The Investiture: Unlimited Blade Works Nezha
Chapter 184 - 183: Primordial Undercurrents

Chapter 184: Chapter 183: Primordial Undercurrents

Nezha entered a state of closed cultivation. On the southern battlefield, although the high-ranking forces of the Shang Army were at a disadvantage, the lower-ranking soldiers were far superior to the refugees of the West Zhou, so the stalemate persisted.

Meanwhile, in the east, the Eastern Marquis Jiang Huanchu, aged and frail, quietly passed away in his sleep, his True Spirit flying towards the south to the Investiture of the Gods.

An inexplicable ripple flashed at the bedside, followed by the appearance of three individuals: the long-missing Yin Jiao, Yin Hong, and an elderly figure who appeared extremely benevolent.

Yin Jiao and Yin Hong had been stripped of their mana for years, yet now their appearances showed no signs of aging; surprisingly, their auras had broken through to the Heavenly Immortal realm.

Yin Hong looked at the grandfather who had been kind to his brothers, now deceased, and with some guilt said, "Master, won’t this..."

Before the elder could respond, Yin Jiao interjected, "Second brother, you’re mistaken. Grandfather was old and frail, living only to endure more suffering; passing away in his sleep is a joyous death."

The elder nodded with a smile, "Indeed."

The elder then cast a spell to control their uncle, the princely heir Jiang Wenhuai. Within just three days, the entire faction of the Eastern Marquis was under the control of the Yin brothers.

Subsequently, they began constructing temples on a large scale. As for what is being worshiped?

It is the Buddha.

Now, with the Shang and Zhou embroiled in war, and Nantang far removed, none of the three factions noticed the changes in East Lu.

After the Yin brothers assumed power, they completed the construction of the temples, followed by rituals. The entire city seemed to fall into a stupor, sleepwalking as they continuously performed rituals in the temples constructed under the elder’s guidance to worship the ’Buddha.’

A half-moon later, in the deep quiet of night, the two brothers absorbed the power of the incense from the statues for cultivation.

As they absorbed, the incense within the statues was soon completely consumed by the two.

Yin Jiao, somewhat anxious, asked, "Master, cultivating like this is a bit slow. Do you have any clever methods for us? Once we inherit this Great Shang, we will surely make you the Great National Master!"

Yin Hong, standing by, also asked, "Yes, master."

An unnamed gleam flickered in the elder’s eyes as he said, "Worshiping the Buddha stresses sincerity above all else. You two can find a way to express your sincerity."

The Yin brothers exchanged a glance, unexpectedly recalling their ancestral craft, human sacrifice.

The next day, the once solemn and sacred temples were thoroughly enveloped by a bloody atmosphere. Yin Hong gazed at his brother with unease, "Big brother, isn’t this too cruel?"

An inexplicable look flashed in Yin Jiao’s eyes as he turned towards his brother and said, "Second brother, as long as you and I attain the status of Immortals beyond all calamities, what does the sacrifice of mere mortals count for?"

He then ordered the dazed soldiers, who moved like puppets, "Bring another batch of people!"

What followed was an even more gruesome massacre. The once golden statue was completely splattered with blood, turning a dark red. The benevolent-looking statue of Buddha now appeared sinister in this bloody atmosphere.

At night, as they began to absorb the incense power from the Buddha statue again, the previously golden incense power had now completely transformed into a terrifying dark red.

The elder looked at the two as black energy covered their faces, revealing a terrifying smile.

...

In the royal palace of Chaoge City, Queen Jiang, who had already fallen asleep peacefully, suddenly awoke in the night, her heart restless as if something major had happened.

Over the years, Queen Jiang had been diligent in her cultivation. Although her level was low at the moment, the massive changes involving her father and son still resonated with her.

She hurriedly dressed and, disregarding anything else, directly rushed into Yin Shou’s sleeping quarters. Yin Shou, while absorbed in his cultivation of immortality, was indeed wayward in his duties but could definitely be counted as a good husband.

Queen Jiang blamed the current state of Yin Shang entirely on Wen Zhong.

As his cultivation progressed, Yin Shou’s aura became increasingly ethereal, with his innate ferocity and bestial nature gradually subdued. Upon seeing his queen in such a state, he did not reproach her.

Instead, he embraced her in his arms and comforted her, saying, "What troubles you, my queen?"

Truth be told, being held in Yin Shou’s arms, Queen Jiang instantly felt an unprecedented sense of security. Yin Shou had not committed the absurdities from the original timeline; instead, among his ministers, he was considered a wise ruler.

Queen Jiang struggled to organize her thoughts, but the horror she felt within her heart was indescribable. In the end, she could only look at Yin Shou, her eyes shimmering with tears.

Yin Shou, despite wanting to return to his cultivation, refrained from uttering words to dismiss her when he saw Queen Jiang in such a state.

He had always been satisfied with Queen Jiang’s actions. Not only did she not disturb his cultivation, but she often brought rare treasures from her maternal home for his use. She even ambitiously cultivated with the hope of becoming eternal companions.

Finally, the long overdue night of passion in the Clouds of Mount Wu was rekindled.

On the following day, Queen Jiang refrained from clinging to Yin Shou, instead penning a letter to her father filled with worry.

Whether there would be a reply...

...

On the Western Spirit Mountain

Two Saints sat opposite each other, with the Six-winged Golden Cicada still in between them.

Saint Zhunti stopped reciting the scripture and sighed, "Senior brother, the Jin Can’s malevolence is so great that mere scriptures cannot cleanse it. If we attempt to influence it by force, it may become useless. What should we do?"

Jieyin contemplated for a moment before speaking, "We can only cast it into reincarnation, to grind away its malevolence; otherwise, it cannot be used for our Western Sect."

Saint Zhunti nodded slightly, agreeing with the resolution.

"Then I shall take a trip to the underworld."

After speaking, he put away the bowl and headed straight to the underworld.

Upon arriving in the underworld, Zhunti did not make a spectacle of himself. Instead, he went to the place where Ksitigarbha resided, glanced a few times, and saw many ghosts, Asura, and Rashamon listening to Ksitigarbha’s teachings. He could not help but nod approvingly.

He was quite satisfied with this disciple.

Afterwards, he approached the Six Dao Reincarnation Plate alone and, facing the direction of the Houtu Palace, made a ceremonial bow, saying, "Junior sister, this Jin Can has karmic ties with our West. Please grant me a favor."

After the formalities, he took out the Purple Gold Alms Bowl, pointed with a finger, and the primordial spirit of Jin Can flew out and entered the Six Dao Reincarnation Plate. Meanwhile, its physical form was enhanced with a bit of divine material, transforming into a set of incredibly splendid vestment robes.

Zhunti collected the bowl and robes, veering off in the direction of the Blood Sea. Since he was here, he wouldn’t return empty-handed; he’d surely bring back some local specialties.

The underworld, barren, surely had no spiritual objects or magical treasures, but there were people. The Witch Clan wouldn’t do, so he’d bring back some Asura and Rashamon!

In Lishan, while in closed cultivation, Nezha remained unaware of the numerous events occurring in the Primordial world. But even knowing them would be pointless; how could a mere Profound Immortal like him intervene in the schemes of various Great Experts?

The Primordial world might change because of him, but it would never halt on his account. Everyone was bravely striving on their path of cultivation; as for who would reach the end, it was unknown.

During this period, Nezha’s arduous cultivation yielded remarkable results: he managed to converge three Divine Lights, representing Yin, Yang, and Fire—namely, black, white, and red.

It wasn’t that Nezha’s other attributes were weak; rather, these aspects of his were exceedingly strong.

Tai Chi gives birth to the Two Forms; the Two Forms give birth to the Four Symbols; the Four Symbols give birth to the Eight Diagram.