The epic, world-shaking Battle of the Investiture of the Gods, chronicled in the Fengshen Yanyi, had made nearly everyone in all of China familiar with it. As the constant companion weapon of Jiang Ziya, that seemingly unkillable fixture of the saga, the God-Smiting Whip left an indelible impression on countless minds.

When he was young, Ye Wen had always believed the God-Smiting Whip to be an incredibly formidable magical artifact. But as he grew older and his understanding of the world expanded, Ye Wen finally realized that the God-Smiting Whip was… essentially useless.

The God-Smiting Whip, as its name implied, was a treasure crafted specifically for striking down gods!

In the War of Investiture, who qualified as a 'god'? They were those destined for the Investiture of the Gods list, those who would become official functionaries of the Heavenly Court. In that ancient conflict, the majority of cultivators were not 'gods' but 'Immortals.'

Young Ye Wen didn't grasp these nuances. Later, though he gained some understanding, he still dismissed it—believing it all to be mere fantasy back then.

But now was different. The moment the name 'God-Smiting Whip' was spoken, Ye Wen gasped. Thankfully, Hermit Beihe merely assumed the old senior was shocked that such a weighty treasure had been stolen, never suspecting any deeper reason.

Only Ye Wen himself knew the true source of his astonishment: the magical artifact from the Investiture myth actually existed in reality.

"That God-Smiting Whip… why was it stolen?"

Jiang Ziya, despite his mediocre cultivation, was at least a half-Immortal, backed by incredibly powerful mentors who could activate such an item. Now, even though the Whip itself remained intact, no one in the Kunlun Sect could wield it. More critically, the current cultivation world was populated mostly by ordinary cultivators or Earthly Immortals; they barely encountered a single true 'god.' So, who exactly was the Whip supposed to strike?

Consequently, the practical value of the God-Smiting Whip had dwindled to almost nothing. Because of this, the Kunlun Sect’s guard over the treasure was not strictly maintained, allowing someone the opportunity to pilfer it.

Since Hermit Beihe had already revealed so much, there was little harm in disclosing a bit more; these matters held no secrets now, especially if Ye Wen agreed to accompany him—much would be made clear once they traveled together.

"Senior knows the current state of the cultivation world!"

He let out a long sigh, perhaps feeling the helplessness of the situation himself.

"The spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth grows thinner by the day. Cultivation becomes increasingly arduous, and ascension to Immortality has become a dream barely worth hoping for. In such circumstances, many cultivators have begun setting their sights on other avenues!"

"...like that God-Smiting Whip?" Ye Wen faintly sensed something, yet the knowledge he possessed was too scant to form a clear picture. He had no choice but to listen patiently as Hermit Beihe elaborated.

Hermit Beihe nodded. "Legend has it that the God-Smiting Whip was a treasure passed down by the Dao Ancestor himself, designed exclusively to smite Heavenly Court functionaries! It was originally intended for those enforcing law in the Celestial Realm to manage the various gods! During the War of Investiture, it also served the purpose of escorting those listed on the scroll to the Investiture Platform to report for duty!"

To put it plainly, this thing was specialized in disciplining those who held the rank of divine official. Furthermore, if your name was on the Investiture of the Gods scroll, you would be suppressed by this artifact—it was fundamentally an item meant to complement the scroll itself.

Ye Wen already knew most of this. Although he hadn't read the entire original Fengshen Yanyi in his previous life, he had watched the television adaptation. Much of it had faded from memory, but the multitude of Honghuang and Fengshen online novels he consumed later had thoroughly refreshed his familiarity with the tale.

He just never imagined he would become entangled in these events in the future. That Investiture… "Heh heh, that's no good thing. Whoever gets listed on that scroll is forever trapped, bound to serve the Heavenly Court for eternity!"

Seeing Ye Wen remain silent, Hermit Beihe wasn't sure what the old senior was contemplating, so he continued, "Back then, many Immortals departed this realm for unknown destinations, which later gave rise to the concept of the Immortal Realm. Some later generations speculated that this so-called Immortal Realm might be the very location of that Heavenly Court…"

Hearing this, a flash of insight struck Ye Wen, and he suddenly grasped the crucial point: "You mean someone has set their sights on the God-Smiting Whip, hoping to get themselves placed on that Investiture of the Gods scroll?"

Hermit Beihe saw that Ye Wen had guessed correctly and nodded.

Ye Wen drew a deep breath. He hadn't expected these cultivators to be so utterly desperate. Seeing ascension become impossible, they were attempting a detour?

In truth, it wasn't entirely incomprehensible. If becoming an Immortal was out of reach, then taking a position as a god official in the Heavenly Court was an alternative. At least they could secure endless longevity and wander freely in the Immortal Realm!

Moreover, a position as a heavenly official wasn't exactly degrading; at least ostensibly, it carried considerable status, merely involving more administrative work than the carefree life of a cultivator.

But to become a divine official, one had to be listed on the Investiture of the Gods scroll (or directly conferred by the Jade Emperor, but where in this world would they find the Jade Emperor?). And the scroll absolutely could not reside in this world; naturally, no one had seriously pursued that line of thought.

Yet, the God-Smiting Whip, the item designed to complement the scroll, had been preserved by the Kunlun Sect. This inevitably drew extra attention from these individuals. Many even considered: if they could thoroughly study how the Whip judges who qualifies as a god, or perhaps decipher the arcane formula for killing someone and sending their soul to the Investiture Scroll, then perhaps achieving godhood through this very artifact wouldn't be impossible.

Over thousands of years, these cultivators were no fools; their minds weren't made of wood. They devised countless bizarre methods, and many proposed such theories. Even within the Kunlun Sect, some had taken action, though none had ever succeeded.

At that time, though the spiritual energy was thinning year by year, it was far from the current grim state. Thus, when no one succeeded, the idea gradually faded.

It wasn't until these last few centuries that this notion resurfaced with increasing intensity, drawing the gaze of many cultivators who saw their chances of ascension vanish back toward the God-Smiting Whip.

"There were times when many cultivators banded together to storm Kunlun Mountain, attempting to force the Kunlun Sect to hand over the Whip. Had the major sects not maintained a united front back then, the God-Smiting Whip might no longer be in Kunlun's hands! But unexpectedly, a traitor soon appeared within the sect, and the Whip was stolen along with it. Only recently has its trail been uncovered!"

Ye Wen stroked his chin. "In short, the God-Smiting Whip seems intimately connected only to our Eastern cultivators. Why are those people from the Western world so intent on it?"

Hermit Beihe offered a wry smile. "That stems from their customs. Those fellows always believe that anything truly valuable should be kept within their own sphere. More importantly, since the God-Smiting Whip is an ancient treasure, it must possess numerous miraculous properties, and the Westerners wish to take it back for intensive research!"

As he spoke, Zheng Ying, standing nearby, suddenly chimed in. "In recent years, Western mages have advanced a startling hypothesis: that the so-called Immortal Realm is actually another, higher-tiered plane of existence. They posit that 'ascension' is merely a process of tearing through the spatial barriers to cross into another dimension!"

"And if the God-Smiting Whip truly has the ability to transport someone directly from this world to the Heavenly Realm, it proves this treasure can bridge dimensional planes. Therefore, those Western devils..."

"...want to research it thoroughly to open up and explore new dimensions?" Ye Wen considered this. It seemed to align with the traditional behavior of those people—when the resources of one world are nearly depleted, they set out to explore new ones.

Zheng Ying nodded, finding it surprisingly easy to converse with this old senior. He didn't need to spell everything out; the senior grasped the meaning quickly and seemed familiar with many modern terms without needing special explanation.

"Furthermore, they also believe that many gods from Western legends might actually exist, residing in that other plane. If they can unlock the mysteries of the God-Smiting Whip, perhaps they could..."

"...make contact with the deities they venerate?"

Ye Wen felt a certain admiration for the Western mages for reaching such conclusions. But had those fellows considered what would happen if the Whip could only contact Eastern deities? The Eastern Gods would likely treat these Westerners as demons and capture them to serve as pets guarding their gates.

In contrast to Ye Wen's nonchalance, Zheng Ying appeared quite grave. "Right now, Western society dominates the world. If they manage to contact their own gods and spirits..."

His meaning was starkly clear. Eastern cultivators were already at a disadvantage, their situation precarious; maintaining even a semblance of current stability was their utmost limit. If the Westerners brought their divine backing into play, the Eastern world would face a devastating blow—those Western religious sects were notoriously exclusionary. A religious war erupting to obliterate the Eastern world wouldn't be surprising at all.

The reason those Western sects had gradually softened their stance was their inability to eliminate others. But if they gained the backing of actual gods…

Ye Wen finally understood the sheer complexity of the situation. A small artifact—one they could only see but not use—was entangled in matters that concerned the very survival of the entire Eastern world. Yet, the Eastern cultivation community itself was riddled with internal conflict, far from unified, illustrating just how troublesome this issue was.

After much thought, Ye Wen finally sighed. "This object invites misfortune if kept. Perhaps it would be best destroyed…"

Hermit Beihe managed a wry smile, thinking that the old senior spoke too easily. Putting aside whether such an ancient, powerful treasure could even be destroyed, who could resist keeping such a prize if it fell into their hands?

Humans are like this: they always think, 'You can't use it, but maybe I can!' 'You can't figure it out, but that doesn't mean I can't!' Every capable person holds confidence in themselves, often looking down on others to some degree.

Hermit Beihe even suspected that even though Ye Wen now suggested, "It had best be destroyed," if the artifact genuinely ended up in this senior's possession, he might simply tuck it away to study later!

He was unaware that when Ye Wen said it should be destroyed, he truly meant it. Because Ye Wen realized that no matter how this thing was handled, it would remain a complication. Even if he succeeded in helping Beihe and the Kunlun Sect retrieve it, that didn't guarantee peace. The journey back alone would undoubtedly invite numerous troubles. Furthermore, even securing it wouldn't resolve the matter. Therefore, the best solution was to destroy it publicly before everyone.

While his mind raced through these intricate thoughts, Hermit Beihe awaited his confirmation. It was only when Ye Wen nodded his agreement that Beihe let out a breath of relief.

However, Ye Wen wasn't foolish and immediately asked, "The Kunlun Sect won't be sending only these two to handle this, will they?"

This question was essentially asking Hermit Beihe: what we are about to attempt is incredibly difficult. Are you sending just two or three kittens off to Europe to die? In that case, they might be eliminated before they even saw the object.

Hermit Beihe smiled. "My primary duty, along with Sect Master Ye, is to locate and retrieve the God-Smiting Whip. Our other fellow disciples are spread out across various routes, not only to contact potential allies but also to clear out any enemies who might try to interfere…"

Before he finished speaking, Ye Wen suddenly raised his hand and spoke with a slight smile, "In that case, your fellow disciples aren't doing a very good job!"

Before his words fully landed, his left hand flicked his finger out, and a streak of purple sword energy shot from his fingertip toward a large tree outside the window. The tree seemed unremarkable, and since it was winter, its sparse branches offered no hiding place; thus, none of those present had paid it any heed. As Ye Wen pointed, the sword energy shot out with blinding speed, reaching the tree in the blink of an eye.

With a soft thwip, a finger-sized hole appeared on the trunk. Beyond that, a few drops of bright blood splashed into the air where the sword energy had cut through the atmosphere in front of the tree.

Hermit Beihe’s brow furrowed upon seeing this, and a wave of shock washed over him. He inwardly chastised himself; someone had managed to sneak within such close proximity without being detected! It was thanks to Ye Wen that they knew someone was spying on them.

The air directly in front of the tree distorted, and then a figure materialized. This person wore a tight camouflage suit, and their head was covered with various instruments, obscuring their face. They even wore a covering over their mouth, presumably to muffle breathing sounds. Judging by the build and the slightly visible strands of golden hair, this person was likely a Westerner.

Compared to the person’s identity, Ye Wen was far more interested in the gear they wore. The appearance was somewhat reminiscent of a certain video game protagonist known for snakes, and the tight camo had a similar vibe, though this individual's high-tech instrumentation far surpassed that character's.

Furthermore, the fact that this person had managed to infiltrate so close without being noticed astonished Ye Wen. His own near-invisibility was nothing, but the ability to evade Hermit Beihe’s spiritual sense detection, almost entirely, was truly remarkable.

If this person hadn't been overly arrogant, seeking to draw closer, they might have remained undiscovered. Ye Wen likely wouldn't have noticed them until much later.

"I wonder where this fellow came from..."

Since the presence of this person had been revealed, Ye Wen paid them no further mind. Dealing with this intruder was no longer his concern. Not to mention Wang Zhao and Zheng Ying, even Hermit Beihe would never allow this spy to escape. Moreover, this person had essentially slapped Hermit Beihe across the face publicly; Beihe was now itching to kill him just to regain some lost prestige.

However, since Ye Wen discovered the intruder on his own ground, propriety dictated seeking the old senior's opinion. To Beihe's surprise, Ye Wen was decisively blunt, waving a hand dismissively. "Kill them, kill them! Why all the nonsense? I have no interest in keeping unnecessary hangers-on!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Wang Zhao, who had engaged the intruder outside, suddenly staggered as if struck by a massive blow, freezing in place and spasming uncontrollably, looking as if he’d been hit by a powerful electric current.

"There's another one..."

Before he could finish the thought, the seemingly ordinary ground suddenly erupted, and a dark silhouette sprang out from below. This figure appeared short but solidly built, clad head-to-toe in black spandex, wearing a mask that covered everything above the nose, leaving only the eyes exposed.

"It's a Ninja!"

As soon as the Ninja appeared, they immediately threw several smoke bombs, drastically reducing visibility. They then swiftly moved to the side of the Westerner. They exchanged a few words, and both figures turned to flee.

Ye Wen thought, Do I need you to tell me? Just looking at that confirms it’s a Ninja! He was about to intervene when he saw a person strolling casually back from a distance. Recognizing the figure, Ye Wen immediately commanded, "Tommy, take those two out for me!"

It turned out the person returning from outside was Tommy. Ever since returning to Ye Wen’s side, the boy hadn't stayed put, constantly running around. Fortunately, there wasn't much nearby he could ruin, and numerous famous mountains provided ample space for the boy to cause a ruckus. His only requirement was to return daily after his adventures and continue his martial arts training.

The two spies who had come sniffing around were not a real threat to Ye Wen; if he wished, he could dispatch them both right then with a thought using his Zixiao Sword. But a high-quality sparring partner was hard to find. Since they presented themselves, it was better to let his apprentice gain some experience.

Besides, if Tommy displayed some impressive techniques, he, the Sect Master of Shushan, could establish a bit of authority in front of these disciples from the Kunlun Sect.

As he mused, Tommy suddenly wiped his nose with a finger, then spread his hands wide, one held high and back toward the sky, the other thrust forward and pointing at the two figures. He lunged forward with his legs spread, shouting a strange cry: "Waaaa-ya-n!" The bizarre noise startled both evaders into momentary confusion.

The two exchanged a glance, collectively thinking: We ran into a lunatic!

They then ignored Tommy and charged ahead, reasoning that if the dark-skinned fellow was smart, they would leave him be; if not, eliminating him wouldn't delay their escape.

The Ninja, being faster, leaped into the air, intending to clear Tommy's head. Unexpectedly, Tommy suddenly bellowed: "Hao You Gen!"

The cry nearly caused the Ninja to tumble out of the air. Under his breath, the Ninja cursed again: Damn it, that curse was too light...

But as he glanced sideways, he saw with horror that a faint white, dragon-shaped burst of energy was condensing around Tommy’s fist, executing a perfectly standard "Hao You Gen" pose as it struck toward his… his… vital point!

"Ouuugh-n!"

………………………………”