Chapter 3: The Three Merchants Seal the Gods, Yang Jian Pays His Respects

  In the Western Land of Bliss, the Dào people and the Zhunti Dào people sat facing each other. The Zhunti Dào person opened his mouth and said: "Master brother, this time the gods are sealed, the four purities are not in harmony, and Nüwa does not establish teachings, it is exactly the time when I transmit the Dharma from the West to the East."

  The Taoist nodded and said, "That's right! This time the Taoist sects are competing to seal the gods. No matter which sect wins, they will all be greatly weakened. At that time, it will be the day when my Western Sect rises to greatness!"

  Zhun Ti Dao Ren laughed and said: "After all, the heavens are just, even if the Taoist saint has a pre-heavenly treasure to suppress the aura, it's hard to stop the great prosperity of the Western teachings from arriving!" Although he said so, the sour tone in his voice was evident, after all, the two saints of the West were only slightly inferior to the five saints of the East, lacking only the pre-heavenly treasure! But precisely because of this, the day of the great prosperity of the West seemed distant and unattainable. The two men waited for many years, finally waiting for an opportunity, Zhun Ti Dao Ren couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and relief!

  The guide nodded in agreement.

  In the Purple Mansion, all seven saints were present. The Heavenly Way appeared in its true form and sternly said to the multitude of saints: "Six hundred years have passed, you must sign and seal the Scroll of Gods this time, no more delay is allowed!"

  All the saints were shocked, and they hastily got up and bowed, saying: "Disciples obey the teacher's orders!"

  Hong Jun nodded and returned to the Heavenly Way again.

  The Supreme Elder Lord held the Divine List of the Sealed Gods and said to Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian Jiaozhu: "You have already heard the words of the Master just now, this time the three clans seal the gods, it is no longer possible to delay, you sign and stamp!" After finishing speaking, he handed over the Divine List of the Sealed Gods in his hand to Yuanshi Tianzun.

  Yuanshi Tianzun held the "List of Gods" and said, "Forty years later will be the day when the dynasty changes and a new era begins. The calamity of the gods' seal is destined to occur during the change of emperors in the mortal world. Heaven has abandoned the Shang Dynasty, and I have observed that the Western Zhou Dynasty is about to rise greatly. It will take over the heavenly kingdom of the Shang Dynasty. Many of your three disciples are officials in the Yin-Shang Dynasty, and when the time comes, they will inevitably be subject to punishment and cannot avoid being on the list. Three disciples, you should sign the document first!"

  Tongtian Jiaozhu angrily said: "Yuanshi, how can you deceive me like this? Don't tell me you want all of my disciples to be eliminated from the ranking?"

  Yuanshi Tianzun coldly snorted, "Tongtian, don't speak nonsense! Your sect is known as the gathering place of ten thousand immortals, and you have countless true immortals under your command. What's the big deal about a mere 365 positions of regular gods?"

  "Good, good, good! You only consider the lives of your own sect's disciples precious, but think that the lives of my sect's disciples are cheap as hemp. Why don't you just go ahead and put all of my sect's immortals on the Heavenly Seal List at once!"

  Yuanshi Tianzun was furious, just about to speak, when he saw Hongyuan open his mouth and say: "Three senior brothers, if you continue to argue like this, when will the Seal of the Gods be signed? It's better to say that none of you want your disciples to be on the list. Why not just forget about signing the document and let each person's fortune or misfortune depend on their individual fate? Those who are blessed will become immortals, those who are unlucky will enter the divine path, and whether they are on the list or not will be determined by heaven."

  The Supreme Elder nodded and praised: "Fourth Master's words are not bad as a good strategy! Now that you two do not want to sign the list, it is better to put this list in my hands temporarily, until the person who will seal the gods and ascend to heaven is born. Whichever sect he worships, I will give the Sealing Gods List to whichever sect, and when the time comes for the Sealing Gods to open, each will fulfill their heavenly destiny! What do you think?"

  Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian Jiaozhu heard the words, simultaneously fell silent for a moment, Yuanshi Tianzun said: "My disciples are all true immortals of merit, I think they won't be abandoned by heaven. But not afraid! Just follow what Dashi and Sidi said!" This remark was actually provocative to Tongtian Jiaozhu, Yuanshi Tianzun had confidence in his own disciples, but didn't know what abilities Tongtian Jiaozhu's disciples had!

  Tongtian Sect Master sneered, "Are all the disciples of your sect virtuous and true immortals? Are all the disciples of my sect demons? I'll follow Eldest Brother's orders, so I won't sign the roster. Let each side fulfill their own destiny!"

  The Supreme Elder Lord saw that both Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian Jiaozhu had agreed, so he said: "Since it is so, let us proceed according to this method!"

  At this time, Hong Jun appeared silently in front of the crowd again and asked: "Have you all discussed it?"

  The Supreme Elder got up and respectfully replied: "Disciple will report back to the teacher. We have discussed this list and decided not to sign it for now, when the time comes for the sealing of the gods, each will be determined by heaven's decree whether or not they are on the list!"

  Hong Jun nodded and said: "This method is also possible! But after the list is announced, you must not regret it and form a new karma. Can you understand?"

  The saints all said in unison: "The disciple has understood!"

  Hongjun disappeared from sight. The other saints also bid farewell and left one after another. Yuanshi Tianzun walked side by side with Taishang Laojun without any reserve, which made Tongtian Jiao Zhu's face extremely gloomy. The Daoist of the Guiding and Pulling Sects exchanged a smile, and only they knew the taste of it.

  Hong Xuan quickly caught up with Tong Tian's master who was walking alone and said: "Third Master, wait!"

  Tongtian Jiaozhu stopped in his tracks and asked him with a puzzled expression, "I don't know what the fourth junior brother wants to tell me?" Hongyuan smiled slightly. He said, "It's nothing else! It's just that the discussion among the saints about the sealing of the gods has come to an end. I wonder how the senior brother wants to deal with it?"

  Tongtian Sect Master snorted coldly, saying: "Yuanshi has deceived me too much. My sect is known as the Wanxian Sect, what am I afraid of him coming to provoke? I will restrain my disciples and close the doors tightly, not entering the mortal world. But if your sect continues to deceive and bully us again and again, don't blame me for the sharpness of the three-foot green sword in my hand!"

  Hong Xuan sighed and said: "Since that's the case, I won't say more. There is just one thing I want to remind my senior brother, please take it to heart!"

  The Heavenly Master's heart and spirit shook, he knew that Hong Xuan's cultivation was the highest among all the saints, now his words were not to be taken lightly, he hastily said: "Junior brother, please speak freely!"

  Hong Xuan said solemnly, "Although there are thousands of immortals coming to pay respects at the door of our sect and we have enjoyed all the incense and blessings from humans over the years, we must be careful not to let our disciples become substitutes for others on the list, lest we regret it later!"

  The Heavenly Master Tongtian furrowed his brow upon hearing the words, but immediately relaxed and smiled: "My junior brother's words are reasonable! However, if they act in such a manner, don't blame me for setting up the Exterminating Immortal Sword Formation when I arrive!" With the Exterminating Immortal Sword Formation at hand, he was confident that he could fight Hongyuan to a draw, or even surpass him. After all, although Hongyuan's cultivation was the highest among the multitude of saints, his Exterminating Immortal Sword Formation couldn't be broken by anyone except the Four Saints; in terms of combat strength, he was confident that he wouldn't lose to Hongyuan.

  Hong Xuan saw the situation, and could only sigh silently in his heart. He didn't say much more, but bid farewell to Tong Tian Jiao Zhu and left. It seems that I will have to bear some burden! Hong Xuan thought to himself.

  But it is said that at this time, the world was in the 20th generation since Tang's founding of the country, when Pan Geng moved the capital to Yin. This is also known as Zhao Ge. After another ten generations, more than 600 years had passed since Tang founded the country, and it was the 30th generation, during the reign of Emperor Yi.

  One day, in the city of Chen State, a pair of heavenly soldiers and generals descended in front of a mansion. On the gate of the mansion was written "Yang Mansion". The gate creaked open, and a woman wearing white silk, slender and beautiful, walked out from inside. She calmly asked the heavenly soldiers and generals: "Is it that my imperial brother has sent you to capture me?"

  The leading god first bowed to the woman and said, "Conveying the words of Cloud Huaxianzi, the fairy privately descended into the mortal world and joined with the mortal Yang Tianyou. The Great Heavenly Emperor's face turned red with anger, dispatching a minor deity to descend into the mortal world to capture the fairy. I hope that the fairy will surrender willingly, so as to avoid us mistakenly starting a disturbance and harming the common people of the city!

  The woman was actually the younger sister of the Jade Emperor, who had been appointed as the Cloud Flower Fairy. Unexpectedly, she longed for mortal love and secretly descended to the world to marry a mortal named Yang Tianyou, with whom she had three children: two sons, Yang Jiao and Yang Jian, and a daughter, Yang Chan. The Jade Emperor was furious that his own sister would disregard heavenly rules and privately associate with mortals. He was so angry that he couldn't calm down, thinking that if he didn't punish her according to the law, it would spread throughout the three realms tomorrow that the Jade Emperor, as the ruler of the three realms, was indulging his relatives, and his dignity would be lost!

  Yunhua Xianzi asked: "Did imperial brother mention my husband and children?"

  The god replied: "By the decree of the Great Heavenly Lord. Except for the fairy, all others will be beheaded!"

  Yunhua Xianzi's delicate body trembled, and she said in a sorrowful tone: "Elder brother, how can you be so heartless?"

  At this moment, a god general led another team of heavenly soldiers down from the sky and said to the previous god general: "Yang Tianyou and Yang Jiao have been killed, but it is not known which immortal saved Yang Ren and Yang Chan, and they were unable to catch up!

  Yun Hua Xianzi's body shook violently, and when she heard that her husband and eldest son had died, her face turned pale. For a moment, she was stunned and speechless. She didn't know what to say! It turned out that she had already known that the Jade Emperor would send someone to capture her family, so she had let her husband take their three children away early. She stayed behind to delay time, but she underestimated the Jade Emperor. This move had been seen clearly by the Jade Emperor in the Kunlun mirror, so he sent another team of heavenly soldiers to kill Yang Tianyou and others. Just as Yang Jiaolong and Yang Chan were about to be executed, a strange gust of wind suddenly swept them away from nowhere, and even the Kunlun mirror couldn't see where they went. The Jade Emperor was secretly shocked in his heart: In the vast three realms, only a saint could evade the Kunlun mirror! Could it be that some saint had lent a helping hand? The Jade Emperor thought to himself.

  Two iron chains escaped from the hands of Ershen, instantly locking up Yunhuaxianzi who was in a daze, sealing her internal magic power, lifting her to fly to the sky, passing through the South Heaven Gate, entering the Lingxiao Hall, and bringing her before the Jade Emperor.

  The Jade Emperor sat on the cloud and shouted at Yunhua Xianzi: "Yaoniang, you secretly descended to the mortal world, combined with mortals, and committed a heavenly crime. Do you know your guilt now?"

  Yunhua Xianzi coldly looked at Yu Huang and said: "What crime does Yaoji have for seeking true love?"

  The Jade Emperor was enraged! He loudly shouted: "Guards, take this unrepentant sinner and imprison him beneath Mount Peach. For every day he refuses to confess his crimes, he will suffer punishment under Mount Peach!"

  Two gods emerged in response, pressing the Cloud Flower Fairy to the foot of Peach Mountain. Suddenly, a loud crash was heard, and Peach Mountain split into two halves from the middle. The two gods threw the Cloud Flower Fairy into the gap, and Peach Mountain merged back into one. A talisman fell from the Thirty-Third Heaven's Lingxiao Treasure Hall and stuck to the top of Peach Mountain, emitting a faint, pure light!

  Yuquan Mountain Jin Xia Cave, a boy about 16 years old and a girl about 12 years old are facing Taoshan and worshiping, tears uncontrollably flowing down, unable to stop!

  Yu Ding Zhen Ren looked at the two orphaned children below and couldn't help but sigh, saying to the young boy: "Yang Jiaolong, if you are willing to take me, a poor Taoist, as your master, I will definitely teach you divine powers. At that time, you can also split mountains to rescue your mother!"

  Yang Jian heard this and seemed to have grasped a lifesaving straw, hastily kneeling down in front of Yu Ding Zhen Ren and said: "Yang Jian wishes to acknowledge True Person as his master!"

  Yu Ding Zhen Ren burst out laughing loudly, overjoyed at having received an exceptionally talented disciple.

  The sky is clear and the palace of Miroku is vast. The Lord of the Primordial Heaven nods slightly, looks in the direction of the Heavenly Court, lets out a cold laugh, then closes his eyes and wanders off into the void! It is said: The three merchants seal the gods and fix their numbers, Yuanshi descends to give birth to the first heavenly being.