Primordial Era: Taibai, the Poison Master of Yaochi, drives a Sage insane!

Not long after Haotian left, the Chaos Purple Cloud Palace fell silent for a moment.

All the causes and effects of the Heavenly Court's disputes, the sages' disagreements, the establishment of the Dao at Yaochi, and Haotian's loss of composure during the Peach Banquet were reflected in the primordial chaos of the Heavenly Dao, revealed in the smallest detail, with no way to conceal them.

Hongjun was quite surprised by Yaochi's abilities and Haotian's incompetence and clumsy political maneuvering. He calculated for a moment and then suddenly froze!

"An unexpected change has occurred, originating from Venus. In this sense, it can be considered a glimmer of hope for the Great Dao, an opportunity at Yaochi. Alas, I have now merged with the Dao, and my fate is beyond my control. Let us see where the changes in the primordial world lead!"

Hongjun acknowledged the changes in Yaochi; after all, Yaochi belonged to his people.

It should be understood that in the entire prehistoric world, the Six Sages were not Hongjun's people, but rather the Heavenly Dao required Hongjun to preach three times in order to bestow upon them the title of Sage.

The position of sainthood is inherent in the Heavenly Dao, not bestowed privately by Hongjun.

Hongjun is merely the executor and issuer of the Heavenly Dao. He was ordered to preach the Great Dao of Zixiao three times and, incidentally, bestow sainthood upon those who met the requirements. Saints are only loyal to the Heavenly Dao, not to Hongjun personally.

Hongjun, who was well aware of the secrets of heaven, saw his disciple break free from destiny and create a change in the Great Dao. He was secretly amazed and also felt a sense of recognition. He simply observed the changing trends of the prehistoric world with a cold eye as a Dao-integrated being.

For Hongjun, only Yaochi Haotian was his disciple, while the Six Saints and Zixiao Ke, despite being called his teachers, were not his direct disciples.

After Hongjun merged with the Dao and became one with the Heavenly Dao, he basically stopped interfering in affairs as long as he didn't defy the Heavenly Dao. In other words, although he held the highest nominal position, he could no longer arbitrarily interfere in the prehistoric world.

Because the Way of Heaven cannot arbitrarily interfere with the primordial world.

Therefore, after Hongjun's two attendants became Heavenly Emperors, they were basically completely ignored by the Six Sages and remained puppets forever.

Now, a major change has been discovered at Yaochi, where people are actually going to the level of saints to snatch food. This surprised Hongjun, but he also acknowledged it.

Although Li Bai had just taken human form, Hongjun was aware of the general trend and knew Yaochi's temperament. The sudden change was a natural glimmer of hope.

The Great Dao of a glimmer of hope that leads to the heavens is not ethereal or illusory; rather, the Great Dao itself contains a glimmer of hope. It is not entirely predetermined by the Heavenly Dao. Since changes have occurred, they must be variables that represent that glimmer of hope, and there is no need for doubt.

Since Haotian had triggered the Investiture of the Gods script, Hongjun immediately issued a decree!

A vast and boundless primordial decree, piercing through the chaos and primordial wilderness, silently descended upon the consciousness of the six sages!

"The six sages, proceed immediately to Zixiao Palace!"

The grand Peach Banquet at Yaochi had just concluded, and the six sages had returned to their respective dojos, still pondering the changes to the Peach Banquet.

Suddenly hearing the Dao Ancestor's summons from afar, the six sages all felt a chill run down their spines.

Taiqing Laozi, Yuqing Yuanshi, Shangqing Tongtian, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti, the six Primordial Saints, crossed the chaotic winds together and arrived at the eternally unchanging Zixiao Palace in an instant.

The palace gates opened on their own, and the primordial energy surged forth, ancient and majestic, suppressing countless ages.

Following the old order of Zixiao, the six sages entered the main hall in turn, each returning to their respective prayer mats and sitting upright, solemnly awaiting the appearance of the Dao Ancestor.

Before long, the primordial radiance shone brightly, the Daoist sound resounded eternally, and the illusory figure of Dao Ancestor Hongjun materialized on the Zixiao High Platform.

The six sages rose in unison, bowed deeply, and their voices resounded throughout the hall: "Disciples pay respects to our Master!"

Hongjun looked at the six sages, neither pleased nor angry, and slowly spoke, each word setting the tone for the future of the prehistoric world.

"I have summoned you six here today for three reasons!"

The six saints held their breath and listened attentively.

Hongjun slowly explained: "Firstly, Haotian just came to see me, lamenting the chaos in the Heavenly Court. He said that the Heavenly Court's fortune is not gathering, he himself is alone on the throne, with no ministers to use and no one to assist him in governing, making it difficult to suppress the Three Realms and rule over all the heavens."

"Secondly, recently, disciples of the three religions have been wandering in the world, repeatedly violating the precept against killing and creating karmic consequences. Countless karmic burdens have accumulated and need to be understood."

"Thirdly, the Heavenly Court is empty, the gods are absent, the heavens are without officials, the stars are out of order, and the operation of the Heavenly Way is incomplete. In order to complete the Heavenly Way, stabilize the Three Realms, and maintain the order of reincarnation, I hereby establish the Investiture of the Gods! I will appoint the righteous gods of the heavens to fill the positions of the Heavenly Court, each to perform their duties and govern the heavens, so as to serve the will of the Jade Emperor, stabilize the foundation of the new Heavenly Court, and stabilize the overall situation of the primordial world."

Upon hearing this, the hearts of the six sages sank simultaneously!

A surge of anger welled up in everyone's hearts instantly.

After his failure, Haotian showed no remorse or self-reflection, but instead went to Zixiao Palace to complain and spread rumors!

Such despicable behavior and petty-mindedness are unworthy of someone who is the Heavenly Emperor of the Three Realms!

The six sages cursed inwardly: Haotian is really meddling! It's simply outrageous!

But the Dao Ancestor's decree had already been issued, and the general trend of Heaven's Way had been set. No one dared to show dissatisfaction or utter a word of rebuttal. They could only suppress their distracting thoughts, bow their heads, and stand quietly, waiting for the Dao Ancestor's further instructions.

Hongjun's gaze swept over the six people, and he continued to expound on the fundamental principles of the Heavenly Dao: "The Great Dao of the Primordial World is a cycle of cause and effect, born only through tribulations. Mortal beings in the world, unable to transcend birth and death, enter the cycle of reincarnation, experiencing tribulations in the mortal realm to settle their karmic debts from past lives. Only by cultivating the Dao and attaining the position of a Celestial Immortal can one sever the cycle of birth and death and transcend reincarnation. However, all beings, cultivators, and immortals accumulate karma on their path of cultivation. If karma is not eliminated and karmic force is not eradicated, it will accumulate layer upon layer, forming a great calamity of heaven and earth."

"When the great calamity descends, the Heavenly Dao is damaged, living beings suffer, and immortals and gods perish—this is the inevitable law of Heaven and Earth. Therefore, the Investiture of the Gods is established today to fight for a glimmer of hope for all living beings and immortals and gods. The Investiture of the Gods is divided into three levels: those with profound roots and steadfast Dao hearts will be included in the Immortal Path, living freely and without falling into the mortal world; those with moderate roots and solid cultivation will be included in the Divine Path, receiving imperial decrees from the Heavenly Court and wielding the power of the Zhou Tian; those with shallow roots, burdened by karma, and with restless Dao hearts will be reincarnated into the Human Path, reborn, and begin cultivating the Great Dao anew."

"You six have governed the three religions and enlightened countless immortals, with your disciples scattered throughout the primordial world. This time, the conferment of gods will be decided by you through discussion, recording the names of your disciples who should undergo tribulations and be included in the list of gods. This is not divine punishment, but also a way out for all immortals and gods."

As soon as the words were spoken, Yuanshi Tianzun spoke first, bowing and asking, "May I ask, Master, how many righteous gods are needed to fill the positions in the Heavenly Court for this Investiture of the Gods?"

Hongjun calmly replied, "The eight departments of the Heavenly Court are in charge of the stars, wind and rain, thunder and lightning, mountains and rivers, the netherworld, rites and music, weapons and weapons, and blessings and prosperity. Each department holds power over the entire heaven, totaling three hundred and sixty-five departments, which completes the cycle of the heavens."

Yuanshi asked again, "Since 365 divine positions need to be filled, how many disciples should each of my six sages have on the list? How should the list be divided and filled out?"

Hongjun calmly instructed, "The number of disciples from each sect to be listed, the allocation of quotas, and the selection of disciples are not for me to decide. You six should discuss and decide for yourselves. From this day forward, a deadline is set: three thousand years later, you must submit the complete Investiture of the Gods list to Zixiao Palace for record-keeping. In this great calamity, all those below the Quasi-Saint level are caught in its grip! No one can remain uninvolved. Each will rely on their own innate abilities, their own destiny, and their own karma. If you do not fill out the Investiture of the Gods list, then you disciples will need to experience the mortal world!"

After explaining all the rules of Heaven and the grand scheme of the Investiture of the Gods, Hongjun said nothing more and his figure disappeared instantly.

It can be said that the fuse was finally lit when Haotian Yaochi entered the Heavenly Court. Although there were changes, the Investiture of the Gods remained unchanged!

This is also the fundamental reason why Li Bai was certain that Haotian would scheme against Yaochi. This is the will of Heaven. Although there have been minor changes, it is simply that what was originally meant for Yaochi to bear is now being borne by Haotian. The Investiture of the Gods will still begin as normal!

The atmosphere inside Zixiao Palace instantly exploded, and the six sages no longer needed to hold back, and they all started arguing.

They would do everything in their power to protect their disciples, never letting them perish in vain, and striving to shift all the calamities, quotas, and killing karma onto others!

Taiqing Laozi spoke first, his expression indifferent and detached: "Our teachings emphasize tranquility and non-action, and we have few disciples, only this Grand Master Xuandu. I have no one who can enter the tribulation and be listed. Therefore, I leave the allocation of the divine titles and the positions of the Zhou Tian gods to my fellow disciples to discuss and decide among yourselves."

Lao Tzu simply shook off the matter, completely extricating himself from the Human Sect and not getting involved in any of the karmic consequences.

Yuanshi Tianzun followed closely behind and immediately spoke up to protect himself, deliberately downplaying his own number of disciples: "The Chan Sect has always been of noble character and strict in selecting disciples. Its disciples adhere to etiquette and have pure hearts. There are only a dozen or so disciples, very few, and not many are available to be listed for the tribulation."

Upon hearing this, the leader of the Shangqing Tongtian Sect instantly turned ashen-faced and flew into a rage!

The Jie Sect had countless immortals paying homage, its disciples spread throughout the four seas, and its members were numerous. It already had the largest number of followers. At this moment, Laozi and Yuanshi both declined and protected themselves, clearly intending to place all the calamities on the Jie Sect!

Tongtian immediately spoke, filled with indignation and resentment: "How can you two senior brothers be so biased! Just because your sect has so few members, you can stand aside? My Jie Sect has tens of thousands of disciples, are we all destined to be sent to the Investiture of the Gods and perish in the tribulation? This is unfair! I will never allow the Jie Sect to monopolize all the quotas for the Zhou Tian!"

The Western disciples, Amitabha and Cundi, exchanged a glance, and then Cundi spoke up: "Our West is barren, and Buddhism is in its early stages. We have never been involved in the primordial conflicts of the East. Since the Heavenly Court is bestowing titles upon the gods, our Western disciples, who did not participate in the Eastern calamities, are not on the list!"

In short, it completely removed the West from the game!

At this point, the situation became completely clear: the Humanist sect had no disciples, the West did not participate, the Chan sect cherished its disciples, and only the Jie sect had the largest number of followers and the greatest influence.

The 365 spots for the Zhou Tian Zheng Shen (righteous gods of the Zhou Tian) were almost entirely filled by the Chan and Jie sects!

Inside the Purple Cloud Palace, the six sages, each with their own thoughts, shifted blame and argued endlessly, refusing to yield an inch. No one was willing to suffer a loss, and no one was willing to send their own disciple to their death to face the tribulation.

The discussion ultimately ended in discord.

Finally, the six sages each took a step back, temporarily setting aside their disputes, and made an agreement: a thousand years later, they would reconsider the number of gods to be conferred, the division of tribulations, and the final list!

As soon as the words were spoken, the six saints each stood up, harboring resentment and having their own schemes, and left one after another.

....................

Meanwhile, in the fairyland of Yaochi, Li Bai had comforted Yao Ji, but there were still important matters to discuss.

Yaochi gazed at the Sun and Moon Essence Wheel, a top-grade innate spiritual treasure, and then turned to look at Venus beside her.

"Taibai, this treasure is formed from the two pupils of the Great God Pangu, containing unparalleled creation. However, it is tightly sealed with layers of magic, its mysteries are unfathomable. How can I break the seal and glimpse its secrets?"

Taibai's gaze fell upon the Sun and Moon Essence Wheel, his expression solemn. He slowly shook his head: "Your Majesty, this seal originates from the beginning of creation, engraved with the laws of the Great Dao, its mysteries unparalleled. I currently do not know the exact method to break it. In the past, Dijun, Taiyi, Xihe, and Changxi ruled the Primordial Heavenly Court, possessing the power of the Sun and Moon. They comprehended this treasure and possessed endless ages, yet they still could not shake the seal even slightly. This is enough to show that this restriction is extremely powerful, and cannot be forcibly broken by ordinary supernatural powers or magical treasures. A unique opportunity to break it must be found."

Yaochi frowned slightly and asked softly, "In your opinion, where should we begin to break the seal left by Pangu's eyes?"

After hearing this, Li Bai couldn't help but ponder deeply; this matter was not easy.

Now Li Bai is absolutely certain that this is the pupil of Pangu's eyes.

This is very simple. Pangu's eyes turned into the sun and moon, and the essence of the sun and moon gave birth to Dijun Taiyi, Xihe Changxi.

At the same time, two supreme innate spiritual treasures were born, one from the sun and one from the moon. They were circles, one containing the true fire of the sun and the other containing the true fire of the moon, and they were originally the pupils of Pangu.

"Your Majesty, I have often heard that the Dao is invisible, so it is entrusted to the light of heaven; the light of heaven is invisible, so it is entrusted to the two eyes; and the pupils are the most mysterious part of this, the place where the spirit resides. Therefore, there is a great reason why Emperor Jun and Taiyi have not been unsealed!"

Taibai immediately sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes slightly.

The profound spiritual light of the Great Dao of Bai Ze slowly flowed from his body, and he began to comprehend the principles and deduces the mysteries of all things.

It's not about figuring out how to break the seal, but about figuring out why Di Jun and Tai Yi won't break the seal!

Because Li Bai at this point can understand human affairs and strategies, but he cannot yet understand the fundamental principles of the Dao.

Since Di Jun has been there for so long, yet the seal remains unbroken, what exactly is the restriction? There is only one answer: Pangu's primordial spirit!

This treasure has now been refined by Yaochi, and with its acquisition, Yaochi's combat power has skyrocketed!

In this primordial world, there are hardly any people who can wield the true fire of the sun.

"By using the Great Dao of Bai Ze to deduce all laws and trace their origins, I have finally found a clue. This is the natal seal set up by the Great God Pangu. Only the power of Pangu's primordial spirit can dissolve the restriction and unlock the secret."

"What?!"

Yaochi shuddered, her face filled with astonishment, and exclaimed, "Pangu's Primordial Spirit! After the creation of the world, Pangu's Primordial Spirit split into three, each transforming into the Three Pure Ones: Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian. Under heaven, only the Three Pure Ones possess Pangu's original primordial spirit. This… how incredibly difficult this is! The Three Pure Ones each harbor their own thoughts and stand on different sides, influencing the overall situation of the primordial world. How can I possibly borrow Pangu's Primordial Spirit? There's simply no way to begin!"

This secret is too great to seek out the Three Pure Ones. If we were to seek out the Three Pure Ones, it would be virtually impossible, even if we were to reach the heavens. It would definitely not work!

Otherwise, Di Jun and Tai Yi would have solved it long ago. The only chance is to find a way from Pangu's primordial spirit!

Taibai nodded slowly: "What Your Majesty says is true, that is indeed the case. Directly seeking the help of the Three Pure Ones is absolutely not feasible. The Sun and Moon Essence Wheel is, without a doubt, the place where the Great God Pangu hid his spirit. This matter is the most secret of the Jade Pool Immortal Realm, and must not be leaked to anyone, let alone revealed to the Three Pure Ones in the slightest. In the past, Emperor Jun never dared to do it because he knew that the path of seeking the Three Pure Ones was a dead end."

Yaochi sighed deeply: "In that case, the secret of this treasure will be sealed away forever, and we will never be able to use it. It is truly a pity and too difficult."

"Your Majesty, do not be discouraged."

Taibai changed the subject and calmly said, "If the path of the Three Pure Ones is not feasible, there is another path in the world that can be taken."