plumnovel Chapter 1 Yun Zhongzi
Chapter 1 Yun Zhongzi
At Yuxu Palace on Kunlun Mountain, auspicious clouds filled the sky, and colorful mist swirled around.
"Master, this is my 1328th earnest request to join the ranks of the Twelve Golden Immortals of our Chan Sect and share the burdens of our sect."
The young man, dressed in a golden-white Taoist robe, knelt on the ground with a tall and handsome figure. He was none other than Yun Zhongzi, the Golden Immortal of the Chan Sect.
On the high platform at the head of the hall, the Primordial Celestial Venerable, wearing a jade lotus crown and a purple robe with the Eight Trigrams, gently tapped the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi in his hand, and the clear sound of the jade chime resounded throughout the hall.
His face was stern, and his tone was completely flat:
"Yun Zhongzi, the twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect have already completed the cycle of the heavens and bear the weight of the Chan Sect's destiny. The Pangu Banner can suppress them. If you were to be added, the destiny would collapse, and we would surely follow in the footsteps of the Jie Sect, which indiscriminately recruited ten thousand immortals."
Before the words were finished, the figure of Yuanshi Tianzun had already vanished, leaving only a single, echoing decree:
"The sermon is finished, all of you may leave. The great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods is about to begin, so each of you should go into seclusion to prepare, and must not slacken your efforts."
"I will follow the teacher's teachings."
The twelve Golden Immortals bowed in unison to receive the order, turned and left the hall, with Yun Zhongzi and the other second-generation disciples following closely behind.
Just as he stepped out of the Jade Void Palace gate, the round-faced, short, and stout Ju Liusun glanced sideways at Yun Zhongzi and sneered. His voice wasn't loud, but it was just enough for all the Golden Immortals around to hear clearly:
"Tsk tsk, some people have such terrible backgrounds, yet they insist on squeezing in to be on equal footing with us. They've begged over a thousand times, their skin is thicker than the Heaven-Turning Seal."
The surrounding Golden Immortals had various expressions.
Samantabhadra and Manjushri showed disdain, Jade Cauldron remained silent with his eyes down, and Guangchengzi and Chijingzi pretended not to hear, but none of them spoke up to dissuade them.
Only Taiyi Zhenren's expression changed, and he wanted to speak, but Daoxing Tianzun tugged at his sleeve, and he finally sighed and remained silent.
Yun Zhongzi remained unmoved, as if a gentle breeze had swept by. He slightly cupped his hands, turned around gracefully, and rode the clouds toward Zhongnan Mountain.
Ju Liusun chuckled, exchanged a glance with Cihang Daoren, and then they walked together.
But Yun Zhongzi noticed that the two were not heading towards their respective dojos, but rather towards the mortal realm.
Yuzhu Cave in Zhongnan Mountain.
As soon as Yun Zhongzi landed, his hand in his sleeve slowly clenched.
He was a transmigrator who has occupied the body of this Golden Immortal of Fortune for tens of thousands of years.
When he first arrived, he thought he had received an incredible stroke of luck.
During the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, only Yun Zhongzi escaped the calamity of death, lived a carefree life in seclusion, and finally died a peaceful death.
But after spending time with him, he realized how unfair the title of "Golden Immortal of Fortune and Virtue" truly was.
He was the first second-generation disciple of the Chan Sect, besides the Antarctic Immortal, to attain the Golden Immortal status.
In terms of diligence in cultivation and composure of mind, he is no less than any of the Twelve Golden Immortals.
But the way Yuanshi Tianzun treated him was completely different.
Each of the twelve Golden Immortals possessed a primordial spiritual treasure bestowed upon them by their own hand, a supreme weapon for killing.
Guang Chengzi possesses the Heaven-Turning Seal, Chi Jingzi possesses the Yin-Yang Mirror, Ju Liusun possesses the Immortal-Binding Rope, and the other Golden Immortals each possess unique treasures.
He only obtained one Demon-Revealing Mirror, which could identify the true form of demons. However, within the Chan Sect, there were at least eighty or a hundred spells that could identify demons and evil spirits. This magic weapon was essentially useless.
The resources available for cultivation are vastly different.
The Nine-Turn Golden Elixir refined by Laozi can be claimed by the Twelve Golden Immortals as needed, but he can only exchange for one elixir after completing various tasks every thousand years.
The Twelve Golden Immortals possessed the best resources of Kunlun Mountain, including rare and precious materials for refining weapons and spiritual veins for cultivation.
He could only guard this small cave in Zhongnan Mountain and rely on himself to collect materials from all over the place to cultivate.
What chilled him even more was that the Investiture of the Gods was originally intended to help the Twelve Golden Immortals overcome their tribulations.
Since his arrival from another world, he has been cautious and careful, and has no trace of evil spirits about him.
Despite being both Golden Immortals, they were looked down upon by the Twelve Golden Immortals for being an acquired race, simply because they were born into the human race created by the Goddess Nuwa. They were ostracized at every turn and couldn't even integrate into their sect.
He had considered blending in with the world, even if it meant humbling himself to be a dog, just to get through the tribulation safely, but even that path was blocked.
In his previous life, he was well-versed in "Investiture of the Gods" and thought that Yun Zhongzi had no interest in power struggles.
Only after personally experiencing tens of thousands of years of neglect did I realize that Yun Zhongzi's solo journey to Chaoge to present his sword and eliminate Daji in the original story might not have been without resentment, a desire to make a contribution and gain recognition from his sect.
Unfortunately, he ultimately failed and was probably warned by his sect, after which he dared not act rashly again.
And what happened after the Investiture of the Gods?
The Twelve Golden Immortals are all famous.
Even if one joins the Western religion, one will attain the status of a Bodhisattva or Buddha, and everyone in the Three Realms will know of it.
Only Yun Zhongzi seemed to have been completely erased from the Three Realms. Whether he was alive or dead, there was no record of him. He was unknown and disappeared into the past.
"Since you are so heartless, don't blame me for being unjust."
A cold glint flashed in Yun Zhongzi's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "System, activate."
The "Intercepting Fortune System" has been activated.
[Current Main Quest: The Great Tribulation of Gods (Unlocked)]
[Mission Objective: Intercept the vital energy of the four directions—Chan, Jie, the West, and the Heavenly Court—to protect the Human Emperor's destiny and prevent him from being demoted to the lowest rank of emperor.]
[Side Quest Rewards: Fortune Points, Magic Items, and Supernatural Powers are calculated in real-time based on the completion progress of the Fortune Interception event.]
[Main Quest Completion Ultimate Reward: Primordial Treasure - Chaos Bell]
The Chaos Bell!
Yun Zhongzi's spiritual energy stagnated.
That was one of the four innate treasures that disappeared from the Three Realms after the fall of Donghuang Taiyi.
It can suppress time and space, control the flow of fortune, and control all laws. Its power is comparable to that of the Pangu Banner of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable!
With this supreme treasure, not only can he survive the Investiture of the Gods calamity, but he can also completely conceal his identity as a transmigrator!
Since his arrival from another world, he has been constantly worried about his identity being exposed after the Great Tribulation.
The secrets of heaven during the great eon are obscure, and even sages find them difficult to grasp.
At this moment, the anxiety that had been hanging over him for tens of thousands of years finally subsided, and a surge of energy rose from the bottom of his heart.
He had already calculated that today was the day King Zhou of Shang, Di Xin, would come to Nuwa Palace to offer incense.
When he read "Investiture of the Gods" in his previous life, he felt that this matter was strange.
Emperor Xin was a human emperor who ruled the world, yet he had only a few concubines in his harem. He was by no means a lustful and incompetent ruler.
Moreover, given the limitations of technology at the time, even the most exquisite clay statues could hardly capture the spirit of a real person. How could a human emperor be so disgruntled as to inscribe lewd poems on the white wall?
There must be something fishy going on here.
Yun Zhongzi stood up and looked towards the direction of Kunlun Mountain, silently thinking: Master, it is not that your disciple is disloyal, but that you and the sect have treated me too poorly.
I do all the dirty and tiring work, but I get no benefit whatsoever, and in the end, I'll be expelled from the Three Realms.
From this day forward, I, a humble Taoist priest, will also have a share in this game of deification.
With a flash of golden light, Yun Zhongzi disappeared into the Jade Pillar Cave.
Chaoge, Nuwa Palace.
The air was filled with the fragrance of cigarettes, and the sounds of bells and drums filled the air.
Emperor Xin was dressed in a black imperial robe, with a handsome face and an awe-inspiring presence as a human emperor. Behind him was Shang Rong, a veteran of three dynasties.
He looked up at the statue of Nuwa in the hall. The clay sculpture was solemn and dignified, exuding a holy aura of compassion for all living beings, without the slightest hint of frivolity.
Yun Zhongzi activated his self-created "Bewitching Immortal Array," concealing his form and hiding on the palace beams, taking in everything.
Just then, a sudden gust of wind swept through the hall, causing the curtains to flutter wildly.
A faint, seven-colored aura, like a wisp of silk, silently seeped into Di Xin's brow.
The once clear-headed and composed Emperor Xin's eyes instantly became hazy and murky, his majestic aura dissipated, and he was even tainted with a lewd and evil air.
He stared intently at the statue of Nuwa and blurted out, "What an absolute beauty! Bring me a brush!" Shang Rong's expression changed drastically. Being an old and shrewd man, he could easily see through Di Xin's thoughts and immediately knelt down.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't! Nuwa is the Holy Mother of Humanity. Your Majesty's actions are utterly disrespectful!"
Yun Zhongzi on the beam's pupils contracted.
The Seven Treasures Tree?
Could it be that Daoist Zhunti personally took action?