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

The entire Shang Dynasty territory is now in complete chaos.

The Beihai region has been plagued by constant rebellions for years. Wen Zhong has personally led troops north to quell the unrest on the border, leaving him no time to spare.

The previous rebellion of Su Hu had dragged on for a long time and had only just been completely quelled.

After the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods began, the secrets of the entire primordial world were obscured and blurred.

Outsiders can't see through who the true chosen one is and who is just a pawn.

For example, when Ying Zheng was in power, he saw through the hidden dangers early on and personally killed several of the emerging Liu Bangs.

Wang Mang usurped power and established the country, and also attempted to assassinate the still-developing Liu Xiu several times.

Those who are truly destined for greatness never have a smooth journey; they forge their own path through layers of interception and obstacles.

Under the shroud of the great calamity, only the sage knows for sure who will ultimately prevail.

At present, the Chan Sect is only making arrangements and investments in secret. Jiang Ziya, who is the one who publicly conferred the titles of gods, has not yet officially come down the mountain. Everything is hidden in the shadows and has not been fully brought to the forefront.

Since the other party likes to secretly plan and create momentum, Li Taibai's way of dealing with it is also very simple.

Intercept and kill them directly.

With Li Bai's secret instructions, Princess Tianshou, who was stationed at Qinglong Pass, would naturally not let Ji Chang pass through easily.

Ji Chang stood before the pass, gazing at the majestic pass before him, and then at the overwhelming array of restrictions, his face darkening completely.

Having escaped from Chaoge, I passed through several checkpoints without any hindrance. I thought I would soon be able to return to Xiqi and go back to the sea, but I never expected to be stuck at Qinglong Pass.

Tian Shou spoke without a trace of emotion, his tone flat and direct, cutting off all of Ji Chang's hopes.

"You shall remain where you are and await the imperial decree from Chaoge. Cooperate with the investigation, and there is still room for maneuver. But if you dare to force your way through or turn back, that would be a serious crime of treason. As the general guarding this pass, I have the authority to arrest you on the spot and bring you to justice."

With just a few words, Ji Chang was driven into a dead end, caught in a dilemma.

Ji Chang stood there, his mind in turmoil, unsure of what to do.

Staying would mean facing repercussions from Chaoge, while forcibly breaking out would confirm treason and completely ruin one's reputation.

Just as he was at a loss, a sudden gust of wind arose from the sky above, and a figure with wings on its back swooped down from the clouds.

The newcomer had a bird's face and a human body, with outstretched wings. His posture was strange, but his aura was extremely fierce.

"Father, don't panic, your son is here to protect you and get you out of trouble!"

Ji Chang looked up and stared at the strange appearance he had never seen before. He was stunned and filled with doubt, unable to recognize who the other person was.

Who are you?

The person who came quickly began to explain, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Father, I am the adopted son you took in on that stormy night in Yanshan. My name is Lei Zhenzi. I was enlightened by a celestial master and consumed celestial apricots, which is why I have taken this form."

Upon hearing this, Ji Chang instantly realized what was happening, and his face lit up with wild joy.

"It was my son! It was you!"

Ji Chang had many sons in his life, and Lei Zhenzi was his hundredth son. He was adopted by chance and had no chance to see him again. He never expected that Lei Zhenzi would suddenly appear in this desperate situation.

Lei Zhenzi nodded emphatically, his tone firm.

"It is indeed your son. Master foresaw Father's impending calamity and specifically ordered me to descend the mountain to protect him, lead him out of the encirclement, and return to Xiqi! Father, this place is not safe to stay any longer; come with me quickly!"

After saying this, Lei Zhenzi immediately tried to escape with Ji Chang.

Upon seeing this, Tian Shou on the city wall immediately shouted to stop them.

"If you attempt to flee this place today, you will be guilty of treason. I will remain here to guard this territory and will not let you leave! The great formation is fully activated; there is no way out, neither in the sky nor on the ground!"

Lei Zhenzi was not afraid at all and turned to Ji Chang to persuade him urgently.

"Father, don't hesitate any longer! I've rushed here and already know that the warrant for your arrest in Chaoge has been issued throughout the land. If you delay any longer, pursuers will surround you from all sides, and then you won't be able to escape even if you want to!"

Ji Chang was completely panicked at this moment. Without thinking too much, he gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

"Okay! Let's go!"

He dared not linger any longer and stepped directly onto Lei Zhenzi's back. He knew that if they were trapped here, all his life's plans would be in vain.

Lei Zhenzi flapped his wings, and a gale arose. Instead of forcibly attacking the main gate of Qinglong Pass, he planned to bypass the pass and find a way to escape.

"Chase!"

At Tian Shou's command, he took to the air first, chasing after Lei Zhenzi in the direction he had fled. The other six princesses moved simultaneously, quickly surrounding him from all sides, layer upon layer, leaving him no room to escape.

A thrilling aerial manhunt ensued.

During the pursuit, Tian Shou quickly assigned tasks and made arrangements.

"Three of you go to the left flank, and three of you go to the right flank, forming an encirclement! Don't rush to kill him; don't let him escape. Slowly force him to change direction and retreat towards Chaoge!"

The six princesses responded in unison, their movements swift and decisive.

The seven quickly formed a V-shaped encirclement, pressing forward relentlessly and keeping a close watch on Lei Zhenzi and Ji Chang. Lei Zhenzi exerted all his strength to propel his wings and fly at high speed, but he could not shake off the encirclement behind him and could only passively flee forward.

After a frantic run, a massive and imposing pass suddenly appeared ahead – it was Sanshan Pass.

The Sanshan Pass is strategically important, with layers of continuous mountains blocking the way, leaving no room for detours and making it an essential route.

At that moment, the order to pursue Ji Chang issued by Chaoge also reached Sanshan Pass.

Above the pass, a tall and proud figure stood, with a faint five-colored divine light flowing around him. It was Kong Xuan, the garrison commander of the Three Mountains Pass.

After reading the arrest warrant, Kong Xuan looked at Ji Chang and his entourage who were fleeing in panic. His expression darkened instantly, and he was filled with anger.

"How dare you! You actually dare to rebel and desert within my territory of Sanshan Pass! I, bearing the great fortune of the Shang Dynasty, guard this pass; how can I allow a traitor to escape right under my nose!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kong Xuan flashed and landed directly in the center of the pass, completely blocking the way forward and cutting off Ji Chang's last escape route.

Upon seeing this, Tian Shou, who was chasing from behind, immediately shouted loudly.

"General Kong Xuan! Ji Chang's crime of treason has been confirmed. We have surrounded him and he has nowhere to run! General, please act quickly and capture him. This would be a great achievement!"

Kong Xuan stood before the pass, his expression arrogant, and responded indifferently.

"Don't worry, this person won't be able to escape today."

With the road ahead blocked and the road behind being pursued, and restrictions imposed from all sides, there was absolutely no way out.

Looking at the pursuing troops and the formidable pass that surrounded him from both sides, Ji Chang was filled with despair and let out a long sigh.

"My life is over!"

In the blink of an eye, Ji Chang and Lei Zhenzi were completely surrounded. From the sky and on the ground, in all directions, there was no chance of escape; they were in a hopeless situation.

In the fairyland of Yaochi, Li Bai and the Holy Mother of Yaochi quietly overlooked everything that was happening in the mortal world, taking in the whole process.

Looking at this almost certain defeat, Yaochi was filled with disbelief and spoke softly.

"Could we really defeat Ji Chang so easily? The Chan Sect has been planning for so long, surely they won't fail so easily?"

Li Taibai looked calmly at the situation below and slowly spoke, his understanding of the situation perfectly clear.

"It looks like a sure kill, but it's not that simple. The Sage has long been aware of what's going on here. Now that Kong Xuan is blocking the pass, ordinary Golden Immortals from the Chan Sect can't break through the stalemate at all."

"Now it depends on whether the Sage of the Chan Sect will personally intervene. If the Sage remains silent, Ji Chang will surely die today, and the Chan Sect's years of preparation and painstaking planning for the human race's sages will be nipped in the bud."

"But if the sage himself were to come to the rescue, it would be tantamount to publicly acknowledging that Ji Chang was the one they supported. Their secret creation of a god and their years of scheming would be exposed to the eyes of all living beings in the prehistoric world in an instant, and their carefully crafted nameless sage would become a laughing stock on the spot."

"The current situation forces the Chan Sect to reveal themselves; they have no choice but to acknowledge it."

At this point, a faint, mocking smile appeared on Li Bai's lips.

Yaochi looked down at the situation below, then at the composed Li Taibai beside her, her eyes filled with admiration. Her heart stirred slightly, and she unconsciously leaned closer.

Li Bai raised his hand and gently embraced Yaochi, still watching the strife in the mortal realm.

Yaochi sighed softly.

"I never expected that Wen Zhong's arrangement for Tian Shou and the others to be stationed at Qinglong Pass would create such a good opportunity for us."

Li Bai smiled faintly.

"Even if they weren't stationed at Qinglong Pass, but at other passes, things would still change. It's just that the timing is perfect, and they're caught in the crucial moment of Ji Chang's escape, allowing them to break the deadlock."

Yaochi frowned slightly, a hint of worry in her eyes.

"I'm just worried that Tian Shou and the others are being too reckless, and they might be in danger when the people from the Chan Sect arrive."

"Don't worry," Li Taibai said calmly. "The situation is no longer in their hands; the spotlight has shifted to Kong Xuan. We just need to wait for the right moment and appear to support them at the crucial instant. We won't let anything happen to them."

Yaochi nodded gently, completely relieved, and accompanied Li Taibai to continue observing the lower realm.

The standoff continues at the Three Mountains Pass below.

Kong Xuan looked at Ji Chang, who was surrounded in the middle, and questioned him in a cold tone.

"You have enjoyed the favor of the Shang Dynasty for generations, holding high positions and exclusively enjoying the riches of the human race. Why then do you rebel and betray the court?"

Ji Chang was filled with grief and indignation at this moment, and immediately retorted loudly.

"This tyrannical ruler is wicked! He imprisoned me for seven years, subjecting me to unwarranted humiliation! He even murdered my own son, Boyi Kao, and forced me to eat his flesh and bones! Such a cruel and wicked ruler, so licentious and immoral, why can't I rebel!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Tian Shou immediately retorted, his words hitting the nail on the head without holding back a single word.

"It is common knowledge that Su Daji wreaked havoc on the court. But do not forget that it was you, Ji Chang, who personally sent her into the harem of Chaoge and brought disaster into the Shang Dynasty."

"The court is now in chaos, virtuous ministers have died tragically, and the dynasty is in ruins—all stemming from your own selfish actions. Today you resent the emperor's cruelty, but have you ever considered the countless loyal ministers who died unjustly because of your deeds? All of this is your own doing, a vicious cycle of cause and effect, and you have no one else to blame!"

A few words directly exposed Ji Chang's pretense, leaving him speechless and his face turning pale and then red.

Seeing this, Lei Zhenzi immediately stepped forward and loudly retorted.

"My father deduced the sixty-four hexagrams and understood the ways of heaven and earth. He is a universally acknowledged sage of humanity. How dare you slander him so casually!"

Upon hearing this, Tian Shou let out a cold laugh.

"Human sages? The sixty-four hexagrams? The principles of the hexagrams are indeed infinitely profound, containing the mysteries of heaven and earth, but does your father, a mere mortal, have the audacity to claim that he created the sixty-four hexagrams? Does he even possess the knowledge to comprehend the mysteries of the heavenly way?"

Lei Zhenzi was furious.

"Don't spout nonsense!"

Tian Shou looked at Ji Chang with a detached gaze and a half-smile, throwing out a fatal question.

"Whether I'm spouting nonsense or not, a simple question will tell. Since you created the sixty-four hexagrams and understand the ways of heaven, then tell everyone, which hexagram corresponds to your current predicament of being surrounded and in dire straits?"

Ji Chang's heart tightened, his mind raced, unable to fathom the other party's intentions, and he could only bite the bullet and give a casual reply.

"This is the Heavenly Mountain Retreat hexagram."

Tian Shou's smile grew colder as he pressed closer with each step.

"Tianshan Dun? You are surrounded on all sides, your path forward is cut off, and your retreat is blocked. You can't move an inch and have nowhere to escape. What talk of the Dun hexagram? Where is the sky? Where is the mountain? You can't even understand your own situation, yet you dare to presume to deduce the sixty-four hexagrams?"

Ji Chang was speechless when asked the question. He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word.

Tian Shou's voice was clear and resonant, carrying far and wide, so that everyone present could hear it clearly.

"What human sages? They're nothing but charlatans who steal fame and fortune. The sixty-four hexagrams are indeed mysterious, but they're definitely not something you could deduce or create."

"Let me tell you what hexagram you are in today!"

"You are the father, the father is the stem, and the stem is heaven. You, Lei Zhenzi, possess the power of thunder and are the image of thunder. The father, heaven, and the son, thunder, correspond precisely to the twenty-fifth hexagram of the sixty-four hexagrams—Heavenly Thunder Without Delusion!"

"Heavenly thunder brings unexpected disaster. Birds lose their chance and fall into a cage. Even if they try to fly, they cannot take flight. For now, it is best to stay put and not to dream of flying high."

"Your son carried you on his back, attempting to escape. The divination has been completed, perfectly corresponding to your current predicament of being trapped in a cage with no way out! You can't even accurately predict your own fortune, and you even misread the hexagram position when you're in dire straits. How dare you claim to have created the sixty-four hexagrams? How dare you call yourself a sage of humanity?"

His words were clear and logical, each sentence pointing out the flaws without holding back.

Everyone present started discussing it, and the way they looked at Ji Chang completely changed.

The human sages who were once revered by everyone have instantly become hypocrites who deceive the world and steal fame.

Ji Chang's face turned ashen, and his mind completely collapsed.

Ji Chang had poured countless efforts and painfully sacrificed his own son's life to finally build up his reputation and earn a sage-like image. But today, a woman publicly stripped him bare, completely exposing all his pretense. Years of painstaking planning had been destroyed in a single day.

The scene of this standoff instantly spread throughout the primordial world, and countless powerful beings simultaneously sensed and silently observed it.

On Jin'ao Island in the East China Sea, the Sage Tongtian sensed the situation in the lower realm. He was first taken aback, then couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"

"The people trained by Li Bai are indeed extraordinary! With just a few simple words, they refuted Ji Chang, leaving him with no way to retreat and causing him to lose face."

"Yuanshi has been plotting for years, painstakingly laying the groundwork for the Investiture of the Gods and cultivating sages among the human race, only to be defeated today by a woman! This great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods has only just begun, and the Chan Sect's schemes have been exposed in public. How satisfying! Absolutely satisfying!"

Inside the Jade Void Palace, the Primordial Celestial Venerable sensed everything happening in the lower realm. His face was extremely gloomy and unsightly, and he had nowhere to vent his anger.

"This insignificant Ji Chang is utterly useless!"

The old man from the South Pole immediately bowed and spoke.

"Master, please calm your anger! This disciple will immediately lead men down the mountain to rescue Ji Chang! Lei Zhenzi is a disciple of my Chan Sect; rescuing his father is perfectly legitimate and will not give others cause for criticism!"

Yuanshi Tianzun suppressed his anger and nodded slightly.

"Go quickly. Take many disciples with you, lest people look down on our Chan Sect."