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墨書 Inktalez
Hanno and Elder Brother Li did not follow the demon clan to their new stronghold, so they naturally remained unaware of Demon Emperor Jun's ascension to Sage status, missing the opportunity to advance to Sage themselves. After the calamity of the Witch Demons, the Primordial World enjoyed a long period of tranquility. The three took this chance to diligently cultivate, but Jia Qianjun remained stuck at the peak of the quasi-Sage realm. He was not chosen by the ancestral figure Hongjun as a candidate for Sage, which led to his path being suppressed, preventing him from acknowledging his Sage status. It wasn't until Hanno and Elder Brother Li both advanced to the peak of the quasi-Sage realm that Jia Qianjun resigned himself to his fate. No longer focused solely on cultivation, he parted ways with Hanno and began wandering around the Primordial World in search of treasures. They would not steal treasures that had owners, but with such a vast Primordial World, there were plenty of unclaimed treasures that they would not let slip by.
Since the demon clan and Witch Clan withdrew from the stage of the Primeval Era, humanity finally began to rise. Remarkable figures among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors emerged one after another, propelling humanity forward. In the blink of an eye, the fourth great calamity was approaching.
"Is it destined for the Zhou Dynasty to replace the Shang Dynasty?" a young man dressed in a black robe asked Hanno and Elder Brother Li. "Is there no room for reversal?"
"There is none," Elder Brother Li replied. "We understand your reluctance to part with your disciples and the vast foundation of Intercepting Teachings, but sometimes destruction must precede construction. The Intercepting Teachings are mixed; rather than letting your excellent disciples be captured, it is better to cast out those with poor natures. At least this way, we can preserve the lineage of Intercepting Teachings."
The young man was none other than Tongjiao Master, the founder of Intercepting Teachings. He sighed upon hearing this: "I never expected that I, Tongjiao Master, would have moments of submission."
"It is not submission but self-preservation; recognizing when to adapt is wisdom," Hanno said with a chuckle. Noticing Tongjiao Master's puzzled expression, she shared numerous cunning strategies she had seen online from the Primeval Era. As Tongjiao Master listened, his eyes grew brighter; he was inherently bold and reckless, and each idea Hanno proposed struck a chord with him, making him eager to implement them immediately to see their effects.
Thus, the Investiture of the Gods unfolded in unexpected ways: before being summoned by Nüwa, the Nine-Tailed Fox secretly became a disciple of Tongjiao Master, acting as a liaison between him and King Zhou—who had been so wise in his early reign—how could he suddenly become foolish and lustful while offending the mother of humanity? Clearly, he was being manipulated. Through the Nine-Tailed Fox's intervention, Tongjiao Master helped restore King Zhou's original sharpness. Upon realizing that the Shang Dynasty was destined to be replaced by Zhou Dynasty, King Zhou was furious but retained some rationality, thinking about how to arrange a lifeline for his followers. At this moment, Hanno and Elder Brother Li stepped in, providing maps beyond Shenzhou. King Zhou secretly instructed his loyal subordinates to relocate their forces to Siberia. Externally, it appeared that King Zhou favored a demon consort who caused the deaths of Queen Jiang and two princes; in reality, they had all been sent away by King Zhou himself. As for Consort Huang? That was best left alone; with Huang Feihu having defected to Western Zhou as Martial King, King Zhou did not trust them at all. Meanwhile, loyal ministers like Bi Gan and Shang Rong—whom King Zhou had supposedly "killed"—upon awakening in this new location and hearing about King Zhou's arrangements from those around them praised him for his wisdom and resilience while denouncing Ji Chang as treacherous.
The Sages joined forces with the human emperor for even greater schemes; however, mindful of Dao principles, they operated discreetly. Yet when Tongjiao Master openly accepted Jiang Ziya as his disciple, Primordial Lord could no longer tolerate it and left Kunlun to confront Tongjiao Master at Azure Palace for retribution. Tongjiao Master allowed her Second Brother to vent his frustrations on her palace furnishings but refused to release Jiang Ziya. Primordial Lord was left fuming with no recourse but to storm out in anger.
The battle of Investiture of the Gods commenced with Primordial Lord ordering his twelve disciples not to hold back against their Shishu’s sect members; they were instructed to strike hard against Intercepting Teachings without restraint. The Twelve Golden Immortals chuckled as they sharpened their blades; they were thrilled at not needing to hold back. However, when they confronted members of Intercepting Teachings, they found only weaklings among them while Tongjiao Master's true disciples remained hidden behind closed doors, leaving them unsatisfied.
If the Twelve Golden Immortals were unhappy, then Western Two Saints were even more displeased; they had originally hoped to recruit more disciples from Intercepting Teachings to bolster Western Buddhist Sect but found only misfits aiding Shang Dynasty instead! The Sages had high standards after all. With no hope from Intercepting Teachings left, both Sages turned their attention toward Quenching Teachings' followers instead. Six among Twelve Golden Immortals were converted into Western Buddhism by Western Two Saints; nearly all disciples except Nezha and Yang Jian were transferred westward in angering Primordial Lord enough that he spat out blood.
Meanwhile in Western Zhou, upon breaching Chaoge City, they discovered that King Zhou and several ministers had long vanished, leaving behind an empty city that made them feel as if their fists were striking into cotton—utterly frustrating! Without any sense of victory or joy from conquest, they felt as though they had been rejected by a kingdom that no longer wanted them.
In this battle of Investiture of the Gods, Tongjiao Master did not set up Zhu Xian formation nor would he be imprisoned by Hongjun Dao Ancestor outside thirty-three realms; instead he leisurely enjoyed tea and chess with friends—Hanno and Elder Brother Li—in his palace. Attending them were Xuan Yuan's Three Demons who had avoided their originally fated demise; after escorting King Zhou safely to Siberia, they were brought by Tongjiao Master into Azure Palace where they formally severed ties with Nüwa Palace. Now having cultivated according to Tongjiao Master's orthodox teachings, they had shed their demonic forms and transformed into immortals.
"This great calamity has finally been weathered; I must thank both fellow Daoists," Tongjiao Master said joyfully while Hanno expressed immense gratitude as well; without Hanno's clever ideas, he would have suffered tremendous losses alongside Intercepting Teachings.
Hanno chuckled lightly: "Did you not already thank us?"
Tongjiao Master indeed offered them many precious gifts as tokens of appreciation!
Tongjiao Master smiled, "Those things are nothing extraordinary. If you wish, I can have my disciples send you more."
"No need," Elder Brother Li understood the importance of moderation. Building a good relationship with a powerful figure like Tongjiao Master was far more beneficial than acquiring trivial items.
Tongjiao Master chuckled and did not dwell on the matter of gifts any longer. He placed a white stone on the chessboard and asked, "It seems both of you possess the ability to foresee the future. Could you inform me about the situation regarding the Fourth Great Cataclysm?"
Elder Brother Li and Hanno exchanged glances, deciding to share their knowledge with Tongjiao Master, as the Fourth Great Cataclysm had little to do with him.
Elder Brother Li spoke, "The Fourth Great Cataclysm will occur in seventeen hundred years. The Buddhist Sect will cross over to the east, leading to the decline of Daoism."
"Decline?" Tongjiao Master raised an eyebrow, "Is Daoism falling into decline?"
Elder Brother Li detected Tongjiao Master's displeasure and replied calmly, "The fortunes are now shifting towards the West; you cannot stop it."
Tongjiao Master asked, "The First Great Cataclysm passed according to our arrangements without incident. If I prepare in advance for this Fourth Great Cataclysm, can I prevent the rise of Buddhism and the decline of Daoism?"
Elder Brother Li shook his head, "It's too late to stop it now. Even if you make arrangements now, it's already too late. The Buddhist Sect and Nuwa have long since made their plans. The key figure's birthstone has already been placed by Nuwa where it should be. You don't need to ask me where that is; I won't tell you."
After all, Sun Wukong was an idol for Elder Brother Li, and he could not allow Tongjiao Master to interfere with his birth, even though Tongjiao Master had once been an idol for Elder Brother Li as well.
With no way to deal with Elder Brother Li, Tongjiao Master vented his frustration on another person: "It's always Nuwa—why does she have to meddle in everything?"
Hanno replied, "This is likely Nuwa's way of self-preservation. After all, she achieved sainthood through Merit, and her strength pales in comparison to yours and the other Sages. She can only seek benefits from your conflicts."
"Hmph..." Tongjiao Master sneered, "When did I ever scheme in secret? It's time for that woman to suffer a setback."
Hanno laughed, "You don't need to intervene. Although Nuwa has plotted so much, as time passes, her faith among humans will gradually fade away. Only in Nanyue do they still remember her as the Mother of Humanity. Eventually, her lineage will be severed and cannot compare with Daoism. You must understand that while Daoism was suppressed by the Buddhist Sect for a time, it has continued its transmission without interruption."
Hearing this, Tongjiao Master felt much better: "So after the Fourth Great Cataclysm, although Daoism will suffer losses, it won't be completely severed from its lineage? Instead, Nuwa will be affected the most?"
Hanno nodded, "Three thousand years later, as the fortune shifts eastward, the Daoist sect will surely flourish once more. Although, by that time, the Master will no longer be able to witness it."
The Tongjiao Master raised his brows, "What do you mean by that?"
Hanno replied, "We aren't entirely clear on the specifics, but we vaguely know that the fifth calamity is known as the Cataclysm of the End Times. The Earth Qi will deplete, and cultivation will no longer be possible. All immortals, demons, and spirits will have to leave this world, and ultimately, humanity will dominate this realm."
The Tongjiao Master was taken aback, "Is it really that serious?"
Hanno nodded, "This calamity is unavoidable. However, rest assured, even if you have long departed from this world, there are still mortals who believe in the Three Pure Ones."
The Tongjiao Master frowned, "Is it truly unavoidable?"
"Indeed," Elder Brother Li said. "The Dao requires humanity to rise; there is no longer a need for immortals."
"Ha! The Dao! The Dao!" The Tongjiao Master laughed. "Are even the Sages inferior to humanity? Then what is the point of our striving to become Saints? If Sages are not bound by causality and are not controlled by the Dao, it’s simply absurd!"
Hanno and Elder Brother Li were at a loss for how to persuade the Tongjiao Master. The fact that humanity does not need immortals was true; any further empty words would be of no use to him.
Just as Hanno and Elder Brother Li exchanged glances, suddenly the Tongjiao Master stopped laughing and exclaimed in astonishment, "A Sage?! Another Sage has actually been born in the Primeval Era?"
"What?" Hanno and Elder Brother Li exclaimed in unison. "Who is this Sage?"
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