"Silence!"

"Yu Yuan, you have some nerve to insult our Chan Sect!"

"When has it ever been your place, a mere disciple of Jie Sect, to judge the actions of our Chan Sect?"

Hearing Yu Yuan's mockery, Xiao Zhen, Deng Hua, and other disciples of the Chan Sect's faces changed dramatically as they all retorted in response.

The corners of Yu Yuan's mouth lifted slightly, paying no mind to their words, just quietly staring at Nanji Immortal.

From the moment Nanji Immortal took the initiative to challenge him, Yu Yuan began to suspect there was an ulterior motive.

Initially, he thought Nanji Immortal and his group simply wanted to use Shengong Bao's special divine skills to win back the Dragon Escape Stake or the Glazed Bottle from him.

But when Nanji Immortal readily handed over the Five Fire Seven Feather Fan, Yu Yuan realized the other party might have other intentions.

Now it seems their proposal of the wager was to focus his attention on the contest and overlook the authenticity of the Divine Beating Whip…

Exchanging a fake Divine Beating Whip for the real Investiture of the Gods in Yu Yuan's possession was Nanji Immortal's original plan!

Once the Investiture of the Gods was in their hands, even if Yu Yuan realized later that the Divine Beating Whip was fake, since the exchange was made in front of an audience, the Chan Sect could simply plead ignorance and deny all accountability. Who then could do anything about it?

Jie Sect would have no choice but to swallow this loss.

By then, with both the Investiture of the Gods and Divine Beating Whip in Chan Sect's hands, wouldn't the matter of Divine Enthronement once again be at their behest?

Thinking of all the ins and outs, Yu Yuan couldn't help but inwardly curse: Cunning scoundrel!

In fact, the fake Divine Beating Whip was identical in size, surface characteristics, and even aura to the real one; Yu Yuan could not discern any differences.

The reason he was so certain there was an issue and insisted on inviting Great Master Xuan Du to check it was because Fairy Miao Yuan attempted to steal a precious treasure from him back in those affectionate times.

On the way back from the North Sea, Fairy Miao Yuan confessed that Bai Ze had asked her to copy the Investiture of the Gods onto a blank scroll and then switch the real with the fake Investiture of the Gods.

That blank scroll itself was a mid-grade Spiritual Treasure with very peculiar powers.

It could perfectly simulate everything, living beings included, creating a convincing fake. Only Immortal Gods with profound understanding could detect something amiss.

With this lesson from the past, Yu Yuan insisted Great Master Xuan Du verify it, never expecting to actually expose Chan Sect's ruse!

At this moment, delicately pointed out by Great Master Xuan Du, Nanji Immortal's complexion abruptly changed, and he hastily feigned surprise as he took back the Divine Beating Whip, acting oblivious: "Let me see... Hiss, the brother is right, indeed I took the wrong treasure. What everyone doesn't know is that my junior disciple Yun Zhongzi enjoys replicating Spiritual Treasures. He wants to model every treasure he sees...

Ha ha, my disciple is truly skillful in this craft, capable of producing treasures that can easily be mistaken for real. Even I was careless for a moment and couldn't tell the real from the fake, and accidentally took the wrong treasure.

Fortunately, brother Xuan Du has a discerning eye, otherwise, had Yu Yuan taken this fake Divine Beating Whip, it would've certainly led him to misunderstand that I meant to trick him."

"So that's how it is."

On the plaza, an Immortal God suddenly spoke, as if comprehending.

However, some Immortal Gods looked at Nanji Immortal with meaningful glances, their eyes flickering with strange light as if to say: So, Yun Zhongzi has been made the scapegoat.

Yu Yuan sneered inwardly but didn't expose the other party's lie. Instead, he straightforwardly asked: "So, uncle, were you trying to trick me or not?"

"Of course not!"

Nanji Immortal replied with a solemn and dignified expression: "Not to mention I've never had such a thought, but even if I did, the exchange of the Investiture of the Gods and Divine Beating Whip was decreed by the Saint, so how dare I tamper with this matter?

Thus, I truly did just take the wrong treasure by mistake, and I ask that you, Yu Yuan, do not let this lead to any misunderstanding."

Yu Yuan nodded slightly, noncommittally toward this somewhat far-fetched explanation, but he didn't dwell on the matter, asking lightly: "Then where is the real Divine Beating Whip?"

"Please look!"

Nanji Immortal took out another Divine Beating Whip that looked the same and solemnly handed it to Great Master Xuan Du.

After a careful examination, Great Master Xuan Du declared seriously: "This treasure is indeed the Divine Beating Whip derived from the Heavenly Book, without any falsehood."

With that, he returned the Divine Beating Whip to Nanji Immortal.

Before Nanji Immortal could extend his hand to receive it, Yu Yuan stepped forward and handed over the Investiture of the Gods to Nanji Immortal, smiling: "This is what uncle should be receiving."

Nanji Immortal paused for a moment, then took the Investiture of the Gods, speaking awkwardly: "Nephew is right, now the Divine Beating Whip belongs to Jie Sect, while this Investiture of the Gods belongs to our Chan Sect."

As he spoke, he unfolded the Investiture of the Gods in the presence of everyone, and saw that dozens of names were already listed on it, including Long-eared Ding Guang Immortal, the Four Saints of Nine Dragons Island, Lv Yue, and other elite disciples of Jie Sect.

Nanji Immortal nodded slightly and solemnly put away the Investiture of the Gods.

Although the plan to trick the Investiture of the Gods with a fake Divine Beating Whip failed, at least the task of exchanging the Sealing God Treasure was accomplished.

Now that the Investiture of the Gods is in hand, it's possible that the Jie Sect disciples listed there can still be of use to our Chan Sect!

It is well known that the Jie Sect disciples who were listed were mostly sent there by Yu Yuan. They must be extremely dissatisfied with Yu Yuan, and with just a little instigation, along with promises of "helping them escape from the Investiture of the Gods after our success," turning them against Jie Sect is not a difficult task.

At this time, Yu Yuan had also received the Divine Beating Whip from Master Xuan Du.

The whip seemed like neither wood nor iron, dark and glossy, three feet and six point five inches in length, with twenty-one segments, each bearing four talismanic symbols, totaling eighty-four symbols.

Holding the Divine Beating Whip in his hand, Yu Yuan found it murky and indistinct to his eyesight.

This treasure is quite different from the Five Fire Seven Feather Fan.

Both the Divine Beating Whip and the Investiture of the Gods are treasures derived from the Heavenly Book; fundamentally, they are Treasures of the Heavenly Dao, not belonging to anyone, and even a Saint has only a temporary nominal control over them.

At this point, the exchange of treasures between Chan Sect and Jie Sect came to a conclusion—at least on the surface.

What follows is the delightful time for those who win the competition to share the Ginsengfruit.

Yu Yuan received a Ginsengfruit and immediately passed it to Yun Xiao Fairy, instructing her to take it back to her master, Qiong Xiao, for alchemy.

He was not at all concerned about the Spirit Fruit; what truly mattered to him was the opportunity to use the Earth Book once.

At that moment, Zhen Yuanzi looked at him and smiled, saying, "According to the rules of the Ginsengfruit Meeting, you may use the Earth Book once. When do you plan to use it, my friend?"

"Now!" Yu Yuan replied earnestly.

Zhen Yuanzi nodded and smiled, "It appears my friend has already decided on its use... Attendant, lead Yu Yuan to retrieve the Earth Book."

"Yes!"

A delicate little Daoist boy stepped forward in front of Yu Yuan, bowed respectfully, and said, "Immortal, please follow me."

Yu Yuan nodded slightly, thanked Zhen Yuanzi once more, and followed the Daoist boy out of the venue under the envious gaze of the many Immortal Gods.

After his departure, the Vice Sect Hierarch of Chan Sect who had been silent throughout, Randeng, stood up and saluted Immortal Zhenyuan, indicating his intent to leave.

Zhen Yuanzi returned the salaam.

Afterward, Vice Sect Hierarch Randeng stepped onto a cloud and departed directly.

Nanji Immortal, Shengong Bao, and other disciples of Chan Sect quickly followed suit.

Once out of the Earth Immortal Realm, together they rode atop a massive Immortal Cloud toward the east.

"Vice Sect Hierarch," Nanji Immortal transmitted his voice to Randeng Daoist on the Immortal Cloud, "Now that our plan has failed and we've exchanged the real Divine Beating Whip with Jie Sect, should we continue with the arrangements we made before?"

Their initial plan was to exchange with a fake Divine Beating Whip first, then arrange for some experts to ambush Yu Yuan when he left the Earth Immortal Realm, to strike and retreat swiftly, regardless of success.

In doing so, once Yu Yuan realized the Divine Beating Whip was a fake, he would suspect it was replaced during an ambush upon his departure from the Earth Immortal Realm, rather than suspecting Chan Sect tampered with it during the exchange.

Unfortunately, their well-conceived plan did not account for Yu Yuan seeing through it.

And Master Xuan Du, wasn't he always the type to avoid meddling in others' affairs?

How come he was so easily summoned by Yu Yuan?

What irritated Nanji Immortal even more was that he hinted that he had just come out from Daluo Mountain, but Great Master Xuan Du gave no face to him.

"Now that it has come to this, that arrangement is meaningless," Randeng Daoist said flatly.

"Sigh," Nanji Immortal sighed deeply, this time it seemed he had lost a Five Fire Seven Feather Fan for nothing.

Randeng Daoist consoled, "At least we got the Investiture of the Gods. As long as we utilize it well, it will still be greatly beneficial to our Chan Sect, much stronger at this stage than the Divine Beating Whip."

"That's true," Nanji Immortal nodded, took out the Investiture of the Gods in front of Randeng Daoist, and said smilingly, "These Jie Sect disciples listed by Yu Yuan are like a great gift to us..."

Before he could finish, Randeng Daoist's expression suddenly changed. Staring at the Investiture of the Gods, he said, "This treasure... seems a bit off!"

"Uh?" Nanji Immortal was startled, "What's wrong?"

Randeng Daoist looked at the Investiture of the Gods carefully, then lightly brushed it with his hand, only to see the dozens of names on it disappear instantly, and the entire Investiture of the Gods turned into a blank scroll.

"We've been tricked! This Investiture of the Gods is a fake!"

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