Primordial Era: Becoming the Great Emperor of Humanity from the Start

Chapter 238 The Key to This Great Calamity!

"The key to this great calamity doesn't lie in the rankings on the Investiture of the Gods?"

The Tongtian Sect Leader and the Nuwa Saint exchanged a glance, both looking at Jiang Heng in disbelief. This was something they had never imagined.

Looking at the several great eons in the primordial world, it is not difficult to find some patterns in them.

The Dragon-Han Great Tribulation appears to be a struggle for supremacy among the three races of dragon, phoenix, and qilin, but in reality, it is a battle for sainthood between Dao Ancestor Hongjun and Demon Ancestor Luohou.

The Lich War was much simpler; it was an earth-shattering war that swept across the entire primordial world between the Lich and Demon races in their struggle for dominance over the heavens and earth.

The Investiture of the Gods, with the rise of the Heavenly Court as the general trend of the Heavenly Way, was signed to ensure that the Heavenly Court would smoothly become the master of the primordial world.

As for the Journey to the West: The Great Tribulation, it was intended to promote the Western religion and thus spread Buddhism to the East, with the hidden purpose of controlling the minds of the human race.

As we can see, in each great calamity, there is a distinct protagonist, such as the three clans of dragon, phoenix, and qilin, or the two clans of witch and demon.

But now, with the great calamity of heaven and earth about to arrive, the saints do not even know where this calamity will take place.

After Dao Ancestor Hongjun summoned all the saints to Zixiao Palace and mentioned the matter of re-signing the Investiture of the Gods, the saints finally had some progress.

At this moment, it is likely that in the hearts of all the saints, the reason for this great calamity should still be the fundamental purpose of the great prosperity of the Heavenly Court.

Although the primordial world has undergone several great calamities, the power of living beings continues to grow.

After all, although there were the Investiture of the Gods and the Journey to the West tribulations during the Lich Wars, the large-scale loss of life never occurred again.

As the power of living beings grows stronger, the burden on the entire primordial world naturally increases as well.

This can actually be seen from the fact that the primordial energy of heaven and earth is gradually becoming scarce, and the Dharma-ending Age is coming.

Reducing the power of living beings within a certain range to maintain the sustainable development of the primordial world became a necessary matter.

Jiang Heng was actually aware of this idea. But it was precisely because of this that the terrifying power of Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao could be revealed.

This is because this idea is precisely what Dao Ancestor Hongjun has been constantly instilling in all the saints and all living beings in the primordial world over countless years.

This idea was not questioned by either the Sage Nuwa or the Master of Heaven; in fact, it had become a consensus.

But Jiang Heng had long understood that this idea was fundamentally wrong, and that the so-called sustainable development was nothing but a scam.

This can be seen from Jiang Heng's refining of the chaotic energy to solve the problem of the increasingly scarce primordial energy of heaven and earth.

The stronger a living being is, the more primordial energy it absorbs from heaven and earth, and naturally, the greater the burden it places on the entire primordial world.

There's nothing wrong with this statement itself; the problem lies in whether the primordial world has limits, and where those limits lie.

In Jiang Heng's view, the primordial world is far from reaching its limit. Not to mention immortals, even sages can still be born.

Moreover, even if the primordial world reaches its limit, continuously opening up the chaotic sea and expanding the primordial world may also be a solution.

Why must the power of living beings in the primordial world be reduced? Was this intentional on the part of Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao, or were there other reasons?

"In this great eon, a new being is destined to attain enlightenment and become a saint. You all already know this."

Compared to becoming a saint, what are the spots on the Investiture of the Gods? Could it be that Dao Ancestor Hongjun is unaware of this matter? Jiang Heng said with a smile.

In this great calamity, new beings will attain sainthood, a fact that both the Sage Nuwa and the Master of Tongtian had known for a long time.

Therefore, the sage Nuwa was willing to risk falling out with the Dao Ancestor Hongjun in order to stand on Jiang Heng's side.

During the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West, the Sage Nuwa joined forces with Jiang Heng to lay the supreme foundation for Fuxi to become a sage.

If Jiang Heng could know this, how could Dao Ancestor Hongjun, who merged with the Dao and controlled the power of the Heavenly Dao, not know it?

Just as Jiang Heng said, no matter how important it is to re-sign the Investiture of the Gods, is it more important than becoming a saint?

Clearly, the number of names on the Investiture of the Gods list is not important at all; what is more crucial is who can control the future being who will become a saint.

If possible, whether it is the two saints Jieyin and Zhunti, or the saints Tongtian Jiaozhu, Yuanshi Tianzun, etc., who would not want their disciples to become saints?

This is an extraordinary opportunity, the birth of a new saint, which may even have an enormous impact on the entire prehistoric world.

"The Emperor is right. I'm afraid our teacher is trying to confuse the issue by re-signing the Investiture of the Gods, thereby diverting our attention."

"If we don't prepare in advance, we will surely lose the initiative once the opportunity to become a saint appears!" said the saint Nuwa in a deep voice.

Although the sage Nuwa did not participate in the affairs of the primordial world, the matter of Fuxi becoming a sage was something that she could never let go of.

"So, this great calamity should befall that new saint?" Tongtian Jiaozhu said hesitantly.

The Tongtian Sect Leader didn't actually have many thoughts about this great calamity; all he wanted was to protect himself.

After the Investiture of the Gods, the Tongtian Sect Leader gradually came to his senses and began to try his best to restrain his disciples, which reduced the Jie Sect's karma considerably.

Later, during the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West, he encountered the betrayal of Duobao Daoren, and Tongtian Jiaozhu gradually became disheartened.

Having lost their ambition to compete, the Jie Sect thought that by keeping a low profile, they could avoid a lot of trouble. Who would have thought that the matter of re-signing the Investiture of the Gods would actually occur?

Although the Jie Sect kept a low profile, it could not hide the fact that it had a large number of disciples. If the Investiture of the Gods were to be re-signed, the Jie Sect would definitely be the first to bear the brunt.

Having learned a lesson from the Investiture of the Gods, why would the Tongtian Sect Leader be willing to let his disciple be listed on the Investiture of the Gods again?

"This great calamity still falls upon my human race. Since the beginning of the Investiture of the Gods calamity, my human race has become a thorn in the side of the Heavenly Dao."

Moreover, in this great calamity, whoever the new saint may be, he will definitely be a human! Jiang Heng said slowly.

The birth of the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth was not so simple. Jiang Heng guessed that there might be traces of the Heavenly Dao in it.

In the current primordial world, if we were to ask who Daozu Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao most wanted to deal with, it would undoubtedly be the human race.

Since the beginning of the Investiture of the Gods, Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao have been working to weaken the human race, but they have failed because of Jiang Heng's existence.

The concerns of Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao were not without reason; the human race had indeed reached its zenith.

But this is not the limit for humanity. In the next great calamity, a human should become a new saint.

Saints are all special beings. Nuwa became a saint because she created humans, the Three Pure Ones became saints because of the legacy of Pangu, and Jieyin and Zhunti became saints because of the Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

No matter the reason, it all comes down to "luck," which is the rule of the primordial world that governs everything.

In the current primordial world, the human race naturally enjoys the greatest fortune, which is also a necessary condition for the birth of a new Christmas.

Only by gaining the support of the entire human race and gathering the boundless fortune of humanity can one break through the limits and become a new saint.

Jiang Heng is a special case, after all. In the original history, there were no saints among the human race.

In this era, as the protagonists of the primordial world, the human race will finally welcome its own sage.

This was originally the rule of the primordial world, or rather, the true trend of the heavens, representing a certain inevitable trend in the development of the primordial world.

Of course, this is definitely not in line with the plans of Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao, and inevitably casts a shadow over the matter.

In the original historical trajectory, Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao went through countless hardships to finally defeat the human race and bring them to the dust.

How could a sage possibly emerge from the human race? Wouldn't that mean leading the human race to rise again? What would be the point of all the painstaking planning by Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao?

But now, because of Jiang Heng's existence, the human race is already incredibly powerful. If another sage were to appear, wouldn't it become even more prosperous?

Jiang Heng knew without a doubt that Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao would never allow a new sage to appear in the human race.

At that time, the fortune of humanity will surely reach its peak, and the power of humanity will also surge, posing a great threat to the Heavenly Dao.

"So, does that mean your true target is actually my brother Fuxi?" Nuwa's expression changed slightly as she spoke in a deep voice.

Although the schemes of the Sage Nuwa and Jiang Heng were very secretive and might be able to deceive other sages, they were difficult to deceive the Heavenly Dao and the Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Given the power of Heaven and Dao Ancestor Hongjun, they probably already know that Fuxi has been reborn as a human and has even descended to the human realm.

At such a crucial moment, the Dao Ancestor Hongjun suddenly proposed to re-sign the Investiture of the Gods, which inevitably made Nuwa, the Sage, have some thoughts.

"Actually, there is another possibility: if the Heavenly Court becomes the ruler of the Three Realms, the fortune of the entire prehistoric world will be concentrated in the Heavenly Court."

"At that time, the Jade Emperor Haotian will gather the fortune of the Three Realms, and may become a new sage!" Jiang Heng said in a deep voice.

At this point, Nuwa and Tongtian Jiaozhu had completely understood that this was the whole story behind Daozu Hongjun's scheme.

Everything is a struggle for destiny! If the Heavenly Court can become the ruler of the Three Realms, the destiny of the human race will naturally fall into the hands of the Heavenly Court.

At that time, having gathered the fortune of the entire Three Realms, the Jade Emperor Haotian will be the undisputed ruler of the Three Realms, and becoming a saint will naturally not be a difficult task.

Ultimately, the core of this great calamity is the same as that of the Investiture of the Gods calamity; it is also a struggle between heaven and man.

The birth of the new sage sparked a conflict between the Heavenly Way and the Human Way, with Dao Ancestor Hongjun and Jiang Heng serving as their respective representatives.

Will the Way of Heaven completely overwhelm the Way of Man, or will the Way of Man overwhelm the Way of Heaven, or will the two be evenly matched, like in the Investiture of the Gods?

The key question is who the new saint is. The Heavenly Court and the human race are determined to determine who is superior in this great calamity.

The re-signing of the Investiture of the Gods was more like a scheme by Dao Ancestor Hongjun to undermine the cause, with the aim of provoking conflict among the saints.

Moreover, once the new Investiture of the Gods is successfully signed, the Heavenly Court will naturally become the ruler of the Three Realms, and may even completely suppress the human race.

As for Jiang Heng and Houtu, although the Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun were wary of them, it wasn't that they were truly without a way to deal with them.

"This matter is of utmost importance, and we must devise a solution as soon as possible!" said the sage Nuwa in a deep voice.

Nuwa had been planning for Fuxi's ascension to sainthood for a very long time, and with success within reach, how could she possibly allow it to fall apart at the last moment?

"No problem! The Heavenly Court will soon be too busy to take care of itself. That good-for-nothing Jade Emperor Haotian won't amount to anything!" Jiang Heng said with a smile.

Perhaps the biggest mistake made by Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao was allowing the Jade Emperor Haotian to become the ruler of the Heavenly Court, which was an absolute blunder.

Whether in terms of skill or personal strength, Jade Emperor Haotian is actually somewhat lacking, even inferior to many powerful figures.

The Jade Emperor Haotian, a utterly useless figure, actually dares to dream of becoming a saint? Isn't that the biggest joke in the entire primordial world?

Is it possible that just because the Jade Emperor Haotian was once a servant of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, he has been so nepotistic that even Dao Ancestor Hongjun is unparalleled?

However, there was one thing that Jiang Heng did not tell Nuwa and Tongtian Jiaozhu: the Heavenly Dao was about to reach its perfect state.

According to Jiang Heng's guess, the Heavenly Dao will be completely perfected during this great calamity, but the timing is still uncertain.

Perhaps the Heavenly Dao will be perfected before this great calamity ends. Or perhaps it will be perfected when this great calamity truly concludes.

No matter when, once the Heavenly Dao is truly perfected, everything in this great eon will completely lose its meaning.

Even though the Dao Ancestor Hongjun failed, Fuxi, with the help of Jiang Heng and the sage Nuwa, eventually became a saint.

Humanity's power reached its peak, but it was still insufficient when faced with the perfectly complete Heavenly Way.

At that time, the Heavenly Dao will be able to completely suppress all obstacles in the primordial world with overwhelming force, and completely control the primordial world.

The reason why Dao Ancestor Hongjun went to such great lengths was simply to focus everyone's attention on this great calamity.

If Dao Ancestor Hongjun's plan succeeds, that would be the best outcome. There would be no need for the Heavenly Dao to intervene; Dao Ancestor Hongjun could control everything.

Even if we fail, it will buy enough time for the Heavenly Dao to reach its perfection, thus avoiding unpredictable dangers.

What Dao Ancestor Hongjun fears most right now is that Jiang Heng will discover the secret of the Heavenly Dao's perfection and never take the risk of a fight to the death.

If Jiang Heng and Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, were truly willing to pay any price and were determined to die, they might very well perish together with the still incomplete Heavenly Dao.

However, Dao Ancestor Hongjun could never have imagined that Jiang Heng already knew about the perfection of the Heavenly Dao.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun was buying time for the Heavenly Dao to reach its perfection, but wasn't Jiang Heng also buying time for himself? They were just putting on an act for each other.

Moreover, Jiang Heng is certain that neither Dao Ancestor Hongjun nor the Heavenly Dao knows that he has already entered the Quasi-Immortal Emperor realm.

This is Jiang Heng's greatest advantage. If things really don't work out, Jiang Heng actually has one last trick up his sleeve.

However, Jiang Heng would never want to use this move unless absolutely necessary.

Jiang Heng, the Sage Nuwa, and the Master of Tongtian discussed the matter in detail for a while before dispersing.

Time flies, and a hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye. It is time once again for all the saints to gather at Zixiao Palace to discuss the matter of re-signing the Investiture of the Gods.

This time, after the saints arrived at Zixiao Palace, they all remained silent, as if none of them had any intention of speaking.

"A hundred years ago, I told you to go back and discuss it carefully. Now, a hundred years later, we'll come back to discuss re-signing the Investiture of the Gods!"

"Now that the hundred-year period has arrived, have you all come up with a solution?" Dao Ancestor Hongjun asked.

All the saints lowered their heads and looked down, and not one of them took the initiative to speak. What they were thinking was self-evident.

"Dao Ancestor! Since that's the case, then let the saints judge each other by their own abilities. If they die and end up on the Investiture of the Gods, they can't blame anyone!" Jiang Heng said with a smile.

Jiang Heng was well aware of the sages' hidden thoughts. At this moment, it was likely that the three sages, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Yuanshi, still harbored considerable resentment towards Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Since the beginning of the Investiture of the Gods, these three sages have steadfastly stood on the side of Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

However, when the Investiture of the Gods needs to be signed again, it will still fall on the heads of these saints. How could they be willing to accept that?

Perhaps, in the hearts of the three sages Jieyin, Zhunti, and Yuanshi, they would have been hoping that Dao Ancestor Hongjun would take the initiative to stand up for them and put this matter on the shoulders of the human race.

To the great disappointment of these three sages, Dao Ancestor Hongjun showed no such intention whatsoever, instead displaying remarkable selflessness.

It seems as if everyone has been treated equally, allowing the saints to act freely, and the final result depends entirely on the skill of their respective methods.

But if that's the case, why did these three sages stand firmly on the side of Dao Ancestor Hongjun?

Could it be that they really intend to put their disciples on the Investiture of the Gods list? This is an outcome that is simply unacceptable to the three sages, Duyin, Zhunti, and Yuanshi.

"In this great calamity, the human race can hardly remain uninvolved. What is the Human Emperor's intention?" Dao Ancestor Hongjun asked.

When Dao Ancestor Hongjun uttered these words at this moment, a glimmer of hope rose in the hearts of the three sages, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Yuanshi.

"I have said long ago that matters concerning the human race should be left to the human race. If anyone thinks their methods are good enough, they are welcome to try!" Jiang Heng said.

The three sages, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Yuanshi, all looked at Dao Ancestor Hongjun with expectant expressions, even hoping that Dao Ancestor Hongjun would be enraged by this.

To the great disappointment of the three sages, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Yuanshi, Dao Ancestor Hongjun merely nodded in response to Jiang Heng's answer.

"In that case, let's put the matter of the Investiture of the Gods on hold for now. In this great calamity, who will be on the Investiture of the Gods will depend on fate!" Dao Ancestor Hongjun said in a deep voice.

Jiang Heng was not surprised at all, and Nuwa and Tongtian Jiaozhu also remained calm, as if they had expected this.

Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, didn't even come this time. She had already entered the deepest level of seclusion within the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Perhaps, when Houtu emerges from seclusion again, she will no longer be the seventh saint under the Heavenly Dao, but will be on equal footing with the Heavenly Dao.

Only the three sages, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Yuanshi, had somber expressions and could not hide their disappointment in their eyes.

Despite their reluctance, the three sages, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Yuanshi, could only accept this outcome helplessly.

They exchanged glances. It was expected that the three sages, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Yuanshi, would stick together for mutual support during this great calamity.

Jiang Heng couldn't help but sneer in his heart. Did the three saints, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Yuanshi, think that they could rest easy after submitting to Dao Ancestor Hongjun?

But in the eyes of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, the three sages Jieyin, Zhunti, and Yuanshi were merely pawns in his hands from beginning to end.

If we wait until the Heavenly Dao is truly perfected and the primordial world is completely swept away, will the three sages Jieyin, Zhunti, and Yuanshi still have any value?

Perhaps, it won't even take that long for the three sages, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Yuanshi, to become pawns that can be sacrificed.

It's hard to say about the two saints, Jieyin and Zhunti, but the saint Yuanshi Tianzun probably holds an extraordinary significance in the eyes of Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Yuanshi Tianzun is, after all, one of the Three Pure Ones, and was formed from three parts of Pangu's primordial spirit. He was born with the fortune of the great god Pangu, which is extraordinary in the primordial world.

Everyone has their own choices, even saints. Once a choice is made, one must bear the consequences.

After the meeting at Zixiao Palace, all the saints, each with their own plans, began to make intensive preparations for the Great Tribulation.

The saints Jieyin and Zhunti accelerated the expansion of Heaven, constantly reaping faith and cultivating Heaven's fighting power.

This clearly shows that they are accumulating strength and preparing for war at any time. The attitude of the two saints, Jieyin and Zhunti, towards this great calamity is self-evident.

The Chan Sect, which had been dormant for a long time, began to gradually become active again, and unsurprisingly, it formed an alliance with Heaven.

The Chan Sect suffered heavy losses during the Investiture of the Gods, with most of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect being lost, and its strength was far less than before.

Furthermore, some of the most outstanding third-generation disciples in the Chan Sect were snatched away by Jiang Heng, so the situation of the Chan Sect can be imagined.

However, after so many years of silence, the Chan Sect has been cultivating outstanding disciples and has recovered a lot of its vitality.

Given more time, it is not impossible for the Chan Sect to regain its former glory, or even surpass it.

The Chan Sect, which had just begun to recover, is now facing the issue of re-signing the Investiture of the Gods. If things go wrong, it could decline again.

Just how terrifying is the Great Calamity? We can already see a glimpse of it from the Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods. How could the Primordial Heavenly Venerable possibly be willing to let the disciples of the Chan Sect be listed on the Investiture of the Gods?

The saying goes, "Better to die for your fellow Daoists than for yourselves!" Neither Heaven nor the Chan Sect are included in the Investiture of the Gods, but we still have to fill the quota on the list.

Looking at the Three Realms now, besides the human race, only the Jie Sect can fill the 1,080 spots.

The Jie Sect suffered a major defeat in the Investiture of the Gods, but it was not as disastrous as it was in the original historical timeline, and it managed to retain most of its power.

The Jie Sect's reputation for attracting all immortals to its ancestral temple is no empty boast. After years of recovery, it is even stronger than it was during the Investiture of the Gods era.

Compared to the human race, the Jie Sect was obviously easier to deal with. The three sages, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Yuanshi, naturally wanted to pick on the weak.

Nuwa was originally the Holy Mother of the human race, enjoying the fortune of the human race. She did not belong to any sect, so the Investiture of the Gods had little to do with her.

However, thanks to Jiang Heng's reminder, the Sage Nuwa has become extremely concerned about this great calamity, and the key still lies with Fuxi.

Although everything had been planned long ago, the existence of Dao Ancestor Hongjun has greatly changed the course of Fuxi's path to sainthood.

As for the Tongtian Sect Leader, he displayed an extremely indifferent attitude.

(End of this chapter)