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

At this moment, Yin Ziyu and Jiu Feng were facing a dead end due to the pressure from the Sage.

Yin Ziyu angrily retorted, "As long as saints live, bandits will never cease to exist."

At this moment, one will either attain the Dao and become a Primordial Being, no longer fearing the Sages, or be completely annihilated like those heroes of the ancient, primordial era.

As the two attained enlightenment, the Four Sages watched indifferently. Everything unfolded exactly as the Four Sages had predicted, finally forcing Yin Ziyu and Jiu Feng to the point where they had to break free of the shackles of the Heavenly Dao.

Zhunti couldn't help but sneer: "You're nothing but ants, yet you dare to break the shackles of the Heavenly Dao. Even we, the Heavenly Dao Saints, dare not resist the Heavenly Punishment!"

Yuanshi Tianzun looked at the two people covered by the heavenly punishment and said, "The Heavenly Dao has sent down its origin, allowing us sages to descend to earth to deal with these two. Soon after they die, we sages will reorganize the order of the Three Realms. Since the Investiture of the Gods, the great trend of the Three Realms has deviated too much!"

"good"

The four saints basically all agreed that Yin Ziyu and Jiu Feng were doomed to die.

It's no wonder they think that way. For a quasi-saint to try to defy the heavenly punishment and prove the Dao is impossible and utterly ridiculous.

Yin Ziyu and Jiu Feng's auras changed drastically, and the power of transcendence and the Great Dao of Power intertwined to form a dazzling pillar of light that shot straight into the sky!

"Boom——"

A massive rift suddenly opened up in the heavens, spanning the three realms, and countless purplish-black heavenly punishment lightning bolts rolled like raging dragons, pouring down with terrifying heavenly might that could annihilate everything.

At first, it was a lightning pillar as thick as a bowl, but in an instant it transformed into a sea of ​​lightning covering tens of thousands of miles, mixed with golden Dao karmic fire, silver Dao gale, and black divine lightning of heavenly punishment. Each divine punishment contained the power to tear apart the Dao, turning the area within tens of thousands of miles around the two of them into an absolute forbidden zone.

The purple Heavenly Dao Shackles trembled violently in the sea of ​​lightning, and the oppressive aura emanating from them caused the four saints in the distance to frown and retreat.

With a light wave of his whisk, the Primordial Celestial Venerable automatically created a barrier of celestial light in front of him.

The Sage Zhunti formed a mudra with his hands, and countless rays of Buddha light emanated from beneath his feet. The mysterious yellow energy circulated around Laozi, and the illusory image of the Taiji diagram appeared and disappeared. Even a sage could not hide his horror in the face of such a heavenly punishment.

On the battlefield, whether they were cultivators from the three religions or disciples of the Jie Sect, they were all so intimidated by this majestic heavenly might that they could not move.

The occasional wisp of energy emanating from the sea of ​​lightning caused the blood and qi of quasi-saints to surge, while those below the Golden Immortal level knelt on the ground, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

All living beings in the Three Realms looked up and saw that the sea of ​​lightning covered half of the sky, as if the entire primordial world was about to be swallowed up by divine punishment, and a deep fear welled up in their hearts.

As the divine punishment converged, the fighting outside Chaoge City had already ceased, and the eyes of the three realms were focused on the sky where purple lightning surged.

The cultivators from all sides, some standing on the clouds and others hiding on the mountain peaks, held their breath and focused their minds, their voices drifting away on the wind.

Zhen Yuanzi gazed at the thunder in the sky and sighed, "There is no need to fight this battle anymore. If Ziyu and Jiufeng succeed in attaining enlightenment, the balance of power in the Three Realms will be reshaped. If not, the Shang Dynasty will collapse as well, and there will be no need for further conflict."

Ancestor Styx sighed, "To prove the Dao with force, a Quasi-Saint wants to break the shackles of the Heavenly Dao? That's just wishful thinking! How can the Heavenly Dao be shaken by ants? Such Heavenly might is something even a Saint would have to give way to."

Kunpeng sighed as he looked at the heavenly punishment filling the sky: "They shouldn't have come out. What does it matter if the Shang Dynasty has fallen? As long as they remain hidden in the Pangu Palace, they will always have a chance to attain enlightenment. Facing the heavenly punishment now is nothing but courting death."

The Queen Mother of the West gazed at the two figures in the lightning and gently shook her head: "The father and grandfather of Ziyu from Huoyun Cave are both in Chaoge. With Ziyu's temperament, how could he sit idly by? This bond has ultimately become a death warrant."

In the Chan Sect camp, Guang Chengzi frowned: "Proving the Dao by force is already a defying the heavens. The power of this heavenly punishment is so terrifying. We must leave quickly. Even if our master comes in person, he may not be able to protect us completely."

Grand Master Xuandu was also shocked by the Heavenly Punishment and was watching closely, wondering if Yin Ziyu could attain enlightenment. After all, even Laozi dared not say that he could not succeed.

“Even sages dare not lightly defy divine punishment, let alone quasi-sages? How is their behavior any different from moths drawn to a flame? Can they truly attain enlightenment?”

The ancient Buddha stood with his palms clasped, his Buddhist voice echoing softly: "Now it's like the Investiture of the Gods, every sip and bite is preordained. Ziyu and Jiufeng have entered this predicament, it's all due to cause and effect. Whether they can break free depends entirely on their own destiny. Even this humble monk has no way to deal with the heavenly punishment, do they perhaps have a way to resolve this?"

Among the independent cultivators, the discussion was even more heated.

"I never imagined that someone would actually dare to prove their Dao through force; it's truly unbelievable!"

"A Quasi-Saint breaking the shackles of the Heavenly Dao? Unheard of in all of history, how is that even possible?"

"Ziyu and Jiufeng were too impulsive. As long as they are alive, they can always fight again. Why take such a risk?"

"Proving the Dao through force is already extremely dangerous, and now it has triggered such divine punishment. I'm afraid it really can't withstand it."

"Even saints dare not attempt this lightly, yet these two quasi-saints dare to defy the heavens. Their courage is truly commendable, but... alas!"

All the great cultivators of the Three Realms gazed at this terrifying heavenly punishment; some were hopeful, some were worried, and some sighed.

This tribulation of enlightenment is not only about the life and death of Yin Ziyu and Jiufeng, but also about the future direction of the Three Realms.

Everyone is waiting, waiting for an outcome, an outcome that can change the fate of the three realms.

The Tongtian Sect Leader and the Goddess Nuwa stood side by side on a distant mountain peak, gazing at the two tiny figures amidst the heavenly punishment, their eyes revealing despair for the first time.

Tongtian was shocked: "Such a heavenly punishment... even the great calamity of the Wu and Yao races back then never happened. How can we stop it? This time, Ziyu did not consult with you and me before going his own way to prove his Dao."

Nuwa gazed at the transcendent light and the Great Dao of Power constantly being torn apart by lightning in the sea of ​​thunder, and gently shook her head: "In the end, they still chose the most difficult path... They did not seek you and me because they did not want to add karma to our bodies. Ziyu, you are thoughtful!"

On the city walls of Chaoge, Emperors Cheng Tang and Wu Ding gazed at the sea of ​​thunder that seemed capable of crushing the heavens and earth, their figures swaying precariously.

Wu Ding, the father of Yin Ziyu, was filled with worry, his voice hoarse: "With such divine might, let alone attaining enlightenment, even one's soul would be crushed... Can Ziyu do it? He must do it!"

As Cheng Tang gazed at Yin Ziyu's figure in the sea of ​​thunder, tears streamed down his face: "Truly worthy of being a descendant of Cheng Tang, to have such a heroic figure! The day of enlightenment has arrived! I only wish for success; if I fail, then the entire Cheng Tang clan and Zhuanxu will perish together!" In the center of the sea of ​​thunder, the light barrier formed by Yin Ziyu's transcendent power was already covered with cracks, and the twelve wings of Jiu Feng were scorched black by the karmic fire. Golden blood kept spilling from the corners of their mouths, yet they still held on desperately.

Nine Phoenixes raised their heads and roared angrily, their voices piercing through the sea of ​​thunder: "Heavenly Dao! You want to crush us? Wishful thinking!"

A transcendent light rekindled in Yin Ziyu's eyes. He exchanged a smile with Jiufeng, then took Jiufeng's hand and said, "Jiufeng, when the time comes to attain enlightenment, you must return! When despair strikes, you must hold on. If only one of us attains enlightenment, the other can too!"

Jiufeng nodded emphatically: "No one has ever walked this path of enlightenment before. You and I, husband and wife, must return!"

This is merely the prelude to divine punishment; it is divine punishment making an example of someone to warn others.

Because the divine punishment descended too quickly, the sense of awe could not reach its full potential. Therefore, the divine punishment was like a game, slowly applying pressure, like boiling a frog in warm water, until all beings and even sages were brought to their limits of fear. Only in this way could the potential problems of all beings be resolved.
Since Yin Ziyu and Jiu Feng have decided to break free of their shackles and prove their Dao, they will have to go through this tribulation no matter where they go. It can be said that time has no meaning, space has no meaning, and even if they enter the Chaos, they will face the same heavenly punishment!
Therefore, even before the true divine punishment had actually descended, the two already believed that they could not withstand its majesty.

"Boom——!"

At this moment, the heavenly punishment suddenly became violent, and the purplish-black lightning, carrying the terror of destroying everything, rushed straight towards the two of them.

This divine lightning strike of divine punishment would severely injure even a saint, seemingly a manifestation of the power of Heaven to destroy the primordial world.

This scene made all the creatures watching the battlefield hold their breath, with only one thought in their minds: Can they... really survive?

The divine lightning of divine punishment danced wildly like silver snakes, weaving a net across the sky, its purplish-black hue reflecting on Yin Ziyu's face.

At this moment, Yin Ziyu's eyes were flashing with a strange light, as if countless stars were being born and dying within them, revealing a tranquility that transcended life and death.

Since transmigrating to this point, the moment of enlightenment has finally arrived. The path to enlightenment is inherently difficult, fraught with obstacles. Through countless eons of tempering the mind, we have finally reached this stage.

Before the divine punishment was about to strike, as the power of his divine soul surged within his body, Yin Ziyu's body trembled slightly. This tremor was not due to fear, but rather to the violent shaking that occurred when his divine soul was separated from his physical body.

Consciousness, like a dragon plunging into the sea, penetrates the deepest part of the soul, stripping away the fragments of past memories, the emotional fluctuations that tug at the heartstrings, the unbreakable will of the self, and all the elements of the soul that constitute Yin Ziyu's true nature.

The heart is not the physical heart, but a mysterious and profound existence. Cultivating the physical heart is the outward manifestation, while cultivating the true heart is the way.

The soul gradually detached from the physical body, transforming into a warm, golden light, within which countless runes darted about like swimming fish.

This is Yin Ziyu's cultivation insights gained through countless eons since his transmigration, a myriad interpretations of humanity and transcendence.

At this moment, under the divine punishment, it shone with its final brilliance. Its physical body also underwent a transformation, its skin becoming as transparent as glass. The energy in its meridians burst forth instantly under the bombardment of the divine lightning, and the sound of its bones shattering inch by inch was drowned out by the thunder. The whole person looked as if it was about to be completely destroyed, body and soul.

Yet, amidst this shattering, a glimmer of light appeared. This was Yin Ziyu's original heart, which he had condensed over an entire eon in the Pangu Palace. As unshakable as a rock, it slowly rose along a wondrous passage barely perceptible to the naked eye, its body shrouded in the power of annihilation, as if it were about to give birth to new life from destruction.

"Susu-"

Under the divine lightning of heavenly punishment, Yin Ziyu's physical body instantly began to transform into specks of light, like countless fireflies fluttering their wings and merging into the primordial land with the wind.

This is the return of the pure origin of life. Every ray of light carries Yin Ziyu's ties to the primordial world, falling into mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, plants, insects, and fish.

It can be said that, just as Pangu transformed into all things, at this moment, Yin Ziyu's physical body, primordial spirit, and all his magical power were dissolved under the heavenly punishment and fell into the primordial land, along with immeasurable merit and fortune.

All of these came from the primordial world, from all living beings, and now they have all been returned to the primordial world and all living beings.

The atmosphere between heaven and earth grew increasingly violent, with howling winds whipping up lightning. Terrifying heavenly punishments tore through the sky, striking the floating power of transcendence with their fury. In the end, the Heart of Transcendence was completely destroyed, transforming into its origin and merging into the Three Realms.

At this moment, whether it was Cheng Tang on the city wall of Chaoge, the Four Sages on the battlefield, Hou Tu in the underworld, or Hong Jun outside the Thirty-Three Heavens, the entire prehistoric world was drawn to this unprecedented sight.

Witnessing the terror of proving the Dao through force, seeing Yin Ziyu using the most resolute method to question the eternal shackles of the Heavenly Dao, ultimately vanishing into nothingness!
Yin Ziyu's true intention was to enter the Land of Annihilation of the Great Dao without anyone's knowledge. This was the result of Yin Ziyu's deduction. The Land of Annihilation contains boundless vitality, and the ultimate death contains ultimate transcendence. What is bound by the shackles of the Heavenly Dao is the physical body, the primordial spirit, and the divine soul. When all of these are destroyed, it is actually the true release from the shackles of the Heavenly Dao and the entry into the ultimate Land of Annihilation.

At the same time, Jiu Feng let out a loud shout that resounded through the sky, and the power of the Great Dao around him suddenly subsided, revealing his true form as a great witch with nine heads and twelve wings.

All nine heads have phoenix eyes, some angry and some sad, and twelve wings blot out the sky, each feather shimmering with the ethereal light of the witch clan's origin.

"River of Time, heed my command!"

The giant head in the center opened its mouth and gave a soft shout. Suddenly, countless Great Dao maxims appeared around the Nine Phoenixes. As the Great Dao flowed, a rushing and roaring river of time emerged from the void. The river water rippled with the ripples of time and carried the aura of the primordial era, heading towards the Heavenly Punishment Divine Lightning.

"Click"

"puff--"

Blood gushed from all nine of the phoenix's heads at the same time, its twelve wings trembled violently, and the eerie light on its feathers dimmed at a visible speed.

In the blink of an eye, Jiufeng's true form as a great witch was shattered by the bombardment of the divine lightning.

Nine heads rolled off, twelve wings turned to ashes, and the massive body collapsed with a crash, turning into a rain of blood.

These blood rains did not scatter across the primordial land, but were swept up by the collapsing river of time, sinking little by little into the endless depths of time along the direction of the river's flow, and eventually disappearing.

Only a phoenix cry of resentment lingered in the heavens and earth, carrying the last pride and determination of the Wu tribe.

Yin Ziyu and Jiu Feng's attainment of enlightenment happened in the blink of an eye. In the blink of an eye, under the divine punishment, both of them were completely destroyed, disappearing without a trace. At this moment, all living beings in the Three Realms couldn't help but sigh.

Proving the Dao through force is not so easy. Challenging the shackles of the Heavenly Dao is utterly laughable. For a moment, almost everyone shook their heads helplessly.

Since both of them had perished, the Primordial Celestial Venerable immediately commanded: "The sins of a thousand ages are now gone. Immediately sort out all the causes and effects since the Investiture of the Gods and re-establish the order of the Three Realms!" (End of Chapter)