Overthrowing the Heavenly Dao, Burning Zero

Investiture of the Gods World, human realm, Chaoge.

"This is the Shang Dynasty."

Above the Sky Dome, a phantom manifested. It was Fairy Yunxiao from the overseas Three Immortals Island.

Ever since joining the Chat Group and learning the causes and consequences of the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation, she had kept an eye on this pivotal dynasty of the investiture.

Its prosperity and downfall were inseparable from the investiture and the immortals and gods filling the heavens.

The investiture began when King Di Xin of Shang went to Nuwa Temple, was bewitched by the statue of Sage Nuwa, and wrote a vile poem to desecrate Empress Wa, enraging her as a Saint.

She then sent the Three Demons of Xuanyuan Tomb to the Great Shang Dynasty to throw the court into chaos and destroy its fortune.

As the Human King, Di Xin was protected by the Ziwei True Essence of Ziwei Star. Fortune surrounded him, and his status was equal to Haotian of the Heavenly Court.

Saints could not attack him. Even immortals, gods, demons, and devils dared not make a move, because the Ziwei True Essence represented the fortune of the entire human race between heaven and earth. With such power bound to one person, anyone who defied it would eventually suffer backlash.

Those who cultivated the Dao valued karma. The Dao of karma was vast and profound.

Unless absolutely necessary, no one was willing to become entangled in karma, especially the karma of a Human King.

After observing him for some time, Yunxiao discovered that Di Xin was not a foolish and tyrannical ruler. Under his governance, Chaoge was exceptionally prosperous, and no outrageously evil events had occurred.

The people had more than enough food and clothing, and they deeply respected their new king.

How could such an enlightened ruler become the extravagant, debauched tyrant who persecuted the loyal and virtuous in the future?

He clearly knew that Empress Wa was the mother of humanity, yet he had deliberately written a poem to desecrate her. It simply made no sense.

Besides, it was merely a statue. Surely a statue could not bewitch him into losing his mind?

Something is strange. With the Ziwei True Essence protecting him, the one capable of affecting the Human King’s mind must at least be a Great Luo Golden Immortal, or perhaps a Saint, Yunxiao thought.

Viewed from that angle, it all made sense.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain why an enlightened ruler had suddenly acted as though he had lost his brain and begun spouting nonsense.

Later, Di Xin was gradually changed by the seduction of the three demons, which made perfect sense.

As the nation’s fortune declined, the Ziwei True Essence on Di Xin would weaken as well, eventually vanishing and passing to a new Human King.

Unfortunately, Di Xin himself was the last Human King.

After him, emperors became Sons of Heaven, and the Nine-Nine Supreme was cut down to the Nine-Five Supreme.

If I could prevent what happened at Nuwa Temple, would that change the investiture to some extent?

The moment Yunxiao had that thought, an incomparably terrifying will descended from somewhere unseen. Even Yunxiao, a Great Luo Golden Immortal, felt immense dread. If she truly did that, it would likely bring about something even more horrifying.

"Is this the will of the Heavenly Dao? How terrifying."

Yunxiao came to her senses. The Heavenly Dao governed all living beings and even influenced Saints. So long as one existed beneath this heaven and earth, every word, action, and even every thought could be sensed by it. Anything detrimental to the Heavenly Dao’s future would shine as brightly as a lamp in the darkness.

Thinking of this, Yunxiao hurriedly cleared her mind, leaving her thoughts empty and free of distractions.

Only then did that will slowly fade away. "Must I really follow the script of the investiture?" Yunxiao was somewhat unwilling.

"No. The future of the Intercepting Sect is in my hands. No matter what, I must find a sliver of hope."

Looking down at the flourishing Chaoge below, Yunxiao’s figure vanished.

Chat Group.

Fairy Yunxiao: "That is roughly the situation. The moment I had the thought of changing the future, the will of the Heavenly Dao appeared."

Yunxiao shared her experience with the group members, mainly because she wanted to hear their thoughts.

They came from different worlds. Though their strengths varied, their ideas could still serve as references.

Qian Renxue: "The Heavenly Dao can even monitor thoughts? That’s terrifying. Good thing there’s no Heavenly Dao where I am."

Number One Golden Core of Kyushu: "Sigh, I feel sorry for Fairy Yunxiao for a minute."

Ye Hei: "So, if you do anything that changes the future’s trajectory, the Heavenly Dao might cause trouble."

Fairy Yunxiao: "The Heavenly Dao probably will not act directly, but greater changes will certainly appear. I am not sure about that. Everyone, what do you think?"

Bad Commander: "This is a difficult situation to resolve."

Sword God Li Chungang: "Agreed."

Bi Cang Wang: "Then overthrow the Heavenly Dao!"

Xu Yi: "King Shen, just as expected of you."

Bi Cang Wang: "Of course. My fate is mine, not heaven’s!"

Saintess Li Susu: "So domineering, so impressive!"

Demon Child Nezha: "Yeah, screw that lousy fate!"

Sun Wukong: "This Old Sun supports it!"

Feng Baobao: "Me too!"

Han Li: "Steady, steady."

Fairy Yunxiao: "I would like to overthrow the Heavenly Dao, but my strength does not allow it. Besides, even my master might not be a match for the Heavenly Dao."

Ye Hei: "Ahem, this is when we need the Group Owner to descend like a god from a machine and erase the Heavenly Dao. After all, the Heavenly Dao in Brother Monkey’s world disappeared that way."

Xu Yi: "…Nice thought."

Fairy Yunxiao: "Group Owner, why not make a move?"

Xu Yi: "Yunxiao, specific problems require specific analysis. The situation in Wukong’s world was different from yours!"

The reason he had destroyed the Heavenly Dao of the Journey to the West World was because it had sought death itself by controlling Nuwa and the other Saints.

That had caused tremendous changes in the Journey to the West World. Wukong no longer even needed to journey for the scriptures and spent every day chatting in the group.

Although Xu Yi could act again and erase the Heavenly Dao of Yunxiao’s world, he felt it would be meaningless.

Fairy Yunxiao: "All right."

Yunxiao did not press the matter. She had no idea what would happen if the Heavenly Dao truly vanished.

The template from Wukong’s world might not suit her own.

The Heavenly Dao was connected to the Saints. What if erasing the Heavenly Dao caused the Saints to disappear as well? That would be more loss than gain.

Han Li: "Han believes that aside from the predetermined result, the entire process of the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation was favorable to the Intercepting Sect. It was only due to certain reasons that the Intercepting Sect ultimately failed."

Fairy Yunxiao: "What do you mean, fellow cultivator Han?"

"Fellow cultivator Han?"

At that moment, Han Li, who was keeping a low profile in his own world, trembled slightly. His face revealed disbelief as he was inexplicably filled with excitement and exhilaration.

Was it an illusion? Fairy Yunxiao had actually called him a fellow cultivator. It was simply unbelievable.

As everyone knew, Cultivators were divided into three ranks.

Ants, fellow Daoists, and seniors!

Yunxiao was a Great Luo Golden Immortal, yet she had called someone at the Golden Core Stage like him a fellow cultivator. What an immense honor.

Other than death, Han Li felt that at this moment, he would be willing to do anything Fairy Yunxiao asked of him.

Han Li: "Ahem, Fairy Yunxiao, Han means that because we learned of the future in advance, we may have fallen into a certain logical dead end.

"The Intercepting Sect lost not because it was weaker than the Chan Sect and the Human Sect.

"Since the will of the Heavenly Dao is monitoring us, then we should find a way out within the Heavenly Dao’s game.

"The Investiture of the Gods was not truly aimed at the Intercepting Sect. It was merely that the Chan Sect and Human Sect were unwilling to let their own disciples enter the list and cut off their immortal paths.

"In fact, if disciples of the Chan Sect were killed during the investiture, they would likewise enter the list.

"The Heavenly Dao is impartial. It does not care which sect’s disciples enter the list. It wants the result—someone must ultimately fill all three hundred and sixty-five divine positions."

Ye Hei: "Exactly. Looking at the whole investiture, the Intercepting Sect was far stronger than the Chan Sect and Human Sect combined. It is just a pity that they captured their enemies without killing them every time, allowing them to strike back. If they had killed them directly, there would not have been so much trouble afterward."

Fairy Yunxiao: "Would that really work?"

Xu Yi: "What Han Li said does make some sense, but he overlooked one important factor. Yuanshi Tianzun was not like Tongtian. For the sake of his disciples, Yuanshi Tianzun would truly step in personally to kill the younger generation."

Han Li: "Group Owner, Han did not consider that point."

Sword God Li Chungang: "If Yuanshi Tianzun dares to step in, Master Tongtian can do the same. If Yuanshi Tianzun kills, Master Tongtian kills too. Would that not create a certain balance?"

Xu Yi: "It would be great if they could do that. Unfortunately, Tongtian was not as decisive as Yuanshi Tianzun. Otherwise, he would not have ruined the Intercepting Sect’s final sliver of hope."

To be honest, Xu Yi himself did not care much about the rights and wrongs between the Intercepting Sect and Chan Sect. Neither could simply be defined as good or evil.

You could say Yuanshi Tianzun was cunning and heartless, but his starting point was to preserve his own orthodoxy and keep his disciples from entering the list. On the other hand, Master Tongtian protected his disciples fiercely. For their sake, he set up the Zhu Xian Formation and the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, fighting four Saints alone. What earth-shaking grandeur that was.

Unfortunately, Master Tongtian always reacted only after his disciples had died, always one step slower than the other side.

Therefore, taken as a whole, there was no clear line between right and wrong.

The only real criticism of Yuanshi Tianzun and Laozi was perhaps that they dragged the Western Sect into the conflict among the Three Sects.

Joining outsiders to suppress Master Tongtian was indeed rather dishonorable.

Ye Hei: "Yes, the Group Owner is right. Master Tongtian was not decisive enough. Yuanshi Tianzun had already come after his disciples, yet he did not even know about it. That really makes no sense."

Bad Commander: "Could it be that Saint Tongtian did not fail to sense it, but that the Heavenly Dao obscured the Saints’ senses and used that loophole to intensify the conflict between the Saints, thereby driving the tribulation forward?"

Xu Yi: "That possibility cannot be ruled out."

Fairy Yunxiao: "The more I try to untangle it, the messier it becomes. Sigh!"

Xu Yi: "Do not think about it too much. What Han Li said actually makes a great deal of sense. Yunxiao, you can follow the original trajectory completely, making only slight changes within that trajectory.

"After all, on the surface, the Intercepting Sect is far stronger than the other two sects."

Sun Wukong: "Right, same as before. When Master Tongtian sets up the Zhu Xian Formation, this Old Sun will go help guard it."

Ye Hei: "Ahem, I want to give it a try too."

Number One Golden Core of Kyushu: "Are you serious, Ye Hei?"

Hui Tai Lang: "This king will smile and say nothing."

Feng Baobao: "Same here, eating melon."

Fairy Yunxiao: "All right, many thanks, fellow cultivator Wukong and fellow cultivator Ye!"

Sigh, it is a pity that Han’s cultivation is too weak to help.

Hearing this, Han Li also wanted to help. But when he considered his cultivation, it was simply too weak.

He could not participate in a battle of that level at all. He greatly envied Ye Hei. If only he could cheat like Ye Hei and summon his Future Body.

Can the future me really cultivate to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm? Han Li could not help doubting.

He remembered that in the beginning, his wish had merely been to reach the Golden Core Stage. But as his horizons continued to expand, the Golden Core Stage was no longer enough to satisfy him.

Everyone else was progressing. He could not stay where he was, content with the Golden Core Stage. He needed to keep surpassing himself.

Fox Demon World, Southern Kingdom border, a small town.

Late at night, Tushan Yaya, Honghong, and Rongrong slept in one room.

Dongfang Qinlan and Dongfang Huaizhu slept in another room.

It was deep into the night. Near dawn, all was silent, broken only occasionally by the cries of night crows.

"Sister, I can’t sleep." Tushan Rongrong lay in bed, trembling. She looked small, pitiful, and helpless.

For the first time in her life, this socially anxious girl had left Tushan. Everything outside was unfamiliar.

They were special fox demons born from the Acacia Tree, different from ordinary fox demons. They possessed even greater spirituality and immensely rich emotions. Fluctuations in those emotions could increase their strength and allow them to grow rapidly!

Tushan Honghong and Tushan Yaya sat by the table rather than sleeping, because they felt something was bound to happen tonight.

"Rongrong, you’re already a mature fox demon. Why are you still so whiny and tearful? Do you want Honghong to tell you a bedtime story?" Tushan Yaya said.

At those words, Tushan Rongrong looked even more aggrieved, her eyes brimming with tears.

Tushan Honghong saw this and said irritably, "Yaya, you’re Rongrong’s sister. Can’t you indulge her a little? Rongrong is still young. As punishment, you can tell Rongrong a story."

"…" Tushan Yaya.

Though unhappy about it, Tushan Yaya still told Tushan Rongrong a bedtime story.

However, she realized that she did not seem to know any fairy tales. She could not think of a single one, so she turned one of the dark jokes from the group chat into a story.

"Rongrong, Sister will tell you a super-duper story. It is called The little girl who sold nuclear bombs."

"??" Tushan Rongrong.

"?" Tushan Honghong.

What was that supposed to be? The little girl who sold nuclear bombs? What kind of story was that? They had never heard of it before.

Was it copyrighted by Tushan?

"Once upon a time, there was a little girl. Every night, she went out to sell nuclear bombs, hoping to earn some silver to support her family.

"Unfortunately, ordinary people could not use nuclear bombs, so no one bought them.

"Unable to make any money, the little girl’s life grew poorer and more difficult.

"One day, it was a holiday, and every household set off fireworks at night to celebrate.

"Seeing the fireworks filling the sky, the little girl thought of her late grandmother. The night was also freezing cold.

"So, the little girl lit a fire and ignited one of the nuclear bombs to keep warm.

"Boom! That night, everyone in the entire town saw the little girl’s grandmother, and they all laughed so hard."

"?"

Tushan Rongrong’s eyes widened, filled with confusion. She asked curiously, "Sister Yaya, why did everyone see the little girl’s grandmother? They did not know her grandmother, and they were not relatives."

"Yeah, why?" Tushan Honghong hurriedly asked.

"Uh… a nuclear bomb is actually a weapon, a type of explosive from the human world. One of them can blow up more than half a city, so you understand," Tushan Yaya said.

"…"

This time, Tushan Honghong was truly speechless. It could actually be used like that? How absurd.

"Ohh."

Tushan Rongrong instead found it rather interesting, lively light flickering in her eyes.

"What is that smell?"

Tushan Yaya twitched her nose, sensing a trace of something in the air that caused dizziness.

"Poison gas. Be careful."

Tushan Honghong’s ears instantly stood upright, and her pupils naturally turned blood-red.

"Rongrong, circulate your demon power and cover your mouth and nose," Tushan Yaya reminded her.

With the three sisters’ current strength, such trivial poison gas naturally could not harm them.

After sensing it out, Tushan Honghong said, "This poison gas is very weak. It seems to be meant for mortals. Do not worry."

"Sister, I’m afraid it is not just poison gas," Tushan Yaya said.

The next second, from the roof, the beams, the cracks between the tiles, and even inside the walls.

Palm-sized black spiders crawled out one after another. There were so many of them that they formed a dense mass, appearing like a swarm of locusts.

The spider demons immediately locked onto the three Tushan sisters and swooped down from the air.

"Get lost!"

Tushan Honghong took the lead, shielding Yaya and Rongrong behind her. She threw a punch into the air, and her terrifying demon power became a shockwave that pulverized the airborne spider demons into dust.

Boom! A huge crater appeared in the inn’s wall. Yet outside, countless spider demons had gathered in the streets.

"Big Sister, these spider demons probably came from the Southern Kingdom. They may be weak, but there are far too many of them," Tushan Yaya said.

"Yes. This is human territory. We can’t expose our aura yet," Tushan Honghong said.

Although the Aura Concealing Art had altered their appearances and auras, even simulating human Magical Power,

if they unleashed their demon power at full strength, they would certainly expose their demon aura. When demons went all out, their traits became extremely obvious.

Just now, she had merely used demon power to strengthen her physical body. She had not used much of her true strength.

With their current strength, going all out would be enough to destroy this small border city.

"Qinlan!"

Dongfang Huaizhu’s voice came from another room.

Honghong, Yaya, and Rongrong immediately rushed over.

They kicked open the door and saw the Pure Yang Flame in Dongfang Huaizhu’s hand.

At the window stood a demon whose face was covered in eyes. It held Dongfang Qinlan captive and spewed thick clouds of mist as its figure swiftly vanished.

Dongfang Huaizhu used the Pure Yang Flame to burn away the poisonous mist, but unfortunately, the enemy had already disappeared. Moreover, an endless stream of spider demons still filled the outside.

"Qinlan was taken? Sister Dongfang, did you offend some demon?" Tushan Honghong asked.

Dongfang Huaizhu looked anxious as she replied, "This is my first time in the Southern Kingdom. I’m not familiar with this place either. I don’t know why they took Qinlan! Qinlan is my younger sister. I have to save her."

"We’ll help you," Tushan Honghong said.

"Standing up to injustice is exactly what this young lady likes best," Tushan Yaya said.

"Mhm, mhm."

Though Tushan Rongrong was frightened, she still nodded earnestly.

"Thank you." Dongfang Huaizhu was deeply moved. Even at a time like this, she had friends who would stand by her through hardship.

Otherwise, she truly would not have known what to do alone.

Still, Qinlan was partly to blame. That little foodie never cultivated properly, and now she had become a hostage!

As for her safety, Dongfang Huaizhu was not worried for the moment.

Dongfang Qinlan had the Pure Yang Flame protecting her body, so nothing serious should happen in the short term.

Meanwhile, in the Ultra Universe, on Planet XX.

Ever since Zero had been exiled to train under Leo Ultraman, he had undergone brutal, hellish training without pause.

As a master of hand-to-hand combat, Leo had shown Zero what the older generation of Ultra Warriors were truly like. Daily training battles were routine, and Zero was always the one getting beaten up—and beaten badly.

At times, Zero wondered whether Leo was really his uncle. Why did it always feel like Leo was trying to beat him to death? Fortunately, ever since joining the Chat Group, Zero’s life had finally become less monotonous.

Moreover, his strength had grown rapidly. He could now trade blows with Leo, and he had even learned the legendary Leo Flying Kick.

"Judging by the timeline, that guy Belial should be arriving soon. But with my strength, I might not be able to deal with Belial."

Zero pondered this, then thought of senior Da Gu from the Chat Group. If they could join forces with Ultraman Tiga when the time came, they would surely be able to save the Land of Light.

Just then, Leo Ultraman flew down from the sky, his expression looking rather grave.

"Master Leo, what happened?" Zero hurriedly asked, a sense of foreboding rising within him.

"Zero, Seven Ultraman sent word. The Land of Light has been invaded by Belial, and the situation is extremely serious. They need you to provide support," Leo said.

"No problem. My blood is boiling, Master Leo!" Zero said, clenching his fists as fighting spirit surged through him.

"Be careful. Belial is not easy to deal with. He was once a traitorous Ultraman of the Land of Light and knows it very well," Leo reminded him.

"Got it, Master Leo." Zero flashed a V sign, then turned and flew toward the M78 Nebula.

At the same time, the Land of Light was under attack by Belial Ultraman.

He had escaped from Space Prison and acquired the Ultimate Combat Instrument. Burning with vengeance, he sought to wipe out the Land of Light.

The instant Belial descended, many Ultramen from the Land of Light flew over. Most were blue or red Ultramen, and at a glance, they all looked like insignificant fodder.

"Mere ants dare stand in my way!"

Belial swung the Ultimate Combat Instrument in his hand, firing beam after beam. The ordinary Ultramen were unable to dodge in time and exploded like fireworks.

He was like a wolf among sheep. The Ultramen who attacked him were no match for him at all. His hands were like demonic claws from hell, radiating a heart-stopping light of destruction.

For a time, the Land of Light was in grave danger!

Just then, a red giant resembling the First Ultraman descended from the sky. The cape behind him fluttered, and he looked imposing and extraordinary.

"Belial, you actually dare invade the Land of Light."

This Ultraman was none other than the renowned Zoffy, an elder-level figure in the Land of Light who had earned illustrious military achievements.

Zoffy did not waste words. He rushed forward in a single stride, but Belial dodged like Gui Mei and viciously smashed the Ultimate Combat Instrument into his abdomen.

With just one strike, Zoffy Ultraman collapsed to the ground, unable to rise. He seemed to have suffered an injury he could not resist.

Belial stepped on Zoffy’s chest and looked at the medals on his body. Letting out a sinister laugh, he said, "Zoffy, you’ve really made something of yourself!"

"Belial, I will definitely stop you," Zoffy said with difficulty.

Bang! Belial could not be bothered to waste words. He kicked Zoffy in the head and sent him flying.

Afterward, the Ultra Brothers appeared together, but the outcome remained the same. They were no match for Belial.

Then Ultraman Max, the fastest and strongest of the Land of Light, arrived to save the day. Unlike the seniors before him, Max forcibly took two moves before being beaten so badly that he could not stand, suffering severe injuries.

"After all these years, the Land of Light has really become more and more useless." Belial carried the Ultimate Combat Instrument over his shoulder and laughed without restraint.

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