ushernet Chapter 533 The Investiture of the Gods Ceremony Begins
Chapter 533 The Investiture of the Gods Ceremony Begins
At the summit of Qishan Mountain stands the Fengshen Terrace.
The spirits of all the Taoist priests and soldiers who died on the white jade pillar are the ones who are being conferred the title of gods today.
The soul howled, and the clouds in the sky surged.
Jiang Ziya, dressed in a white Taoist robe, his hair completely white without a trace of black, carried the God-Slaying Whip bestowed upon him by the Primordial Heavenly Venerable of the Jade Void Palace on his back. His robe fluttered in the wind as he raised his hand to respectfully invite Yang Jiao:
"Please, Qingfu Zhengshen."
Yang Jiao stood up solemnly, stepped onto the white jade steps, and walked towards the Conferred God Platform above the sea of clouds.
The spirits on the two pillars include soldiers who died in the Shang and Zhou wars, immortals of the Jie Sect, and wandering Taoists who came to face the calamity. Among them are those who do not want to be listed, but since they are already dead, they have no other choice but to ask for a good position.
They all hoped to be blessed by Heaven and join the ranks of the immortals.
On the most remote pillar, Li Jing was overjoyed and said to the spirits of his two sons beside him:
"We've finally waited for this moment! The Investiture of the Gods ceremony is about to begin, and I can become a god too!"
Jinzha wiped away a tear of bitterness. They had finally waited for this moment. "Father, it's good that you've become a god. It's good that you've become a god."
“Yes, even ordinary Taoists may not be able to ascend to immortality after hundreds of years of cultivation. If we die on the battlefield, it can be considered a good outcome,” Muzha said happily.
Li Jing was thrilled. He had been a disciple of the Daoist Master Du'e since childhood, but his master had predicted that he was not destined to become an immortal. So he had to go down the mountain and become the general of Chentang Pass to secure a life of wealth and honor.
Now that the Investiture of the Gods ceremony has begun, he is able to become a god!
Moreover, he later became a disciple of Daoist Ran Deng, and given Daoist Ran Deng's status in the Chan Sect, his divine position must not be low.
Li Jing laughed heartily, waiting for the Heavenly Court to issue an edict to welcome him to the Heavenly Palace.
All the heroic spirits on the Fengshen Platform were eagerly awaiting their divine positions.
Yang Jiao walked in front, followed by Jiang Ziya.
The system issued an alarm at every step.
[Friendly Reminder: The Investiture of the Gods ceremony is imminent. Please select the Investiture of the Gods list immediately.]
[Friendly Reminder: The Investiture of the Gods Ceremony has begun. Please check the Investiture of the Gods list one last time.]
【Kind tips:……】
Yang Jiao did not respond at all.
After taking the last step on the white jade steps, the vast Conferred God Platform lies before you.
A mystical aura pervades the air, auspicious clouds swirl around, and a thousand sharp rays of energy emanate from it.
Besides the spirits of the dead dwelling on the white jade pillar, there are also many living people waiting on the Conferred God Platform.
Yang Jiao looked over in that direction.
Yang Jian, Nezha, Lei Zhenzi, and others were among them.
At the very edge, stood Shen Gongbao, his expression inscrutable. He merely glanced at Jiang Ziya's full head of white hair, snorted, and looked away.
As the light shifted, more Taoists descended; these were the True Immortals of the Chan Sect who had come to observe the ceremony.
Taiyi Zhenren was overjoyed to see that Nezha had survived the great calamity unscathed, and he raised his whisk in delight.
Master Yuding moved closer to Yang Jiao, tugged at her sleeve, and whispered a reminder:
"Yang Jiao, the time for final peace has come. Do your best in bestowing the title of god, and make sure there are no more mishaps."
Yun Zhongzi nodded repeatedly.
"We've finally made it to the Investiture of the Gods ceremony. Once this is over, the five of us can return to our respective immortal mountains and caves to cultivate in peace."
“At this time, Maitreya and Ksitigarbha are not here. If you cause any more trouble… this humble Daoist has no skill in handling such matters.” Master Yuding’s face was more like a grimace than a cry.
Yang Jiao smiled very humbly.
The moment she made that expression, both Master Yuding and Master Yunzhong felt a chill run down their spines.
"Don't cause trouble! This is the Investiture of the Gods ceremony!" If it weren't for the fact that he was a second-generation disciple of the Chan Sect and had to maintain his dignity, Master Yuding would have burst into tears on the spot.
Seeing their worried expressions, Yang Jiao reassured them, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"When have you ever counted?" Yun Zhongzi interrupted directly.
The two of them wished they could kowtow to Yang Jiao on the spot and beg her not to bring four people along.
Master Yu Ding wore a bitter expression, but dared not raise his voice, and said in a low voice:
"I've finally recovered my cultivation and trained Yang Jian to become a disciple. Can't you let me live a peaceful life for a bit?"
Yes, Jian'er has already completed his apprenticeship.
Yang Jiao, having been reminded, took the opportunity to ask:
"Does Master Yuding need any more disciples? I have a younger brother..."
"No!" Master Yuding hurriedly interrupted, "I only have Yang Jian as my disciple. Even if there are other talented individuals, they have nothing to do with me, Master Yuding."
The Jade Cauldron Immortal's love for Yang Jian was no less than that of the Taiyi Immortal's affection for Nezha.
Yang Jiao was relieved, but it was a pity that Wukong's master was nowhere to be found and could not protect him for the time being.
"The auspicious time has arrived—"
"Your Excellency, please come forward and preside over the Investiture of the Gods ceremony with me," Jiang Ziya invited.
Jiang Ziya and Yang Jiao walked to the shrine for the investiture ceremony, their faces solemn.
The soldiers stood in all directions, flags raised, as the wind howled and their robes billowed.
Jiang Ziya offered incense, and the wisps of smoke drifted toward the Heavenly Court, accompanied by the cries of cranes.
Yang Jiao tightly gripped the two scrolls of the Investiture of the Gods hidden in her sleeve.
[Host, please select one volume of the Investiture of the Gods.]
"Qingfu Zhengshen, please summon the Investiture of the Gods. The Investiture Ceremony is about to begin," Jiang Ziya said.
On the entire Investiture of the Gods platform, everyone looked at Yang Jiao, who remained motionless.
She stood before the shrine, her fingers clenching so tightly they turned white.
One volume is the Investiture of the Gods under the Heavenly Dao, used to recruit 365 righteous gods for the Heavenly Court.
The first volume is the Investiture of the Gods, a list of deities created for the people's faith and desires.
A choice has become the issue that Yang Jiao must make at this moment.
"Qingfu Zhengshen?"
Jiang Ziya reminded everyone again: "The auspicious time for the Investiture of the Gods has arrived. Please, Venerable Master Qingfu, begin."
Seeing Yang Jiao deep in thought, Yang Jian silently moved closer to her.
Nezha glanced back at the spirits of the dead on the Investiture of the Gods platform:
"What are you yelling about? This is the Investiture of the Gods. If you didn't know that, you'd think you were in a hurry to be reincarnated!"
Immediately, the impatient spirits fell silent, fearing that they would displease the great killing god, and the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover burned their souls.
“Nezha, you must not be disrespectful to the gods in the future,” Li Jing said.
Nezha looked at it with disdain and pointed his Fire-Tipped Spear at it: "If you say another word, I'll burn you first."
Jinzha and Muzha instinctively wanted to scold him, but when they saw the flaming spearhead, they fell silent.
Yang Jiao slowly pulled out the Heavenly Dao Investiture of the Gods scroll.
"The Investiture of the Gods begins."
The Investiture of the Gods rose from Yang Jiao's hands and slowly unfolded in the void.
The rosy glow instantly enveloped the entire Qishan Mountain, its golden light shining for thousands of miles.
Jiang Ziya breathed a sigh of relief, his booming voice echoing throughout the Investiture Platform:
"By the decree of the Supreme Primordial Lord, three hundred and sixty-five righteous gods are hereby appointed to maintain order, each performing their divine duties."
"Please summon the spirit, step forward to receive the investiture!"
The spirits on the white jade pillar slowly came to a stop, striding forward, each one beaming with joy as they prepared to step forward to receive their titles.
Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice came from the horizon:
"Wait a minute."
Everyone looked up sharply and saw a black tiger with thick paws slowly stepping out from the sky. Sitting on the tiger's back was Zhao Gongming, who should have been cursed to death by the Seven Arrows of Nailhead during the Shang-Zhou War.
But he's still alive!
Moreover, standing beside Zhao Gongming were Lady Qiongxiao and Lady Bixiao.
"How...how is this possible? How is Zhao Gongming still alive?"
Li Jing was so enraged he felt his soul almost leave his body. Now that he had finally obtained the white jade pillar that bound the spirits of the dead, he roared fiercely:
"The one who bowed to death that day was me!"