nownovels Chapter 617 I, Haotian, have finally stood tall!
Chapter 617 I, Haotian, have finally stood tall!
Now, the Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning, the sage who has always looked down on him and regarded him as a Daoist boy, has actually come to his door in person to borrow this treasure that is related to the fortune of his Heavenly Court.
What does he want to do?
Who does he want to wield this whip?
He wanted to turn this great undertaking of bestowing the titles of gods into a tool for his Chan Sect to dominate the world.
Countless thoughts surged through Haotian's mind, instantly chilling his imperial heart.
If it were in the past, in an era when he had the title of Heavenly Emperor but no real power, and couldn't even gather enough subordinates, and was easily bullied by the disciples of the three religions.
Faced with a saint "borrowing" his treasure, what could he do but accept it reluctantly?
He could only offer up the God-Slaying Whip with both hands, and put on a smiling face, hoping that this saint would share some scraps from the Heavenly Court with him afterward.
but now……
Times have changed!
Chen Changsheng!
He has a wonderful nephew-in-law!
The Xuanmen Protector, the Grand Preceptor of the Great Shang Dynasty, and also the Enforcer of the Heavenly Court!
This unexpected variable not only caused his Heavenly Court's strength to skyrocket, making him, the Heavenly Emperor, stand tall, but also gave him an earth-shattering opportunity that even saints would go crazy for!
Primordial Purple Qi!
The foundation for sainthood!
It was precisely because he refined that Primordial Purple Qi that Haotian was able to break through the bottleneck that had troubled him for countless eons in a short period of time and step into the long-awaited Quasi-Saint realm!
Although I am not yet a true saint, I already have the right to say "no" in front of a saint!
With this confidence and with Chen Changsheng as a powerful ally, will Haotian still be at the mercy of the Sage as before?
Absolutely impossible!
This God-Slaying Whip was bestowed upon him by the Dao Ancestor and given to him by the Heavenly Court!
This great undertaking of bestowing the titles of gods was something that Haotian had pleaded for countless times before he finally succeeded!
Why should you, the Primordial Celestial Venerable, reap the rewards?
You think you can use me, the Heavenly Emperor, as a tool? Not a chance!
After a moment of intense thought, the stiffness on Haotian's face slowly melted away, replaced by a meaningful smile.
He looked at the incarnation of Yuanshi Tianzun, whose face was obscured, and feigned a knowing "Oh," before revealing a troubled expression.
"So, fellow Daoist, you've come here to fight the God Whip."
"This...this is a bit difficult."
He sighed, shrugged, and looked utterly helpless.
"What the sage may not know is that this God-Slaying Whip was personally bestowed by the Dao Ancestor and is consistent with the Investiture of the Gods. It is the key item for this great calamity and the foundation for our Heavenly Court to control the immortals and reshape the order of the Three Realms."
"This item is of great importance, concerning the very interests of our Heavenly Court. It cannot be used lightly, let alone... lent out."
His voice was full of "sincerity" and "helplessness," as if he was truly distressed that he could not help his old friend.
An incarnation of Yuanshi Tianzun watched him perform in silence.
Although his expression was obscured, the sudden drop in temperature around him revealed his current mood.
"Fellow Daoist Haotian."
The voice of the Primordial Celestial Venerable remained indifferent, yet carried an undeniable air of pressure.
"This investiture of the gods is ordained by Heaven, and Jiang Ziya, a disciple of the Chan Sect, is the one destined by Heaven to be the one to hold the list."
"This whip should rightfully be wielded by him, so that it can act in accordance with Heaven and complete the great undertaking of bestowing the titles of gods."
"Fellow Daoist, you only need to lend this treasure to me. After the Investiture of the Gods is over, I will surely repay you handsomely."
He's basically laying his cards on the table.
I want this God-Slaying Whip for my disciple. You have to give it to me, whether you want to or not.
I've given it to you; I, Chanjiao, will remember this favor.
If you don't give it, you'll bear the consequences.
Haotian smiled.
The last trace of hesitation in my heart vanished completely.
A generous reward?
A saint's favor sounds very valuable.
To bind oneself to Yuanshi Tianzun means to become completely opposed to Chen Changsheng, the Jie Sect, and the Shang Dynasty, which is currently enjoying immense fortune!
No matter how you look at it, this deal is a huge loss!
What's more, he no longer needs to be at anyone's mercy!
"Hehe, fellow Daoist, you are mistaken."
Haotian slowly shook his head, and the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a sense of majesty and indifference befitting the ruler of the Three Realms.
"The Dao Ancestor only spoke of conferring titles upon gods, but he never said that the one who wields the whip must be a disciple of the Chan Sect."
"This God-Slaying Whip belongs to the Heavenly Court. Whether it is used or not, whether it is lent or not, is up to me."
He looked at Yuanshi Tianzun and spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice not loud, but clearly echoing in the empty Lingxiao Palace.
"Therefore, I appreciate your kind offer, fellow Daoist."
"However, this God-Slaying Whip concerns the very foundation of our Heavenly Court, and therefore cannot be lent out!"
When the words "Not for lending out" were uttered clearly and firmly from Haotian's mouth.
The air in the entire Lingxiao Palace seemed to be completely sucked out in that instant.
Dead!
An unprecedented silence!
The incarnation of Yuanshi Tianzun sat there quietly, motionless.
He seemed not to have heard Haotian's words, or perhaps he was so shocked by them that he couldn't react for a moment.
You refused?
Haotian, whom he considered no different from a Daoist apprentice, actually... rejected him to his face?
Did they reject him, the true descendant of Pangu and the sage of the Heavenly Dao?
How absurd! How ridiculous!
Since he became a saint, in this vast and boundless world, who has dared to defy his will? Who has dared to utter a single "no" to him?
No!
not a single one!
But today, right here, right here in the Lingxiao Palace.
He was rejected without any mercy by a "junior" whom he had always looked down upon!
"What did you say?"
The voice of the Primordial Celestial Venerable finally rang out again.
The voice was no longer indifferent or majestic, but filled with a bone-chilling cold, as if it came from the endless abyss beneath the deepest hell.
An indescribable, terrifying aura suddenly erupted from his avatar!
Rumble!
The entire Lingxiao Palace, this hub of the Three Realms forged from countless rare and precious materials and inscribed with endless array runes, began to shake violently at this moment!
The beams and pillars of the main hall are groaning!
The gold bricks on the ground are cracking!
Space is distorted!
It was as if an invisible hand had gripped the throat of the entire Heavenly Court, intending to grind this sacred place, which symbolized the highest authority in the Three Realms, into dust!
When a sage is angry, the heavens and earth change color!
This is merely the slightest hint of anger revealed by a benevolent corpse incarnation!
If the Sage himself were to arrive, the entire Thirty-Three Heavens would likely be reduced to chaos by this fury!
The Queen Mother of the West, standing beside the dragon throne, turned deathly pale instantly.
Although she was also a quasi-saint, she still felt like a small boat that could capsize at any moment in the face of the true pressure of a saint, and her soul trembled.
However, right at the heart of this terrifying pressure that could chill even a quasi-sacred city.
Haotian, however, remained firmly seated on the Nine-Dragon Throne.
His expression was somewhat solemn, but there was no fear in his eyes.
Yes, but those who have crossed the line have unleashed the wrath of an emperor!
"The Beginning!"
Haotian suddenly stood up from his throne and roared, his voice like thunder from the heavens, echoing throughout the entire Lingxiao Palace!
"How dare you!"
"How dare you be so insolent in my Lingxiao Palace!"
boom!
With his angry roar, an equally domineering and majestic aura surged from his body into the sky!
That was a terrifying power that mixed the domineering aura of an unparalleled emperor with the authority of the supreme Heavenly Emperor!
At the core of this power lies a trace of supreme, sacred divine charm that is of the same origin as the Primordial Celestial Venerable, yet completely different!
The Realm of the Quasi-Saints!
This aura, once released, was like a stabilizing needle, plunging fiercely into this raging sea!
That overwhelming, unyielding pressure from the saint was actually forcefully resisted!
The entire Lingxiao Palace, which had been shaking violently, miraculously stabilized at that moment.
Wearing a nine-dragon imperial robe and a flat-topped crown, Haotian descended the steps one by one.
With each step he took, his imperial majesty grew stronger!
The entire fortune of the Heavenly Court and the authority of the Three Realms are converging on him and bestowing blessings upon him!
His eyes flashed like lightning as he stared intently at the incarnation of the Primordial Celestial Venerable, his voice icy cold.
"So what if he's a saint?"
"I am the Supreme Jade Emperor of the Golden Palace of the Azure Heaven, personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor, who governs the Three Realms and carries out punishments on behalf of Heaven!"
"You, Yuanshi Tianzun, do you really intend to suppress this Heavenly Emperor in this Lingxiao Palace?!"
boom!
Upon hearing this, it was as if a muffled thunderclap resounded throughout the heavens and earth!
The terrifying aura emanating from the avatar of Yuanshi Tianzun suddenly froze at this moment.
For the first time, an undisguised, intense emotion appeared on his indistinct face!
"The Second Saint!"
"You...you actually reached the Quasi-Saint realm?!"
A sense of shock and horror spread out from that avatar.
He could hardly believe his senses!
Haotian, the Daoist boy he had never taken seriously, the good-for-nothing he thought would never reach the late Quasi-Saint stage, had actually broken through to the Quasi-Saint realm without a sound.
How is this possible?!
Why was he completely unaware?
A tremendous wave surged in the heart of the Primordial Celestial Venerable!
They really hid it very well!
The rage in Yuanshi Tianzun's heart almost burned away his reason.
But he was, after all, a saint.
He knew that he wouldn't gain anything today.
Haotian is right.
He was personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor as the Lord of the Three Realms, and in name, his status was equal to that of a sage.
If I were to actually attack him here, it would be a blatant provocation against the Dao Ancestor's authority!
Especially when the opponent has already reached the level of a near-saint and has the ability to protect themselves.
His benevolent incarnation might not be able to do anything to Haotian, who is blessed by the entire Heavenly Court!
"very good."
Yuanshi Tianzun slowly withdrew that terrifying pressure.
The entire Lingxiao Palace instantly returned to calm, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.
He looked at Haotian, his cold voice filled with undisguised, chilling killing intent.
"Haotian, you are very good."
"I have taken note of what happened today."
After saying that, his avatar did not linger for a moment. With a flicker, it turned into specks of light and disappeared into the hall.
He didn't even utter another word of nonsense.
Because he knew that any words would be superfluous at this moment.
The feud has been formed.
Moreover, it's a feud that's irreconcilable!
Seeing Yuanshi Tianzun leave in anger, Haotian's tense body finally relaxed slightly.
He turned around and looked at the Lingxiao Palace, which had been restored to its original state but still retained a trace of the Daoist aura of a sage. His eyes became incredibly profound.
He knew that from this day forward, the Heavenly Court and the Chan Sect had completely broken ties.
The Investiture of the Gods was no longer merely a struggle for the orthodox lineage of the Chan and Jie sects.
It is also a life-or-death battle between his Heavenly Court and the Sage, concerning the future dominance of the Three Realms!
"His Majesty……"
The Queen Mother of the West walked quickly to his side, a trace of lingering fear still on her face.
"Do we... really have to completely break ties with the Primordial Sage?"
"It's not that we want to, but that we have no choice."
Haotian took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes.
"It is said that Venus is in the heavens!"
The incarnation of Yuanshi Tianzun, filled with boundless rage and killing intent, dissipated in the Lingxiao Palace.
The oppressive aura of the saint, which had been so overwhelming that it made it hard to breathe, vanished without a trace.
However, the atmosphere inside the main hall was a hundred times more somber than before.
Haotian stood in the center of the hall, hands behind his back, remaining silent for a long time.
His majestic imperial face was ever-changing, and his deep eyes reflected the ever-shifting fortunes of the entire Three Realms.
The direct confrontation with the incarnation of the sage just now seemed like a victory for Haotian, the Heavenly Emperor, who stood tall in front of the sage for the first time.
But only he himself knew that this was just the beginning.
A terrifying calamity that will sweep across the three realms and even involve saints has been completely set in motion because of his word "no" just now!
From this moment on, the Heavenly Court was firmly bound to the opposite side of the Chan Sect!
"Your Majesty, are you... really sure?"
The Queen Mother of the West walked to his side, her voice tinged with barely concealed worry.
She looked at her husband, the man who had walked out of Zixiao Palace with her and sat on the throne of the supreme ruler of the Three Realms.
She knows him too well.
He knew all too well how much humiliation and resentment had accumulated in his heart over the years.
"The facade has been torn off; it just happened."
Haotian turned around and looked at Yaochi. A trace of bitterness flashed in his eyes, but more than that, there was an unprecedented determination.
"Yaochi, do you think that even if I gave him the God-Slaying Whip today, Yuanshi Tianzun would respect us?"
"He'll only see us, the Heavenly Court, as pawns he can manipulate at will, as vassals of his Chan Sect!"
Upon hearing this, Yaochi fell silent.
She knew that what Haotian said was true.
How arrogant are saints?
In their eyes, apart from saints of the same level, all living beings are ants.
In the power struggles among the sages, their Heavenly Court has always been nothing more than a pawn that can be sacrificed at will.
"But... he was a saint after all!"
Yaochi's voice was still filled with worry.
"Can we really become their enemy?"
"What was impossible before, may not be impossible now!"
A terrifying glint flashed in Haotian's eyes.