Don't let Yu Ding take on any more disciples.

Chapter 385 The Open and Covert Struggles at the Nuwa Temple
Thinking of the backup plan he had left behind... Yu Ding sighed in his heart and looked up at the sky.

Ultimately, he made a relatively emotional decision.

He has done all he could; the rest is up to fate.

……

The next day!

woo-

As one burly soldier after another sounded the deep horn, the royal entourage marched out of the palace in a grand procession, like a dragon winding through the streets and alleys, heading towards the south gate of Chaoge.

The royal carriage was as luxurious as a palace, shrouded in auspicious clouds and auspicious energy. It was pulled by nine mythical beasts resembling qilin, with a valiant man in armor riding a colorful ox in front of him, and a full retinue of civil and military officials following behind.

In addition, there were heavily armed Shang cavalry, honor guards, and a procession of shamans offering blessings...

The decree for the Shang king to offer incense at the Nuwa Palace had already been issued, so today, every household inside and outside the city of Chaoge was burning incense and setting up fires, with colorful decorations and carpets laid out. The people knelt on both sides, their faces filled with excitement and pride as they watched the royal procession pass by.

They were genuine citizens of the Shang Dynasty, and this man was their faith and leader.

Behind the royal carriage curtains, Emperor Xin, wearing a royal crown and robes, sat solemnly with his eyes closed. A gentle breeze lifted the curtains, briefly revealing his true face.

No one noticed that behind a large merchant family,

The three figures stood side by side, watching the passing 'long dragon', without performing the kneeling ceremony like the common people.

"Did you see that clearly? What do you all think of this young Shang king?"

Yu Ding glanced at Bai Ze, who was blowing air beside him. In fact, when he went to the palace last night, he immediately realized that King Shang was the first disciple of Guigu.

Although seven or eight years have passed, the young man from back then has grown a short beard and exudes a kingly aura.

Kong Xuan nodded slightly and said, "He has the bearing of a king, and moreover..."

He hesitated for a moment, then said with some surprise, "This Shang king seems to be very strong in martial arts!"

Yu Ding raised an eyebrow: "How tall is it?"

Bai Ze pondered and said, "Even the Xuanyuan clan before they attained enlightenment were no match for them, but they could perhaps rival the War God Chi You."

"You've even met Chi You?"

Yu Ding looked at Bai Ze in surprise, knowing that Bai Ze had dealt with the Xuanyuan clan.

When the Yellow Emperor conquered the world, he encountered Bai Ze on his eastern tour to the seaside. Or it could be said that Bai Ze took the initiative to meet with the Yellow Emperor.

During this meeting, Bai Ze told the Yellow Emperor about the various demons, ghosts, and monsters in the world, totaling 11,520 kinds. The Yellow Emperor ordered people to record them and spread them widely so that people would have ways to deal with them if they encountered them.

This is the origin of the "Bai Ze Monster Picture". It was because of this incident that Bai Ze became a "traitor" and could no longer survive in the demon race.

To Yu Ding's surprise, Bai Ze had such a high opinion of Di Xin.

Bai Ze said proudly, "That's right, what I like most is discovering these geniuses and watching them grow step by step..."

Then it becomes your material… Yu Ding thought to himself.

“Chi You was truly an unparalleled villain, incredibly fierce. Even after he was dismembered, Xuanyuan had to build Xuanyuan Tomb at the burial site to suppress him… Wait, isn’t your Chan Sect supposed to have a close relationship with the Three Sovereigns? You didn’t know this?” Bai Ze asked, somewhat surprised.

Yu Ding coughed dryly and said, "I have no interest in those mundane matters of ordinary people."

Bai Ze sighed, "That's a pity. In terms of personal martial prowess and conquest alone, throughout the history of the human race, Chi You is undoubtedly number one, and no one can surpass him..."

"But Chi You was ultimately defeated," Yu Ding murmured.

Fuxi created the Eight Trigrams, and Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs; they certainly weren't that great fighters.

Yu Ding knew that Bai Ze was probably telling the truth, given that his rival, the Xuanyuan clan, had bestowed upon him the title of "Master of War."

Bai Ze's face darkened, and he said irritably, "Aren't you just being argumentative?! It's no fun if you say it like that."

"I wasn't arguing, I just thought of some things."

Yu Ding looked up at the royal carriage in the departing procession, his expression gradually becoming somewhat complicated.

Back in Guigu, Lu Mu, the Ghost King he had subdued, once said that Huang Yu was very similar to his elder brother Chi You in terms of both talent and cultivation methods.

And at this moment...

He suddenly realized how similar the situation that Di Xin would face in the Investiture of the Gods was to that of Chi You.
The mandate of heaven originally belonged to Xuanyuan, not Chiyou, but Chiyou was unwilling to accept defeat and insisted on fighting against Xuanyuan, who had the help of all the gods and immortals. In the end, he died and was dismembered.

In the original novel of Investiture of the Gods, didn't Di Xin also ultimately fail and die?

"Hey guys, let's go check out the Nuwa Temple and join the fun."

Upon realizing this, Yu Ding suddenly reached out and grabbed Bai Ze and Kong Xuan's wrists.

Bai Ze's expression tightened, and he hurriedly said, "Yu Ding, let go quickly, I'm not going, or don't blame me for attacking you, I really will turn against you!"

Yu Ding smiled and said, "Come on, try to attack me and I'll see. I promise I won't fight back. Go ahead and hit me. I guarantee my master won't cause you any trouble in the future."

The Primordial Sage is notoriously protective of his own, so what good is your guarantee...? Bai Ze was so angry he gritted his teeth, but looking at the jade cauldron sticking its head out, he really didn't dare to make a move.

"Alright, Brother Bai, if you ever really have nowhere to go, come find me. The gates of Jade Spring Mountain will always be open for you," Yu Ding said, patting his chest.

Bai Ze pouted and turned his head away: "I think the gate of Jade Void Palace is more reliable."

Yu Ding laughed and said, "Yu Xu Palace? No problem, I'm very familiar with my master's last disciple."

Kong Xuan asked in surprise, "Didn't Brother Yu Ding tell me to come and see Lord Shang? Why am I going to join in the fun?"

Yu Ding laughed and said, "The Goddess Nuwa protects this place. It would be inappropriate for us to pass by without paying our respects."

It remains to be seen who is behind this incident at Nuwa Palace.

The West? Or...?

As they were talking, Yu Ding had already pulled and dragged the two of them away until they disappeared.

By this time, the grand procession had arrived at Nuwa Palace.

Emperor Xin rode away from the chariot and led his civil and military officials to the main hall. The hall was magnificent, with a three-zhang-tall white jade statue in the center, shimmering with a faint white jade luster. On both sides, golden boys held banners and jade maidens held ruyi scepters.

The central icon is simply obscured by the curtains on either side, so its true appearance is not revealed.

Emperor Xin led the way, holding incense sticks in both hands and inserting them into the censer, and then led his civil and military officials to offer their congratulations.

But as they bowed...

Among the ministers, Shang Rong reached into his sleeve and opened a brocade pouch. Instantly, a strange gust of wind rose from the sleeve, heading straight for the statue, rolling up the curtain to reveal the statue of Nuwa.

Everyone looked up and saw the holy image with a beautiful face, radiant with auspicious light, and possessing unparalleled beauty... They were all momentarily stunned.

Just as Di Xin frowned, about to reprimand him,

Suddenly, a beam of light appeared silently from the void and shot towards the back of King Di Xin's head.

hum!
When the light approached Di Xin by a foot, ripples inexplicably appeared in the void around him, and a layer of faint purple aura blocked the golden light.

"not good!"

In the courtyard, Kong Xuan's expression changed drastically and he was about to make a move when the golden light broke through the purple aura and instantly rushed into the back of Di Xin's head.

"who is it?"

Kong Xuan and Bai Ze looked around in shock.

Someone actually attacked the King in broad daylight?!

The crucial point is that even the Ziwei Emperor's aura, which could protect the King from all evil, couldn't stop it.

Bai Ze murmured, "Who exactly is it?"

Yu Ding glanced at the two of them and exclaimed in alarm, "Oh no, this is going to be a big problem!"

Before he could finish speaking, another unexpected event occurred!
A terrifying sword light, accompanied by golden radiance, burst forth from Di Xin's body, tearing through the void and disappearing without a trace.

"Hidden sword on one's person?"

Bai Ze exclaimed in surprise, "That is..."

Yu Ding exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be..." Kong Xuan murmured, "It seems to be... the sword energy of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword?!"

Bai Ze and Yu Ding suddenly looked at him.

Kong Xuan tensed up under their gazes: "Why are you two looking at me like that?"

Yu Ding said meaningfully, "Brother Kong, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want, or you'll have to take responsibility if something goes wrong."

Kong Xuan rubbed his eyes and quickly corrected himself, saying, "Wait, wait, I must have seen wrong."

Bai Ze said, "It's not possible, Brother Kong, you must have seen it wrong."

Kong Xuan nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes, I must have seen it wrong."

"But... who attacked the Human King?" Bai Ze frowned.

Yu Ding remained silent, pondering. Everything had happened too fast; there was simply no time for you to react on the spot.

Otherwise, Kong Xuan, who was protecting the Shang Dynasty, would never have stood idly by.

To break through the void and ambush someone... that's a skill only a Great Luo Golden Immortal could possess.

Previously, he had considered that the West was the ultimate winner in the original novel of Investiture of the Gods, so the West should have had the strongest motive, but he couldn't see anything just now.

The three of them soared into the sky, with Bai Ze and Kong Xuan closing their eyes to carefully sense the fluctuations between heaven and earth.

Yu Ding then sensed the lingering resonance of the sword energy left by his fingertips...

Yu Ding's greatest strength is his love of learning. How could he possibly miss the opportunity to study and imitate these sword energies after they've been in his hands for so many years?

His senior uncle's comment last time that he had grasped three or four parts of the essence was the greatest affirmation for him.

The only drawback is that the sword energy of the Pangu Banner plus the sword energy of the Four Swords of Zhuxian only amount to five sword techniques.

"Should we go take a look over there?!"

Suddenly, Yu Ding opened his eyes and pointed in a direction; that sword energy had been in his hands for far too long.

Although it's not on him now, he can still sense some of it through the lingering aftertaste.

"go!"

Kong Xuan and Bai Ze glanced at the jade cauldron and were somewhat surprised, but without saying a word, they took the jade cauldron and headed in the direction it was pointed out.

Shortly after the three left,
A sallow-faced, thin Taoist priest, with his hair tied in two buns adorned with two flowers, carrying a green branch, arrived in an instant, riding on auspicious clouds.

But he looked down at the Nuwa Temple with a sorrowful expression.

"Wow!"

A mythical bird of fortune flapped its wings in the clouds and let out a sharp cry at the Taoist.

"Stop making noise!"

The Taoist priest brushed the Qi-enhancing Xuan Bird with the green branch in his bosom, and chains bound the Xuan Bird. Then he brushed it again towards the Nuwa Palace below.

Di Xin, who had already finished offering incense and was preparing to leave with his entourage, suddenly trembled and his eyes slowly became hazy.

"Humph!"

But his gaze quickly cleared, and he gave a soft snort, his eyes sharpening, his whole being radiating a chilling sharpness.

All the ministers hurriedly raised their hands to cover their eyes, feeling as if the king was not a person, but a sword drawn from its sheath, gleaming with cold light.

"Eh!" The Taoist priest in the sky let out a soft exclamation, then picked up a branch from his arms and brushed it down three times.

Di Xin's eyes became unfocused again, as if he were lost in something. This time, it took a long time before he slowly turned around and looked up at the statue of Nuwa...

But the next moment, a sharp sword light pierced through Di Xin's eyes, his expression turning extremely cold.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Huang Feihu sensed something was amiss.

Di Xin said in a deep voice, "I think I just saw my father and my great-grandfather."

"Huh?" Huang Feihu was a little confused.

"Hey?!"

The Taoist priest in the sky, his face filled with sorrow, grew impatient. This time, he grabbed the green branch from his arms and swung it down nine times.

This time, Di Xin was once again in a daze, and when he looked up at the holy statue, his eyes gradually became strange...

At this point, the Taoist let out a long sigh and murmured, "What astonishing willpower, what a sharp sword! Who forged this? Wen Zhong? No! That sword energy just now, could it be..."

He looked towards the East China Sea and disappeared in silence.

……

At this time, in a volcano.

"Aaaaaah! The Immortal Slayer Sword Qi!"

Accompanied by a series of shrill and furious roars, a figure lay on the ground with a wound that ran diagonally from the left shoulder down to the right abdomen.

The person was almost split in two.

Golden-red blood dripped into the lava below, intensifying the flames.

"Huh? Someone is coming!"

Suddenly his expression changed and a golden light shot up, revealing that he was inside a fire spirit orb the size of a thumb.

Three figures approached swiftly from afar.

"Jade Cauldron?!" He was both shocked and filled with hatred upon seeing the jade cauldron.

"Lao Liu?"

Yu Ding was taken aback. Who else could the person in front of him be but the sixth prince of the Demon Court who had disappeared after the Battle of Heaven?

"Grab him! Don't let this guy get away!"

Yu Ding immediately shouted, flipped his hand, took out his master's Three Treasures Jade Ruyi, and threw it directly at the target.

"Wow!"

The sixth prince was startled and transformed into his true form as the Three Golden Crows. He spread his wings and swiftly dodged the attack.

Before he could even catch his breath, a five-colored divine light swept over him.

The golden crow cried out in surprise, flapped its wings, and soared thousands of miles away into the distance, accompanied by a streak of rainbow light.

Oh no! He got away!

Kong Xuan was somewhat indignant at not having succeeded and looked at Bai Ze beside him: "Why didn't you make a move?"

Bai Ze was speechless.

"Alright, don't blame him. He's the son of the former master, after all. He's in a difficult position too."

Yu Ding looked into the distance as he spoke: "But this guy is so badly injured, he won't be able to escape so easily. Let's go after him. This time, we definitely can't let this old sixth brother get away so easily."

Before he finished speaking, arcs of electricity crackled from his eyes and his entire body.

Kong Xuan hurriedly said, "Brother Yu Ding, the three-legged golden crow flies very fast."

Yu Ding revealed a confident smile: "The Three-Legged Golden Crow is fast. Do you think I, the Flash of the Primordial Era, am just a name without substance?"
Moreover, it was one that had been severely injured…

Before he could finish speaking, the jade cauldron vanished in a flash of lightning.

Only two Great Immortals remained, staring at each other in bewilderment.

Well, after two days of travel and hospitalization, Kaven was delayed for another two days and ended up staying in the hospital again.

This time, however, I was full of energy. Even the parts where I experienced writer's block were fine after looking back; there really weren't any. This time, I brought my notebook and settled in without worry. Finally, I'm back to writing the Investiture of the Gods chapter.

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(End of this chapter)