Chapter 79: I, Luo Feng, Will Reach the Heavens!

Chapter 79: I, Luo Feng, Will Ascend to the Heavens!

In the vast and ancient universe, the Catastrophe of Investiture was drawing near. The most important thing now was to find a powerful backer, to cling tightly to a sturdy thigh.

Of the Three Sects' Saints, Luo Feng most desired to become a disciple of the Saint of the Human Sect, who revered the principle of non-action. The reason was simple—safety.

The Catastrophe of Investiture would sweep through the entire world of the wilds, touching all immortals, Buddhas, demons, and monsters. No one would escape its grasp. Whether under the tutelage of the Saints of the Chan or Jie Sects, no one could claim absolute safety.

But the Human Sect was different. Under its Saint, there was but a single disciple—the Grand Master of Xuandu—a solitary seedling, precious for its rarity. In the Jie Sect, thousands upon thousands of disciples might fall, but so long as the core remained untouched, the Sword-Wielding Celestial Venerable would not bat an eye. The Chan Sect had fewer disciples, yet still a good number: twelve Golden Immortals, all cherished by the Jade Scepter-Wielding Celestial Venerable.

But the Human Sect had only one direct disciple. To harm the Grand Master of Xuandu would be to sever the root of the Human Sect's inheritance; however detached the Saint of Non-Action might be, he would be forced to act in fury, guaranteed to intervene.

Thus, joining the Human Sect was the safest option; one could simply coast along and survive the Catastrophe of Investiture. Yet, it was also the most hopeless aspiration, for the Saint of Non-Action was known for his lofty standards. Since the dawn of creation and through countless eons, he had accepted but a single direct disciple.

Luo Feng doubted he could ever catch the eye of the Human Sect's Saint.

His gaze shifted toward the word "Chan." The Saint of the Chan Sect was fiercely protective of his own—his twelve Golden Immortals had a one hundred percent chance of surviving the calamity. If any disciple was captured, the Saint himself would appear to save them.

But this guarantee applied only to second-generation direct disciples. Others were not so lucky. Jiang Ziya died and was revived countless times, and in the end, did not even make it onto the Investiture List. As for third-generation disciples—like Han Poison Dragon and Xue Evil Tiger—their very names marked them out as cannon fodder.

Luo Feng had no illusions that he could become a second-generation direct disciple of the Saint of the Chan Sect. As for joining as a third-generation disciple, that was a surefire path to being sacrificed as a pawn in the calamity.

Still, even as a pawn, if one's name made it onto the Investiture List, one would become an immortal god, forever undying.

Luo Feng's gaze then turned to the word "Jie." What about the Jie Sect?

How interesting—truly interesting. He had a certain affinity with the Jie Sect. In the lower world, the Shangqing Sect he hailed from worshipped the Supreme Sage of the Jade Morning Primordial Emperor—the Celestial Venerable of Spiritual Treasures.

Thus, the Jie Sect would be the easiest to enter.

Yet, the Jie Sect was the vanguard of the Catastrophe of Investiture! This was unchangeable, decreed by the will of the four Saints themselves. Even the Saint of the Jie Sect was bound by this heavenly mandate—ultimately, all would come to nothing.

Staring at the three great characters floating in the void, Luo Feng fell into contemplation.

The Human Sect was stable, the Chan Sect noble, the Jie Sect congenial. Each Sect had its strengths, each carried risks.

Which destiny should he choose to pledge himself to?

A cool breeze swept over the hilltop; the golden sun rose and set. After a long period of hesitation, Luo Feng slowly turned, lifting his head to gaze at the sky.

In that moment, he paused, then suddenly understood, a knowing smile appearing on his lips.

Human, Chan, Jie—all were grand teachings of the wilds, the orthodoxy of the Celestial Venerables! Each bore an unbroken line of transmission.

So, he would choose the Heavens!

Infusing his true essence into a brush, Luo Feng wrote two bold characters upon a blank sheet:

Heavenly Court!

The Catastrophe of Investiture swept across the world, touching all immortals, Buddhas, demons, and monsters. Even the direct disciples of the Three Sects could not escape; one misstep, and even a Golden Immortal could fall.

The peril was extreme!

Yet there was one place untouched by the Catastrophe of Investiture, free from its web of cause and effect, and rich in resources.

That place was the Heavenly Court—the true orthodoxy of the wilds!

Though the great universe was now under the sway of the Saints' sects, in terms of orthodoxy, the Heavenly Court reigned supreme.

For the present Heavenly Emperor had been appointed by the Dao Ancestor himself! Not even the Six Saints of Heaven could question this fact.

Disciples of the Three Sects might disdain the Heavenly Court or ignore the Heavenly Emperor, but none dared openly defy the Court.

Petty demons and lesser beings, ignorant of the Heavenly Court's backing, might dare rebel. But the disciples of the Three Sects knew well—the Heavenly Court's patron was none other than the Dao Ancestor of the Purple Cloud Palace!

To not support the Heavenly Court was one thing—but to rebel against it was to oppose the Purple Cloud Palace, to defy the Dao Ancestor, to challenge the very will of Heaven.

Rebelling against Heaven was not so simple as rebelling against the Heavenly Court alone!

The Heavenly Emperor had been appointed by the Dao Ancestor; to rebel against Heaven was to rebel against the Heavenly Emperor, to rebel against the Dao Ancestor, to rebel against Heaven itself!

Such defiance was a direct affront to the Purple Cloud Palace—a slap in the Dao Ancestor's face, a disregard for the will of Heaven. One hat after another was placed upon the offender's head.

For cultivators, to insult the Dao Ancestor and defy Heaven could only lead to disaster.

What was the origin of the Catastrophe of Investiture? The Jade Void Palace's Yuanshi Celestial Venerable ceased his teachings because his twelve disciples had incurred worldly calamities and punishments; meanwhile, the Supreme Emperor of the Heavens demanded the twelve immortals submit to him. Thus, the leaders of the Three Sects convened, compiling a list of 365 deities divided into eight departments: the upper four—Thunder, Fire, Plague, and Battle; the lower four—the stars and constellations, the sacred mountains and great rivers, the deities of rain and clouds, and the gods of good and evil. At this time, the Shang Dynasty fell and the Zhou rose; immortals who broke heavenly laws were to be enfeoffed as gods, with Jiang Ziya enjoying the boons of high office—all by fated design, not mere chance.

Simply put, the Heavenly Court lacked manpower as calamity approached; the Heavenly Emperor wept in the Purple Cloud Palace, and the Three Sects' leaders convened to send their idle, unworthy immortals to the Heavenly Court as civil servants, to toil as laborers.

The key to the Catastrophe of Investiture lay in the words "Investiture of Gods"—the investiture comes first, the catastrophe after.

If you cannot defeat them, join them.

From the grand perspective of fate, beneath the Saints of the Three Sects, no one could escape the Catastrophe of Investiture. Since this was so, Luo Feng would ascend to Heaven of his own accord—no need to wait for others to send him!

From the standpoint of allegiance, the Heavenly Court was the authentic orthodoxy of the wilds, appointed by the Dao Ancestor himself. The Heavenly Emperor hailed from Purple Cloud Palace, his seniority exceeding even that of the Three Pure Ones; he had spent countless eons as the Dao Ancestor's attendant.

As for Luo Feng, he was a retainer under the Dao Ancestor himself, a legitimate inheritor of the Dao, from the Purple Cloud Palace, not the Three Sects.

Turning this over and over in his mind, Luo Feng managed to glimpse a sliver of hope amidst the Catastrophe of Investiture.

Other immortals might see this as well, but pride and reputation held them back.

After all, to be an immortal was superior to being a god—a prevailing belief.

But Luo Feng was different. Having ascended from the mortal world, he was a mortal cultivating toward immortality.

He believed in fate, practiced with caution, and sought the Way with prudence.

A position in the Heavenly Court was not a disaster, but a blessing!

A sharp gleam flashed in Luo Feng's eyes.

This time, I, Luo Feng, will ascend to Heaven!

Of course, it could not be done rashly; careful planning was needed. To go directly to the Heavenly Emperor for a post would not be seeking refuge, but courting humiliation.

Tapping his fingers on the stone table, Luo Feng narrowed his eyes, pondering plans and strategies.

Time passed slowly.

...

A respectful voice sounded outside the cave: "Jinxin greets Master."

Luo Feng slowly lifted his head, murmuring, "Three days already? Still not quite right, hmm..."

"Jinxin, come in."

Wen Wen awoke from his slumber, his right hand linked to a mysterious prison called the Disaster Containment Facility. He could acquire the abilities of any monster he imprisoned there! With a blend of Lovecraftian and SCP elements, the story was laced with humor, occasional chills, and a protagonist with more than a touch of madness.

(End of chapter)