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

With the end of the Great Tribulation, all the causes and effects since the Investiture of the Gods have been turned over a new page, and the interests of the Three Realms have begun to be specifically divided, and a new order of heaven and earth has been established.

Fundamentally, apart from those in blessed lands where they rely on innate spiritual energy for survival, the immortals and gods of the Three Realms no longer depend on sentient beings as a source of cultivation. Instead, they begin to cultivate their own inner convictions and obsessions.

It can be said that this fundamentally reversed the cultivation logic of the Three Realms. After all, there are too few spiritual veins with innate spiritual energy, and they are all the abodes of great gods. The cultivation logic of others relies on all living beings.

Now that we no longer rely on sentient beings and no longer take advantage of them, the order formed by plunder has no foundation for existence.

The essence of the Investiture of the Gods was to remove the Human Emperor, who was unable to protect the human race. In order for immortals and Buddhas to seize the faith of all living beings, they had to turn them into fools and take away the rights that they should have had. Then, they created scarcity to control the living beings and take advantage of them.

Thus, all living beings were relegated to the lowest level of the primordial world. Immortals and Buddhas sought their faith, while demons demanded their flesh, blood, essence, and soul, essentially making them fuel for the three realms.

Now that the Human Emperor has returned and holds a very high position, even the immortals and Buddhas have lost their ability to intervene. Ziyu's Dao and the Dao of the Jie Sect have begun to flourish.

Ziyu's Dao seeks only the mind, which means that all beings are enlightened and not foolish. The Jiejiao Dao pursues equality for all beings, teaching without discrimination, and not distinguishing between the innate and the acquired.

On the path, one cannot be hypocritical; one cannot speak empty words or boastful talk. If even one's own path is hypocritical, then proving one's path is just nonsense.

I cannot say that I am using the slogan of equality for all beings to recruit only innate disciples. If I do this, my own path will be ruined. Does Tongtian not know how much of a threat such a large number of disciples of varying quality pose to the great sect?

Tongtian knew, but there was nothing he could do. This was his own way, and if even he didn't believe in his own way, how could outsiders believe in it?

First of all, if one only recruits disciples with innate talent while claiming to be equal to all beings and to teach without discrimination, not to mention the hidden dangers of mixed fortunes, one loses the foundation for existence. This is the reason why Kunlun Mountain split up in the first place.

The fact that Yuanshi Tianzun made Tongtian learn from him is itself a disrespect for Tongtian's Dao. If the Dao no longer exists, how can this sage still exist?

A sage is someone who transcends the mindset of weighing pros and cons. The concept of reaching the heavens represents the vast number of people who can live in this world with dignity, rather than having to weigh pros and cons like ordinary people.

If Tongtian does not abide by his own Dao, then all the beings in the primordial world will lose their foundation for survival and become slaves to the innate beings.

The Primordial Beginning represents the few but exquisite beings of the primordial world, while the Heavenly Connection represents the vast and numerous beings born after the heavens. Without the Dao, they lost their foundation.

With the end of this great calamity, the order established since the Investiture of the Gods has completely collapsed. Haotian Yaochi has seized power in the Heavenly Court and its destiny, while the Jie Sect has gained the right to interpret the Heavenly Dao.

Bai Suzhen, after wiping out the demon cave in Xiniu Hezhou, vindicated the demon race and began to implement Nuwa's way of balancing all races. She started to contact the human race and strived to achieve the coexistence of all races in the prehistoric world. After the war between the witch and the demon, the prehistoric world's myriad races declined, and the human race became the protagonist of the prehistoric world, but only as the protagonist.

For the primordial world to come alive, the first thing that needs to happen is that the environment in which all races live must change.

Chaoge Immortal City reappeared in its original location, atop the city tower of Yin Ziyu's Sacrificial Office, with the Junior Sacrificial Goddess Luo standing beside him.

"After one cycle, everything returned to its starting point, but after countless twists and turns!"

Upon hearing Yin Ziyu's words, Luo Shen smiled and said, "I vaguely remember when I first met you, Ziyu. It feels like only yesterday, but I never imagined that a whole era has passed. At least now, our cultivation levels have undergone earth-shattering changes, and the crisis of the Great Shang Dynasty has completely passed!"

Yin Ziyu nodded: "A thousand sails pass by the sunken ship, and ten thousand trees bloom before the withered tree!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Shen's eyes lit up: "Zi Yu's words are indeed insightful and brilliant! Now that Zi Yu enjoys great prestige and good fortune, are you preparing to prove your Dao?"

Yin Ziyu pondered for a moment and said, "This path to enlightenment is achieved through force, which is not so easy. I have only just condensed the Heart of Transcendence. If I want to achieve enlightenment, I will have to wait for the next Great Tribulation!"

"When will the next great calamity occur? And what will be its cause?"

After hearing this, Yin Ziyu looked at Tianyu and said, "My attainment of enlightenment will be a great calamity, because I am the first person to break through the shackles of the Heavenly Dao with great momentum. Therefore, when I attain enlightenment, it will be the time when the great calamity arrives!"

"This"

Yin Ziyu continued, "However, at least there will be a period of peace. I once told Zishou that for the Shang Dynasty, breaking through the predicament would require offending the root cause, and offending the root cause would lead to the destruction of the country. Even without offending the root cause, the country was destined to perish!"

After hearing this, Luo Shen nodded and said, "Only in this way could the matter of changing the legal system, which is an offense against the root, occur, and only in this way could His Majesty's blasphemy against the Holy Mother happen. This is the reason for offending the root. In that case, Ziyu's attainment of the Dao also involves offending the root?"

Yin Ziyu nodded: "Gathering the heart of transcendence from the Great Luo Golden Immortal stage is itself an offense to the root of the Heavenly Dao. However, merely seeing through it is not a true offense. There is also the Dao Ancestor restraining the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, the victory in this great calamity will not cause the Heavenly Dao and the Sages to create a predicament that we cannot cope with!"

Luo Shen nodded: "In the future, Ziyu's attainment of the Dao will be the true source of offense, and then the might of the Heavenly Dao will truly descend! Condensing the heart of transcendence is the breakthrough of the heart. If one wants to take the path of transcendence, it is to break free of the shackles step by step. Breaking free of the shackles will cause the suppression of the Heavenly Dao!"

"Yes, and the suppression by the Heavenly Dao is perfectly reasonable. Even the Dao Ancestor cannot interfere. It is the only way to prove the Dao through force and break the shackles of the Heavenly Dao."

Upon hearing Yin Ziyu's words, Luo Shen became quite nervous: "In that case, how can Ziyu break the shackles of the Heavenly Dao!"

After hearing this, Yin Ziyu said, "Don't worry about this matter. We still need to plan step by step. However, when we offend the root of all things, it will be the time when a great upheaval will occur. This is inevitable!"

Luo Shen nodded after hearing this: "Bai Suzhen is preparing to build the Demon Court of Ten Thousand Races, and Jiu Feng is also preparing to rebuild the Witch Clan in the Underworld. Zi Yu, would you like to go?"

Yin Ziyu nodded: "Of course we must go. These two places are of utmost importance!"

"."

In the Taiqing Heaven, after the Great Calamity, the order of the primordial world has been completely overturned. The four sages, Laozi, Yuanshi Tianzun, Jieyin Daoren, and Zhunti Daoren, gathered together to discuss important matters.

The Primordial Celestial Venerable, with a solemn expression, spoke first: "Elder brother, fellow Daoists, since the great war between the Lich King and the Demon King, the grand strategy we established for the primordial world has been completely lost after this journey to the West. Given this situation, how should we plan to determine our future strategy?"

Lao Tzu remained calm and unconcerned, and slowly said, "Second brother, there is no need to be discouraged by this. Temporary success or failure is nothing more than this. The body of a sage is indestructible through countless eons. In the long river of time, even traversing trillions of billions of eons is nothing more than ordinary. Those who have failed to attain the Primordial Dao are just like Di Jun and Tai Yi in the past, and ultimately cannot escape the fate of annihilation."

Lao Tzu's words resonate like a great bell, carrying boundless detachment and tranquility.

However, his words reveal the essential difference between a saint and an immortal. Being indestructible through countless eons is not just talk. Without becoming a saint, one is ultimately just a ripple in the vast river of time.

These words were like a gentle spring breeze, comforting the other three.

Daoist Zhunti nodded in agreement: "What Fellow Daoist Laozi said is absolutely right. As sages, the Three Realms are merely places for all living beings to experience trials. Those who have not attained sainthood are ultimately like ants and are not worth fearing. In the past, Tongtian wanted to recreate the old scene of the primordial world. If the great trend comes, we also have a role to play."

Zhunti's words instantly turned the failure of the Great Calamity into a game, with the world of reenactment as a safety net, so what was the failure of this Great Calamity?
If the world were to repeat itself, all but those who are invincible and share the same fate would perish, with nowhere to escape. After all, the world is in chaos, so how can one escape into chaos?
It can be said that if chaos were to repeat itself, even Yin Ziyu would die, because Yin Ziyu has not yet attained the indestructible Dao fruit.

This is the ultimate safety net, and sages have the right to recreate the world, but they must obtain the consent of the Heavenly Dao.

Yuanshi Tianzun snorted coldly and said disdainfully, "The defeat in this great calamity was truly due to the Master, and not something that those ant-like beings could control."

Lao Tzu nodded slightly and said calmly, "To be able to discern the teacher's intentions, this person is no ordinary individual."

For Yuanshi Tianzun, this great calamity gave Hongjun the opportunity to participate, while making the sages hesitant to act. Of course, the fact that the sages bullied Haotian Yaochi in this way also shows that they did not take Hongjun seriously.

Imagine, Hongjun had just ordered Haotian to become the Heavenly Emperor at Yaochi, yet the sage showed no respect whatsoever. He first played with Haotian, then schemed to have Yaoji descend to the mortal realm to have an affair with Yang Tianyou, making Haotian bear the consequences of his sister's violation of heavenly rules. Then he entrusted Yang Jian with his supernatural powers to rescue Yaoji, completely discrediting the Heavenly Emperor and ultimately rendering him a mere figurehead.

As the saying goes, one must consider the owner before beating a dog. Such mockery of the Heavenly Emperor has already created karma with Hongjun. However, since Hongjun has merged with the Dao, he has lost his binding power. As long as the sage does not violate the rules, Hongjun cannot take action.

This time, it was Yin Ziyu who found an opportunity to involve Hongjun, which led to the revision of the Investiture of the Gods. Furthermore, Hongjun also gained the ability to restrain the Heavenly Dao and maintain its fairness, which was the foundation for Yin Ziyu's victory in the Great Tribulation.

The Guide Daoist looked thoughtful and asked, "Now that all our major sects have closed their mountains, how long will this closure last?"

Lao Tzu, with his profound gaze and insightful understanding of the heavens, slowly said, "Yin Ziyu has already broken through the shackles of the Heavenly Dao and is spreading his teachings to all living beings, hoping that they may also break through these shackles. This is the great trend set by the Heavenly Dao after the Dragon-Han Calamity. How can he be allowed to destroy it so easily? Perhaps, soon, we sages will be able to descend upon the world again."

Lao Tzu's words caused a great stir, immediately drawing surprise from the three sages.

Daoist Zhunti hurriedly asked, "Fellow Daoist Laozi, is this really true?"

Lao Tzu's expression was unfathomable as he smiled and said, "This person wants to prove the Dao through force and break through the shackles of the Heavenly Dao. We, as the sages of the Heavenly Dao, are part of those shackles. If he cannot even overcome the obstacles of us sages, how can he break through the shackles of the Heavenly Dao? If this person takes step by step toward the path of proving the Dao, then that will be the opportunity for us sages to descend into the world."

Lao Tzu's words revealed his understanding of Yin Ziyu, and Yin Ziyu also said that if he continued to offend the root of the problem, there would be a major change.

After hearing this, the Guide nodded slightly and praised, "That's excellent. In this way, it's perfectly justified. Even Tongtian and Nuwa, and even our teacher, will have nothing to say."

Lao Tzu remained calm and said, "Now that the great calamity has passed, we only need to wait for the opportune moment from Heaven. How could Heaven allow them to divide the origin of Heaven and establish separate paths for humanity and earth?"

Yuanshi Tianzun seemed to understand something and said, "This Yin Ziyu knows that with his current cultivation level, if he wants to prove the Dao, he must rely on Nuwa to establish the human way and Houtu to open up the earthly path in order to help him prove the Dao?"

Upon hearing this, Daoist Zhunti replied, "If he doesn't take this path, let alone him, even we sages would find it difficult to resist the might of the Heavenly Dao. This is the only path he can take." Laozi nodded slightly and said, "I know very well that this is the only way for him to prove the Dao through force. Now that all the signs have appeared, when this child intends to establish the Way of Humanity and the Way of Earth, it will be the time for a sage to descend into the world, and it is also the duty of us sages of the Heavenly Dao."

Upon hearing this, everyone showed expressions of agreement and nodded in approval: "What you say is very good, fellow Daoist!"

After discussing the matter, the four sages went into seclusion. They were not at all nervous about Yin Ziyu's control of the order of the calamity. They saw it as nothing more than a period of seclusion, a ripple in the long river of time, and at most, a reenactment of the primordial world by the decree of Heaven.

If things become unmanageable, simply recreate the primordial chaos, start all over again, and all people will vanish into nothingness, leaving only a few saints, who will be clean and at ease.

At this moment, on Zhaoyao Mountain, banners fluttered as if they were about to tear the sky apart.

Having won the great calamity, Bai Suzhen stood majestically atop the mountain, holding a demon-summoning banner. The banner was adorned with flashing incantations of laws and shimmering light, as if summoning the spirits of all races.

With his other hand, he held the Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife high, its blade gleaming coldly, as if it could shatter all illusions in the world.

The Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife fell into Yunxiao's hands. However, this treasure was indeed a treasure of the demon race, belonging to Taiyi. Yunxiao gave it to Bai Suzhen to enhance her own lineage.

"I am acting on the decree of the Goddess Nuwa to quell the demon race!"

Bai Suzhen's voice was like a booming bell, resounding throughout the surrounding area.

"The demon race is originally a union of all races in the primordial world. The primordial world is not only the primordial world of the human race, but also the primordial world of all races. Since the ancient calamity, all races have withered, and demons have stolen the name of the demon race, destroying our demon race's fortune. As the sage of the demon race and also the holy mother of the human race, Nuwa, who holds the Great Dao of Creation, should protect the balance of all races. Now that I have taken charge of the demon race, I will surely coexist with the human race in the primordial world and establish the Demon Court of All Races on this Zhaoyao Mountain. Know that only when all races prosper can humanity prosper!"

Bai Suzhen's declaration of her accession to the throne was resounding and powerful, echoing like rolling thunder across Zhaoyao Mountain.

In the present primordial world, the strength of the ancient demon race has been completely destroyed, and all those who hindered the reform of the demon race no longer exist. As for the Northern Underworld demon race, they are now insignificant.

Although Kunpeng is a demon master, he is indeed at odds with the ancient demon race and has a huge karmic connection with them, so he naturally supports Bai Suzhen in establishing the correctness of the demon race.

Just then, Yin Ziyu arrived together with Luo Shen and Di Xin.

Bai Suzhen spotted them immediately and hurriedly stepped forward to greet them, smiling broadly as she said, "Fellow Daoist Ziyu has arrived! The Human Emperor and Fellow Daoist Luoshen's presence is truly an honor for Zhaoyao Mountain."

Yin Ziyu nodded slightly, glanced around, and said, "In such a prosperous age for the demon race, how could we not come?"

Bai Suzhen straightened her expression and solemnly said, "This time, I am in charge of the demon race by order of the Empress. The most important thing is to resolve the hatred between the demon race and the human race since ancient times."

Yin Ziyu's gaze was deep as he slowly said, "When Your Majesty made Emperor Fuxi the emperor of the human race, that was her original intention. The calamity of the ancient times had other hidden reasons. It was instigated by Di Jun and Taiyi, and there were people secretly plotting behind the scenes. Now that Di Jun and Taiyi are dead, Lu Ya has also been listed as a god, and most of the ancient demons have perished. The most urgent task is for all races to prosper. This cause and effect should be resolved here."

Yin Ziyu knew a great deal about the hidden story behind this, and for the time being, he absolutely could not allow this cause and effect to continue, nor was there any reason for it to continue.

Both the human race's Holy Mother and the demon race's Saint are Nuwa, but there is a huge karmic entanglement between the two races that cannot be bridged. Why is this?
Nuwa governs the Great Dao of Creation and the balance of all living beings. For example, when there were only humans in the primordial world, Nuwa's duty was to create another race. When there were only witches and demons in the primordial world, Nuwa created the human race.

However, the great karmic entanglement between the demon race and the human race is irreconcilable, leaving Nuwa caught in the middle. Why?
Yin Ziyu understood this point. It was precisely because Heaven did not want the will of all beings to be unified that the human world would take shape, allowing Nuwa to smoothly ascend to the throne as the ruler of the human world.

If you understand the deeper logic, then you can't continue to fuss over superficial details.

Although we won this great calamity, it was only the first step. If we consider our opponent as Guang Chengzi or the Buddha, then we can say we have won.

But to regard one's opponent as a saint is insignificant; to regard one's opponent as the Way of Heaven is nothing but a joke.

It was merely a clever trick; there was no real constraint from Heaven, only because Hongjun was hesitant to act rashly.

If it weren't for the sages and the Heavenly Dao playing tricks on the Heavenly Emperor, allowing Yin Ziyu to win this great calamity, it would have been very difficult. Yin Ziyu was able to glimpse Hongjun's desires.

When Buzhou Mountain was destroyed, Hongjun had just attained enlightenment. It's a bit much that someone who had just attained enlightenment had to bear the huge blame for the collapse of Buzhou Mountain.

After all, Hongjun was now the Heavenly Dao Man at this time. So, during Hongjun's tenure, Buzhou Mountain was knocked down. To say that it was knocked down by the Ancestral Witch is a joke. How could the ancestral mountain of all mountains, the backbone of the primordial world, be knocked down by a Quasi-Saint?

But how did Buzhou Mountain collapse? Why did it collapse, and why didn't Hongjun intervene when it collapsed?
This led to a series of problems that made Hongjun the scapegoat. Hongjun could only step forward and say that this was the general trend, and that Nuwa should mend the sky to end the matter. But people's hearts would still be suspicious.

This blame has always existed, but no one has mentioned it. The incident at Haotian Yaochi greatly damaged Hongjun's authority. The people of the prehistoric world believed that after Hongjun merged with the Dao, he was completely equivalent to the Heavenly Dao, which greatly reduced his influence on the Three Realms, while the influence of the Sages greatly increased.

By leveraging this hidden cause and effect, the victory of this great calamity was achieved. To be fair, Yin Ziyu acknowledges this point. It was an excellent entry point, without attracting a force that Yin Ziyu could not resist.

There are still enormous karmic connections in the entire primordial world, and these need to be clarified and eliminated in the future. However, the karmic connections between humans and demons have already reached this point and should no longer exist.

Now that the Xuanyuan lineage is no longer in power, and all the ancient demon races have perished, the time has come to completely resolve this cause and effect.

A new emperor brings a new court, and so too does a new demon emperor bring a new order to the demon race.

After Yin Ziyu finished speaking, Di Xin solemnly declared in his imperial voice, "I promise, on behalf of the emperor, that the cause and effect between humans and demons will be wiped clean from this day forward and will never be mentioned again. May Heaven bear witness!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the Heavenly Dao seemed to sense it and rumbled, the sound seemingly coming from the depths of heaven and earth, shaking every inch of the Three Realms.

In that instant, all parties in the Three Realms noticed this tremendous change and were all shocked.

All the great gods know that once the cause and effect between humans and demons is resolved, there will be no more barriers between all races and the human race. At the same time, the barriers that arose from this cause and effect and were condensed in the human realm will also disappear without a trace.

At this time, Bai Suzhen was building the Demon Court of Ten Thousand Races, which was a major event in the prehistoric world. For a time, people from all sides of the prehistoric world came to congratulate her, after all, they were all victors of the Great Tribulation, so they naturally had to come.

Those who failed in the Great Tribulation have all secluded themselves in the mountains and naturally will not participate.

As everyone arrived, a chaotic rift suddenly opened in the void, and Jin Ning stepped out from it, his body surrounded by chaotic energy, as if he had come from the source of endless time.

Holding the decree of the Goddess Nuwa, Jin Ning, with a solemn and dignified expression, headed straight for Zhaoyao Mountain.

When Jin Ning reached the summit of Zhaoyao Mountain, he loudly proclaimed the imperial edict of the Goddess Nuwa: "By decree of the Goddess Nuwa, Bai Suzhen is hereby conferred the title of Demon Queen!"

These words seemed to resonate throughout the heavens and earth, and the fortune of Zhaoyao Mountain rose like a volcanic eruption.

The immense fortune transformed into auspicious five-colored light, soaring straight into the sky, seemingly about to dye the world in magnificent colors.

Upon seeing this, Di Xin immediately stepped forward and, in his esteemed position as the Human Emperor, proclaimed loudly, "As the Human Emperor, I congratulate Fellow Daoist Bai on ascending to the throne of Demon Emperor! May the human and demon races eliminate their differences and jointly prosper in the primordial world!"

Since Di Xin gained fame for fighting against saints, he has now regained his position as the Human Emperor and enjoys immense prestige in the Three Realms. All three realms submit to him. Only Di Xin is qualified to continue as the Human Emperor and maintain the dignity of the human race, as Yin Ziyu is now preparing to prove his Dao. No one else is suitable.

Before Di Xin finished speaking, the Golden Spirit Mother also arrived gracefully, her figure elegant yet dignified, and said in a loud voice: "Golden Spirit Mother of the Jie Sect congratulates Fellow Daoist Bai on ascending to the throne of the Demon Emperor. May the demon race prosper and all races shine together!"

Immediately afterwards, Kunpeng's slightly weathered figure appeared, and he spoke calmly: "This humble Daoist Kunpeng congratulates the new Demon Emperor on his ascension to the throne. May the demon race once again display its former glory and awe the primordial world!"

Kunpeng had no objection to Nuwa's choice of her protector daughter to ascend the throne. In any case, he was aloof from the demon race and was not on good terms with the ancient demon race.

Just then, Haotian and Yaochi arrived together, their bodies radiating divine light, displaying the majesty of the Heavenly Court.

Haotian smiled and said, "Congratulations on the Demon Emperor's ascension to the throne. From now on, the Heavenly Court and the Demon Court of all races shall watch over and help each other to maintain peace in the primordial world."

In an instant, forces from all directions of the Three Realms flocked to the scene like rivers flowing into the sea.

Immortals, gods, demons, monsters, and humans—all powerful beings—gathered at Zhaoyao Mountain to congratulate the new Demon Emperor on his ascension to the throne.

Between heaven and earth, boundless fortune seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, like a surging torrent, converging towards the demon race's sacred mountain, Zhaoyao Mountain.

The aura of fortune condensed into tangible clouds, enveloping Mount Zhaoyao in a dreamlike and ethereal way.

Bai Suzhen stood atop the mountain, surrounded by a dense aura of fortune, resembling a deity. With a solemn expression, she suddenly proclaimed, "Heaven is above! Today, the Demon Court of all races is established. I use the Demon-Summoning Banner to suppress the fortune, uphold the Great Dao of Goddess Nuwa, and take the prosperity of all races as my foundation!"

In an instant, the Heavenly Dao seemed to be moved by this grand will, emitting a rumbling roar. The sound shook the heavens and earth.

Meanwhile, in the Netherworld, Nine Phoenixes, riding high on their victory, returned to the Underworld and headed straight for Houtu Palace. (End of Chapter)