Investiture of the Gods: Childhood Sweetheart Daji, Starting with Quasi-Saint Cultivation

The calamity clouds were not black, but purple.

The purple was both eerie and majestic. Lightning bolts danced wildly in the clouds, each one containing the laws of destruction, far surpassing the divine punishment of the past.

This is the divine punishment personally bestowed by the wrath of Heaven!

The people of Chaoge looked up at the sky, their hearts filled with dread. Even the innocent children instinctively felt fear and hid in their parents' arms.

The Humanitarian Array activated automatically, and a golden light shield enveloped the entire city. But this time, the light shield flickered erratically under the pressure of the purple clouds, like a candle in the wind.

On the Star-Picking Tower, King Zhou's face was solemn.

"Finally...it's here."

He sensed that the purple clouds contained not the ordinary will of Heaven, but the wrath of the very source of Heaven. The rise of humanity had touched upon the fundamental interests of Heaven, and this was a fight to the death.

"Order the entire city: all civilians to retreat to underground shelters. All cultivators, prepare for battle!"

"yes!"

The order was quickly issued.

But this time, the people of Chaoge did not panic and flee.

After two years of education, they knew what "humanity" was and what they were fighting for.

"Your Majesty, we will not leave!" An old man knelt before the palace gate. "Though I am unable to fight, I wish to use my frail body to contribute to humanity!"

"Ordinary citizens too!"

"Even a petty person like that!"

The people petitioned, willing to live and die with humanity.

King Zhou's eyes were slightly red.

This is the humanity he awakened, this is the human race he wants to protect!

"Very well!" King Zhou declared loudly, "Then let Heaven show us—humanity cannot be bullied!"

He rose into the air, his Emperor's Sword pointing straight at the purple clouds.

"Heaven's will! If you want war, then let us fight!"

Purple clouds churned, and a cold, indifferent will descended:

"Di Xin, you have defied the will of Heaven and deserve to be executed."

As soon as he finished speaking, a bolt of purple lightning struck down!

This divine lightning bolt was ten times thicker than the one Tongtian had struck that day, and the destructive power it contained caused the space itself to begin to collapse.

King Zhou gritted his teeth and summoned the River of Humanity, which transformed into a golden dragon to meet him.

boom--!!!

The dragon shattered, and King Zhou coughed up blood and flew backward.

The remaining power of the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder was undiminished, and it crashed into the Human Dao Grand Array.

The formation trembled violently, and cracks spread like a spider web.

With a single strike, the great formation was on the verge of collapse!

"Your Majesty!" Su Yunbai hurriedly helped him up.

"It's alright..." King Zhou wiped the blood away, "but this is only the first step..."

Sure enough, the second and third divine lightning bolts were brewing simultaneously within the purple clouds.

Each one was comparable to a full-force strike from a saint!

"Form the Three Powers Formation!" Yunxiao shouted sharply.

The Three Heavens moved together, and the Three Talents Formation merged into the Human Dao Formation, slightly easing the cracks.

But everyone knows it can't be stopped.

The wrath of Heaven is beyond human resistance.

Just as the second divine lightning bolt was about to strike, a streak of azure light pierced through the eastern sky.

The Master of Heaven has returned!

Behind him followed Daoist Duobao, Holy Mother Jinling, Holy Mother Guiling... and all the immortals of the Jie Sect came out in full force!

"Heavenly Dao, what kind of skill is it to bully the juniors?" Tongtian sneered. "If you have the guts, come at me!"

The four swords of Zhuxian were drawn together, and the sword formation unfolded, enveloping the purple clouds!

"Tongtian, you dare to defy the heavens?" The will of the Heavenly Dao was enraged.

"So what if I defy it?" Tongtian said arrogantly. "The way of Heaven is unjust; I've long wanted to defy it!"

He looked at the myriad immortals behind him.

"Disciples of the Intercepting Sect, heed my command—today, follow me and fight against the Heavenly Dao!"

"war!!!"

The ten thousand immortals of the Jie Sect shouted in unison, their voices shaking the nine heavens.

Daoist Duobao unleashed the Myriad Treasures River, the Golden Spirit Mother revealed her golden body, and the Turtle Spirit Mother transformed into a giant tortoise... All the disciples of the Jie Sect unleashed their strongest divine powers and attacked Ziyun!

This was the most heroic battle fought by the Jie Sect since its founding.

Fight against the Heavenly Dao!

Countless divine lightning bolts struck down from the purple clouds.

Each one carries the power of a fallen Great Luo Immortal.

But not a single disciple of the Jie Sect retreated.

The Holy Mother of the Tortoise Spirit withstood three divine lightning bolts with her tortoise shell. The shell shattered, and she fell, coughing up blood, but she did not die. She gritted her teeth and fought on.

Despite being riddled with holes, the golden statue of the Holy Mother of the Golden Spirit did not retreat.

The Daoist Duobao's Wanbao River was mostly shattered by the divine lightning. His face was pale, but he laughed loudly: "That was exhilarating! This is what cultivation is all about!"

The Tongtian Sect Leader fought alone against the core of the Purple Cloud, and the Four Swords of Zhuxian clashed with the divine lightning, each time causing the heavens and earth to change color.

In Chaoge City, King Zhou, Su Yunbai, and others watched this scene with awe.

They never expected that the Intercepting Church would go to such lengths to help humanity.

"Your Majesty, we cannot just stand by and watch." Su Yunbai gripped his sword.

"Of course." King Zhou nodded. "Students of the Humanity Academy, listen to my command—form the 'Ten Thousand People Formation' to aid our fellow Daoists of the Intercepting Sect!"

Ten thousand students from the Humanity Academy emerged together. Their cultivation levels were not high, with the highest being only the Golden Core stage. However, united as one, they formed the Ten Thousand People's Formation, which drew upon the willpower of the people of Chaoge and transformed into a golden torrent that flowed into the Jie Sect's grand formation.

With this blessing, the power of the myriad immortals of the Jie Sect increased once more.

At the height of the battle, the purple clouds suddenly split open.

A giant eye appeared.

Its eyes are cold and merciless; they are the eyes of Heaven!

"Tongtian, if your Jie Sect wants to perish with humanity, then... so be it."

The giant eye's pupils contracted, and a beam of light, extremely purple, shot out.

This beam of light contains the power of the primordial Dao; wherever it passes, laws crumble and spacetime is distorted.

The sky changed color.

"retreat!"

But it was too late.

The beam of light had locked onto him and the myriad immortals behind him.

If this attack hits, the Jie Sect will suffer a severe blow, and may even be wiped out!

At the critical moment—

A sigh was heard.

"well……"

From the direction of the Eight Views Palace, a beam of clear light shone forth, transforming into a Tai Chi diagram that blocked the beam of light.

Lao Tzu has made his move!

The Tai Chi symbol rotates, and the Yin and Yang energies circulate, slowly dissolving the beam of light.

"Senior Brother?!" Tongtian was taken aback.

Lao Tzu's phantom appeared, gazing into the Eye of Heaven.

"Heaven, could you grant me some face? This battle... ends here."

The Eye of Heaven coldly replied, "You think you can stop me?"

"It is not an attempt to obstruct, but rather to persuade," Lao Tzu said slowly. "The awakening of humanity is a predetermined destiny. Forcibly suppressing it might trigger an even greater calamity. It would be better to... allow it to exist and observe its effects."

"They're defying the heavens!"

"Heaven also has its way, and the way follows nature," Lao Tzu said. "Is not the self-strengthening of humankind also the way of nature?"

The Eye of Heaven remained silent.

After a long silence, it said, "Three years. If within three years, humanity cannot achieve a balance with the Way of Heaven, then this Way of Heaven will personally eliminate it."

After saying this, the giant eye disappeared, and the purple clouds receded.

The crisis has been temporarily resolved.

The Jie Sect had ten thousand immortals, nearly a thousand of whom were killed or wounded, but no one regretted it.

Tongtian looked at Laozi and said, "Senior Brother, thank you."

Lao Tzu shook his head: "No need to thank me. This humble Taoist simply...does not wish to see the Three Realms collapse."

He looked at King Zhou.

"Di Xin, you have the support of humanity and the assistance of the Jie Sect, but this is only the beginning. If you cannot achieve a balance between humanity and the Heavenly Way within three years, then... even I will not be able to protect you."

King Zhou bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty."

Lao Tzu nodded, and the illusory image vanished.

Tongtian also led the ten thousand immortals of the Jie Sect away.

Chaoge has returned to peace.

But everyone knows that the real test begins now.

That night, at the Star-Picking Tower.

King Zhou, Su Yunbai, the Three Immortals, Wen Zhong, and others gathered together.

"Three years..." King Zhou said in a deep voice, "We need to achieve a balance between humanity and the will of Heaven within three years. Gentlemen, does anyone have a good plan?"

Yunxiao said, "The Way of Heaven governs order, the Way of Earth carries all things, and the Way of Humanity governs change. If we want to be in balance with the Way of Heaven, the Way of Humanity needs its own 'order'."

"What does that mean?"

"Establish human laws," Qiongxiao continued. "Just as Heaven has its laws and Earth has its laws, humanity should also have its own laws to regulate human behavior and establish human order."

Bixiao nodded: "For example... we cannot kill indiscriminately, we cannot oppress, and we cannot betray the interests of the human race, etc."

Su Yunbai pondered for a moment: "How about establishing the 'Seven Emotions Law of Humanity' based on the great principle of emotions? Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire—each of the seven emotions has its limits, and excess will cause harm."

King Zhou's eyes lit up.

"Good! Let's take the Seven Emotions as the core of humanistic principles, supplemented by detailed rules on agriculture, warfare, crafts, education, and so on, to establish a complete humanistic order!"

He looked at Su Yunbai.

"Yunbai, you are in charge of this matter."

"Your subject obeys the decree."

From that day on, Su Yunbai began compiling "The Seven Emotions of Humanity".

Based on the principles of love and emotion, and drawing on his two years of worldly experience, he spent three months completing the first draft.

The Seven Emotions are divided into seven chapters:

Joyful Chapter: Advocate for sharing happiness, and prohibit gloating over others' misfortunes.

The chapter on anger: Advocates acts of righteous indignation, but prohibits venting anger on the innocent.

A lament: Advocating empathy and prohibiting wallowing in grief.

The chapter on fear advocates reverence for the Way of Heaven and forbids cowardice and retreat.

Love Chapter: Advocating true and selfless love, prohibiting possession and destruction.

The Evil Chapter: Advocates distinguishing right from wrong and prohibits unwarranted hatred.

The chapter on desires: It advocates ambition and forges ahead, but forbids excessive greed.

Each article contains detailed terms and conditions; those who violate them will suffer the backlash of human karma.

On the day the law was enacted, King Zhou proclaimed it to the world.

The River of Humanity sensed the "Seven Emotions Law" and spontaneously evolved, causing seven law tablets to appear on the river, each corresponding to one of the seven emotions.

From then on, if a human's actions violated the laws of the seven emotions, they would be warned by the law stele, and in serious cases, their cultivation would even regress.

This is the beginning of humanitarian self-regulation and self-improvement.

one year later.

The implementation of the "Seven Emotions Law" was successful, and within the territory of Da Shang, the people's customs became more virtuous and the crime rate dropped significantly.

The number of students at the Humanity Academy has exceeded 30,000, among whom the best have already reached the Nascent Soul stage and begun to contribute back to Chaoge.

What's even more surprising is that a delicate balance has emerged between humanity and nature.

Heaven no longer sends down divine punishments, but instead occasionally bestows auspicious omens—this is a sign that the existence of humanity is acknowledged.

King Zhou stood atop the Star-Picking Tower, sensing the two parallel and harmonious wills of heaven and earth, and felt a surge of emotion.

"Finally... I've managed to stand firm."

But this balance was soon broken.

On the Western Vulture Peak, Jieyin and Zhunti sit facing each other.

"Humanity has indeed achieved a balance with the Way of Heaven..." Zhunti frowned.

"As expected," Jieyin said calmly. "Emperor Xin has the support of humanity, Su Yunbai has the Great Dao of Love, the Three Immortals have the background of the Jie Sect, and Tongtian is willing to do anything to help them. It's not surprising that they succeeded."

"Then we..."

"Wait." A glint flashed in Jieyin's eyes. "Wait for Yuanshi to emerge from seclusion. He has been in seclusion for a hundred years, and there are still two years left. By then, he will surely be unwilling to see humanity rise again. And we... can simply sit back and reap the benefits."

"Senior brother is brilliant."

Kunlun Mountain, Yuxu Palace.

Although Yuanshi Tianzun was in seclusion, he could still perceive the outside world.

Sensing the balance between humanity and the way of heaven, his face turned ashen.

"Di Xin... Su Yunbai... Good, very good."

He flipped his hand and took out a blood-red talisman.

This is a talisman bestowed by the Dao Ancestor, which can mobilize the origin of the Heavenly Dao once.

Originally intended to prepare for a major upheaval, now... it's time to use it.

"Two more years..." Yuanshi gripped the talisman tightly. "Two years from now, the day I emerge from seclusion will be the day you... perish!"

Chaoge, General's Mansion.

Su Yunbai suddenly felt something and looked towards Kunlun.

"What's wrong?" Qiongxiao asked.

"I have a bad feeling," Su Yunbai frowned. "It seems... something big is about to happen."

Yunxiao calculated with his fingers, his expression changing slightly.

"The celestial secrets are in chaos, and the calamity is gathering again. It seems... a sage is about to fight to the death."

"Who?"

"The Beginning".

Everyone fell silent.

Yuanshi Tianzun, leader of the Chan Sect, and sage of the Heavenly Way.

If he fights desperately, who can stop him?

"We will meet force with force." King Zhou pushed open the door and entered, his expression resolute. "We have three years to prepare. Two years from now, when Yuanshi emerges from the pass, we... may not be without the strength to fight."

He looked at Su Yunbai.

"Yun Bai, how long will it take you to reach the Hunyuan realm?"

Su Yunbai pondered: "Without the right opportunity, it will take at least ten years."

"Then let's find an opportunity," King Zhou said resolutely. "In the name of the Human Emperor, I open the 'Treasury of Humanity,' and all resources are at your disposal. You must reach the Primordial Chaos realm within two years!"

"His Majesty……"

"This is an order." King Zhou looked at him. "You are the hope of humanity, the future of humankind. You must... become stronger!"

Su Yunbai took a deep breath and bowed.

"My lord, I obey your order!"

From this day forward, Su Yunbai entered the Humanity Treasury and began his seclusion.

This time, he's not just aiming for higher cultivation levels, but also... the Primordial Dao Fruit!

Meanwhile, Chaoge began making final preparations for the decisive battle two years later.

The final chapter of the Great Tribulation is about to begin.