Honghuang: Eat a Hunyuan Daluo

Bai Jian quickly flew to Qishan and began constructing the Investiture Platform.

In the original Investiture of the Gods, Bai Jian was a vanguard general of the Yellow Emperor, but he was just a mortal. Now, however, Bai Jian is a true Taiyi Golden Immortal at the peak.

It didn't take Taiyi Jinxian long to build the Conferred God Platform; it was completed in no more than ten days, and Bai Jian completed it all by himself.

As the Conferred God Platform was completed, the sound of the Shangqing Immortal Bell suddenly rang out on Jin'ao Island! The resounding bell, carrying supreme magical power and unparalleled majesty, swept across the nine heavens and ten earths!
The next moment, a heaven-reaching Dao voice resounded from Jin'ao Island: "The Conferring God Platform has been completed. One month from now, the Conferring of Gods will take place in Qishan. All cultivators of the Primordial World are welcome to come and witness it."

The Heavenly Dao Sound, seemingly possessing extraordinary magic, clearly reached the ears of every cultivator in the primordial world, and also entered the ears of the great merchant emperor Xin.

Di Xin sat at the top of the Longde Hall, where a group of ministers of the Shang Dynasty were present, and Jiang Ziya was kneeling.

“Your Majesty, this man is none other than Jiang Ziya, the anti-Zhou prime minister,” Huang Feihu said respectfully.

Upon hearing this, Di Xin glanced at Jiang Ziya and then asked Dapeng, "Young Master Peng, is the person Bai Jing mentioned who presided over the Investiture of the Gods?"

"Your Majesty, my teacher said that the person who presides over the Investiture of the Gods must have the appearance of a flying bear. Jiang Ziya possesses the appearance of a flying bear, so he should be the one."

“Young Master Peng, if we’re talking about the appearance of a flying bear, there are some ministers of our Great Shang who also possess the appearance of a flying bear.” Before Da Peng could finish speaking, Bigan interrupted him.

"Is this true?"

“It is indeed true. The newly appointed garrison commander of Chaoge, Shen Gongbao, does possess the appearance of a flying bear. Not long ago, when the rebel army of Xiqi besieged Xiqi, I was protected by Shen Gongbao and saw his appearance of a flying bear.”

Emperor Xin trusted Bi Gan implicitly, and he immediately ordered someone to summon Shen Gongbao to the palace.

As soon as Shen Gongbao entered the hall, he saw Jiang Ziya kneeling on the ground with a gloomy expression.

Jiang Ziya seemed to sense something and exchanged a glance with Shen Gongbao, both of them feeling a strange emotion rising within them.

But in the end, neither of them said anything.

After confirming that Shen Gongbao was also a chosen one with the appearance of a flying bear, Emperor Xin immediately ordered Jiang Ziya to be taken away and informed Shen Gongbao that he would preside over the investiture of the gods.

Shen Gongbao readily agreed.

Subsequently, Emperor Xin sent a roc to the Investiture of the Gods platform to inform Bai Jian of this matter.

Bai Jian readily agreed.

Soon, a month had passed, and Yuanshi Tianzun in Yuxu Palace had recovered somewhat. He looked at Guangchengzi and Qinglianzi, who were the only two remaining below, and sighed deeply.

"Master, please don't be sad. These three traitors, Randeng, Cihang, and Manjushri, your disciple will definitely..."

"Guang Chengzi, let's leave this matter here!"

"Why is Master?"

"No need for further words. After the Investiture of the Gods is completed, the Chan Sect will be handed over to you fellow disciples. You will go on my behalf for this Investiture of the Gods! Your master is a little tired." With that, Yuanshi Tianzun's thoughts moved, and the God-Slaying Whip appeared in his hand.

"Third brother, this item is now entrusted to you."

"Thank you, Second Brother." Tongtian's voice flashed across Kunlun Mountain, and the God-Slaying Whip disappeared along with it.

The scene shifts to the Investiture Platform, where many powerful beings from the primordial world have come to Qishan to witness the ceremony.

Now that the Heavenly Saint Taiqing has sacrificed himself for the Heavenly Dao, Zhunti has perished, and Yuanshi and Jieyin have been stripped of their sainthood, the格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall situation or structure) of the prehistoric world has undergone tremendous changes. All the great powers are very curious about how this great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods will ultimately end.

As the Investiture of the Gods was about to begin, cultivators at the peak of the Quasi-Saint level, such as Kunpeng, Xuandu, and Youqin Yueyue, descended one after another, and finally, the Shangqing Saint Tongtian arrived.

Bai Jing, Nuwa, and Houtu, whom everyone was looking forward to, did not appear.

As Tongtian descended, the time for the Investiture of the Gods had arrived. Before the Investiture Platform, Bai Jian held the Investiture List in his left hand and the God-Slaying Whip in his right, his face solemn, and slowly announced: "This Investiture Ceremony will be presided over by Shen Gongbao, the destined one who bears the appearance of a flying bear."

Upon hearing this, Shen Gongbao's expression turned solemn, and he slowly walked into the Investiture Platform.

In an instant, an immense power of the Heavenly Dao descended, completely enveloping the Conferred God Platform. Even Tongtian was unable to intervene in the Conferred God process at this moment.

On the Investiture Platform, Shen Gongbao stood solemnly, surrounded by the power of the Heavenly Dao. He proclaimed in a loud voice, "The Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods has ended. Today, by the decree of the Supreme Pure Sage, I hereby confer titles upon the gods on Mount Qi. May the Heavenly Dao bear witness!"

As Shen Gongbao's voice fell, the power of the Heavenly Dao surrounding the Conferred God Platform grew even stronger.

Shen Gongbao received the God-Slaying Whip and the Investiture of the Gods from Bo Jian, officially beginning the process of bestowing titles upon the gods. "Where is Bo Jian?"

Bo Jian stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Bo Jian is here."

"Bai Jian, in the past you were the vanguard under the Emperor Xuanyuan, fighting against Chiyou and making great contributions. Now, I hereby confer upon you the position of leader of the Three Realms and one of the 365 Pure Blessing Gods of the Eight Divisions."

"Boom!" As soon as Shen Gongbao finished speaking, a Daoist sound rang out, and an unparalleled and profound power enveloped Bo Jian.

A few breaths later, the mysterious energy dissipated, and beneath Bo Jian's feet, wind and clouds gathered, and fragrant mist swirled, indicating that he had received the title of a deity.

Outside the Conferred God Platform, Kunpeng's face was gloomy as he gritted his teeth and said, "Bo Jian, a mere human vanguard with no talent or fortune, is to be conferred the title of Pure Blessing God. It is utterly ridiculous."

In the mortal realm, when Emperor Xuanyuan heard that Bai Jian had been granted such a high divine position, the corners of his mouth turned up, and he thought to himself, "Bai Jian has really gotten a good future by following Sage Bai Jing."

At the Investiture of the Gods Platform, after bestowing titles upon Bo Jian, Shen Gongbao proclaimed in a loud voice: "During the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, the Taoist Xuandu silently saved the people affected by the flames of war and assisted in suppressing the ferocious beasts. He is hereby specially bestowed the title of the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole."

Xuan Du was taken aback when he heard this. He really hadn't expected that he would be involved in the Investiture of the Gods. But then Xuan Du thought about it and realized that the position of the Antarctic Longevity Emperor was not bad. His master's benevolent corpse, the Supreme Lord Laozi, was now in the Heavenly Court. It would be good for him to go and keep the Lord Laozi company.

After bestowing titles upon Xuandu, Shen Gongbao continued to confer titles upon other deities:

"Wen Zhong of the human race, who made meritorious contributions in the conquest of the North Sea and the attack on Xiqi, is hereby conferred the title of Nine Heavens Responding to the Origin of Thunder and Universal Transformation Heavenly Venerable, and is appointed as the Lord of the Thunder Department!"

"By imperial decree, Huang Feihu is hereby conferred the title of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai, the Heavenly Emperor of the Eastern Peak, and the head of the Five Great Emperors!"

"By imperial decree, Bi Gan, the Prime Minister of the Human Race, is hereby appointed as the God of Literature, in charge of the literary arts of the Three Realms!"

"The emperor bestowed upon Prime Minister Shang Rong the title of Wenchang Star Lord, in charge of human studies and literary achievements."

"By imperial decree, Zhang Guifang is appointed as the Azure Dragon Star Lord of the Heavenly Court, in charge of military affairs and the administration of killing!"

"Zhang Kui was appointed by imperial decree as the White Tiger Star Lord of the Heavenly Court."

"By imperial decree, Deng Jiugong is hereby appointed as the Vermilion Bird Star Lord of the Heavenly Court!"

Whenever Shen Gongbao bestowed a title upon a god, the heavens above resounded in unison, signifying their approval.

Outside the Conferred God Platform, Kunpeng's expression grew increasingly grim: "Shen Gongbao has only appointed humans, and their divine positions are all quite high."

Qinglianzi had a complicated expression. He also felt that the human race had no right to occupy such a high-level divine position.

After bestowing titles upon the human race, it was the Jie Sect's turn.

Surprisingly, the disciples of the Jie Sect who made the list did not hold high divine positions. The most noteworthy were the Ten Heavenly Lords, who were appointed as envoys of the Thunder Department, directly subordinate to the Nine Heavens Responding to the Origin of Thunder and Universal Transformation Heavenly Venerable. The rest held relatively leisurely divine positions. Next were the members of the Holy Lotus Sect, whose only third-generation disciples were granted titles.

"By imperial decree, Yuan Hong is appointed as the Nine Heavens Demon-Subduing Ancestor, and is subject to orders but not summons."

"By imperial decree, Yang Jian is appointed as the Supreme God of Justice in Heaven, in charge of justice and criminal law. He is granted the Golden Whip of God-Slaying, which can be used to strike down tyrannical rulers and treacherous ministers! He obeys orders but not summons."

"By imperial decree, Nezha is appointed Marshal of the Central Altar and Great God of the Three Altars and Seas, subject to orders but not summons."

"By imperial decree, Youqin Daji was appointed as the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers, in charge of managing the flowers in heaven and on earth, and subject to orders but not summons."

Next came the members of the Chan Sect. Shen Gongbao read aloud:
"By imperial decree, Chi Jingzi is appointed Grand Marshal of the Heavenly Army, to serve under Emperor Gouchen and assist the Emperor in vanquishing demons and monsters."

"By imperial decree, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun is appointed as the Heavenly Court's God of Salaries and Ranks, responsible for the recording and distribution of the salaries and merits of all the immortals in the Heavenly Court."

"The Emperor bestowed upon Taiyi Zhenren the title of Heavenly Treasurer, responsible for the overall allocation and distribution of Heavenly resources during wartime."

"By imperial decree, the Grand Master Lingbao is appointed as the Heavenly Official in charge of conveying the decrees of the Great Heavenly Venerable in the Lingxiao Palace!"

"By imperial decree, Puxian Zhenren, Daoxing Tianzun, Julusun, and Huanglong Zhenren are appointed as the righteous gods of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, in charge of the changes of time in the human world."

The divine positions held by the members of the Chan Sect were surprisingly good, even better than those of many disciples of the Jie Sect, as they all held real power.

Finally, there are the divine positions originally held by the Western Religion and the people of Xiqi.

The original Western sect disciples were all granted insignificant minor divine positions, such as day-roaming god and night-roaming god.

It is worth mentioning that Zhunti, one of the two saints of the Western Paradise, was conferred the title of the mountain god of Mount Ling.

The divine positions of the people of Xiqi are even more interesting.

"By imperial decree, Nangong Shi is hereby appointed as the Heavenly Star Lord of Mourning!"

"By imperial decree, Ji Shuang is appointed as the Heavenly Court's Star Lord of Mourning!"

"Jiang Ziya is hereby appointed as the Heavenly Lord of Misfortune!"

"Ji Fa was conferred the title of Heavenly Joy Star."

As for Ji Chang and his son Boyi Kao, they were appointed as minor officials under the Wenqu Star.

With the investiture of the gods now complete, Shen Gongbao flipped through the Investiture of the Gods list and slowly said, "The 365 righteous gods of the Heavenly Court have returned to their positions, but the Heavenly Court is still lacking in heavenly soldiers and generals."

The flames of war rage on earth, countless soldiers have died or been wounded, and their spirits have all been conferred upon the Investiture of the Gods. Today, I hereby appoint 1,080,000 heavenly soldiers and 10,800 heavenly generals, totaling the number of the heavens.

"Boom!" As soon as Shen Gongbao finished speaking, the Heavenly Dao responded, and countless rays of mysterious light flew out from the Investiture of the Gods! Countless rays of mysterious light flew out, dense and endless, landing outside the Investiture Platform and transforming into soldiers and generals clad in armor and armed with weapons, their aura as imposing as a rainbow, their eyes firm and unwavering.

Thus, the Investiture of the Gods officially came to an end. Shen Gongbao proclaimed in a loud voice, "The Investiture of the Gods ceremony is officially over. From today onwards, all gods shall return to their positions and perform their respective duties."

With the end of the Investiture of the Gods, the power of Heavenly Dao receded like the tide, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

All the immortals present felt something; in the darkness, that indescribable and unspeakable pressure finally dissipated.

After the Investiture of the Gods was completed, the immortals did not linger and dispersed like the tide. Soon, only the members of the Jie Sect remained on the Investiture Platform.

The Tongtian Sect Leader, dressed in a blue Taoist robe, had a youthful and handsome face, yet a hint of vicissitude flashed across his eyes. He said softly, "The war of the Investiture of the Gods has finally come to an end. This war was far more extensive and involved than the war between the Dragon and Han dynasties or the Witch and Demon factions. Fortunately, our Jie Sect did not suffer too many losses."

"Thanks to your brilliant strategy, Master"

"Alright, alright! Stop with the boasting." Tongtian interrupted Zhao Gongming impatiently.

Tongtian knew better than anyone that Bai Jing and the Holy Lotus Sect had made great contributions to the Jie Sect's safe passage through this Investiture of the Gods calamity. However, the disciples of the Holy Lotus Sect were clearly not interested in the divine positions, which is why only the third generation of disciples were appointed as gods.

"Jin Ling, I wish to entrust the Jie Sect to you," Tongtian said, changing the subject.

Jin Ling's expression changed drastically upon hearing this: "Master, what makes you say such a thing? You..."

"Jin Ling, your master is a little tired. My eldest brother has fallen, and my second brother has been stripped of his position as a Heavenly Saint. Of the Three Pure Ones of the past, only your master remains. Your master only wants to pursue the Great Dao wholeheartedly and no longer wants to concern himself with worldly affairs."

After a moment of silence, Jin Ling sighed and said, "Disciple understands. Disciple will manage the Jie Sect well for Master."

Tongtian nodded with satisfaction, then stood with his hands behind his back and announced to the Jie Sect members: "Now that the Investiture of the Gods is complete, our Jie Sect has overcome numerous difficulties and obstacles, and has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel. I am getting old and do not want to worry about you all anymore."

"A new generation replaces the old. I intend to appoint a new deputy leader, and your senior sister Jin Ling will be in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Jie Sect. Do any of you have any objections?"

The immortals of the Jie Sect showed reluctance on their faces and said in unison, "Our teacher is the soul of our Jie Sect. The Jie Sect cannot be without our teacher."

Upon hearing this, Tongtian shook his head and asked, enunciating each word clearly, "When did I ever say I was leaving the Jie Sect?"

Upon hearing Tongtian's tone, the immortals of the Jie Sect knew there was no turning back. They immediately turned around and bowed to Jinling, saying, "Greetings, Vice Sect Leader."

"Fellow disciples, there's no need for such formalities."

With this, Jin Ling successfully succeeded as the deputy leader, and Tong Tian was considered to have retired from today. He planned to wait until Jin Ling's reputation had increased further before officially passing the leadership of the Jie Sect to her.

After doing all this, Tongtian left immediately. Upon seeing this, Jinling hurriedly led the ten thousand immortals of the Jie Sect back to Jin'ao Island.

Meanwhile, in the Heavenly Court, at the entrance of the Tushita Palace, Xuandu, who had just been bestowed the title of the Antarctic Longevity Emperor, was pounding on the palace gates: "Teacher, open the door! I know you're home."

After a long while, the gates of the Tushita Palace opened, and two children peeked out. One of the older children whispered, "Great Emperor, Laozi invites you in."

"That settles it! By the way, who are you two?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, my name is Golden Horn, and his name is Silver Horn. We are the children that Laozi has just enlightened."

“I see. I will come to this Tushita Palace often in the future. Just open the door for me when you hear my voice.” After saying that, Xuandu walked straight into the Tushita Palace.

Laojun was refining elixirs at the time. When Xuandu entered, he said without looking up, "Taiqing Laozi has already merged with the Dao of Heaven. There is no more Taiqing Laozi in the world. Why are you so attached to it, fellow Daoist?"

"Teacher, you even severed ties with your original self to get rid of me, this burden?"

"It's not that the old Daoist has severed ties with his original body; it's that the old Daoist only inherited the perfect Dao of the Core Formation from his original body, and did not inherit anything else. The old Daoist and his original body..."

“I know, that’s why I call you teacher instead of master. Teacher, don’t forget that I can also refine pills.”

Upon hearing this, Laozi sighed and said, "Why do you do this?"

"I'll just go and find a place to settle down!" After saying that, Xuandu took out a reclining chair, lay down, and from then on, he made his home in the Tushita Palace.

(End of this chapter)