Transmigrating into Haotian, ruling the Three Pure Ones and pacifying the primordial world.

"Don't rush. Fellow Daoists know the importance of the Zhou Tian Star Array. The combat power of Saints is indispensable, so all the Zhou Tian Star Lords must be on the list."

"The leaders of the various departments of the Heavenly Court need to coordinate the immortals and gods, and they cannot afford to make any mistakes; they also need to be on the list."

"The underworld governs reincarnation, which is of paramount importance; all of these combined..."

Haotian twitched his fingers and said softly, "Six hundred is needed."

Houtu's brows relaxed: "Our Wu clan's Dudu Tianshen Sha Grand Formation is also a Saint-level battle force."

"Agreed!" Haotian nodded; the Wu Clan was indeed a great help.

He glanced at the assembled saints, whose eyes were filled with eagerness. Haotian simply shook his head: "There are too many disciples from the three religions. We must reserve some spots for the rogue cultivators of the prehistoric world."

"The Three Teachings?" Yaochi raised her head in surprise, and even Hongjun couldn't help but glance at Haotian.

Laozi raised an eyebrow. Apart from Xuantian, he only had Xuandu as a disciple, so there would naturally be enough spots on the Investiture of the Gods list.

The second brother didn't offend the Heavenly Emperor, and the Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect can also guarantee his safety. So, what about the last one? Is it the Western Sect or the Jie Sect, which are not among the three sects mentioned by the Heavenly Emperor?

"Having over a hundred direct disciples in the Western Sect is far too many; perhaps you two senior brothers could reduce the number!"

As soon as Haotian finished speaking, Tongtian's expression turned ugly.

"My Jie Sect is also a disciple of the Xuanmen, and is currently the number one sect in the prehistoric world. Does the Heavenly Emperor mean to say that he is not allowing my disciple to be included on the list?"

"I wish I could, but I am truly powerless to do so." Haotian helplessly spread his hands. "The quotas are almost all allocated. Good luck, Master."

Seeing that Tongtian was about to speak again, Haotian sneered: "The disciples of the Jie Sect are incredibly powerful and protected by formations. They are the most renowned sect in the prehistoric world. Sage Tongtian is very strong and will surely be able to protect his disciples."

"I was too hasty earlier. How could I force the Sage to send his disciples to the Heavenly Court?"

Tongtian's breathing became rapid, and Haotian continued his pursuit: "It was my fault. Sage, just take my previous words as a joke. Go back to the Xingsheng Sect."

"Pfft~ Hmm—" Yaochi lowered her head, her white fingers gripping the futon beneath her tightly. She quickly suppressed her laughter; her senior brother wasn't by her side, so she couldn't even grab his thigh anymore.

The other sages watched as the Heavenly Emperor finished speaking with a cold smile. Tongtian's face flushed red, and he also lowered his head.

What a boomerang!

These were all words that Tongtian had said to stop his disciples from ascending to heaven, and now the Heavenly Emperor had returned them to him word for word.

"You...I...no..." Tongtian stammered. That's not what I meant. I was reluctant to part with my disciples before, but now it's to ensure their safety. There's no comparison between the two.

"No, this is not right!" Tongtian stood up excitedly, sorting out his thoughts. "The Investiture of the Gods is meant to give all living beings a chance to survive, but it is also a guarantee of the prehistoric world's fighting strength. My disciples of the Jie Sect are highly skilled, and for the sake of the prehistoric world, they should be included on the list."

Haotian scoffed: "No matter what the sect leader says, it can't change the fact that there are only a thousand spots on the Investiture of the Gods list for those with physical bodies. You were unwilling before, but none of the other fellow Daoists voiced any objections."

Yuanshi and the others nodded without showing any emotion. Fortunately, when the Heavenly Emperor mobilized his troops earlier, they did not object because of their master. Otherwise, if the Heavenly Emperor were to use this as an excuse now, they would really suffer the consequences.

"Master, there is no room on the Investiture of the Gods. If you wish, you can bring your disciples to the Heavenly Court. I will personally arrange for their souls to be listed so they can experience the mysteries of the Investiture of the Gods in advance."

Haotian spoke with murderous intent, and a chill permeated Zixiao Palace, causing Tongtian to shiver involuntarily.

"Are you really that heartless?" Tongtian murmured.

"Heartless? What do you mean by heartless!" Haotian's expression was arrogant, his eyes filled with an unyielding coldness. "As the Heavenly Emperor, I should treat all beings in the Three Realms equally, yet I've advised the Sages countless times out of consideration for our fellow disciples!"

"Senior brothers Taiqing and Yuqing have paid a heavy price for you."

"It's you who's heartless!" Haotian sneered. "You're heartless to us, but you care for your disciples. Now you have the nerve to use those words against me."

"You did it all for your disciples, I did it all for my senior brother, and Taiqing Yuqing did it all for our younger brother. Do you really not know what we've done for you?"

"You're just enjoying our friendship but hesitating. If it weren't for Senior Brother Yuanshi standing in front of you, and Master having just emerged from seclusion, do you think you'd still be standing before me unharmed?"

"Boom!"

Dark clouds loomed over Zixiao Palace, and streaks of lightning flashed like giant dragons, exuding a terrifying pressure. Even though everyone present was a saint, the sight cast a shadow over their hearts.

Heavens, are you angry?

The thought popped into their heads and startled them.

This is the Purple Cloud Palace, where the Heavenly Dao resides. But can the Heavenly Emperor's anger rival that of the Heavenly Dao?

Moreover, what did the Heavenly Emperor mean by that?

Houtu and the others looked at Haotian and the Three Pure Ones. It was Daozu who came to Zixiao Palace with them earlier, so these people had already fought.

Tongtian was speechless for a moment, his expression ashamed, knowing that what Haotian said was true.

He and the other saints felt that the Heavenly Emperor was acting recklessly because of his master's favor, and that he was also squandering the favor of his two elder brothers.

"I..." Tongtian was speechless for a moment. His Jie Sect was meant to cut off a glimmer of hope for all living beings. Now that the glimmer of hope was right in front of him, he pushed it away with his own hands.

He was truly unwilling to give up like this!

"I have made mistakes, but the only chance of survival for my disciples rests on my shoulders as their master." Tongtian's gaze hardened. "Heavenly Emperor, for their sake, I will fight!"

Haotian glanced at the composed Laozi and Yuanshi. They had plotted like that earlier because they were afraid that the blood of the Jie Sect would corrupt the foundation of Tongtian Dao.

Now that a great calamity is approaching, if the disciples of the Jie Sect perish, the Jie Sect will perish without being destroyed, and Tongtian will naturally be safe.

They will not give up for the sake of their disciples.

"What do you want?" Haotian looked at Tongtian with a half-smile. I want to see what other reasons you can come up with.

Your Dao foundation is no longer a problem, but Laozi Yuanshi will no longer tolerate you!

"For the sake of the primordial world, the stronger the ranked individuals, the better. Let's determine our ranking based on combat strength, and let the strongest be ranked."

Tongtian scanned the crowd, and the expressions of the various sages changed slightly. Zhunti stood up and asked, "Senior Brother, how would you like to conduct the contest?"

Yuanshi also looked over. He didn't have many direct disciples, but there were indeed some disciples of the Jie Sect who were better than the Twelve Golden Immortals. If it were a one-on-one battle, he would definitely miss the opportunity.

"The great calamity is at least ten thousand years away. If you want a one-on-one duel, senior brother, you should refrain from asking. The celestial gods of our Heavenly Court don't have that much time to play around with you."

Haotian's fingertips spun the Investiture of the Gods, and now that I have the initiative, I am invincible.

Tongtian's expression darkened, then he took a deep breath and forced himself to stay alert: "Fight with formations, fight with teachings, distinguish the gems amidst the great calamity, and the victors will be listed!"