"Junior brother, I'm planning to go down the mountain now. After that, when it comes to the Chan Sect, I'll have to trouble you to help Master with the burden!"

Taiyi Zhenren was greatly alarmed:

"What? Senior Brother, you're actually going down the mountain? What are you going to do there?"

The Boundless Immortal Elder remained silent for a moment, but still told the truth:

“After Junior Brother Shen left Yuxu Palace yesterday, he went straight to Kunlun Mountain. I was afraid that he might act impulsively and actually join the Heavenly Court. As his senior brother, I cannot let him do as he pleases. I must find him and bring him back immediately!”

“But Shen Gongbao was personally expelled from our Chan Sect by our Master. Senior Brother, aren’t you afraid of incurring Master’s displeasure by doing this?”

Seeing the worried look on Taiyi Zhenren's face, Wuliang Xianweng smiled:

“Although Junior Brother Shen was expelled from the Chan Sect by Master, Master was in a bad mood at the time. As long as we plead with Master properly afterward, I believe Master will forgive Shen Gongbao again.”

Taiyi Zhenren frowned:

“But Junior Brother Shen has been gone for a day, and we don’t know where he went. How are you going to find him, Senior Brother?”

The Boundless Immortal Elder smiled gently:

"Don't worry about that. After Junior Brother Shen left yesterday, the Jade Emperor led all the immortals of the Heavenly Court away. They must have gone to find Junior Brother Shen."

"Although I don't believe that Junior Brother Shen would betray the sect, once he leaves my Chan Sect, he's just an ordinary Xuanxian. How could he resist the temptation of the olive branch extended by the Heavenly Court?"

"The reason I rushed down the mountain to find Shen Gongbao this time was because I was afraid he would make an irreversible decision."

"Therefore, for the sake of the future of my sect, I will definitely find Junior Brother Shen."

Having said that, the Boundless Immortal Elder strode away from the Jade Void Palace.

Unfortunately, the Boundless Immortal was destined never to find Shen Gongbao in the Heavenly Court.

………

Let's go back to one day ago.

Although he had left Yuxu Palace, Shen Gongbao, who was in Kunlun Mountain, dared not be complacent in the slightest, for he feared that any carelessness on his part might bring him to his death again.

Suppressing his excitement at obtaining the fragment of the Chaos Pearl, Shen Gongbao walked step by step down the mountain.

As he descended the steps, Shen Gongbao pondered his future direction.

If he were truly vengeful, he should go to Golden Turtle Island in the East Sea right now and use the battle between the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect during the Investiture of the Gods to teach the Chan Sect members a lesson in how to behave.

If he wanted to safely escape the Investiture of the Gods, he could choose to leave for the Heavenly Court or go to the West.

This great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods mainly affected the sage sects of Chan and Jie. From this point of view, both the Heavenly Court and the Western Sect were good places to go.

However, as the one destined to be appointed as a deity, it is clearly unlikely that he could escape the calamity of the Investiture of the Gods so easily.

Just then, an ice-blue system notification suddenly appeared in front of Shen Gongbao:

[Optional Task 1: Vengeance is a Must (Chain Task)]

[Requirements: Join the Jie Sect, become a disciple of the Tongtian Sect Leader, use the Investiture of the Gods as a chessboard to severely damage the Chan Sect, and make the Primordial Heavenly Lord and the rest of the Chan Sect regret their past decisions.]

[Timeframe: Ten years]

Difficulty: 5 stars

[Reward: Complete joining the Jie Sect and receive one Gold-level lottery draw as the first-stage reward]

[Optional Mission 2: Escaping Heaven (Chain Mission)]

[Requirement: Join the Heavenly Court by taking the opportunity of leaving your name in the Investiture of the Gods, in order to avoid the calamity of the Investiture of the Gods.]

[Timeframe: Ten years]

Difficulty: Four stars

[Reward: Upon successfully joining the Heavenly Court, you will receive one Gold-level lottery draw as the first-stage reward]

[Optional Mission 3: Departure to the West (Chain Mission)]

[Requirement: Join the Western Religion to avoid the calamity of the Investiture of the Gods]

[Timeframe: Ten years]

Difficulty: Four stars

[Reward: Complete joining the Western Religion and receive one Gold-level lottery draw as the first-stage reward]

[Optional Quest 4: A Carefree Rogue Cultivator (Chain Quest)]

[Requirement: Be a carefree, independent cultivator and safely survive the Investiture of the Gods calamity]

[Timeframe: Ten years]

Difficulty: Four stars

[Reward: Select this task to immediately receive one Gold-level lottery draw as the first-stage reward]

Looking at the system prompts in front of him, Shen Gongbao could only say that this system was really too considerate.

I had just started thinking about my future plans when this task came up.

But this means I have to make a careful decision.

The first mission is "Vengeful and Revengeful," and it must be said that this mission is quite attractive.

Today you ignore me, tomorrow I'll make you kneel before me forever—this slap-in-the-face scenario is sure to entice anyone who sees it.

But having been given a second chance at life, Shen Gongbao knew that the sage Yuanshi Tianzun was the greatest source of confidence for the Chan Sect.

If one hasn't reached that level, one can't truly strike at the Chan Sect.

What he would face afterward was only the inhuman revenge of the Primordial Celestial Venerable.

Therefore, this option was directly ruled out by Shen Gongbao.

The second and third tasks are essentially the same; both involve escaping the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods to save one's own life.

If Shen Gongbao were just an ordinary rogue cultivator, he would have chosen one of these two options. After all, during the Investiture of the Gods war, hardly anyone from the Heavenly Court or the Western Sect died because of the Investiture of the Gods calamity.

But Shen Gongbao is different. He is not only the one destined to be appointed as a deity, but also a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun. Whether it is the Western Sect or the Heavenly Court, once they formally accept him, it is basically equivalent to declaring war on the Chan Sect.

Would they do that?

Shen Gongbao shook his head.

Both the Western Religion and the Heavenly Court are very cunning. They might secretly accept you, but they will never openly announce their relationship with you.

In this way, the help they can provide is extremely limited, so why should I bother?

Just then.

A familiar greeting came from behind Shen Gongbao, but the content of the words made Shen Gongbao shudder.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait!"

Shen Gongbao rolled his eyes inwardly as he looked at Taibai Jinxing, who was looking at him with a kind expression.

Do you think an old man can just use my personal quotes like that?

More importantly, you've already used it, but please don't use it on me, okay?

What you said makes me anxious!

Just as he was inwardly grumbling, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the Jade Emperor, who was not far from Venus, out of the corner of his eye.

Shen Gongbao quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and spoke with considerable deference:

"This humble Taoist priest, Shen Gongbao, greets the Jade Emperor. Your Majesty, it seems you have just descended the mountain?"

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor smiled warmly and gently shook his head.

"No, I came here specifically to see Fellow Daoist Shen Gongbao!"