Becoming a god starts from planting a Bodhi tree.

Chapter 510 The Man at the End of the Path to Truth
The starlight gradually faded.

Doumu Yuanjun descended with a satisfied laugh:
"good."

"Today, I, the Emperor, will use the foundation of the Heavenly Court to help you achieve the foundation of the divine path, and grant you the position of the Five Emperors. I hope that Fellow Daoist Ji will live up to the expectations of me and the Investiture of the Gods, and find the Great Dao of the Other Shore as soon as possible."

"The Investiture of the Gods has been issued. Fellow Daoist Ji, please remember to write your true name as soon as possible, lest the Investiture of the Gods activate its binding power on its own—"

"When the Heavenly Court is perfected soon and the Divine Path returns to its peak, Fellow Daoist Ji will naturally ascend to the True Realm and be listed as the Ancestor of the Divine Path."

In heaven.

Doumu Yuanjun waved her hand, dispersing the illusory river in front of her. The surrounding starlight also dimmed visibly, and even she felt tired for the first time in a long time.

Forcibly changing Ji Jingqiu's divine status with pure divinity and elevating him to the level of the Five Emperors comes at a cost and incurs losses that are self-evident.

But she felt it was all worth it.

First, she bound Ji Jingqiu to the Heavenly Court's war chariot. She never believed in illusory loyalty, but she firmly believed in the simple and straightforward principle that "position determines choice".

Ji Jingqiu's Dao fruit has now changed, and he has completely sided with the Divine Path.

Furthermore, since he attained enlightenment through the Investiture of the Gods, he would naturally be limited by it, and his future achievements would be constrained by the Investiture of the Gods.

Even if this World Honored One Ji is incredibly powerful among his peers, he still has to bow down before me and Di Yi, who wields the God-Slaying Whip.

Of course, what Doumu needs is not a thug, but Ji Jingqiu, who is likely to be able to find his way back to the other shore.

Today, Ji Jingqiu has only one possibility to break the deadlock: to seek the other shore again. Even if he seeks the other shore again, he may not be able to break free from the control of the Investiture of the Gods. But this is his only chance of survival.

Therefore, Ji Jingqiu will inevitably have only one choice left—

And that's exactly what she wanted to see.

also……

Doumu Yuanjun put away the seal and sensed the Investiture of the Gods, which was showing signs of self-awakening for the first time in the darkness. Her eyes shone with a strange light.

Could it be that I accidentally awakened a part of the Investiture of the Gods?

If this rate of recovery continues, it won't be long before I can forcibly merge with the Dao and return to the transcendent realm...

……

……

The sound faded away, and the starlight in the sky also disappeared.

The world suddenly fell silent, leaving only a vast and lofty aura, but Ji Jingqiu remained expressionless.

The deity who emerged from the divine womb sat cross-legged in the temple, bathed in the sounds of celestial sacrifices. Unlike the divine figure in the earlier heart lamp who intended to replace him, he showed no sign of turning the tables.

But Ji Jingqiu dared not be careless.

Because the perfect divine status of a true saint, which was forcibly created by Doumu Yuanjun with her pure divinity, fell into this deity's body!
Ji Jingqiu attempted to activate his fruition, but the boundless and immeasurable power of the Dao engulfed him in an instant!
In terms of rank, his main body forcibly entered the Dao Ancestor Realm, and after retrieving his two clones, his Dao power surged from the fourth level to the fifth level of perfection.

However, compared to the power of the Dao contained within this position, it is still like an ant seeing the blue sky.

"What level of Dao power is this?" Ji Jingqiu couldn't help but ask the two people and one sword in the inner universe.

Brother Jianguang said in a deep voice, "This power... has already reached the eighth level of perfection! Did the Heavenly Emperor really just use pure divinity to forcibly create a True Saint who has reached perfection in all aspects?!"

Wu Zhou also sighed, "It's simply unbelievable. Back then, we spent countless efforts to hone our Dao power to this level before finally reaching the eighth realm of perfection, and this Investiture of the Gods..."

Hela then asked, "Ji Jingqiu, are you trying to ask why the eighth-order perfection is the same as the True Saint perfection?"

Ji Jingqiu glanced at La Jiang and said, "When did you become a tapeworm in my stomach?"

If he remembered correctly, Master He had already reached the level of the ninth rank of Dao power back then.

"Heh." Hela seemed to be in a good mood, completely ignoring Ji Jingqiu's words. Instead, she explained for him, "At the ninth level of Dao power, the further you go, the more it's like an insurmountable barrier, even if it's just a small step."

“The eighth level of perfection is already recognized as the perfection of a true saint. Take another step and step into the ninth level, and you will have the qualification to prove the eternal Dao with force, like your master He Donghuang.”

"Ninth-order Dao power, belongs to the transcendent level?" Ji Jingqiu asked.

“Those who transcend, if judged by their Dao power, are at the tenth rank,” Hela said casually. “The existence of the ninth rank is prepared to measure beings like He Donghuang.”

Jian Guang pointed out: "This should be considered a limitation of the Investiture of the Gods. It forcibly reshaped your Dao foundation with pure divinity. Although you reached the True Saint Perfection, it is ultimately not as good as your original foundation. Your Dao power only reached the eighth level of perfection. If you had entered the True Saint Perfection with your original Dao foundation, there would have been a very high chance of directly stepping into the ninth level."

In its view, Ji Jingqiu had just forcibly broken through to the Dao Ancestor realm, and his realm was unstable, yet he already possessed Dao power at the fifth-order perfect level.

In the future, he might be able to break through the seventh-order threshold before breaking through to the True Saint realm, using force to prove his Dao in an unconventional way, and forcibly break into the True Saint realm.

In this way, once the True Saint reaches perfection, one can naturally break through to the ninth level.

"Do you really think you can prove your Dao and transcend it through force in the future?" Jian Guang couldn't help but ask.

Ji Jingqiu ignored it for the time being.

He discovered that he could indeed drive the divine fruition of the divine embryo and exert the power of a perfect true saint. However, the exertion of power was not smooth and perfect and had flaws. But this was still undoubtedly a perfect true saint!
"Am I qualified to fight Doumu now?" Ji Jingqiu pondered to himself, then asked, "Fellow Daoist Cangjian, if it were you, at what level would you fall after falling from the Transcendent Realm?"

“If our realm has fallen due to a great change in the world, even if we return to the True Saint realm, our Dao power will definitely be at the ninth level,” Jian Guang said without hesitation.

“Ji Jingqiu, don’t think about turning against her for now,” Hela said. “She dared to bestow this power upon you, so she must have the confidence to control you.”

Ji Jingqiu nodded in agreement; he had also thought of that.

In fact... Doumu has already achieved what she considers to be control. The net binding the divine embryo is gone, but it has not disappeared; it has merely been hidden.

This is probably the source of Doumu's confidence to spare no expense in sacrificing her boundless pure divinity to change his foundation and shape his divine status.

Although he is separated from the divine embryo and can mobilize the powerful Dao power of the divine embryo's position, if Doumu suppresses the divine embryo, it is hard to say whether this Dao power can still be freely controlled without restriction.

This person indeed helped him ascend to the highest level, reaching the pinnacle of True Sainthood. In fact, according to her, after the divine path returns to its peak, he will be able to directly leap into the transcendent realm with the blessing of the Investiture of the Gods.

But at the same time, they also firmly grasped him in their hands!
If it were someone else with no hope for the future, they would probably already be bowing down and worshipping Doumu Yuanjun as a true god. Compared to transcending the fruition, what is a little bit of control?
But for Ji Jingqiu, this was by no means the great freedom he wanted.

"Rediscovering the path to the other shore..."

Ji Jingqiu whispered, finally understanding another reason why Doumu valued him so much.

Was the Heavenly Court a hundred centuries ago also searching for the other shore?
Unfortunately, although he had originally intended to use the ability to control his wandering mind to try and find the other shore, he ultimately had no clue.

At this moment, Ji Jingqiu, who resided in the Nine Provinces, finally "came to his senses" and looked up at the infinite heights.

An invisible gaze had been falling upon him from nothingness since the beginning.

It was a cold, indifferent gaze, devoid of any emotion.

Is this the Investiture of the Gods?

Write your real name on the Investiture of the Gods...

Ji Jingqiu's mind raced. Doumu Yuanjun's special mention of "self-activating binding ability" was unclear in meaning, but it was most likely a warning or punishment from the Investiture of the Gods!
Those who attain enlightenment through the Investiture of the Gods will inevitably also be limited by it.

Given my current situation, the one who will ultimately suffer is probably not me, but the deity who emerged from the divine womb...

Ji Jingqiu's thought flashed through his mind: if the divine embryo got out of control, perhaps the Investiture of the Gods could be used to restrain it?

Ji Jingqiu raised his hand to beckon the coachman and asked directly, "What does the 'self-opening and closing ability' of the Investiture of the Gods mean?"

Upon seeing him again, this Star Lord, a True Saint, became even more respectful, kneeling directly before him in the manner of someone paying homage to an Emperor.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this is the Investiture of the Gods' punishment for the gods on the list. If any of the listed gods violate their divine duties, they will first be warned by the Investiture of the Gods, then punished. Once it reaches the 'consolidation' stage, the gods on the list will not only have their divine positions suppressed to the lowest level, but will also suffer unbearable pain, and may even have their divine positions revoked and their foundations destroyed..."

At this point, the coachman looked frightened, as if he had witnessed a similar terrifying scene before. Indeed, this was the punishment from the Investiture of the Gods.

Ji Jingqiu's face turned cold as he felt the gazes descending upon him, drawing ever closer, like a menacing warning.

Real name...

Is this a way of putting one's true spirit into the Investiture of the Gods?

Is this true for everyone on the list? No wonder they're completely controlled by the Investiture of the Gods.

Ji Jingqiu glanced at the divine embryo in the temple and tried to communicate with it, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea; the latter did not respond at all, as if it had no consciousness.

"Ji Jingqiu, don't even think about rebelling against the Investiture of the Gods. I can sense that this thing is terrifying, especially its absolute suppression of all beings involved in the divine path!"

Hela spoke slowly, her voice very solemn.

"What you need to deal with is Doumu Yuanjun, not the Investiture of the Gods. Perhaps you can take the opportunity of leaving your true name to get a glimpse of the truth behind the Investiture of the Gods. If you can control the Investiture of the Gods, then Doumu Yuanjun and the Heavenly Court will no longer be a threat."

Ji Jingqiu let out a soft breath. With the Investiture of the Gods drawing ever closer, he had no choice but to give it a try.

He chose to take the initiative, his mind like an arrow released from a bow, rushing into the Investiture of the Gods, like a lone boat crashing into a raging sea, helpless, drifting with the current, without any freedom.

In an instant, an immense torrent of information and the Great Dao crashed down, nearly scattering and assimilating his mind and consciousness.

The converging forces from all directions were like chains, binding him and dragging him to the bottom of the river and sea, imprisoning him for eternity.

At the critical moment, Ji Jingqiu, wielding his divine status, appeared as if clad in divine armor, revealing an immortal and indestructible golden divine body. He forcefully stabilized his figure amidst the raging sea, like a pillar in the middle of the stream, creating a peaceful area.

The endless river waters could not wash away this majestic golden statue.

That indestructible divinity became his only anchor at this moment.

Ji Jingqiu gazed intently, taking in the true form of this Investiture of the Gods.

This Investiture of the Gods was not some kind of list he had originally imagined, but a vast and boundless sea of ​​the Great Dao, or rather, a sea of ​​the divine Dao!

The grandeur of the weather far exceeded expectations.

Ji Jingqiu was suddenly shaken to his core.

Deep within this sea of ​​gods, he saw two even more magnificent "river phantoms," seemingly the origin of everything.

They meander and flow through the endless void, seemingly originating from them and ultimately returning to them.

Even the Great Way is like this.

In a river, the birth and death of countless worlds, the proliferation and extinction of all living beings, and the rise and fall of civilizations rise and fall, their aura ethereal and distant, difficult to trace, as if carrying the destiny trajectory of all spirits and worlds.

The other river flows with the light and shadow of the past, present, and future, ever-changing, like the passing of time, irretrievable.

The moment Ji Jingqiu saw them, almost instinctively, he guessed their true origin—

The fate of the Boundary Sea and the Mother River of Time!

At this moment, all the wonders of the Investiture of the Gods seemed to have found a reason.

It can draw upon the projections of the two mother rivers to empower itself, containing not only the foundation of the Heavenly Court, but also the fundamental rules of the entire Boundary Sea.

Does this mean that it pardoned not the gods of the Heavenly Court, but the gods of the Boundary Sea?
Ji Jingqiu suddenly wondered if he could control the Investiture of the Gods and use it to connect to the River of Fate in reverse, thus finding the root of his unusual fate.

at this time.

The ripples in the long river gradually subsided, turning into a calm and still surface of water. Ji Jingqiu looked down and saw himself reflected in the mirror.

But the reflection in the mirror was a blank...

blank.

Ji Jingqiu guessed that it was because the one who was truly recorded in the Investiture of the Gods was his own divine embryo that was reflected as a blank space at this moment?

What real name should I leave behind?
As he was pondering, he suddenly realized something and slowly looked up.

At the far end of the water's surface, a figure sat upright.

Ji Jingqiu's expression suddenly turned serious. He hadn't realized who this person was at all.

Doumu? Or did Di Yi infiltrate the Investiture of the Gods?

He stared intently, then suddenly froze, as if he had seen...

Half an old friend?

He was a smiling man with gentle eyes, yet he possessed a supreme divine majesty that surpassed even that of Doumu Yuanjun!

The aura emanating from him was so gentle, peaceful, and inclusive, as if it were spring all year round. No matter how violent, extreme, or vicious a creature was, it would put away its claws and teeth and not have any evil thoughts when it encountered him.

He simply sat there, like the very concept of "God," the source of the great path of rules, the endpoint jointly guarded by the two vast mother rivers.

When he looked at him, Ji Jingqiu felt that everything about himself—past, present, future, and even his newly acquired divine status—was laid bare before him and completely seen through.

At the same time, the sword light of the Moon-Slaying Sword in the inner universe trembled violently, emitting a shrill hum, and then exploded with a bang!

After the sword light forcibly coalesced, it seemed unable to resist looking through Ji Jingqiu's eyes again, resulting in it exploding in mid-air once more, scattering into thousands of fine sword lights, which slowly and laboriously coalesced.

Blood streamed from Wu Zhou's eyes, yet he refused to look away. Eventually, he went blind, blood flowed from his seven orifices, and his whole body trembled. But he still reached out and grabbed forward, as if he just wanted to see that person one more time.

Hela, standing on the cliff edge, slowly closed her eyes, blood flowing from the corner of her eye, the shock in her heart beyond words.

What kind of being is this?!

……

Ji Jingqiu suddenly realized something.

The one before us is the true "foundation" of the Investiture of the Gods!
Ji Jingqiu stared at the other person for a long time. They had brushed past each other before. At that time, not only did Ji Jingqiu see him, but he also turned his head and saw Ji Jingqiu.

"Oh it's you."

"I saw your phantom on the road to truth."

Ji Jingqiu took a deep breath.

On the way back to the source, on the shore leading to the other side, half a stone tablet remains.

This was left by this person!
The smile on the man's face grew even wider; it was already a smiling face, but now it was like a spring breeze sweeping across the world.

他 说:

"Ji Jingqiu, you are the second person to come before me. I would like to have a discussion with you."

……

heaven.

Doumu Yuanjun was shocked and, unusually, lost her composure, her eyes filled with surprise and delight.

The Investiture of the Gods, which had been dormant for countless ages and had only barely managed to revive after so many years of trying, was now experiencing unprecedented and violent fluctuations, showing signs of awakening on its own!

Without hesitation, she contacted the Star Lord, informed him of the phenomenon, and urged him to expedite the process!
The true awakening of the Investiture of the Gods signifies the full revival of the divine path!
Some plans can begin earlier than scheduled.

(End of this chapter)