Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

"Ancestor, this brat is too arrogant and rude—please give the order to capture and kill him!"

The young human cultivator who had previously asked the question to Canglan Ancestor now stood at the forefront of the crowd, requesting permission from the ancestor.

"Hold on!"

Canglan Ancestor did not immediately issue the order but instead raised his hand, signaling for them not to act rashly. He fixed his gaze on Li Mingzhu and shouted sternly:

"Who dares trespass so boldly?"

His voice reverberated like a thunderclap, shaking the hearts of those who heard it. Yet, hidden within the sound was a faint resonance, subtle yet invasive, compelling anyone under its influence to inadvertently speak the truth.

This Canglan Ancestor was no ordinary minor demon or novice cultivator from the Primordial World; he was a seasoned schemer. Naturally, he was fully aware of how crucial one's background and support were in the Primordial World. Thus, he sought to first uncover Li Mingzhu's origins.

If, by chance, this person was backed by some vast and powerful entity, even a daring ancestor such as himself couldn't afford to offend them lightly.

"And who might you be to yell at me?"

Li Mingzhu flicked his sleeve, effortlessly dispelling the oppressive force of Canglan Ancestor's voice. He asked coolly, his words striking directly at the soul. Compared to Canglan Ancestor's thundering voice, Li Mingzhu's tone was even sharper.

"I was born from Chaos itself and have lived for thirty-six thousand eons. Little one, you tell me: Who am I? Seize him!"

Canglan Ancestor scoffed, entirely unfazed.

At the ancestor's command, the group of eager demons, who had long been incited into fervor by Li Mingzhu, immediately surged forward en masse.

Li Mingzhu had no idea how many demons, specters, and cultivators surrounded him, but all he could see was a dense wave of heads—all aimed at him as the target.

"A mere ant trying to shake a tree—you overestimate yourself!"

Li Mingzhu sneered. The Red Ribbon unfurled from behind him, cascading like a great river thousands of miles long, forming an impenetrable barrier that no demon could cross.

"I have no desire to spill blood—do not court your own death!"

Though the Red Ribbon blocked the path of the oncoming demons, specters, and cultivators, Li Mingzhu refrained from fully unleashing its destructive power.

Canglan Ancestor, upon seeing the Red Ribbon, seemed to recall something. A vague sense of familiarity stirred within him, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly where this feeling came from.

"You wretched Taoist! You think waving a piece of rag around can stop us? What a spineless act!"

An irritable demon, furious at being obstructed and mocked by Li Mingzhu, lashed out with insults.

"Such insolence deserves death!"

Li Mingzhu extended his hand and pointed forward. The Qiankun Ring shimmered in hues of fire and water as it shot out like a meteor.

Though the ring cracked and burned through the air with immense force, when it landed atop the demon's head, it seemed as light as a feather—yet it still shattered the demon's skull.

Effortless power!

To wield such precise control over strength to this degree required mastery, yet to Li Mingzhu, it was merely a minor application of the principles from *Domineering*.

"The Qiankun Ring? No, something's different about it!"

Canglan Ancestor recognized the artifact but immediately noticed discrepancies compared to its traditional appearance.

Li Mingzhu's effortless blow seemed to startle the demons, at least for the moment. None dared recklessly challenge him again; self-preservation, after all, still held weight.

"Who are you, and why do you possess the Qiankun Ring from Nuwa Palace?"

Canglan Ancestor stared intensely at Li Mingzhu, his booming voice demanding answers as he tried to discern the truth from Li Mingzhu's expression.

"If you know about Nuwa Palace, how is it you don't know me?"

Li Mingzhu retracted the Qiankun Ring without betraying any trace of the astonishment he felt at Canglan Ancestor's knowledge.

"Why should this ancestor know you? Keep attacking, all of you!"

Canglan Ancestor scoffed, unwilling to admit weakness—did this brat think he could test his patience?

At the ancestor's command, the demons broke into a frenzy. Seemingly unbothered by threats to their lives, they charged Li Mingzhu like a surging tide!

But Li Mingzhu ignored the demons; instead of engaging the rabble, one should strike at their leader. Besides, thanks to his Spirit Communication Eye, he could discern that Canglan Ancestor's mana was pitifully weak, even if the finer details eluded him.

"There's no need for that."

Li Mingzhu's voice suddenly sounded from behind Canglan Ancestor, startling him. The ancestor felt a sudden chill at his neck.

Though there seemed to be nothing there, he was acutely aware of a sword resting against his throat—a moment's slip, and his life would end.

"The Cheng Ying Sword!"

Canglan Ancestor trembled as he uttered the artifact's name, cold sweat coursing down as horror and regret filled his heart. What sins had he committed to provoke such a calamity?

First the Qiankun Ring, now the Cheng Ying Sword—any one of these artifacts' true masters was beyond his capacity to offend. Forget their masters; even the young man in front of him was more than capable of putting him to death.

"Are you ready to answer my questions now?"

Li Mingzhu's calm voice came again from behind him, but to Canglan Ancestor, it resounded like the chilling chime of death.

"Can we, perhaps, move to a different location to discuss?" Canglan Ancestor pleaded, close to begging.

"Very well."

As soon as Li Mingzhu's words fell, even before he could move, Canglan Ancestor acted first, transporting them both elsewhere.

"Wait, little ancestor—don't attack! This is just my Innate Divine Ability! No harm intended, and certainly no danger!"

Li Mingzhu, sensing something was off, prepared to strike immediately, prompting Canglan Ancestor to cry out in desperation, trying to assuage his concerns.

"Where is this?"

Li Mingzhu's tone turned sharp, though his self-assured demeanor stayed his hand. For now, he refrained from ending Canglan Ancestor with a single strike of his sword.

"This... is my true form."

Canglan Ancestor spoke despondently, his voice tinged with sorrow.

"Your true form?"

Li Mingzhu immediately raised his guard. A demon beast's true form? Entering the lair of such a creature spelled certain danger.

"Hey, little ancestor, relax! Don't attack. While this is indeed my true form, it poses no threat to you, I swear!"

"Enough nonsense—explain yourself." Li Mingzhu refrained from attacking further, instead scanning his surroundings.

The so-called 'true form' was an empty space, appearing as if they were inside an enormous stone. Strangely, the inner walls emanated faint bursts of profound energy.

It felt as though the energies spanned time and space, manifesting Yin Yang Taiji, deadly killing intent, boundless creation, and countless faint sounds that defied explanation.

"Taoist, do you recall what the old man mentioned during the sermon just now?"

Canglan Ancestor smiled, his gaze carrying an enigmatic sense of wisdom as he glanced at Li Mingzhu.

"Speak plainly. Stop acting like some cryptic sage!"

Li Mingzhu sneered—of course, he remembered, but why should he humor this old man's pretentiousness?

In this confrontation, wasn't it clear who held the upper hand? Li Mingzhu still had the advantage here, and Canglan Ancestor wouldn't dare withhold answers.

"Sigh! I was once a mere stone in Chaos, later refined by the Daoist Ancestor into the Treasure Division Rock. I wasn't lying earlier—I truly witnessed Pangu splitting the heavens, discussed the Dao with Hong Jun, and shared tea with the Three Pure Ones... Though only as an observer."

At first, the old man's tone carried some melancholy, but as he continued, it grew increasingly boastful and self-satisfied.

When the long account ended, Li Mingzhu was utterly speechless. He wasn't sure how to even begin responding—this was simply absurd.

To borrow a famous saying from later generations: "I have never seen someone this shameless before!"

"Alas, my fate has been cruel. My spiritual consciousness developed late, and I was slow to achieve Transformation. Upon escaping from the Chaos Purple Cloud Palace, I expended all my Daoist cultivation and eventually fell into Wen Zhong's hands. Yet, instead of honoring me properly, the rascal made me tame lesser demons on his behalf!"

"Fortunately, I'm a prodigy. I even grasped faith techniques from those two swindlers in the Western Lands. If it weren't for you meddling, I could've quietly carried on, regaining my Daoist cultivation over time!"

The old man kept rambling, freely divulging everything in an unrestrained flood of words.

"So that's how it is. Wen Zhong truly sent you to subdue these petty demons?"

Li Mingzhu pieced together the situation. While astonished by the Treasure Division Rock's storied past, he mostly found the whole thing both laughable and exasperating.

It explained the profound essence he had sensed earlier—such mysteries were fitting for a place once used by Daoist Ancestors to distribute sacred treasures.

"Exactly! That rascal Wen Zhong couldn't defeat Yuan Futong's demon troops, so he schemed to send me in his place. But as if I'd let him control me! As soon as I broke free, it became smooth sailing for me. Why would I do his bidding?" Treasure Division Rock spoke proudly.

"So, you started pretending to be an ancestor to intimidate lesser demons and gather faith energy?" Li Mingzhu suppressed a grin, suspecting the rock only settled for lesser demons after failing to subdue greater ones.

"Wait—what's with that look? Since you know my background, why aren't you showing due respect? Perhaps then I'll teach you a few Daoist secrets directly from the Daoist Ancestor himself!"

The Treasure Division Rock's human form tightened its gaze on Li Mingzhu, looking somewhat smug.

"If Wen Zhong could restrain you, why couldn't I? Reflect quietly on your actions for now."

Li Mingzhu snorted, forming a hand seal. Instantly, the old man vanished, leaving only a smooth, palm-sized stone in his hand—this was the Treasure Division Rock's true form.

Had its cultivation not been depleted, it might've been at least Quasi-Saint level, rendering Li Mingzhu unable to control it. But now? Even a lowly demon could render it powerless.

It was only thanks to its bluffs that it had avoided disaster until now.

However, such a shameless artifact might indeed serve a useful purpose. Considering its connections to the Daoist Ancestor, Pangu, Nuwa, and the Three Pure Ones, Li Mingzhu could hardly destroy it outright. For now, he decided to imprison it.

Knowing that Wen Zhong was still engaged in battle with Yuan Futong, with the involvement of the Demon Clan no less, Li Mingzhu naturally intended to lend a hand.

Of course, his intervention wasn't purely for the sake of camaraderie—he harbored his own plans as well!