Enough.
Let fate take its course.
Tong Tian felt at peace within, then declared loudly, "Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, I shall establish Supreme Purity Heaven."
With a stroke of his finger, another heaven appeared beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.
Clang—
The Chaos Bell rang and stood within Supreme Purity Heaven.
Then Yuanshi said, "Beyond the Thirty-Four Heavens, I shall establish Jade Purity Heaven."
With that, he reached toward the mortal realm and seized the entire Jade Void Palace, pulling it into Jade Purity Heaven. The Pangu Banner was planted before the gates of the Jade Void Palace.
Then Laozi said, "Beyond the Thirty-Five Heavens, I shall establish Grand Purity Heaven."
After speaking, he seized the Eight Scenery Palace and moved it into Grand Purity Heaven. The Taiji Diagram flew out and concealed itself within the Eight Scenery Palace.
Jie Yin and Zhun Ti had been preparing to imitate the Three Purities and establish a Mount Sumeru Heaven, but then they saw boundless merit descend and enter the Three Purities' bodies.
Jie Yin: Why was I the one who got beaten, while they were the ones receiving rewards?
The Three Purities had opened three more heavens, coinciding with the number of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits.
Even the Three Purities themselves had not expected that simply because they did not want to keep working for others, they would receive such a tremendous surprise.
It had been a long time since they had tasted merit.
Perhaps this was Heaven's will as well!
The Three Purities looked at Gu Changqing, their gazes changing once more.
Gu Changqing felt a little awkward. Don't thank me. I really didn't know about this.
Jie Yin's expression turned somewhat bitter. They had no territory left again!
Seeing that the Three Purities were about to retire while the Two Sages of the West still had to wander about, Gu Changqing could not bear it.
No matter what, the Two Sages of the West had taken the initiative to withdraw from the Primordial World's stage. That was a gesture of respect toward him, so he could not treat them unfairly.
With that in mind, Gu Changqing pushed both palms westward, and endless Creation Profound Light surged forth.
"Beyond the Thirty-Six Heavens, I shall open another heaven: Pure Bliss Heaven. This heaven shall lie outside the Three Realms and beyond the Five Elements!"
Within the Creation Profound Light, endless laws intertwined, eventually evolving into a glittering golden world.
"This is..."
"The power of opening heaven?"
Witnessing Gu Changqing's methods, the Saints were instantly astonished.
When the Three Purities opened three heavens, they had followed the natural heavenly numbers, which could be considered a clever shortcut.
Gu Changqing, however, had opened heaven through sheer strength. The mysteries involved could not be understood by anyone below the Primordial Chaos realm.
Gu Changqing said to Jie Yin and Zhun Ti, "This heaven lies outside the Thirty-Six Heavens and can become a realm of its own. Are you two martial uncles satisfied?"
"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Changqing!"
"Many thanks!"
Having received such an opportunity, Jie Yin and Zhun Ti declared, "I, Jie Yin (Zhun Ti), establish the Buddhist Realm in Pure Bliss Heaven. Let Heaven and Earth and all living beings bear witness."
Boom!
Boundless merit descended, pouring into Jie Yin and Zhun Ti's bodies. Their previously injured Saint bodies were instantly restored to perfection.
At the same time, a portion of that boundless merit entered Gu Changqing's body.
The Saints looked at Gu Changqing with envy, but Gu Changqing frowned slightly.
This merit amounted to roughly ten billion, but...
Compared to the merit produced by the system, it was a little...
A little trashy.
It was like being used to eating refined flour, only to suddenly take a bite of bran.
Gu Changqing quickly extracted that portion of merit and refined it into two Merit Treasures, which he gave to Jie Yin and Zhun Ti as he said,
"These two Merit Treasures are gifts for you two martial uncles. Please do not find them lacking."
Find them lacking?
Who the hell would find Merit Treasures lacking?
"Fellow Daoist Changqing is too courteous."
The Two Sages of the West hurriedly took the Merit Treasures from Gu Changqing's hands. They had been poor for far too long.
Gu Changqing smiled faintly, as though he had done something utterly ordinary.
But the Saints' eyes had gone wide.
Refining Merit Treasures only required merit, but refining innate Merit Treasures was simply absurd.
Laozi was skilled at refining treasures, yet even he could not reverse the acquired into the innate.
That was simply beyond human capability!
Could this be the wondrous use of the Power of the Great Dao?
Unlike the other Saints, Nüwa had not claimed a private territory for herself.
Wa Palace was not within the Primordial World but amid chaos, and she had long grown accustomed to such a life.
Yet she still could not conceal her excitement. Gu Changqing had previously demonstrated the Creation Dao to her, and she had already gained immense insight from it.
Now that she saw the Creation Dao again, all her previous confusion suddenly became clear.
The Saints departed Wa Palace one after another, leaving only Nüwa and Gu Changqing behind.
Seeing that Wa Palace had finally become quiet, Nüwa smiled and said, "If Fellow Daoist Changqing has nothing else to do, would you be willing to discuss the Dao with me?"
"No." Gu Changqing replied, "The affairs of the mortal realm are not yet settled. How could I have the mind to discuss the Dao? Farewell!"
Nüwa smiled bitterly in helplessness, then turned and returned to the depths of Wa Palace to continue comprehending the Creation Dao.
Gu Changqing arrived in Xiqi and saw Jiang Ziya standing numbly atop the Investiture of the Gods Platform.
The Jade Void Palace and Eight Scenery Palace had flown into the heavens, taking all his hopes with them.
"You are a decent man. I can recommend you to His Majesty and have you serve as a minister in Chaoge."
"Heh heh."
Jiang Ziya shook his head with a bitter smile, turned to Gu Changqing, and said, "Though Ziya was defeated by the Imperial Preceptor, it is still an honorable defeat. Ziya does not seek to cling to life, but I ask the Imperial Preceptor to spare King Wu Ji Fa."
"No!" Gu Changqing shook his head. "You may live, but Ji Fa must die."
Jiang Ziya continued, "Since Di Xin has declared himself Human Emperor, he should govern with benevolence."
Gu Changqing shook his head. "There is nothing wrong with benevolent rule, but rebels must die. If rebellion carries no death penalty, how many people across the land will be ready to stir? And how many will be displaced from their homes?"
"How many disasters has this calamity brought upon the Human Race? Don't you have any idea? Or have you become an immortal and forgotten the suffering of the mortal world?"
Jiang Ziya shook his head with a bitter smile and said, "Xiqi was wronged."
At this point, how could he not know that Xiqi had been manipulated by the Saints?
"If Xiqi had harbored no ambition, why would it have been used by others? There are three hundred and sixty feudal lords beneath Heaven, so why was Xiqi the only one who dared march north?"
"That was because..."
Jiang Ziya wanted to offer an explanation, but he felt that nothing he said would matter.
The victors became kings, and the losers became bandits!
Gu Changqing said again, "Proceed with the investiture. Fulfill your mission."
After speaking, Gu Changqing returned to Golden Turtle Island. Having left Golden Turtle Island for more than a decade, this was his first time returning.
Golden Turtle Island was still the same Golden Turtle Island, but without Tong Tian, it felt as though something were missing.
"Master, why put yourself through this?"
Gu Changqing sighed inwardly and quietly returned to the side hall where he had once cultivated.
Casting aside all distracting thoughts, Gu Changqing closed his eyes and began cultivating.
The Investiture of the Gods was over. At last, he could cultivate properly.
On this day.
"I, Jiang Ziya, pray to Heaven and invest the gods on Heaven's behalf..."
Once the investiture was complete, the Investiture of the Gods List and the God-Slaying Whip flew into the Heavenly Court, while Jiang Ziya vanished without a trace.
Haotian held the Investiture of the Gods List and the God-Slaying Whip, yet there was no joy on his face.
He had personally driven the Investiture of the Gods Calamity and expanded the Heavenly Court's strength, only to discover in the end that Di Xin had been the greatest winner.
"I, Di Xin, hereby proclaim to the Three Realms: Great Shang shall establish an immortal dynasty in the mortal realm. The mortal realm shall not concern itself with the affairs of immortals and Buddhas, and the Three Realms shall not meddle in mortal causes."
Roar—
As the imperial edict emerged, a golden dragon of destiny coiled into the sky.
"Damn it!"
A vicious light flashed in Haotian's eyes.
The gods within the Investiture of the Gods List could convert to the Divine Dao, but without mortal incense offerings, how could they cultivate?
The Investiture of the Gods List had become a tree without roots.
All his schemes had gained him nothing but a pile of puppets on strings.
Gu—Chang—qing—
At that moment, Haotian hated Gu Changqing to the core. Without Gu Changqing obstructing him, no one could have stopped Zhou from replacing Shang.
The Human King would have been reduced to the Son of Heaven, and from then on, he alone would have controlled two of the Three Realms.
Now...
The more Haotian thought about it, the angrier he became, until the entire Heavenly Court turned cold.
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