Yuanshi knew perfectly well.
The Interception Sect and Yin Shang were already closely connected, and countless Interception Sect members now held high office in Yin Shang.
If the Chan Sect chose Yin Shang, it would be at a serious disadvantage.
Surely they could not stage a mythological tale of climbing the official ladder and wage a factional struggle against the Interception Sect within Yin Shang?
This was not the Ming Dynasty!
Besides, the members of the Chan Sect were immortals. They knew nothing of the ins and outs of officialdom.
Did anyone think they were the Ming Dynasty's Donglin Party?
Besides, this was a myth of the Primordial World. Turning it into In the Name of the People would give it entirely the wrong flavor!
So the Chan Sect could only choose Xiqi.
After all, among the countless feudal lords, Xiqi was merely passable, but they had no choice except to pick a general from a crowd of dwarfs.
Yuanshi reclined upon the Meditation Cushion, his expression grim.
Below him stood the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect, whose expressions were no better.
Their campaign had stumbled right out of the gate!
In the struggle between the Chan Sect and the Interception Sect, their Chan Sect was clearly at a disadvantage.
Now that their attempt to disrupt the Chan Sect's fortune had also failed, they could imagine the price they would have to pay in the coming struggle against the Interception Sect.
"Master, the Interception Sect must have made a move!"
"Those feathered beasts born of wetness and eggs only know how to play these fiendish tricks. Can't they act openly and honorably for once?"
"A bunch of bastards! We must never let them off!"
Most of the Twelve Golden Immortals clamored noisily, their faces brimming with righteous indignation.
They all thought the Interception Sect was resorting to fiendish tricks, never considering that their own Chan Sect had been the first to plot and scheme.
Otherwise, with Yin Shang's fortune intact, did they still hope to defeat the Interception Sect?
Dream on!
The Primordial Heavenly Venerable naturally knew this too, so he coughed once. After everyone quieted down, he said mildly, "Have the third-generation disciples Jiang Shang and Shen Gongbao come to see me."
Guangchengzi, who stood at the head of the group, hurriedly sent a voice transmission.
A moment later, Jiang Shang and Shen Gongbao walked straight in.
They were fellow disciples, and perhaps previously they had turned against one another over who would carry out the Investiture of the Gods.
But now the person presiding over the Investiture of the Gods List belonged to the Interception Sect.
Thus, in this lifetime, the two of them no longer needed to fight over that.
"Jiang Shang, Shen Gongbao, your innate foundations are limited. Even if you remain in the Jade Void Palace, your prospects will not amount to much."
"Now that the great Investiture of the Gods tribulation has arisen, it may be fraught with danger, but it also holds opportunities."
"Jiang Shang, go to Xiqi immediately and help King Wu in the Conquest of King Zhou. When you succeed, you will become an immortal on the spot."
"Shen Gongbao, you have close ties with many members of the Interception Sect, so I need you to draw as many of them into the tribulation as possible. When you succeed, I will grant you an opportunity."
At the Primordial Heavenly Venerable's words, Jiang Shang and Shen Gongbao's faces lit up with excitement.
After thanking him for his grace, the two happily left the Jade Void Palace, ready to descend the mountain and stir things up.
What neither of them knew, however, was that Yuanshi, with his thick brows and honest-looking eyes, had duped them both.
If this were truly an opportunity, would he keep his Twelve Golden Immortals from taking it? Would there be any left for them?
As for becoming an immortal on the spot or being granted an opportunity, those were merely promises of painted cakes. Once they entered the great Investiture of the Gods tribulation, did they really expect to emerge unscathed?
They would be lucky to scrape together a divine position after the Investiture of the Gods ended.
Become immortals? What were they thinking!
In fact, if he truly valued the two of them, why had he not bestowed even a single magical treasure on them before sending them off on such dangerous tasks?
Yuanshi was a Sage. Could he possibly lack magical treasures?
But Yuanshi paid no further attention to the two departing men and instead turned to the Twelve Golden Immortals before him.
"Starting today, seek out disciples with exceptional innate foundations as quickly as possible. You may bestow our Chan Sect's cultivation methods upon them."
"During this great Investiture of the Gods tribulation, you may have these disciples bear the tribulation in your stead."
"You yourselves must cultivate with tranquil minds. Unless something major occurs, do not enter the mortal world, lest tribulation aura enter your bodies."
"The Interception Sect has already seized the initiative. You must all work hard. Remember this, remember!"
Having finished, Yuanshi closed his eyes and immersed himself in cultivation, paying no further attention to these mundane affairs.
After the twelve Golden Immortals left, they carefully considered his words and prepared to enter the mortal world separately to select suitable disciples.
Even if their purpose was to withstand the great Investiture of the Gods tribulation, the disciples could not be too poor, or word of it would bring them shame.
Thus, when it came to selecting disciples, the sooner the better.
Of course, Tongtian knew nothing of this, and even if he had known, he would not have taken it to heart.
The Interception Sect's chances of winning were overwhelming!
Most of its members were already powerful ministers of Yin Shang, with vast armies and abundant resources at their disposal.
Not to mention that the Interception Sect boasted of ten thousand immortals paying court and possessed a great host of supreme experts.
Among the outer disciples alone were Zhao Gongming, the Three Maidens of Sanxiao, the Four Saints of Nine Dragon Island, the Ten Heavenly Lords of Golden Turtle Island, Shi Ji Niangniang, Luo Xuan, Lü Yue, Hong Jin, and many more.
As for the inner disciples, their experts were even more numerous.
Among the fourth-generation disciples, Yu Hua, the defending general of Sishui Pass, ranked first.
His Soul-Slaying Banner had defeated Huang Feihu and others in succession, while his Blood-Transforming Divine Saber had wounded Nezha repeatedly and then Lei Zhenzi. Even Yang Jian, the foremost third-generation disciple of the Chan Sect, dared not lightly brave its edge.
Hu Lei, Ji Li, and Yu Qing were also outstanding among them.
The third-generation disciples were even more renowned.
Wen Zhong, Yu Yuan, Fire Spirit Holy Mother-which of them did not possess an imposing reputation?
Above the second-generation disciples were the Seven Attendant Immortals and the four direct disciples, a gathering of extraordinary figures.
There was Wuyun Xian, who had defeated Guangchengzi and Chijingzi of the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect in succession.
His combat strength matched Kong Xuan, Daoist Lu Ya, and Daoist Randeng, and in the end, only the Primordial Heavenly Venerable's personal intervention had subdued him.
Golden Spirit Holy Mother, Wudang Holy Mother, and Turtle Spirit Holy Mother could each hold their own against two or three Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect.
As for Daoist Duobao, there was even less need to elaborate.
Even after the Interception Sect's destruction, he had sought to preserve some of its lineage, fearing that its members converted to the Western Teachings would suffer.
Even when Laozi subjected him to transforming barbarians into Buddhas, he became Buddha Tathagata of the future Buddhist faith.
The Interception Sect truly deserved to be called a sect of ten thousand immortals paying court.
As long as it did not grow careless as it had in the previous life, falling victim to the combined schemes of Yuanshi, Laozi, and the Two Sages of the West, with even Nuwa striking to kill Tongtian-
Then no one could destroy the Interception Sect!
Not to mention that the current Tongtian knew the future, possessed a system, and cultivated the Way of the Primordial Chaos.
This was nothing less than a pair of jokers-the ultimate trump card.
If Tongtian could still lose under these circumstances, he really ought to find a block of tofu and smash himself to death against it.
So Tongtian truly was in no hurry whatsoever.
The Investiture Calamity had been settled, and the person carrying out the Investiture of the Gods had been changed to Wen Zhong. That also meant the war of the Investiture of the Gods had begun.
Once a Sage intervened, it would count as breaking the rules.
Even something like Yuanshi sabotaging Yin Shang's fortune had to be plotted behind the scenes and could not be brought out into the open.
Of course, Tongtian could also move against Xiqi, but there would be little point.
Xiqi was too poor, only slightly better off than the other feudal states.
At least at this stage, it had no fortune golden dragon at all, leaving Tongtian nowhere to intervene even if he wanted to.
So he might as well focus on cultivation.
That was the true path.
Tongtian would not act, and the other members of the Interception Sect could not act for the time being either.
That was because Tongtian had confined them all to Golden Ao Island.
Although Wen Zhong and the other Interception Sect disciples in Yin Shang could act, they would not.
They were all powerful ministers of Yin Shang with great authority in their hands, and they knew officialdom all too well.
Before they understood the situation clearly and received King Zhou's orders, they all chose to hold their positions.
Before you continue