Primordial Era: Cultivation level equals the sum of the Jie Sect's total; the Three Pure Ones a

The Lingxiao Palace.

Surrounded by clouds and mist, it was resplendent in gold.

Haotian sat upright on the dragon throne, his imperial robes flowing down, his crown majestic.

The Investiture of the Gods and the God-Slaying Whip were hung in the hall.

The golden and purple light shone brightly, illuminating the entire hall and the anxious faces on the floor.

Below, heavenly soldiers and generals stood on both sides, a few of them, their faces pale.

As they gazed at the Investiture of the Gods, at the true spirits rising and falling on the list, and sensed the lingering pressure of the saints, their legs went weak and they dared not even breathe.

Haotian looked down at his hands.

The primordial energy flowed endlessly within those hands.

Peak Quasi-Saint.

But those at the peak of the Quasi-Saint level are like candlelight compared to the sun and moon, or fireflies compared to the stars, before the Investiture of the Gods.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart.

"Gentlemen."

He spoke, his voice not loud, yet it clearly penetrated the hall.

"The Investiture of the Gods has reached the Heavenly Court."

"Those on the list are all gods of my Heavenly Court."

"Yuanshi, Laozi, Jieyin, Zhunti, Nuwa."

"The five Heavenly Saints are now the true gods of my Heavenly Court."

"From this day forward, Heaven will have no shortage of capable men."

"From this day forward, the Heavenly Court will no longer exist in name only."

"From this day forward, the Heavenly Court shall be the true ruler of the Three Realms."

After the sound faded, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

The heavenly soldiers and generals looked at Haotian, at his resolute face, at his eyes that were no longer filled with fear, and a feeling they could not describe welled up in their hearts.

His Majesty has changed. He is no longer the numb, helpless, and resigned Jade Emperor, but a decisive and ruthless ruler of the Three Realms.

Some people knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The rest of the people knelt down.

"Your Majesty is wise!!!"

The sound shook the palace, and the clouds and mist surged.

Haotian gazed at the kneeling figures, at those excited yet devout faces, and a slow smile crept onto his lips.

The smile was faint, yet it carried a joy that none of the hundreds of millions of yuan had ever given.

Then he raised his hand, and the Investiture of the Gods floated down into his palm.

Golden light shimmered, and true spirits rose and fell.

He lowered his eyes and looked at the five names on the list: Yuanshi, Laozi, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Nuwa.

The five true spirits surged, struggled, and fell silent within, as if resisting some irreversible fate.

After a moment of silence, he spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable resolve.

"My sages."

"I know that when you were alive, you were high above, looking down on the vast world, and regarding me as an ant."

"But you should also know that the Investiture of the Gods is a supreme treasure of Heaven."

"Those whose names are on the list, their true spirits belong to those on the list."

"You are saints of the Heavenly Dao, but you are also those destined for tribulation."

"I am the master of the Investiture of the Gods."

"Whether you are dissatisfied or resentful, once you enter the Heavenly Court, you will become a god of the Heavenly Court."

"This is your duty, and this is your destiny."

As the voice faded, the golden light on the Investiture of the Gods trembled slightly.

The five true spirits surged and churned, as if responding to something.

Within the primordial true spirit, a faint, lingering fragrance of jade purity flashed by.

Within Lao Tzu's true spirit, a wisp of pure purple energy surged slightly.

Nuwa's true spirit remained as silent as ice.

The true spirits of Jieyin and Zhunti intertwined, yet remained silent.

As Haotian observed the reactions of the five true spirits, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally felt a little relieved.

They did not submit, but they did not resist either.

They did not respond, but they also did not retaliate.

He took that step.

He gazed at the Investiture of the Gods, at the five true spirits, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke again.

"Someone come here."

As soon as the voice faded, a figure strode into the hall.

"His Majesty."

Haotian looked at him and said, slowly and deliberately, "Issue my decree."

"From this day forward, all the gods on the Investiture of the Gods shall return to their proper places."

"The five Heavenly Saints were appointed as the Five Great Emperors of the Heavenly Court, who were stationed in the five directions and ruled over all realms."

"The rest of the list will be ranked according to their merits and each will perform their respective duties."

"The Heavenly Court is officially established."

As soon as the voice fell, the figure knelt on the ground.

"My lord, I obey your order."

Haotian stood alone before the dragon throne, gazing at the empty hall, at the Investiture of the Gods hanging in the hall, and at the five true spirits floating in the golden light.

It remained unmoved for a long time.

Jin'ao Island, Biyou Palace.

Purple clouds swirl around, and green jade carpets the ground.

Tongtian sat cross-legged on the cloud bed, his sword intent flowing like water around him.

Those eyes were slightly closed, but beneath that closed gaze, the light of a sword flickered, like an unfathomable dark river.

Xuandu sat at the lower end, his blue robe hanging down, his black hair flowing over his shoulders.

He looked at his master with calm eyes, but there was a hint of concern hidden in that calmness.

"Master, how are your injuries?"

Tongtian shook his head and slowly opened his eyes.

A sense of relief now lingered in the depths of those eyes that seemed to gleam with the light of swords.

"It's alright."

"Although Nuwa is powerful, the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation cannot be broken without the Four Sages; she alone cannot overturn the heavens."

"It's just taken a toll on my mental energy; I'll recover after a period of seclusion."

Xuan Du nodded.

"Then this disciple is relieved."

Tongtian looked at him, at that young yet composed face, at those calm yet determined eyes.

After a long silence, he slowly spoke:

"Hongjun is gone?"

Xuan Du nodded.

"I'm gone."

"He was banished to the depths of chaos by Fellow Daoist Yang Mei using the power of space."

"The Eye of Heaven is fixed and cannot return on its own."

Even if he were at the peak of the half-step Heavenly Dao, he wouldn't be able to come back.

Tongtian remained silent.

He looked at Xuan Du, at that young face, at those calm eyes, at that figure in green robes who seemed to hear thunder in silence, and suddenly smiled.

The smile was faint, yet it carried a joy that none of the hundreds of millions of yuan had ever given.

"it is good."

"What a remarkable Hongjun!"

"He suppressed the Jie Sect's billion-dollar fund, set up the Investiture of the Gods scheme, and wanted to destroy all the immortals of my Jie Sect, suppress the human realm, and imprison the earth realm."

In the end, you turned the tables on me.

"Yuanshi died, Laozi died, Jieyin and Zhunti died, Nuwa died."

"The Investiture of the Gods, which he himself created, ultimately trapped his own people."

"The God-Slaying Whip that he forged with his own hands ultimately struck his own saint."

"This is cause and effect, this is retribution."

Xuan didn't say anything.

He simply gazed quietly at his master, at that lean yet serene face, at those eyes that once held the light of swords but were no longer sharp.

"Master."

He spoke, but his voice was not loud.

"Although Hongjun has left, the prehistoric world is not at peace."

"The Heavenly Dao collapsed, the balance of the Three Daos was initially established, and the order was not yet stable."

"Haotian took over the Investiture of the Gods, and the true spirits of the five saints returned to the Heavenly Court."

"Humanity and the earth have both been awakened, but the road ahead after that awakening is still very long."

"This disciple wishes to request that Master take charge of the Jie Sect and protect all immortals."

Tongtian looked at him and remained silent for a moment.

Then he slowly began to speak.

"where are you going?"

Xuan Du smiled slightly, a faint smile that carried a profound understanding of everything.

"This disciple wishes to make a trip to Chaos."

"Go and find Fellow Daoist Yang Mei."

"He has done me a great favor, and I should go and thank him."

"And by the way, let's see if Hongjun really can't come back."

Upon hearing this, Tongtian's eyes flickered slightly.

"To the depths of chaos?"

"That place is extremely dangerous; even a sage would not dare to venture there lightly."

"I'm worried about you going alone."

Xuandu looked at him and gently shook his head.

"Rest assured, Master."

"This disciple possesses the Chaos Pearl, the ability to transform one primordial energy into three pure beings, and the laws of martial arts."

"Even if they encounter any danger, they can escape unscathed."

"Besides, I'm just going to take a look; I won't go in-depth."

Tongtian gazed at him, remained silent for a long time, and then slowly nodded.

"it is good."

"Go ahead."

"Your master will be waiting for you to return on Jin'ao Island."

Xuan Du stood up and bowed slightly.

"Thank you, Master."

He turned around and took a step forward.

The void rippled silently.

The figure in green vanished from Biyou Palace in an instant.

Tongtian stood alone on the cloud bed, gazing at the disappearing figure and the gradually healing void.

His eyes were deep and unfathomable.

"Deep within chaos..."

He spoke in a low voice, which drifted through the palace.

"Xuan Du, how many more surprises do you intend to give your master?"