[Chat Group For The Death] Chapter 286 - 290

Chapter 286: Could it be that I was wrong?

[CHAT GROUP]

Dongfang Yuechu couldn't help but ask: "What is sanctification? Who is Kunpeng?"

Hongyun explained: "To become a saint is naturally to achieve sainthood; Kunpeng is the culprit behind my downfall."

Han Fei asked: "Group Leader! The saints in Hongyun's world aren't the same as the saints in the Yang God World, right?"

Lucas: "Of course! Saints in Hongyun's world represent a realm of strength, while saints in the Yang God World only represent a kind of prestige."

Hongyun asked curiously: "The saint of the Yang God World? Group Leader, what exactly does that mean?"

Lucas explained: "In the world of the Yang God, those who have reached a certain level of strength, made significant contributions to humanity, and enjoy great prestige among humans can be called saints."

Zhao Gongming couldn't help but ask: "What is the strength standard for the saints of the Yang God World?"

Zheng Qizi: "To become a saint, you must at least be the creator of seven thunder tribulations. But this is the classification of strength in our world, and it's difficult to compare with your world."

Lucas: "You can learn from each other! The chat group can provide a fighting space where you can go to communicate directly."

Zhao Gongming: "Good idea! To be honest, the master is one of the six sages of the prehistoric world, the Tongtian Sect Leader. Since other worlds also have the title of saint, I'd like to assess whether their masters qualify for such a title."

Hongyun persisted in asking: "The Six Saints of the Great Desolation? Zhao Gongming, are you certain there are only six Saints of the Great Desolation?"

Zhao Gongming: "Yes! If Daozu Hongjun is also counted, then there are seven saints."

Hongyun: "The Six Sages of the Great Desolation you mentioned—are they Sanqing, Nuwa, and Zhunti?"

Zhao Gongming: "Yes! They are all guests of the Zixiao Palace. They were accepted as disciples by Daozu Hongjun. They are saints of Heaven. Senior Hongyun, you were also a guest of the Zixiao Palace. You should know this better than I do."

Hongyun: "Of course I know these things—I even witnessed the reason and process of their sanctification. If I hadn't been foolish and given up my seat to another, I would definitely have had a place among the Six Saints of the Great Desolation."

Lucas said disdainfully: "Hongyun, can you stop being so naive? You could never have become a saint regardless. Whether it's the seat you occupied or the Hongmeng Ziqi you obtained later—none of it ever truly belonged to you."

Hongyun couldn't help frowning: "Group Leader, what do you mean?"

Dongfang Yuechu: "Group Leader, we can't understand what you're saying! Could you tell us the newcomer's story?"

Lucas: "Very well! This story is quite long, so I'll keep it brief. In the prehistoric world, there was an enormous chaos. Three thousand gods and demons were born from this chaos, and the most powerful among them was called Pangu."

Howard Stark: "Pangu? This name exists in our world too. He's a god in Eastern mythology. Group Leader, Pangu doesn't actually exist in our world, does he?"

Sebastian Shaw: "Perhaps! After all, many mythical characters have appeared in our world. It's not surprising that several gods from Eastern mythology exist, but they're nothing more than aliens and dimensional demons."

Liu Xing: "Pangu... the myth and legend of the world creator? And Nuwa that was just mentioned—is she the one who mended the sky and created humans?"

Zhao Gongming: "Sage Nuwa did indeed mend the sky and create humans, but I'm surprised her legend exists in your world. What about my Sect Leader, the Tongtian Cult Leader? His legend should also exist in your world."

Howard Stark: "I found it! The Tongtian Sect Leader, head of one of the three sects of Taoism, also known as Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun. The Sanqings among the saints that Hongyun mentioned are Taiqing Daode Tianzun, Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun, and Supreme Qing Lingbao Tianzun?"

Hongyun: "That's right! Are we truly in different worlds? It feels like you know us well."

Liu Xing: "In our world, you are characters in mythology. You may not actually exist in our world—perhaps the information from your world was projected into the minds of people in our world, inspiring them to write down your stories and spread them as myths."

Zhao Gongming asked curiously: "The information of our world projected into the minds of people in your world?"

Lo Pei: "That's right! Everything that happened in your past and future appears as stories to us. The information from your world truly spreads in our world in the form of stories."

Zhao Gongming couldn't help but ask: "You mean you know everything that happened in our world in the past and future? If that's the case, do you know about the Battle of Conferring Gods?"

Howard Stark: "I found it! There's a book called 'Investiture of the Gods' in our world that tells the story of this battle. Of course, different worlds have different versions of the story, and our world's version isn't necessarily the true history of your world."

Zhao Gongming said disappointedly: "Then I got excited for nothing."

Lucas: "Not necessarily, because I can see the exact past and future of your world. As a Group Leader, I have the authority to view the past and future of your world—though this doesn't include futures that have been significantly altered."

Hongyun: "Futures that have been significantly altered—does that mean the predetermined future of our world can be changed?"

Lucas: "If it couldn't be changed, why would you join the chat group? Rest assured! Although your past is fixed, your future can still be changed."

Zhao Gongming pondered for a while and tentatively asked: "If you know my past, I'd like to know how I died. I seem to have been inexplicably injured and died in an unclear manner."

Lucas: "You were killed by Lu Ya! He possessed a powerful magic weapon called the Nail Head Seven Arrows Book. This is a cursed magic weapon that can kill invisibly and curse people to death from a distance."

Dongfang Yuechu: "A cursed magic weapon? That sounds interesting!"

Zheng Qizi: "The evil monks in the Yang God World also have similar instruments, but refining such items is extremely difficult. I didn't expect Zhao Gongming was killed by such a sinister method. What a pity."

Lucas: "@Zhao Gongming, why aren't you speaking? Could it be that I said something wrong?"

Hongyun: "Group Leader, what do you mean? From what you're saying, it sounds like Zhao Gongming already knew the cause of his death?"

Chapter 287: Someone has betrayed the Chan sect?

Lucas said calmly: "That's right! Zhao Gongming already knew the cause of his death, and his question just now was testing me. @Zhao Gongming, I'm not wrong, am I?"

Zhao Gongming: "The Group Leader is wise! You are correct—I was indeed killed by a curse from Daoist Lu Ya. I remember going to the Conferred God Platform after my death, but I can't recall what happened afterward."

Lucas: "In the original future, you were named the God of Wealth after your death."

Senju Hashirama: "What's this about becoming a god after death? If that's the case, death doesn't seem like such a bad thing!"

Lucas: "You lack understanding of the prehistoric world. After you learn the truth about conferring gods, you won't think it's a good thing."

Howard Stark: "It's really not a good thing to be named a god, and that's what the 'Fifty or Sixty Gods' in my world said. If you're confused, you should distinguish between gods of different worlds."

Golden Lion Shiki: "If you put it that way, I understand! The gods in the prehistoric world are different from the gods in our world."

Lucas: "That's right! The Prehistoric World is similar to the world of the Yang God, but its level is much higher. The story of Investiture of the Gods takes place in a relatively chaotic era."

Zhao Gongming wondered: "Chaos? That can't be right! The era I live in is definitely not chaotic."

Lucas: "Chaos and order are both relative. What seems chaotic to lower life forms differs from what seems chaotic to you. For the entire prehistoric world, your era was relatively chaotic."

Lucas: "Although there are six sages and powerful beings between heaven and earth, their ideas completely differ. Since the six sages' ideologies conflict, there will naturally be clashes among their disciples."

Zheng Qizi: "This resembles the ancient times of the Yang God World! Although there were many strong individuals in the human race then, their ideologies weren't aligned. Their conflicts plunged the entire world into relative chaos."

Lucas: "It's somewhat similar. But the prehistoric world has something the Yang God World doesn't—calamities dominated by heaven!"

Hongyun said in shock: "Quantitative calamity?"

Lucas: "That's right, Quantitative Calamity! Whenever karma accumulates too much in the prehistoric world, or its development faces problems, the Leader of the prehistoric world—the Dao of Heaven—will initiate Quantitative Calamity to cleanse the world."

Zhao Gongming: "I remember the Group Leader said that the conferring of gods is indeed a calamity. He wanted us disciples to stay home and avoid the calamity, but who would have expected us to be disobedient? What was the outcome of the confrontation?"

Lucas: "The apostates, those who were arrested, and those placed on the list of gods—apart from Zhunti, none had a good end. In the end, even the mighty Tongtian sect ended in obscurity."

Zhao Gongming was somewhat disbelieving: "How could this be? The Group Leader is the supreme saint! The Tongtian sect is the number one religion in the prehistoric wilderness—how could it exist in name only?"

Hongyun: "This is the Quantitative calamity! Group Leader, the Tongtian sect Leader shouldn't have fallen, right?"

Lucas: "No, he is a saint after all. But his fate wasn't very good. He was brought to Zixiao Palace by Hongjun Daozu and forced into secluded meditation."

Howard Stark: "Group Leader, I just read 'Investiture of the Gods.' My head is spinning—can you explain the story of the prehistoric world?"

Lucas: "The story of the prehistoric world is simple—after Pangu killed the chaotic gods and demons and created the world, he transformed his body into nourishment for the prehistoric world. His primordial spirit became Sanqing, his blood essence became the ancestral witch, and other parts became various elements of the prehistoric world, giving birth to all kinds of creatures."

Lucas: "After the birth of the Great World, life forms appeared one by one. To obtain more resources and power to dominate others, they worked hard to gain strength and establish authority, triggering repeated calamities."

Lucas: "Among these calamities, the Dragon and Han Emperor calamity deserves the most attention. During this calamity, the first saint in the prehistoric world, Hongjun, was born. By defeating Luo Hu who was attempting to prove the Dao, he became the biggest winner of the Dragon Han Emperor Tribulation..."

Hongyun: "As far as I know, the main participants in the Dragon and Han Tribulations were the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans, right? I had just taken form at that time and witnessed the power of these three races. It's a pity that one calamity completely devastated them."

Lucas: "The dragon, phoenix, and qilin families were indeed the main players in that calamity, but the main participants in calamities often don't have good endings. They typically decline completely and exit the stage. Have you heard of any protagonist of an Emperor calamity who hasn't fallen?"

Hongyun said in shock: "This really doesn't exist!"

Lucas: "Pangu and the 3,000 gods and demons were participants in the Kaitian Emperor calamity. Who among them survived? Even Hongjun and Luohu are just Traversers of the primordial spirits of the chaos gods and demons."

Lucas: "The Chaos Gods and Demons have come to an end—this is an unchangeable fact. Even Hongjun and Luohu abandoned their identities as Chaos Gods and Demons when they survived."

Lucas: "No need to elaborate on the subsequent Ferocious Beast Emperor Tribulation. The powerful beasts that once dominated have disappeared. The only evidence of their existence are the descendants of some ferocious beasts with diluted bloodlines."

Lucas: "Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin fared relatively well—at least they haven't completely withdrawn from the Great Wilderness stage. This is because the leaders of these three tribes sacrificed themselves to secure a small survival rate for their people."

Zhao Gongming said with sudden clarity: "Group Leader, I understand! We were the main participants in the conferring of gods and calamities, so the decline of our sect was inevitable. What about the Chan sect and the commoners?"

Zhao Gongming: "The Chan sect and commoners in the god-conferring calamity are like the dragon, phoenix, and qilin clans in the Dragon and Han Dynasty calamity. Since we were all main participants in the calamity, did they also decline?"

Lucas: "Of course! The emperor was demoted to a mere emperor, and the common people's religion didn't suffer major losses. Although the Chan sect's casualties were minor, a group of disciples, including the vice hierarch, collectively apostatized."

Zhao Gongming was stunned for a moment, and then said with glee: "People apostatized from the Chan sect too? They deserved it!"

Chapter 288: It's better to self-destruct!

[CHAT GROUP]

Lucas: "Didn't I mention earlier? Anyone who participates in the calamity won't end well. Although the Chan sect won the battle of conferring gods, they received little benefit."

Lucas: "If they gained any benefits at all, it's only that they didn't lose much. It's already tremendous luck that they managed to preserve about half their strength during the calamity."

Hongyun kept asking: "Where did the apostate members of Chan and Tongtian sects go? They betrayed the saints—who would dare take them in?"

Lucas: "Indeed! Apostasy means offending the saints of one's religion, and only other saints would dare protect them. As it happens, the two Western saints were troubled by the scarcity of talent in their religion, and they connected well with those apostates."

Hongyun said angrily: "Do you mean Zhunti? These two shameless people! The thing I regret most now is giving up my seat to them. If I hadn't been so foolish, I would be a saint now."

Lucas said disdainfully: "Hongyun, can you stop being so naive? I've already told you that you couldn't become a saint. Many group members don't understand this matter, so let me explain it carefully."

Lucas: "The Way of Heaven is the will of the prehistoric world, and it doesn't possess much wisdom. Although it's the Leader of the prehistoric world, it lacks the ability to manage the entire prehistoric world, so it needs assistance."

Lucas: "Saints are the managers chosen by the prehistoric world. Hongjun was the first person selected by the prehistoric world. After becoming a saint, he became part of the will of heaven and the spokesperson of heaven."

Hongyun: "What are the standards for saints in the prehistoric world? The Group Leader said I couldn't become a saint—there must be some basis for this claim?"

Lucas: "Of course! Sanqing was transformed from Pangu's primordial spirit, and they carry Pangu's enormous merits within them. They can become saints—do you have any doubts about that?"

Hongyun: "They still possess Pangu's merits of creating the heavens? Do the ancestral witches who evolved from Pangu's blood essence also have these merits?"

Lucas: "No! Although the ancestral witches were transformed from Pangu's blood and essence, don't forget what happened to Pangu's body. His body transformed into all things in the wilderness, and his essence, blood, and flesh gave birth to countless lives."

Lucas: "The Stygian River can be regarded as Pangu's blood, and Dijun Taiyi, Yi, and Wangshu were born from Pangu's eyes. There are too many beings with similar origins, and they cannot all share in the merits of creating the heavens."

Lucas: "If we granted the ancestors the merits of creating the heavens, wouldn't all other beings transformed from Pangu's flesh and blood also deserve to share these merits? They simply can't all be accommodated. Sanqing is different—Pangu's primordial spirit only transformed into the three of them."

Zhao Gongming: "So that's it! The Group Leader inherited Pangu's legacy, and sanctification was inevitable."

Lucas: "Exactly! That's why when Hongjun accepted them as disciples, he declared they were saints of heaven. This was predetermined by the prehistoric Way of Heaven and couldn't be changed."

Hongyun: "I remember now! Hongjun did say that. He also said Nuwa would earn great merit and qualify for sainthood in the future, so he accepted her as a disciple and gave her a holy position, including the Hongmeng Primordial Qi necessary for proving the Dao and becoming a saint..."

Hongyun suddenly stopped talking.

Lucas laughed: "Do you understand now?"

Hongyun said quietly: "Hongjun said at the time that he owed Western Karma from the battle between Dao and Demon, so he accepted Zhunti as disciples and gave them the holy seats... If I hadn't given up my seat, Kunpeng wouldn't have been robbed of it. Could we still have been sanctified?"

Lucas smiled and said, "Do you have Sanqing's honorable status? Do you have Nuwa's great merits? If not, why should you and Kunpeng become saints? It was convenient for Hongjun to use sainthood to resolve his karma—why would he waste a sainthood position on you?"

After a moment of silence, Hongyun asked, "Since Kunpeng and I couldn't become saints, why were we seated on the holy thrones in the first place?"

Lucas sneered and said, "What do you think? With so many masters in the Three Thousand Zixiao Palace, why were you six the ones seated on thrones? Dijun and Taiyi were so powerful—why didn't they sit on thrones?"

Hongyun said in awe: "You mean, it wasn't coincidence that we were seated on the holy thrones?"

Lucas: "Of course not! You and Kunpeng were manipulated by Hongjun, understand? Even if you hadn't given up your seat, other circumstances would have made you fall from it."

Hongyun said angrily: "So that's it! No wonder Kunpeng's seat was barely stolen before Hongjun appeared to stop the fight. What about Dijun and Taiyi?"

Lucas: "They were the main participants in the Lich Tribulation, so it was impossible for them to play these roles. If they couldn't participate, you and Kunpeng were the only options. Your character flaws made you the easiest to manipulate."

Hongyun: "How infuriating! Group Leader, you mentioned the Lich Tribulation earlier, correct?"

Lucas: "Yes! The witch clan and demon clan competed for supremacy over heaven and earth, occurring between the Dragon-Han calamity and the God-conferring calamity."

Hongyun said with joy: "Wonderful! As main participants in the calamity, the demon clan must have ended badly, right? Among the beings who killed me, the demon clan was predominant. Dijun, Taiyi, Kunpeng, and the ten demon saints—they're all my enemies. What happened to them?"

Lucas: "Dead! Except for Kunpeng, all the other demon saints perished."

Hongyun said unhappily: "That guy Kunpeng didn't die? By the way, how did Dijun, Taiyi, and the others die?"

Lucas: "At the end of the Lich Tribulation, affected by the aura of the Emperor's Tribulation, they self-destructed one after another."

Hongyun: "Kunpeng didn't self-destruct?"

Lucas: "No, he escaped at the critical moment. Not only that, but he also stole Dijun's accompanying magic weapon—the Hetu Luoshu."

Hongyun said gleefully: "Hahaha! Well done! Dijun and Taiyi must have been miserable, right? They must have been betrayed by their own people at the critical moment—their expressions must have been priceless. No wonder they chose to self-destruct! The Hetu Luoshu is the key core of the Zhou Tianxingdou formation."

Hongyun: "Without the Hetu Luoshu, the Zhou Tianxingdou formation would lose its strength and couldn't compete against the Witch Clan's Twelve Capitals of Heaven and Gods. The Demon Clan was doomed to fail."

Hongyun: "Even if Dijun and Taiyi hadn't self-destructed, they couldn't have escaped death. Self-destruction was the better choice—at least they could take their enemies down with them."

Chapter 289: The primitive world is destroyed?

[CHAT GROUP]

Zhao Gongming: "If I remember correctly, Kunpeng was still alive when I died! He occupied a large area in North Blue and established a force called the Demon Leader's Palace."

Dongfang Yuechu said sharply: "Demon Leader?"

Hongyun: "That's right! Kunpeng created writing for the demon clan and is the teacher of the entire demon race. After Dijun and Taiyi recruited him, the title they bestowed upon him was 'Demon Leader.'"

Howard Stark: "Dijun and Taiyi are the Golden Crows in Eastern mythology, aren't they?"

Hongyun: "The bodies of Dijun and Taiyi are indeed the three-legged birds born in the sun—Golden Crows. They founded the celestial court of the demon clan and ruled the entire demon race. Group Leader, how is my old friend Zhen Yuanzi doing?"

Lucas: "He's fine, and as far as I know, he faces no danger."

Hongyun: "That's good! If not for his protection back then, I might have perished long ago. Even in the final battle, he helped me tremendously. If he were in trouble, I would be deeply concerned."

Zhao Gongming: "The Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi? I know him! He's a guest of the Three Thousand Zixiao Palace like the Group Leader, and he's also the ancestor of the Earth Immortals."

Hongyun said in confusion: "What is 'ancestor of the earth immortal'?"

Lucas: "That's Zhen Yuanzi's title! His companion treasure Lingbao Dishu can communicate with the prehistoric lands and even inspire the power of the prehistoric ancestors. He uses the Earth Book to seal the earth immortals and instructs them to manage the prehistoric land, hence he's the ancestor of earth immortals."

Hongyun said with relief: "It seems Zhen Yuanzi is doing well—that's reassuring. I hope he won't become involved in future calamities and can live peacefully forever."

Lucas: "Don't worry, Zhen Yuanzi has tremendous luck. As long as he doesn't court death himself, there's little chance of his downfall."

Zhao Gongming wondered: "Why do you say that? Although Zhenyuanzi is the ancestor of Earth Immortals, his influence shouldn't be that significant, right? You must know that even our saint disciples risk complete downfall."

Lucas: "After the world shattered, the newly born world was called Dixianjie. As the ancestor of Dixian, can you imagine Zhen Yuanzi's luck? It far surpasses your so-called saint disciples."

Zhao Gongming said in shock: "The prehistoric world is shattered?"

Hongyun also said blankly: "Impossible! The prehistoric world is incredibly powerful—how could it shatter? Moreover, the saints manage the prehistoric world; they wouldn't allow it to break apart!"

Zhao Gongming: "Yes! After Buzhou Mountain collapsed back then, the Group Leader and others joined hands to repair the prehistoric world!"

Hongyun said in shock: "Buzhou Mountain collapsed? That's impossible! It's the backbone of Pangu's divine body, with strength comparable to innate treasures. How could it collapse?"

Howard Stark: "Buzhou Mountain? I know a story about Gonggong's anger causing Buzhou Mountain to fall. It seems Gonggong knocked it down."

Hongyun categorically said: "Impossible! Gonggong is one of the twelve ancestors of the Wu clan, and his strength is at quasi-sage level. How could someone of his power topple Mount Buzhou? Moreover, the Wu clan disrespects heaven, earth, and sages—they only respect Pangu. Why would Gonggong destroy Buzhou Mountain, formed from Pangu's backbone?"

Lucas: "Because of the calamity! The calamity weakened the mountain and drove Gonggong insane. Additionally, the main battlefield of the Lich War was near Buzhou Mountain, and successive self-destructions of powerful beings severely damaged it."

Hongyun said blankly: "Is that so? If Buzhou Mountain broke, the sky would collapse. Did the saints prevent the destruction of the world?"

Lucas: "Yes! The Way of Heaven had already prepared to repair the sky by replacing Buzhou Mountain with the limbs of a huge black tortoise. Nuwa used her fortune-based methods to refine sky-repairing stones, and the sky was mended to close the gaps."

Hongyun: "If that's the case, why did Honghuang transform into a Dixianjie world? Could there have been a flaw in the saints' repairs that failed to completely prevent Honghuang's destruction?"

Lucas: "No, there was no issue with the saints' repairs. Although the Lich calamity caused Buzhou Mountain's collapse, it didn't fundamentally damage the world. What truly caused the shattering of the world was the conflict between saints during the God-conferring calamity."

Zhao Gongming was stunned: "The saints fought during the God-conferring calamity? Is it possible that the Group Leader and others also participated in the Emperor Tribulation? Impossible! They are all Primordial Saints—they couldn't be subject to calamity."

Hongyun echoed: "Exactly! Although the calamity is terrifying, it's not powerful enough to affect saints!"

Lucas: "True, the imperial calamity cannot directly affect saints, but it can affect their disciples. If all disciples perish, the saints' sects will exist in name only."

Dongfang Yuechu: "This means that while the calamity can't directly affect the saints, it can indirectly impact them through their disciples?"

Lucas: "Correct! Although the Tongtian Sect Leader isn't affected by the Emperor calamity, how could he remain indifferent when all his disciples are killed or wounded?"

Zhao Gongming sighed and said: "We have failed the Group Leader! He warned us at the beginning of the calamity and instructed us to stay behind and avoid it. We disobeyed his orders and were killed in the disaster, ultimately drawing the Group Leader into the calamity."

Hongyun: "Group Leader, what happened in the God-conferring calamity? And the Lich calamity—I don't know much about these events. After all, I died relatively early and lack understanding of these matters."

Lucas: "The cause and history of the Lich Tribulation are straightforward. Two powerful forces, the Wu clan and the demon clan, both sought to dominate the world and fought for supremacy. Later, Dijun's ten sons provoked the Wu clan, and the sky emptied, making life difficult for the earth-dwellers."

Lucas: "Kuafu, a Wu clan powerhouse, was killed in the battle to expel the ten golden crows. The descendants of Kuafu's friends created bowmen who shot down nine golden crows one by one. The tenth would have been shot as well, but Dijun killed the bowman before he could fire."

Lucas: "What happened afterward needs no elaboration. The incidents with Kuafu's descendants and Hou Yi shooting the suns became the catalyst for the Lich War. The Lich and Yao clans then fought a decisive battle. Both sides were devastated, and Buzhou Mountain collapsed."

Howard Stark: "I can find these stories in Eastern mythology, but I never expected such connections between them."

Hongyun: "Dijun, Taiyi, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches never advanced to become Primordial Saints, did they?"

Lucas: "Of course not! The position of saint in the prehistoric world isn't easily attained. As far as I know, the seventh saint in the prehistoric world never appeared."

Chapter 290: The Great Tribulation is the will of Heaven!

[CHAT GROUP]

Zhao Gongming: "If the Group Leader participated in the battle of conferring gods, the two saints from the Chan sect and the Human sect would definitely also participate. If the battle of the Lich without the saints' participation could break Buzhou Mountain, it's not impossible for this war to shatter the wilderness."

Howard Stark: "Group Leader, I'd like to ask what the concept of 'shattering' means in this context."

Lucas: "It's equivalent to your universe, together with countless parallel universes and universes connected to yours, having the omnipotent universe they collectively form broken apart."

Howard Stark was shocked: "Are saints truly so terrifyingly powerful? In the mythology from my world, saints don't seem particularly formidable!"

Lucas asked, "Which mythology are you referring to?"

Howard Stark: "I just finished reading 'Investiture of the Gods,' and the immortals in it seem of average strength. Even a top immortal like the Tongtian Cult Leader only gives me that impression."

Zhao Gongming said angrily, "You dare slander my master?"

Howard Stark: "I didn't mean to slander him—I just expressed my impression after reading it. In 'Investiture of the Gods,' the strength of Hunyuan Da Luo Golden Immortals doesn't seem particularly impressive."

Howard Stark: "It's the same with you saint disciples. The power of immortals doesn't seem much stronger than mortals. Mortals who have trained for decades can even defeat immortals on the battlefield."

Lucas: "The 'Investiture of the Gods' you read differs greatly from the real world. Can't you see it was written by ancient people? Even if they glimpsed visions of other worlds, they couldn't express them accurately."

Howard Stark suddenly said: "I see! That explains why the battle descriptions in the book are so understated. The ancients lacked sufficient vocabulary!"

Lucas: "More than that! The information the author received wasn't necessarily complete, and many elements were invented. So beyond the issue of combat power, there are likely numerous logical inconsistencies in 'Investiture of the Gods.'"

Howard Stark: "I noticed that too—like the relationship between Hongjun and the two Western sages, and Hongjun's origin story, which doesn't make any sense! This must also be due to incomplete information and vocabulary limitations, right?"

Lucas: "More or less!"

Howard Stark: "The book describes the opening of the God-conferring calamity as happening because immortals committed murder and the Heavenly Court lacked manpower. Is this description accurate?"

Zhao Gongming snorted coldly: "That part is accurate! Immortals in our world do face calamities and must transcend them periodically. The God-conferring calamity can be considered a collective calamity. It's also true that the Heavenly Court lacked manpower—that was indeed the direct cause of the God-conferring affair."

Hongyun wondered: "Heavenly Court? Wasn't the Monster Race's Heavenly Court destroyed in their battle with the Witch Race?"

Zhao Gongming: "It's not the demon clan's Heavenly Court! After the witch clan and demon clan mutually destroyed each other, Hongjun Daozu elevated his Taoist boy Haotian to become the Emperor of Heaven. Haotian is the nominal ruler, but unfortunately, he lacks sufficient power to command respect."

Lucas: "That's right! Haotian himself lacks the strength to rule heaven and earth, and he has no confidants among Hongjun's followers in Zixiao Palace. Therefore, his Heavenly Court is merely an empty shell, and many don't take him seriously."

Zhao Gongming: "Exactly! It's because the Golden Immortals of the Chan sect didn't respect Haotian that he angrily went to Zixiao Palace to complain. Hongjun Daozu then produced the List of Gods and used the power of calamity to increase the Heavenly Court's manpower."

Hongyun: "So Haotian initiated the God-conferring calamity? Then he's truly unfortunate. Offending so many powerful beings at once—his future situation must be precarious."

Lucas: "Not necessarily! Although Haotian triggered the God-conferring Tribulation, he can't bear all the blame. Even without him, the calamity would still have occurred. On the contrary, Haotian introducing the List of Gods was actually beneficial for the immortals of Honghuang."

Hongyun said in surprise: "A good thing?"

Lucas: "Yes! The powerhouses who died in the God-conferring calamity differ from those who perished in other calamities. They won't be completely annihilated—their true spirits will enter the List of Gods, allowing them to achieve Shinto status and continue existing."

Hongyun: "If that's true, then the List of Gods that Haotian introduced provides a survival path for immortals who would otherwise be eliminated by the calamity. But such survival must come with a significant price, right?"

Lucas: "Of course! The price is that you can no longer continue cultivating—your strength level stagnates, and you become enslaved to the List of Gods. Those who possess the List can command you to do their bidding. This is the true purpose of the List—to provide the otherwise powerless Haotian with enough numerous, strong, and obedient subordinates."

Hongyun: "Although these restrictions are severe, as long as Haotian isn't too demanding, the immortals on the List shouldn't resent him. Does this mean the members on the List of Gods were primarily from the Tongtian sect?"

Lucas: "Exactly! The List of Gods required three hundred and sixty-five righteous gods, and only the Tongtian sect could produce so many powerful individuals. The Chan sect had only a few dozen core disciples, and the Human sect had just one disciple. Without the Tongtian sect's members, even if the Chan and Human sects were completely emptied, they couldn't fill the List of Gods."

Dongfang Yuechu asked curiously, "How many members did the Tongtian sect have?"

Lucas: "Let me tell you, there was a famous occasion in the Tongtian sect called 'Ten Thousand Immortals Come to Court!' Ninety percent of the massive List of Gods came from Tongtian sect members."

Dongfang Yuechu said in shock: "Ten Thousand Immortals? That's extraordinary! The Chan sect has only dozens of core disciples, and the Human sect just one core disciple. All three are led by saints—how can their membership numbers differ so drastically?"

Sword God Ryuma: "No wonder the Chan and Human sects joined forces against the Tongtian sect. Only the Tongtian sect could fill the vacancies in the List of Gods. If they didn't place Tongtian sect members on the list, even emptying the Chan and Human sects would be pointless!"

Whitebeard: "If I remember correctly, the leaders of the Chan, Tongtian, and Human sects are the Sanqing transformed from Pangu's primordial spirit, right? They're closer than brothers—couldn't they devise a way to prevent this conflict?"

Lucas: "The calamity represents the will of the prehistoric world—the three of them couldn't stop it. Moreover, after establishing their respective religions, conflicts arose between their teachings, creating divisions."

Zhao Gongming: "That's true! The Group Leader's Tongtian sect doctrine conflicted significantly with the teachings of his two brothers."