Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

Although the crowd was displeased by the arrival of Houtu and Red Cloud, they said nothing further. After all, Houtu and Red Cloud were not like those two from the West.

Moreover, they were unwilling to offend Houtu excessively, considering that the power of the Witch Clan had now grown overwhelmingly strong. Even the Demon Clan had no choice but to avoid direct confrontation.

"This Innate Spiritual Treasure is about to mature, yet dividing it in this large gathering is no easy task. My royal self and my second brother will each take only one. The three elder brothers—Taiqing, Yuqing, and Shangqing—are all highly skilled and are our teacher's direct disciples. You may take three. What does everyone think?"

At this moment, Emperor Jun spoke up. Not only was he currying favor, but he and his brother were also securing a gourd without taking a loss.

"Very good!"

The Three Pure Ones spoke in unison. Bearing their usual lofty demeanor, they accepted the deal with ease, as Emperor Jun had offered it respectfully.

"Then we siblings will also take just one. What does everyone think?"

Fu Xi spoke. He and his sibling Nuwa similarly requested only one.

"The ancestor also desires one of them!"

Minghe suddenly interjected, wielding the Yuan Tu Avici Double Swords that gleamed menacingly. Although the others disapproved of Minghe's conduct, his power was undeniable, so they acquiesced.

After all, who would willingly provoke such an immensely powerful, unkillable figure with a mercurial temperament?

"This Spiritual Treasure is yours to take!"

Now only Houtu and Red Cloud remained. Houtu, straightforward as always, conceded outright, having no use for the Spiritual Treasure herself. She directly gave it to Red Cloud.

"Fairy, your kind gesture is acknowledged; however, as the saying goes, 'One does not accept reward without effort.' Another saying states, 'A treasure is a gift fit for its destined owner.' How, then, could this poor Taoist take what another cherishes?"

Yet Red Cloud refused. To him, an Innate Spiritual Treasure was merely a trivial matter.

"I command you to take it, so take it. Consider it repayment for a favor!"

Houtu snorted coldly, descending Kunlun Mountain alone without further ado after speaking.

Bewildered, Red Cloud ultimately accepted the Red Gourd. Later, he refined it into the Nine-nine Soul Scattering Sand, an item now ranked among the Innate spiritual artifacts.

The seven gourds were, of course, distributed evenly among the crowd. Laozi took the purple gourd and refined it into the Purple Gold Gourd, which he used merely to store Golden Cores.

While the gourds were considered decent at the time, when Hongjun later distributed Spiritual Treasures, they became far less significant by comparison.

Yuanshi and Tongtian took the green and blue gourds, respectively. Their applications varied, though their power was similarly limited.

Nuwa obtained the orange gourd, which she later refined into the Evil Summoning Banner. Meanwhile, Taiyi took the yellow gourd, refining it into the Immortal Slaying Flying Saber.

Thus, the Kunlun assembly dispersed, and karmic threads were irrevocably intertwined.

....

During the second lecture in the Purple Cloud Palace, Houtu and Red Cloud both arrived again. However, the two merely exchanged nods without any verbal interaction.

"Teacher, how does one become a Saint?"

Within the palace, Tongtian addressed Hongjun with a direct question.

"Merge the Three Corpses into one, and gain the recognition of the Heavenly Dao; only then can one ascend to sainthood!"

Although Tongtian's question bordered on presumptuous, Hongjun offered no concealment in his response.

"As for the recognition of the Heavenly Dao, it requires Hongmeng Purple Qi. There are nine threads in total, the ultimate number. This poor Taoist acquired eight from the Creation Jade Disc, using one for myself. Now, there are seven remaining. With this Hongmeng Purple Qi, even without the merging of the Three Corpses, one can attain sainthood when the opportunity arises."

Having finished, Hongjun closed his eyes, no longer speaking.

However, the Primordial deities, now tempted beyond restraint by Hongjun's words, struggled to contain their desires. Among them, Zhunti of the West acted first.

"We beg for our teacher's compassion! Grant us the foundation for sainthood!"

"Very well, take it as you plead!"

Hongjun suddenly opened his eyes, fixing Zhunti with a smile.

"Taiqing, Yuqing, Shangqing, step forward!"

Hongjun called softly, eyes still focused on Zhunti.

Three tiny threads of purple light emanated, small yet radiating endless brilliance.

"You three are the incarnations of Pangu's Primordial Spirit, heavily blessed by fortune, and deserving of sainthood."

After speaking, Hongjun distributed three threads of Hongmeng Purple Qi to the Three Pure Ones.

"Thank you, Teacher."

Receiving the Hongmeng Purple Qi, the three bowed deeply to Hongjun, their excitement impossible to conceal.

"Nuwa, step forward. You, too, have a great karmic deed destined for you, through which you shall attain sainthood!"

Hongjun infused Nuwa with a thread of Hongmeng Purple Qi. Though uncertain of what great deed Hongjun referred to, Nuwa was overjoyed nonetheless to receive the blessing.

In mere moments, three of the seven threads were gone, stirring unease among the Primordial deities below.

It must be noted that the attendees of this lecture numbered three thousand. Before witnessing the might of Saints, they may have been indifferent, but now, knowing the unparalleled status of Hongjun as a Saint, who wouldn't covet sainthood for themselves?

Under a Saint, all are ants!

Hongjun had long demonstrated this. Before a Saint, no entity could rival their power! A Saint is the Heavenly Dao itself, a concept ingrained deeply into the hearts of the deities.

"Teacher, have mercy on us. Pity the impoverished West! Grant us the opportunity for sainthood!"

Once again, Zhunti assumed his sorrowful guise, tears streaming down ceaselessly. The Primordial deities, observing his shameless act, exchanged looks of exasperation.

Never had they seen such a brazen individual. Many distanced themselves, as though disassociating from him entirely.

"Very well, Zhunti and Jieyin, step forward. As you claimed, the West shall have two Saints!"

With that, Hongjun bestowed Hongmeng Purple Qi to Zhunti and Jieyin. He then fell silent, ignoring the discontent murmurs of the remaining deities who watched Zhunti's easy success with resentment.

Now, only one thread of Hongmeng Purple Qi remained. At this point, pride and dignity were cast aside.

For anyone who could obtain the Hongmeng Purple Qi would ascend to the unsurpassable rank of a Saint. Who wouldn't desire such fortune?

"Let destiny decide!"

Hongjun sighed softly. A thread of Hongmeng Purple Qi floated from his hand, weaving its way above the crowd. In the end, it descended upon Red Cloud.

The deities' gazes toward Red Cloud varied: admiration, envy, and ulterior motives filled the room.

However, among them, two figures truly felt joy for Red Cloud. One was his close friend, Zhen Yuanzi. The other, naturally, was Houtu.

One expressed joy openly, while the other hid it subtly.

"This concludes today's lecture!"

With that, Hongjun disappeared from sight. Meanwhile, Zhen Yuanzi quickly grabbed Red Cloud and dragged him out of the Purple Cloud Palace.

Red Cloud was perplexed. Why the rush to leave?

On the way, Zhen Yuanzi explained in detail. Had Red Cloud not noticed the predatory gazes from the likes of the Demon Clan's Donghuang and Emperor Jun? Even Minghe and Kunpeng were itching to act. If they didn't leave now, it would be too late!

The six earlier recipients were all Hongjun's disciples, guaranteed sainthood. But Red Cloud? With nothing but Hongmeng Purple Qi in his possession, it was inevitable he would attract trouble!

....

When they met again in the Purple Cloud Palace, the once-familiar faces failed to recognize each other.