Claiming the Throne of Gods, Starting from the Rebirth of Nezha

Ran Deng also laughed and said, "But you have the Sea Calming Pearl, you can still kill me in the end."

"You're right."

"But I won't die today."

"How so?"

Ran Deng said, "You should know, for those of us who have reached a great level, what we think in our hearts will have a response in the world. I feel that today is not my day to die, so there might always be some hope of survival."

Zhao Gongming remained silent.

He indeed had the Holy Artifact.

But he was not sure of himself.

Both being Quasi-Saints, Ran Deng had walked much further on this path than he had.

"Brother Daoist's cultivation is indeed profound."

Ran Deng turned his head and looked into the distance. A gray-robed Daoist was walking over. He wore a fish-tailed crown on his head, a cotton robe, a flowing long beard, and held a Yellow Court Scripture with missing pages and tattered corners. At his waist hung an unremarkable wine gourd.

With just one glance, Ran Deng knew that this seemingly inconspicuous man had unfathomable cultivation, not much inferior to his own.

He thought to himself that although he wasn't the only Quasi-Saint in the Chan Sect, he was very familiar with each one of them. He even knew all the Quasi-Saints of the Jie Sect.

Could this Daoist be one of those who practices on an Overseas Immortal Mountain, never concerning themselves with worldly matters?

Ran Deng smiled and asked, "Which famed mountain and cave dwelling belongs to you, Fellow Daoist?"

The Daoist replied, "I am a wanderer of the Five Mountains, amusing myself in the Four Seas. I am a wild man."

Originally a guest of Kunlun, an old residence stands on the southern bridge. Cultivation attained in the early stage of Hunyuan, achieving longevity and understanding the flow of life. Not boasting about the Golden Elixir in the furnace, knowing that jade liquid burns in the fire. Riding the blue luan, soaring with the white crane. Not going to the peach banquets for longevity pills, not visiting Laozi in Xuandu, not pledging to the Yuqing Gate. Roaming freely in Three Mountains and Five Mountains, enjoying the Isles of Penglai as I wish. Everyone calls me an immortal fanatic, my belly brimming over with emotions. Lu Ya, the Independent Practitioner, comes personally. Xiqi must subdue Zhao Gongming.

"You're too modest, Daoist."

Lu Ya walked closer, saluted Ran Deng, and continued, "I am an idle person from West Kunlun, my surname Lu, given name Ya. Because Zhao Gongming supports the false and extinguishes the true, and relies on the Sea Calming Pearl to harm fellow Daoists. He only knows endless arts, but does he understand the profound truths? Therefore, I am here to meet him!"

Hearing this, Zhao Gongming was furious and said, "Good Lu Ya, you frog in a well, how dare you speak of Dao!"

Lu Ya laughed and said, "You call me a frog in a well, why are you yourself looking at the sky from the bottom of a well?"

Zhao Gongming said, "You say I support the false and extinguish the true. Now, the emperor of Chengtang, Yin Jiao, is revered as the Benevolent Son of Heaven by the world, all four seas submit, and the people are joyful. Ji Fa harbors rebels for no reason, defying the Heavenly Monarch, which is the action of a traitor. Who is true and who is false, does it need further debate?"

A sudden emergence of another Quasi-Saint with unknown details, Zhao Gongming, although unafraid, felt a tinge of unease.

Just as Ran Deng had said before, Tongtian Sect Leader had once ordered that because many members of the two sects had their names on the Investiture of the Gods, his disciples were not to leave their caves.

Lu Ya spread his hands, smiling helplessly, and said, "Zhao Gongming, Zhao Gongming, there are billions of living beings in this world, but even if they all united, they couldn't kill a Taiyi Golden Immortal. You and I, if not afraid of the Heavenly Tribulation, could spend time slaughtering every last one of them."

"What do you mean by that?"

Zhao Gongming frowned.

Lu Ya coldly said, "I also wonder, the fortune of the world is evenly distributed among all beings. Those with great fortune become emperors and kings. Although you and I practice bitterly every day, enduring heavenly tribulations to reach this realm, you should know that our fortune isn't more than that of a fisherman or a shark in the sea. But why would you care about the changes of mortal dynasties?

All living beings, all great undertakings, are all nonsense. This war concerns the Heavenly Emperor's Investiture of the Gods, this is the true way! If you continue to stand in the way, you are committing the greatest rebellion, destined to have your soul enter the Investiture of the Gods!"

Zhao Gongming shook his head and sighed, "I had thought that a Daoist like you, floating like a cloud and wild as a crane, would have profound insights to reach such a realm. Who knew you were this shallow, believing only in power and influence. Since that is the case, I shall follow your intention and use power to prove which side is the true way!"

Twenty-four beams of killing light fell, leaving no more disputes in the world.

This was the might of a Saint. Lu Ya and Ran Deng dared not resist and transformed into rainbows ascending to the sky, but the light of the Sea Calming Pearl still locked onto them.

At this time, Lu Ya summoned the gourd from his waist.

"Innate Spiritual Treasure!"

At this moment, Ran Deng finally showed joy.

He knew that Lu Ya was no fool. Knowing Zhao Gongming had the Holy Artifact, still daring to come and help, he must be holding some grand weapon.

Holy Artifacts are personally crafted by Saints, who transcend all worldly matters. In theory, without other Holy Artifacts, their mere existence represents invincibility.

However, in this world, there still exist the heavens and earth itself.

The so-called Innate Spiritual Treasure is a spiritual object naturally bred by heaven and earth.

The gourd at Lu Ya's waist was simply a fruit born from a gourd vine in the world, but this gourd happened to be naturally engraved with Dao Traces, nurturing Daoist skills, unable to kill mortals, but specifically killing cultivators.

Ran Deng's tone became three parts more respectful, "Daoist, your aid in a time of need is a great kindness that Ran Deng will never forget."

Lu Ya smiled bitterly and secretly transmitted his voice, "Brother Daoist, you're too kind. It's just that the Sea Calming Pearl is truly formidable. My Immortal Slaying Flying Saber can kill gods and immortals, but it can't cut through the twenty-four layers of the world. Later, I'll bluff him a bit, and you and I will escape first."

Ran Deng was stunned and then said, "What about after this?"

Lu Ya said, "Rest assured, Brother Daoist, I have a wonderful plan. Without losing a single soldier, we'll surely kill Zhao Gongming."

...

The lamp was cold.

Cold as the eyes of the coffin shopkeeper counting copper coins.

The mirror lake had frozen, and the ice cracked into 361 squares, resembling a Go board.

When the old man's white piece landed, the whole lake's ice groaned.

"You should abandon the stone," he said.

The boy didn't move.

After thinking for a long time, the black stone in his hand fell straight into the "Heavenly Yuan" position.

"Abandon the stone?" The boy licked the frost on his lips, "Three years ago, you taught me that the key to abandoning a stone is—"

"—to be quick," the old man interrupted.

Before the words were finished, Mr. Fan's white piece had already fallen.

At this time, Qiu Chuyao was sewing clothes for her future child with several big maids in the golden thatch house filled with spiritual energy, Jinzha was fishing, trying hard to perform filial piety in front of Mrs. Yin, Lv Zhu'er was making fish soup, and the big black dog was running wildly in the snow, sometimes chased into a frantic escape by the red horse...

The two playing Go were Nezha and Mr. Fan.

At this time, two others were watching the game.

They were Wu Xiang Monk and Ao Yu.

Wu Xiang Monk looked at the Go board, frowning, never saying a word, but what he thought was exactly the same as Ao Yu, who was also watching:

Two awful players, pretending to be experts.

Nezha wanted to continue placing pieces, but Ao Yu couldn't bear to watch any longer and said, "This game should have ended 85 moves ago, yet you two dragged it out to a stalemate, now almost filling the board."

Upon hearing this, Nezha didn't care, but Mr. Fan blushed and said, "Ahem, now is the endgame, we mustn't let our guard down."

"Endgame? I think you should just go home and collect your clothes."

Wu Xiang Monk also coughed and said, "Mind your words."

Ao Yu rolled his eyes at him, overturned the Go board, turned around, and walked away, leaving only a beautiful back and a leisurely remark, "Three little brats, not even half my age combined, pretending to be old men."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Fan was initially taken aback, then he laughed loudly.

He didn't expect that at his age, almost buried in the soil, he could still be called a little brat one day.

He lowered his head, looking at the Go board at his feet, the wisdom hidden in his lowered eyes far surpassing that of the Little Dragon Girl who was much older than him.

Mr. Fan said, "I'm afraid the real turmoil is yet to come after the War of Investiture."

Nezha straightened the Go board and said, "Perhaps it might also give birth to a brilliant civilization."

Mr. Fan looked up at him and said, "What do you know?"

"I know nothing."

"Don't mistake what you know for the future, and don't mistake the contents of the book you mentioned for the present."