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

The admonition that Li Bai had once left for Yunxiao was now echoing in Yunxiao's mind again and again, each word clear and revealing all the mysteries within the Great Calamity.

Only those who understand the essence of calamity can transcend its constraints; those who fail to grasp its mysteries will only become pawns in the calamity, ultimately unable to escape the fate of being listed on the list.

If one treats the Investiture of the Gods merely as a register of 365 righteous gods, remaining unmoved and seemingly indifferent to everything, one will unknowingly fall into a trap and become a pawn to be manipulated by others.

If you only look at the surface conflicts of the Investiture of the Gods, you will only be a pawn in the game of the Investiture of the Gods. Remember this: no matter which fellow disciple you hear of dying and being listed, you must not be swayed by emotions and disrupt your own foundation.

The so-called Great Tribulation is essentially a purge of the weak and inexperienced cultivators. However, for the superior cultivators with a firm Dao heart and who can see through the fog, it is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity.

Only by clearing away the layers of calamity and mystery can one find a sliver of hope for salvation amidst the boundless carnage, and wait for the end of this great calamity to come so that one can enjoy the unique opportunity of the Great Dao.

In the midst of a great calamity, one must think thrice before acting on all matters.

No matter what you hear of any fellow disciples who have died on the list, you must accept this fate with equanimity. If you cannot understand this principle, you will eventually become a ghost on the list.

This principle must never be passed on to anyone else, and one should not lose one's composure or act impulsively just because someone else has passed away.

This was a warning that Li Taibai had given Yunxiao alone when they met not long ago. He instructed Yunxiao to remember it and not to tell anyone else.

Yunxiao quietly digested this truth, and a sense of enlightenment arose in his heart.

Could it be that my elder brother Zhao Gongming is a shallow and low-level cultivator, destined to be eliminated in this great calamity?

Even though she was heartbroken, she had to accept the fate of her brother's success in the exam and not let anger cloud her judgment.

Yunxiao did not reveal any of his thoughts to Qiongxiao or Bixiao, nor did he inform Zhao Gongming beforehand.

Before Zhao Gongming set off, Yunxiao had repeatedly warned him that the calamity was dangerous and that he should never easily leave the mountain to get involved in the western conflict.

Unfortunately, Zhao Gongming lacked the necessary comprehension and failed to see through the hidden traps of the calamity. As soon as he stepped onto the front lines, he fell into the schemes of the Chan Sect and was completely wiped out by this great calamity.

Grief and regret intertwined in Yunxiao's heart, but his Dao heart gradually stabilized and was no longer swayed by thoughts of revenge.

Yunxiao turned to look at Shen Gongbao, who was waiting to the side, her tone calm and composed.

"Fellow Daoist Shen Gongbao, please return to Xiqi first. We sisters will certainly not let go of this blood feud with our brother. However, the current situation is complicated. In the great calamity, one wrong step will lead to eternal damnation. The three of us sisters need to calm down and carefully weigh the pros and cons before we act rashly."

Although Shen Gongbao was anxious, he dared not press Yunxiao any further and could only agree with what she said.

"What you say is absolutely right, Fairy. In the midst of a great calamity, one must naturally think things through before acting. It was I who was too hasty. In that case, I shall take my leave for now and await your decision."

After saying this, Shen Gongbao bowed and turned to ride his escape light away from the Beiji Ziwei Palace.

After Shen Gongbao's figure completely disappeared into the horizon, Bixiao still harbored resentment and stepped forward to question Yunxiao in bewilderment.

"Elder sister, what are you so afraid of? Are you just going to abandon the blood feud that killed your brother?"

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound suddenly rang out as Yunxiao raised her hand and slapped Bixiao across the face.

The hall fell silent instantly, and everyone was stunned.

Yunxiao's gaze was cold, and his words directly pierced Bixiao's restless nature, each sentence harsh and blunt.

"What's the use of your impulsiveness and haste? Even if we rush to Xiqi now, can our brother be brought back to life from the Investiture of the Gods? If the three of us rush in in a fit of rage, we will only repeat our brother's fate and be listed on the list to die together! Now, a great calamity is shrouding the primordial world. Do you even understand what a great calamity is? With your temperament, which is so easily swayed by anger, how can you survive this great calamity that is sweeping across the three realms?"

Bixiao stood frozen in place after being slapped, momentarily stunned, her eyes reddening, her grievances and anger forcibly suppressed by the slap.

Yunxiao's questioning, word by word, awakened the restlessness in Bixiao's heart. After a moment, the anger surging in Bixiao's chest slowly dissipated, and her mind finally calmed down. She lowered her head and remained silent, no longer clamoring to go down the mountain immediately for revenge.

Qiongxiao stood aside, looking at her eldest sister's calm and solemn appearance. Recalling the warning Li Bai had left about the great calamity, she slowly began to ponder and no longer insisted on immediate revenge.

The Three Immortal Maidens of the Three Immortal Realms ultimately suppressed their desire for revenge and did not step out of the Beiji Ziwei Palace.

This single decision completely rewrote the course of the western front.

Without a top-tier formation to support him, and without the assistance of the Three Immortal Maidens of Sanxiao, Wen Zhong could not possibly withstand the continuous fighting on the western front on his own.

Continuing to forcefully attack Xiqi will only lead to being surrounded by the Chan Sect, subjected to repeated encirclements and annihilations, and the losses will only increase.

Left with no other choice, Wen Zhong had to abandon his plan to continue attacking Xiqi and ordered the entire army to break camp and retreat, instead focusing on holding the defensive line and temporarily avoiding the sharp edge of the Chan Sect.

But the Chan Sect had already anticipated this move, giving Wen Zhong no chance to retreat safely and recuperate.

As soon as Wen Zhong had the idea of ​​retreating, the Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect had already set out to lay a trap at Jue Long Ridge, the only way for Wen Zhong to retreat, blocking all escape routes.

Jue Long Ridge is a natural trap, with two mountains flanking it and ravines crisscrossing it.

Taking advantage of their geographical position, the Chan Sect joined forces with the Xiqi army to encircle and trap Wen Zhong's main force.

A fierce battle suddenly broke out, the fighting was deafening, and blood stained the entire Jue Long Ridge.

Wen Zhong fought alone, bravely battling his way through the enemy lines, but he was surrounded and outnumbered. His elite Shang troops fell one after another, and the entire army was routed.

The battle finally came to an end, with Wen Zhong defeated and killed, his loyal soul flying straight into the Investiture of the Gods.

The elite troops that the Shang Dynasty had accumulated over many years were almost entirely wiped out in the Battle of Jue Long Ridge, with countless generals and elite soldiers lost, resulting in a complete break in their combat strength.

After this battle, the Shang Dynasty completely lost all its power to launch offensives and conquer all directions. It was no longer able to organize a large army to attack Xiqi and could only passively defend its territory.

The news of the crushing defeat at Jue Long Ridge spread instantly, shaking the entire prehistoric world and causing an uproar among the lords and cultivators from all directions.

Everyone knew that the fortunes of the Shang Dynasty had completely collapsed.

The stalemate on the western front was completely broken, and Jiang Ziya was overjoyed, with no more obstacles in sight.

They immediately reorganized the Xiqi army, and the entire army marched out of Jue Long Ridge, advancing straight towards the Shang capital, Chaoge, with their military might aimed directly at the foundation of the Shang Dynasty.

While the western front was advancing rapidly, the eastern front was also reporting tremendous victories.

Taking advantage of the situation, the army of Dongbo Hou entered Chentang Pass and completely occupied this strategic pass that served as a vital passage for both land and water transportation.

After capturing Chentang Pass in one battle, the Marquis of Dongbo's prestige was fully established, making him famous throughout the world and intimidating the feudal lords of all directions.

With simultaneous victories on both the eastern and western fronts, the Shang Dynasty was besieged on both sides, its empire was teetering on the brink of collapse, morale in the court was shattered, and the border troops suffered repeated defeats.

At this moment, no one doubted that the downfall of the Shang Dynasty was inevitable, it was only a matter of time.

The core point of contention in the current global power struggle is no longer whether or not the Shang dynasty is destroyed, but who can be the first to enter Chaoge and seize the legitimate cause of conquering the Shang.

After Chentang Pass fell completely, Tianshou did not rest or recuperate at all. He immediately reorganized his troops and led them to continue westward, with his army heading straight for Youhun Pass.

Once the Youhun Pass is captured, the army can advance unimpeded to the walls of Chaoge City and seize the throne first.

This perilous situation plunged the once-prosperous Chan Sect into anxiety, with its members filled with unease.

Inside Jiang Ziya's camp in Xiqi, all the disciples of the Chan Sect gathered together, their faces solemn, and the atmosphere extremely oppressive.

The Old Man of the South Pole stood in front of the main seat and spoke first, his voice extremely heavy.

"Chen Tang Pass has completely fallen, and the army of the Marquis of Dongbo is approaching You Hun Pass. Now, You Hun Pass is the only remaining eastern barrier for Chaoge."

"Although our army has broken through the pass and launched an eastward expedition on the western front, there are still six formidable passes blocking our way, and our marching speed is far slower than that of the army on the eastern front."

"The Jie Sect's current strategy is extremely bizarre. They have left the eastern front completely undefended, and all their troops and fellow disciples are clustered together to defend against our Xiqi army. This strategy is clearly a deliberate attempt to let the Marquis of Dongbo take the lead in attacking Chaoge."

"Originally, Junior Brother Taiyi personally assisted Li Jing in guarding Chentang Pass, firmly holding the eastern front against the enemy. However, an unexpected accident occurred, completely disrupting all the plans."

Yes, Taiyi's inclusion on the list instantly ignited everyone's interest, leaving everyone wondering how such an unexpected event could have occurred. Nezha, having nothing better to do than try to shoot Shiji, was instead killed by Shiji!

Becoming the first disciple of the Chan Sect to be listed chilled everyone's hearts, but this matter was really not Shi Ji's fault, which made it impossible for even the Sage to kill her.

These words sent chills down the spines of all the disciples of the Chan Sect, who were filled with dread.

Taiyi Zhenren is one of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect. He has profound cultivation and a solid foundation in Taoism, yet he is now on the list!

All twelve Golden Immortals have committed acts of killing. Even Taiyi is dead. What about us?

This is what makes the Twelve Golden Immortals so terrifying!

The Old Man of the South Pole swept his gaze over the crowd, his expression growing increasingly solemn, and continued to analyze the situation.

"Now our army only has two paths before us. One is to divide our forces! We must send several junior brothers to Youhun Pass overnight to garrison and block the Marquis of Dongbo's westward advance."

"But all of you junior brothers carry the calamity of 1,500 years, which you have not yet overcome. With the example of Junior Brother Taiyi, that unknown and strange power is impossible to guard against. If we rashly divide our forces to go to the eastern front, we will be isolated and helpless, and there is a high probability that we will perish and be listed on the list."

"Junior Brother Yi's death, though seemingly accidental, actually conceals a hidden destiny and is by no means an ordinary calamity. If we send another disciple, there is a very high chance that the same tragedy will be repeated."

"Secondly, if the entire army were to unite and launch a full-scale eastward expedition, advancing steadily under the protection of the Sage, this method of warfare would be slow, inevitably allowing the Marquis of Dongbo to seize control of Chaoge first. Once the Marquis of Dongbo gains the greatest credit for conquering Shang, our Chan Sect and Xiqi will completely lose our sense of righteousness, and our years of planning will be rendered useless!"

Both paths lead to a dead end. After listening to the analysis of the Antarctic Immortal, all the disciples of the Chan Sect fell silent. No one spoke, and no one could come up with a way to break the deadlock.

After a moment of deathly silence, Guang Chengzi slowly stood up, broke the silence, and spoke in a deep voice.

"Dividing our forces is absolutely not feasible."

"Our Chan Sect is already sparsely populated, with a total number of people far less than the ten thousand immortals of the Jie Sect. If we forcibly divide our forces, the main force on the western front will be insufficient to withstand the Jie Sect's endless counterattacks. The cultivators sent to the eastern front will be isolated and helpless, and will surely die."

"Now that the Three Heavens of Yunxiao are holding back, the calamity of killing has not yet been resolved for my disciples. Their minds and foundations are unstable. If we rashly disperse our forces, the chances of our demise will double."

"In my opinion, there is no need to stop Dongbo Hou. Even if he enters Chaoge first, so what? Our sect has a sage in charge, and the general trend of Heaven is biased towards our Chan Sect. In the end, the human race's land and the rightful rule of the world will still fall back into our hands."

Upon hearing this, all the disciples of the Chan Sect present nodded in agreement.

Taiyi's death instilled fear and dread in everyone in the Chan Sect, making them unwilling to send troops to defend Youhun Pass, thus effectively cutting off all of the Chan Sect's tactical options.

The Chan Sect is now in a dilemma, extremely embarrassed.

If a sage were to personally guard the Youhun Pass, it would be an utter joke. How could a sage's sacred body be used to guard a mortal city pass and block the armies of feudal lords? If word got out, the Chan Sect would lose all face.

Furthermore, the fundamental principle of the Chan Sect is to assist Xiqi, follow Heaven's will to overthrow the Shang, and uphold righteousness.

Now, instead of seizing the opportunity to destroy the Shang dynasty and advance into Chaoge, they are forced to guard the passes and block the righteous army for the corrupt Shang. Their morality and legal principles have completely collapsed, and they can no longer stand on any righteous ground.

On the other hand, the Jie Sect's strategy was even more ingenious.

The entire army focused on the western front, tightly restraining the main force of Xiqi, while leaving the eastern front completely undefended. This seemingly passive and inactive approach actually strangled all paths for the Chan Sect to break the deadlock.

Originally, Li Jing guarding the pass and Taiyi assisting in the attack was the only reasonable eastern defense line. Now that Li Jing has been listed on the list and Taiyi has died, sending someone else to guard the pass is no longer justifiable and is completely contradictory.

After much deliberation, the Old Man of the South Pole finally made up his mind and spoke in a deep voice to set the tone.

"Since dividing our forces will lead to certain death and stationing them here will leave us with no reputation, let's try a different approach."

"Order Shen Gongbao to temporarily assume command of the army, stationed on the eastern edge, and do his utmost to maneuver, harass, and delay the advance of the Marquis of Dongbo's army, so as to buy time for our main force to advance."

"We will gather all our main forces, no longer distracted, and launch a full-speed eastward expedition, fighting to the death to reach the gates of Chaoge before the Marquis of Dongbo!"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the disciples of the Chan Sect nodded in unison and echoed his words.

"good!"

Jiang Wenhuan's capture of Chentang Pass shook the world.

The Youhun Pass was naturally shaken. At the same time, Xiqi had destroyed the main force of the Shang Dynasty, which was basically on the verge of collapse!

When Jiang Wenhuan's army approached Youhun Pass, the two generals guarding Youhun Pass, Dou Rong and Lady Chedi, watched from the city wall!

At this moment, both of them felt heavy-hearted.

The restrictions on the entire Ghost Pass have been fully activated!

"Prime Minister, the restrictions on the Wandering Soul Pass have been fully activated; we don't know how to break through!"

Tian Shou pondered for a moment and then said, "Your Majesty, I will go and persuade them to open the gates and join me in purging the court of corrupt officials!"

Now, the Marquis of Dongbo has also passed Youhun Pass and ascended the throne as the Human Emperor before Xiqi. This is a race against the Marquis of Xibo!