After guarding the gates for a hundred years, I drove the Heavenly Saint to madness.

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The atmosphere in the hall was subtle.

Haotian lowered his stance and gestured for Xiao Wuji to state his terms.

Xiao Wuji didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up his teacup to moisten his throat and then threw out his chips.

"Since the Netherworld has established rules, it cannot be that the Great Emperor of Fengdu is the only one to carry out the work."

Xiao Wuji looked at Haotian and said calmly, "I have already set the tone with Consort Pingxin."

"Under the Great Emperor of Fengdu, there should be five Ghost Emperors, who will be stationed in the five directions of the underworld, east, west, south, north and center, and command hundreds of millions of ghost soldiers and generals."

"Since the Great Celestial Venerable wishes to allow the Heavenly Court to reside in the Netherworld, I can make the decision to relinquish the positions of three Ghost Emperors and have the Heavenly Court appoint celestial officials to assume these posts."

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Haotian's eyes.

The Five Ghost Emperors, yield three of them!

This represents the controlling stake in the core forces of the Netherworld. With these three positions, the Heavenly Court's tentacles can penetrate deep into the cycle of reincarnation.

This stakes are undeniably substantial.

But Haotian didn't rush to agree; he knew this young man in front of him too well.

"Fellow Daoist is generous. But I wonder what price the Heavenly Court will have to pay?" Haotian asked in a deep voice.

"The Great Celestial Venerable is a wise man."

Xiao Wuji held up two fingers and proposed the terms of the exchange: "In exchange, the Heavenly Court must issue a decree to announce to the Three Realms that the two have been granted the titles of Venerable Ones and ranked among the Four Emperors."

"Firstly, to rectify the name of Fellow Daoist Pingxin and honor him as the Empress Earth Goddess who follows the example of Heaven."

"Secondly, to promote my master, Yunxiao, and to honor him as the Great Emperor of Fengdu Beiyin."

Xiao Wuji stared directly at Haotian and said, word by word, "Furthermore, these two high-ranking officials must not be inferior to you, Great Heavenly Venerable, in terms of status. They must be of equal standing and obey orders, not summons."

"As for the details of the Ten Kings of Hell and the Four Judges, the Heavenly Court and the Underworld will decide on them based on their own abilities in the future."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell into dead silence.

That's outrageous!

This is like holding a knife to the neck of the Heavenly Court and cutting off its flesh!

They would trade a mid-level management position in the Netherworld for a top-level position in the Heavenly Court, and even sit on equal footing with the rulers of the Three Realms!

If this had happened before the Investiture of the Gods, Haotian would definitely have stormed off.

But at this moment, Haotian, holding his teacup, did not get angry; instead, he fell into deep thought.

He weighed the pros and cons of the deal.

Firstly, the Heavenly Court is actually weak now, possessing only the title of Great Heavenly Venerable, but lacking any decent personnel under its command.

By granting Pingxin and Yunxiao equal status, he would not lose any real power; on the contrary, it would greatly enhance the prestige of the Heavenly Court, since Pingxin was, after all, a saint.

Secondly, if he did not agree, the Heavenly Court would be excluded from the Underworld. The power of reincarnation would fall entirely into the hands of the Jie Sect and the Witch Clan, making his position as the ruler of the Three Realms a joke.

The third thing that really captivated Haotian was the Investiture of the Gods hanging above everyone's heads.

The Investiture of the Gods is now in the hands of the Chan Sect!

Haotian knew perfectly well that once the great calamity ended, he had no say in who would be given the divine position.

Given Yuanshi Tianzun's temperament, the top-level positions of the Four Emperors of Heaven would inevitably be divided up among the confidants of the Chan Sect, thus undermining his authority.

Since the top-level positions are destined to be controlled by the Chan Sect, why not use them to do someone a favor now?

Trading a nominal title whose future is destined to be out of control for the real power of the Ghost Emperor in the Netherworld is a sure-fire deal!

Having figured this out, Haotian felt a sudden sense of relief. He put down his teacup and a smile appeared on his face.

"make a deal."

"I agree to your conditions, fellow Daoist. Upon returning to the Heavenly Court, I will immediately draft a decree to proclaim to the Three Realms that Pingxin and Yunxiao are to be honored as Emperors!"

Seeing Haotian's straightforwardness, Xiao Wuji nodded slightly. Dealing with intelligent people is indeed less troublesome.

Before leaving, Haotian stood up and took a deep look at Xiao Wuji.

"Fellow Daoist possesses profound knowledge and exceptional strategic skills. I will also leave you with a definitive statement."

Haotian extended an olive branch: "Among the Four Emperors of the Heavenly Court, the position of the Supreme Emperor of the Central Heaven Purple Star and the North Pole is still vacant."

"Governing all stars and controlling the celestial order. If you are interested, fellow Daoist, this position will always be reserved for you."

Xiao Wuji remained unmoved in the face of this attempt to win him over.

"I appreciate the Great Celestial Venerable's kindness. I will consider it if the opportunity arises."

This was just a polite remark; both sides understood the unspoken agreement.

Haotian said no more, cupped his hands in a salute, and his figure transformed into a gentle breeze as he left Jiepai Pass.

……

After Haotian left, only the master and disciple remained in the hall.

Yunxiao's tense nerves relaxed. She looked at Xiao Wuji with a puzzled expression.

"Wuji, why did you make this kind of deal with Haotian?"

Yunxiao frowned slightly, her tone helpless: "Not only have you divided the power of the Five Ghost Emperors, but we have absolutely no need to cooperate with Haotian."

Looking into his master's cold eyes, Xiao Wuji's composure faded, replaced by a sigh.

The disciples of the sage have always looked down on the Heavenly Court; this is an unchangeable fact.

In fact, he was aware of this situation. If it had been him before...

He picked up the teapot and poured Yunxiao a cup of hot tea.

"Master, do you really think that this great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods can be ended simply by winning a few battles?"

Xiao Wuji's voice was deep: "Now that the Investiture of the Gods has been posted, the 365 positions of the righteous gods on the list must be filled. This is the destiny set by the Dao Ancestor."

"This list will eventually be filled."

Upon hearing this, Yunxiao's hand holding the teacup froze.

"But, Uncle-Master Zhao Gongming, and Uncle-Masters Qiongxiao and Bixiao, they have already..." Xiao Wuji looked directly at Yunxiao and brought up the most painful scar in her heart.

"They have already died and their true spirits have been absorbed into the Conferred God Platform."

Xiao Wuji's words were like daggers: "Master, just imagine, after the great calamity ends, the Chan Sect will control all the important positions in the Heavenly Court and establish strict Heavenly Rules."

"What fate awaits Uncle-Master Zhao, his two uncles, and the fellow disciples of the Jie Sect who died in battle in the Heavenly Court?"

Yunxiao immediately understood Xiao Wuji's idea and slammed his hand on the table, his aura reverberating throughout the hall.

"Haotian dares! Chan Sect dares!"

"There's no question of 'daring' or 'not daring,' Master." Xiao Wuji gave a wry smile, his tone helpless.

"That's a rule set by Heaven. Those listed on the Investiture of the Gods are subject to the control of the person who conferred the title and the Heavenly Emperor in terms of life and death."

Xiao Wuji stood up, walked to Yunxiao, and looked solemn.

"Therefore, we must plan ahead."

Xiao Wuji looked at Yunxiao, whose eyes were red and swollen, and said softly, "As long as you become the supreme ruler of the underworld, you will be on equal footing with Haotian."

"In the future, if those fellow disciples of the Jie Sect who made the list suffer injustice in the Heavenly Court, they will have a supportive family to rely on."

"If anyone dares to insult Uncle-Master Zhao and the others, if anyone dares to use the Heavenly Rules to suppress them, then you, as the Emperor, may go directly to the Lingxiao Palace and slam your fist on the table!"

"At that time, both Haotian and the Chan Sect will have to consider the consequences of offending the Lord of the Underworld!"

The hall was so quiet that only the sound of the wind could be heard.

Yunxiao stared blankly at his disciple.

She thought Xiao Wuji was just calculating the battle situation, but she didn't expect that he could see the years after the Investiture of the Gods, and even planned the affairs of those fellow disciples who died in battle.

"Okay." Yunxiao took a deep breath and said solemnly.

"I will take on the responsibility of being the Great Emperor of Fengdu."

Yunxiao's voice was firm and resolute; for her brother and sister, she had no more reason to refuse.

......

Meanwhile, Xiao Wuji and Yunxiao were discussing things.

Within the Xiqi camp, Taiqing, Yuanshi Tianzun, Zhunti, and Jieyin returned.

And in the hands of Taiqing Laozi, who is at the forefront of the Four Saints.

A precious lamp, emitting a faint blue light, has been lit.

At the wick, the yin and yang energies flowed like a dragon, releasing a destructive power capable of turning the entire world into dust.

Two-Element Emerald Light Lamp.