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

After bestowing titles and pardons upon the Xuanmen disciples whose primordial spirits were listed, Yang Xuan did not pause. His gaze swept across the Investiture of the Gods list, and he said loudly:

"Nezha, step forward and receive your title!"

"exist!"

Nezha's face was beaming with a bright smile. He bowed deeply to Yang Xuan and looked at him expectantly.

According to what was said on Skull Mountain, after the Investiture of the Gods calamity ended, Nezha would settle his karmic debt with Taiyi Zhenren and become Yang Xuan's disciple.

Nezha's contributions during the Investiture of the Gods were enough to settle this karmic debt.

But after thinking it over, Yang Xuan still felt that the matter of having Nezha change allegiance could be considered in the long run.

Now that Xiqi has been defeated, Cihang and others have defected and joined the Western Sect, the Chan Sect has lost face. Furthermore, the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Slaying Whip have taken the initiative to recognize Yang Xuan as their master, making things even worse for them.

If they were to undermine the Chan Sect at this time and take Nezha under their wing, even if it was at the behest of Nuwa, it could still anger Yuanshi Tianzun.

Yuanshi Tianzun is a saint, and provoking him is not what Yang Xuan wanted.

Yang Xuan's provocation of the two Western Saints was a last resort.

In the future, Buddhist doctrines will clash with the divine way. Yang Xuan wants to strengthen the divine way and then develop the business way, which means he is destined to go against Buddhism.

If the divine path is suppressed by Buddhism, it will be much more difficult for Yang Xuan to use this opportunity to spread the way of commerce, and the way of commerce is related to his own path of cultivation.

For the sake of his own path to enlightenment, Yang Xuan had no choice but to provoke the two Western Saints, but provoking the Primordial Celestial Venerable was not necessary.

The matter of taking Nezha under one's wing can be planned gradually. Once the impact of the Investiture of the Gods on the Chan Sect has subsided, an opportunity can be found to allow Nezha to leave the Chan Sect.

However, Yang Xuan was not one to break his word. Since he had promised Nezha, he would naturally accept him as his disciple, though they would not yet be formally master and disciple.

According to the original timeline, Nezha was granted the title of Great God of the Three Altars and Seas, commanding the troops of the Three Realms, and holding a position equivalent to a second-rank emperor.

Given Nezha's cultivation and contributions, he clearly does not deserve this honor. If he were to be granted such a title, it would be a case of unworthy virtue and an inability to win the respect of the people.

Moreover, Yuanshi Tianzun knew when he signed the Investiture of the Gods that unless he obtained the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir from Taiqing Sage,

Otherwise, after the Investiture of the Gods calamity, the highest level the third-generation disciples of the Chan Sect would reach would be Taiyi Golden Immortal.
Even reaching the third rank is a challenge, let alone the second rank. Naturally, the Primordial Celestial Venerable would not invite trouble by signing a contract to become a second-rank deity.

In fact, all the second-generation disciples of the Chan Sect, Yuanshi Tianzun only asked for the position of a fourth-rank righteous god.

The divine position that Nezha signed on the Investiture of the Gods was that of a fourth-rank official god in the Ministry of War.

Since there should be a real master-disciple relationship, it would be inappropriate to place it in the Ministry of War.

So, Yang Xuan thought for a moment, ran his finger across the Investiture of the Gods, wrote a new divine position on it, and said loudly:

"Now, there is a esteemed disciple of the Chan Sect, the reincarnation of the Spirit Pearl from the Nuwa Palace—Nezha, who is hereby specially appointed as the Great God of the Sea Assembly, Fourth Rank, Third Altar, in charge of the Heavenly River Army, and subordinate to the Temple of Destiny."
I bestow upon you a fourth-grade cave dwelling and a low-grade innate spiritual treasure, the Samadhi Fire Spirit Pearl. I hope you will serve faithfully and uphold the divine might of my Heavenly Court!

Nezha's divine position remains unchanged; he is still the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas, but he is not under the Ministry of War; instead, he is a member of the Temple of Fate.

The Temple of Fate was bestowed upon Yang Xuan when Haotian granted him the title of Fourth-Rank Star Lord upon his ascension to Heaven.

Over the years, thanks to the expansion efforts of the Dragon Clan and the celestial beings of Heaven, the Temple of Fate has grown several times in size.
The materials used in its buildings are extremely precious, and the disciples of the Jie Sect have set up a large number of powerful formations.

Today, the Temple of Fate has become the largest and most luxurious temple in the Heavenly Court, even surpassing the Lingxiao Palace.

More importantly, the Temple of Fate and the Heavenly Virtue Bank are directly under Yang Xuan's command. Anyone who knows anything about the Heavenly Court knows this, and Nezha is naturally aware of it.

Moreover, Yang Xuan also bestowed upon him a low-grade acquired spiritual treasure, a privilege that none of the others had received!

Nezha, visibly excited, accepted the Samadhi Fire Spirit Orb and bowed deeply to Yang Xuan once more.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. This humble deity will certainly do my utmost to fulfill my divine duties and live up to Your Majesty's trust!"

Yang Xuan nodded without saying much, as long as he expressed his opinion, that was enough.

Of course, this attitude of his was not meant for the immortals of the Chan Sect, but rather to express his attitude to the goddess Nuwa.

Even the reason Yang Xuan bestowed the Samadhi Fire Spirit Pearl was because Nezha was the reincarnation of the Spirit Pearl, not because he was a disciple of the Chan Sect. This distinction must be made.

Otherwise, no matter how wealthy Yang Xuan is, it won't be enough.

Although Yang Xuan's gift of a primordial spiritual treasure to Nezha was surprising, it didn't cause much of a stir.

After everyone present learned that Nezha was the reincarnation of Lingzhu, they understood why Yang Xuan did this, presumably at the behest of the Goddess Nuwa.

"Yang Jian stepped forward to receive his title..."

The process of bestowing titles upon the gods proceeded in an orderly manner. Like the Xuanmen disciples whose primordial spirits had been listed before, these Xuanmen immortals who were fortunate enough to survive did not sign any outrageous divine positions.

The divine roles of these immortals remained unchanged, just as they were in the original timeline.

For example, Yang Jian is still Erlang Shen Zhenjun, and Huoling Shengmu is still Huofu Xingjun, only their ranks have been lowered, which is in line with their cultivation and contributions.

Even though the Golden Spirit Mother, Doumu Yuanjun, is of great use to Yang Xuan, she is currently only a third-rank official. Whether she can ascend to the second-rank, or even the first-rank, position of Great Emperor depends on her own destiny.

With Yang Xuan's assistance, Jinling Shengmu needs a Quasi-Saint cultivation level to reach the first rank, which is hard to say, but the second rank is basically guaranteed.

Of course, this is all predicated on the Golden Spirit Mother's willingness to cooperate, and it's unlikely that the Golden Spirit Mother would refuse such a request.

As time went by, only two names remained on the Investiture of the Gods list: Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao.

According to the original timeline, Jiang Ziya did not obtain a divine position and eventually died peacefully in the mortal world. Shen Gongbao was even appointed as the Water Dividing General and was used to fill the sea eye.

However, on the Investiture of the Gods in Yang Xuan's hands, only the names of Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao were written, without their divine positions.

It seems that Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian Jiaozhu felt that these two were protected by the fortune of the Investiture of the Gods and wanted to wait until the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods before making any decisions, or perhaps they should let the two of them decide for themselves.

Now that the Investiture of the Gods is in Yang Xuan's hands, the question of how to grant amnesty and confer titles upon these two people falls on Yang Xuan's shoulders.

Although the Investiture of the Gods calamity has ended, the Investiture of the Gods fortune still exists on Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao, and it is intertwined with the fortune of the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect, making it impossible to change.

If misused, Jiang Ziya will most likely die young due to the backlash of his destiny, just like in the original timeline.

However, if used properly and one survives the backlash of bad luck, one will surely turn misfortune into fortune, and becoming a Great Immortal in the future will not be a problem.

Moreover, because of Yang Xuan, Jiang Ziya did not worship Zhao Gongming to death, nor did he do anything unworthy of his position, such as presiding over the Investiture of the Gods. Therefore, the backlash he would suffer from the fortune in the future would be much less.

Furthermore, Jiang Ziya's performance during the Investiture of the Gods was commendable; with proper training, he could certainly become a talented individual. Currently, the Heavenly Court has numerous immortals and gods, and with the evolution of the prehistoric world into the Three Realms, its scale has expanded several times over. To maintain order in the prehistoric world, the Heavenly Court needs more administrators.

Yang Xuan pondered carefully for a moment, made up his mind, traced his finger across the Investiture of the Gods, and said loudly:

"Jiang Ziya, step forward to receive your appointment!"

"Yes!" Jiang Ziya stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Now, Jiang Ziya, a esteemed disciple of the Chan Sect, is hereby specially appointed as the Fourth-Rank Star Lord Kehan ​​Sizhangren, to oversee affairs in the mortal realm, inspect officials and immortals, and to be subordinate to the Temple of Destiny."
I hereby bestow upon you a fourth-rank grotto, and I hope you will faithfully perform your duties and uphold the divine might of my Heavenly Court!

As Yang Xuan finished speaking, the power of Heaven emerged from the void, condensing into a divine decree that landed between Jiang Ziya's eyebrows, making him a fourth-rank deity of the Heavenly Court and granting him the protection of the Heavenly Court's fortune.

The Heavenly Court's fortune is now boundless; as long as Jiang Ziya doesn't court death, the possibility of him dying of old age is simply impossible.

As for whether this move was a heaven-defying change or whether it would backfire, Yang Xuan did not care.

With Yang Xuan's current cultivation level and status, even if there is a backlash, he can withstand it.

Moreover, Yang Xuan possesses astonishing virtues and fortune; even the backlash from a Taiyi Golden Immortal could barely cause a ripple on his body.

Upon hearing Yang Xuan's pardon, Jiang Ziya was stunned for a long while before his face lit up with joy. He bowed to Yang Xuan again and respectfully said:

"Thank you, Your Majesty. This humble deity will certainly do my utmost to fulfill my divine duties and live up to Your Majesty's trust!"

He was worried that Yang Xuan might make things difficult for him by relegating him to an insignificant, marginal divine position because he failed to fulfill his promise in the underworld.

Unexpectedly, Yang Xuan granted him the title of a fourth-rank deity.

Moreover, this was a fourth-rank deity under the jurisdiction of the Temple of Fate, working under Yang Xuan and wielding considerable real power, belonging to the administrative unit of the Heavenly Court.

Jiang Ziya was not known for his combat prowess, so being able to get into an administrative unit was an ideal outcome for him.

More importantly, with the decree of divine pardon being issued, he became a fourth-rank deity in Heaven, receiving the protection of Heaven's fortune.
Jiang Ziya could clearly feel that his Dao heart had become much clearer. He knew that this was because he had received the protection of the Heavenly Court's fortune. As long as he diligently performed his divine duties in the future, he could smoothly overcome the backlash of fortune.

He was just a minor Taiyi Golden Immortal; if he relied solely on himself, it would probably be difficult for him to withstand the backlash of fortune.

Now, Yang Xuan has not only granted him a powerful divine position, but also helped him resolve the potential danger of a backlash from his fortune.
He was extremely grateful to Yang Xuan and made up his mind to fulfill his divine duties diligently in the future without any slackening.

This was both to repay Yang Xuan's pardon and to benefit Jiang Ziya himself.

If we can get on Yang Xuan's good side, the benefits we can gain in the Heavenly Court in the future will definitely not be less than those of the Chan Sect.

In particular, the Heavenly Merit will definitely be plentiful. The Heavenly Court has the Heavenly Virtue Bank, which is the only place in the prehistoric world where one can reliably obtain Heavenly Merit!

Yang Xuan nodded, not focusing too much on Jiang Ziya.

If Jiang Ziya can't even figure this out, then there's no point in training him.

Then, Yang Xuan turned his gaze to Shen Gongbao, a faint smile appearing on his face.

To be honest, Shen Gongbao should be Yang Xuan's first follower and also the subordinate Yang Xuan used most easily.

Now that the Investiture of the Gods has ended, it's time for him to return to Heaven and continue his duties.

With Shen Gongbao and Jiang Ziya checking and balancing each other and cooperating with each other, maintaining the operation of the Heavenly Court should not be a problem, and at least Yang Xuan will not have to worry about some trivial matters.

Yang Xuan has now risen to the rank of First-Rank Emperor and is even a Quasi-Saint, so it's time for him to step down and become a hands-off manager.

"Shen Gongbao, step forward to receive your investiture!"

"Here!" Shen Gongbao shifted his gaze from Jiang Ziya, took a step forward, and respectfully bowed to Yang Xuan.

"Now there is Shen Gongbao, a high-ranking disciple of the Jie Sect and the reincarnation of the Fourth-Rank Nine Heavens Ferryman of the Heavenly Court. He made many contributions to the Heavenly Court, and during the Investiture of the Gods, he punished evil and promoted good, maintaining order in the primordial world."
He was specially appointed as a Third-Rank Nine Heavens Patrol and Supervisory True Lord, in charge of recruiting Heavenly Court immortals and gods, overseeing their duties, and subordinate to the Temple of Destiny.

I bestow upon you a third-grade grotto, and two low-grade innate spiritual treasures: the Palm Leaf Fan and the Jade Dragon Sword. I hope you will serve faithfully in the future and uphold the divine might of my Heavenly Court!

As Yang Xuan finished speaking, the power of Heaven emerged from the void, condensing into a third-rank divine decree, which landed between Shen Gongbao's eyebrows, making him a third-rank righteous god of the Heavenly Court.

Logically speaking, Shen Gongbao was only a Taiyi Golden Immortal, and the third rank was too high. Among the Xuanmen immortals who had been granted titles before, only Daluo Golden Immortals could be granted the third rank.

But Yang Xuan himself is the one who makes the right decision. As long as the amnesty is not too outrageous, even if some people are dissatisfied, they will not say anything.

Moreover, Yang Xuan's pardon and conferment of titles upon Shen Gongbao fully met the requirements.

If Shen Gongbao was merely a disciple of the Jie Sect, then bestowing upon him the title of a third-rank deity would indeed be against the rules. However, if we consider Shen Gongbao's past lives, then it becomes quite reasonable.

Shen Gongbao's previous incarnation was Sheng Sanqi, a fourth-rank deity in the Heavenly Court who made numerous contributions, a fact known to all the other deities in the Heavenly Court.

In other words, Shen Gongbao was originally a fourth-rank deity, and he still had many merits that he had not yet used.

Now that the Investiture of the Gods has ended, what's wrong with being promoted from a fourth-rank righteous god to a third-rank righteous god? Who can find fault with that?
Indeed, after the immortals of the Chan and Jie sects learned that Shen Gongbao's previous incarnation was a fourth-rank deity in Heaven, they did not see anything wrong with granting him the title of a third-rank deity.

On the contrary, Shen Gongbao, the person involved, was greatly shocked when he heard Yang Xuan's pardon. He never expected that Yang Xuan would pardon him and confer upon him the title of Third-Rank True God and bestow upon him two innate spiritual treasures.

He originally thought that Yang Xuan would give him a fourth-rank god position, and then promote him to the third rank after his cultivation level reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Unexpectedly, Yang Xuan immediately granted him the position of a third-rank righteous god.

But soon, Shen Gongbao seemed to realize something. He glanced at Jiang Ziya not far behind him and understood.

"I understand, I understand everything. His Majesty hopes that I can surpass Jiang Ziya, so as to prevent Jiang Ziya from using the Investiture of the Gods to cause the immortals of the Xuanmen to band together, disrupt the order of the Heavenly Court, and harm His Majesty's interests."

"Yes! That must be it!!"

Shen Gongbao nodded secretly, reached out and accepted the two magical treasures bestowed by Yang Xuan, and bowed respectfully to Yang Xuan.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. This humble deity will certainly do my duty faithfully, fulfill my divine responsibilities, uphold the prestige of our Heavenly Court, and live up to Your Majesty's trust!"

Yang Xuan nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

With this, the Investiture of the Gods officially came to an end, and Yang Xuan's mission was also complete; it was time for him to leave.

Before leaving, Yang Xuan glanced at the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Slaying Whip in his hand. After a moment of thought, he used his magic to lift them up and present them to Jiang Ziya, giving him a meaningful look.

Only Jiang Ziya knew that the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Slaying Whip automatically recognized their masters. Temporarily entrusting these two items to Jiang Ziya would save face for Yuanshi Tianzun.
There was no loss to Yang Xuan, and Jiang Ziya dared not embezzle the two magical treasures.

Then, Yang Xuan's figure gradually faded and disappeared, returning to the underworld to continue his unfinished business... (End of this chapter)