?"

Yuanshi Tianzun nodded. "Correct!"

Lu Ya said, "Fellow Daoist Yuanshi, forgive my frankness, but where will so many experts be found to fill these divine positions?"

After Lu Ya finished speaking, Yuanshi Tianzun's gaze turned toward the east of the Primordial World.

Lu Ya asked doubtfully, "Fellow Daoist Yuanshi, as far as I know, the direction you are looking toward is the direction of Sage Tongtian's sect!"

Yuanshi Tianzun said, "Correct. The only suitable candidates for those needed on the list are the disciples of the Interception Sect."

"Furthermore, the disciples of Junior Brother Tongtian's Interception Sect are mostly creatures born damp or hatched from eggs. They are perfectly suited to fill the divine positions on the Investiture of the Gods List!"

"Besides, the disciples of the Interception Sect are a mixed lot with poor character, tarnishing the name of the Sage Realm cultivators!"

"Letting their souls return to the Investiture of the Gods List can also ensure that the Interception Sect's fortune endures forever!"

Lu Ya sneered inwardly. Hmph, Yuanshi, you have denigrated your junior brother's Interception Sect disciples as utterly worthless?

Which of your Twelve Golden Immortals is not ruthless, heartless, and ungrateful?

Yuanshi Tianzun, for your own benefit, you truly intend to push your fellow junior brother's disciples into the eighteen levels of hell!

After a moment, Lu Ya finished pondering and looked at Yuanshi Tianzun.

Lu Ya said, "Fine, Fellow Daoist Yuanshi. I agree!"

Yuanshi Tianzun nodded. "Good!"