Investiture of the Gods: I am Bigan, the Master of Conspiracy

Chapter 232 The Four Saints Besiege the City, the Tribulation of Proving the Dao Begins!
Zhuanxu, clad in the armor of the human emperor, stood before the army, behind him a vast procession composed of immortals of the Chan sect, Buddhas of Buddhism, and disciples of the human sect, their banners obscuring the sun and their killing intent soaring to the heavens.

The army marched eastward with unstoppable momentum, and soon arrived at the city of Chaoge, a thousand miles away. The dark, imposing army stretched from outside the city to the horizon, making the emperor, who had returned from his westward journey and moved the capital, feel as if Mount Tai was pressing down on him.

On the city wall of Chaoge, the Fairy of Clouds, her robes fluttering, stood behind her disciples of the Intercepting Sect, each in their respective positions, their hands forming ever-changing hand seals, drawing upon the five elements of the universe.

The Sixty Jiazi Sacred Banners are now in the clouds. Originally, they were in Chaoge, but now the crisis is under the control of the clouds in terms of deployment.

With a soft shout from Yunxiao, the origin of heaven and earth was activated, and began to continuously converge on Chaoge. As the five elements shifted, rolling yellow mist surged from the ground and condensed into nine thick layers of sky outside the city.

That was the power of the Earth element, transformed from the very origin of heaven and earth. It was indestructible, like a natural barrier that blocked the eastern expeditionary army outside the city.

The two sides faced off across the sky, the air thick with tension, waiting only for the order to begin their battle.

On an unnamed mountain not far away, the Tongtian Sect Leader and the Goddess Nuwa sat cross-legged facing each other, surrounded by swirling clouds that enveloped their figures. At this moment, their gazes toward Chaoge were filled with solemnity.

Nuwa, the goddess, used her jade fingers to calculate and deduce, her voice tinged with worry: "Senior Brother Tongtian, there is still no news of Ziyu, and the same goes for Jiufeng. Could it be that they are really in the Pangu Palace?"

The Tongtian Sect Leader gazed at the thick, earthen canopy in the direction of Chaoge and slowly nodded: "Apart from the Pangu Palace, which contains the will of Pangu, there is nowhere else in the Three Realms that can obscure the sage's deductions. Clearly, he must be in seclusion there."

Nuwa sighed softly, her brows furrowed with worry: "This battle is extremely dangerous. If Ziyu cannot attain enlightenment, Chaoge will surely fall, and the Great Shang Dynasty will be in grave danger. At that time, even my senior brother might not be able to set up the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation again. As for attaining enlightenment, he now faces the shackles of the Heavenly Dao, and how could they possibly break those shackles!"

"Now that the four sages have arrived, it is absolutely impossible to set up the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation again. Moreover, the Heavenly Dao is currently trying to establish its authority, and it is impossible for me to break the Primordial World again."

The Tongtian Sect Leader's tone grew increasingly solemn: "Now, all we two can do is try our best to rescue him, protect Chaoge's chances of survival, and buy some time for Ziyu. With Ziyu's cunning, even if we don't know how he will attain enlightenment, he clearly has a plan, otherwise he wouldn't have remained silent for an entire Yuanhui!"

"I never imagined that the Heavenly Way would be so urgent in its encirclement."

Nuwa looked at the faint aura of sainthood emanating from the eastern expeditionary army, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes.

Tongtian shook his head and said, "The Human Way is about to take shape, and the Heavenly Way is afraid. It is afraid that Ziyu can really break that shackle by taking advantage of the formation of the Human Way. It is also worried that the origin of the Heavenly Way will be divided by the Human Way."

The Tongtian Sect Leader's gaze swept across the primordial land, where the Three Realms were teeming with life after the descent of the Primordial Origin, and the cultivation of all beings was advancing by leaps and bounds every day: "Although the human path is in peril, all beings have benefited greatly from this Origin, which can be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. However, Ziyu's path to enlightenment has been forced into a life-or-death situation by the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao wants to force him to break his shackles at this moment, and then destroy him with heavenly punishment, so that all beings in the Three Realms will understand that the authority of the Heavenly Dao is unshakeable."

Upon hearing this, Nuwa's heart sank: "Is this the true purpose of Laozi's senior brother's decree ordering the Human Emperor of Huoyun Cave to descend to earth? Wu Ding is his biological father, Pan Geng is his ancestor, and Di Yi is his own brother. All these close relatives are in Chaoge City..."

"Exactly."

The Tongtian Sect Leader's voice carried a hint of coldness: "If Ziyu does not come out, his father, brothers, and ancestors will all perish, and his Dao heart will inevitably collapse. All his previous cultivation will be in vain. If Ziyu comes out, he will face the siege of the saints. Only by breaking the shackles of the Heavenly Dao can he have a glimmer of hope, but that will attract heavenly punishment and end up as a warning to others."

Nuwa closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, her voice tinged with despair: "The coercion of Heaven is so intense, such a dilemma, even a sage would find it difficult to break... I don't know whether to hope for his emergence or for him to continue his seclusion."

The Tongtian Sect Leader remained silent for a long time, gazing at the earthen canopy atop Chaoge City that trembled slightly under the onslaught of the Eastern Expeditionary Army. He slowly said, "Although the Heavenly Dao's calculations are profound, Ziyu is skilled in strategy, having come all the way from the brink of despair to where he is now. Perhaps he can forge a path to enlightenment that no one could have imagined. In such a perilous situation, the Heavenly Dao has bestowed upon us the tribulation of enlightenment. Success lies in the enlightenment itself, failure in death, the annihilation of our Dao, or even the extermination of our clan!"

This is the tribulation of attaining enlightenment. The pressure continues to increase, and there is no way out. It forces us to take the last path.

Now that a sage has descended to earth, the many causes and effects have come to an end. Yin Ziyu has no choice but to seek enlightenment. There is no way out but to embark on this path of enlightenment, which is fraught with peril and even certain death.

Before the words were finished, the Wutu sky outside Chaoge City suddenly shook violently, and Zhuanxu's voice, accompanied by the vast aura of the human emperor, came: "Listen up, all people in Chaoge City! If you do not open the city gates and surrender within three days, our army will surely crush you! Those who are stubborn and unyielding will be spared, not even chickens or dogs!"

Zhuanxu's ruthlessness is well-known, and the great battle with Shang Tang during the Fire Cloud Cave clash could be settled at this time.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Tang was so angry that he trembled all over, and his white beard shook violently.

Cheng Tang suddenly stepped forward, his aura as a human emperor surging, glaring at Zhuanxu before him, and roared angrily: "Zhuanxu! How dare you be so arrogant! If you were not one of the Five Emperors, possessing the merits of the human race, I would have already killed you back in the Fire Cloud Cave! Now, instead of protecting the human race, you collude with outsiders, raise an army to invade, and disrupt the order of the human race! If you dare to be so presumptuous today, I will fight you to the death and see if you can set foot in Chaoge City!"

Zhuanxu's face turned pale and then red as he was scolded by Cheng Tang. He suppressed his anger and sneered, "Cheng Tang, a wise man knows when to yield. The fate of the Shang Dynasty is sealed. Why do you insist on holding on? If you surrender, you can still retain some dignity."

"Decent?"

Cheng Tang, enraged, laughed coldly, "My Great Shang Dynasty came from the severing of your connection between heaven and earth. As it was in the past, it will continue to protect the order of humanity in the future! Zhuanxu, if you have the guts, come and attack the city. I will live and die with Great Shang, and I will also kill you!"

Di Xin loudly echoed from the side: "The Emperor Ancestor is right. Hmph, why would the Emperor Ancestor need to lift a finger to kill you? I once fought against a sage. How do you compare to a sage? Zhuanxu, if you have the guts, then come at me. I am the current Emperor of the Human Race, and I will first kill you, this traitor of the human race!"

The soldiers of the Shang Dynasty also shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and the earth, and their morale instantly soared to its peak.

Upon hearing this, Zhuanxu was furious, but no matter what, Di Xin was the current emperor, and he was no match for him in a decisive battle. He could only grit his teeth and say, "Fine! Well done, Cheng Tang! Well done, Di Xin! Since you are determined to die, then I will grant your wish! Pass down the order to prepare to break the formation!"

With a command from Zhuanxu, the Eastern Expeditionary Army began to move, various magical treasures flashed, and countless attacks poured towards the Ninefold Earth Curtain.

It can be said that the grudges of Huoyun Cave have now intensified with the attack on Chaoge.

After all, during the battle at Huoyun Cave, the Xuanyuan lineage of human emperors was almost completely wiped out because of Fuxi. The hatred was too great. As the first of the Five Emperors, Zhuanxu was the most ruthless and decisive, so naturally he wanted to settle both old and new grudges.

Xuanyuan's character also included benevolence and righteousness; however, such a strong sense of benevolence and righteousness makes it difficult to get things done, whereas Zhuanxu, as the commander-in-chief, was different. Furthermore, the human race today is no longer the same as it was after the Investiture of the Gods, and there are no more mortals. Therefore, there is no longer any talk of succession of human emperors, only succession through force.

Therefore, the act of granting amnesty to the Emperor and his return essentially instigated competition between the two groups of the human race.

If the Human Emperor of Huoyun Cave had not descended to earth, no one would have been able to shake Emperor Xin's position.

The fact that Shang Tang and others were also born would increase Yin Ziyu's entanglements, since Yin Ziyu's father, brothers, and grandfather were all in Chaoge, and Zhuanxu had a great feud with Shang Tang and others.

As the vanguard of the Eastern Expeditionary Army arrived before the Hunyuan Five Elements Formation, Grand Master Xuandu stood atop the high platform at the formation's core, gazing at the nine layers of earthen canopy as thick as an ancient divine mountain, and solemnly proclaimed, "Fellow Daoists, deploy the Eternal Unbreakable Formation to break this Hunyuan Five Elements Formation!"

At Xuandu's command, cultivators from the Chan Sect, Buddhism, and the Human Sect moved swiftly, and countless magical treasures soared into the air, forming a huge and mysterious diagram in front of the formation.

The Taiji diagram hangs atop the formation, with countless streams of dark yellow energy descending from it, protecting the entire formation completely. The Pangu Banner stands before the formation, its surface unfurled, with chaotic energy churning, faintly displaying the power to create heaven and earth.

The exquisite pagoda floated in the formation, its layers upon layers exuding an aura that suppressed the universe.

The Vajra Bracelet rotates at high speed at the center of the array, absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy and transforming it into the core power source of the array's core.

The Fantian Seal transformed into a small mountain, poised to strike the Wutu Sky Curtain at any moment.

With the indestructible Pangu Banner and Fantian Seal for offense, the unbreakable Taiji Diagram and Linglong Pagoda for defense, and the Vajra Bracelet providing a continuous source of energy at its core, this indestructible array, once formed, exuded a heart-palpitating pressure. It stood in stark contrast to the Hunyuan Five Elements Array outside Chaoge City, and the collision of these two immense forces caused the heavens and earth to tremble.

High above the distant clouds, the four sages—Laozi, Yuanshi Tianzun, Jieyin, and Zhunti—stood silently, overlooking the situation below.

Yuanshi Tianzun looked in the direction of Chaoge City, a cold glint in his eyes: "This Ziyu's father, brothers, and ancestors are all in Chaoge City. Wu Ding is his biological father, Di Yi is his elder brother, and Pan Geng is his grandfather. With so many close relatives here, I want to see if this boy will come!"

The voice of the Sage Zhunti carried a hint of barely perceptible hatred: "If this child does not come, I will raze Chaoge to the ground, kill his father, brothers, and ancestors, destroy his Dao heart, and see how he can then attain enlightenment! If he dares to come, I will personally take action to settle the karmic debt he incurred when he killed my good corpse during the Journey to the West!"

The Sage of Guidance clasped his hands together, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable determination: "Do not rush to besiege Chaoge. The key now is to force him out. If we rashly attack the city, even if we destroy Chaoge, we may still leave him a chance to attain enlightenment. It would be better to first surround Chaoge completely, disrupt his morale, and create a precarious situation. This man is loyal and righteous, and he will surely show himself. If we destroy him too hastily, he will lose the opportunity to come to our aid and instead focus on attaining enlightenment and revenge, which would be unwise!"

The three agreed with the suggestion, since the purpose of besieging Chaoge was to force Yin Ziyu to come out, and with the Four Saints here, it would be easy to eliminate them.

But if it were destroyed in an instant, then Yin Ziyu would be focused on revenge. Only by gradually devouring him could his mind be disturbed and his path destroyed.

Laozi nodded slightly, agreeing with Jieyin's view: "The purpose of pressuring Chaoge is to force it out. If it knows what's good for it, it will show itself. If it insists on not coming out, then we can destroy Chaoge and restore the order of the human race."

The four sages exchanged glances, all understanding each other perfectly. They had laid such a trap to force Yin Ziyu into a corner, leaving him either to come out and die or to watch his loved ones perish and his Dao heart shatter. Either way, they would achieve their goal.

Below, the Eternal Calamity Formation had begun to activate. The Pangu Banner was waved, and the chaotic energy flow continuously impacted the Wutu sky curtain, producing a muffled roar.

The Heaven-Turning Seal also transformed into a stream of light, repeatedly striking the sky and causing it to shake violently.

Although the Hunyuan Five Elements Formation was sturdy, it began to show some minor cracks under such a powerful attack.

Inside the Pangu Palace, chaotic energy flowed slowly. Yin Ziyu and Jiu Feng sat with their eyes closed, their bodies surrounded by the light of transcendence of the Dao of the Heart and the Great Dao of the Witch Clan respectively. The two auras intertwined and formed a unique aura in front of the palace.

Just then, the palace door was gently pushed open, and the figure of Houtu appeared at the doorway, with the phantom of the Six Paths of Reincarnation faintly visible behind Houtu.

Upon hearing the noise, Yin Ziyu and Jiu Feng opened their eyes simultaneously, and two beams of divine light shot out from their eyes, colliding with the chaotic airflow in the hall and creating subtle ripples.

"Miss!"

When Yin Ziyu saw Houtu, he stood up and bowed. Jiufeng also stood up and nodded slightly to Houtu: "Ancestral Witch".

Houtu nodded slightly, walked up to the two, and said solemnly, "Ziyu, the situation is critical. The Sage has already descended to the mortal realm, and Zhuanxu has led a large army from Chang'an, accompanied by cultivators from the three religions, and is now at the gates of Chaoge City. Laozi has ordered all the Human Emperors of Huoyun Cave to descend to the mortal realm, including your father and grandfather. Their purpose in doing this is to interfere with your Dao heart and force you to reveal yourself."

Upon hearing this, Yin Ziyu's heart sank. He took a deep breath. His father and grandfather were in Chaoge, and he could not possibly sit idly by.

But he quickly regained his composure and said to Houtu, "Thank you for informing me, Your Majesty. I understand. This day has finally come. They have been plotting to force me to reveal myself, and I will then destroy them with swift and decisive action! If this situation is not resolved, the only option is to force me to attain enlightenment and be destroyed by divine punishment!"

A fierce glint flashed in Jiufeng's eyes, and the battle aura of the Wu Clan on her body suddenly surged: "If that's the case, then let's show ourselves and fight! What do we have to fear from the Four Saints and the Three Religions!"

Houtu looked at the two of them, her eyes filled with worry: "You must be careful about the matter of proving your Dao. Now that the Four Sages have all arrived near Chaoge, even if the Tongtian Sect Leader and the Goddess Nuwa want to help, they are powerless. As the Lord of the Underworld, I cannot leave the Underworld. I can protect you within the Underworld, but once I step out of the Underworld, I will be powerless."

Yin Ziyu laughed, “Your Majesty need not worry. They think this will trap me, but they don’t know that this is precisely our opportunity to prove our Dao. The more critical the situation, the more we can break through those shackles! However, since this is a tribulation for proving our Dao, and our father and grandfather are also a link in the chain, I must bear this tribulation myself, without involving the Jie Sect and the demon race!”

Yin Ziyu couldn't help but admire the plans of these sages; it was truly a net of heaven and earth, just waiting for him to show himself.

That's right. Although the other party used Yin Ziyu's father and grandfather as a means of coercion, the shackles of heaven and these kinship and national ties are also part of the shackles!
Jiufeng looked at Yin Ziyu and said, "Ziyu, since that's the case, let's show ourselves and fight!"

(End of this chapter)