The Spiritual Attainment of Minghe Chapter 281-290

Chapter 281: Two Dragons Appear

On Mount Kunlun, Honored Lord of the Origin felt confused when looking in the direction of Xiqi. Although Su Daji was just a Golden Immortal and maybe one of the insignificant pawns arranged by a Sage, whoever would play this pawn mattered a lot. Would it be Minghe, Goddess Nvywa, Houtu, Laozi, Tongtian, or the Two Sages of the West?

What worried Honored Lord of the Origin the most was that he knew nothing about Su Daji's background. It was like combat between two powerful cultivators. If one knew his counterpart clearly, he could have a greater chance to win. But if one knew nothing about the skills, purpose, or personality of his counterpart, he would meet with big trouble. Furthermore, the less one knew, the more possibilities there would be.

An unimpressive pawn could even cause the Sages to have various types of guesses. However, since this pawn had been arranged in this battle and was even placed at a special point, it could even affect the Battle of the Gods Investiture. Therefore, all the Sages needed to be alert. In this Cultivation Tribulation, everything might totally change in an instant, as if they had never expected the appearance of Su Daji. ...

No matter how worried all the Sages were, Xiqi was full of laughter now because the Marquis of the West, who had been imprisoned for seven years, was rescued successfully. Bo Yikao and Shen Gongbao naturally got top honors for that, so their reputations in Xiqi were also promoted. Ji Chang, the Marquis of the West, rewarded them generously and Shen Gongbao happily accepted those rewards.

Actually, wealth meant nothing to Shen Gongbao. He even considered a mountain of gold to be just dirt. However, in consideration of the Western Religious Sect, he had to get Ji Chang's and Bo Yikao's trust. Only in this way could he maintain his status in the Western Religious Sect.

Now, Shen Gongbao had naturally gained Ji Chang's trust for rescuing him. He knew that it was difficult for him to get any achievements in government policy or the military, and he was not likely to show his achievements in these two aspects to gain Ji Chang's trust like Jiang Ziya had. Therefore, he had to seize this chance to distinguish himself and keep his status.

As for Su Daji, Shen Gongbao had reminded Zhunti of this issue, but Zhunti only asked him to keep an eye on her instead of taking any action. Furthermore, Su Daji was Bo Yikao's lover. And since there was no evidence to prove that Su Daji had done something harmful to Bo Yikao or to someone else, Shen Gongbao would not mention this issue, lest someone be unhappy about his words. If that happened, he could lose more than he gained.

However, Shen Gongbao did not discover that Su Daji had any flaws even though he always kept his eyes on her. It seemed that Su Daji's appearance meant nothing. Actually, even though she had proven that she was the real Su Daji, she also knew that she would be doubted by the others because the immortal who had saved her was so mysterious.

Su Daji did not care about people's doubts about her too much because she knew that time would reveal her heart. Although she needed to follow that immortal's order, she would not do anything to endanger Xiqi. What that immortal asked her to do was to urge Bo Yikao to cultivate and suggest to him to continuously focus on his people's lives and state affairs. In Su Daji's eyes, the immortal's order was a little bit unnecessary.

As the eldest son of Ji Chang, the Marquis of the West, Bo Yikao had the same status as the prince of a country. When the day came that Ji Chang passed away, Bo Yikao would become the king. He had a high reputation among his people in Xiqi and nearly all the officers would be on his side. With the support of Shen Gongbao and the Western Religious Sect, the position of Marquis of the West would surely belong to him.

It was strange that Bo Yikao changed when he started to cultivate the transforming exercises that were brought back by Su Daji. He used to be a frail-looking scholar, but since he started to cultivate the Zi Wei Emperor Exercises, he became more and more valiant. This was the real temperament of a king.

The change in Bo Yikao caught the attention of others, especially Ji Chang, who was really happy to see those changes from the bottom of his heart. Bo Yikao was the first successor of the Marquis of the West. If he were to remain gentle and suave, how could he govern the entire Xiqi after Ji Chang had passed away? He had finally become what Ji Chang had wished for in the past, which made Ji Chang excited.

Shen Gongbao was also happy about the change in Bo Yikao. When he met Bo Yikao the first time, he discovered that Bo Yikao was surrounded by the Zi Wei Emperor Aura. But when he met with his brother, Ji Fa, Shen Gongbao was confused about the richer Zi Wei Emperor Aura that was around him. Actually, that was not good news for him and the Western Religious Sect.

Shen Gongbao and the Western Religious Sect had now put all their hopes on Bo Yikao. If he could not succeed the position of Marquis of the West, the preaching of the Western Religious Sect in Xiqi would be greatly influenced. Fortunately, the changes in Bo Yikao were good and Shen Gongbao was pretty satisfied with him. Bo Yikao's Zi Wei Emperor Aura became richer after cultivating the Zi Wei Emperor Exercises, even better than Ji Fa's. His aura was increasing day by day and the end was nowhere in sight.

With the growth of the Zi Wei Emperor Aura, Bo Yikao displayed a little kingly temperament and focused more on Xiqi's official affairs. He always tried to solve problems for Ji Chang, who also placed high expectations on him. Most of the officers in Xiqi were willing to follow his orders. All of these positive changes made Shen Gongbao excited, but not everything was smooth.

The reason why he did not feel smooth was Jiang Ziya, who always chatted and drank liquor with him. At first, Shen Gongbao had planned to introduce Jiang Ziya to Bo Yikao to draw the Clan of Enlightenment over to his side. However, he did not expect that Jiang Ziya could be capable of getting such a high position in Xiqi in such a short time. Unexpectedly, Jiang Ziya was like a Dragon of Flood who was trapped on the beach and Xiqi was like the ocean. If the dragon could only get into the ocean, it could raise storms and arouse waves.

Although Jiang Ziya was much inferior to Shen Gongbao in the Laws of the Tao, he had an unmatched talent for power tactics and training soldiers. Over the last 10 years in Xiqi, Jiang Ziya was promoted from a Senior Grand Master to the prime minister. All the officers admired him, and even Ji Chang, the Marquis of the West, trusted him very much.

But this was not the thing that most worried Shen Gongbao. Even if Jiang Ziya indeed had some capability, he would just be a prime minister after Bo Yikao had succeeded the position of Marquis of the West. Bo Yikao always trusted Shen Gongbao more than he trusted Jiang Ziya. However, he found that Jiang Ziya got along well with Ji Fa recently, which made Shen Gongbao somehow worried.

Ji Chang had 100 sons. Except Leizhenzi, who had been accepted as a disciple by Yun Zhongzi, Shen Gongbao had seen others. And none of them were special, except for Bo Yikao and Ji Fa. The best among them had only a little of the Zi Wei Emperor Aura. Because they did not have any capability or reputation, they could not be threats to Bo Yikao's position.

But Ji Fa was different. He was also surrounded by a rich Zi Wei Emperor Aura and was even better than Bo Yikao at dealing with official and military affairs. Although Bo Yikao had some changes recently, he was still weaker than Ji Fa in these aspects. And Ji Fa also had a good reputation in Xiqi because of his outstanding capacity. People admired him and Ji Chang liked him.

Ji Fa and Jiang Ziya had now become good friends. Whether it was intentional or not, Shen Gongbao considered it a sign of danger. Who was Jiang Ziya? He was the second generation disciple of the Clan of Enlightenment and the disciple of Honored Lord of the Origin. Even if Jiang Ziya was the only Enlightenment clansman in Xiqi, he could represent the entire Clan of Enlightenment.

Shen Gongbao was naturally worried about the relationship between Ji Fa and Jiang Ziya. They both had some achievements in handling official and military affairs, which were his and Bo Yikao's weaknesses. If Ji Fa were to receive the support of the Clan of Enlightenment and Honored Lord of the Origin, he could be a powerful adversary  in  attaining the position of Marquis of the West after Ji Chang's death.

The government of Xiqi could be divided into two main parties. One was the party of Bo Yikao and Shen Gongbao, supported by the Western Religious Sect. The disciples of the Western Religious Sect along with Shen Gongbao's friends controlled the greater part of Xiqi's army. The other was the group of Ji Fa and Jiang Ziya, supported by the Clan of Enlightenment. They controlled all the new soldiers that they themselves had trained.

Generally speaking, Bo Yikao had the advantage. But Shen Gongbao did not dare to relax. Ji Fa would be much more powerful with the help of Jiang Ziya. A man who was powerful, capable, and even surrounded by the Zi Wei Emperor Aura was really threatening, even though he had no ideas at the moment. Although the two parties seemed to be peaceful and they all devoted themselves to the prosperity of Xiqi, who knew what would happen tomorrow.

Chapter 282: The God Deification Ceremony Begins

Floating above the center of the Blood Sea was the Sacred Island. Over the top of the island was the Cosmic Stars Formation, which covered the entire Blood Sea. Strands of the Power of Stars were shed from the formation and nourished everything on the Sacred Island. Minghe sat cross-legged on the cloud platform with his eyes closed. He seemed to be beyond all worldly affairs. His vital force was only faintly discernable, which made him invisible to other people.

Suddenly, Minghe opened his eyes and a light flashed through them. If you looked closely, you would find that his eyes reflected the entire Untainted World and nothing could escape from them. He could clearly see that the Evil Spirit between heaven and earth had accumulated to a certain quantity. Heaven began to show Menace Intent—the Cultivation Tribulation was about to begin.

Minghe stood up and looked at Untainted Land from a distance. He murmured, "Please begin quicker, Cultivation Tribulation of the God Deification Ceremony in Untainted Land! This is the last time that I'll plot in Untainted Land. After I get the thing that I want, I'll leave here. Though Untainted Land is good, it indeed restricts my development. There is a broader world outside—that will be my stage."

···

On Mount Shouyang, Laozi opened his eyes after he felt the change of the Evil Spirit between heaven and earth. The Cultivation Tribulation was about to start. The Tribe of Humanity was involved in the tribulation, so naturally, it could not remain immune from it. It had to face the tribulation head- on. However, the tribulation was extraordinary. The Sages did not interfere with either the Longhan Cultivation Tribulation or the Cultivation Tribulation of the Sorcerer and Demon tribes. But this time, the ones who were going to face the tribulation were the disciples of Sages.

There was a saying that went like this: "A slight change will affect everything else". Though the Sages were untouchable and disinterested, they could not totally abandon their selfish motives. Although it was the four clans, namely the Tribe of Severity, the Clan of Enlightenment, the Western Religious Sect, and the Clan of Humanity, that would face the tribulation, the situation was almost clear now. Looking at the unstable Untainted Land, Laozi revealed some sorrow in his eyes. But it disappeared all of a sudden. Later on, a determined look showed in his eyes. ···

In the Yuxu Palace of Mount Kunlun, Honored Lord of the Origin sat on a seat and stared at the Evil Spirit that was floating around Heaven and Earth. Mixed feelings were generated from his heart. Though the Clan of Enlightenment was involved in the Cultivation Tribulation, it could also be an opportunity to revive the clan. If he sized this chance, the Clan of Enlightenment could be the biggest clan in Untainted Land and completely cast its shadow on the Clan of Humanity, the Clan of Severity, and the Western Religious Sect.

···

Of course, there were other people who had the same idea as Honored Lord of the Origin, such as the Two Sages of the West

—Jieyin and Zhunti. At present, Shen Gongbao and the Western Religious Sect had overwhelmed the Clan of Enlightenment in Xiqi, as there was only Jiang Ziya in the Clan of Enlightenment. If they could continually maintain these advantages in the Battle of the Gods Investiture, the Western Religious Sect would definitely be revitalized after this Cultivation Tribulation.

··· In the Jadeite Palace of Golden Turtle Island, Sect Leader Tongtian felt the Cultivation Tribulation of Heaven and Earth beginning. His eyes became sharp suddenly and were horrifying like Sword Aura. Behind him was a shadow, in which was a Map of Formation. Four sharp swords were hanging above the map. Evil Spirit, Killing Aura, and Sword Aura were all intermingled. They surrounded Sect Leader Tongtian and did not disappear for a long time.

Sect Leader Tongtian stretched one of his hands out and a small banner appeared. It was in the shape of a triangle and had six tails. Above it was countless Evil Spirit. Once it appeared, the Killing Intent of Heaven and Earth would immediately have the sign of gathering on it, which crept people out at the sight of it. All of this was proof that the treasure was valuable. Otherwise, Sect Leader Tongtian would not be hesitating.

Staring at the banner, Sect Leader Tongtian said with a sigh, "I hope that I don't have the chance to use it." After finishing speaking, he closed his hand and took the banner back. He then looked at Untainted Land from a distance and muttered, "Heaven has launched Menace Intent and everything is in chaos. The Cultivation Tribulation of the God Deification Ceremony is about to begin and the secrets of heaven are hard to speculate. I wonder whether the Clan of Severity will pass the tribulation safely or not?" ···

As time went by, Xiqi became larger year after year. Common people and refugees all went there. In the nine provinces, many vassals were attached to Xiqi. It was located in the Province of Yong, one of the nine provinces of the Human Tribe. Four vassals of other provinces were attached to Xiqi. Thus, Xiqi became the most powerful influence aside from the Shang Dynasty.

Compared to Xiqi, the Shang Dynasty was on the verge of collapse. King Zhou was fatuous and tyrannical. Daji made calamity and chaos in the court. First, Bi Gan died because his heart was scooped out and then the King of Wucheng escaped to Western Zhou. Crafty and fawning officials were rampant in the court and they all put their own safety before matters of principle. Though Grand Preceptor Wen came back to the court and met with King Zhou, it had little effect. Later on, Grand Preceptor Wen went into the battle because of the vassals' rebellion, and the court issues were abandoned by King Zhou again. The Shang Dynasty was growing weaker day by day.

While the power of Xiqi was increasing and that of the Shang Dynasty was decreasing, many people had figured out the trend. Plenty of officials in the Shang Dynasty put forward suggestions to King Zhou, stating that Xiqi was a great threat. Even Fei Zhong and You Hun could see the trend, so they reported to King Zhou as well. After hearing their words, King Zhou heeded their advice and began to suppress Xiqi. Meanwhile, he also summoned Ji Chang, the Marquis of the West, to come to Zhaoge again.

In Xiqi, after receiving King Zhou's decree, Ji Chang immediately summoned both civil and military officials to discuss this matter. In the hall, Ji Chang sat above in the front. Although he was over 90, he was radiant and looked like a man in his 50s or 60s. That was due to the longevity magic elixir that King Zhou secretly let him take according to Minghe's instruction. Otherwise, he would have died long ago.

Although Xiqi was getting stronger day by day, the court had divided into two factions because Ji Chang, the Marquis of the West, was still healthy. Both Bo Yikao and Ji Fa had made some contributions to the court and were assisted by Shen Gongbao and Jiang Ziya, respectively. Therefore, Ji Chang greatly valued both of them. But because of these reasons, he was in a dilemma when it came to choosing the successor.

As the oldest son of Ji Chang, Bo Yikao should have been the first successor. Besides that, since he rescued his father from Zhaoge, he had changed a lot. Though Su Daji had accompanied him, he did not indulge in love affairs. Instead, he began to care about court issues and learn things about how to manage state affairs. In this way, he gradually began to look like a real king.

In comparison, though Ji Fa was the second son, his ability to handle state affairs was far beyond Bo Yikao's. At the same time, Chancellor Jiang Ziya was not only his friend but also his teacher. If Bo Yikao could be a king that could guard the territory, then Ji Fa would be an explorer. Now the whole world was in chaos, so defense might not be a good choice.

Ji Chang sat above in the front and overlooked the officials standing below him. Bo Yikao and Ji Fa stood at the head of the two lines of officials. Ji Chang was delighted when he saw his two promising sons, but he had a headache at the same time. Be aware that it was not only because of the competition regarding his successor but also because of the struggle between the Clan of Enlightenment and the Western Religious Sect behind the court. It was very clear to Ji Chang that he could not offend either clan. Hence, he continued to put off the day of choosing a successor.

Luckily, Ji Chang had not shown any sign of senility all these years. His countenance was maintained at the age of around 60 and his body was as healthy as that of a man in his 40s or 50s. He had divined for himself. Though he did not know when would he die, the image of the trigrams showed that he was in his heyday and could live for at least another 20-some years. Thus, he took his time when it came to choosing a successor.

Obviously, King Zhou had generated fear for Xiqi now, otherwise, he would not have ordered Ji Chang to head toward Zhaoge again. Ji Chang had divined for himself after he received the decree. The image showed that he would have no chance to come back alive. He was nearly 100 years old and had seen through life and death. However, he was afraid of the turbulence that would be caused in Xiqi after his death and, therefore, he did not take any action.

Thus, he summoned all the officials to the court to discuss this matter. In the hall, Ji Chang held the edict of King Zhou, calmed down, and said, "Everyone, the purpose of summoning all of you here is that I've gotten an edict from Zhaoge which orders me to go meet King Zhou immediately. I want to get some advice from you on whether or not I should go to Zhaoge at this time."

Chapter 283: Ji Chang Claims to be a King

All the officials were in a hot debate after they heard Ji Chang's words. Bo Yikao stood up first and advised, "Father, King Zhou must harbor malicious intentions by calling you suddenly. The last time he summoned you, you were trapped in You Li for seven years. By the God's blessing, you could come back safely. I'm afraid that you'll lose your life if you go to Zhaoge again."

After Bo Yikao finished speaking, Ji Fa said, "Father, King Zhou is foolish and tyrannical, and has no principle of righteousness. The Shang Dynasty is swaying, and plenty of vassals are rebelling against it. However, under your command, Xiqi is getting stronger day by day. The reason why King Zhou is summoning you now is that he fears the power of Xiqi. He aims to take you as a hostage, and if he succeeds, we won't be able to act against him to prevent him from harming you. You cannot head toward Zhaoge."

Ji Chang could undoubtedly understand the crucial point in the words of Bo Yikao and Ji Fa. However, King Zhou was a king, if you did not follow the order of a king, it meant that you were a rebel. Ji Chang has been an official of the Shang Dynasty ever since the father of King Zhou, Emperor Yi, was alive. He was a little resistant to rebel against the Shang Dynasty. Hence, though he understood the critical point of this matter, he felt it was hard to make a decision. Therefore, he summoned his officials to discuss and saw if there were any perfect solutions.

Shen Gongbao was good at observing others' thoughts from their expression. He saw the hesitation in Ji Chang's eyes. After thinking for a while, he figured out the critical point. He stood up and said, "Marquis, as the second master has said just now, King Zhou is brutal and heartless. If you go to Zhaoge now, you may lose your life. But since you have seen through both life and death, you are probably thinking that it  is  worth  heading toward Zhaoge in exchange for the peace of Xiqi."

After hearing Shen Gongbao's words, Ji Chang's facial expression changed. Shen Gongbao was right. But Shen Gongbao continued to say, "However, you  haven't  thought about the reason why King Zhou fears Xiqi. The reason may not lie in you, but the wealth and power of Xiqi. Even if you're willing to sacrifice yourself, King Zhou won't let Xiqi go. He'll take you as a hostage and order his army to attack Xiqi. The people of Xiqi will suffer a lot. I beg you to consider carefully, for the ordinary people in Xiqi."

Shen Gongbao was extremely smart. Ji Chang was nearly 100 years old, and he did not value life and death that much. He was willing to sacrifice himself for Xiqi. There would be little difference in his thoughts if he were persuaded to cherish his life. However, if he were convinced by using the security of the people in Xiqi, he would listen to the advice because of his kindheartedness. Shen Gongbao persuaded him because he had seen through this point, and apparently, his words hit Ji Chang's soft spot.

Ji Chang's expression distinctly changed after he heard those words. If what Shen Gongbao had said was true, Xiqi was destined to ruin. Bo Yikao and Ji Chang were obedient, how could they rebel against King Zhou and set his security aside. Ji Chang stared at Shen Gongbao and said hurriedly, "Chancellor, this is His Majesty's order. If I don't go, the army of King Zhou will suppress us. Then, the whole world will be in chaos and Xiqi will suffer."

Shen Gongbao sighed secretly. After all, Ji Chang was a mortal, although he specialized in the Eight Trigrams of Zhou Yi, his horizon was somewhat narrow. The Cultivation Tribulation had started, it was a power struggle of dynasties on the surface, but internally it was the competition of four religions. Even if the power of the Shang Dynasty was stronger than Xiqi now, with the support of the Clan of Enlightenment and the Western Religious Sect, Xiqi was not weak. If the two sides fought against each other, Xiqi might not even suffer any losses.

In fact, Shen Gongbao could tell that Ji Chang did not fear King Zhou. He merely didn't want to rebel against King Zhou. Even if he didn't want to be rebellious, things were destined to happen. King Zhou would be an excellent stimulant to make him a rebel. Shen Gongbao suggested, "All you have to do is to reply to King Zhou that you're badly ill and cannot withstand the trudge and that you'll go greet him in Zhaoge after you have recovered."

Ji Chang thought it was a good idea. So he replied to King Zhou with Shen Gongbao's words. But things did not go as entirely as he thought. Several months later, Ji Chang received King Zhou's expeditionary proclamation, in which King Zhou announced that he was a rebel and sent armies to suppress Xiqi. Suddenly Ji Chang felt terrible.

He devoted his whole life to the Shang Dynasty. However, King Zhou took him as a traitor when he was at such an old age. He definitely would be uncomfortable, but now, everything was useless. The most urgent matter at hand was making a strategy to deal with King Zhou's army. He could only temporarily suppress his sorrow and summoned the officials to discuss the issue of safeguarding Xiqi. Being in the hall, Ji Chang was somewhat disappointed. He overlooked people standing in front of him and said, "Everybody, King Zhou has declared that Xiqi has rebelled against him because I haven't headed toward Zhaoge. He also sent his armies to suppress Xiqi, and they'll arrive soon. King Zhou will bear down on us ferociously. I wonder, do you have any good strategies to deal with the matter?"

Seeing this, Bo Yikao said, "Father, King Zhou is foolish and tyrannical. He listened to slanderous talk and is about to attack Xiqi. The complaints of people around the world are heard everywhere. You can comply with the mandate of heaven and declare to become the king. We can attack the Shang Dynasty together with the power of other vassals. I'd like to be a general that leads our army, and fight against King Zhou's head-on."

Ji Chang's look changed distinctly after he heard Bo Yikao's words. King Zhou just declared him a traitor. However, if he announced himself as a king and attacked Shang Dynasty, these actions would authenticate his crime of being a rebel. It is only natural that he would not agree to that. Hence, he said seriously, "Yikao, you can't say such stupid and offensive words. I've been an official of the Shang Dynasty for two generations, how can I conduct such a monstrous crime?" Seeing this scene, Ji Fa also stood up and said, "Father, elder brother is right. King Zhou is foolish and tyrannical, and he has lost his people's support. The vassals and people around the world support you. You should replace him, and create halcyon days to prevent the people from suffering from King Zhou. Ever since the Three Royals and the Five Emperors, the world has belonged to people with benevolence. King Zhou has destroyed the Shang Dynasty himself, so it should be reasonable for you to replace him. Please claim to be a king and attack the Shang Dynasty."

Ji Chang was in a pickle after he heard Ji Fa's words. Hearing both Bo Yikao and Ji Fa's words, all officials knelt down to show their agreement, which made Ji Chang feel even more awkward than before. He knew both Bo Yikao and Ji Fa were right, and their words were reasonable, but he didn't know how to overcome his loyalty toward the Shang Dynasty."

Noticing that Ji Chang was still hesitating, Jiang Ziya said bluntly, "Marquis, the two masters are right. When I left Mount Kunlun, my teacher told me a secret of heaven. He said that the Shang Dynasty would be destroyed and the Zhou Dynasty would flourish. Moreover, he said that an enlightened king would appear. Now King Zhou is foolish and tyrannical, and the world is in chaos. Since you're a rarely seen enlightened ruler, you're destined to be a king. Please create peace for the sake of the people!"

Shen Gongbao added, "Marquis, Xiqi is rich and strong now. Besides, we have the support of the Western Religious Sect and the Clan of Enlightenment, so it's possible to attack the Shang Dynasty. What's more, you have the support of all the people. If you comply with the mandate of heaven, people will surely follow you. King Zhou's army is about to come; please be resolute."

Ji Chang felt it was a bad idea to decline their suggestion since not only the ordinary officials, but also the State Preceptor, Shen Gongbao, and Chancellor Jiang Ziya persuaded him by telling him that it was the mandate of heaven. He then said, "If that's the case, I'll adopt your advice and declare to be a king. Chancellor, you're responsible for the sacrificial rites." Jiang Ziya happily received the proclamation.

All things related to the sacrificial rites were prepared in three days. On the sacrificial altar, the table was packed with all kinds of sacrificial offerings. Ji Chang wore a king's robe and lighted some incense sticks to worship heaven. He prayed to heaven, "I hope heaven and earth can witness me. King Zhou is foolish and tyrannical. He loves the evil empress so ardently that crafty and fawning officials of the government are furious. I'm here to follow the mandate of heaven and claim to become a king. The title of my dynasty is Zhou. I'll gather my soldiers to suppress the Shang Dynasty and spare the world peace."

All the officials knelt down beneath the altar and exclaimed, "Long live the king!" Shen Gongbao and Jiang Ziya, however, harbored their different thoughts. Although they were officials of Xiqi, they came here with a mission. Ji Chang declaring to be a king meant that he and King Zhou had to have a prolonged, and fierce battle, which would symbol the beginning of the Battle of Gods Investiture. The Clan of Enlightenment, Western Religious Sect, Tribe of Severity, and Tribe of Humanity got involved by it and had no opportunity to escape.

Ji Chang declared to be a king and established the Zhou Dynasty which could also be called Western Zhou. Ji Chang called himself King Wen of Zhou. Once the news spread, the whole world was shocked. Initially, King Zhou took the excuse of the rebellion of Xiqi to suppress Xiqi. However, Ji Chang declared to be a king publicly and in this way authenticated his resistance. The nine provinces were surging, and an astonishing war was about to take place.

Chapter 284: Soldiers were Stopped at Golden Chicken Mountain

After Ji Chang declared himself a king, he was going to defeat the Shang Dynasty. Consequently, he invited many vassals to suppress the Shang Dynasty together, but they all declined out of fear for the atrocity of King Zhou and the mighty power of Shang Dynasty. They chose to watch from a distance and help the side which was about to win. This was just a way to secure their safety.

Although Ji Chang did not obtain the support of other vassals, suppressing the Shang Dynasty was unavoidable. In the court, he discussed with his officials which person was most qualified to be a general to lead the attack against the Shang Dynasty. Both Bo Yikao and Ji Fa were willing to be the general, which gave Ji Chang a headache. Either of them would gain significant benefits if they made contributions on the battlefields. How could they give up?

Bo Yikao and Ji Fa had a good relationship, but this matter was not as straightforward. It related to the missionary work of the Western Religious Sect and the Clan of Enlightenment. Even if they wanted to give up, they had no route for retreat now. Besides, their thirst for the throne did not allow them to withdraw, they could only move forward, and finally take the throne.

San Yisheng understood the difficulty of Ji Chang. Hence, he suggested Ji Chang take the fight against the Shang Dynasty as a trial. Bo Yikao and Ji Fa could both lead a group of soldiers respectively to suppress the Shang Dynasty. The one who entered Zhaoge first would be the successor. This could not only convince the two masters but also made the Western Religious Sect, and the Clan of Enlightenment have nothing to say.

Ji Chang thought highly of San Yisheng's idea. In the battle to suppress the Shang Dynasty, the most important part should be the means of the Western Religious Sect and the Clan of Enlightenment, rather than the army of Xiqi. The Shang Dynasty revered the Tribe of Severity, and many disciples of the Tribe of Severity were officials. If Xiqi wanted to fight against the Shang Dynasty, it should rely on the power of the Western Religious Sect and the Clan of Enlightenment. Ji Chang could solve the problem of succession, and at the same time, make them spare all their efforts in battles.

He declared this matter in the court. All the officials were shocked. Little did they expect that the battle involved the succession of the throne, especially Shen Gongbao and Jiang Ziya. They frowned tightly. They were more concerned about the succession of the throne than fighting against the Shang Dynasty separately. Though splitting the army into two parts would impair Xiqi's power, it would be the same for the Shang Dynasty.

If Bo Yikao became the successor, the Western Religious Sect would boom in Western Zhou in the following days. Then, the Western Religious Sect could move toward the east. Jieyin and Zhunti would rest assured. However, if Ji Fa became the successor, the Clan of Enlightenment would flourish. The Western Religious Sect would suffer from the pressure and even be forced to come back to the west. This caused them all to feel pressured and lose their breath.

But they had no other choices now. They had to return to their sects and find their masters. Both Zhunti and the Honored Lord of the Origin were greatly surprised. Apparently, Ji Chang had deliberately involved the Western Religious Sect and the Clan of Enlightenment into this matter. He meant to force the two sects to assist Bo Yikao and Ji Fa with all their efforts. The two Sages were unhappy because they did not expect that mortals should trap them.

However, there was no turning back. Even though they knew it was a provocation, they had to ask their disciples to assist Bo Yikao and Ji Fa. After all, it related to the preaching and the struggle of Luck of the Human Tribe. They definitely would not give up. After obtaining the support of these two Sages, Shen Gongbao and Jiang Ziya returned to Xiqi.

Within several days, the two armies led by Bo Yikao and Ji Fa respectively to attack the Shang Dynasty marched off. There were many disciples of the Western Religious Sect and the Clan of Enlightenment in the armies. Though most of them were third generation disciples, they had their own Magic Skills. When there were powerful enemies, second-generation disciples would lend them a helping hand.

The Shang Dynasty definitely knew the big movement occurred in Western Zhou. Grand Preceptor Wen took his army to fight against Ji Fa, and Deng Jiugong fought against Bo Yikao. They were busy fighting against each other. Veridical Souls that had entered the Void could be seen almost every day. Obviously, they had been listed on the Investiture of the Gods. Though both sides had victories and defeats, in general, the Shang Dynasty suffered more losses.

The Shang Dynasty and Western Zhou fought against each other on the border. Disciples of the Tribe of Severity, the Clan of Enlightenment, the Western Religious Sect and even the Tribe of Humanity were engaged in the battle continuously. The leaders of these sects were furious when their disciples were killed and listed on the Investiture of the Gods. However, the Tribe of Severity was not weak now. Since three religions joined hands to attack the Tribe of Severity, Tongtian Sect Leader would not let his disciples show any mercy to them. If there was an opportunity, they would kill disciples of these three religions directly.

The tribe of Severity had a lot of disciples, and they possessed various of magic arts. Though three religions joined hands, they hadn't gained any advantages. They had destroyed the Extermination Formation displayed by the ten Grand Masters of the Tribe of Severity and killed these ten Grand Masters as well. However, their second or third generation disciples suffered greatly. Some were dead, and the others were severely injured. This caused deeper enmity among the four religions.

The tribe of Severity was known for its quantity of immortals. As its disciples came to the battlefield, two groups of armies led by Xiqi to suppress Shang undergone numerous hardships. In an outpost, Bo Yikao and Ji Fa met each other for the first time. As long as they crossed this place, they could truly enter the heartland of the Shang Dynasty. But this place was not as easy to pass as they had thought. The mountain was called the Golden Chicken Mountain. Below it was a pass named Impregnable Pass. There was no disciple of the Tribe of Severity, and it was guarded by only 60,000 soldiers. There were a total of over a million soldiers in Xiqi's two groups of armies. But when facing this pass, no matter if it were Shen Gongbao, Jiang Ziya, or the immortals of the Tribe of Humanity, the Clan of Enlightenment and the Western Religious Sect, they were quite prudent. The pass was ordinary, but it was extremely difficult to pass.

Outside the pass of the Golden Chicken Mountain, a million soldiers of Western Zhou had set up their camps here. In the camp, Bo Yikao and Ji Fa sat in the left and right general seat respectively. Shen Gongbao and Jiang Ziya were in the camp too, but they sat at the bottom. With a careful observation, one could notice that the people who sat in front of them were extraordinary. They were Xuandu Taoist of the Tribe of Humanity, Dipamkara Taoist of the Clan of Enlightenment, Twelve Golden Immortals, Medicine Buddha of the Western Religious Sect, Maitreya and so on. Even the weaker people possessed at least the cultivation of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

Bo Yikao and Ji Fa felt surprised when they saw so many experts from the three religions come here. When they gathered at the Golden Chicken Mountain, self-imparting disciples of these three religions came one after another. It was their first time to see so many experts from the three religions. Though the pass below the Golden Chicken Mountain was insurmountable, it would be quite easy to pass with the help of the immortals from the three religions together with a million soldiers of Xiqi. There was no need for so many experts to come to the battlefield.

Glancing at the immortals from the three religions who sat below him, Bo Yikao said confusedly, "I'm wondering why so many immortals came here suddenly? Could it be that you're here for the Impregnable Pass of the Golden Chicken Mountain? The pass is surmountable, but with the help of a million soldiers as well as the State Preceptor and the Chancellor, it'll be much easier. Why take the trouble to come here in person?"

Seeing the confusion of Bo Yikao and Ji Fa, Xuandu explained, "I'm Xuandu. I come from the Tribe of Humanity. I'm here to pay my respects to the two masters. Indeed, we came here for the Impregnable Pass. Though there are no disciples of the Tribe of Severity, and there are few soldiers in the pass. The person who defends the pass isn't ordinary. He's thousands of times more powerful than the disciples of the Tribe of Severity that you've met earlier." Bo Yikao and Ji Fa were stunned. On the way heading eastward, they had met countless immortals of the Tribe of Severity. Although most of them were killed by immortals of the three religions, the latter suffered greatly too. Little did they expect that there would be a person who was much more powerful than the immortals of the Tribe of Severity existing in the Impregnable Pass of Golden Chicken Mountain. They felt it was hard to figure out how powerful the person was.

But given the expressions of immortals of the three religions, they were serious. Apparently, they were afraid of this person too. Ji Fa said, "Everybody, who knows the background of this person? Could it be that he's an immortal of the Tribe of Severity? I believe it won't be that hard for all of you to capture him."

Dipamkara responded, "Second Master. In the Untainted Land, except the Tribe of Humanity, the Clan of Enlightenment, the Tribe of Severity and the Western Religious Sect, there is another religion named the Religion of Asura. Ancestor Minghe of the Blood Sea established it. Though the person defends this place doesn't belong to the Religion of Asura, he is the disciple of Ancestor Minghe. His cultivation is profound. No one can match him in the Untainted Land."

Chapter 285: The Coming War

Bo Yikao and Ji Fa were both puzzled. It was obvious that they had never heard anything about Ancestor Minghe. Dipamkara could only continue to say, "You two may not know Ancestor Minghe. His cultivation isn't worse than any Sage, but he has never preached in the Human Tribe. You may know his Self- centric Separation, the Martial Ancestors of the Human Tribe."

Bo Yikao and Ji Fa were astonished to hear that. It never occurred to them that the Martial Ancestors of the Human Tribe was just another person's Incarnation. It really subverted their view of life. In their whole life, they had heard many legends of the Martial Ancestors of the Human Tribe. Now they knew about such a secret affair they were speechless.

Dipamkara continued to say, "Ancestor Minghe has three disciples. The first one is Liu Er. His cultivation is advanced, which is not less than some hermitic Almighty in the Untainted Land. The second one is Kong Xuan, who is the son of the Lord of Phoenix in the ancient time. His Divine Five Colored Light is really powerful. The third one is Black Tortoise. It's said that he is the incarnation of the Black Tortoise who mended the Sky. He cultivates the Golden Body of the Martial Arts, and the defense of his human body has no match in the world. This time the general as the guardian is the second disciple of the Ancestor Minghe, Kong Xuan."

Bo Yikao and Ji Fa heard it and were baffled. Formerly in the Golden Chicken Mountain, they had known something about the garrison general. The guardian was the victorious general of the Shang Dynasty, Kong Xuan. Though he only led 50,000 military forces, he had always led them to success. This army was called the Army of Five Elements. Their soldiers cultivated the art of the five elements. In addition, they were good at the Army of Five Elements Formation, which was said that even tenfold the amount of enemies could not break.

But originally, these two people had no chance to know Kong Xuan's background. What they were confused about was how such a big role could be satisfied with just being a garrison general of the Shang Dynasty. It puzzled them. So Bo Yikao asked, "Master since Kong Xuan has such a formidable character, how could he be willing to only serve the Shang Dynasty?"

At this time, the Medicine Buddha of the Western Religious Sect said, "You're wrong. This time Kong Xuan's purpose is cultivation. He's not controlled by the King. Besides, now King Zhou is fatuous, he dares not to order Kong Xuan. From Kong Xuan's view, though, King Zhou is the king of the Shang Dynasty, he is nothing but a nonentity. In this way, how can Kong Xuan be called as serving him?"

Ji Fa got it and said, "Though Kong Xuan is powerful, now that all masters have gathered together, will it still be hard to defeat him?" On the march, Ji Fa had seen the Magic Skills of the senior immortals of the Clan of Enlightenment and Tribe of Humanity. What's more, since Bo Yikao could arrive here smoothly, people in the Western Religious Sect must also be extraordinary. Otherwise, how could they defeat the Tribe of Severity immortals?

Not one of the disciples in the three religions answered Ji Fa's question. They all kept silent, which made Bo Yikao and Ji Fa more curious. After a while, Guang Chengzi of the Clan of Enlightenment finally said, "Kong Xuan's cultivation is extraordinary. I can't beat him in an individual battle." Guang Chengzi's words changed some faces of the disciples in the three religions. It was a fact, but when it was spoken out straightly, they felt humiliated. Only a few people were still calm.

Bo Yikao was also startled by these words. According to Shen Gongbao, Xuandu Master in the Tribe of Humanity, Dipamkara Taoist in the Clan of Enlightenment, Guang Chengzi, and Demon Masters in the Western Religious Sect were all Sage-to- be masters, who were uncommon in the Untainted Land. Unexpectedly, Guang Chengzi had admitted that he was worse than Kong Xuan, and all disciples in the three religions agreed to it. No wonder that the three religions had gathered here. Maybe it was for the purpose of defeating Kong Xuan together.

Bo Yikao saw the bad looks of the immortals of the three religions, so he said, "Kong Xuan is the immortal who has attained wisdom. Tomorrow, let's meet him and reason things out. If we can persuade him, we'll pass the passage without starting a war. However, if we fail, we can only count on you to fight with him at that time."

Hearing those words, there were some strange looks of the disciples of the three religions. They naturally knew that it would not be easy to pass. Kong Xuan would never be touched easily by some mere words. If the relationship between the Blood Sea and the three religions had been good, maybe Kong Xuan would be persuaded. But for now, they could only face each other and meet on the battleground. It was hard for them to bury the hatchet.

… At the general's residence in the Golden Chicken Mountain, a scholarly looking man was absorbed in bamboo slips. Near him there was a sleepy young man, with misted eyes, looking as if he would fall asleep. The young man suddenly looked up, and said, "Brother Kong Xuan, is there anything interesting in such a stupid book? The troops of the three religions have gathered outside. Don't you care about it?"

The scholarly looking man was Minghe's second disciple, Kong Xuan. He put down the bamboo slips, looking at the young man, and said, "Oh, my junior brother Black Tortoise, the three religions are really menacing, and all elites of the three religions are here, even Xuandu, Dipamkara, Guang Chengzi, and Medicine Buddha. But even so, I think you won't take it to heart. In this way, why do I need to get it into my mind?"

This sleepy young man was Minghe's third disciple, Black Tortoise. At first, Minghe sent his three disciples out to pass the tribulation. Kong Xuan had chosen to be an officer here. As for Black Tortoise, he had spent lots of time sleeping during his journey. Unconsciously, he had achieved the Breakthrough to Fate Reading Martial Arts (Sage-to-be). His memory of the preexistence had reactivated, and he was no longer as lazy as before. After the Breakthrough, Black Tortoise began to travel the Untainted Land. Finally, he came to the Golden Chicken Mountain, keeping Kong Xuan company. Kong Xuan had trained the Army of Five Elements and taught the art of the five elements here. There are 10 thousand troops in each metal, wood, water, fire, and earth army, which were good at the Military Five Elements Formation, and were victorious in every fight. Black Tortoise did not have any other things to do, so he was occasionally trained the 10 thousand armored armies. They were both offensive and defensive with formidable power.

Black Tortoise heard what Kong Xuan said, yawning with misted eyes, and said, "Though this time the three religions have sent many people, only Xuandu, Dipamkara, Guang Chengzi, and Medicine Buddha, have the capability. Others are just nobody. They can't hurt me at all even if I don't defend."

Looking at Black Tortoise Kong Xuan did not refute him. Since Black Tortoise regained his memory of the preexistence, he had been much more hardworking in cultivation, in spite of a little laziness. Along with it, his cultivation had boomed to be at the Fate Reading Intermediate Stage (the Secondary Stage of the Sage-to-be Realm). He had cultivated horrible Golden Body of Martial Arts and marvelous Magic Skills of controlling the water. Now even Kong Xuan could not say that he could defeat Black Tortoise. Kong Xuan was looking at the sleepy Black Tortoise, whose words had shown his confidence, smiled and said, "You're right. Your Golden Body of Martial Arts is formidable. What's more, with your turtle shell of the preexistence, the defensive force is even more amazing. Now maybe even the Golden Body of Martial Arts of the three ancestors in the Human Tribe can't be compared with yours. Except for the Sage, few people can break your defense, aren't there?"

Black Tortoise heard that and was hardly ever cheered up. He said with a kind of depression, "Brother, don't mention it. At that time when I achieved the Sage-to-be Breakthrough, I wanted to have a friendly competition with the eldest brother. It never occurred to me that just one hit from him can hurt me so much. Now eldest brother's cultivation is frightful. His human body must be much stronger than mine."

Kong Xuan heard it and could not help laughing, "My younger brother, the way of cultivation the eldest brother follows is the same as our teacher, no matter in the way of the human body or power. It's natural to be frightful. You want to compete with him: isn't that just looking for pain? Our teacher has said that the eldest brother's Fated Chance of the actualization is in the Cultivation Tribulation. Maybe before long, our eldest brother will be the second Rakshasa in the Untainted Land." Black Tortoise heard it and was filled with a thousand feelings. He had the root of the Primordial Mazinger in the preexistence, however, compared with it, now he might still be stronger. After regaining his memory, he had been rejoicing over the original decision of being Minghe's disciple. Otherwise, how could he be so free and had the Fated Chance to actualize the Realm of Origin?

Thinking of Liu Er, this time the Cultivation Tribulation may make his True Body of Rakshasa, and he could actualize the Realm of Origin. Since Kong Xuan knew his way of actualization, it would be hopeful if he insisted on it. As for Black Tortoise, no matter how lazy he was, if his four limbs holding the sky were still there, there would be endless Merit for him. It was just a matter of time to cultivate the Golden Body of Martial Arts with the Merit and actualize the Realm of Origin.

Fortunately, he had followed Minghe, or his Fate would not be so good. Black Tortoise let go of his mixed feelings, looking at Kong Xuan, smilingly asked, "Since the three religions have gathered, and the elitist disciples are almost here, how do you want to deal with it, my second brother?" Do you need me to give you a hand and keep them all here?" Finishing these words, Black Tortoise swept away his laziness and looked to be surrounded by rare killing intent: He wanted to kill.

Chapter 286: Meeting

In the Jadeite Palace on the Golden Turtle Island, Sect Leader Tongtian was sitting cross-legged on the cushion, with a number of disciples of the Tribe of Severity sitting below, including Abundant Treasures Buddha, Sacred Lady Jin Ling, Sacred Lady Wu Dang, Sacred Lady Gui Ling, Zhao Gongming, Ladies of the Three Stars, etc. They were all famous immortals of the Tribe of Severity but looked sad for the casualties in the confrontation with the three religions.

Looking at the disciples sitting below, Sect Leader Tongtian said, "You know the present situation. The three religions ganged up on our Tribe of Severity and killed many of our disciples. Now the three religions gathered at the Golden Chicken Mountain, where Kong Xuan from the Blood Sea is, giving us a chance to regroup."

Hearing the words, Abundant Treasures Buddha was bewildered and asked, "Master, although Kong Xuan has high cultivation, I'm afraid he may not be able to resist the disciples of the three religions. Now the four Sages-to-be masters of the three religions, including Xuandu, Dipamkara, Guang Chengzi and Medicine Buddha are all there. Even if they can't defeat Kong Xuan respectively, Kong Xuan may not resist for a long time if the four unite. Therefore we'd better prepare it beforehand."

Sect Leader Tongtian shook his head slightly at these words and showed a faint smile. "Abundant Treasures, you underestimate Kong Xuan. Not only your cultivation, your insights, and courage are incomparable to his. Abundant Treasures, you became the Sage-to-be by way of the Three Separations, which have passed down by Ancestor Hongjun, while Kong Xuan found another way, by separating the Five Elements Phases Separations."

Sect Leader Tongtian was a Sage, after all, so he could deduce the way Kong Xuan followed. As early as Kong Xuan separated the Golden Corpse of the Five Phases Separations at the Human Sovereign abdication ceremony, Sect Leader Tongtian discovered the clues. Sage as Sect Leader Tongtian was, he also admired Kong Xuan's courage. Kong Xuan abandoned his primordial Magic Skills and separated the Five Phases Separations to take the path of actualizing the Realm of Origin which others never took before. No one had such courage as he did in the Untainted Land.

To tell the truth, Sect Leader Tongtian really admired Minghe's way of training his disciples. Although Minghe had only three disciples, they were all amazing. If his disciples could be as half or one-tenth amazing as the disciples of Minghe, they would not suffer from losing out to the three religions. Although Abundant Treasures had been in the Secondary Stage of Sage-to-be, his cultivation was far away from those of Minghe's disciples.

It was the first time that Abundant Treasures and others heard their master Sect Leader Tongtian praise other people. At the same time, they were also curious about Kong Xuan's Five Phases Separations which Sect Leader Tongtian had mentioned, so Sacred Lady Jin Ling asked, "Master, what's the difference between Kong Xuan's Five Phases Separations and the Way of the Three Separations? Is it more powerful than the Way of the Three Separations?"

Sect Leader Tongtian explained, "I'm not saying the Five Phases Separations are more powerful than the Way of the Three Separations, as both have their advantages. Kong Xuan once had a Heaven Endowed Magic Skill, called the Divine Five Colored Light. His Five Phases Separations was separated by abolishing this Heaven Endowed Magic Skill. When all his Five Phases Separations are separated and reach the Realm of Sage- to-be, he will combine them into one to actualize the Realm of Origin. Few people have such courage to do so in the Untainted Land." After hearing that, the disciples of the Tribe of Severity were all greatly impressed. Few people dared to abandon the Heaven Endowed Magic Skill in the Untainted Land, let alone to take the way of actualizing which others never took. No wonder their master praised Kong Xuan for his courage. An unprecedented fighting spirit raised in their hearts.

Looking at the subtle changes of some disciples, Sect Leader Tongtian nodded with satisfaction. He just wanted to stimulate his disciples with Kong Xuan so that they would not be arrogant. Now he had achieved his goal, he continued to say, "Now the three religions want to get through the Golden Chicken Mountain, but I'm afraid it's not easy. The Blood Sea and the three religions have been hostile to each other. Therefore maybe Kong Xuan won't show them mercy, which will weaken the three religions."

After hearing what Tongtian had said, Abundant Treasures asked , "Master, even if the disciples of the three religions suffer from losing out to Kong Xuan in the Golden Chicken Mountain, Kong Xuan is not a member of our Tribe of Severity, so no one knows how long Kong Xuan and the three religions will fight against each other. As a result, we'd better prepare for it as early as possible. We suffered a lot when we confronted with the three religions last time, and even the ten Grand Masters of Tribe of Severity were brutally killed and wounded." Sect Leader Tongtian nodded upon hearing the words. Now it was impossible to ease the relationship between the three religions and the Tribe of Severity, so the Battle of Gods Investiture would be brutal and crucial. It was really good that Abundant Treasures had forethought. Then Sect Leader Tongtian said, "Abundant Treasures, you're right. Your juniors and martial nephews were all defeated by the disciples of the three religions one by one, so if you want to assist the Shang Dynasty in the future, you'd better go together to deal with the three religions."

The disciples of the Tribe of Severity all nodded at the words. Previously, the disciples of the three religions defeated the disciples of the Tribe of Severity one by one. Although the disciples of the Tribe of Severity were initially in an advantageous position, they were defeated individually and became members of the Investiture of the Gods. If they had fought together, the disciples of the three religions would not have won so easily.

After the disciples of the Tribe of Severity left, the Jadeite Palace became empty with only Sect Leader Tongtian in it. Suddenly, Sect Leader Tongtian frowned and whispered, "Fellow Taoist Minghe, since you're here, why don't you show up?" Just after Sect Leader Tongtian finished his words, there was a gap in the hall, and Minghe walked out slowly. As soon as Minghe came out, he smiled and said, "Fellow Taoist Tongtian, I came here without being invited, please forgive me." Waving his sleeves, the boundless supernatural power suddenly broke out and disappeared without causing any changes in the surroundings. It turned out that Minghe had covered the secrets of heaven of the Jadeite Palace with his Power of Infinity. He came for his own purpose this time, so he did not want others to know his arrival.

Seeing Minghe cover the secrets of heaven, Sect Leader Tongtian knew that Minghe probably came here for an important matter and asked, "Fellow Taoist Minghe, what are you here for?" Sect Leader Tongtian surely knew that Minghe came here for the Battle of Gods Investiture, but he did not exactly know what Minghe wanted, nor why Minghe came.

Minghe smiled and waved his sleeves, and a cloud platform rose. Hunkering on the cloud platform, instead of directly answering Sect Leader Tongtian's question, Minghe asked, "Fellow Taoist Tongtian, the Sage relies his Original Spirit on the Way of Heaven to be immortal. What do you think of that?" Minghe was smiling, but his question was a kind of weird.

Sect Leader Tongtian frowned slightly when he heard what Minghe had said. He looked at Minghe's smiling face and said peacefully, "As long as the Untainted Land is not destroyed, the Way of Heaven will be immortal, and then The Sage will be immortal." The words were plain but revealed the situation of the Sage. The Sage relied on the Way of Heaven to reach the realm of immortality. However, if the Way of Heaven were destroyed, the Sage would be destroyed as well, because their Original Spirit relied on the Way of Heaven.

Minghe nodded at Sect Leader Tongtian's words. Sect Leader Tongtian seemed to understand it thoroughly. Then Minghe said, "Since you know it, you must also know why I abandoned the Hong Meng Immortal Qi. What I pursue is the supreme Great Way so that the Way of Heaven won't confine me. I think Fellow Taoist Tongtian must understand what I mean."

Sect Leader Tongtian showed a complicated expression when he heard Minghe's words. He naturally  understood  what Minghe meant, but maybe no one had such courage to do it in the Untainted Land. Even though Sect Leader Tongtian had a good opinion of himself, it might be impossible for him to make up his mind to abandon the Way of Heaven and the identity of the Sage.

Looking at Minghe, Sect Leader Tongtian showed a serious look, and said, "Fellow Taoist Minghe, I don't think you came here just for telling me about this. What are you here for? Please get to the point; I don't like speaking in riddles." Minghe had talked so aimlessly that Sect Leader Tongtian had no idea about his intentions.

Minghe laughed and said, "Well, in that case, I'll get this straight. I just came to make a deal with you. Now the three religions are ganging up with your Tribe of Severity. I'm afraid Laozi and Origin might have abandoned your brotherhood and the name of the Three Pure Ones. Even though you have the God-killing Sword Formation, the four including Laozi, Origin, Jieyin, and Zhunti together will be able to break it. What will you do then?"

What Minghe had said seemed to touch a sore spot of Sect Leader Tongtian. He slightly changed his look and returned to normal, saying peacefully, "Even so, I have ways to cope with them, I don't want to trouble you. If you come here only for this matter, you can go back." Sect Leader Tongtian had his pride, and he would not cope with his enemies with the hands of Minghe.

Minghe could not help laughing when he heard Sect Leader Tongtian's words, "Haha, I know you have your own principles, but the deal I am talking about has nothing to do with this. You can cope with your own matters by yourself and I wouldn't interfere. What's more, I also despise to deal with matters by joining hands with others, just like you."

Chapter 287: Deal

Sect Leader Tongtian was a little surprised to hear Minghe's words, but after thinking for a while, he understood. Sect Leader Tongtian refused to cope with the enemy by joining hands with Minghe, considering Minghe's disposition and strength, neither would he. What did Minghe come for? Sect Leader Tongtian was so curious that he asked, "Fellow Taoist Minghe, I'm curious about what the deal you mentioned is."

Hearing the question, Minghe wiped the smile off his face and said, "I want you to---, let us treat this as a transaction, I'll give you three rewards. How does that sound?" The serious look of Minghe meant that he was not kidding, but what he said was a shock.

Looking at Sect Leader Tongtian's expression, it was probably the first time he had been ill-mannered since he was born. Minghe's words had shocked him. Looking at Minghe's serious expression, Sect Leader Tongtian knew he was not joking. Instead, he treated this deal very seriously.

However, this matter involved so much that Sect Leader Tongtian had to be cautious. After thinking for a long time, Sect Leader Tongtian finally spoke up and said, "Your plan is shocking, but it does interest me. However, I wonder what the three rewards you mentioned are, and whether they match the things you want from me."

Everyone joined if there was a benefit, and the Sage was no exception. Hearing these words of Sect Leader Tongtian, Minghe had known the deal was already half done. As long as his rewards met the expectation of Sect Leader Tongtian, the deal would be successful. As long as the deal was made, Minghe was more likely to accomplish his plan.

It was the time for Minghe to offer a price, so he said, "Even though your God-killing Sword Formation is extremely powerful, it can't suppress the Luck and has fatal flaws. My first reward will be completing the God-killing Sword Formation for you. For the sake of my plan and showing my sincerity, I can complete your God-killing Sword Formation now. What do you think?"

Sect Leader Tongtian suddenly changed his expression upon hearing Minghe's first reward. The God-killing Sword Formation was an important treasure of him and the treasure of the Tribe of Severity as well. It could dominate the killing methods of the Way of Heaven. When a Sage created the tactical formation, it would take no fewer than four Sages to destroy it. There were mysterious changes, endless Menacing Intent and promised invincible dangers inside the Sword Formation. However, as the saying went, never a rose without a thorn, and this supreme treasure was no exception. The God-killing Sword Formation had excellent power but fatal flaws as well.

Now Minghe said that he could complete the God-killing Sword Formation for Sect Leader Tongtian, which made startled. However, when Sect Leader Tongtian thought that Minghe owned supreme treasures like the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth, he believed Minghe could achieve what he said. When thinking of the perfect God-killing Sword Formation, Sect Leader Tongtian could not help feeling moved. The task Minghe asked him to do was within his powers, so if Minghe could complete the God-killing Sword Formation, Sect Leader Tongtian would not suffer losses.

Minghe saw Sect Leader Tongtian was impressed with his offer and continued to say, "Here is the second reward." Then, a mass of silver liquid appeared in Minghe's hands. This was the Origin of chaos Minghe had gotten in the Chaos. The mass of the Origin of chaos in his hands was made up of numerous Origins of chaos, which was very precious.

Sect Leader Tongtian changed his expression at the sight of the Origin of chaos in Minghe's hands. Although he did not know exactly what it was, he could clearly feel the vital force of the Chaos on it. What's more, Sect Leader Tongtian instinctively wanted to absorb it at first sight. A Sage even had such a response. Thus it must be extraordinary.

Looking at the eager Sect Leader Tongtian, Minghe said, "This is called the Origin of chaos. After I became the Rakshasa, my Origin has transformed into this Origin of chaos. Though it's not much, it's precious. If we make the deal, this is the second reward for you."

Sect Leader Tongtian was greatly shocked by Minghe's words. This was the Origin of chaos. He never thought that the Rakshasa had such a mystery. However, Sect Leader Tongtian could clearly perceive that the Origin of chaos in Minghe's hands was different from his own vital force, which showed that the Origin of chaos was not the Origin of Minghe. It made sense that Minghe would not do things that could damage his own Foundation. Then, how did Minghe get this Origin of chaos?

Sect Leader Tongtian made various deductions in his heart, and suddenly he had a thought. He remembered one thing, the Puppet that Minghe once used to resist Zhunti. The Puppet was refined with an Exotic Beast who had the human body of the Origin, but the Exotic Beast did not look like a creature of the Untainted Land. Did it have anything to do with the Origin of chaos? Did they both come from the Chaos?

Despite Sect Leader Tongtian's thought, Minghe continued to say what his third reward was, "You're probably guessing where I get the Origin of chaos, right? Don't bother. The Origin of chaos is from my third reward. Now I've told you all my rewards, and you can think about it. I'm waiting for your reply."

After hearing that, Sect Leader Tongtian was lost in thought. Minghe's plan was shocking, and his rewards were also shocking. Even though Sect Leader Tongtian had a good opinion of himself and was quite eager for the rewards, he must think it over as it was of great importance. After all, Sect Leader Tongtian was not the kind of person who was blinded with greed.

Sect Leader Tongtian was lost in thought while Minghe was waiting for his reply. The Jadeite Palace suddenly fell into silence. It was terrifying quiet. Minghe did not feel anxious in the silence at all. Sect Leader Tongtian was wise and ambitious, pursuing the supreme Great Way, just like Minghe, so Minghe believed he would make the right choice. After a long time, Sect Leader Tongtian, who had closed his eyes and been lost in thought, finally opened his eyes and looked calm again. His eager expression vanished, and he said peacefully, "Fellow Taoist Minghe, I agree to make the deal with you, but the premise is that you can complete my God-killing Sword Formation." The deal was a win-win for both. Besides, Minghe's plan did not harm Sect Leader Tongtian, and the two had no conflicts.

Hearing the words, Minghe laughed and said, "Well, in that case, you can take out the God-killing Sword Formation and let me look at it first." Hearing what Minghe had said, Sect Leader Tongtian reached out, and the God-killing Sword Formation appeared in his hands. Then he handed it to Minghe. Sect Leader Tongtian did not worry Minghe would plot his supreme treasure, because although the God-killing Sword Formation was attractive, Minghe would disdain to do so.

After taking over the God-killing Sword Formation from Sect Leader Tongtian, Minghe began to predict it with the power of the Magical Tao Mirror in secret. To speed up, Minghe directly sacrificed his Merit to the Magical Tao Mirror. Now that the Battle of Gods Investiture had already started, Minghe must complete the God-killing Sword Formation quickly as he could not spend much time on it. The God-killing Sword Formation deserved to be called one of the Four Mysterious Formations in the Untainted Land ( the Four Mysterious Formations include the Twelve Divine Beings Killing Formation, the God-killing Sword Formation, the Cosmic Stars Formation, and the Veridical Martial Origin Formation), and a Highest Grade primordial supreme treasure. It was hard to imagine how complicated its limit was, which was much more complicated than the Mid Grade primordial supreme treasure he originally refined in the Treasures World. However, it was still within Minghe's power. Otherwise, if he could not fulfill what he had said, he was bringing shame on himself.

After the Prediction, Minghe finally began to move. He waved his hand, and the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth appeared in the hall. Then he reached out and put the God-killing Sword Formation into the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth. Meanwhile, he put a small piece of Original Stone of Chaos from the remaining Original Stone of Chaos in it as well. To complete the God-killing Sword Formation, he had to use good materials.

The God-killing Sword Formations was composed of the Immortal-punishing Sword, the Immortal-killing Sword, the Immortal-trapping Sword, the Immortal-eliminating Sword, and the Map of Formation. Once formed, it would emit endless Evil Spirits and gather them between heaven and earth at the same time to strengthen its power. However, it was the strength and weakness of the God-killing Sword Formation. As things always reversed themselves after reaching an extreme, the God- killing Sword Formation was left with a defect after reaching the killing extreme.

Perfect primordial supreme treasure always had implicit power, like the Map of Taichi, the Pangu Banner, the Bell of Chaos, the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth, and the origin of Minghe's Evil Separation Grade 24 Red Lotus of Fire, all of which looked plain and powerless until they were activated. But the God-killing Sword Formation was not the same. As long as it appeared, the killing Evil Spirit would follow.

This was the problem Minghe was going to solve. However, to save time, a figure was separated from Minghe. That was the Minghe's Evil Separation Red Lotus Taoist. With the two joining hands in completing the God-killing Sword Formation, they must get twofold the results with half the effort. The God- killing Sword Formation was a tactical killing formation, so it was perfect to complete it with the Law of Killing. Besides, with the help of the small piece of the Original Stone of Chao, it was not too difficult to complete it.

Chapter 288: War Starting

After a long time, Minghe and Red Lotus Taoist stopped their refining at the same time, with satisfying expressions on their faces. Red Lotus Taoist nodded to both Minghe and the Sect Leader Tongtian, then transformed into a flash of light flying into Minghe's body. Minghe waved his hands, and a new God- killing Sword Formation slowly moved out of the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth. Looking at this new Formation, Minghe smiled with satisfaction.

The God-killing Sword Formation's aura had changed a little instead of appearance. The previous one contained strong killing intent, but this palm-sized God-killing Sword Formation just looked like a find artwork without any aura of a supreme treasure. It seemed that nobody would find any connection between it with the well-known God-killing Sword Formation.

Tongtian stretched his hand to call back  the  God-killing Sword Formation. He checked it carefully and  showed happiness on his face at once. This Formation could be called perfect now and even had the capacity of suppressing the Luck. With this treasure, Sect Leader Tongtian could feel  that  the Luck of his Tribe of Severity wouldn't lose anymore, which was excellent news for him. Looking at Tongtian, Minghe asked,"How do you like it, My Fellow Taoist? Now that I have helped you to complete this God-killing Sword Formation, our deal is done. As for these two treasures, I will also give them to you. You better make your choice as early as possible." Minghe waved his hand, presenting the Origin of chaos and a Jade Slip in front of Tongtian. Then, he stood up and left.

After Minghe's leave, Tongtian looked at the three treasures for a long while. Waving his hand, he collected the God-killing Sword Formation and the Origin of chaos. He stretched his hand and held the Jade Slip in his hand. After injecting his Spiritual Thoughts into it, he was shocked. For a moment, Tongtian's eyesight changed, and it seemed that he had made a decision.

…

At Golden Chicken Mountain, Bo Yikao, Ji Fa and the immortals of the three religions had set their armies before the Impregnable Pass. Looking at the lofty Pass, the disciples of the three religions frowned. Even if most of them weren't good at tactical formations, they could figure out this Pass was constructed by the Five Elements Tactical Formation. The construction of this Pass was an integral whole it must be a masterpiece created by Kong Xuan, who was proficient in the five elements tactical methods.

Right at that moment, the gate of this Pass opened, and Kong Xuan led his army walking out step by step. After arranging his soldiers into a formation, he walked in front. Noticing that all the disciples of the three religions and the millions of soldiers had gotten ready, Kong Xuan grinned. Even if the three religions were all joining in this battle and his counterpart owned millions of soldiers, he was not afraid!

Bo Yikao was confused when finding that Kong Xuan was a gentleman, which was entirely different from the three religions' immortals' descriptions. In Bo Yikao's mind, Kong Xuan should be a mighty and powerful man. But the one in front of him did not look like the person who made all the immortals of the three religions scared.

Bo Yikao asked with confusion, "Taoist Priest, are you the Kong Xuan, Taoist from the Blood Sea?" There was an obvious doubt in his words. Xuandu and the others also noticed that, but they said nothing. Indeed, Kong Xuan looked like a gentleman who couldn't make the others afraid of him. However, you can never judge a person only by his appearance. Looking at Bo Yikao, Kong Xuan was stunned a little and then smiled mysteriously. He answered,"Yes, I am Kong Xuan from Blood Sea. You must be the eldest son of the Marquis of the West, Bo Yikao. You have the quality to be an emperor, indeed. I know you want to overturn King Zhou's tyranny, and I don't care. However, I won't open the gate to let you go through my city, so you should find another way to go."

Find another way? If they could find another way to Zhaoge City, why would they come over here? Rolling mountains surrounded the Golden Chicken Mountain, and nobody knew how many there were. It was really impossible for hundreds of millions of army to go through them. If they had to find another way, they would not only waste quite a lot of time but also suffer from a lack of food. What was worse, the other ways to Zhaoge were all difficult to get through, so the Impregnable Pass was the only way for Xiqi's army to get to Zhaoge safely.

Hearing Kong Xuan's words, Ji Fa started to say, "Taoist Priest, you must know King Zhou's inability and autarchy. Our Western Zhou's movement to overturn the Shang Dynasty is the decree of the Heaven. As a notable immortal, why do you choose to get involved in this battle? We really don't want to be on the opposite side of you, so please withdraw your troops and let us get through this Pass. We Xiqi soldiers will always remember your righteousness." Hearing Ji Fa's words, disciples of the three religions couldn't help smiling bitterly. If it was somebody else, Ji Fa might have had a chance to persuade him. However, today they were facing Kong Xuan. If he could be persuaded that easily, they wouldn't have all gathered to cope with him. Although Kong Xuan didn't take action directly, he had mentioned that they should find another way. Even if Bo Yikao and Ji Fa agreed, the disciples would not accept it. If they did, it seemed that they were afraid of Kong Xuan, which would hurt their dignity.

Kong Xuan smiled after hearing Ji Fa's words. He said, "Haha, as a mortal, how dare you talk about submitting to the Heaven's will with me? What a joke! Hey, Clan of Enlightenment, is this the wise master you choose? What a naive person! Haven't you told him the grudges between the Blood Sea and your three religions? Do you want to get through this Pass? OK, pay with your lives."

Ji Fa felt embarrassed and angry after hearing Kong Xuan's words, but he dared not say anything because Kong Xuan was a powerful immortal who even made all the immortals of the three religions afraid. From Kong Xuan's words, the disciples knew that war between them was unavoidable. Since Kong Xuan started a war against them, they would not back off. They did not only represent themselves but also the dignity of the four Sages. Xuandu walked out of their formation and said, "Kong Xuan, Fellow Taoist, since you want to start a war, I will be your first opponent." Suddenly, a flash of white light passed by and a sword came out. This sword, black on one side and white on the other, was a Top Grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure sent by Laozi. With the Yin and Yang sides, it was super powerful and suited well with Xuandu's Tao.

Holding this sword, Xuandu flew to a cloud. This would be a fight between Sages-to-be, so even the aftermath of the war would kill some mortal soldiers. Therefore, they needed to start this fight in the sky. Standing on the clouds, Xuandu waved his sword, and a flash of Sword Aura seemed to separate the Yin and Yang of the Heaven and Earth. It was weird that everyone saw black and white after Xuandu's wave.

Feeling the Sword Aura moving towards him, Kong Xuan had a five-colored fan in his hand, that was his weapon, the Five Colored Glaze Fan. Kong Xuan waved his fan slightly, and the powerful aura disappeared immediately. This fan could break up all the five elements of Heaven and Earth. Since the Sword Aura belongs to the gold element, it could naturally break the Sword Aura.

Kong Xuan stepped on an auspicious cloud and moved to the sky. Looking at Xuandu, he said with a smile on his face,"You deserve to be the disciple of the Sage Grand Pure. The Sword Aura from the Sword of Yin and Yang is really powerful. But you forgot my Divine Five Colored Light can break up all the five elements of Heaven and Earth. Although your Sword Aura is fierce, it's also a part of the five elements. If you are only good at this swordsmanship, you will lose this fight."

Xuandu did not panic, because he had already expected this outcome before taking action. It was just a temptation. What was more, from Kong Xuan's action, he found something abnormal. But he was not sure. If it was so, they might have a chance to win with the three religions working together.

Chapter 289: The Solo Fight against Immortals (I)

Staring at Kong Xuan, Xuandu said nothing but to activate the tactic. Suddenly, tens of thousands of flashes of the True Concentration Fire were released, turning into numerous firebirds and flying towards Kong Xuan from all directions, leaving him nowhere to hide. As the True Concentration Fire was far from some regular flames, an ordinary man would have been seriously injured or died without a defensive magic weapon.

Looking at the firebirds coming from all directions, Kong Xuan did not even show a hint of panic. He fanned the Five Colored Glaze Fan slightly, and then tens of thousands of firebirds just disappeared immediately without a trace. However, a current of Sword Aura shot towards him right away, at a speed so fast that ordinary people could not react to it timely. Nevertheless, highly cultivated as Kong Xuan, he fanned again, and the Sword Aur just vanished.

Kong Xuan gazed at Xuandu and said indifferently, "Don't tell me that's all your power. It's impossible for you to defeat me with such an attack. Show me your real power and surprise me with the law of the descendant of the 'Grand Pure One'." The Divine Five Colored Light could fan away anything of the Five Elements. Thus even more attacks would be in vain.

Hearing that, Xuandu revealed a faint smile and said,"It was just temptation. However, I found out one thing. My teacher once told me that you abandoned your Heaven Endowed Magic Skill the Divine Five Colored Light, did the separation with the Divine Five Colored Light and then combined the Five Phases Separations to obtain the Mix Nascent Core. It seems that my teachers' words were correct, or my sword would have been fanned away by the real Divine Five Colored Light."

Kong Xuan raised his eyebrow and smiled to say, "So you were testing whether I had abandoned the Divine Five Colored Light. Indeed, I fanned the Divine Five Colored Light by the Five Colored Glaze Fan. It only boasts one-fifth of the power of the original one. But that's enough to confront you."

The two talked easily on the cloud, while the disciples of the three religions were shocked. The fierce Divine Five Colored Light Kong Xuan just presented only showed one-fifth of its original power. That was far too unbelievable. But it was even more incredible that Kong Xuan abandoned his Heaven Endowed Magic Skill only to find another way to actualize his Tao. That was insane. Nevertheless, the descendants of the Blood Sea were all certainly mad. The master Ancestor Minghe realized his way of Rakshasa and left his Three Separations to actualize the Mix Nascent Core. The first disciple Liu Er boasted profound cultivation and was mad enough to confront the Honored Lord of the Origin directly. Now, Kong Xuan, another lunatic, abandoned his Heaven Endowed Magic Skill just for an ambiguous way to actualize his Tao. Is there any sane person in the Blood Sea?

But this news could be inspiring for the disciples of the three religions since a fragmented Divine Five Colored Light offered them a chance to take advantage. Kong Xuan could not be underestimated. Given that even the incomplete Divine Five Colored Light was hard to deal with, the disciples' incompetent cultivation and worse Magic Weapons compared with Xuandu, a small mistake could lead to their defeat.

Xuandu stared at Kong Xuan and waved his sword. Suddenly, numerous black and white Sword Auras came out, transforming into two Dragons of Flood in black and white with bared fangs and brandish claws, and roaring resounded through the sky. As the two Dragons of Flood were transformed by something outside the Five Elements, the Auras of Yin and Yang, they could not be fanned away by the Divine Five Colored Light. Glancing at the dragons rushing towards him, Kong Xuan grinned and said, "Xuandu, though the Auras of Yin and Yang don't belong to the Five Elements, my Divine Five Colored Light can also fan them away." He waved the Five Colored Glaze Fan slightly, and then the two Dragons of Flood dispersed and the Auras of Yin and Yang vanished eventually.

Xuandu was taken by surprise since he did not expect that the Divine Five Colored Light could be so fierce towards something even outside the Five Elements. Concerning the present Divine Five Colored Light, he could imagine the real power of it. However, to actualize, Kong Xuan abandoned it without hesitation, which was indeed admirable. Xuandu wondered if he could make the same decision as he did.

The two fought for a long time, with Kong Xuan taking the upper hand. As for Xuandu, being the only disciple of Laozi, he naturally owned varying Magic Weapons. However, as the Divine Five Colored Light was too mighty, even though Xuandu captured the proper timing to use Magic Weapons, he lost several weapons to Kong Xuan. Thus he could only use the Auras of Yin and Yang to fight with Kong Xuan, which contributed to his disadvantage.

The disciples of the three religions started to worry. Now that Xuandu was obviously at a disadvantaged position, daring not to use Magic Weapons even though he boasted abundantly. What a shame! If it were not for his Auras of Yin and Yang, they would have been defeated already.

When confronting a master like Kong Xuan, even numerous people may not work. Given that all Magic Weapons might be taken away by the Divine Five Colored Light, any attack within the Five Elements was invalid against Kong Xuan, and few disciples could master the law outside the Five Elements, even though there were a large number of disciples in the three religions, they couldn't help. Besides, ordinary disciples were incapable of a fight between Sages-to-be.

Seeing Xuandu was in disadvantage, Dipamkara, Guang Chengzi and Medicine Buddha looked at each other and flew to the clouds. They wanted to fight against Kong Xuan with joint hands. Noticing that, the disciples of three religions were greatly surprised. It would not sound well if it got out that four Sages-to-be of the three religions fought Kong Xuan alone. However, it was the only wise way to deal with the fierce Divine Five Colored Light, since no one seemed to be Kong Xuan's match in the three religions.

With Xuandu in the east, Dipamkara in the west, Guang Chengzi in the south, and Medicine Buddha in the north, the four surrounded Kong Xuan. Kong Xuan burst into laughter and said, "Great! I won't be afraid even though you have four people. Come and show me your ability." Kong Xuan showed no fear. He did not present his full strength before because he had been wary of the other three, or Xuandu would have been defeated already.

Dipamkara stared at the vigorous Kong Xuan with varying thoughts crowding into his mind. He eventually said, "Kong Xuan, you are highly cultivated with your incomparable Divine Five Colored Light. We know that we can never match you if we fight you alone, so we can only fight you with joint hands. I hope you will not begrudge to present your power." Even though the four fought Kong Xuan alone, these words were dignified, though, shameless as well.

In the east, Xuandu glared at Kong Xuan, lift the sword in black and white, closed his index and middle fingers and moved them from the handle of the sword to the middle of it. Then endless Auras of Yin and Yang came out of the sword, eventually forming a majestic spiritual dragon in black and white. Xuandu pointed at Kong Xuan, and the spiritual dragon rushed towards him, the dragons were several times stronger than the former two, which seemed to be the real strength of Xuandu. In the west, a horsetail whisk appeared in Dipamkara's right hand. Dipamkara waved it, then numerous Auras of the 'Jade Pure One' formed into a shape of a sword. The Aura of the 'Jade Pure One', the special skill of the Honored Lord of Origin, can only be used by a highly cultivated disciple of the Clan of Enlightenment. It seemed that Dipamkara obtained profound enlightenment of the 'Jade Pure One', or he could not have shown such mastery.

But this is not finished. Dipamkara activated the Taoist Seal with his left hand. Then several black Auras came out, melting into the sword formed by the Aura of the 'Jade Pure One'. The sword turned into ink black immediately. Wisps of Auras of death appeared among the vitality of the 'Jade Pure One', which was the Way that Nirvana Dipamkara had comprehended. As Nirvana was equal to death, the Aura of Nirvana would not be quite bearable.

In the south, Guang Chengzi activated seals, and abundant Auras of the 'Jade Pure One' came out, eventually shaping into a gigantic seal, the same as his Smashing Seal. Guang Chengzi created it through his enlightenment of the Smashing Seal. Thus it was extremely powerful. Whoever got hit by it would either die or be injured. After all, the seal was built while Guang Chengzi was comprehending the Smashing Seal, which combined a small part of Mount Buzhou. Therefore, it naturally boasted some characters of Mount Buzhou, which contributed to its fierce strength.

In the north, Medicine Buddha shook his body and turned into a Seventy Feet Golden Body, exactly as the Ninety Feet Golden Body of Zhunti and Jieyin, only twenty feet smaller. However, its strength could not be underestimated: each of the 18 arms held one instrument, waving with every move of the golden body. Numerous golden lights gathered in his chest turning into a huge symbol, which looked like a swastika and ran to Kong Xuan directly.

Chapter 290: The Solo Fight against Immortals (II)

With the involvement of the four Sages-to-be of the three religions, the battle was spectacular. Just seeing their power, the disciples of the three religions were panicking. Even if some of them were already Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, confronted with an attack like that, even an aftershock would be powerful enough to wound them severely. The Sage-to-be Realm were "sages" after all.

Confronted with the four, Kong Xuan took the fight seriously for the first time. If he possessed the complete Divine Five Colored Light, he could have taken more attacks like this. Whereas it was slightly trickier for him now. Then Kong Xuan released his power. The Divine Five Colored Light immediately released lights in blue, yellow, red, black and white, coloring the clouds beneath his feet.

While the five-color light was gathering, Kong Xuan activated the Five Colored Glaze Fan. The light waved towards all directions immediately, clearing the clouds and mists in its way. Only four magnificent five-color rainbows were left. The Divine Five Colored Light collided with the attacks of the four, after a thunder-like noise, a huge partly hidden and partly visible sun appeared in the sky. The disciples of the three religions were all stunned when the aftermath dropped from the sky. Though they boasted enough cultivation and magic weapons to withstand it, there were still numerous soldiers of Western Zhou that may face heavy losses if they were left alone.

Witnessing that, Chi Jingzi's expression changed drastically. He shouted, "Fellow Taoists, let's take action and ward off the aftermath together." The disciples of the three religions then activated their powers. At that moment, the magic weapons and magic arts covered the sky. They resisted the aftermath. If the expedition army suffered severe losses, it would be hard for them to win the following battle, even though they passed the Golden Chicken Mountain. Considering the differences between the immortals and the mortals, immortals could not kill a mortal casually. After all, the Holy Land of the Human Tribe still existed.

However, the Army of Five Elements of Kong Xuan was not affected by the impact. Their formation changed immediately when the attack came. It seemed that they were coordinated with the Impregnable Pass behind. A tactical formation of the Five Elements formed, resisting all the aftermath and then vanished. As if it never appeared. On the cloud, Xuandu, Dipamkara, Guang Chengzi, and Medicine Buddha were not affected by the aftermath. They backed off a little. When everything settled, Kong Xuan's figure appeared. Kong Xuan stood on the Ninth-Grade Red Lotus of Fire, though he was the center of the attack, it did not injure him at all.

The four felt quite upset when they observed Kong Xuan' s Red Lotus of Fire. The Ninth-Grade Red Lotus of Fire was a Top Grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure. Its defense strength probably was the strongest factor, even when compared with some Primordial Spiritual Treasures. Thus, it required great efforts to be broken. However, what made the four depressed was the fact that they could not use any magic weapons of the Five Elements, or Kong Xuan would amass it.

Kong Xuan was standing on the Red Lotus of Fire, stared at the four and beamed, "You were late already. Now it's my turn." The Red Lotus of Fire under his feet began to swirl slowly, releasing numerous red lotus fire. The fire eventually formed into four fire peacocks. The size of which was not gigantic, but scary, after all, it was red lotus Fire.

When the four fire peacocks gathered together and formed, Kong Xuan sat cross-legged. He cast the Five Colored Glaze Fan upward and activated the tactic. Then the suspended fan immediately released numerous Divine Five Colored Lights, which turned into five feathers and decorated the tails of the peacocks. Suddenly, the four peacocks seemed to be vivid creatures with souls.

"Go!" Kong Xuan shouted. The four fire peacocks flew towards Xuandu, Dipamkara, Guang Chengzi, and Medicine Buddha. The four confronted it with magic arts calmly. They felt too frustrated to fight with Kong Xuan and dared not activate even their most powerful magic weapons. Since once Kong Xuan amassed the magic weapons, they would never get them back.

The more frustrating thing was that when the Red Lotus Fire and the Divine Five Colored Light cooperated, the attack and defense forces would double. They could only deal with Kong Xuan with magic arts. Though, Kong Xuan was waiting for them to use magic weapons and collect them with his Divine Five Colored Light. Once that happened, they had no chance to withdraw the weapons.

Witnessing that, the disciples were shocked. It never occurred to them that Kong Xuan could be so powerful. Even four sages- to-be could not gain the upper hand. Maitreya of the Western Religious Sect smiled and said, "Fellow Taoists, given that Kong Xuan is too powerful, let's go to help our senior brothers." He did not mean to smile at that moment, but he was born with a smiling face.

Hearing that, the disciples of the three religions started buzzing. Kong Xuan even obtained the advantage while confronting the four. It was just a matter of time for them to lose the fight. If all of them were defeated, the morale of the three religions and Western Zhou would drain seriously. Thus it would be impossible for them to strive through the Golden Chicken Mountain, unless with their master here.

Whereas they knew it would be useless even with their master here since Kong Xuan has a master as well. If he then gathered his brothers here, they would have no chance to win anymore. Though they might gain a notorious reputation for confronting Kong Xuan alone, there was no time for them to be concerned about fame. If Xuandu the four were all defeated, the three religions would be a joke in the Untainted Land.

Immortal Yu Ding of the Clan of Enlightenment stared at the five men fighting with magic arts on the clouds and said seriously,"Fellows, ordinary people may not bear the battle among sages-to-be. Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals will be the only proper candidates, and they should be careful, in case their magic weapons are taken away by Kong Xuan. Now that the three religions joint hands, we should care for each other and avoid being defeated separately."

All the disciples of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals nodded while hearing that. What Immortal Yu Ding said was reasonable. It would be hard for them to win the battle if they did not help each other. Gaining others' approvals, Immortal Yu Ding flew up and joined the four in the sky, saying,"Fellow brothers, I come to help you."

Dozens of disciples in the Realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal flew to the cloud and settled around the four. Seeing this, Guang Chengzi activated the tactic suddenly, blocking the fire peacock temporarily, and said,"You should be careful. Stay in the periphery and do not go into the center rashly. Pay particular attention to his Divine Five Colored Light."

All disciples nodded their heads. Although they were all Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals who boasted fame in the Untainted Land and were somehow masters in their places, they still could not compete with Kong Xuan, as one level's gap between the Sage-to-be and Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal suggested a huge distinction. Even with one hundred Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, they may fail to match a single Sage- to-be. Thus, they could only stay around and try to interfere with Kong Xuan.

In an instant, hundreds of thousands of magic arts were directed towards Kong Xuan together. They behaved themselves shotting attacks Kong Xuan with magic arts, rather than their Spiritual Treasures. Nevertheless, such attacks may not even break the defense of Kong Xuan's Red Lotus of Fire. They could only disturb Kong Xuan for a while and create some opportunities for Xuandu the four.

Kong Xuan beamed ironically while observing those magic arts. He waved the Five Colored Glaze Fan once, then all the magic arts vanished. Those little tricks could not hurt him at all. The gap between Realms could not be narrowed by expanding the number of attacks. Glaring at those disciples surrounded by him, Kong Xuan suddenly stood up and recalled the tactic. The four fire peacocks then disappeared between heaven and earth immediately. Kong Xuan scanned those disciples and said mildly, "Warm-up is over. Let me show you something really powerful."