People in Conferred Gods: Rising from humble beginnings, I am the God of Wealth

Chapter 348 Golden Body Projection on Skull Mountain, the Ghosts and Gods of the Underworld Cannot Be Deceived!
Whoosh—!
As Shi Ji finished speaking, a cold wind suddenly swept through Skull Mountain.

Wisps of black mist surged from her side, and in the blink of an eye, they enveloped the entire Skull Mountain.

Two golden beams emerged from the black mist, transforming into two eyes filled with divinity, yet devoid of any emotion.

Immediately afterwards, a golden statue of incense, tens of thousands of feet tall, appeared on Skull Mountain.

This golden statue, made of incense, is entirely golden and wears an imperial robe with black background and red patterns. Its face is identical to Yang Xuan's, but it is even more sacred and majestic.

It is Yang Xuan's incense-burning golden statue!
The moment the golden statue of incense appeared, it pushed the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover upwards, making it impossible for it to fall down even a fraction.

The Samadhi True Fire, capable of burning mountains and boiling seas, fell upon him, yet it couldn't even harm his skin or hair.

The golden statue of the incense burner paid no heed to the blazing Samadhi fire around it. Looking down at Skull Mountain, its divine eyes now held a hint of emotion.

"Why did you summon me here during your nighttime visit to Shenshiji?"

A deep, majestic voice echoed through Skull Mountain.

Upon hearing Yang Xuan's voice, Shi Ji finally came to her senses, and the shock on her face gradually turned into admiration.

She originally thought that summoning Yang Xuan's incense and golden body would make Taiyi Zhenren wary and dare not act as recklessly as before, thus giving her a chance to survive.

However, they never imagined that using the invocation of the gods to summon Yang Xuan's incense-golden body could directly confront Taiyi Zhenren.

Even if Yang Xuan's incense-burning golden body has the cultivation of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, it is still just an incense-burning golden body. How can it compare to Taiyi Zhenren, a high-ranking disciple of the Chan Sect?

Moreover, even if Shi Ji possessed the token given to her by Yang Xuan, using the summoning ritual would only cause Yang Xuan's incense-infused golden body to descend as a projection, not his true form, thus further reducing her strength.

Unexpectedly, Shi Ji's use of the invocation ritual resulted in the summoning of such a massive golden statue of a deity.

Moreover, Yang Xuan's projection of the incense-infused golden body was not merely a facade; in addition to its enormous size, it also possessed a formidable physique.

Even the Samadhi True Fire of the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover could not harm him in the slightest, which shows how powerful his physique is. Ordinary Great Luo Golden Immortals would probably find it difficult to break through his defenses.

And this is just a projection of the incense-burning golden body. No matter how close this projection is to the real body, it will still be quite different from Yang Xuan's incense-burning golden body.

This puzzled Shi Ji. Although the incense-infused golden bodies that Yang Xuan had deduced were indeed stronger than the divine methods that had been circulating in the prehistoric world in the past.

However, it cannot compare with the immortal cultivation methods. The celestial gods and underworld spirits only regard it as a secondary cultivation method.

In the hearts of all living beings in the primordial world, the divine path was still considered to be a heretical path that could not compare with the immortal path, and Shi Ji also thought so.

But after seeing the massive golden projection before her, as huge as a mountain, Shi Ji's thoughts began to waver.

Perhaps the path of gods is not as simple as rumored. Even if it cannot compare to the path of immortals, it is not some heretical or unorthodox path.

The projection right in front of you is a perfect example!
Faced with Yang Xuan's question, Shi Ji dared not think too much, her face filled with admiration. She bowed to the projection of the incense-burning golden statue and said sincerely:
"I beg Your Majesty to do justice for me. More than a thousand years ago, Nezha used the Qiankun Bow to shoot an arrow at Chentang Pass, which almost killed Biyun."

"Since Nezha is still young and it was an unintentional act, the little god thought that he would just let him work on the earth veins at Skull Mountain for 30,000 years and that would be the end of the matter."

"Nezha, Li Jing, and Yin Shiniang also agreed with the little god's punishment of Nezha, but just as they agreed, that old bastard Taiyi..."

When Taiyi Zhenren was mentioned, Shiji's eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she looked aggrieved.

"After Taiyi arrived at Skull Mountain, he started to distort the truth. First, he said that Biyun was destined to suffer this calamity, and that Biyun was still alive because she was defying the heavens. He said that Biyun should be brought out and killed by Nezha."

“It is impossible for a minor deity to do such a thing. This old man said that I was disrespectful to him and attacked me without saying a word.”

"It was only thanks to the talisman bestowed by the Emperor that I managed to block this old man's attack, but he didn't stop at all. Instead, he summoned the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover, intending to refine the entire Skull Mountain."

"This is utterly unreasonable! I beg Your Majesty to do me justice!"

By the end, Shi Ji's eyes were red and brimming with tears. With her long hair disheveled and her leaning against the cracked door, she looked utterly pitiful.

Yang Xuan was slightly taken aback after hearing Shi Ji's words.

According to some rumors from his previous life, Taiyi Zhenren was not a highly accomplished Taoist master. Based on Nezha's personality, Yang Xuan became even more convinced of this.

According to the previous account, Nezha was taken to Qianyuan Mountain by Taiyi Zhenren to cultivate shortly after his birth. When Nezha caused havoc in the sea and the Investiture of the Gods calamity descended, he was still just a child.

Even if human nature is inherently evil, Nezha's personality, which led him to do things like pulling out dragon tendons and causing trouble in the East Sea, is clearly related to the teachings and example of Taiyi Zhenren.

But Yang Xuan never expected that Taiyi Zhenren would be so shameless.

Even if Biyun Tongzi was truly destined to suffer this calamity and die at Nezha's hands, he has already overcome it. Why send him out to die again? This is simply asking for trouble!
On the contrary, Yang Xuan was not surprised that Taiyi Zhenren was shameless, bullied the weak, and killed Shiji.

According to the records of the previous life, Shi Ji died at the hands of Taiyi Zhenren, who refined her with the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover. This led to the complete outbreak of the conflict between the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect, pushing the Investiture of the Gods into a new stage.

The reason Yang Xuan bestowed the title of Night Wanderer upon Shi Ji, selected Skull Mountain as the location of the Eastern Ghost Gate, and granted Shi Ji those spiritual treasures was all for the sake of today's event.

Yang Xuan already knew that Taiyi Zhenren and Antarctic Immortal harbored ill intentions towards him.

After so many changes, what was originally just a misunderstanding is now so complex that it would be difficult to clear it up without the intervention of a sage.

Since this misunderstanding cannot be resolved, we must find a way to send Taiyi Zhenren and Nanji Xianweng away. The Investiture of the Gods is the perfect opportunity.

Now, the primordial world is filled with the aura of calamity. Even the methods of divination used by sages will be greatly affected. Even if Yang Xuan plots against the disciples of the Chan Sect, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable will hardly be able to detect it.

Moreover, what happened today was not Yang Xuan's scheme; he simply acted on the spur of the moment based on his memories from the future.

He knew that Shi Ji was destined for this calamity, and that Taiyi Zhenren would attack and kill her.

So Yang Xuan placed a spell on Shi Ji in advance, granting her the title of Night Patrol God of the Underworld, assigning her the task of sorting out the veins of Skull Mountain and building the Eastern Gate of Hell, making her an important member of the Underworld.

In this way, Shi Ji was in danger, and Yang Xuan had a reason to take action, thus turning the tables on Taiyi Zhenren.

The death of Shiji could trigger the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, and the same could happen to Taiyi Zhenren. It would not affect the Investiture of the Gods and would not cause any new changes.

After listening to Shi Ji's complaints, Yang Xuan's face showed anger. He turned to look at Taiyi Zhenren and asked in a deep voice:

"Fellow Daoist Taiyi, is what Shiji said true?" "So what if it is?"

Taiyi Zhenren didn't care about Yang Xuan's question at all.

In his view, even if Yang Xuan is now a Great Luo Golden Immortal, he is just a junior. No matter his background, cultivation, or lineage, he cannot compare with him.

This is not because Master Taiyi is too arrogant, but because every disciple of the Chan Sect is like this.

They are invincible among their peers; this is a confidence unique to them!

Moreover, it wasn't Yang Xuan's true form that descended to Skull Mountain, nor even a true incense-burning golden body; it was merely a projection of the incense-burning golden body. So why would Taiyi Zhenren feel any fear?

Even if Yang Xuan himself were to descend, he wouldn't give him a pleasant look.

They might even use a pretext, just like they did with Shi Ji, to attack Yang Xuan in order to avenge the grudge against the Heavenly Court.

"What? Do you intend to interfere in the affairs of the Chan Sect?"

Taiyi Zhenren flicked his whisk, tucked it into his elbow, and looked up at Yang Xuan's massive golden projection, which resembled a mountain. His expression was calm, yet tinged with disdain.

It was as if he were the giant, like a mountain, while Yang Xuan was just an ant in the Skull Mountain.

Yang Xuan was not an honest man like Shi Ji. If it came down to eloquence, even Taiyi Zhenren would have to call him a senior.

When Yang Xuan first ascended to heaven, he had neither cultivation nor background. He was a complete rogue cultivator who relied on his scheming and eloquence to gradually conquer Haotian and the Queen Mother, subdue Yu the Great, and become an important minister of the Heavenly Court and a great sage of the human race!
Yang Xuan's expression remained unchanged, always appearing confident and in complete control.

"I have no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of the Chan Sect, but..."

His tone paused slightly, and he lowered his body a little, casting a large shadow. He stared directly into Taiyi Zhenren's eyes, giving people an extremely strong sense of oppression.

"However, Shi Ji is a Night Patrol God of the Underworld, holding the rank of Fourth Grade. As the Central Ghost Emperor of the Underworld, I have the trust of the Queen and am temporarily serving as the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu. If something happens to the ghosts and gods of the Underworld, shouldn't I take care of it?"

"However, Fellow Daoist Taiyi, as a disciple of the Chan Sect and a Great Luo Golden Immortal, is neither a ghost or god of the underworld nor an immortal of the Jie Sect, yet you make things difficult for Shiji, a Taiyi Golden Immortal. Doesn't this seem like bullying the weak and is it somewhat improper?"

With a few casual words, Yang Xuan instantly turned the tables and put Taiyi Zhenren in a difficult position.

Regardless of Taiyi Zhenren's reasons, he was a Daluo Jinxian and a disciple of the Chan Sect, while Shiji was merely a Taiyi Jinxian, an immortal of the Jie Sect, and a ghost or deity of the underworld.

It's unreasonable and illogical for Taiyi Zhenren to attack Shiji, especially since he seemed intent on killing her.

In particular, the fact that a Grand Luo Golden Immortal of the Chan Sect wanted to kill a Taiyi Golden Immortal of the Jie Sect was clearly a major taboo for both sects, breaking their long-standing bottom line.

Taiyi Zhenren was naturally aware of this, otherwise he wouldn't have made up a reason to attack Shiji.

Seeing that his first attack failed, he directly unleashed the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover, wanting to finish the battle quickly and send Shi Ji to the list as soon as possible to verify his conjecture.

Even if he guessed wrong, with the primordial calamity energy spreading everywhere and the Primordial Celestial Venerable protecting him, even if the Tongtian Sect Master couldn't deduce the matter of Skull Mountain, Shi Ji's death was just that—death.

But if he guesses correctly, these disciples of the Chan Sect can gain the upper hand and find a way to send more disciples of the Jie Sect before the Investiture of the Gods officially breaks out, so as to settle the karma of the Xuan Sect.

No matter how much karma the Xuanmen has incurred, there is a limit. The more disciples of the Jiejiao die, the safer the disciples of the Chanjiao will be.

Anyway, these disciples of the Jie Sect were all born from wet eggs and covered in scales and armor. They were people who deserved to die. But having their names on the Investiture of the Gods list could be used to settle karma and give them more value.

However, if Taiyi Zhenren fails to kill Shiji in time, or if Shiji escapes, he will face accountability from the Jiejiao immortals, which will be quite troublesome.

Yang Xuan's sudden arrival had already disrupted Taiyi Zhenren's rhythm. If he were to kill Shiji now, he would also kill Yang Xuan's golden projection, and this matter would reach the ears of the Jie Sect.

He will not only face accountability from the Jie Sect, but may even make the Jie Sect realize that they can settle the karmic debts of the Xuan Sect by killing disciples of the Chan Sect, which will only bring trouble to the Chan Sect.

Yang Xuan ruined his plans and is now holding him accountable. In addition, he already had a grudge against Yang Xuan and didn't like him. His face immediately darkened.

"Sharp-tongued! When have I ever made things difficult for Shiji? When have I ever bullied the weak?"

"I only saw that Shi Ji's cultivation had reached the Taiyi Perfection stage and was on the verge of breaking through, so I took this opportunity to spar with her and point out her shortcomings in cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Shi Ji was furious.

"Old man Taiyi, don't spout nonsense!"

Where do you find a Grand Luo Golden Immortal and a Taiyi Golden Immortal sparring, where the first move is a full-force attack, and the second move is to unleash the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover?

This was clearly an attempt to kill Shi Ji, showing no mercy whatsoever and not even giving her a chance to call for help.

Can this be called a friendly exchange? Can this be called guidance? Such a shameless person is truly something Shi Ji has never seen or heard of before.

Shi Ji was furious, pointing at Taiyi Zhenren and not knowing what to say for a moment.

However, Master Taiyi completely ignored Shiji and continued to stare at Yang Xuan, his face growing increasingly gloomy.

"Red flowers, white lotus roots, and green lotus leaves—the three religions were originally one family. The Chan and Jie sects are of the same lineage. How could I possibly make things difficult for a Jie sect immortal?"

"Your words are clearly an attempt to sow discord between the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect. Your intentions are despicable. Today, I will destroy your golden projection as a small punishment!"

Before Yang Xuan could even speak, Taiyi Zhenren made a hand seal, his entire body surging with magical power as he fully activated the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover.

next moment.

The nine fiery dragons above Skull Mountain roared, releasing even hotter Samadhi True Fire, forming an even larger fire shield that, carrying boundless divine power, pressed down on the golden projection below.

At the same time, Taiyi Zhenren took out a gold brick from his sleeve. With the help of his magic power, it instantly transformed into a ten-thousand-foot-long gold brick and struck Yang Xuan on the back of the head.

Without any regard for the fact that this was merely a projection of Yang Xuan's golden body, they showed no mercy and launched a sudden attack, which could even be described as a sneak attack, clearly aiming to kill Yang Xuan's golden body projection in one blow.

However, Yang Xuan was already prepared when he appeared. Facing Taiyi Zhenren's almost sneak attack and the preemptive strike, he did not panic and still had a faint smile on his face.

This is exactly the result he wanted. Taiyi Zhenren was already in the wrong in this matter, and now that he had taken the initiative to attack him, if he went a little too far, then probably no one could say anything to him...

(End of this chapter)