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

Chapter 192 A Bet is Made, One Difficulty and One Scripture!
When Yin Ziyu proposed the wager, Zhen Yuanzi's expression froze for a moment, and he thought to himself, "Ziyu's sudden visit to my Wuzhuang Temple may have been for this very reason. I just wonder how this wager will be conducted?"

At this moment, Zhen Yuanzi finally saw through Yin Ziyu's scheme from this discussion. However, since it all started from his own Wuzhuang Temple, Zhen Yuanzi's eyes revealed a hint of doubt and vigilance as he stared at Yin Ziyu, trying to find out what Yin Ziyu was plotting from his expression.

On the summit of West Kunlun, the Queen Mother of the West witnessed this scene and couldn't help but sigh softly: "At this crucial moment in the Journey to the West, Ziyu has pointed out the flaws in the path of faith, and now Buddhism is in a predicament, seemingly with no way out."

In the Northern Sea, Kunpeng was also filled with emotion: "It turns out that Ziyu came to Wuzhuang Temple with the intention of destroying the foundation of Journey to the West. It is quite similar to the destruction of the foundation of Xiqi when the Investiture of the Gods was held."

Kunpeng's words about Yin Ziyu's scheme carried a hint of schadenfreude, mixed with astonishment at the changing situation.

Within the Asura Realm, Styx sighed, "Now, the Buddhist sect has no way out in this gamble. If they don't gamble, they'll appear guilty and lose face in front of everyone in the Three Realms. If this is the case at the very beginning of the Journey to the West, how can the journey continue!"

The great god Lei Ze exclaimed in amazement: "Since the beginning of the Investiture of the Gods, this person has been constantly taking risks. He dared to rashly plot to kill E Chongyu, and he dared to change the legal system to provoke the human emperor's revenge for blaspheming Nuwa. Now he dares to do this again, but in the end, he won the gamble. His schemes, courage, and decisiveness are truly astonishing!"

"."

At this point, almost everyone understood what Yin Ziyu wanted to do, but they were also amazed by his gambling spirit.

The reason for this is that the audience from the Three Realms represents a kind of power, carrying the distinction between good and evil, the strength of power, and other intangible things. Although these people may not be qualified to dominate the Three Realms, their importance is beyond doubt.

Without them as the audience to judge, there would be no distinction between justice and evil, and no witness to fairness or unfairness.

Many important events need to gain momentum among independent cultivators led by these individuals. Ultimately, they are the bearers and endorsers of this momentum.

Without these people, all strategies become meaningless, because beings of low cultivation are not qualified to bear good and evil.

So the entire Journey to the West would only consist of life-or-death struggles and battles of wits.

Of course, they were not just a few people, but representatives and opinion leaders of countless independent cultivators throughout the Three Realms.

At this point, Dipankara Buddha immediately communicated secretly with Tathagata Buddha of Mount Ling using a secret method.

The Ancient Buddha of the Burning Lamp said solemnly, “Buddha, Ziyu has come here to plot the destruction of the foundation of Journey to the West, using methods just like those used against Xiqi back then. Now that we are discussing the Dao at Wuzhuang Temple, if we retreat, Journey to the West will lose momentum before it has even begun. This person is cunning and will surely have countless tricks up his sleeve to deal with our retreat. If we seize the opportunity to pursue him, Journey to the West and our Buddhist sect will become a laughing stock in the Three Realms. But if we accept the bet, we may fall into his carefully laid trap.”

The Buddha closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then slowly said, “Ancient Buddha, since this is a great calamity, we must face it calmly. The opponent has already made his move. It is a great opportunity for Buddhism, a rare opportunity in the West that has been missed for countless eons. How can we back down? Our power is now enormous, so why should we be afraid? In that case, let us proceed.”

After hearing this, Dipankara Buddha put his hands together and said, "Amitabha, in that case, this humble monk will first inquire about the details of the bet before making a decision."

The Buddha nodded slightly: "Good. However, let Wukong and the others rest first, and don't let them get involved in this conflict."

After the discussion was completed, Dipankara Buddha conveyed the Buddha's intentions to Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Guanyin Bodhisattva immediately instructed Tang Sanzang: "Sanzang, now that you have eaten the ginseng fruit, you should go and rest."

Tang Sanzang quickly put his hands together and respectfully said, "Amitabha, this humble monk will obey the Bodhisattva's command."

Tang Sanzang took the Bodhisattva's command as a sacred decree, and since he couldn't understand the others' discussions, he immediately followed the two Daoist boys, Qingfeng and Mingyue, to the guest room to rest.

Seeing this, Pigsy wisely yawned loudly and exclaimed, "This discussion is utterly boring! I, Old Pig, am going to sleep. Brother Monkey, you should go to sleep too!"

As a direct disciple of the third generation of the Human Sect, Zhu Bajie's emotional intelligence, IQ, and ability to read people are beyond question. He immediately pulled Sun Wukong to rest.

But now that we've reached a lively period of gambling, how could Sun Wukong possibly want to leave?

Sun Wukong scratched his ears and cheeks, looking like he hadn't had enough: "Bajie, Sha Wujing, you two go ahead, I, Old Sun, want to hear more."

Pigsy said dismissively, "Brother Monkey, this discussion is so boring and tedious, what's there to listen to? Go to sleep."

At this moment, Guanyin Bodhisattva gently patted Sun Wukong on the head and said, "Wukong, go and rest. We still need to continue our journey west tomorrow."

With that slap, Sun Wukong felt dizzy and was involuntarily pulled by Zhu Bajie, swaying as they walked towards the guest room.

Inside the Wuzhuang Temple, as everyone left, the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy. A gamble concerning the fate of Journey to the West and Buddhism was settled among them.

Dipankara Buddha's expression was solemn, his gaze fixed on Yin Ziyu, and he said in a deep voice, "Please tell me frankly how the bet should be made!"

Yin Ziyu, with a composed expression, slowly spoke: "The Journey to the West is indeed in accordance with the will of Heaven. However, the hidden dangers within this faith are numerous. Since this is the case, the Journey to the West will consist of eighty-one tribulations. We will arrange the tribulations to come, and see if you can resolve them one by one. If this journey to the West can successfully resolve the tribulations I have set for the future, then for Buddhism, this journey will be considered a complete success. But if it cannot be resolved, then we will reduce the number of scriptures by one. What do you all think?"

Yin Ziyu's words, seemingly without a clear bet, were in fact not so.

After all, the Journey to the West was originally intended to guard against Yin Ziyu. Now that he has openly made it clear at Wuzhuang Temple, it is as if he has set up a game in front of the Three Realms. Although the Journey to the West is in line with the general trend, whether it can succeed and to what extent it can be completed are all full of variables.

It can be said that this great calamity was basically an open secret.

The ancient Buddha Julusun frowned and immediately said, "If that's the case, what will become of the cultivation in the Three Realms if something goes wrong during the Journey to the West?"

Yin Ziyu's lips curled slightly upward, his gaze scrutinizing him as he asked calmly, "What? Julusun Ancient Buddha, so lacking in confidence? Do you truly believe this path of faith has no progressive potential whatsoever? If you cannot even resolve the questions I have raised, how can you expect to solve the numerous problems that will arise after this path of faith spreads throughout the Three Realms? The rise and fall of the Three Realms is the responsibility of every individual. Why should the beings of the Three Realms place their entire future on you? You must understand that this journey to the West also requires the approval of the beings of the Three Realms, and this path is your path to gain that approval. What, you dare not accept?"

Yin Ziyu's words were like sharp blades, incisive and hitting the nail on the head.

It can be said that the rise and fall of the Three Realms is not a matter for ordinary people, but rather the responsibility of all beings in the Three Realms.

Since you want to change the fundamental cultivation methods of the Three Realms, you need to gain the approval of all beings in the Three Realms, instead of having everything done behind the scenes by you.

This move completely bound all beings in the Three Realms to this trend, so the Three Realms are the audience for your performance on the Journey to the West.

Whether the Journey to the West succeeds or not, even if only ten scriptures are transmitted to the East, it will still be a success. However, whether it can achieve the desired effect is another matter. The fewer the scriptures, the weaker the effect, the less benefit gained, and the greater the merit. The other side must go all out. If the Journey to the West fails, the entire Buddhist community will fall apart.

The momentum from the Investiture of the Gods to Journey to the West completely collapsed.

After all, the Buddhist sect is composed of elites from various religions, and they will naturally go all out to seize this opportunity of heavenly destiny. If the journey to the west fails, the people's hearts will inevitably be scattered.

If the Journey to the West succeeds, then Buddhism will inevitably have the right to interpret the Heavenly Dao from the Investiture of the Gods to the Journey to the West, and Yin Ziyu and the Jie Sect will both become those who defy the Heavenly Dao.

When this is defined, Yin Ziyu and the members of the Jie Sect have suffered a complete and utter defeat.

Therefore, there are no stakes, because the stakes are the struggle for the right to interpret the Heavenly Dao, which is also the struggle for the great fortune of the entire Three Realms, the struggle for the rise and fall of both sides, and the struggle for the primordial chaos.

Journey to the West is a testing ground where people compete for the right to interpret the Heavenly Dao. The victor ascends to the throne and becomes the new Hunyuan, while the loser perishes in the river of time.

This is the battle for supremacy in the primordial world, only it is expressed in a different way.

Dipankara Buddha raised his hand slightly and said, "Fellow Daoist, there is no need to press so hard. Your willingness to add tribulations to the journey to the West is also an opportunity and a fulfillment for us. This humble monk agrees."

Just as Yin Ziyu once said, "The enemy is there to help you succeed."

Upon hearing this, Yin Ziyu nodded: "Since that's the case, and the Goddess of the Luo River is here, let's swear this bet on the Luo River. I will lay down five tribulations for the journey to the West. For each tribulation that is not overcome, one less scripture will be passed down. Any method below the level of a sage can be used to overcome them. If it cannot be overcome, then we will admit defeat and we will naturally make way for you."

Yin Ziyu's words imply that any means below the level of a saint can be used to overcome the calamities in the future Journey to the West—wisdom, force, or even intrigue!
Upon hearing this, Dipankara Buddha naturally understood the underlying principle and replied without hesitation, "Very well, this humble monk swears by the Luo River that for every tribulation I will receive a scripture!"

As Yin Ziyu and Dipankara Buddha swore an oath by the Luo River, an invisible force seemed to surge through the heavens and earth. The immeasurable karma of their vows, like a materialized torrent, surged into the Luo River.

The goddess Luo, the goddess of the Luo River, instantly condensed boundless divinity within her, causing her to shine brightly beside Yin Ziyu, as if bearing the immense power brought about by this solemn oath concerning the fate of the three realms.

It can be said that Yin Ziyu has once again added opportunities for Luoshen. The divinity of the entire Luo River, through Ji Chang's oath, Xuandu's oath, and now Randeng's oath, has made the divinity of the Luo River grow rapidly, and has also made Luoshen's path clearer.

At this moment, everyone understood that Yin Ziyu's trip was not only to finalize the Journey to the West, but also to bring an opportunity to Luo Shen!

If the Oath of the Luo River is to compete in the Journey to the West, then the opportunities for the Goddess of the Luo River after the journey will truly be endless. With flowers blooming in nine grades and a solid journey along the way, it is enough to know how extraordinary her future will be.

Just as everyone was immersed in the solemn atmosphere of Yin Ziyu and the Ancient Buddha of Burning Lamp swearing an oath by the Luo River, the situation suddenly changed.

Suddenly, a golden light swept down from the sky, carrying supreme majesty, and fell directly towards Wuzhuang Temple.

"It's actually the Investiture of the Gods!"

Everyone gasped in surprise.

At this moment, the Heavenly Book of Gods, the Investiture of the Gods, has firmly fallen into Zhen Yuanzi's hands.

At the same time, Haotian's solemn voice seemed to come from the Heavenly Court: "By the decree of the Dao Ancestor, for the sake of fairness in the Three Realms, this conferment of gods will be presided over by Zhenyuan Daxian!"

The moment this sound was uttered, all realms were astonished, as if a giant rock had been thrown into a calm lake, creating a thousand layers of huge waves.

"After all, the discussions of the Sages in Zixiao Palace have not yet been truly publicized; only now can it be considered to have spread throughout the Three Realms."

The matter of the Investiture of the Gods was only spread among the disciples of the sages; the rogue cultivators were unaware of it. This was one of the reasons why Yin Ziyu chose Wuzhuang Temple this time.

For the independent cultivators, no one could have predicted that Zhen Yuanzi would obtain such a tremendous opportunity amidst the changing times.

But after a moment's thought, it seemed reasonable. At the same time, all the rogue cultivators were overjoyed. If Zhen Yuanzi could preside over the conferment of gods, then the Heavenly Court would have rogue cultivators who could reach key divine positions, preventing the disciples of the sages from dividing up the power of the Three Realms.

Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun were known throughout the primordial world as the best of the best, upholding fairness and justice, and had an excellent reputation.

Looking around, it's clear that few others possess such a convincing reputation.

After all, the people who were appointed to the Investiture of the Gods came from the Chan Sect, Buddhism, the Human Sect, and the Jie Sect. If it were presided over by people from these sects, it would inevitably be biased. Choosing Zhen Yuanzi could balance the four directions and also balance the independent cultivators.

Zhen Yuanzi hurriedly bowed respectfully and said loudly, "This humble Taoist will respectfully obey the decree of the Taoist Ancestor!"

After making their vow to travel to the West, Yin Ziyu and Luo Shen bowed to Zhen Yuanzi. Yin Ziyu said, "Thank you for your hospitality, Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi. We will take our leave now."

Zhen Yuanzi looked at Yin Ziyu with a complex expression in his eyes and said, "Fellow Daoist, there is no need to be so polite. This is what I should do."

Yin Ziyu turned slightly, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over the Buddhist monks, and said loudly, "We'll have another showdown on the future journey to the West!"

Dipankara Buddha clasped his hands together, nodded, and replied, "Very well, then let us have a contest on the journey to the West!"

Yin Ziyu bid farewell to Luo Shen, and Dipankara Buddha looked at Zhen Yuanzi and said, "Thank you for your hospitality, Great Immortal. We, the humble monks, will now take our leave!"

Zhen Yuanzi nodded and said, "Fellow Daoists, there's no need for thanks."

After everyone left, only Zhen Yuanzi remained in Wuzhuang Temple, gazing at the Investiture of the Gods in his hand, his thoughts drifting into the distance, pondering where this Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West, which concerned the fate of the Three Realms, would ultimately lead.

As a result of this series of sudden changes, all parties in the Three Realms have been plunged into a new round of heated discussions and speculations.

(End of this chapter)