The origin of the world is finite.
Those who seek transcendence, whether through the paths of immortality, martial arts, Brahmanism, Confucianism, shamanism, or any of the other three thousand great Dao, ultimately converge on the same destination. They must inevitably engage with the primal forces of the world, and even its fundamental essence.
Although the world itself can draw primal energy from chaos, if cultivators are few in number, the burden is light. But when their numbers swell like a swarm of locusts, who could possibly endure it?
Therefore, at regular intervals, great calamities arise from heaven and earth, reducing the number of cultivators and even other living beings! This is the backlash from excessive extraction from the world.
Within the world of the Great Zhou’s Records of the Western Regions, the great calamity has already been determined, much like the Investiture of the Gods, with 365 divine positions that must be filled by death—no fewer than that.
Now, the Three Ancient Gods and the Five Patriarchs of Sects are competing over who must send their disciples to fill those positions.
The God of Brahman wishes the calamity to strike the Central Plains, hoping to eliminate more cultivators of immortality, so that the Buddhist disciples from the West can preserve their strength.
However, Dao Lords like Wu Ming naturally wish to divert the disaster westward, ensuring that the Brahman sect is drenched in blood and preserving the seeds of the immortality path.
This struggle between the two sides concerns the future fate of their great sects, and thus must be approached with utmost caution.
After hearing Wu Ming’s words, the Brahman God remained silent.
Seeing this, Wu Ming smiled again. “Brahman, although you lead a great sect, in the Central Plains we have the Five Patriarchs and even the Jade Emperor of Heaven, whose divine fortune is vast and prosperous. The calamity shifting westward is the will of heaven. Why would you persist in opposing it?”
As the author of the Great Zhou’s Records of the Western Regions, Wu Ming could confidently say that no one in the entire world understood the future direction better than himself.
And indeed, even without divine insight, the Five Patriarchs of the Central Plains plus an Ancient God—how could they possibly be matched by merely two other Ancient Gods?
Although, these six are not united either. Once the disaster is redirected westward, they will inevitably turn against each other, scheming and calculating.
“Amitabha!”
After a long silence, the Brahman God’s eyes revealed a compassionate light. Knowing he could not rival Wu Ming, he emitted a golden glow and departed.
“Now is not yet the time. When the calamity intensifies, I may have no choice but to confront this deity again…”
Wu Ming watched the deity vanish, his eyes dark and unfathomable.
…
Elsewhere.
In the void, Buddhist chants echoed, forming a pure land scene, yet ahead was blocked by a great ball of light.
“God of Light!”
The Brahman God appeared, gazing at the figure within the light: “The calamity has been decided—it will strike the West, and cannot be changed!”
“I have come to bring light to my believers!”
The God of Light radiated infinite brilliance, his voice deep: “Though supernatural power cannot rival fate, it is not entirely hopeless!”
With a wave of his hand, several light screens appeared, showing scenes of various reincarnators in action.
“These newcomers have unclear destinies and muddled fortunes, making them great variables… and they all gather around the chosen of the calamity. With proper guidance, there is still a chance to turn the tide!”
“Amitabha!”
The Brahman God closed his eyes for a long time before saying: “Your domain lies in the farthest West, while my holy disciples mostly establish nations in the Western Regions. Even with some shifts, under the great calamity, there will be no unbroken eggs. Preparations must be made in advance…”
Without further words, he suddenly departed.
“Did he notice…?”
The God of Light’s infinite radiance trembled, and a winged shadow suddenly flew out and vanished.
Almost immediately, a purple glow flickered, and two Dao Lords appeared: “God of Light, why have you come to our Great Zhou of the Central Plains instead of preaching in your domain in the far West? What is your purpose?”
…
“Praise our Lord, the sovereign of all light!”
The angel, sent by the God of Light through great divine power, was a golden-haired, blue-eyed being with feathered wings, arriving directly above the Western Capital.
“My Lord’s mission to me is to find those whose fates are obscured and disrupt the heavenly order…”
Among the Three Ancient Gods and Five Patriarchs, six favor the calamity striking the West—this is the will of heaven, the prevailing trend!
Even if the Brahman God and the God of Light are dissatisfied, they can only slowly make changes.
Yet, the will of heaven cannot be defied! Once determined, how difficult it is to change?
The angel had barely escaped death when he stretched his wings, drawing the attention of one individual.
“Chirp chirp!”
Above the Nine Heavens, a great black shadow tore through the sky, descending rapidly and transforming into a Daoist figure holding a gourd—the immortal who had previously listened to Wu Ming’s teachings and fortunately obtained a treasure.
“Bad luck!”
He looked annoyed: “I barely obtained a Dao Lord’s treasure, but was pursued by the Five Light Immortal and the Yao Li Immortal. If not for my innate flight ability as Wu He Immortal, I would have been killed… Even so, I can no longer return to the Eastern Sea!”
Originally a rare crow from the primordial chaos, Wu He Immortal had cultivated through listening to Daoist teachings day and night on the mountains beyond mountains. Possessing natural flight abilities, he was particularly adept at escaping danger, and now found himself above the Western Capital.
“I’ve long heard that the Great Zhou of the Central Plains is a mighty celestial empire, and its people are fair-skinned and delicate—indeed, enough to make one drool at the sight!”
Being a beast spirit, Wu He still retained his wild nature: “I’ll catch a few of them later to eat. I heard from the Black Bear Spirit that warriors are the most delicious, and the young ladies and masters from noble families are the tenderest…”
Flying swiftly, he suddenly spotted the enormous capital below and rejoiced.
“Good! I didn’t expect to reach the imperial city. If I casually display a few techniques, I can surely shock the emperor into appointing me as the national preceptor! Huh? What are you doing, my treasure?”
At that moment, the Yuan Ci Qi Sha Gourd in his hand trembled, suddenly releasing several beams of sword light, tearing through the clouds and revealing the angel who had just appeared.
“Where did this birdman come from?!”
Wu He’s feathers were pitch black, and the sight of the angel’s white wings displeased him greatly. Seeing that his treasure had already exposed the angel, he decided to take action without hesitation, spreading his hands wide. Countless black feathers formed a cage, surrounding the white-feathered birdman.
“Monster!?”
The birdman was startled, shaking his feathers, creating several halos behind his head that radiated infinite light.
“Tsk tsk… impressive techniques! If not for this treasure, I, Wu He, wouldn’t have been able to capture you!”
Having once listened to Dao Lords’ teachings, Wu He now had a vague suspicion. He solemnly bowed toward the gourd: “Treasure, turn around!”
Puff puff!
The Qi Sha Gourd vibrated, and countless star energies descended, forming seven icy long swords that arranged into a Seven-Star Sword Array, encircling the birdman. The star energies disrupted the white light, sending it into chaos. Then, the seven swords pierced forward, breaking through the birdman’s defenses and drawing golden blood.
“Gulp!”
Wu He laughed heartily, suddenly revealing his true form, rushing forward, and swallowing the birdman whole. Then, he transformed back into human form, patting his stomach: “This taste seems even more tender and chewy than warriors, even smoother than the noble girls. Pity I swallowed him too quickly without savoring properly…”
The Yuan Ci Qi Sha Gourd, having displayed its might, returned to its mundane appearance and landed in Wu He’s hand.
Wu He probed it with his spiritual sense and was delighted: “Before, no matter how I refined it, there was always a barrier between us. Now, I can easily break through the restrictions and fully control it…”
Yet, looking down at the Western Capital below, his expression turned anxious.
“Why did the treasure act this way after killing the birdman? Could I have unknowingly fallen into a Dao Lord’s scheme…”
At this thought, his hair stood on end. He no longer dared to plot deceiving the human emperor in the Western Capital, and with a whirlwind, fled like a fugitive.
…
“Fate!”
Although no one witnessed this scene, Dao Lords and Ancient Gods alike sensed it, each letting out a deep sigh.
“How biased the will of heaven is toward the Central Plains…”
The God of Light silently sighed toward the two Dao Lords: “Among the eight great beings, six are connected to the Central Plains. We two gods from distant lands face so much interference just to exert slight influence!”
“The calamity striking the West is now unavoidable. We must temporarily retreat and wait for the Central Plains’ factions to split…”
Once the great calamity begins, it will inevitably involve disciples and followers of all sects.
Previously, if the calamity had struck the Central Plains, both the Daoist sects and the Great Zhou would have suffered heavy losses, prompting the Five Patriarchs and the Jade Emperor of Heaven to temporarily unite.
In fact, it wasn’t even a true alliance, just a shared goal. The two Western deities were no match, allowing the calamity to shift to the West, preserving the vitality of the Central Plains.
However, what follows next doesn’t even require incitement—these six great beings will inevitably turn against each other.
After all, they were never unified to begin with. Although the calamity in the Central Plains has weakened, someone still needs to bear its brunt. The schemes and intrigues among them are already predetermined.
“Fate…”
The God of Light sighed deeply, transforming into infinite light and vanishing.
The two Dao Lords silently watched but made no move.
…
A few days later, within the imperial palace.
“The Emperor summons the newly selected scholars!”
Accompanied by the eunuch’s shrill announcement, the well-rehearsed scholars entered the grand hall with excitement, eyes lowered, not daring to look sideways.
“Long live the Son of Heaven!”
Zhang Tianxiang followed the other scholars, performing three kowtows and nine prostrations toward the golden steps ahead, maintaining a calm demeanor.
“Rise and be at ease!”
A clear, jade-like voice came from above. The scholars bowed again before standing.
For some reason, Zhang Tianxiang felt more gazes fixed on him than on his peers, causing sweat to form on his forehead.
Emperor Li Mao nodded slightly, and an elderly eunuch beside him called out: “Scholars, take your seats!”
Hundreds of small mats were arranged in the hall, with civil and military officials acting as supervisors. With the emperor himself watching from above, the pressure was immense. Some nervous scholars immediately began trembling, despite their vast knowledge, unable to write a single word.
Zhang Tianxiang calmed his mind, looked at the examination paper, and saw the topic: “On the Military System of the Great Zhou and Its Application to Current Conditions.” His heart trembled.
Nowadays, scholars preferred discussing classics, poetry, and even metaphysics, with few interested in military strategy.
He, however, had a personal interest in it and had studied extensively, making this question seem tailor-made for him.
Yet, for some unknown reason, as he lifted his brush, a sudden gaze pierced through, causing his hand to tremble, spilling ink across the paper, cold sweat sliding down his forehead…
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