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*****
"Two fellow Daoists, what a scheme! Truly, a marvelous scheme!"
Tongtian Jiaozhu appeared, shielding the Three Fairies of the Xiao lineage behind him. He glared at Yuanshi Tianzun and Taishang Laojun with a chilling, mocking smile.
Yet, Yuanshi Tianzun chose that moment to shift the blame, speaking with a facade of innocence: "Junior Brother, what is the meaning of this?"
"Two fellow Daoists treat the disciples of my Jie Sect in such a manner, yet you have the gall to ask 'why'?" Tongtian Jiaozhu was in no mood for idle chatter. With a sharp flick of his sleeves, he unleashed the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation.
Seeing the formation take shape, Yuanshi Tianzun questioned him again: "When we crafted the Investiture of the Gods, did we not agree? Those with deep foundations would follow the path of Immortals; those of secondary merit would follow the path of Gods; and those with shallow roots would follow the path of Humanity."
He continued righteously, "Now, the Shang Dynasty has lost its way and is destined for ruin, while the Zhou Dynasty is virtuous and destined to rise. Your disciples act against the will of Heaven; they are destined to enter the path of Gods and be named upon the Investiture List. This is Heaven's will, Junior Brother! How can you stand in its way?"
"Hahaha! 'Against the will of Heaven'—well said!" Tongtian Jiaozhu laughed out of sheer fury. "There are three hundred and sixty-five slots on that list. The rogue cultivators of the mountains and the disciples of the Three Sects should be chosen based on fate. Yet, you two only seek to fill it with my Jie Sect disciples, even stooping so low as to intervene personally. If that is the case, there is nothing more to say. Today, your Junior Brother shall settle who is superior."
In an instant, the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation expanded, swallowing Yuanshi Tianzun, Taishang Laojun, and the Great Magus Xuandu, who stood by the latter's side.
Within the swirling chaos of the formation, Taishang Laojun finally spoke: "Junior Brother, you are defying the Heavenly Dao and have fallen into the traps of anger and delusion. It is best that you withdraw this formation immediately and return to Biyou Palace to repent. Only then can you continue to lead the Jie Sect. If you refuse to listen to reason, I will have no choice but to take you to the Purple Cloud Palace to face our Master and cast you into the cycle of reincarnation."
"Li Dan! You push me too far!" Tongtian Jiaozhu roared. "There will be no reconciliation! If you have the skill, then break my formation!"
With a whistle, Tongtian summoned his Kui Bull. Seated upon the beast, he began to drive the formation, launching a relentless assault against the two Saints.
Taishang Laojun immediately sacrificed the Taiji Diagram, while Yuanshi Tianzun summoned his Auspicious Clouds, with a thousand golden flowers blooming above his head. After blocking the strikes of the four immortal swords, Taishang Laojun struck out with his staff, forcing a temporary gap in the formation.
However, the two did not use the opening to flee. Instead, they sent the Great Magus Xuandu out, along with the Golden Bucket of Primordial Chaos and the Golden Dragon Scissors they had confiscated from the Three Fairies.
"Quickly, eliminate the disciples of the Jie Sect!"
They had deliberately goaded Tongtian into attacking first. This was a calculated move: when they eventually faced their master, Hongjun Laozu, they could claim they were merely teaching the Three Fairies a lesson for their disrespect, and that Tongtian was the one who escalated the conflict to violence.
Furthermore, they aimed to pin Tongtian down. While it appeared that Tongtian was besieging them, they were actually neutralizing him. They couldn't break the formation easily, but the formation couldn't harm them either. As long as Tongtian was occupied, Xuandu, Wuliang Xianweng, Randeng, and Lu Ya—armed with top-tier artifacts—could easily slaughter the remaining Jie Sect disciples and fill the Investiture List.
Zhao Gongming had lost his Sea-Fixing Beads and was cursed by the Nail-Head Seven-Arrow Book; he could barely move, let alone fight. The Three Fairies were weakened without their primary artifacts. The remaining Ten Heavenly Lords and others only possessed the strength of newly ascended Daluo Immortals.
Against a force like Xuandu, they stood little chance. If Tongtian weren't kept busy, he would have slaughtered the Chan Sect disciples to a man. Under the level of a Saint, all are but ants; only a Saint can stop a Saint. This was the source of Tongtian's absolute rage.
"This is bad!" Yun Xiao and the others turned pale as they saw the forces of the Chan and Ren Sects charging toward them. They were outnumbered, outmatched in cultivation, and lacked their best artifacts.
"We fight!" They resolved. If their Master was fighting above, they could not retreat. Even if it meant death, they would take as many enemies with them as possible.
Just as they prepared to charge, a massive expanse of auspicious clouds swept in from the distance.
"Senior Brothers and Sisters, do not panic! We have come to aid you!"
It was George. Using the token given to him by Tongtian Jiaozhu, he had rallied and brought the entire strength of the Jie Sect to the battlefield.
Yun Xiao and the others looked back, their faces lighting up with joy. "It's Junior Brother Black Dragon! And Senior Brother Duobao, Senior Sister Jinling..."
Aboard those clouds were the four primary disciples, the seven attendant disciples, and nearly ten thousand outer disciples. The sheer scale of the reinforcement forced Xuandu and his followers to halt their advance in shock.
"Seniors, juniors, disciples—slay them all!" George shouted, wasting no time. He directed the massed forces of the Jie Sect to surround Xuandu's group.
With Yuanshi and Taishang trapped in the formation and the Western Saints still unaware of the situation, this was the moment to strike. If they could kill three hundred and sixty-five enemies now, the Tribulation of the Investiture would be over.
Inside the formation, the two Saints realized the tide had turned and tried to break free to assist their disciples. While they couldn't defeat Tongtian quickly, they were capable of escaping. However, Tongtian Jiaozhu pushed the formation to its absolute limit, the four swords attacking with such ferocity that even the two Saints were momentarily forced onto the defensive.
In those few moments, many disciples of the Chan and Ren Sects fell. While some Jie Sect disciples also perished, they were mostly outer disciples of lower cultivation. For them, being named on the Investiture List and achieving a form of eternal life wasn't the worst fate.
"Run!" Seeing the shift in power, the rogue cultivators who had hoped to ride the Chan Sect's coattails began to flee. Among them were Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao—holders of the Treasure-Falling Money—and the powerful Lu Ya.
George, however, had no intention of letting them go. He had been hiding in the shadows for this exact moment.
"Where do you think you're going?" George materialized suddenly, hurling the Purple Lightning Hammer.
The hammer, wreathed in the terrifying Purple Nine Heavens Divine Lightning, expanded as it hurtled toward Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao. The two were not cowed; they worked together to activate the Treasure-Falling Money, successfully snaring the hammer.
"Galaxian Explosion!"
Just as they sighed in relief, a sudden, agonizing pain bloomed in their backs. Their physical bodies were vaporized instantly. George hadn't expected the hammer to kill them; it was merely a distraction to get within range for a physical strike.
"The Treasure-Falling Money is mine!" George caught the coin and refined it instantly. This artifact was a Pre-Heavenly Spiritual Treasure capable of suppressing almost any artifact. In this world, a cultivator's strength was largely tied to their treasures. With this in hand, the coming battles would be much easier.
George immediately flew toward Lu Ya. The rogue Daoist had just cut down several intercepting disciples and was close to escaping when George blocked his path.
Though Lu Ya didn't know George, his instincts screamed danger. He immediately unleashed his trump card: the Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger.
"Please, Treasure, turn and strike!"
A white light burst from a red gourd, revealing a creature with eyes, wings, and a head. Being gazed upon by this entity usually paralyzed a target's soul. However, George was prepared. His mental strength had already reached the level of a Saint, and he was a master of mental laws across the heavens. Even the Flying Dagger could not hold him.
"Go!" George tossed the winged coin.
The Treasure-Falling Money collided with the white light. Though the Flying Dagger was arguably the deadliest artifact below the level of a Supreme Treasure, it was still an "artifact" and thus countered by the coin. The dagger was instantly suppressed and fell into George's hand.
"Please, Treasure, turn and strike!" George, having refined the gourd in a heartbeat, aimed it at the terrified Lu Ya.
The white light flashed, pinning Lu Ya in place. With a swift turn, Lu Ya's head was severed, his body crumbled, and his soul flew toward the Investiture List.
George then turned his sights on Wuliang Xianweng. As the eldest disciple of the Chan Sect, his cultivation was at the Great Magus level. He held the Five-Fire Seven-Feather Fan, an artifact far superior to his junior's version, and the Sea-Fixing Beads stolen from Zhao Gongming.
Even the four primary disciples of the Jie Sect—Duobao, Jinling, Wudang, and Guiling—could only manage to suppress him, unable to land a finishing blow.
"Wuliang Xianweng, do you remember me?" George roared.
"You! That wretched beast!" Wuliang recognized George as the dragon who had once caused chaos in the Jade Void Palace. "Today, I shall send you to the Investiture List!"
Believing George to be merely at the peak of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, Wuliang used the beads to hold off the four primary disciples while fanning George with the Seven-Feather Fan. He expected George to be reduced to ash instantly.
He was wrong. George's cultivation was far beyond that now, and he held two new treasures.
"Treasure-Falling Money!"
"Please, Treasure, turn and strike!"
The coin snatched the fan out of the air, and the Flying Dagger streaked toward Wuliang's throat.
"How is this possible?" Wuliang gasped. He tried to recall the Sea-Fixing Beads to defend himself, but Duobao and the others held them in a coordinated strike.
CRACK!
Wuliang's head flew off, and his soul was claimed by the list.
"Evil creature!" A thunderous roar shook the sky as a terrifying pressure descended.
Yuanshi Tianzun, seeing his eldest disciple slain, had finally forced his way out of the formation. But as he moved to strike George, Tongtian Jiaozhu surged forward, dragging the formation back over him.
"One Qi Transforms into Three Purities!" Taishang Laojun finally revealed his ultimate technique.
"I am the Daoist of Taiqing!"
"I am the Daoist of Yuqing!"
"I am the Daoist of Shangqing!"
Three avatars manifested from his body, each possessing a cultivation equal to his own. Together with the original, the four of them held the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation at bay, creating an opening for Yuanshi Tianzun.
"So, there is a connection," George observed. He retrieved the Sea-Fixing Beads—deciding to refine them for himself temporarily rather than returning them to Zhao Gongming—while watching the Saints' battle.
He realized Taishang Laojun's technique shared fundamental principles with his own "Avatars of the Heavens" ability. However, George's version was more refined and powerful. This confirmed his suspicion: his ability likely originated from Hongjun Laozu. If Taishang, the disciple, was this proficient, the Master must be the ultimate source.
"Junior Brother, watch out!" Duobao shouted.
Free from the formation's pressure, Yuanshi Tianzun threw a small box toward George. Duobao knew that even a Great Magus would be turned to bloody water instantly if trapped inside that box.
The warning came a moment too late. George was sucked into the box without resistance, seemingly dissolving into blood.
"Wait... something is wrong." Yuanshi Tianzun frowned. There was no soul flying to the Investiture List, and the artifacts George had taken were missing. "Such a sophisticated avatar technique... it even fooled me."
He realized he had only destroyed a clone. George's true body was already hidden, utilizing the authority of "Concealment" from the Dark Pathway.
George knew he wasn't yet a match for Yuanshi Tianzun. He could perhaps hold his own against one of the Western Saints, but not the Lord of Primordial Beginning. Moreover, he needed to hide his full strength. His goal wasn't just to save the Jie Sect—it was to seize the merit of the Western Saints and achieve his own Saintly status.
"Disciples of the Jie Sect, hear my command!" Tongtian Jiaozhu shouted. Realizing he couldn't keep both Saints pinned forever and fearing for his students, he withdrew the sword formation and landed among them. "Form the Ten Thousand Immortal Array!"
(End of Chapter)