The Primordial Era: The Mythical Path Beginning with the Jie Sect

Chapter 148 The One Who Shoulders the Burden, Discussions on the Mortal Battlefield
After a long while, many Taoist disciples opened their eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in them.

As expected, this information was extremely useful to them, allowing them to focus their cultivation directly on this aspect and avoid many detours.

These people all bowed to Daoist Duobao to express their gratitude for his guidance.

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

……

Daoist Duobao waved his hand with a smile and said, "We are all fellow disciples, there is no need for such formalities."

"Junior brother, you are indeed meticulous. You are worthy of being the chief disciple of the Jie Sect and a pillar of strength." The Antarctic Immortal also praised with a smile.

"Senior brother, you're too kind. I'm just overthinking things."

As for the title of First Disciple, I dare not speak carelessly about the saying "lifting the cauldron." Junior Brother still wants to live a peaceful life, so please be merciful, Senior Brother. Junior Brother thanks you in advance! Daoist Duobao's expression changed, and he quickly pleaded with a bitter face.

The idea of ​​becoming the first disciple will definitely attract the attention of Junior Sister Jinling. Although Junior Sister Jinling probably won't make a move against him given his current strength, he doesn't want to cause trouble either!

He knew Jinling's personality quite well; she was competitive, valued the status of the Jie Sect highly, and was never one to admit defeat. This was a big problem, and Daoist Duobao had no desire to get involved with her at all.

As for the claim that it could lift a tripod, that's utter nonsense.

The only one who could be considered a pillar of the Jie Sect was the Heavenly Emperor Zhou Chen. Even their master, the Tongtian Sect Master, was not qualified to hold this title.

Although Junior Brother Zhou Chen wouldn't care, what if the Heavenly Dao did? His weak arms and legs couldn't withstand the Heavenly Dao's torment.

"Hehe, Junior Brother is indeed shrewd." Grand Master Xuandu also said with a smile.

The three had a good relationship; this wasn't meant to be sarcastic, but rather a friendly joke.

Daoist Duobao smiled bitterly. What could he do? Although he was the first to join the Jie Sect, his cultivation was not the strongest. In addition, he had seen through these battles of wills, so he did not care much about these titles.

Of course, even if he cared, it wouldn't matter. In the end, strength reigns supreme in the primordial world. Without strength, everything is just a castle in the air, unsustainable, and even at risk of collapse.

"Let's not attack Junior Brother Duobao anymore. Let's all go back and cultivate in peace. Otherwise, when the time comes for the Investiture of the Gods, our low cultivation levels will bring shame to the Daoist sect, which would be disastrous," the Antarctic Immortal said with a smile, trying to smooth things over.

Everyone agreed, bid each other farewell, and returned to their respective camps.

After returning to the Xiqi camp, Grand Master Xuandu and the Antarctic Immortal went to the council hall, chatted with King Wu Ji Fa for a few words, and then took their leave.

When the Antarctic Immortal left, he also took Jade Cauldron Immortal, Taiyi Immortal, and others with him.

Cihang, Randeng Daoren, and others did not return to Kunlun Mountain Jade Void Palace with the Antarctic Immortal, but stayed in Xiqi City.

The Old Man of the South Pole simply smiled and nodded in agreement.

They have already paid the price for betraying the Chan Sect; which path they choose to take next is up to them.

Whether they choose to rebuild the teachings of Chan Buddhism or to comprehend the wonders of the West is entirely up to them.

Hopefully, this trip to the battlefield of the Investiture of the Gods will teach them a lesson, so they won't repeat their mistakes and suffer the consequences, ultimately ending up with nothing.

The Antarctic Immortal did not allow the third-generation disciples of the Chan Sect to see him off. Although they had no cultivation and possessed enviable spiritual treasures, he did not believe that any fool would dare to attack them. The reputation of the Daoist sect was enough to deter all villains.

Besides, although they have no cultivation, they possess many spiritual treasures. Their leader has no cultivation and cannot use them, but the innate treasures are not theirs. However, they possess the divine sense of the sect leader. In the primordial world, apart from those few standing at the top of the pyramid, who would want to try the power of the sect leader's supreme treasure? Probably no one would!
After the Antarctic Immortal and the others left, only the two leaders of the Western Sect, Zhunti and Jieyin, as well as the Taoist Ran Deng, Cihang, Puxian, and others, along with the third-generation disciples of the Chan Sect, the second-generation disciples of the Western Sect, Jiang Ziya, and many civil and military officials of Xiqi, remained in the council hall of Xiqi.

The others, including Randeng Cihang, stayed behind to assist the mortals of Xiqi in their struggle. Although they couldn't fight, they could offer advice and strategies. They believed that His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor wouldn't target them for such a trivial matter. After all, they were disciples of the Chan Sect, and there was still some respect they could show him.

The Investiture of the Gods was truly a devastating defeat for them. Their cultivation had already been reduced by the Great Emperor of Fengdu, and they had been removed from the ranks of third-generation disciples of the Daoist sect. As a result, they hadn't even encountered an opponent of the same level when they went into battle, and they were instantly killed by the Holy Mother of Golden Spirit. It was obvious that the divine position they could obtain would be lost, and the face of the Chan Sect disciples would become a disgrace to the Daoist sect.

That's why they risked staying in Xiqi City.

Jieyin and Zhunti shared the same idea, but they had no connection with Zhou Chen and placed their hopes on Hongjun Daozu. Moreover, because their sainthood was revoked, they had a feeling that the Heavenly Dao owed them karma, which is why they dared to take the risk.

Since the battle of the cultivators who were conferred the title of Gods had just ended today, no one was in the mood to discuss anything. They exchanged a few words briefly and then went back to their respective places.

After returning, Cihang and the others from the Chan Sect gathered together, and Daoist Randeng was also in the room.

"Uncle-Master, Senior Brother, I have a feeling that Senior Brother Antarctica is targeting us in this Investiture of the Gods war. Does Senior Brother Antarctica know something?" Master Puxian asked the crowd.

"No way? We did it so discreetly. How did Senior Brother Antarctica know?" Ju Liusun asked incredulously.

Cihang Daoren smiled slightly and did not speak. He was the most thoughtful among them, but he saw things very clearly. Whether he knew it or not, the fact had already been formed. Instead of thinking wildly here, he should think about how to help Xiqi defeat Da Shang, thereby obtaining a large number of points and strengthening his own divine position. That was what he should be considering.

When Ran Deng saw the two arguing, he shook his head slightly. Although these people were of similar talent, he still thought Ci Hang was more meticulous. But these people were his helpers after all, so he might as well give them an answer to avoid endless arguments that would delay his plans.

“Antarctica must know, otherwise they wouldn’t be targeting us like this.”

However, since Antarctica, as the senior disciple of the Chan Sect, has already punished us, the matter is over.

However, we will have to decide for ourselves what to do in the future: whether to continue as disciples of the Chan Sect or switch sides and become members of the Western Sect.

"To rejoin the Chan Sect, all we need to do is cultivate the Chan Sect's methods. However, because of what happened last time, although Antarctica will not continue to target us, it will pay extra attention to us. Once it discovers that we have wronged the Chan Sect, it will definitely come to stop us immediately, or even expel us from the sect." Daoist Ran Deng shared his speculation with everyone.

Everyone fell silent. They had no intention of relinquishing their status as disciples of the Chan Sect, because the power of the Daoist sect was simply too great, and they couldn't bear to give up the title of protection they held. However, after experiencing the Investiture of the Gods and with the analysis of the Daoist Ran Deng, they knew that if they continued to go to the Chan Sect, their lives would become increasingly difficult.

However, some of them were somewhat unwilling to choose the Western Sect, since the Western Sect was only one of the eight hundred unorthodox sects, and its influence and strength were far inferior to those of the orthodox Taoist sects.

“What Uncle-Master says is very true. Let’s think it over carefully before making a decision. After all, this matter is of great importance and concerns our future.” Cihang immediately agreed with what Randeng said.

"Although the Chan Sect is powerful, it is just a prison for us."

"Furthermore, the most important thing now is to help Xiqi win the war, go into seclusion to cultivate and restore my former supernatural powers, so as not to lose face on the Investiture of the Gods platform," Cihang Daoren continued.

Everyone nodded in agreement after hearing Cihang's words. Once the Antarctic Immortal knew their situation, he would definitely pay extra attention to them. Once they revealed their weakness, they would be met with swift and severe punishment. Therefore, there was no need for them to take the risk. It would be better for them to switch to cultivating the Western Wonderful Method. Although their strength might not be as good as the Daoist sect, their cultivation level would be much higher than that of the steady and methodical Daoist sect.

“Brother Cihang is absolutely right. I have decided to cultivate the Western Wonderful Method,” Julusun said resolutely.

Cihang Puxian and the others nodded in agreement.

The Taoist Ran Deng smiled slightly and then continued, "Since you have decided to cultivate the Western Wonderful Methods, then you should no longer cultivate the techniques and supernatural powers of the Chan Sect, so as not to create karma and be held accountable by the Chan Sect in the future."

Cihang nodded in agreement and clapped his hands.

The others echoed this sentiment.

After the short meeting, everyone returned to their respective rooms and began their cultivation.

Inside the Shang Dynasty's military tent, Duobao and the others sat upright.

"Master Uncle, how will the battles in the mortal realm end in the upcoming Investiture of the Gods?" Grand Tutor Wen Zhong of the Great Shang Dynasty asked Daoist Duobao.

Duobao smiled slightly and said to Wen Zhong, "We will not participate in this matter, after all, His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor has ordered that no one should disturb you."

So we'd better go back and meditate in seclusion. If I cause you trouble, we'll be punished too.

Wen Zhong sighed. Although he had known this would be the outcome for a long time, hearing the news with his own ears was still a big blow to him.

To be honest, he didn't take Xiqi seriously at first. It was just a vassal state, how strong could it be?
The war among cultivators did not have a significant impact on Wen Zhong, because it was not directly related to the survival of the Great Shang Dynasty.

Wen Zhong was not afraid of the battles between military generals, but what truly made him hesitate were the three siblings, Yang Jian and his sister.

These three are all cultivators at the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm and are chosen ones by Heaven, capable of participating in the battles of the mortal realm in the Investiture of the Gods. Although their Great Shang camp possesses Jingwei and Nezha, Nezha and Yang Jian were taken away by a beam of light and have not returned to this day.

Their main fighting force in the Shang Dynasty was Jingwei, while Xiqi had Yang Jiao and Yang Chan, two Great Luo Golden Immortal cultivators who possessed the Ten Fierce Treasure Techniques.

The original two-against-three situation has become one-against-two, which greatly increases the difficulty, so he is still somewhat worried about his senior sister Jingwei.

Although the Ten Fierce Spiritual Treasures are differentiated in strength, when they are at the same level and have the same talent, the difference is not significant.

Therefore, Senior Sister Jingwei was somewhat overwhelmed when facing Yang Jiao and Yang Chan.

However, he was still loyal to the Shang Dynasty, so he asked Daoist Duobao how to handle things in the future. Duobao's answer was exactly what Wen Zhong had expected. Although he was somewhat disappointed, for Wen Zhong, who respected his teacher and valued the Dao, this was the result he wanted. But he felt a little empty inside, as if he had lost something important.

"Junior brother, don't worry. We have made quite a few connections with third-generation disciples. We'll let them know and they'll come to help us." Jingwei said, winking playfully at Wen Zhong, her meaning quite clear.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister." Wen Zhong bowed deeply to express his gratitude to his junior sister, Jingwei.

"No need to be so polite. We shouldn't be so distant with each other, lest Master nag us endlessly when he returns," Jingwei said.

"I understand, Senior Sister."

Just as the two finished their conversation, Daoist Duobao stood up, bid farewell to the group, and then led his fellow disciples back to their respective dojos.

After they left, Grand Tutor Wen began to arrange his troops and prepare for the duel with the Xiqi generals the next day.

……

"Di Xin, the Investiture of the Gods war is now only fought in the mortal realm. Do you really want to abandon the Shang Dynasty and let it be buried in the dust of history?" Nuwa asked, somewhat puzzled.

Di Xin smiled slightly. He was the embodiment of destiny and had to abide by his own destiny in order to improve his cultivation. The existence of the Great Shang Dynasty held little allure for him.

Given his status, he wouldn't stay in the mortal realm for long to continue handling human affairs.

He is ultimately one of Zhou Chen's incarnations. Although he has no cultivation, his combat power is considerable. It is estimated that after the War of the Gods ends, he will go to other worlds according to the will of Heaven and Earth.

After all, there are so many worlds in the chaos, how could he not yearn for them and want to experience the wonders of each one? As for recruiting talents or choosing the chosen ones like in the world of Legend of Sword and Fairy, Di Xin had little interest in them.

If he finds someone he likes, he will bring them back to the prehistoric world. If not, even if the person has a high level of cultivation and great talent, they will not catch Di Xin's eye.

"I am subject to fate, and should respect and follow it. Therefore, I do not wish to change anything; let everything proceed according to the guidance of fate!" Di Xin said solemnly with a serious expression.

Although Daji, Zhao Ling'er, and the others present did not fully understand the meaning of Di Xin's words, they could still discern the general situation.

It seems that Emperor Xin did not place too much importance on the success or failure of the Shang Dynasty. On the contrary, his words suggest that the Shang Dynasty's future fate was destruction, being defeated and annihilated by the Xiqi coalition led by the Marquis of Xibo.

(End of this chapter)