BOOK 2: CHAPTER 403: DIVINE-MORTAL COVENANT, TRANSCENDENCE OPPORTUNITY

Vol 2 Chapter 403: Divine-Mortal Covenant, Transcendence Opportunity

=The Small Investiture Scroll had been in Zheng Fa's possession for quite some time:

Back when he first gained control over Jiushan Realm, he obtained this treasure, though he rarely used it.

The only time it was employed was during the exploration of the Tianhe Secret Realm, when Senior Sister Zhang infused her essence blood into it.

The Small Investiture Scroll in Zheng Fa's hand contained twenty-four divine positions, suggesting the original Heavenly Venerate had once enfeoffed twenty-four subordinate deities.

When the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor invaded this realm and the Heavenly Venerate perished, these twenty-four naturally followed him into extinction.

Now within this Small Investiture Scroll, only Senior Sister Zhang's essence blood remained.

"To practice the Tongtian Method, one must conduct investiture ceremonies. This is precisely why the Tongtian Method is most suitable for Divine Path cultivation. Unfortunately, you all lack such opportunity."

Although she held no expectations for her disciples to learn anything from Zheng Fa,

Lady Nishang still took the opportunity to explain to her several disciples, after all, Yaochi Sect prioritized the Divine Path above all.

In this current era, Zheng Fa stood as the only cultivator who had obtained a Tongtian treasure.

For Yaochi disciples, this presented an excellent case study, and broadening their knowledge never hurt.

The green-robed female disciple exchanged glances with others, her curiosity piqued: "Venerable, if we ever get the chance for investiture in the future, would it be because of this scroll?"

Lady Nishang nodded: "Exactly. This object is called the Investiture Scroll. Those whose names appear on it receive boundless benefits. For sects, this treasure holds even greater value."

Hearing this, all Yaochi disciples turned their gaze toward the scroll in Zheng Fa's hand, their eyes filled with longing.

Lady Nishang understood their reaction perfectly. In this era, not only were Tongtian treasures rare, but even subordinate deity positions were scarce.

Unless Yaochi disciples possessed exceptional talent coupled with special opportunities, they couldn't hope to have their names inscribed on the Investiture Scroll.

Thinking this, she sighed inwardly: "No wonder Taishang Dao values Zheng Fa so highly. Setting everything else aside, just this Investiture Scroll alone could make Jiushan Sect produce countless geniuses given enough time."

"Though with Lu Mo's imminent ascension, one wonders if Jiushan Sect even has that much time left."

..

The Heavenly Emperor body tossed the Investiture Scroll, which unfurled before him.

Unless Yaochi disciples possessed exceptional talent coupled with special opportunities, they couldn't hope to have their names inscribed on the Investiture Scroll.

On the front, two mysterious runes occupied the topmost position, beneath which only Zhang Wuyi's name appeared, followed by twenty-three empty columns.

The Small Investiture Scroll wasn't unique to Zheng Fa alone but rather represented a universal magical artifact for Tongtian Method cultivators.

Lady Nishang had mentioned this before.

Recalling back when Zheng Fa first entered Jiushan Realm, the silver and golden registers he obtained actually originated from this system, essentially functioning as subordinate deities:

Simply put, the Xuanwei Divine Path's Investiture Scroll operated as a feudal-like system.

The most fundamental contradiction of Divine Path methods was that cultivators needed more incense fire power, which required larger populations.

The problem was, larger populations generated greater desires.

The Investiture Scroll essentially served as a mechanism for Tongtian masters who couldn't handle the burden to enfeoff their believers to others.

Its operating principle was quite simple - through the Investiture Scroll, Tongtian masters used incense fire to nurture powerful subordinate deities.

These subordinate deities, being inherently dependent on the Tongtian master, remained utterly loyal and could naturally contribute incense fire power.

With fewer subordinate deities came fewer desires. Thus, by collecting incense fire power from subordinate deities instead of directly from the mortal realm, while the quantity decreased significantly, the desire burden reduced to merely one percent or even one thousandth of the original!

Subordinate deities essentially functioned as incense fire filters.

This method remained exclusive to Tongtian masters, as without complete control over one's Tongtian, how could enfeoffment even occur?

Therefore, although Zheng Fa obtained the Small Investiture Scroll early on, only after his Heavenly Emperor body merged with Jiushan Realm could he fully control this treasure.

....

"Oh? There's already a name on it?"

Lady Nishang examined the Small Investiture Scroll with surprise, then recognized it as none other than Jiushan Sect's Master Zhang.

Understanding dawned on her, and she smiled: "Master Zhang certainly deserves a divine position."

The other Yaochi disciples nodded in agreement. They weren't fools and could clearly see that within Jiushan Realm, Master Zhang ranked only below Zheng Fa.

Now that investiture was proceeding, Master Zhang naturally stood as the undeniable first choice.

In the small courtyard, Zheng Fa turned his gaze toward Senior Sister Zhang.

Senior Sister Zhang nodded gently, as if anticipating his unspoken question.

Zheng Fa smiled slightly, pointed remotely toward the Heavenly Emperor body, and suddenly a Great Sun True Fire manifested in the void, enveloping the Small Investiture Scroll.

Moments later, the three characters "Zhang Wuyi" on the Small Investiture Scroll faded from deep to light, eventually disappearing completely. Instead, a drop of essence blood emerged from the scroll's surface, flying into the courtyard and dripping into Senior Sister Zhang's heart.

No one expected that Zheng Fa's first act of investiture would be removing Senior Sister Zhang's name from the Small Investiture Scroll!

The Yaochi disciples stood frozen in astonishment, but none reacted as intensely as Lady Nishang.

"It disappeared?"

"Zheng Fa... can actually rewrite the Investiture Scroll?"

She gazed at the Small Investiture Scroll from afar, her expression shifting from surprise to doubt, until finally her eyes filled with intense longing, even approaching fervor.

None of the Yaochi disciples had ever seen such an expression on her face. They exchanged uncertain glances, the green-robed female disciple timidly asking: "Venerable, what's so significant about this? Didn't Master Zhang suffer a loss?"

Lady Nishang shook her head, her gaze returning to Zheng Fa filled with newfound hope, "You don't understand. For you, having your name on this Investiture Scroll represents great opportunity."

"But for those like us, escaping the Divine Path represents true liberation."

After a long silence, she added: "If Zheng Fa possesses such capability, and if it could be applied to us Yaochi deities...."

The green-robed female disciple, seeing her trail off, asked curiously: "What then?"

"In competing with the Celestial Lady, I would stand undefeated. I might even surpass the Celestial Lady herself..."

At this point, Lady Nishang turned her gaze toward the Great Sun True Fire in the void, murmuring: "I just wonder if this divine fire truly possesses such miraculous power to offer our Yaochi a chance at liberation."

......

Unaware of Lady Nishang's thoughts, Zheng Fa had his own reasons for removing Senior Sister Zhang's name from the Investiture Scroll.

His perspective on the Divine Path remained complex.

He himself wasn't someone who coveted the Heavenly Emperor position - otherwise he wouldn't have toppled divine statues. His use of the Tongtian Method served his Yang Spirit cultivation.

If speaking of his true intentions, he preferred researching the mysteries of the Immortal Dao.

Even regarding his Heavenly Emperor body, while useful, it didn't hold paramount importance to him.

Yet precisely...

He closed his eyes, sensing the myriad thoughts emanating from the Heavenly Emperor body.

Among them existed desires, malice, the darkest aspects of human nature.

But he could also perceive many other scenes:

An elderly man piously kneeling on the street, kowtowing toward the Heavenly Emperor body in the sky.

A young child, drooling, placing freshly picked, dewy fruits from the yard before Zheng Fa's statue.

A father holding his newborn daughter, smiling sheepishly as if introducing the little face to Zheng Fa.

Although Zheng Fa didn't particularly favor the concept of praying to deities, he had to acknowledge that the Divine Path represented the only cultivation method in Xuanwei Realm that genuinely cared about mortals.

Immortal sects, as they appeared now, still only valued cultivation geniuses. Ordinary mortals meant little more than dogs to them.

The Demon Sect needed no explanation - who knew how many souls had perished by the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor's hand?

The Tianhe Method made it clear that Tianhe Sect didn't particularly value the mundane either.

Only the Divine Path, due to its inherent mechanisms, proved most friendly toward mortals.

Naturally, Lady Nishang would complain that the Divine Path represented a cage.

But for millions upon millions of mortals, the Divine Path actually served as a protective umbrella.

If Zheng Fa were a mortal without cultivation, he might prefer living under Divine Path cultivators' rule rather than immortal sects.

Ultimately, cultivators only answered to their power sources.

In Xuanwei Realm's situation, the weak could only rely on the Divine Path to counter immortal sects and demon ancestors.

His gaze fell upon the Small Investiture Scroll. The Great Sun True Fire still burned around it, its patterns constantly shifting.

The Heavenly Emperor body stood in the void, its voice clear and resonant: "As Heavenly Emperor, I now establish a covenant with all beings of Jiushan Realm. Heaven and earth witness our pledge, mountains and rivers our oath."

"The first item constitutes the Divine-Mortal Alliance Oath."

"Deities receiving incense fire shall swear three oaths:"

"First, reward good and punish evil, protect life and cease killing."

"Second, harmonize the four seasons, shelter living beings."

"Third, enlighten wisdom and propagate the Dao, transmit skills and benefit the people."

As his words faded, everyone across heaven and earth could see three additional vows appear on the Investiture Scroll.

The Heavenly Emperor body continued: "Mortals receiving divine grace shall likewise make three promises:"

Yet unexpectedly...

Lady Nishang frowned as she watched, feeling perplexed.

Although both had three commitments, Zheng Fa's restrictions on deities far exceeded those on mortals.

This was unprecedented in Xuanwei Realm.

She certainly understood this was Zheng Fa's intentional design, but she couldn't comprehend why.

The Heavenly Emperor body gazed at the newly formed covenant text on the Investiture Scroll, knowing this likely represented the first step in establishing Jiushan Heavenly Court's systems.

The Divine-Mortal Covenant essentially emphasized form over substance.

At its core, it clarified the Divine Path's power source, placing deities and mortals in relatively equal positions.

Regarding content, for Zheng Fa, among the three promises, enlightening wisdom and propagating the Dao, transmitting skills and benefiting the people held greatest importance,

best aligning with his philosophy of collective intelligence.

....

Throughout Jiushan Realm's mortal world, even those who hadn't received education could understand these simple words.

They stared dumbfounded at Zheng Fa's Heavenly Emperor body, momentarily seeming not to comprehend what they'd heard.

But the Heavenly Emperor body hadn't finished:

"The second item establishes deity selection rules."

"First, all aspiring deities must accumulate merit points. Those insufficient in merit cannot ascend to divinity."

"Second, all aspiring deities must pass examinations. Those failing to meet standards cannot ascend to divinity."

"Third, all aspiring deities must undergo practical experience. Those lacking sufficient experience cannot ascend to divinity."

After Zheng Fa finished speaking, it was the Jiushan Sect disciples' turn to be shocked.

"They're not considering cultivation level and spiritual roots?"

Someone immediately grasped this point, and many disciples became excited instantly.

"Merit points... I wonder what the merit threshold will be."

"What will the exams test? Could it be how to practice the Divine Path?"

"Experience... would experience involve serving in Jiushan Realm's mortal world or Hundred Immortals Alliance? They'd need experience managing mortals, right?"

Many disciples familiar with Zheng Fa's thinking actually managed to guess eighty to ninety percent of these three rules' essence.

Simply put, this represented a civil service examination with relatively high thresholds.

This also aimed to nurture disciples who might lack exceptional research talent but possessed perseverance, determination, and willingness to work hard.

Zheng Fa hoped such disciples could benefit from incense fire power's nourishment and even showed promise for future development.

The Divine Path Method's incense fire desires, from another perspective, could actually be considered opportunity - they could strengthen Dao heart and benefit cultivators.

But in Lady Nishang's eyes, Zheng Fa's approach seemed utterly unfamiliar, making her increasingly puzzled.

After all, Yaochi still selected subordinate deities based on aptitude and spiritual roots.

Not like Zheng Fa, who seemed to focus solely on their ability to manage mortals.

But the Heavenly Emperor body hadn't finished:

"Third, regulations for Divine Path appointments, dismissals, rewards, and punishments."

"Each divine position carries a fifty-year term. After term completion, one can only reaccumulate merit points and retake examinations."

"The same cultivator can ascend to divinity at most twice."

"Every ten years, Divine Path performance evaluations will occur."

"Those achieving superior ratings gain free access to the Transcendence Purification Pool."

"Those receiving inferior ratings get dismissed from divine positions with no chance of reinstatement."

After the Heavenly Emperor body finished speaking, the Small Investiture Scroll now brimmed with densely packed characters.

Yet he seemed concerned people might not see clearly. Pointing at the Small Investiture Scroll, he projected its text into the void, seemingly imprinting it upon everyone across heaven and earth.

......

"Sect Leader Zheng, you're being excessively harsh toward Divine Path cultivators."

Upon seeing Zheng Fa, Lady Nishang couldn't help but comment, clearly the Divine-Mortal Covenant having made a deep impression.

Zheng Fa smiled without responding. Lady Nishang turned to Senior Sister Zhang: "With such stringent restrictions, did Master Zhang decline divinity for this reason?"

Senior Sister Zhang shook her head: "Firstly, because of selection rules - I shouldn't violate them and must even avoid suspicion. Secondly, this subordinate deity position offers me little benefit while actually interfering with my thoughts."

Hearing the first part, Lady Nishang felt only astonishment.

She knew full well how special Master Zhang was within Jiushan Realm, yet now she wanted to avoid suspicion because of this covenant.

This demonstrated how seriously Jiushan Sect took the Divine-Mortal Covenant.

Hearing the second part, enlightenment dawned: "Of course. After all, Zheng Fa is only at Corpse Liberation while you've reached Nascent Soul."

Currently, given Jiushan Realm's size with only twenty-four divine positions, and Zheng Fa's cultivation at Hujie level, subordinate deities could only reach up to Nascent Soul stage.

For Senior Sister Zhang, the subordinate deity position offered minimal assistance.

Moreover, she most enjoyed derivation calculations and had no desire to constantly immerse in desires.

"Does the Venerable plan to depart soon?"

Knowing Lady Nishang wouldn't seek him without reason, Zheng Fa understood she had something to say and initiated conversation.

"Departure can indeed be delayed no longer. Xuanding grows impatient." Lady Nishang nodded, then added, "Sect Leader Zheng, I have a question for you."

"Hmm?"

"What are your true thoughts on the Divine Path? And why that Divine-Mortal Covenant..."

She appeared quite tense while asking this.

Zheng Fa pondered momentarily, seeming to consider how to respond.

Lady Nishang pressed: "Sect Leader Zheng, I hope you won't withhold guidance."

"Guidance is too generous. Actually, this represents an experiment."

"Experiment?"

Zheng Fa nodded gently.

The Heavenly Emperor body, frankly speaking, existed for experimentation.

Experiments in Yang Spirit cultivation, including Tongtian Method experiments.

Zheng Fa's foundation remained in the Yellow Court Scripture.

Only because Jiushan Realm held such importance did he dare not be too bold, but unlike Lady Nishang's constant anxiety, the Divine-Mortal Covenant also represented experimentation.

"In my view, the Divine Path and Immortal Path differ fundamentally - the Divine Path values fairness, the Immortal Path values individuality."

Lady Nishang listened carefully, seeming to contemplate.

"The Divine-Mortal Covenant naturally favors mortals because mortals form the Divine Path's foundation," Zheng Fa stated bluntly. "Hence why I established term limits."

Lady Nishang nodded gently, exhaling: "Term limits... this is precisely what our Yaochi lacks."

Zheng Fa felt some internal satisfaction.

He didn't know if others possessed this ability to rewrite the Investiture Scroll.

But the Great Sun True Fire smelled absolutely divine!

"Forgive my bluntness, but Divine Path cultivators practice the Divine Path for themselves. After gaining powerful strength, they naturally see ordinary beings as burdens."

Lady Nishang's face showed slight embarrassment.

"This is human nature," Zheng Fa shook his head. "Nothing unusual."

"Term limits serve two purposes: allowing cultivators to escape Divine Path constraints, and preventing deities from growing lazy and negligent, ignoring their followers, even developing contempt for believers."

Lady Nishang sighed: "Indeed. Short periods are manageable, but thousands, tens of thousands, even millions of years - nobody possesses that much patience. I... am no exception."

Zheng Fa agreed completely. Frankly, even he wouldn't want such duty, let alone enduring incense fire desires' constant assault.

"I can understand everything else, but why impose such heaven-reaching restrictions on subordinate deities?"

Lady Nishang seemed particularly concerned about this point, asking again.

"Venerable, from my perspective, subordinate deities aren't important. This merely represents another training system for disciples," Zheng Fa shook his head. "But more importantly, I hope Jiushan Realm can produce more talented individuals I can utilize."

Simply put, he didn't fear incense fire desires - he could just make the Heavenly Emperor body endure a bit more.

He treated subordinate deity positions as accelerators for training certain disciples.

His concern always focused on nurturing more talent.

Naturally, he cared more about people than deities.

"I actually don't want Jiushan Sect disciples becoming obsessed with divine positions," Zheng Fa suddenly added. "Rather, I hope after cultivating with incense fire, they'll continue exploring the Immortal Dao."

Lady Nishang stared blankly, her mouth opening: "So that's why you restrict the Divine Path so severely?"

Zheng Fa nodded gently, suddenly saying: "Venerable, I have a humble personal insight."

"Hmm?"

"The Divine Path should provide order for the weak, while the Immortal Path should provide freedom for the strong."

Lady Nishang paused, contemplating, then slowly nodded.

"Therefore, the Divine Path merely serves to nurture talent for Jiushan Sect. Immortal Dao exploration represents the true future."

Lady Nishang finally understood Zheng Fa's philosophy. She summarized: "Separating immortal and divine paths... I understand the Sect Leader's meaning now."

"Does this answer satisfy the Venerable?"

Lady Nishang smiled wryly: "It seems nothing escapes the Sect Leader."

Zheng Fa pointed, and the Great Sun True Fire burned in the air.

Lady Nishang's eyes again filled with intense longing.

"Whether the Great Sun True Fire can help the Venerable achieve liberation, I cannot say for certain. Currently, it probably cannot."

Zheng Fa spoke honestly. Lady Nishang was a True Immortal, and he didn't know Yaochi's Divine Path's specific form, so he dared not make promises.

Surprisingly, Lady Nishang remained philosophical: "...A sliver of hope is enough."

"I said it before - the Venerable is Jiushan Sect's friend."

Lady Nishang clasped her hands without speaking, but both she and Zheng Fa understood their positions had completely reversed through these exchanges.

Previously, Lady Nishang's attitude toward Jiushan Realm resembled poverty alleviation efforts.

Now, due to Western Continent trade route benefits and the Great Sun True Fire's marvels, Lady Nishang almost displayed somewhat subservient attitude toward Zheng Fa.

While Zheng Fa didn't expect her to follow his every command, he felt confident that henceforth, his words would carry more weight with Lady Nishang than even Taishang Dao's Ancestor Xuanding.

Moreover, since he hadn't yet solved Lady Nishang's problem, she only preliminarily revealed her stance.

But moments ago, Lady Nishang carefully probed Zheng Fa's attitude toward the Divine Path, Divine Path cultivators, or more precisely, his attitude toward herself...

The Divine Path had flaws? Excellent!