Investiture of the Gods: I am Bigan, the Master of Conspiracy

Chapter 176 A calculated scheme: Haotian meets Hongjun, completing the Investiture of the Gods.

For a person to attain enlightenment, they need to contend for the fundamental order of the Three Realms, which inevitably leads them to trace back to its origins. This is why Yin Ziyu formed an alliance with Haotian Yaochi so early on.

By observing a part of the whole, one can see the whole picture. The miserable situation of the Heavenly Court and the Jade Pool is enough to know that Laozi and Yuanshi didn't care about the two of them at all. Their treatment of the two of them is enough to show that they have no fear.

"Ziyu, the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods should reach its peak in a few hundred years. How should we plan for this tribulation?"

Yin Ziyu dared not be entirely certain whether what he knew was true, in case Haotian Yaochi truly rose up and rewrote the Investiture of the Gods.

This means that Yin Ziyu's plan is basically without problems. Even if Haotian Yaochi fails, Yin Ziyu can still guess some things from the two people's behavior when they meet Hongjun.

In response to Jinling Shengmu's question, Yin Ziyu immediately said, "In this great calamity, we need to understand what we need. Therefore, we should follow a principle: turn small things into big ones. Just as Xiang Zhuang's sword dance was aimed at Liu Bang, a calamity can mobilize all parties in the three realms to obtain what we want. And this stone monkey that is responding to the calamity is actually just like Shen Gongbao!"

This idiom did indeed appear within these ten thousand years, after all, it was the Mandate of Heaven, and the Chan Sect needed to use it to complete the Three Realms order of exclusively respecting Confucianism.

Everyone was surprised upon hearing this.

Yunxiao naturally remembered Shen Gongbao leading him into tribulation, and immediately said in surprise, "Shen Gongbao? Could it be that this stone monkey will be involved in tribulations due to various parties in the future?"

Yin Ziyu nodded: "Although the person who is about to face this calamity is not exactly the same as Shen Gongbao, they are somewhat similar."

The Golden Spirit Mother then asked, "Ziyu, how should this plan be carried out?"

Yin Ziyu said quietly, "We need to find some demons to lure them through the eighty-one tribulations, undermine the order of the Chan Sect, and plot against our destiny. Now, let's begin our preparations!"

"good"

Yin Ziyu briefly explained this simple plan; of course, these are not fixed outcomes.

Because the opponent will also make moves, and then make some changes when the opponent makes their move.

However, basic measures to deal with the great calamity have been arranged.

Now Yin Ziyu is waiting to see if Haotian Yaochi can rewrite the Investiture of the Gods, because rewriting the Investiture of the Gods represents whether Yin Ziyu's judgment was right or wrong.

If Hongjun were to secure a rewriting of the Investiture of the Gods, then his eagerness to seize power would be understandable.

In this way, Yin Ziyu was able to resolve all the key issues during this great calamity, including strategy, basic arrangements, and top-level cause and effect, which were basically all resolved.

This great calamity is related to proving the Dao. Even though Hongjun won the Longhan Great Calamity, he still needs to meet a series of conditions. To ignore the will of Heaven in this great calamity is simply a joke.

The Great Tribulation is about to begin, and the Sages are naturally making preparations for it.

Meanwhile, Daoist Zhunti went directly to the front of the Eight Views Palace of Taiqing Heaven.

"Where do you come from, fellow Daoist?"

After meeting Zhunti, Laozi asked in a calm and unperturbed tone.

Zhunti then bowed and said, "I heard that you have successfully refined the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, and I have come specifically to request one to help my disciple Wukong attain the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm."

The original Sun Wukong only became a Taiyi Golden Immortal by eating peaches of immortality and taking medicine.

However, Jieyin and Zhunti were well aware of the immense difficulty of the Journey to the West, and thus they devised a suitable plan for dealing with Sun Wukong.

Although the future battles will not have much to do with Sun Wukong, it would be inappropriate for his cultivation level to be too low.

This allowed Sun Wukong to advance to the rank of Great Luo Golden Immortal in one step; otherwise, having consumed a bunch of useless pills, Sun Wukong would never have had the chance to become a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Laozi glanced at Zhunti, then lightly waved his whisk, and three golden lotuses flew out of the alchemy furnace, which were transformed from the three energies of essence, qi, and spirit.

"Fellow Daoist, do you think this Nine-Turn Golden Elixir is easily obtained? Do you know that this Nine-Turn Golden Elixir requires the innate Qi as a guide, the essence of the sun and moon, the true meaning of the dragon and tiger, and must undergo eighty-one cycles of fire, and be further infused with the laws of the Great Dao, before it can be formed?"

Upon hearing this, Zhunti sighed and said, "Fellow Daoist, now that the Great Tribulation has begun, everything must take the Great Tribulation as the priority. Compared to this, the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, though precious, is of little value!"

Laozi, of course, understood the gravity of the situation and looked at Zhunti: "Your disciple was originally a primordial spirit monkey, yet you allowed him to lose his original essence, and now you want to seek a elixir for him? If his original essence hadn't been lost, with his background, becoming a Grand Luo Golden Immortal would have been easy, and even reaching the ninth rank might not have been impossible. But now he's like a tree without roots. Even if he consumes a golden elixir, how can he solidify his foundation? Even if he does consume a golden elixir, reaching the third rank will be difficult!"

Zhunti, slightly embarrassed, sighed, "Fellow Daoist, you are unaware of this. This journey to the West is an opportunity for its great prosperity. That Wukong's origins are too high; if he remains in his original realm, he will surely rebel. Since the Sages are not in the Three Realms, how can we make him submit? How can we bestow favors upon him? Letting him travel west is absolutely impossible. If he leaves his original realm, I fear his cultivation will be difficult to advance. Only by borrowing the power of your golden core, Fellow Daoist, can we forcibly help him break through, so that he may feel the gratitude of the West and wholeheartedly protect the journey. Moreover, the Jie Sect has recently gained great power; only a Great Luo Immortal can be chosen to face the tribulation of the West."

Upon hearing this, Laozi stroked his beard and sighed, "It's lamentable that someone with such a background has ended up like this. Forcing one into the Dao is like grafting a broken tree onto a new one. Your disciple has already lost his original essence. To further infuse him with the Golden Elixir is like building a tall building with mud and sand. Even if he reaches the Great Luo Realm, it will be a castle in the air."

Zhunti stubbornly shook his head: "The ways of Heaven are unpredictable, driven only by the tides of time. In this great calamity, how can there be a foolproof plan? Only by sacrificing the small for the greater good can the West prosper. I hope you, fellow Daoist, will consider the greater good and bestow upon me the Golden Elixir!"

Seeing this, Laozi finally shook his head and sighed, taking a golden pill from the alchemy furnace: "After your disciple takes this Nine-Turn Golden Pill, although he may be able to enter the early stage of the Great Luo Realm, he will never be able to break through the mid-stage barrier, and moreover, he will never reach perfection even after the flower blooms to the third grade."

"Remember, after his journey to the West, you must nurture his original nature with great merit; otherwise, he will find it difficult to make any progress in his life!"

Zhunti clapped his hands and laughed, "Thank you, fellow Daoist! However, this monkey does not yet possess a suitable weapon. I have heard that the Eastern Sea Stabilizing Needle was forged by you from innate black iron. Since it is now useless, why not bestow it upon this humble monk's disciple?"

Laozi's tone turned icy upon hearing this: "Fellow Daoist's request is excessive! Although that divine needle is an acquired spiritual treasure, it once suppressed the dragon veins of the four seas, making it a meritorious spiritual treasure."

After listening, Zhunti said, "Now that the primordial world has been transformed into the Three Realms, and heaven and earth have been reforged, this needle has long lost its purpose of stabilizing the sea. Wukong is born with divine strength but has no weapon, so he is destined to be with the divine needle. Fellow Daoist, you are the leader of the Human Sect, and everything depends on fate. You should know that treasures will appear when they meet their destined owner. I implore you, Fellow Daoist, to grant Wukong's wish!"

"Fine! Since it's said to be fate, let that monkey go to the Dragon Palace of the East Sea and retrieve it himself."

"Thank you, fellow Daoist! Once the journey to the West is complete, the Western Sect will naturally repay this karmic debt with its own merits."

After Zhunti finished speaking, he was overjoyed to have obtained what he wanted, and immediately took his leave.

At this moment, after leaving Yin Ziyu's place, Haotian and Yaochi headed straight for the outside of Chaos and arrived at Zixiao Palace!
"Disciple Haotian!"

"Disciple Yaochi!"

"Greetings, Master!"

After a long while, Hongjun's voice echoed from Zixiao Palace: "Why are you here when you are not in the Heavenly Court?" Haotian and Yaochi quickly bowed again, and Haotian spoke first: "Reporting to Your Excellency! This disciple has come to request an audience regarding the matter of changing the Investiture of the Gods. This disciple believes that all beings in the Three Realms are inherently equal, but with the arrival of the Great Calamity, countless beings have been reincarnated. In the past, the gods on the list were eternally stationed in the Heavenly Court, enjoying sacrificial rites but losing their freedom. Now that the Great Calamity has arisen again, I humbly request Your Excellency's permission to allow those who perished in this Great Calamity to be added to the list, in exchange for those who were appointed gods in the previous calamity being released from their positions and returned to the mortal realm, so that the list can be changed every time a Great Calamity occurs."

These words were, of course, suggested by Yin Ziyu to Haotian.

To restart the Investiture of the Gods, a reasonable explanation is needed. How can one simply go to Zixiao Palace and say that the Chan Sect has usurped power and that one's position as Heavenly Emperor is merely that of a puppet?

If that's the case, it would be a miracle if Hongjun agreed.

This is a persuasive argument devised by Yin Ziyu after he understood Hongjun's position; firstly, there must be a loophole in the Heavenly Dao.

This Investiture of the Gods only grants deification upon death, but the duration of the deification is not specified. Does it mean that deification will last forever?

This deviates from the original meaning that nothing under the Great Dao is permanent or eternal, and also deviates from the glimmer of hope.

After Haotian finished speaking, Yaochi also bowed respectfully, her voice clear and melodious: "Your Excellency is wise! When the Investiture of the Gods was first created, the date for its removal was not mentioned, which is a regret of Heaven. If the gods are to be forever confined to their divine duties, it is not in accordance with the inclusiveness of the Great Dao. Now that we are in the midst of a great calamity, it is appropriate to establish new rules. At the time of each great calamity, all living beings should be given a sliver of life to avoid reincarnation, and those who conferred the titles of gods should also be given a chance of freedom. When the great calamity ends, the old and new divine positions will be replaced, thus fulfilling the wish of all living beings to be reincarnated and demonstrating the compassion of Heaven, leaving a sliver of life for all living beings."

After they finished speaking, the two knelt outside the Zixiao Palace, awaiting Hongjun's decree.

Deep within the Purple Cloud Palace, Hongjun's voice seemed to echo from the endless chaos: "Haotian, Yaochi, do you know the essence of the Investiture of the Gods? The list represents discipline, and the gods represent order. Without eternal divine positions, how can the Three Realms be stable?"

Upon hearing Hongjun's words, Haotian and Yaochi were extremely shocked.

Yin Ziyu had given me instructions before I came, and it turned out just as I had predicted.

Because Hongjun's rebuttal was not a stern rebuttal, but rather an ambiguous and seemingly plausible denial.

Haotian then realized that he needed to deepen the reasons for changing the Investiture of the Gods.

Haotian kowtowed and said, "To stabilize the order of the Three Realms, it is even more necessary to preserve life! If the divine positions are forever fixed, the gods of the previous eons will gradually become lazy and abuse their power for personal gain. Now that we allow for replacement, the new gods will be ambitious, and the old gods will know that their destiny is predetermined. This will actually cleanse the impurities and benefit the cycle of Heaven."

Yaochi was quite shocked by Yin Ziyu at this moment. Yin Ziyu had said that if the Dao Ancestor did not truly refuse, then a more reasonable explanation was needed. Yaochi immediately offered her advice.

"Master often says that Heaven and Earth are ruthless, but within this ruthlessness lies great benevolence. Benevolence lies in the continuous cycle of life, not in clinging to eternity. There will be countless future eons, thus forming a cycle of change. As a result, all beings will know that they will not be gods forever. In this way, during the great eons, they will not be afraid and shatter the Three Realms. Furthermore, this great eon will not trigger an immeasurable eon. This is a great merit!"

Yaochi's reasons were quite sufficient. Hongjun, as someone who had been through it all, knew that the price of failure was annihilation. Therefore, they all destroyed the prehistoric world with the mentality that if the world did not have them, what would be the point of its existence?

Time and again, it was all because of the great calamity struggle, with no way out. If the Investiture of the Gods gave them a glimmer of hope, then the destruction of the Three Realms would naturally be reduced.

The immeasurable eons were thus greatly reduced.

Hongjun remained silent for a long time after hearing this: "Since you wish to reform, I will grant your request, but there are three prohibitions: First, do not privately exchange gifts; second, do not arbitrarily alter cause and effect; third, do not use the alteration as a pretext for favoritism. If you violate these prohibitions, the Haotian Mirror will shatter, the Peach Tree of Jade Pool will be destroyed, and you will be eternally condemned to the abyss of reincarnation."

Haotian and Yaochi were overjoyed and bowed again in gratitude: "Thank you for your mercy, Master! Your disciple will use the Haotian Mirror to oversee the succession. I wonder who will be chosen to bestow the title of God? In my opinion, it should be the most impartial person in the Three Realms!"

"You may all go now, I have my own arrangements!"

"Disciple retire!"

After leaving Zixiao Palace, the two were both deeply shocked, but they did not go to find Yin Ziyu. Instead, they told Yin Ziyu about the incident.

Upon hearing the details of this incident, Yin Ziyu was overjoyed.

"Just as I expected! If that's the case, then our plan to travel to the West can proceed as planned!"

The outcome of Haotian Yaochi's visit to Hongjun was extremely important to Yin Ziyu.

This is crucial to ensuring that Yin Ziyu's top-level thinking for this great tribulation will not go wrong.

Given this outcome, it's safe to assume that almost all of Yin Ziyu's predictions were correct.

Of course, relying entirely on judgment is not enough, but it should be basically correct.

The alliance with Haotian Yaochi is actually equivalent to an alliance with Hongjun in secret.

It should be understood that the positions of the Six Saints were bestowed by the Heavenly Dao, while Haotian Yaochi was Hongjun's true direct descendant.

Yin Ziyu can now calmly plan for this great calamity.

Yin Ziyu has always insisted that the most important point in planning the success or failure of the Great Tribulation is that once you understand the essence of the Great Tribulation and truly see through its fundamental nature, all your plans will remain true to the same principle.

Only by seeing through the essence can you find the right people and do the right things.

Meanwhile, Sun Wukong had mastered all the supernatural powers, including the seventy-two transformations and the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, taught to him by Subhuti, at Fangcun Mountain.

This allows Sun Wukong to transform at will, sometimes hiding as an insect or displaying the might of a dragon or tiger, with a thousand transformations that are unpredictable. Even in the face of great calamities, he can still manage to cope.

This somersault cloud cultivation was also perfected. One somersault could cover 108,000 li, as fast as lightning and as swift as the wind, crossing thousands of mountains and rivers in an instant. This made Sun Wukong extremely happy, and at the same time, his gratitude for Subhuti's kindness became even deeper.

On this day, Subhuti suddenly summoned Sun Wukong to his side, waved his whisk, and said solemnly, "Your merits have been accomplished; you may quickly return to Flower Fruit Mountain. From now on, you must not mention my name anywhere!"

After Subhuti finished speaking, he gently flicked his wrist, and Sun Wukong felt an irresistible divine force rushing towards him. He was swept away from Fangcun Mountain and instantly landed on Huaguo Mountain, leaving Sun Wukong completely bewildered.

Yin Ziyu naturally witnessed Sun Wukong's return to Flower Fruit Mountain, and upon seeing this, he immediately headed straight for the Heavenly Court.

The future plans lie within the Heavenly Court. Now that Sun Wukong has returned, regardless of whether he will cause further havoc in the Heavenly Palace, Yin Ziyu needs to make some arrangements.

Meanwhile, in the Heavenly Court, Empress Jiang, the Doumu Yuanjun, was pondering how to make Emperor Xin submit. For tens of thousands of years, she had tried everything, from soft and hard tactics to even using kinship as bait, but she still couldn't make Emperor Xin yield in the slightest.

Regardless of the circumstances, Emperor Xin must be forced to submit; only in this way can the backbone and spirit of the Shang Dynasty be broken.

"Perhaps, it's time to use the God-Slaying Whip!"

(End of this chapter)