Chapter 497: The Covenant between God and Man, the Opportunity to Transcend

Chapter 497: The Covenant between God and Man, the Opportunity to Transcend

Chapter 497: The Covenant between God and Man, the Opportunity to Transcend

Zheng Fa has had the Little Investiture of the Gods for quite some time:
He obtained this treasure when he first took control of the Nine Mountains Realm, but he rarely used it.

The only time it was used was when exploring the Tianhe Secret Realm, when Senior Sister Zhang invested her essence and blood into it.

The small list of gods in Zheng Fa's hand has twenty-four deities. It seems that the original Heavenly Venerable had canonized twenty-four subordinate gods.

The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor invaded this world, and the Heavenly Lord died, so naturally, these twenty-four people also perished as well.

Now, in this small list of gods, there is only the essence and blood of Senior Sister Zhang.

"To practice the Cave Heaven Method, one must be deified. This is why the Cave Heaven Method is most suitable for practicing the way of the gods. Unfortunately, you don't have this opportunity."

Although I don't expect my disciples to learn anything from Zheng Fa.

But Nishang Yuanjun still explained to several disciples. After all, Yaochi is the place where gods are respected.

And in this era, Zheng Fa is the only cultivator who can obtain the treasure of the cave.

For Yao Chi disciples, this is an excellent case and it is also good for broadening their horizons.

The green-shirted female disciple and the others exchanged a glance, also curious: "Yuan Jun, if we have the opportunity to be deified in the future, is it because of this scroll?"

Nishang Yuanjun nodded and said, "That's right. This item is called the List of Conferred Gods. If one can be listed on it, the benefits will be endless. For the sect, this item is even more of a treasure."

Hearing this, all the Yao Chi disciples looked at the scroll in Zheng Fa's hand with some desire.

Nishang Yuanjun also knew the reason. In this era, not to mention that cave treasures are rare, even the number of places for gods is limited.

Yao Chi disciples, if they are not extremely talented, need some chance to be included in the list of gods.

Thinking of this, she also secretly sighed: "It's no wonder that the Supreme Dao values ​​Zheng Fa so much. Apart from anything else, just based on this Conferred God List, if Zheng Fa is given more time, the Nine Mountains Sect will probably produce many geniuses."

"It's just that Lu Yao is about to become a Taoist, and I don't know if Jiushan Sect still has time for that."

……

The Emperor threw the List of Gods to the ground, and the scroll unfolded in front of him.

On the back of the scroll, there are paintings of the mountains and rivers of the mortal world of the Nine Mountains.

At the top of the front, there are two mysterious runes, under the runes there is only the name Zhang Wuyi, and there are twenty-three columns of empty space.

The Small Investiture of the Gods is not unique to Zheng Fa's family, but a common magic weapon for all the Dongtian Fa cultivators.

Nishang Yuanjun also mentioned this matter.

Speaking of which, when Zheng Fa first entered the Nine Mountains Realm, the silver and gold books he obtained came from this, which is actually similar to the following from God:
Simply put, the List of Gods in Xuanwei Shendao is a system similar to feudal fiefdom.

The most fundamental contradiction in Shinto law is that monks need more incense to practice, which requires more people.

The problem is that more population will bring greater desires.

The Investiture of the Gods, in essence, means that the Lord of the Cave Heaven could no longer bear it and divided his own believers among them.

The mechanism of action is actually very simple. The Lord of the Cave Heaven uses the List of Gods and incense to cultivate powerful subordinate gods.

The gods are originally dependent on the Lord of the Cave Heaven and are loyal to him, so they can naturally contribute their power of incense.

The number of subordinate gods is small, and their desires are also small. In this way, instead of collecting the power of incense from mortals, they will collect the power of incense from subordinate gods. Although the amount of incense power will be much smaller, the burden of desire is only one percent or even one thousandth of the original!

From God, it is like an incense filter.

And this method can only be used by the master of the cave heaven. After all, how can one divide the cave heaven into fiefdoms if he doesn't have complete control over it?

Therefore, although Zheng Fa had obtained the Small List of Gods long ago, he could not fully control this treasure until the body of the Emperor of Heaven and the Nine Mountains Realm merged into one.

……

"Hey, there's actually a name on it?"

Nishang Yuanjun was also surprised when she looked at the Small List of Gods. After taking another look, she recognized that it was Master Zhang from the Jiushan Sect.

She immediately understood and said with a smile: "We should give that Master Zhang a deity status."

The other Yao Chi disciples also nodded. They were not fools and could see clearly that in the Nine Mountains Realm, Master Zhang was second only to Zheng Fa.

Now that he is going to be deified, Master Zhang is naturally the right person to take the lead.

In the small courtyard, Zheng Fa looked at Senior Sister Zhang.

Senior Sister Zhang nodded slightly, as if there was no need for him to ask any more questions.

Zheng Fa smiled and pointed his finger at the Emperor of Heaven. Suddenly, a ray of true fire from the sun appeared in the void and enveloped the small List of the Gods.

After a moment, the three words "Zhang Wuyi" in the Small List of Gods gradually faded from thick to thin, and finally disappeared. Instead, a drop of blood emerged from the front of the scroll, flew into the courtyard, and dripped into Senior Sister Zhang's heart.

No one expected that the first thing Zheng Fa did when he was deified was to take Senior Sister Zhang's name off the Small List of Gods!
Those Yao Chi disciples were all stunned, but none of them was as excited as Nishang Yuanjun.

"Disappeared?"

"Zheng Fa... can actually rewrite the Investiture of the Gods?"

She looked at the Small List of Gods from afar, her expression changing from surprise to suspicion, until finally, her eyes were filled with desire and even a little fanaticism.

The Yao Chi disciples, who had never seen such an expression on her face, looked at each other in bewilderment. The green-shirted female disciple asked timidly, "Yuan Jun, is this a big deal? Isn't it that Master Zhang suffered a loss?"

Nishang Yuanjun shook her head and looked at Zheng Fa again, her eyes full of hope. "You don't understand. For you, being on the Conferred God List is naturally a great opportunity."

"But for us, being able to escape from Shinto is the greatest liberation."

She was silent for a while, then said: "Zheng Fa has such ability, if he can use it on my Yao Chi gods..."

Seeing that she didn't say anything, the green-shirted female disciple asked curiously, "How is it?"

"When I fight with the goddess, I will be invincible, even the goddess..."

At this point, Nishang Yuanjun looked at the Great Sun True Fire in the void again and murmured, "I just don't know if this divine fire is so magical that it can give me a chance to escape from Yao Chi."

……

Zheng Fa didn't know what Nishang Yuanjun was thinking. He naturally had his own reasons for erasing Senior Sister Zhang's name from the List of Gods.

His views on Shinto are quite complicated.

He himself is not a person who covets the position of Emperor of Heaven, otherwise he would not have done such a thing as toppling the statue of God. He also uses the Cave Heaven Method to cultivate Yang God.

As for his true intention, he is naturally willing to study the mysteries of immortality.

Even to him, although the body of the Emperor of Heaven was a help, it was not too important.

Rather...

He closed his eyes and felt the various thoughts coming from the Emperor of Heaven.

Of course, there are desires, malice, and all the darkest things in human nature.

But he can also see many other scenes:

There was an old man who knelt devoutly on the street and kowtowed to the Emperor of Heaven in the sky.

There were little children, drooling, placing the juicy fruits they had just picked from the yard in front of the statue of Zheng Fa.

There was a father holding his newborn daughter, smiling shyly, as if he was trying to recognize the little face for Zheng Fa.

……

Although Zheng Fa did not like the idea of ​​praying to gods and Buddhas, he had to admit that Shinto was the only practice method in the Xuanwei world that cared about mortals.

It seems that the immortal sect now only cares about the talented people who practice Taoism. In their eyes, ordinary mortals are just like straw dogs.

Needless to say, the Demonic Sect has lost countless souls at the hands of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor.

From the Tianhe method, we can know that the Tianhe sect does not care much about the mundane world.

Only Shinto, because of its mechanism, is the most friendly to mortals.

Naturally, Nishang Yuanjun would complain that Shinto was a cage.

But for millions of mortals, Shinto is actually a protective umbrella.

If Zheng Fa was a mortal with no cultivation, he might prefer to live under the rule of Shinto monks rather than among the immortals.

To put it bluntly, a monk is only responsible for the source of power.

In the situation of Xuanwei Realm, the weak can only rely on the divine way to have the power to fight against those immortal sects and demon ancestors.

His eyes fell on the Small List of Gods. Around the Small List of Gods, the Great Sun True Fire was still burning, and the patterns on it kept changing.

The Emperor of Heaven stood in the void, and said in a clear voice: "I am the Emperor of Heaven. I now make a covenant with all the living beings in the Nine Mountains. The heaven and earth will guard together, and the mountains and rivers will share the same oath."

"One of them is the oath between gods and humans."

"When a god accepts incense, he must make three oaths:"

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

"Second, to harmonize the four seasons and protect all living things."

"Third, to enlighten people and spread knowledge, pass on skills and benefit the people."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in heaven and on earth could see that there were three more oaths on the List of Gods.

The Emperor of Heaven said again: "People who receive the grace of God should also make three promises:"

"Do good, respect God, and learn from others."

Nishang Yuanjun frowned and looked at it, feeling puzzled.

Although there are three promises, Zheng Fa has many more restrictions on gods than on people.

This is unprecedented in the Xuanwei world.

Of course she understood that Zheng Fa did it on purpose, but she didn't understand why.

The Emperor of Heaven looked at the new contract text that appeared on the List of Gods, knowing that this was probably the first step customized by the Nine Mountains Heavenly Court.

The covenant between God and man is actually more about form than content.

In essence, it points out the source of Shinto's power and brings gods and humans to a relatively equal position.

Speaking only of the content, for Zheng Fa, among the three promises, the most important one is actually to enlighten people, spread the truth, pass on skills and benefit the people.

It also best fits his philosophy of pooling wisdom.

……

Among the common people in the Nine Mountains, anyone who had read books, or even those who had not, could understand these simple words. They stared blankly at Zheng Fa's Heavenly Emperor body, but for a moment, they seemed not to understand.

The Emperor of Heaven did not finish his words:

"The second item is the rules for selecting gods."

“First, anyone who wants to ascend to godhood must have accumulated good deeds. Those who do not have enough good deeds cannot ascend to godhood.”

"Second, anyone who wants to become a god must pass an examination. Those who do not pass the examination will not be allowed to become a god."

"Third, anyone who wants to become a god must go through trials and tribulations. Those who don't have enough experience cannot become a god."

After Zheng Fa finished speaking, the disciples of Jiushan were the first to be surprised.

"Don't consider cultivation and spiritual roots?"

Someone realized this immediately, and many disciples became excited all of a sudden.

"Good deeds... I don't know what the threshold for good deeds is."

"What's the exam about? Is it going to test how to practice Shinto?"

"Experience, have you ever experienced it in the mortal world of the Nine Mountains and the Hundred Immortals Alliance? You must have experience in managing mortals, right?"

Many disciples were familiar with Zheng Fa's thinking, and they guessed the essence of these three rules almost exactly.

To put it bluntly, this is a civil service examination with a higher threshold.

It is also to cultivate those disciples who are not so talented in scientific research, but have perseverance, determination and willingness to work hard.

For such disciples, Zheng Fa also hopes to let them enjoy the nourishment of the power of incense, and even looks forward to their future development.

In another aspect, the desire for the incense of Shintoism can actually be regarded as an opportunity. It can strengthen one's determination in the Tao and is quite beneficial to the practitioners.

But in the eyes of Nishang Yuanjun, Zheng Fa's behavior was too unfamiliar, which made her even more puzzled.

You must know that when Yao Chi selects the gods, it still looks at qualifications and spiritual roots.

Unlike Zheng Fa, who seems to only look at their ability to manage mortals.

But the Emperor of Heaven had not yet finished speaking:

"Third, it is the rules for Shinto appointments, dismissals, rewards and punishments."

"Each god's term of office is fifty years. When fifty years are up, one can only accumulate merits again and take the exam."

"A single monk can only ascend to godhood twice."

"Every ten years, there will be a Shinto exam."

"Those who obtain the best will enter the Transcendent Spirit Cleansing Pool for free."

"Those who pass the test with a low grade will be deposed from their position as gods and will not be employed again."

After the Emperor of Heaven finished speaking, the small List of Gods was already filled with densely packed small characters.

But he still felt that the people could not see it clearly, so he pointed his finger at the small List of Gods and projected the words on it into the void, as if to imprint them in the hearts of everyone in heaven and on earth.

……

"Master Zheng, you are too harsh on the Shinto monks."

As soon as she saw Zheng Fa, Nishang Yuanjun couldn't help but speak. It was obvious that the contract between the god and the man left a deep impression on her.

Zheng Fa smiled but didn't answer. Nishang Yuanjun looked at Senior Sister Zhang and asked, "Since the restrictions are so severe, is it because of this that Master Zhang doesn't want to ascend to godhood?"

Senior Sister Zhang shook her head: "Firstly, it is because of the selection rules. I can't violate them, and I even have to avoid suspicion. Secondly, this position of a god is actually not very beneficial to me. Instead, it interferes with my thoughts."

When Nishang Yuanjun heard the first half of the sentence, she was only surprised.

She knew that Master Zhang was special in the Nine Mountains Realm, but now she wanted to avoid suspicion for the sake of this contract.

It can be seen that Jiushan Sect takes this covenant between gods and men very seriously.

After hearing the second half of the sentence, she suddenly understood and said, "Yes, after all, Zheng Facai has achieved corpse transformation, and you have already achieved spirit transformation."

As of now, with the size of the Nine Mountains Realm, there are only twenty-four god positions. And because Zheng Fa's cultivation level is only corpse transformation, the highest level among gods is only the incarnation of a god.

For Senior Sister Zhang, being a god is indeed not of much help.

Moreover, she likes to do deductions and calculations the most, and does not want to indulge in desires every day.

"Is Yuanjun about to set off?"

Zheng Fa knew that Nishang Yuanjun would not come to him for no reason. He understood that she seemed to have something to say to him, so he took the initiative to talk to her.

"We must set off now. We really can't delay. Xuan Ding is getting anxious." Nishang Yuanjun nodded and said, "Master Zheng, I have something to ask you."

"Ok?"

"What do you think of Shinto? And why is there a covenant between gods and humans..."

She seemed very nervous when she said this.

Zheng Fa hesitated for a moment, as if thinking about what to say.

Nishang Yuanjun said again: "Master Zheng, I hope you can give me some advice."

"I don't deserve your advice. After all, this is also an attempt."

"try?"

Zheng Fa nodded slightly.

To put it bluntly, the body of the Emperor of Heaven is used for experiments.

Experiments in Yangshen cultivation, including experiments in Dongtian Method.

The foundation of Zheng's method is still in the "Huangting Jing".

It was just because the Nine Mountains Realm was so huge that he didn't dare to be too bold, but he wasn't like Nishang Yuanjun who was worried about gains and losses. The contract between gods and humans was also an attempt.

"In my opinion, Shinto and immortal ways are fundamentally different - Shinto is public-spirited, while immortal ways value private interests."

Nishang Yuanjun listened carefully, seeming to be thinking.

"The covenant between gods and humans naturally favors mortals, because mortals are the foundation of the gods." Zheng Fa said bluntly, "That's why I set up a term of office."

Nishang Yuanjun nodded gently, exhaled and said: "Term of office...I am actually lacking this in Yaochi."

Zheng Fa was also somewhat proud.

He didn't know if anyone else had the ability to rewrite the List of the Gods.

But the real fire of the sun is very fragrant!
"Excuse me for being blunt, but Shinto practitioners practice Shinto for themselves. Once they become powerful, they naturally regard all living beings as a burden."

A hint of embarrassment appeared on Nishang Yuanjun's face.

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

"The term of office is, firstly, to allow the monks to break free from the constraints of the gods, and secondly, to prevent the gods from becoming lazy and ignoring the living beings, or even becoming disgusted with the believers."

Nishang Yuanjun sighed, "That's true. It's okay for a short time, but for thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of years, no one has the patience. I... am the same."

Zheng Fa also agreed with this. To put it bluntly, Zheng Fa was unwilling to come, not to mention that he had to endure the invasion of the desire for incense.

"I can understand the rest, but why is it necessary to impose such great restrictions on the subordinate gods?"

Nishang Yuanjun seemed to care about this and asked again.

"Yuan Jun, for me, becoming a god is not important. It is just another training system for disciples." Zheng Fa shook his head and said, "But more importantly, I hope that more talents can emerge in the Nine Mountains Realm that I can use."

To put it bluntly, he is not afraid of the desire for incense and fire, and it is enough for him to suffer a little more as the Emperor of Heaven.

From the position of God, he used it as an accelerator to train some disciples.

What he has always been concerned about is how to cultivate more talents.

Nature cares more about humans than God does.

"I don't even want my Nine Mountain Sect disciples to indulge in the status of gods." Zheng Fa suddenly said, "I hope that after they practice with the help of incense, they can continue to explore the way of immortality."

Nishang Yuanjun was stunned and asked, "Is that why you restrict the way of gods like this?"

Zheng Fa nodded slightly, and suddenly said: "Yuan Jun, I personally have some superficial opinions."

"Ok?"

"The way of the gods should give order to the weak, while the way of the immortals should give freedom to the strong."

Nishang Yuanjun paused, thought for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"Therefore, the Shinto is only a place for my Jiushan Sect to train talents. The exploration of the Immortal Way is the future."

Nishang Yuanjun finally understood Zheng Fa's philosophy. She concluded: "There are two types of immortals and gods... I understand what the master means."

"So, Yuanjun is satisfied?"

Nishang Yuanjun smiled bitterly and said, "It seems that I can't hide it from the master."

Zheng Fa pointed his finger, and the Sun Fire began to burn in the air.

Nishang Yuanjun's eyes were filled with desire again.

"I can't say for sure whether the Sun True Fire can help Yuan Jun get rid of his evil spirit. I'm afraid it can't be done now."

Zheng Fa said frankly that Nishang Yuanjun was a real immortal, and he didn't know what the Yaochi Divine Way was like, so he naturally didn't dare to say anything for sure.

However, Nishang Yuanjun was very open-minded: "... a glimmer of hope is enough."

"I said, Yuan Jun is my friend from Jiushan Sect."

Nishang Yuanjun bowed without saying a word, but both Zheng Fa and she understood that the status of the two had completely reversed after these few words.

Before, when Nishang Yuanjun came to Jiushan Realm, her mentality was really like going to the countryside to help with poverty alleviation.

Up to now, because of the benefits of the East-West Continent trade route and the magic of the Great Sun True Fire, Nishang Yuanjun almost showed a gesture of mainly following Zheng's method.

Although Zheng Fa did not expect her to follow his lead, he was confident that in the future, his words to Nishang Yuanjun would be more effective than those of Taishang Daoxuan Ding Patriarch.

What's more, now that he has failed to solve the problem of Nishang Yuanjun, the other party has naturally only shown a preliminary attitude.

But just now, Nishang Yuanjun was carefully trying to understand Zheng Fa's attitude towards Shinto and Shinto monks, or in other words, his attitude towards herself...

Shinto has flaws, that’s a good thing!
(End of this chapter)