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

If Ji Chang had changed his route and taken a detour, or if Lei Zhenzi had used spatial teleportation to escape, or if the gatekeepers were not the seven of Tian Shou, all the constraints on the Chan Sect's plans today would have been lost.

Because it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, without any prior cause and effect, even the Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning, using the methods of sage deduction, could not find any trace of human intervention. He could only attribute the whole incident to a coincidence that happened by chance.

However, this coincidence precisely seized upon all the loopholes in the Chan Sect, directly rendering the human race's sage pawns, which had been painstakingly crafted over hundreds of years, obstructing the Chan Sect's subsequent campaign against the Shang Dynasty.

After a moment of silence, Guang Chengzi stepped forward again and asked the most crucial question at hand.

"Master, now that Ji Chang has been vouched for by the Human Emperor, he is no longer able to shoulder the core responsibility of the campaign against Shang. What should be done with him? Should a new representative of the human race be found to replace Ji Chang and lead the cause of the campaign against Shang?"

Upon hearing this question, Yuanshi Tianzun's expression instantly became uncertain, caught in a dilemma, unable to find a proper solution.

Just as Li Bai had predicted, Ji Chang has now become utterly useless. He is bound by the oath of Heaven that the Human Emperor made in public, and his every move is under the supervision of the people. He can no longer carry the legitimate banner of overthrowing the Shang Dynasty.

Yuanshi Tianzun let out a long sigh, his heart filled with resentment that he had nowhere to vent.

"Hundreds of years of meticulous planning have all come to naught in a single day. Ji Chang's reputation as a sage has been shattered. The Yaochi lineage intervened out of nowhere, ruining the entire plan. I will remember this grudge and seek justice in the future. Now that the Investiture of the Gods has begun in full swing, time is of the essence, and there is simply no extra time to cultivate and shape a new human sage."

At this moment, Yuanshi Tianzun couldn't help but wonder if this series of variables targeting the Chan Sect was secretly arranged by Hongjun Daozu.

This speculation made Yuanshi Tianzun hesitant and timid in his actions, and he dared not easily strike a fatal blow against the Heavenly Court.

Li Bai's original strategy was precisely to capitalize on this concern, allowing Yaochi to act aggressively, and using others' speculations about Hongjun to intimidate Yuanshi Tianzun, thus making him hesitant to use the power of a sage to cleanse the Heavenly Court.

Yuanshi Tianzun would never go to Zixiao Palace to ask Hongjun Daozu in person whether he was secretly biased towards the Heavenly Court. This doubt would linger in his heart for a long time, and in future battles with the Heavenly Court, he would be constrained at every turn and naturally fall at a disadvantage.

After repeatedly weighing all the pros and cons and considering countless feasible routes, Yuanshi Tianzun realized that he could not make a decision alone while staying in Yuxu Palace. So he got up, stepped out of the main hall, and headed straight for Shouyang Mountain.

This matter involves the overall situation of the human race and must be discussed with Laozi to finalize a solution.

The two sages had only two options: one was to temporarily set aside Ji Chang and spend time selecting a new leader to lead the human race in their campaign against Shang.

Secondly, they could preserve the foundation of Xiqi for the time being, wait for Ji Chang's death, and then support Ji Chang's descendants to raise an army and start a rebellion, thus avoiding the guarantee and oath made by the Emperor.

In the blink of an eye, Yuanshi Tianzun arrived at Shouyang Mountain. Laozi sat quietly on his futon, already aware of all the changes that had occurred at Sanshan Pass.

After Yuanshi Tianzun took his seat, he immediately let out a long sigh and expressed all the difficulties in his heart.

"Elder brother, the matter of Ji Chang has now trapped me, and I am in a dilemma, not knowing how to handle it properly."

With his eyes slightly closed and his mind clear, Lao Tzu had already seen through all the interconnected trends behind the whole affair and slowly began to explain the inner workings of the situation.

"It is too late to find a new representative for the human race now. The great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods has already begun. Di Xin's blasphemy against the goddess Nuwa has already sealed the fate of the Shang Dynasty's inevitable destruction."

"If Xiqi fails to launch a military campaign against Shang for an extended period, Tongtian will surely seize the opportunity to support other human forces in other regions to rise up in rebellion. At that time, the entire initiative in the campaign against Shang will fall into the hands of the Jie Sect. Our Chan Sect's centuries of planning will only benefit others, resulting in a net loss."

Upon hearing these words, Yuanshi Tianzun's long-suppressed anger surged once more, and he spoke out in a stern voice.

"How dare that lowly wench from Yaochi repeatedly disrupt the core plans of my Chan Sect!"

Lao Tzu slowly opened his eyes, his brows furrowing slightly, and spoke to dissuade him.

"Now is not the time to be angry and rebuke Yaochi. The root of this flaw lies in the disciples' lack of rigor. They could have returned directly to Xiqi, but instead they chose to travel through five passes. Furthermore, they only taught the superficial aspects of the Sixty-Four Hexagrams without delving into the essence, thus deliberately exposing a huge loophole and giving others an opportunity to attack them."

"The Investiture of the Gods was a stage for various forces to compete and check each other. As a saint, you cannot expect your opponents to be merciful and show mercy after seeing your weaknesses. Once the dust settles on the entire calamity, will you really let Yaochi firmly control the Heavenly Court and dominate the human race? You will never be soft-hearted towards the Heavenly Court. If you put yourself in their shoes, you will understand that their actions this time are merely a matter of taking advantage of the situation."

Yuanshi Tianzun pondered carefully, agreed with Laozi's assessment, and nodded slightly.

"What you say, elder brother, is all reasonable. It was just that I lost my temper and acted rashly."

Lao Tzu sighed softly, deciding on the only viable route forward.

"Now that things have come to this, there is no better choice. Ji Chang himself is bound by the oath of the Human Emperor, and he cannot raise an army to cause chaos in this life. His reputation as a sage has been greatly damaged by the incident at Sanshan Pass, and he can no longer be the leader of the campaign against Shang."

"But Xiqi has an excellent geographical advantage and its foundation is still intact, so there is no need to completely abandon it. We only need to wait for Ji Chang to die when his lifespan is exhausted, and then support Ji Chang's sons to raise an army to attack Shang. Although there will be many twists and turns due to the oath of our fathers, with the secret protection of you and me, the two sages, we can suppress the objections from all sides and stabilize the momentum of attacking Shang."

"We must decide on this route as soon as possible. If we hesitate and observe, Tongtian will realize the huge flaw that Xiqi has exposed and will immediately take action to support other forces to seize the initiative in attacking Shang. At that time, it will be as difficult as climbing to heaven to turn the tide."

Yuanshi Tianzun listened quietly, knowing in his heart that this was the only way to preserve most of the Chan Sect's plans. Although there were many shortcomings, there was no other choice. The two of them carefully finalized the entire plan to support the younger generation of Xiqi in raising an army on the futon on Shouyang Mountain. They secretly arranged for their disciples to go to Xiqi territory in advance to lay the groundwork.

...........

Tongtian was stunned when he saw the oath the Emperor had just made at Sanshan Pass.

A moment later, Tongtian burst into laughter, the sound shaking the clouds in the entire Biyou Palace. Thousands of disciples of the Jie Sect inside the palace turned their heads in surprise, never having seen their master so overjoyed.

"What a brilliant move by Venus! This scheme is absolutely ingenious!"

Tongtian clapped his hands and sighed deeply, praising incessantly in his heart, and muttered to himself.

"Having long anticipated that Yuanshi had secretly chosen Ji Chang and spent hundreds of years painstakingly cultivating a sage for the human race, I managed to completely shatter Yuanshi's centuries-old scheme through a chance encounter at the border, leaving him no room for redemption. This calculated move, ironically, has opened a smooth path for my Jie Sect—a once-in-a-millennium opportunity, truly wondrous, truly wondrous!"

Overwhelmed with excitement, he immediately began to calculate and plan how the Jie Sect would respond to the Investiture of the Gods. The situation had suddenly reversed, and the dead end that had previously trapped the Jie Sect had suddenly given them a way out.

Before this, everyone in the entire prehistoric world could see clearly that the Chan Sect held Ji Chang, a sage of the human race, in their hands. They had the hearts of the people, public opinion, and the ancient Daoist tradition all in their grasp. They had already completed the initiative in the war against Shang. No matter which human force the Jie Sect supported to start a rebellion, they would be suppressed by Ji Chang's prestige and would not be able to stir up any waves. They could only passively watch from the sidelines and would not have any chance to intervene or play a game.

Emperor Xin's fortune collapsed, meaning his death was inevitable.

However, after the upheaval at Sanshan Pass, the situation was completely reversed. The core piece of the Chan Sect was rendered useless, and the Jie Sect was finally able to enter the game openly and get a share of the spoils.

Recalling the time when Li Bai visited Biyou Palace and spoke with him face to face, he had already pointed out the key to the change in the human race, saying that the rebellion that would overthrow the Shang Dynasty would most likely originate in the western region.

Following the arrangements made by the Chan Sect, Ji Chang of Xiqi deduced the sixty-four hexagrams, and his prestige within the human race grew day by day. He was praised by all the people and firmly secured his title as the first sage of the human race.

Tongtian instantly understood that Yuanshi's move was truly ruthless. He had destroyed the fortune of the Great Shang Dynasty and then shifted it to himself. Xiqi was the core that Yuanshi was supporting with all his might.

At that time, Ji Chang was extremely powerful, surrounded by layers of aura of reverence from all people, and his foundation was solid. It was extremely difficult to divert the power from him and shake Ji Chang's legitimate status. There was almost no feasible way. Tongtian could only remain still and wait quietly for the changes to happen.

No one could have predicted that the turning point would come so quickly and decisively.

Li Bai, taking advantage of the existing situation of seven people guarding the border, devised an unsolvable open strategy, directly shattering all of Ji Chang's reliance and severing the great cause of the Chan Sect's conquest of Shang. The opportunity belonging to the Jie Sect was now completely laid out before them.

Tongtian suppressed his smile, his expression turned solemn, and he loudly called out his name to those outside the hall.

"Duobao!"

A figure strode out from the side of the hall, bowing and standing beneath the cloud bed. It was none other than Duobao Daoren, the chief disciple of the Jie Sect.

"Disciple is here. What are your instructions, Master?"

Tongtian's gaze fell upon Duobao, finalizing the core strategy for the Jie Sect's next move in its plan for the human race.

"The Shang dynasty's fate has long since run its course. The court is corrupt, and public resentment is rampant. The dynasty's demise is inevitable. There's no need to expend further effort to preserve the Shang. From now on, the initiative for the entire human race to rise up against the Shang must be in the hands of my Jie Sect. We cannot allow the Chan Sect to monopolize the initiative. You have been traveling through the territories of various human lords for many years; do you have a suitable candidate in mind?"

After a moment's thought, Daoist Duobao immediately gave a safe answer.

"Reporting back to Master, the lineage of Marquis Jiang Huanchu of Dongbo is the best candidate."

Tongtian's eyes lit up, and he immediately made a decision, giving clear and concise instructions without giving any room for hesitation.

"Jiang Huanchu's son is an exceptional man. The downfall of the Shang Dynasty is inevitable. As the chief disciple of the Jie Sect, you should immediately set off for the territory of the Marquis of Dongbo to secretly support Jiang Huanchu's offspring, accumulate military strength, win over the hearts of various lords, and pave the way for all possible escape routes before launching an attack on Shang."

This is a proxy war. Di Xin is beyond saving, so they need to support a backup.

Since your Chan Sect is attacking the Shang, the Jie Sect will also attack the Shang. In the end, it will just be a matter of replacing a proxy!

Duobao bowed and accepted the order, responding immediately.

"Disciple obeys Master's decree."

Jiang Huanchu is an upright and incorruptible man, and acts with strength and integrity. He is the head of the eight hundred vassal lords of the human race and is titled Marquis of the East. With his solid foundation, he is indeed an excellent candidate to compete for the title of Human Emperor.

Jiang Huanchu is the biological father of the current Queen Jiang of the Shang Dynasty, and has a deep kinship with the royal family.

After Su Daji entered the palace and wreaked havoc on the court, she was wary of the powerful Dongbo Marquis behind Queen Jiang and was determined to eliminate him completely. She set a trap and lured the four great lords, Jiang Huanchu, Ji Chang, E Chongyu, and Chong Houhu, to Chaoge under the guise of a court assembly. She then fabricated charges of treason against Jiang Huanchu.

In the main hall, Jiang Huanchu, undaunted by Emperor Xin's oppressive aura, listed one by one Emperor Xin's crimes of debauchery, tyranny, harming court officials, and disregarding human etiquette and laws, directly stating that the monarch's lack of virtue had angered Emperor Xin.

In his fury, Emperor Xin ordered Jiang Huanchu to be executed by being minced meat, his body crushed to death. The lords of Donglu harbored resentment and secretly plotted rebellion, only lacking a suitable leader to raise the banner of revolt.

Previously, Ji Chang, the Marquis of Xibo, relied on his reputation as a sage of the Sixty-Four Hexagrams to monopolize the cause of the war against Shang, and no one could compete with him. Now, after the incident at Sanshan Pass, Ji Chang's halo of sagehood has been shattered, and he is also bound by the oath of the Human Emperor, which prevents him from taking the initiative to raise troops in this life. He can no longer bear the position of leader of the war against Shang. Jiang Huanchu's son, Jiang Wenhuan, naturally became the best candidate to replace Ji Chang.

While the Jie Sect finalized a new plan within Biyou Palace, Su Daji received all the messages from Sanshan Pass in the harem of Chaoge. She learned that Tian Shou had forced the Emperor to make a guarantee in public, and had successfully released Ji Chang. She was filled with rage and resentment.

Su Daji frowned deeply, pacing back and forth, unable to suppress her anger, and muttered a angry rebuke in a low voice.

"Tianshou, this is outrageous! Under no circumstances can we allow these seven to continue guarding Qinglong Pass. Their presence here will only jeopardize my entire plan!"

Originally, Su Daji had planned for a long time, proceeding step by step, with all procedures arranged in place.

First, they plotted to kill Boyi Kao, forcing Ji Chang to eat his own flesh and blood. Then, they used the Sixty-Four Hexagrams to create momentum, elevating Ji Chang's reputation as a sage among the human race. Afterward, they issued arrest warrants and relentlessly pursued and intercepted him, leaving Ji Chang with no choice but to raise an army in rebellion.

After years of preparation, with the hatred of his son's murder, the resentment of being imprisoned for seven years, and the people's yearning for a wise ruler, all the right conditions were met. All that was needed was for Ji Chang to step out of the pass and raise an army, so that he could complete the task entrusted to him by Nuwa to disrupt the Shang Dynasty's fortunes and accumulate merits to achieve the Great Dao.

Unexpectedly, an unexpected event occurred at Sanshan Pass. Tian Shou's questioning shattered the saintly image of Ji Chang and forced the emperor to publicly pledge to block Ji Chang's claim of rebellion. All the groundwork laid over a long period of time instantly lost its power, and the plan that had been in the works for several years was almost completely ruined.

Su Daji read the whole story word for word, and her anger surged to the top of her head.

"No, we must find a way to relocate Tian Shou and the other seven, as well as Jiu Feng from Jiepai Pass. We absolutely cannot let them block our path to the Eastern Expedition!"