Su Fu couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Good grief, the Nine-tailed Fox Empress really was unparalleled in charm.
In reality, Verdandi and the others had only themselves to blame.
The Nine-tailed Fox had forgotten her mission, indulging in power and pleasure.
Weren’t they the same?
They thought they were sitting securely in a high position, that by lifting a finger they could send countless test takers to die for them in waves. In truth, they had lost their own chance to participate in the battle.
So by the time they realized it, the high position they thought they held had already come crashing down.
Chesia thought for a moment. “That’s really how it is.”
“‘Hiding in the back guarantees victory’? What a load of crap!”
This was a restricted-level dungeon. A single mistake could mean death.
Instead of exploring and honing their own abilities, they stuck to the old routine of relying on family power to crush everything… Wasn’t that just asking for death?
‘In reality, isn’t it the same with the actual noble families?’ Su Fu thought.
The higher the pedestal, the farther from the ground. And when it falls…
The louder the crash, the more everyone wants to know just how loud it could be.
—
From that point on, the battle held no suspense.
King Zhou saw that the situation was hopeless. He climbed the Star-Picking Tower and set himself ablaze.
Amid the roaring flames, he shouted to the heavens: “Since I was born a Son of Heaven, I shall die a Son of Heaven’s soul!”
Jiang Ziya personally cut off the Nine-tailed Fox’s head and hung it on the Chaoge City Gate for all to see.
This grand campaign to punish King Zhou had finally come to an end.
Next came the Investiture of the Gods phase.
In the original Investiture of the Gods storyline, only Jiang Ziya and Bo Jian, who guided the souls, participated. They completed the investiture on the Fengshen Platform.
The investiture process was simple: enter the Fengshen Platform, proclaim the imperial decree, and go through the proper procedure to prove recognition by Heaven and Earth.
Then Bo Jian would bring in the souls, and Jiang Ziya would read the names from the Fengshen List.
After being read aloud, the souls would receive recognition from Heaven and Earth, obtain divine status, become bound by the Fengshen List, and transform into incense-fire deities.
Chesia’s eyes sparkled. “So when do we make our move?”
Su Fu replied, “After we enter the Fengshen Platform.”
“We need to seize the moment and swap the Fengshen List. That way, all the souls will be sealed into my Fengshen List.”
That would be a massive harvest.
The Fengshen List contained three hundred and sixty-five orthodox gods, each of them a top-tier divine powerhouse in their own domain.
Wen Zhong, the Thunder Heavenly Lord, controlled heavenly lightning and earthly fire. From now on, whoever she didn’t like would get struck by lightning.
Lu Yue, the Plague Orthodox God, could spread plagues without a trace—a must-have for any schemer.
Luo Xuan, the Fire Orthodox God, could wield Samadhi True Fire and Sun Real Fire with ease, burning mountains and boiling seas without breaking a sweat.
The Dou Department commanded the stars and constellations, wielding the Zhou Heavenly Stars Formation and controlling celestial phenomena as easily as moving one’s fingers.
Not to mention the three sisters, Yunxiao, Qiong Xiao, and Bixiao. With them, she could instantly deploy the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation.
Combined with the Hunyuan Jindou, even a Great Luo Golden Immortal would have to shed a layer of skin to escape. It could also weaken any Divine Summoner down to an ordinary person in battle.
Invincible in one-on-one combat. Even more invincible in a group fight.
If she got her hands on all the Investiture souls, wouldn’t that be like carrying a mini Heavenly Court with her?
Countless deities standing behind her alone.
There was only one chance. She had to go big.
This was practically like stealing the entire Great Desolation dungeon. Even if she went head-to-head with the Heavenly Dao Hongjun, what did it matter?
The benefits were simply too tempting.
The risk was great, but the rewards were even greater.
Hongjun might notice, but by the time he reacted, those souls would already be sealed on her Fengshen List.
Chesia listened, excited. “Do it! We have to do it!”
“This Great Desolation dungeon is like a massive treasure trove. Who knows how many cycles it’s run, but it’s covered in ripe, juicy fruit. We’d regret missing this forever!”
“Sure, your plan is absolutely insane, but when you think about it, it’s actually feasible.”
“It’s been so long since I’ve come across such an exciting gamble. Let’s take the bet. Win big or go home!”
Su Fu laughed out loud. She hadn’t expected the plan to actually tempt the Serpent of Temptation.
The two quickly calmed down and studied the details. Chesia asked a key question:
“Will these souls successfully enter the Fengshen List? Won’t the Heavenly Dao trigger an alarm on the spot?”
“There’s no need to worry about that,” Su Fu explained. “When it comes to Fengshen Lists, mine is the real deal. His is just a copy.”
“Since this world operates on the logic of the Investiture of the Gods, it must recognize the Fengshen List.”
“In fact, I’d say mine is an upgraded version? This dungeon probably had to cycle through who knows how many rounds to reach this level.”
Chesia nodded thoughtfully. “So there definitely won’t be any problems during the investiture process?”
“Right. The problem comes in the final stage, the moment I retrieve my Fengshen List and destroy this world’s Fengshen List.”
“Essentially, I’ll be forcibly terminating this world’s Investiture storyline. And then Hongjun will definitely notice that his house has been robbed.”
Chesia understood. “So we go straight to the face-off with the Heavenly Dao phase. We need to make a clean getaway.”
“It’s a bit intense, but it’s worth a shot.”
“After all, you’ve got the real Nuwa behind you.”
Su Fu thought the same. She would break through to S-rank at the critical moment, and Nuwa would definitely come to bestow her title. At that point, Nuwa’s ability to intervene would be far stronger than before.
In short, with her mother watching over her, she was as steady as an old dog.
“Speaking of which, I’m curious what title Nuwa will give me.”
Chesia: “The First Bandit of the Great Desolation?”
Su Fu: “………………Your naming sense is absolutely terrible.”
Chesia: “I don’t think so!”
The two buried themselves in planning for half the day, only stopping after ensuring every step was rock-solid.
—
On the day of the Investiture, a distant hillside overlooking the Fengshen Platform.
Even though the plan was solid, when it came time to actually execute it, Su Fu’s heart was racing. Facing the Dao Ancestor Hongjun—saying she wasn’t nervous would be a lie.
“But a chance like this…”
“Only comes once in a thousand years!” Chesia said.
Su Fu: “Er… Anyway, let’s get to work!”
—
At the peak of Qishan, the Fengshen Platform stood tall and majestic.
The entire platform was carved from blue jade, with clouds swirling around its summit.
Various offerings were laid out on the surface, and incense smoke curled up from the burner, reaching straight into the sky.
Bo Jian, the Pure Blessing God, dressed in a blue Daoist robe, holding the Soul-Guiding Banner, was already waiting in front of the platform. Golden-armored divine generals stood on both sides, solemn and silent.
At that moment, Jiang Ziya, clad in a Daoist robe, slowly ascended the platform, holding the Divine Whip, followed by soldiers carrying sacrificial vessels.
He reached the center of the platform, lit three incense sticks, and knelt to worship Heaven and Earth.
Then he poured three cups of wine, offering them to the east, south, west, and north, paying respects to Heaven, Earth, and the four directions.
Finally, he took out fresh flowers and placed them in sequence on the Bagua positions of the platform.
After completing the incense offering, wine sacrifice, and flower presentation, he stood firm at the center of the platform and loudly proclaimed the imperial decree:
“By decree of Heaven, we invest the gods! The Heavenly Dao shines bright; merits and faults are clearly distinguished. Today, on Qishan, we conduct the Investiture of the Gods, to comfort the loyal souls and correct the heavenly order…”
Jiang Ziya’s voice was not loud, but it seemed to have the power to pierce through the clouds. Su Fu heard every word clearly.
At that moment, Su Fu saw that the time was right and summoned Shen Gongbao.
Shen Gongbao stumbled as he landed, still rubbing his eyes. But when he saw the scene on the distant Fengshen Platform, he snapped awake instantly.
“The Investiture Ceremony?!”
“It’s already at this stage?”
He never expected that he’d wake up from a nap and find it was time for the Investiture.
“Did you sleep well?” Su Fu asked with a half-smile. “We’ve reached the final step. Time to deliver on my promise.”
Shen Gongbao immediately understood and said excitedly, “Time to steal the Fengshen List?”
“Tell me, how do you want me to cooperate?”
He stared intently at Jiang Ziya in the distance, clearly unable to contain his impatience.
“Simple,” Su Fu said. “After Jiang Ziya finishes reciting the decree, he’ll hang up the Fengshen List.”
“When the time comes, I’ll need you to cause a commotion and draw everyone’s attention. I’ll take the opportunity to grab the Fengshen List.”
Shen Gongbao thought to himself, ‘This plan really is simple.’
Especially since, aside from the mortal soldiers, the only people on the entire mountain were Jiang Ziya and Bo Jian beside him.
This was truly the perfect opportunity.
Shen Gongbao cast a surprised glance at Su Fu. He never expected this woman to keep her word—not only letting him survive to the end but also creating such a perfect chance for him.
But despite his excitement, he held onto a shred of rational caution and asked nervously, “You… you’re not going to trick me, are you?”
“If I were going to trick you, why would I have helped you escape Yuanshi Tianzun? And brought you here?” Su Fu spread her hands. “It’s because our goals are aligned.”
“Otherwise, I could have just let you die in your sleep without any problem. Why would I take the risk to come here?”
“What, are you having second thoughts?”
“Would you rather be a disowned disciple forever, someone who can’t even set foot on the Fengshen Platform?”
“Of course not!” Shen Gongbao immediately denied it. After thinking it over, he realized she was right.
What did he have left to be tricked out of?
Now, besides this woman, who would help him?
His master wasn’t here, the timing was perfect, and he couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.
Once he got his hands on the Fengshen List, he could prove to his master that he was far stronger than Jiang Ziya!
—
On the platform, Jiang Ziya had just finished the final sentence of the decree. His voice echoed through heaven and earth:
“Let Heaven and Earth bear witness, let the gods bear witness. From this day forth, the Investiture Ceremony officially begins!”
After speaking, Jiang Ziya donned his armor. In his left hand, he held the Apricot Yellow Flag; in his right, the Divine Whip. He stood solemnly in the center of the Fengshen Platform and nodded to Bo Jian. “Display the List!”
Almost at the same moment, a tiger’s roar shook the entire valley.
Shen Gongbao leaped onto his White-browed Tiger and charged straight at the Fengshen Platform!
“Jiang Shang! What qualifications do you have to preside over the Investiture?!”
The White-browed Tiger opened its massive maw and lunged at Jiang Ziya!
Jiang Ziya was quick. He raised the Apricot Yellow Flag to block. The flag surface blazed with golden light, completely neutralizing the White-browed Tiger’s attack.
Watching from a distance, Su Fu thought to herself, ‘Perfect!’
Shen Gongbao’s name was on the Fengshen List. For the Investiture to succeed, he had to show up.
Only he could draw the attention of the shrewd Jiang Ziya. Jiang Ziya knew the names on the List, and seeing Shen Gongbao’s name meant he’d know something unexpected was coming today.
Sure enough, though Jiang Ziya was momentarily startled, he remained completely calm.
“Shen Gongbao!” Jiang Ziya shouted in a deep voice. “How dare you disrupt the Investiture Ceremony? It’s not too late to pull back from the brink!”
He flicked the Divine Whip, striking at Shen Gongbao.
Shen Gongbao sneered. “Junior brother, why don’t you let me hang the Fengshen List?”
Jiang Ziya frowned. “Our master has given his orders. Do you think you can do as you please?”
“Do as I please?” Rage burned in Shen Gongbao’s eyes, “Why do you get to hold the Fengshen List? Master plays favorites. Today, I demand justice! I’m taking that Fengshen List!”
Jiang Ziya sighed. “Master chose me, not because I’m stronger than you, but because I can follow Heaven’s will. You only know how to go against the current. In the end, you still don’t understand where destiny lies.”
“Enough talk! Give me the Fengshen List!”
The two fought as they argued.
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