Chapter 229: The Three Legendary Books of the Primordial World!

Chapter 229: The Three Legendary Books of the Primordial World!

[Weapon List Ranking No. 47: Heavenly Book, Mid-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure. Owner: Yuanshi Tianzun]

[The Heavenly Book, also known as the Investiture of the Gods, places divine duties upon souls. However, only those who have already died can enter this list, as only souls can be inscribed!]

When the Investiture of the Gods appeared, many powerful beings immediately thought of the great battle during the Investiture of the Gods era.

At that time, countless middle-level powerhouses from various factions perished and were inscribed in the Investiture of the Gods, where they were granted divine appointments, contributing to the Heavenly Book's immense power.

However, the power of the Heavenly Book isn't in its inherent strength. In terms of rank, it is merely a mid-grade Innate Spirit Treasure. What sets it apart from other treasures is that it represents a fragment of the Heavenly Dao itself. No matter how strong other treasures are, they can't compare to that.

Additionally, the holder of this treasure played a pivotal role in the era's calamity, making the Heavenly Book especially important during the Investiture of the Gods era.

What surprised many was that the Investiture of the Gods was now in the hands of Yuanshi Tianzun. After the conclusion of the Investiture of the Gods, it had been in the possession of Jiang Ziya, so its current location confused many.

But upon further reflection, Jiang Ziya was Yuanshi Tianzun's disciple, and the Investiture of the Gods is an extremely important artifact. It houses numerous divine officers, and if it were to fall into the hands of someone with ill intentions, it would be disastrous.

Therefore, Yuanshi Tianzun would never have been fully at ease leaving it with Jiang Ziya. Naturally, it returned to Yuanshi Tianzun's possession. This can be considered a return to its rightful owner, as the Investiture of the Gods originally belonged to Yuanshi Tianzun. It was only given to Jiang Ziya during the Investiture of the Gods era.

Among those who suffered the most in that era were the disciples of the Jie Sect, which is why when the Master of the Sect, Tongtian Jiaozhu, saw this treasure again, he was furious.

Many of Tongtian's disciples remain trapped in the Investiture of the Gods, and though much time has passed, he could never forget the loss and humiliation he suffered.

In the Primordial World, Saints often outmaneuver one another, but Tongtian had never expected that despite being the strongest, he would lose to Yuanshi Tianzun.

He should have gained the greatest results from the calamity, but in the end, it led to the downfall of the Jie Sect, with numerous disciples perishing, and the once-glorious scene of tens of thousands of immortals paying homage became a distant memory.

[Ancestor Minghe: The three legendary books—Heavenly Book, Earth Book, and Human Book—have all appeared, but I wonder, isn't the Heavenly Book ranked a bit too low?]

[Guangchengzi: The Investiture of the Gods has never been an exceptionally powerful treasure, so its ranking is appropriate. If it ranked any higher, it would seem odd. Beyond confining souls and granting titles, it doesn't have much use.]

[Sun Wukong: Seems like I guessed right. The Earthly Book follows right after the Heavenly Book. But from what you're saying, its purpose seems really confusing to me!]

[Guanyin Bodhisattva: The Heavenly Book, also called the Investiture of the Gods, was the most important artifact in the last calamity. At that time, you were not yet involved, so it's normal for you to be unaware of its significance. Its function is that those who die can be revived through it and can take up positions under the Heavenly Dao.]

[Sun Wukong: Wow, that sounds amazing!]

Sun Wukong listened to the explanation but only grasped the front part. He thought reviving the dead through the Investiture of the Gods was an incredible ability. However, what he didn't realize was that those revived through the Investiture would be bound to it, eternally trapped in their divine roles, with no chance of escape.

The torment of being bound to the Investiture was far worse than his suffering under the Five Elements Mountain. At least under the mountain, he had hope of eventual freedom, but those bound to the Investiture had no such luxury.

Since the rules of the Heavenly Dao are integrated into the Heavenly Book, breaking it is impossible. Destroying it would also likely obliterate those inside.

[Erlang Shen: I thought the Investiture of the Gods was gone for good. I didn't expect to see it again under such circumstances!]

[Manjushri Bodhisattva: If you had perished back then, you might have ended up in the Investiture of the Gods too. Then, you wouldn't have had to wait so long for your moment!]

[Erlang Shen: Manjushri, you exaggerate. I have no desire to be bound in the Investiture of the Gods. I prefer my current free and unfettered life.]

Erlang Shen, being a third-generation disciple of the Chan Sect, was highly regarded by Yuanshi Tianzun. Even in the direst situations, there was no way a genius like him would have been trapped in the Investiture of the Gods.

Apart from the disciples of the Jie Sect, very few from the Chan Sect or the Buddhist Sect entered the Investiture of the Gods. After all, the Buddhist Sect stayed out of the conflict, and the Chan Sect ultimately won.

[Fuxi: Though the Heavenly Book is powerful, it's conditional. Under normal circumstances, it may not be as strong as we imagine. Moreover, it can't harm or be used against others. Its current rank is quite appropriate.]

[Samantabhadra Bodhisattva: I used to think this treasure had been left with Jiang Ziya, but it turns out that it was eventually taken back by Yuanshi Tianzun!]

[Jiang Ziya: There's nothing wrong with my master taking it back. Only someone with the strength of a Saint can ensure the safety of the Heavenly Book. If it had remained with me, someone with ill intent might have seized it. While I might be able to fend off weaker enemies, I wouldn't stand a chance against the truly powerful.]

[Guangchengzi: The Heavenly Book has always belonged to Yuanshi Tianzun. No matter what you say, trying to sow discord is pointless. No one will believe you!]

[Samantabhadra Bodhisattva: I'm merely stating the truth, not trying to stir up trouble. If that's how you want to see it, so be it!]

[Guangchengzi: Forget it, I don't want to waste my time with you.]

[Sun Wukong: I see that while the Heavenly, Earthly, and Human Books each have different functions, none of them seem to have direct combat abilities. They all seem to serve as support, without any offensive power!]

The Human Book governs life and death, the Earthly Book governs mountains and rivers, and the Heavenly Book governs the positions of officials among the stars. However, none of them have any offensive capabilities. These Innate Spirit Treasures weren't created for battle but rather to better manage the merit emanating from the Heavenly Dao.

[Taiyi Zhenren: While that may be true, each of the three legendary books has its unique function. None of them should be underestimated. When used at the right moment, they can even surpass some powerful weapons.]

[Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva: Indeed. These three books all have irreplaceable qualities. Though they may not seem particularly powerful at first glance, the more you learn about them, the more you'll realize their true strength.]