Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

"Yes, when these disciples of the Chan Sect first heard that helping Xuanyuan achieve enlightenment would bring them a lot of merit, they immediately flocked to him. I guess they didn't expect the retribution to come so quickly." Haotian finished speaking and revealed a smug smile.

Nuwa rolled her eyes inwardly again. The words had already been said to this extent, yet this so-called Heavenly Emperor hadn't come to the same conclusion. It seemed that the Heavenly Court truly lacked talented individuals.

"The Heavenly Court is short-handed, and a large number of disciples from the Chan and Jie sects have to go down to the mortal realm to face tribulations. Why not request a divine list to record those who successfully face tribulations? After they have faced life and death, they will naturally be able to ascend to godhood. Wouldn't these people who have ascended to godhood again become your right-hand men, Heavenly Emperor? They can inject new blood into the Heavenly Court. Why would you worry about not having anyone to use? Moreover, you will no longer have to be subservient to those old guys and can do whatever you want."

After hearing Nuwa's words, Haotian suddenly realized what was going on. He secretly calculated that the people on this list would directly serve the Heavenly Court and would no longer have to obey the Tongtian Sect Leader and others. He would also no longer have to be subservient to those old guys. This was a great thing. He made up his mind.

Haotian hurriedly stood up and bowed repeatedly to Nuwa to express his gratitude for her guidance.

Nuwa lightly covered her lips and smiled faintly, "Since the Heavenly Emperor already knows what to do next, then please do as you see fit. However, I've heard that the Investiture of the Gods is not so easy to obtain."

Haotian said firmly, "Thanks to the guidance of Goddess Nuwa, I will find a way to obtain the Investiture of the Gods, no matter how difficult it is to do so. Otherwise, the Heavenly Court would be in chaos in a thousand years. I apologize for disturbing you today. I will go and obtain the Investiture of the Gods now, and I will come to thank you formally another day."

Chapter 1094 Seeking the Investiture of the Gods

Nuwa waved her hand dismissively and said, "The important matter is more important. Heavenly Emperor, you should go and attend to your important affairs!"

After Haotian left, Li Xiuyuan slowly walked out of the side hall. Nuwa hurriedly went up to him and affectionately hugged his arm, pouting as she said, "Master, are you bored again? Why did you come up with this game?"

Li Xiuyuan extended his index finger and affectionately scratched Nuwa's nose. "Look at what you're saying. I'm clearly doing good deeds for the people and relieving the Heavenly Emperor's burdens. How come you've turned it into this?"

"Yes, yes, I was narrow-minded! Master is destined for great things!" Nuwa said with a smile, trying to appease her.

If outsiders were to witness this scene again, they would be astonished. The usually aloof and icy Nuwa was showing such a girlish and charming side in front of a mortal. They would surely think they were seeing a fake Nuwa.

In fact, this was an inevitable tribulation for heaven and earth, and Li Xiuyuan was merely adding fuel to the fire.

After leaving Nuwa Palace, Haotian immediately rushed to Hongjun Laozu's blessed land, as the Investiture of the Gods was probably only found there by Hongjun Laozu.

Now that they had received the news from the Goddess Nuwa, they were determined to get their hands on the Investiture of the Gods before more people knew about it, and they couldn't let the Three Pure Ones ride on their heads any longer.

Hongjun Laozu has been in seclusion for ten thousand years and has not received any visitors. Haotian is not in a hurry. He knows that the millennium calamity is a major event. Hongjun Laozu will eventually come out and gather everyone to discuss it. In the past, he was of low rank and his words were not appreciated. Tongtian Jiaozhu, Yuanshi Tianzun and others always took the lead. Now that Hongjun Laozu has opened the door, he will only see him. He thinks things will be much easier to handle.

As expected, after waiting for three days and three nights, the Dao Gate of Hongjun Laozu finally opened, and the sky was filled with rosy light, which was a signal to the gods. Haotian flew into the Dao Gate, and he wanted to get his hands on the Investiture of the Gods before Yuanshi Tianzun and the others arrived.

"Ancestor, it's been ten thousand years! You are still the same as before! Congratulations, Ancestor! May you live as long as the heavens and earth, and may all of heaven and earth revere you!" Haotian's flattery made Ancestor Hongjun beam with joy.

Since his great battle with Li Xiuyuan ten thousand years ago, Hongjun Laozu was seriously injured and had no intention of managing worldly affairs. Haotian, who had been by Hongjun Laozu's side for many years, knew Hongjun Laozu's thoughts and flattered him day and night. He was good at reading Hongjun Laozu's expressions and was therefore highly valued.

But in truth, Haotian harbored a thousand and one aversions and jealousy towards Hongjun Laozu. However, fate played a cruel trick on him, so he had to keep it to himself. If it weren't for the fact that he absolutely had to be with him this time, Haotian would never have wanted to step into this place that he found so repulsive and disgusting again.

"What brings you here today?" Hongjun Patriarch sat upright on the futon, looking completely at ease, as if speaking to Haotian was an act of charity.

Haotian suppressed his displeasure and poured out his grievances to Hongjun, "Ancestor, why am I so stupid? I've been by your side for thousands of years and still can't learn your great talents. During the years you were in seclusion, I tried my best in every way, but the results were still very little! I lingered at your door day and night, hoping to one day get to see you and ask you for guidance!"

"I suppose it was my sincere feelings that moved the Ancestor. I am truly satisfied to have the opportunity to meet you this time!" Haotian said, wiping away the tears that he had managed to force himself to keep from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve.

When Hongjun saw how deeply Haotian loved and respected him, his heart softened. He then looked at himself, having already released his radiant light, and realized that his disciple had not yet arrived. Looking at Haotian, the difference in their abilities became immediately apparent.

"You've suffered these past thousands of years! My worthless disciples have never taken my orders seriously. It's all thanks to my consideration for them that I reopened the Dao Gate! Well, I'm afraid they are not destined for this!" With that, Ancestor Hongjun waved his sleeve, and a golden object appeared in mid-air.

Haotian stared intently, his heart filled with excitement. He realized that this must be the Investiture of the Gods that the Goddess Nuwa had spoken of.

Haotian calculated the time in his mind, hoping that the clouds in the sky could hold out a little longer.

In fact, after hearing what Nuwa said, Haotian guessed that Hongjun would emerge from seclusion soon and made arrangements in advance. Once Hongjun's radiant light appeared, the clouds would cover it.

But Hongjun Laozu was, after all, an ancient god, and Haotian's abilities could only cover it up for a short while. So Haotian was actually very anxious, but he had to pretend to be calm on the surface.

"Ancestor, what is this? Why does it look so magical!"

Hongjun Patriarch laughed heartily, “That’s right, with your abilities you really don’t know about this! This is the Investiture of the Gods. The great calamity of a thousand years is approaching. This calamity is different from the past. Disciples from various sects have all descended to the mortal realm to undergo the calamity. All those who successfully undergo the calamity can appear on this list.”

"What if we fail?"

"Ha, failure? Then they can only blame themselves for being less skilled! Failing to pass the tribulation only means that they are destined to be unworthy of a position in the Heavenly Court and will never be able to enter the Heavenly Court again!" Hongjun Patriarch said leisurely, stroking his beard.

Upon hearing this, Haotian knelt down with a thud. Hongjun, the patriarch, was startled by Haotian's sudden kneeling and hurriedly asked, "Why are you doing this?"

Haotian burst into tears, looking incredibly pitiful. This made Hongjun feel that Haotian was still the same ignorant child who had followed him ten thousand years ago, and he immediately felt pity for him.

"Please have mercy, Ancestor! Although Haotian occupies the position of Heavenly Emperor, he has no soldiers, generals, or ministers under his command. I have painstakingly managed the Heavenly Court for many years, and look at how my hair has turned white. If this continues, I fear my days are numbered!"

Looking at Haotian's white hair, Hongjun felt even more sorry for him and used his true energy to lift him up. "Why are you doing this? I brought out the Investiture of the Gods for you. You don't need to perform such a grand ceremony!"

Upon hearing this, Haotian was overjoyed, and tears streamed down his face again. "Haotian thanks the Ancestor for saving me! The Ancestor is truly compassionate and worthy of being a model for us gods!"

Upon hearing this, Hongjun Laozu was overjoyed. With a wave of his hand, the Investiture of the Gods fell into Haotian's hands.

At this moment, Zhunti, Jieyin, Tongtian Jiaozhu, Yuanshi Tianzun, Taishang Laojun, Nuwa and others arrived.

Chapter 1095 The Investiture of the Gods

The saints initially paid no attention when they saw the sky filled with rosy clouds, but then they suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly made hand seals to head to the place of the Hongjun Ancestor. Unfortunately, no matter how fast they rushed, they were still a step too late.

But when they entered the main hall, they saw what Haotian was holding. Apart from Nuwa, who smiled knowingly, everyone else's eyes lit up. However, with Hongjun the Ancestor right next to them, they dared not act rashly.

"You should know why I summoned you here today!" said the venerable Hongjun.

Tongtian and the others had been fawned over by the immortals for a thousand years, but now they had to act like grandsons in front of Hongjun Patriarch. They couldn't help but feel awkward and uncomfortable. They had to suppress their unease and said with a smile, "Disciples know! Before the Patriarch went into seclusion, he told us about the thousand-year calamity. I suppose he summoned us here for this matter."

“That’s right. That’s why I’ve handed the Investiture of the Gods over to Haotian. Most of those who are going to face this tribulation are your disciples. I believe that Haotian, who is in charge of the Investiture of the Gods, will be able to treat them fairly.”

When Tongtian Jiaozhu and the others heard this, they were greatly shocked. They never expected that Hongjun Laozu would entrust such an important thing to a mere child.

Yuanshi Tianzun, Zhunti, Jieyin, and others managed to maintain a semblance of peace, but Tongtian Jiaozhu looked displeased. "Master, he—"

When Hongjun Laozu retorted, he glared at Tongtian Jiaozhu before Tongtian Jiaozhu could finish speaking. Under the pressure of Hongjun Laozu's power, Tongtian Jiaozhu dared not act rashly and could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger.

Haotian stood aside, watching everything before him, bowing his head respectfully to Hongjun Ancestor. But in his heart, he was overjoyed. It was these old guys who suppressed him every day, and seeing them suppressed by Hongjun Ancestor made him feel smug.

"Alright, you can discuss it amongst yourselves and then sign the document to be listed!" After saying that, Hongjun Patriarch looked tired, knowing that they would definitely argue with each other again about signing the document to be listed, and he didn't want to deal with it anymore.

Seeing the expression on Hongjun Laozu's face, everyone knew that pulling the cheche again would definitely displease Hongjun Laozu, so they had no choice but to take their leave.

Only Zhunti and Jieyin were overjoyed. The Western Religion was already in decline, but now the Taoist sect would surely be torn apart by the matter of signing the list. They seemed to see the day when the Western Religion would flourish.

The Tongtian Sect Leader, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, and the Supreme Lord Laozi all had solemn expressions and gloomy faces. They stared at each other blankly, and no one spoke first. Then they flicked their sleeves and summoned their respective auspicious clouds to return to their homes.

After returning to the Nuwa Palace, Nuwa had no inhibitions and laughed heartily.

Hearing Nuwa's silvery laughter, Li Xiuyuan asked, "So happy? What made you laugh like that?"

"Hahaha~ Master, you didn't see what those people looked like. Oh my, I can't take it anymore, I'm dying of laughter! Those guys usually act all high and mighty, like they have no desires or wants, but look what happened, haha~ they were all calculating in their minds."

Li Xiuyuan put his hand on Nuwa's shoulder, "Hahaha~ That's really funny! But, does your stomach hurt from laughing like that?"

Nuwa's eyes were filled with tears as she said seductively, "Hmm, now that you mention it, I do feel a bit of pain. I need you to rub it for me to feel better!"

"OK, all right."

Since Xia Qi changed the public ownership of the country to a family ownership of the country, the country has developed rapidly.

However, after Xia Qi died, his five sons fought for power among themselves, which quickly tore the once powerful country apart, and the people suffered greatly.

Especially after Tai Kang ascended the throne, he indulged in wine and women all day long and neglected state affairs, which allowed the Qiong clan to seize power.

Later, with the help of the Youyu clan, Shao Kang contacted his former subordinates, secretly amassed strength, and finally regained power, restoring the rule of the Xia Dynasty.

The Xia Dynasty regained its prosperity during the reign of Shao Kang, forming the peak of the Xia Dynasty in its middle period. The rule of the Xia Dynasty remained very stable until it went through five generations and six emperors.

They generally maintained a trend of continuous progress, the people lived in peace and prosperity, and many states and tribes submitted to the desired rule, with no one harboring any rebellious thoughts.

However, when the throne passed to his descendant Kong Jia, Hong Jia indulged in singing, dancing, and coloring all day long, believed in ghosts and gods, and was extremely cruel. He was known as Xia Jie.

If anyone offends him, he will use all sorts of methods to torture them, making them wish they were dead.

This led to the rebellion of various tribal leaders, who dared not remain in the Xia Dynasty. As a result, the Xia Dynasty gradually declined, beset by internal and external troubles. Meanwhile, Xia Jie showed no ambition and continued to indulge in extravagance and debauchery.

In the thirty-third year after Xia Jie ascended the throne, he led his troops to conquer the You Shi clan. The You Shi clan was powerless to resist, and in order to avoid the disaster of extermination, they offered Xia Jie a beautiful woman named Mei Xi.

King Jie of Xia favored Meixi greatly, spending lavishly on her and building magnificent palaces for her. All of this burden fell on the common people, who suffered greatly and dared not speak out against their anger.

Just as the Xia Dynasty was being betrayed by its people, the Shang tribe, under the leadership of its chief Tang, was flourishing. People flocked to the Shang tribe, leaving the Xia Dynasty behind.

Xia Jie was worried that Shang's power would become too great and threaten his rule, so he found an excuse to imprison Shang.

When the people learned of this, they all hated Xia Jie's cruelty and pitied Shang Tang.

Using his intelligence and wisdom, Tang of Shang finally escaped Xia Jie's imprisonment and returned to the Shang tribe. After returning to the tribe, he realized that he needed to have enough power to help more people resist Xia Jie's tyranny, otherwise, more people would suffer in the long run.

Tang of Shang was always respected for his virtue. When he raised his arm to call for action, all forces responded, and the people even voluntarily joined his ranks, helping Tang of Shang to destroy the Xia Dynasty.

After establishing the Shang dynasty, Tang reflected on the lessons of the Xia dynasty's demise, abolished the series of cruel and oppressive policies of the Xia dynasty under Jie, adopted benevolent governance, and finally eased domestic and international conflicts. The political situation improved, and the country gradually became stronger.

The people returned to a peaceful and prosperous life, and the human race further developed.

The descendants of Tang of Shang also heeded his admonition and implemented benevolent policies, passing on the Shang Dynasty from generation to generation.

Chapter 1096 Yao Ji's Heart Turns to Mortals

The goddess Yao Ji is Haotian's youngest sister. She is pure-hearted, exceptionally beautiful and intelligent.

Haotian doted on her, treating her like a precious jewel in his palm, afraid that she would break if he held her in his hands or melt if he kept her in his mouth. He hoped that she could grow up carefree in the Heavenly Court.

Recently, Haotian obtained the Investiture of the Gods, and all sorts of people have been moved by the news. Their attitudes toward Haotian have also changed 180 degrees. Everyone hopes that they can go down to the mortal world to undergo tribulations and then have a place on the Investiture of the Gods.

This annoyed Haotian greatly, but all his troubles disappeared as soon as he saw his cute and innocent younger sister.

From a young age, Yao Ji was a clever and precocious child, full of thoughts and active, like a lark soaring in the sky. What she wanted was not a luxurious and exquisite cage, but a free and unrestrained life.

Yao Ji grew up in the palace and was extremely familiar with every corner of it. She was so tired of it that she would often sneak out to see the lotus flowers by the Jade Pool, climb the peach tree to pick stars, and sometimes even run to the Milky Way to play.

Gradually, these things reached Haotian's ears, but Haotian had no choice. He was afraid that if he spoke lightly, Yaoji would just laugh it off, and if he spoke harshly, Yaoji would get angry and cry. Haotian couldn't bear to see his beautiful tears, so sometimes he could only turn a blind eye and pretend not to see them.

As a result, Yao Ji became even bolder. Sometimes she would ignore Haotian's warnings and secretly part the thick clouds to look down at the mortal realm. She saw all sorts of strange and wonderful things in the mortal realm, the joys and sorrows of human life, and a wealth of emotions. All of this was much better than the treacherous and cold Heavenly Court.

Gradually, Yao Ji developed worldly desires. She wanted to go to the human world to experience human emotions, joys and sorrows, and to live a free and unrestrained life.