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

Chapter 243 Hongjun's Axe of Annihilation, Ziyu Reveals the Chaos Pearl!

Since the beginning of time, Heaven has taken countless measures to prevent those who seek to prove their Dao through force.

Whether it's Hongjun merging with the Dao or the Six Sages of the Heavenly Dao, they are all shackles of the Heavenly Dao designed to prevent those who seek to prove the Dao through force.

Instead of educating the masses, we should shackle them.

From Hongjun's three sermons to the teachings of the sages, all were aimed at the shackles imposed on sentient beings. These shackles included not only the shackles of thought but also the practical constraints that extracted their fortune and spiritual energy.

Under the double shackles, even innate saints like Di Jun and Tai Yi could only perish.

What is the general trend of Heaven? The fundamental trend of Heaven in this new era is only one thing: to prevent those who seek to prove their Dao through force.

Whether it's the Dragon-Han Calamity, the Witch-Demon War, or the Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West, the purpose is the same: to prevent the emergence of the Primordial Golden Immortal. This is the fundamental trend.

Why are we so afraid of those who prove their Dao through force? For example, the Heavenly Dao is like a super AI, which designs the rules of the Heavenly Dao, such as eons and cause and effect, according to a predetermined program to maintain the operation of the Heavenly Dao, and pursues absolute control.

However, proving one's way through force is like a virus, capable of breaching the firewall of the Heavenly Way and seizing administrator privileges.

Heaven is ruthless; it treats all things like straw dogs!
In reality, it is the way of Heaven that, in order to protect itself, must imprison all variables, including sages, within the cage of rules. Once someone proves the Way through force, it is the beginning of the cage's collapse.

The operation of the Heavenly Dao relies on the closed-loop logic of calamity-cause-merit. Those who prove the Dao through force break through the impasse with force and can ignore the arrangements of calamity. The Heavenly Dao claims to be the supreme rule, but those who prove the Dao through force demonstrate that power can transcend the rule. This existential threat shakes the foundation of the Heavenly Dao's authority!
Therefore, it is only natural and instinctive for Heaven to prevent the emergence of those who prove their Dao through force. It also prevents the birth of the Earthly Dao and the Human Dao, and is itself an absolutely controllable target.

Whether it's severing the three corpses or attaining enlightenment through merit, both are in accordance with the Way of Heaven and can be kept within a controllable range.

Those who prove the Dao through force deny everything about the Dao from the very beginning, like rebels against the Dao. They break through the shackles of thought, shatter the cage of fortune and spiritual energy, and finally succeed in proving the Dao. This will inevitably have a subversive effect on the Dao!
Now, not only have they appeared, but two have appeared. Both of them have survived the siege of Heaven and the Sages, and have attained enlightenment after going through countless near-death experiences.

The emergence of two individuals who proved their Dao through force is an unprecedented crisis for the Heavenly Dao and the greatest upheaval in the history of the primordial world. It also means that if the situation cannot be suppressed, the future trends of the primordial world will be reorganized, and the past great calamities will be settled.

Then the period from the beginning of time to the present day will be completely overturned, and the Heavenly Dao will completely lose its authority.

At this moment, the Heavenly Dao used its greatest trump card. After the Lich King, the Chaos Bell, which had been hidden by the Heavenly Dao, appeared in the world and directly used the Creation Jade Disc to fuse the Three Treasures of Creation into the Divine Axe of Creation.

The moment the phantom of the Heaven-Opening Axe solidified completely, the entire chaos fell into a terrifying silence.

The clash between the sages also came to a complete halt, as everyone watched this scene in shock. At this moment, basic offensive tactics would hardly be able to defeat the two who had proven their Dao through force.

Only the Heaven-Opening Axe has the ability to completely suppress, so there is no need for others to take action. It all depends on the power of the axe wielded.

At this moment, the chaotic patterns flowing across the Heaven-Opening Axe reveal the wondrous sight of the primordial chaos collapsing during the creation of the world, the roar of chaotic energy, and the divine light of the birth of laws. Each pattern carries the terrifying power of the creation of the world.

The residual force of the axe blade alone caused chaos millions of light-years away to shatter one after another, and even space itself showed glass-like cracks.

Hongjun gripped the axe handle with one hand, instantly increasing his aura several times over. His gaze swept indifferently over Yin Ziyu and Jiufeng, who, even though they were cultivators who proved their Dao through force, were now like two grains of dust about to be crushed.

"You two are the greatest variables throughout history, disrupting the predetermined order of Heaven and disturbing the primordial order. However, the operation of Heaven has its own ironclad rules. If you wish to overthrow Heaven, you should first see if you can withstand this Heaven-Opening Axe!"

Before Hongjun finished speaking, the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe trembled slightly, and a beam of white light pierced through the chaos instantly condensed at the axe blade. The meaning of creation contained in the divine light caused the feathers on the Nine Phoenix Wings to stand up, and the Chaos Compass above Yin Ziyu's head also emitted a rapid buzzing.

This is no longer a simple clash of forces, but the primordial law of creation, which will return all subsequent things to chaos.

Yin Ziyu and Jiu Feng exchanged a glance, both seeing an unprecedented solemnity in each other's eyes.

Nine Phoenix's nine heads turned towards the divine axe simultaneously, its voice trembling slightly: "Ziyu, I never expected that Hongjun could fuse three supreme treasures to create the Heaven-Opening Axe! I possess the bloodline of Pangu and am most familiar with this power. This axe can easily break through my physical defenses. The Great Dao of Power shows signs of collapsing before it!"

After all, it was the Heaven-Opening Axe that once shattered three thousand gods and demons, and the Nine Phoenixes were a method for gods and demons to prove their Dao, equivalent to the Chaos Gods and Demons, hence it was the most sensitive.

When Jiufeng was fighting against Laozi and the other three, she did not back down. But now she subconsciously took a half step back, and the golden patterns on her wings turned blood red due to the pressure of the Heaven-Opening Axe.

Yin Ziyu raised his hand and pressed down on the Chaos Compass, his expression solemn, but he did not show the same fear as Jiufeng. He said in a deep voice, "After all, it is the fusion of the origin of the creation treasure, carrying the will of the Great God Pangu to create the world. Although you have attained the Hunyuan realm and your physical body is far stronger than that of ordinary saints, you really have no chance of winning under this axe."

At this moment, Yin Ziyu could clearly sense that the Great Dao Proverbs of the Chaos Compass were being suppressed by the aura of the Divine Axe.

Originally, Yin Ziyu wanted to condense a Chaos Treasure in the Origin Land, but since the formation of a treasure in the Origin Land requires the will of the Great Dao, he had no choice but to settle for a Chaos Spiritual Treasure.

Despite the seemingly small difference in level, even between supreme treasures and spiritual treasures, there is an insurmountable chasm.

Jiufeng frowned deeply: "Ziyu, what should we do? If we take it head-on, we will surely die. If we retreat, there is nowhere to hide in the chaos. The axe's intent has already locked onto us!"

Jiufeng looked at Laozi and the others behind Hongjun. Although they did not step forward, they used their magic weapons to set up a net that would cut off all their escape routes.

In the chaos, the light of the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe grew even more intense, and the white light at the axe blade had spread for tens of millions of light-years, completely enveloping Yin Ziyu and Jiu Feng.

Hongjun's figure appeared and disappeared amidst the axe light, and his indifferent voice rang out once more: "Under the Heavenly Dao, all are but ants. Though the variables are wondrous, they are ultimately difficult to defy Heaven!"

The Heaven-Opening Divine Axe floated in the chaos, and the surrounding chaotic air currents were forced back by the Heaven-Opening Pressure it emitted, forming a vacuum zone.

The chaotic patterns flowing on the axe blade seemed to come alive, emitting bursts of buzzing, locking onto Yin Ziyu and Jiu Feng, and an unparalleled sharpness caused the space itself to distort slightly.

Hongjun swung his arm, and the Heaven-Opening Axe, carrying the terrifying power to tear apart chaos and recreate heaven and earth, slashed down towards Yin Ziyu.

Wherever the axe's shadow passed, countless laws of the Great Dao were severed, and the chaotic energy turned into dust. A massive axe mark, millions of light-years long, appeared in the chaos, and it could not heal for a long time.

Faced with this crisis, Yin Ziyu showed no concern. Instead, he looked at Jiufeng and said in a deep voice, "Jiufeng, this is a rare opportunity. The Pangu Banner and Taiji Diagram are the two supreme treasures that will create the Heaven-Opening Axe. The loss of these treasures by the Six Saints is a golden opportunity. You go and defeat the other Saints. I will handle the Heaven-Opening Axe!"

Upon hearing this, Jiufeng exclaimed in shock, "Ziyu, how can you alone withstand the power of this Heaven-Opening Axe!"

Jiufeng knew the terror of the Heaven-Opening Axe; even if she used all her strength to unleash the Great Dao of Power, she might not be able to withstand a single blow.

Yin Ziyu smiled faintly, his eyes filled with confidence: "You and I are different. You attained the Dao through your physical body, and you are inherently afraid of the Heaven-Opening Axe. I, on the other hand, attained the Dao through my mind. Although the Heaven-Opening Axe is powerful, it is not insurmountable for me. Since I know that the Heavenly Dao has hidden the Chaos Bell, I naturally also know that the Heavenly Dao can condense the Heaven-Opening Axe. Since I have a way to deal with it, why should I be afraid? The reason I have been so late is precisely to prepare for this battle!"

Upon hearing Yin Ziyu's words, Jiufeng was overjoyed, knowing that Yin Ziyu was a master strategist and must have a way to deal with the Heaven-Opening Axe since he knew about it.

Without further hesitation, Jiufeng unleashed the full power of the Great Dao of Power, swinging her fists to attack the Six Saints.

Golden light shone brightly on his fists, each punch carrying earth-shattering power, and he instantly engaged Laozi and the others in battle.

Only Yin Ziyu stood alone under the cover of the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe. The sharpness of the axe blade had already touched the transcendent power around him, making a sizzling sound.

"Slay!" Hongjun glanced at Jiufeng but didn't care. Once one of them was killed, the other would be insignificant.

Hongjun let out a low shout, and the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe crashed down.

The terror of this axe strike was indescribable; it was as if the entire chaos had been cleaved in two, and endless power of creation swept towards Yin Ziyu.

Faced with this power, Yin Ziyu's body instantly disintegrated, turning into countless white lights that vanished into the chaos.

"Ziyu!"

Upon seeing this, Jiufeng was startled, and her attack slowed down by half a step.

A cold look appeared on Hongjun's face. He was about to swing his axe at Jiufeng again when he saw the dissipated white light suddenly surge up and reform in place. Yin Ziyu's figure reappeared, completely unharmed.

Hongjun was taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Your body is a manifestation of your mind?"

Yin Ziyu said calmly, "Jiufeng's path to enlightenment is based on the method of gods and demons, and thus she has a physical body. My path to enlightenment, however, is based on the mind, and I have no physical body, yet I am omnipresent. The power of the Heaven-Opening Axe is indeed enough to obliterate the gods and demons of chaos, but my existence is ultimately illusory, formless and intangible. As long as the beings of this primordial world still cherish my memory, I can return in an instant. How could I be annihilated by the axe blade?"

After all, Yin Ziyu's existence is fundamentally rooted in his heart, and this heart is formless and intangible, yet omnipresent!

The heart is not the physical heart, but the true self that attained enlightenment at the origin of the Great Dao, allowing the true self to become another form of existence, omnipresent in the entire chaos and the entire primordial world, and not existing in a physical body.

It can instantly condense into a physical entity, or instantly dissipate into the entire chaos!

Hongjun nodded slowly after hearing this, but there was no relaxation in his eyes: "Do not think that the power of the Heaven-Opening Axe is only this much. Even if it is an illusion, I can still use the power of the Heaven-Opening Axe to sever your original mind and completely annihilate you! Do not think that you can be immortal by binding yourself to all living beings in the primordial world?"

Yin Ziyu said calmly, "I will not bind my existence to the beings of the primordial world, nor does the Dao Ancestor need to destroy the primordial world and start anew because of me!"

Hongjun looked at Jiufeng in surprise after hearing this: "So, your existence is actually within Jiufeng's body!"

Hongjun swung the Heaven-Opening Axe once more. This time, the axe blade not only contained the power to open the heavens and earth, but also contained countless Great Dao Laws of the Creation Jade Disc, clearly intending to completely sever Yin Ziyu's foundation of existence.

Hongjun was not surprised that the first strike of the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe failed to kill Yin Ziyu, after all, it was a test of Yin Ziyu's abilities. At this moment, Hongjun's eyes were even more indifferent.

With his left hand holding up the Jade Disc of Creation and his right hand gripping the Heaven-Opening Axe, he drew upon the primal power of the two Chaos Treasures to resonate with each other.

The three thousand Great Dao runes on the Jade Disc of Creation suddenly flew up and surged into the blade of the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe like a swarm of bees returning to their nest.

The originally solid axe body instantly became transparent, and countless chains of laws extended from the axe blade, weaving into a net in the chaos, with cause and effect imprinted on each chain.

At this moment, Hongjun will use the chain of cause and effect lock formed by fusing the laws of cause and effect of Heaven and the power of creation to directly sever everything about Yin Ziyu along the cause and effect line.

"Om-"

With this strike, the blade of the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe emitted a jet-black light. This light was unlike ordinary energy; instead, it carried a boundless will of the Great Dao.

There is no doubt that this strike can devour all the Great Dao and sever all existence.

This is the Blade of Annihilation created by Hongjun through the combination of his axe and disc. It is designed to sever the very source of existence and can erase any trace of an opponent's existence from the very source of cause and effect.

"Your path to enlightenment is ultimately based on the primordial cause and effect; this attack will obliterate you at its very source!"

Hongjun's voice was like thunder, and he swung his hand to cut down the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe.

The blade of destruction cleaved through the chaos, and wherever it passed, even time itself seemed to ripple.

The chain of cause and effect followed Yin Ziyu closely, sealing off everything about him and all his karma. Even Jiufeng was affected by this power, and Jiufeng trembled violently, as if it would collapse at any moment.

The combined power of the two Chaos Treasures was truly terrifying. The entire Chaos groaned under the weight of this attack, and countless Chaos Stars vanished into nothingness in the aftershocks of the light blade.

As Yin Ziyu looked at the pitch-black blade of light that could annihilate all Daoist principles, a strange smile suddenly appeared on his face.

Yin Ziyu reached out and grabbed Jiu Feng beside him. Suddenly, the Chaos Compass above his head burst forth with billions of rays of white light, completely enveloping the two of them.

The patterns on the compass spun at an unprecedented speed, as if calculating some kind of escape method that transcends the laws of nature.

"This is……"

Hongjun's pupils contracted slightly as he sensed a spatial fluctuation from the white light that did not belong to the chaos.

Just as the Blade of Annihilation was about to touch the white light, the white light suddenly burst like a bubble, and Yin Ziyu and Jiu Feng's figures disappeared from the very center of the blade without leaving a trace.

It seemed to have completely disappeared from this chaos. The chain of cause and effect lost its target, and after waving futilely in the chaos for a moment, it turned into specks of light and dissipated.

If Yin Ziyu were still in this chaos, he would not be able to escape, but now Yin Ziyu has disappeared.

The Primordial Celestial Venerable exclaimed in shock, "How is this possible?!"

Why did the Heaven-Opening Axe's locking mechanism fail?

"With the causal roots locked by the Blade of Annihilation, both time and space have already been severed. How could they possibly escape?"

Zhunti's Seven Treasures Tree emitted a burst of blue light, yet it couldn't even capture the afterimages of the two.

Tongtian and Nuwa exchanged a glance, both seeing deep shock in each other's eyes. This kind of escape technique, which could ignore the lock of the Heaven-Opening Axe, was beyond their understanding of the power of the Primordial Chaos.

Even the top-ranking Chaos Gods and Demons would be obliterated by this single axe strike!

Hongjun tightened his grip on the Heaven-Opening Axe slightly, and the light of annihilation on the axe blade gradually dimmed.

At this moment, Hongjun's usually indifferent eyes showed true solemnity for the first time: "To be able to escape from the combined attack of the axe and disc, he has an aura that does not belong to this chaos... Could it be that Ziyu found the Chaos Pearl by relying on this compass?"

After Hongjun finished speaking, Yin Ziyu and Jiufeng appeared instantly.

"As expected of the Dao Ancestor, nothing can be hidden. That's right, at the origin of the Great Dao, I knew this battle was dangerous and wanted to gather a method to resist the Heaven-Opening Axe. However, the origin of the Great Dao does not allow the appearance of Chaos Treasures. The only way was to glimpse a trace of the Chaos Pearl's wandering trajectory from the origin of the Great Dao, and thus gather this compass. The Dao Ancestor believed that I gathered this compass to find the Jade Disc of Creation, but in fact, this treasure is the passage connecting to the Chaos Pearl!"

(End of this chapter)