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

Chapter 442 Houtu bestows a pardon, Fengdu Ghost Emperor!
"Fellow Daoist Houtu, please do not be angry."

Hongjun Daozu sighed. He realized that Houtu and Yang Xuan had never intended to acknowledge each other from the beginning.

Unless the two Western saints can produce evidence, they will have to swallow this bitter pill.

If the two Western Saints continue to pester them, they will not only fail to get the explanation they want, but they will also have to give an explanation to the Underworld.

That's the current situation. The two Western Saints have no evidence to prove that the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus of Merit was destroyed by the Mosquito Taoist.

Houtu, however, has evidence to prove that the two Western Saints first attempted to steal the power of reincarnation, and then sent the Medicine Master to the Blood Sea to undermine the Netherworld.
Even the Mosquito Taoist went to Mount Sumeru because of the Medicine Master's invitation.

The two Western Saints have no evidence to prove that the Golden Lotus of Merit was destroyed by the Mosquito Taoist, yet they immediately accuse him of it.

The implication was that Mosquito Taoist did this because of Yang Xuan's instructions.

Although the deduction suggests a 90% probability that Mosquito Taoist was not the one who did this, and that he was a major participant, it is highly likely that Yang Xuan was the mastermind behind it all.

However, if there is no evidence to prove it, then it is slander—slander against Mosquito Taoist, the Underworld, and Yang Xuan!
Now look what's happened, we've really angered Houtu.

The explanation you're looking for? I have no obligation to give it to you!

You must give me the answer I want!

The evidence is conclusive, and even the Dao Ancestor Hongjun cannot deny it.

Under normal circumstances, Hongjun would not want to get involved in the mess of the Western Religion, since the West would not get any worse and the two Western Saints would not be killed.

Since that's the case, there's nothing more to discuss. At worst, the two Western Saints will get beaten up and have to make some compensation.

But not now!
Now that the primordial world is surrounded by external enemies, it also needs a more stable environment for development.

The two Western Saints must leave the primordial world and take up residence in the chaos, guarding against the chaotic gods and demons whose whereabouts are unknown, so as not to be beaten up by Houtu.

Once the West is beaten, it will be even less willing to leave the ancient land.

To be honest, Hongjun Daozu is now somewhat regretful.

If he had known that Houtu's attitude was so firm, he would not have summoned Houtu, or even Yang Xuan. He would have chosen to resolve the matter himself and send the two Western Saints to Chaos first.

Now that things have come to this, there's no use in expressing regret.

Left with no other choice, Dao Ancestor Hongjun could only act as a peacemaker.

"To be honest, I have my reasons for this," sighed Hongjun Daozu.

"Now, the chaotic gods and demons have revived, intending to destroy the primordial world to avenge the deaths caused by Pangu's axe."
For the sake of the greater good of the primordial world, I hereby order Yuanshi, Tongtian, Jieyin, and Zhunti to leave the primordial world and remain in Chaos.
The two of them were so agitated for two reasons. First, the damage to the Golden Lotus of Merit had a profound impact on the Western Religion, and the slightest carelessness could lead to the loss of the Western Religion's fortune.

Secondly, the fact that the underworld had established numerous mountain gods and local deities in the west made the two of them uneasy, as they worried that the interests of the Western religion would be affected after they left the prehistoric world.

That's why they acted this way. Their intention wasn't to hold you accountable, but simply to get a promise from you.

After the two of them leave the primordial world, do not let the underworld harm the interests of the Western Religion.

"..."

Upon hearing this, the two Western Saints exchanged a glance, their lips moved slightly, but they uttered no words of rebuttal.

Hongjun was right. If they could, they certainly wouldn't want to leave the Primordial World, but they also knew that there was probably no room for negotiation on this matter.

With the safety of the prehistoric world at stake and external enemies lurking in the shadows, how could Hongjun possibly allow them to remain in the prehistoric world?

Their idea was to have Hongjun Daozu stand up for them, so they could take this opportunity to stay in the prehistoric world a little longer, to seek more benefits for the Western Sect, and to accelerate the progress of the Western rise.

Judging from the current situation, their idea of ​​getting Hongjun to stand up for them is definitely going to fail.

Unless Hongjun and Houtu have a fight, they definitely won't get this claim, since they have no evidence to prove that the Golden Lotus of Merit was destroyed by Mosquito Taoist.

But that's definitely impossible. Hongjun is the representative of the Heavenly Dao, and Houtu is the representative of the Earthly Dao. How could they possibly fight?

Moreover, they dared not continue their confrontation with Houtu. Houtu had only brought up the matter of stealing the reincarnation authority, without revealing the hidden tricks they had left behind.
If the standoff continues, Houtu will probably discover their underhanded tactics.

The claim that the Golden Lotus of Merit was destroyed is now irretrievable. If Houtu discovers this act of sabotage, it will truly be a double loss, not to mention the humiliation.

On the contrary, by acknowledging what Hongjun said, at least one worry could be eliminated: there would be no need to worry that after leaving the prehistoric world, the West would be usurped by the underworld, and the defeat would not be too humiliating.

Houtu didn't want things to get too ugly. According to what she had agreed with Yang Xuan, as long as she denied it, the matter would be over.

But Hongjun Daozu's statement was clearly unexpected for her; she never imagined it would involve the mountain god and the earth god.

Moreover, according to Hongjun, the impact of the Mosquito Taoist sucking away four ranks from the Golden Lotus of Merit seems to be less than the impact of the Mountain God and the Earth God...

Although both of these matters either had the backing of a sage or were based on the righteous cause of the primordial world, it was truly unprecedented for Yang Xuan to be able to force the two Western sages to such an extent.

Houtu looked at Yang Xuan with a strange expression.

Yang Xuan understood immediately and bowed to Hongjun Daozu.

"I report to the Dao Ancestor that the establishment of the Mountain God and Earth God is, on the one hand, to stabilize the earth's veins and reduce the damage to them caused by the evolution of the Three Realms during the primordial era."
On the other hand, it was also for the purpose of sorting out and maintaining the primordial earth veins, and the establishment of mountain gods and land deities in the West was for this purpose as well.

While the minor deity's actions were certainly driven by self-interest—hoping to enhance the underworld's influence throughout the primordial world by establishing mountain gods and land gods—
However, the establishment of mountain gods and land gods was indeed beneficial to the prehistoric world, especially to the West. With the management of mountain gods and land gods, the earth veins in the West could recover more quickly.

The two saints, Jieyin and Zhunti, have no need to worry. The primordial world is vast, and the underworld has no need to seize the interests of the Western religion in the west.

At this point, Yang Xuan paused slightly, hesitated for a moment, then bowed to the two Western Saints and continued:

"If the two sages feel that this minor deity has ulterior motives, they can simply send disciples of the Western Sect to join the underworld and replace these mountain gods and local deities."

However, the way out for these mountain gods and local deities will require the assistance of the two sages.

Upon hearing this, both Jieyin and Zhunti became more wary.

Although Yang Xuan was only a quasi-saint, there was an immeasurable gap between him and them.
However, a review of the past reveals that the Western Religion never gained any advantage under Yang Xuan's rule.

Ksitigarbha came into contact with Yang Xuan and ended up becoming a ghost or deity in the underworld, guarding the eighteen levels of hell.

When Maitreya came into contact with Yang Xuan, he lost three powerful magical treasures: the Human Seed Bag, the Golden Bell, and the Chime Hammer.

When Moonlight and the others came into contact with Yang Xuan, they were beaten up in public and also lost their handy magical treasures.

Even when the two Western Saints contacted Yang Xuan, they lost four Bodhi seeds and four seeds of the Golden Lotus of Merit, as well as four of the twelve grades of the Golden Lotus of Merit. They will not give up their plan to steal the power of reincarnation, but as for getting Western Sect disciples to join the Underworld, that's a different story.

If, like Ksitigarbha, one goes to the underworld and can't come back, that would be ridiculous.

Even the disciples who were forcibly converted by the Two Sages of the West did not want to join the Underworld, as they were simply too worried about them.

Even if we were to infiltrate the underworld, we couldn't do it openly; we had to do it discreetly to be on the safe side.

Yang Xuan's relationship with the Western Sect is not good. If Yang Xuan finds out about the people the two Western Saints have arranged for him in the Underworld, he'll be in for a world of trouble.

Moreover, while repairing the earth's veins does yield merit, it's not an easy task. For independent cultivators, joining the Underworld and gaining merit is indeed a good opportunity.

But for the followers of the Western religion, there is something even more important to do: the great revival of the West is of paramount importance!
Especially since the two Western Saints are about to take charge of the prehistoric world, the affairs of promoting the West must be entrusted to their disciples; they cannot be sent to the underworld to deliver goods.

As long as it is ensured that the underworld will not expand its influence in the west, allowing mountain gods and land deities to repair the earth's veins will provide free labor, which is beneficial to the west.

When the West prospers in the future and these earth veins are restored, these mountain gods and land deities will be driven out. The West will then teach them to establish their own mountain gods and land deities, and reap the rewards that the underworld has worked so hard for over the years.

Ultimately, the West is the territory of the Western religion, and the affairs of the West are still decided by the two Western saints.

Once the West prospers, they will fear no one. If they want to get rid of the mountain gods and the land gods, it will be a piece of cake!
However, the two Western Saints did not respond immediately. Instead, they pondered for a long time before making another request and bowing to Hongjun Daozu.

“Reporting to the teacher, whether the West can prosper is related to our path of cultivation. If the Heavenly Court can also guarantee that it will not harm the interests of the Western Religion in the West, we can leave the Primordial World with peace of mind and stay in the Chaos.”

Upon hearing this, Hongjun Daozu did not reply, but instead looked at Yang Xuan.

Yang Xuan: ...

What are you looking at me for? I'm not the Heavenly Emperor of Heaven. If you have any questions about Heaven, go ask Haotian.

Yang Xuan scratched his head, thought for a moment, and said:
"I cannot make decisions about matters of Heaven. If His Majesty the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West do not make any requests, Heaven will not venture too far into the West and harm the interests of the Western Religion."

The specific details still need to be discussed with His Majesty the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West.

That's enough.

Hongjun Daozu nodded slightly, showing no intention of calling Haotian and the Queen Mother back.

Everyone knows that Haotian and the Queen Mother don't manage anything; Yang Xuan has the final say in everything in the Heavenly Court.

Since Yang Xuan said that he would not harm the interests of the Western Religion in the West, then the Heavenly Court, like the Underworld, will not expand its influence in the West, and the interests of the Western Religion in the West will not be harmed.

As for other parts of the prehistoric world, Hongjun will not make any demands, and the two Western Saints will not dare to push their luck.

The Heavenly Court and the Underworld are related to the Heavenly Way and the Earthly Way, and are forces directly subordinate to the Heavenly Way and the Earthly Way.

Especially after completing the Investiture of the Gods, the Heavenly Court pardoning and bestowing titles upon the immortals of the Xuanmen sect, the Underworld completing the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts, and assisting in maintaining the earth's veins during the evolution of the Three Realms in the primordial era.

The status of Heaven and the Underworld is gradually increasing, and they are no less than those of the Western Religion. They can ensure the interests of the Western Religion in the West. As long as their home is not stolen, that is enough.

Seeing this, the two Western Saints nodded, not wanting to have any further entanglement with Yang Xuan, and immediately bid farewell to Hongjun and left.

As for the matter of the twelve-petaled golden lotus of merit, they could only swallow their anger and prepare to seek revenge after the West prospered.

As long as their hidden hand on the reincarnation authority remains undiscovered, they will eventually be able to steal a portion of the reincarnation authority and get their revenge.

Whether it's Yang Xuan or Hou Tu, they both have to pay the price for what happened today. It's just a temporary win or loss, nothing more!
After the two Western Saints left, Houtu, having heard the relevant information about the Chaos Gods and Demons, took Yang Xuan and departed, returning to the Earthly Cycle Reincarnation Place.

"You can be said to be the number one person below the saints, capable of making the two Western saints suffer a setback."

Back in her own territory, Houtu no longer needed to put on a stern face. Recalling how Yang Xuan could speak eloquently and calmly under the watchful eyes of the four sages in Zixiao Palace, she couldn't help but give him a thumbs up and express her great admiration.

"Your Majesty flatters me. Without Your Majesty, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to speak properly." Yang Xuan bowed, remaining calm and composed.

"Hmm..." Houtu suddenly touched her chin, pondered for a moment, looked Yang Xuan up and down, and revealed a meaningful smile.

"When you talk to me, are you just as...perfectly acting as you were at Zixiao Palace today?"

"No, absolutely not!" Yang Xuanyi said righteously, his face full of sincerity. "Your Majesty has been kind to me, how could I possibly do something to deceive you?"
My utmost respect for Your Majesty is as clear as the sun and moon, and there is absolutely no wavering in my devotion!

"Alright, alright, don't be so tense." Houtu waved her hand with a smile. "There are still many things to do in the Underworld, so you should go and get busy."

"Regarding the future development plans for the Underworld, I have three more points..."

However, before Yang Xuan could finish speaking, Houtu yawned:

"You are now the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu. You can decide the affairs of the underworld yourself. If you encounter any troubles that you cannot resolve, just call upon my name."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Xuan felt the surrounding environment begin to distort and deform. After everything returned to normal, he was back in the Ghost Palace of Fengdu.

Followed by.

A dense, primordial power surged forth from the void, forming two emotionless eyes above the underworld, releasing a terrifying pressure.

At this moment, all living beings in the entire Netherworld felt something and turned their heads to look in the direction of the Fengdu Ghost Palace.

Below those eyes, more and more underground power surged out, eventually forming three items.

Firstly, it was a black imperial robe, painted with the four gates of hell, the ten courts of the underworld, and the eighteen levels of hell, surrounded by a sea of ​​blood and the River of Oblivion.
Like a microcosm of the underworld, it symbolizes supreme power.

Moreover, this is a top-grade innate spiritual treasure with thirty-six innate restrictions!
Secondly, there was a jet-black seal, as dark as clouds, also decorated with images of the Ten Courts of Hell, the Sea of ​​Blood, and the River of Oblivion.

It is surrounded by a rich source of earth energy, making it a superior innate spiritual treasure with thirty-six innate restrictions. Moreover, this treasure can also mobilize the power of the earth!

Thirdly, a decree of divine pardon that appeared extremely simple at first glance, but upon closer inspection revealed an immense complexity, slowly descended towards the Ghost Palace of Fengdu below.

The black imperial robe and the jet-black seal fell together at this moment. Finally, the decree landed on Yang Xuan's forehead, the imperial robe automatically put on his body, and the seal appeared in his hand.

Yang Xuan's image also appeared in the eyes of all beings in the Netherworld, and they all realized his new identity.

This is——

The Great Emperor of Fengdu!

(End of this chapter)