The Primordial World, the Eastern Sea, Golden Ao Island.
It was the cultivation sanctuary of Saint Tongtian, the Interception Sect Leader and one of the six saints of the Primordial World.
Spiritual energy wreathed the island, and purple rosy clouds flourished overhead.
All manner of spirit herbs and precious medicines lay hidden among its mountains and rivers, gathering fortune from the ten directions.
It was already one of the finest cultivation sanctuaries in the Primordial World.
On this day, four streaks of divine radiance flashed across hundreds of millions of miles, arriving outside Golden Ao Island in an instant.
The light faded, revealing four figures within.
"Junior Brother Tongtian, have you thought this through? Will you sign the Investiture of the Gods List or not?"
Among the four figures, a stern, unsmiling middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed intently on Golden Ao Island.
Deep within his gaze lingered a trace of disgust that was difficult to put into words.
He was none other than Primordial Heavenly Venerable, one of the Three Pure Ones of the Daoist tradition, the leader of the Chan Sect, and Saint Tongtian's second elder brother.
Some days earlier, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had suddenly summoned the six saints of the Primordial World to gather on Golden Ao Island.
He had declared that the Investiture Calamity was approaching, and that the disciples of all six saints had to enter the mortal world to face it.
Those blessed with fortune would enter the Immortal Dao, continuing as before to roam free and unfettered in pursuit of the Heavenly Dao.
Those with meager fortune would enter the Divine Dao. During the Investiture Calamity, they would be placed on the Investiture of the Gods List and become generals of the Heavenly Court, subject to its commands and enslaved to it for life.
Those without fortune would enter the Human Dao, pass into the cycle of life and death, and be reduced to mortals to withstand the Karmic Calamity of heaven and earth.
At these words, all six saints were alarmed and began voicing their grievances.
Nuwa had no disciples under her, so she could not take part in the Investiture Calamity.
The Two Sages of the West invoked the great battle Demon Ancestor Luohu and Dao Ancestor Hongjun had once fought on Mount Sumeru, the Western Ancestral Vein.
They argued that the destruction of the West's fortune had left a karmic debt owed by the Heavenly Dao.
Kneeling before Hongjun, they wept bitterly and begged him to spare the West the suffering of the Investiture of the Gods.
As for Taiqing, Taishang Laozi, he had only a single disciple.
If that disciple underwent the Investiture of the Gods, no one would remain to inherit Laozi's teachings, so he too could hardly participate in the Karmic Calamity.
Thus, the great responsibility of the Investiture of the Gods ultimately fell upon Primordial Heavenly Venerable's Chan Sect and Sect Master Tongtian's Interception Sect.
In Zixiao Palace, Hongjun bestowed the calamity treasures-the Investiture of the Gods List and the God-Beating Whip-upon Yuanshi.
He charged him with overseeing the great Investiture Calamity.
Today, Yuanshi had come to Golden Ao Island with his elder brother Taishang and the Two Sages of the West precisely to force Tongtian to sign the Investiture of the Gods List.
"Daoist Brother Yuanshi, if Tongtian refuses to sign the Investiture of the Gods List, what do you intend to do?"
Beside him, Zhunti, one of the Two Sages of the West, smiled faintly and suddenly spoke.
As the Mother of Buddhas of the West, Zhunti had always served as the strategist of the two sages.
For this Investiture Calamity, he was positively eager to see the Chan and Jie Sects come to blows.
As long as the Daoist tradition fell into internal strife, their Western Teachings would have a chance to rise through the Investiture Calamity.
The West would not take part in the Investiture of the Gods, but that did not mean they could not reap benefits from it.
Thus, Zhunti had come to Golden Ao Island to muddy the waters so he could fish in troubled waters.
When Yuanshi heard Jieyin's words, his gaze instantly turned cold.
"The Investiture Calamity was decreed by the Heavenly Dao. No one can escape it."
"Most of those Jie Sect Disciples are born of wetness and eggs, creatures clad in fur and crowned with horns."
"They were born without blessings and have no affinity with the Heavenly Dao."
"By taking those ragged-haired beasts as disciples, Tongtian was already acting against heaven."
"If they do not enter the Karmic Calamity and go onto the Investiture of the Gods List,"
"Then should the disciples of my Chan Sect, blessed with abundant fortune and exceptional innate foundations, go onto the Investiture of the Gods List instead?"
Yuanshi's tone was exceptionally cold as he spoke, and his eyes betrayed utter ruthlessness.
The unity of the Three Pure Ones, once known to every immortal in the Primordial World, truly seemed to have lost all its old affection.
Beside him, the Two Sages of the West exchanged a glance at his reply, each seeing delight in the other's eyes.
A fracture among the Three Pure Ones was exactly what they wanted to see.
In the future, they would only need to ally with Yuanshi, keep suppressing Tongtian, and send the entire Interception Sect onto the Investiture of the Gods List.
Then their Western Teachings would have an even greater chance to rise-and perhaps even take dominion over the Primordial World!
What wonderful news this was!
"Fellow Daoist Yuanshi, what if Tongtian truly refuses to sign the Investiture of the Gods List?"
"When we discussed the Investiture of the Gods in Zixiao Palace, Tongtian's face was full of displeasure."
"And we have already waited outside Golden Ao Island for so long, yet Tongtian still has not appeared."
"Clearly, Tongtian holds us in no regard."
"Moreover, Tongtian possesses the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords, which are said to require four saints to overcome."
"Getting him to sign on to the Investiture of the Gods will hardly be easy."
"We had best devise a way to deal with him."
Zhunti narrowed his eyes and spoke again.
Since he wanted to shatter the relationship between the Three Pure Ones, he naturally had to push Yuanshi a little further.
Ideally, they would tear away all pretense of civility right now.
Only then could success be assured beyond all doubt.
As Yuanshi listened to Zhunti, his gaze slowly darkened.
He too recalled when the saints had discussed the Investiture of the Gods in Zixiao Palace.
When the discussion turned to having the Jie Sect Disciples enter the mortal world for the Investiture of the Gods and take their places on the Investiture of the Gods List, Tongtian's expression had visibly changed.
Clearly, that proposal had displeased Tongtian considerably.
But no matter how displeased Tongtian was, the Jie Sect Disciples had to go onto the Investiture of the Gods List.
That was the bottom line, and it absolutely could not be crossed!
At this thought, Yuanshi drew a deep breath, looked into the depths of Golden Ao Island, and spoke each word with deliberate emphasis.
"If Tongtian dares refuse to sign the Investiture of the Gods List, we will force him to sign."
"The Four Immortal-Slaying Swords may be powerful, but do not forget that we have exactly four saints on our side."
"If it truly comes to a fight, our abilities will be more than enough to suppress a single Tongtian."
"Provided, of course, that you two fellow Daoists do not stand idly by when the time comes."
After saying this, Yuanshi swept a seemingly casual sidelong glance over the two sages, as though hinting at something.
"Heh, rest assured, fellow Daoist. If it truly comes to a fight, we will naturally lend our aid."
"After all, we too bear responsibility for overseeing the Investiture Calamity. We certainly will not allow Tongtian to run wild."
Jieyin, who had remained silent until now, saw Yuanshi's look and quickly stepped forward to answer with a chuckle.
With that assurance from Yuanshi, they felt secure.
Indeed, they now rather hoped that Tongtian would not sign the Investiture of the Gods List so readily.
Only then would a true conflict erupt among the Three Pure Ones.
Only then would their relationship truly shatter.
At this thought, the two sages exchanged a discreet glance and knowing smiles.
Just as the Four Saints settled on their course of action,
Golden Ao Island in the distance suddenly blazed with brilliant light.
Streaks of auspicious radiance descended from the sky, forming a rainbow bridge that stretched from Golden Ao Island all the way to the Four Saints.
Immortal cranes gathered beside the rainbow bridge, auspicious beasts raced about, golden clouds swirled, and immortal music rang out.
What a vision of an immortal paradise.
At the far end of the rainbow bridge, a figure approached slowly along its span, his hands clasped behind his back.
At that moment, all four saints' expressions turned solemn.
Tongtian had finally appeared!
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