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

Chapter 385 The Chan Sect First Enters the Nine Provinces, the Emperor's Banner Illuminates All Heavens!
The Xiqi military camp, on the city wall.

Jiang Ziya was slightly taken aback when he saw the fleeing Daluo of the Chan Sect. He hadn't expected that so many Daluo Golden Immortals would not only fail to break the Ten Deadly Formations but would also suffer serious injuries.

But then, his expression changed slightly.

"Wait, why are there only a few? Why hasn't Lei Zhenzi come out? Are they still breaking the formation, or..."

Upon closer inspection, Jiang Ziya discovered that there were only twelve of these fleeing Great Luo Golden Immortals, with nine others missing, including Lei Zhenzi, a third-generation disciple of the Chan Sect.

Jiang Ziya felt uneasy. If the Chan Sect only lost this battle, it wouldn't be a big deal.

But if someone were to perish, the loss would be enormous. If Lei Zhenzi were to perish as well, it would be impossible to explain to Yun Zhongzi.

But he also felt that this was unlikely.

To be on the safe side, before entering the formation, Jiang Ziya and his companions had a detailed discussion based on the characteristics of the Chan Sect immortals and the Ten Deadly Formations, and adopted targeted strategies.

For example, a Great Luo Immortal who is skilled in the Great Dao of Fire enters the Frost Array, while a Great Luo Immortal who is skilled in the Great Dao of Water enters the Blazing Flame Array.

As for the Golden Light Formation, the Heavenly Annihilation Formation, and the Earth Rift Formation, which are all guarded by Grand Luo Golden Immortals, they dispatched six Grand Luo Golden Immortals at the mid-stage, who also possessed certain counter-abilities, to these formations.

Lei Zhenzi headed towards the Wind Howling Formation, where his Wind and Thunder Wings and Golden Staff provided some countermeasures.

Logically speaking, even if the immortals of the Chan Sect were truly no match, they shouldn't have been seriously injured, much less perished.

But the current situation is clearly different from what they originally expected.

These fleeing immortals were all wounded, even the six mid-stage Grand Luo Golden Immortals were seriously injured.

The other six were nearly killed and were clearly unable to participate in the subsequent Investiture of the Gods war.

This made Jiang Ziya even more uneasy. After the twelve Great Luo Golden Immortals returned to the Xiqi army camp, he hurriedly asked:
"But what happened? Why are your injuries so severe?"

"There's something wrong with those Ten Deadly Formations!"

The Chan Sect's Great Luo, who had just escaped back to the Xiqi army camp, turned to look at the Ten Deadly Formations in the distance, and a look of fear appeared in his eyes.

"Among these Ten Deadly Formations, there is also a large illusion formation. The entrances we saw from the outside... are all wrong!"

"Wrong?!"

Jiang Ziya's expression changed drastically. If the entrance was wrong, then wouldn't that mean all the targeted arrangements they made were also wrong?

The Great Luo Golden Immortal, who was skilled in the Great Dao of Fire, originally intended to enter the Frost Array, but instead entered the Red Water Array. Not only did it not have a restraining effect, but it was also restrained by the Ten Deadly Arrays.

"Something's not right!" Jiang Ziya quickly realized a very serious problem.

According to their original plan, they intended to send the six strongest immortals, who had the cultivation level of the mid-stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal, into the Golden Light Formation, the Earth-Splitting Formation, and the Heaven-Severing Formation.

Now that we know the entrances to the Ten Deadly Formations were all wrong, and that the six mid-stage Grand Luo Golden Immortals all came out alive, doesn't that mean...?

"What kinds of formations did you enter?" Jiang Ziya hurriedly asked, unable to hide his anxiety.

"This humble Daoist and Fellow Daoist Zhang Yu entered the Blazing Flame Formation. Fellow Daoist Zhang Yu... alas!"

A Grand Luo Golden Immortal, dressed in a golden Taoist robe and wielding a golden longsword, who was skilled in the Great Dao of Swords and the Great Dao of Metal, looked somewhat somber when the matter of the formation was mentioned.

"Our two Taoist priests entered the Frost Array."

"This humble Taoist is..."

The other Grand Masters of the Chan Sect also recounted the great formations they had entered.

"How could this be? How could this be..." Jiang Ziya's body trembled slightly, and he took two steps back, leaning against the city wall.

None of the Great Luo Golden Immortals who escaped came from the four great formations—the Golden Light Formation, the Heavenly Annihilation Formation, and the Earth-Splitting Formation—which were all guarded by Great Luo Golden Immortals.
Even the other seven formations, which did not have any Grand Luo Golden Immortals presiding over them, possessed such power that they severely injured these Grand Luo Golden Immortals, and even caused two of them to perish within them, their primordial spirits being listed on the leaderboard.

So, what about the six immortals who are trapped in the Golden Light Formation, the Heavenly Annihilation Formation, and the Earth-Splitting Formation, and who have yet to emerge...?

They probably can't get out!
"How can I explain this to Senior Brother Yun Zhongzi? How can I live up to Master's trust..."

Jiang Ziya leaned against the city wall, a trickle of blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, his face filled with regret.

The loss of Lei Zhenzi and seven Great Luo Golden Immortals within the Ten Deadly Formations was not merely beyond his expectations, but far beyond his capacity to bear!
After a long while, Jiang Ziya slowly stood up, took out the sound transmission jade talisman, and began to think seriously.

He had taken this battle very seriously, sending a full nineteen Great Luo Golden Immortals, plus Lei Zhenzi, into the fray – a full-scale attack.

As a result, seven Grand Luo Immortals and Lei Zhenzi perished, and even the other Grand Luo Golden Immortals who escaped were all injured, clearly beyond his ability to handle.

To break the formation, they needed to find strong reinforcements, and the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect became the most suitable and only option.

"Only disciples of saints can handle this..."

Jiang Ziya sighed helplessly. Although these Great Luo Golden Immortals had heard Yuanshi Tianzun preach, they were not disciples of the Chan Sect and had never received guidance from Yuanshi Tianzun.

However, the Ten Heavenly Kings' Ten Absolute Formations were guided by the Tongtian Sect Master, and their profoundness far surpassed the Ten Heavenly Kings' own realm and exceeded the comprehension of ordinary Great Luo Immortals.

To break the Ten Deadly Formations, we need the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect to take action.

After pondering for a long time, Jiang Ziya activated the sound transmission jade talisman and sent out two sound transmissions.

One of the messages was passed on to Yun Zhongzi, whose disciple Lei Zhenzi should be informed of this matter.

One of the items was passed on to Daoist Ran Deng. Jiang Ziya had not been a disciple of the Chan Sect for very long and had not interacted much with his other senior brothers, so he was not very familiar with the strength of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect.

As the vice leader of the Chan Sect, it would be more sensible to ask Daoist Ran Deng for guidance.

Standing by the city wall, Nezha watched as twenty Daluo of the Chan Sect entered the formation, but only twelve came out alive, and all of them were seriously injured. He was secretly astonished.

"Good heavens, this Ten Deadly Formations is so dangerous. No wonder it was guided by the Emperor. Luckily, I didn't go in to die."

Nezha quietly moved his feet and returned to the camp. He made up his mind that whoever wanted to go into the Ten Deadly Formations could go, but he would never go in, even if it meant death.

……

Zhongnan Mountain, Yuzhu Cave.

A Taoist priest in white robes was sitting cross-legged, contemplating the Great Dao.

This person is handsome and has an unusual appearance. He wears a wide robe and has a strong air of otherworldly elegance.

His body was surrounded by a pure and mysterious light, and one could vaguely see some auspicious and blessed energy. He looked exactly like a Taoist immortal.

This person is none other than Yun Zhongzi, the Golden Immortal of Fortune and Virtue of the Chan Sect!

Suddenly, his brows furrowed slightly, as if sensing something, and he turned to look in the direction of Kyushu.

In any other situation, given the karmic connection between master and disciple, Yun Zhongzi, as Lei Zhenzi's master, would have sensed Lei Zhenzi's death immediately.

He is currently in the midst of the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, with the aura of calamity pervading the primordial world. Heavenly secrets are hidden, and the methods of deduction are hindered. He can only vaguely sense that something of great importance to him has happened in the Nine Provinces.

It wasn't until Jiang Ziya sent him a telepathic message that he learned that the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods had only just begun, and Lei Zhenzi had already perished.

Yun Zhongzi's face revealed a terrifying and furious expression, his hair stood on end in anger, and his anger soared to the heavens.

Although his real reason for accepting Lei Zhenzi was to protect Jie from disaster.

However, it is undeniable that he and Lei Zhenzi had a master-disciple relationship, and Lei Zhenzi is expected to inherit his mantle.

Over the years, he had developed a strong bond with Lei Zhenzi, thinking that after the great calamity, he would formally take Lei Zhenzi under his wing and pass on his true skills.

Unexpectedly, just as the great calamity began, Lei Zhenzi perished in the Ten Deadly Formations of the Jie Sect. More importantly, according to the method of taking the calamity in place of others, as long as Lei Zhenzi was alive and participated in the great calamity, even if Yun Zhongzi entered the calamity to help, he could still escape safely.

But now, Lei Zhenzi, the disciple who shielded the calamity from disaster, has perished. Even if he continues to hide in Zhongnan Mountain, he cannot avoid the calamity of the Investiture of the Gods. There is no longer any possibility of avoiding the calamity.

"I never imagined that I, a Golden Immortal of Fortune and Virtue, would become the first immortal of the Chan Sect to enter the tribulation..."

Yun Zhongzi sighed helplessly, adjusted his Dao heart, and then set off towards the Nine Provinces in his escape light.

Since they could no longer avoid the calamity in the mountains, they decided to take the initiative to leave.

Moreover, since his disciple has perished, as his nominal master, he should seek justice for Lei Zhenzi!

……

Lingjiu Cave Heaven.

At almost the same time, Daoist Ran Deng also received a telepathic message from Jiang Ziya.

"The Ten Deadly Formations can actually have such variations?"

A look of surprise appeared on the face of the Taoist Ran Deng.

As the vice leader of the Chan Sect, his understanding of the Ten Deadly Formations and the Jie Sect far surpassed that of people like Jiang Ziya.

As far as he knew, the Ten Deadly Formations did not have this change.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing..."

A moment later, a smile appeared on the lips of the Taoist Ran Deng, and he got up and flew towards the Nine Provinces.

During a great calamity, the secrets of heaven are not revealed, which inevitably leads people to have some different thoughts.

……

The underworld, with its eighteen levels of hell.

Yang Xuan sat cross-legged in the void and slowly opened his eyes.

As he withdrew his magic power, the cauldron composed of the Nine Heavens Divine Fire disappeared, and the Human Emperor Banner reappeared in his sight.

Yang Xuan possesses the cultivation level of a late-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal, and his skill in weapon crafting is also quite remarkable.

Over the years, the remnant of the soul demon has been successfully refined into the Human Emperor Banner.

The surface of the Emperor's Banner has become even blacker, making the surrounding golden light even more dazzling and giving it a more magnificent and imposing appearance.

However, unlike the illusory remains of that god or demon, it became like black clouds, as if it had no substance.

If you look closely, you will find countless evil spirits roaring and laughing in these clouds and mists, which looks quite eerie.

Besides the changes in appearance, the foundation of the Human Emperor Banner was also enhanced after being refined into the remains of gods and demons.

Although it is not as difficult to destroy as an innate spiritual treasure, it can still make up for a shortcoming of the Human Emperor Banner. Ordinary Great Luo Immortals cannot harm it in the slightest.

More importantly, as the remains of gods and demons were refined into it, the Human Emperor Banner not only had its foundation improved, but also gained a portion of the status of a chaotic god or demon.

In the past, although the method of illuminating the heavens could be used for projection, its power was limited, and the number of projections at the same time was extremely small.

But now, not only is the power of projection stronger, but the number of projections has also increased, enough to meet the daily needs of ghosts and gods in the underworld.

After greeting Ksitigarbha, Yang Xuan turned and left the Eighteen Levels of Hell.

After returning to the Ghost Palace of Fengdu, Yang Xuan first summoned Xuan Niu and Xing Tian, ​​important officials from the underworld.

They were taught the method of illuminating the Emperor's Banner, and were instructed to pass this method on to the ghosts and spirits of the underworld for the purpose of capturing souls and spirits. This method was to be regarded as a basic supernatural power of the ghosts and spirits of the underworld, and also as a standard spiritual treasure.

Although the projection of the Emperor's Banner summoned by the ghosts and gods of the underworld has limited power, the Emperor's Banner is special in that its power is mainly manifested in two aspects.

Firstly, it involves capturing the soul.

This is also the predecessor of the Human Emperor Banner. The basic function of the Soul-Binding Banner is to capture and restrain the souls of the dead, and it has a natural restraint on the souls.

By cooperating with the authority of the underworld officials and ghosts, dealing with ghosts and spirits, especially those of higher levels, is not difficult, making their soul-capturing process much smoother.

Secondly, it summons spirits.

The power of the Human Emperor Banner lies in the countless vengeful spirits within it.

If, during the process of capturing souls, some of the deceased are unwilling to cooperate, or if other beings interfere, and these are beyond the ability of the underworld officials to deal with, then the projection of the Human Emperor Banner can be invoked to summon the spirits within to fight back.

After being fed by the underworld for many years, the number of spirits in the Emperor's Banner can truly be described as 'immeasurable', containing countless spirits.

The number of Yin spirits at the Earth Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, True Immortal, and Profound Immortal realms is countless. Even the Yin spirits of Golden Immortals and Taiyi Golden Immortals can be measured in tens of thousands.

As for the spirits below the level of Earth Immortal...

In the world of the Human Emperor Banner, composed of countless evil spirits and possessing a unique set of values, the weak are not worthy of survival.

These spirits below the level of Earth Immortals are naturally optimized, either by consuming other spirits to become Earth Immortals themselves, or by becoming food for other spirits.

The current Human Emperor Banner also follows the elite route, which, from a certain perspective, is arguably the same path as the Chan Sect.

Holding the projection of the Human Emperor Banner can also summon the Yin spirits within the banner. As long as there are enough of them, even if the opponent is a Taiyi Golden Immortal, they can be dragged into the banner and made into a member of it, thereby enhancing the power of the Human Emperor Banner.

Imagine that the ghosts and gods of the underworld are collecting souls and spirits all over the primordial world, each holding a projection of the Human Emperor Banner. With a wave of their hand, they can create endless projections of vengeful spirits.

With a casual gesture, the souls of the dead are captured; who would dare to obstruct the underworld's work of capturing and retrieving souls?
"Speaking of which, the predecessor of this Emperor's Banner was called the Soul-Binding Banner, which is to say, it returns to its original purpose."

Yang Xuan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile.

This change to the Emperor's Banner will be a huge improvement for both the underworld officials' ability to capture souls and the upcoming Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts.

Subsequently, Yang Xuan summoned the scouting spirits and inquired about the events that had occurred in the Nine Provinces over the years. He learned that the Ten Deadly Formations had been set up, and the immortals of the Chan Sect had suffered heavy losses.

Even Lei Zhenzi, a third-generation disciple of the Chan Sect who was originally a god in the physical body, perished in this Ten Deadly Formations.

Lei Zhenzi's unexpected demise was exactly what Yang Xuan wanted.

According to the legends of his previous life, this third-generation disciple of the Chan Sect would be bestowed the title of the Western Taiji Heavenly Emperor, also known as the Gouchen Emperor.

A mere Taiyi Golden Immortal, and he even forcibly ascended to that level using spiritual elixirs; his foundation as a Taiyi Golden Immortal is unstable.
Even if his status is special and extremely compatible with Emperor Gouchen, he still has to start from the basics and wait until he has reached the level of a quasi-saint and has made sufficient contributions to the Heavenly Court before he can be granted the title of Emperor Gouchen.

To grant a Taiyi Golden Immortal the title of First-Rank Emperor is simply disrespectful to the Heavenly Court.

Now that Lei Zhenzi has died prematurely without achieving any merit, and is listed as a primordial spirit, when the time comes for the conferment of gods in the future, the Chan Sect will probably be embarrassed to give him such a high position again.

"In this light, the Investiture of the Gods might be accelerated slightly by the Ten Deadly Formations..."

Yang Xuan rubbed his chin. In terms of understanding the Ten Deadly Formations, he was probably second only to the Tongtian Sect Master and the Ten Heavenly Lords.

He knew very well that if the Ten Deadly Formations were fully unleashed, even the twelve Great Luo Golden Immortals would be unable to escape.

The purpose of Ten Heavens' actions was clearly to catch an even bigger fish.

According to the legends of the previous life, it was the Taoist Ran Deng who devised the method of sacrificial array, which enabled him to successfully break the Ten Deadly Arrays and kill all ten Heavenly Lords.

But now, it's hard to say!

(End of this chapter)