Daojun, start from Penglai foundation building

The Central Region is a land of immortals, the Taoist palace of Penglai Pavilion.

Since the Penglai Villa established its mountain gate here, it has never been as bustling as it is today, whether in its efforts to purify demons or to recruit disciples.

Jiang Huan, who had been cultivating alongside Ling Qiu for several years, watched the busy crowds in the various palaces. All kinds of fine wines, spirit fruits, and precious pills were being shipped into the palaces above the clouds, and all sorts of celestial birds and spirit beasts were also ready.

Having followed Lingqiu for several years, Jiang Huan's horizons have broadened considerably. He can clearly identify every kind of spiritual fruit and precious pill, and state its medicinal properties and value.

Looking at the ship after ship of ingredients for the immortal banquet, Jiang Huan felt that she had lost count of how much she had spent.

The cost of a celestial banquet was beyond the comprehension of a mere Purple Mansion cultivator like Jiang Huan. However, Jiang Huan was certain that the expenses of this celestial banquet were enough to sustain hundreds of Nascent Soul cultivators for over a thousand years.

Wang Yuan and Li Shu, having followed Jiang Huan for the past few years, have seen quite a bit of the world, but seeing the busy and costly operations within the sect these past few days still shocked them.

Compared to the grand celestial banquet prepared by Penglai, the celestial banquets they had seen in the past, which were supposedly held by cultivators, could not be described as mere child's play. Celestial banquets were beyond the imagination of mortals.

Such a grand celestial banquet aroused the longing and curiosity of the group: "Brother Huan, the sect has been busy these past few days preparing for the celestial banquet. Who are you inviting?"

Jiang Huan, having followed Ling Qiu closely, knew some of the inside story. After glancing at her two siblings, Wang Yuan and Li Shu, Jiang Huan whispered, "True Lord Lingyuan has returned, which is why the sect has set up a celestial banquet to invite immortals from all directions to gather."

True Lord Lingyuan?!
Wang Yuan and Li Shu had cultivated in the Penglai Villa for several years. They had heard the name of Lingyuan Zhenjun countless times and knew that he was incredibly powerful and the undisputed leader of the current generation of the Xuanmen sect. There were even rumors that this Zhenjun was the undisputed number one three thousand years before and three thousand years after.

As for other rumors about True Lord Lingyuan, they are countless, such as fighting hordes of demons alone, true dragons avoiding him, and killing True Lord Wujie.
Various rumors and hearsay intertwined to construct a mysterious and powerful Lingyuan Zhenjun.

However, like many other cultivators within the sect, they were known by name but never seen in person.

Everyone says that True Lord Lingyuan has the bearing of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix, and the air of an immortal, and is an unparalleled celestial being. But no one knows what True Lord Lingyuan actually looks like.

It is said that True Lord Lingyuan has several powerful demons under his command, as well as a pair of Suanni (a mythical lion-like creature), the magic sword Qingping, and various other magical treasures. However, they have only heard about what the Qingping sword looks like and what wonders these magical treasures possess.

No one knows where Lingyuan Zhenjun is.

Upon hearing that True Lord Lingyuan had returned, Wang Yuan and Li Shu were overjoyed. They looked at Jiang Huan expectantly and asked, "Will we be able to see True Lord Lingyuan's true face this time?"

Jiang Huan thought for a moment and nodded: "There should be a chance, but you'll have to see if you can get the opportunity."

"This time, I accompanied my master to welcome the various True Lords at the mountain gate. My master told me that True Lord Lingyuan would not appear at the mountain gate. Moreover, my master said that with True Lord Lingyuan's realm and cultivation, none of the True Lords were worth his appearance."

"It seems that True Lord Lingyuan will only appear in that Cloud Palace. If you work hard and manage to get the status of a servant disciple in the palace, you might be able to see True Lord Lingyuan's true face."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuan and Li Shu were somewhat discouraged: "That Cloud Palace is the most mysterious and heavily guarded place in the sect. In the past, apart from the Dao soldiers on duty, the disciples who were responsible for cleaning up the place were said to be rotated once a month, with no more than a hundred people in each batch. How could it possibly be our turn?"

Jiang Huan laughed and said, "You only know one side of the story, not the other."

"The disciples who perform daily cleaning duties are rotated every month, but the selection of each person is also very particular."

“I heard my master say that each time a hundred people are selected, half are men and half are women. Their bone structure and skin appearance must be above average, their bone age must not be greater than sixty, and their cultivation level must be at the Foundation Establishment or Purple Mansion Realm, and cannot be higher than Golden Core.”

“You meet all these requirements. In order to help you with your cultivation, I specifically asked a few fellow Daoists in the Hall of Affairs to arrange for you to do more work in the Scripture Hall, Cloud Pill Hall, Weapon Forging Hall, and Spirit Herb Garden. You rarely have to go out to slay demons and monsters, let alone do this kind of menial work.”

"Now that we think about it, you two are considered veterans in the sect, and you've never done menial work in the Cloud Palace, so you're the most suitable candidates."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuan and Li Shu were overjoyed and quickly thanked him, saying, "Then we'll have to trouble Brother Huan to mediate."

Jiang Huan looked at her two brothers and sisters who had followed her through thick and thin, and smiled, "We are family. You can rest assured that we can help you in any way we can."

Little did they know that Jiang Huan's conversations with Wang Yuan and Li Shu were being overheard by others.

From the top of the Heavenly Pavilion, Jiang Sheng looked down at the undulating mountains for thousands of miles, gazing at the pavilions and towers on the mountaintops and slopes, and the palaces and corridors. He then saw Jiang Huan and his two companions: "Those are the chosen ones of the Xuanhuang Realm from before, right?"

Lingqiu nodded: "Yes, Senior Brother, you were the one who gave him to me as a disciple, have you forgotten?"

Jiang Sheng smiled and said, "I haven't forgotten. Over the past few years, he has laid a very solid foundation. I can see that you have put in a lot of effort."

Upon hearing this, Lingqiu smiled smugly and said, "After all, he is my disciple. Although my senior brother gave him to me, I will naturally teach him with all my heart."

"I first dissipated his power, then restored his meridians, and used my Penglai True Method to help him rebuild his foundation. We started from scratch, and in just a few years, he was able to cultivate back to the Purple Mansion level. With his accumulated power, he is ready to break through to the Golden Core level within sixty years."

Jiang Sheng nodded with a smile, and with a flick of his wrist, took out a jade bottle from his sleeve: "After all, this is the disciple I gave you. Give him this jade bottle and have him take the pills inside in three doses, each seven years apart. It will give him more confidence in his attempt to break through to the upper-grade Golden Core stage."

Lingqiu opened the jade bottle and sniffed it, somewhat surprised: "Golden Dew Jade Pill?"

"When did you refine this, Senior Brother?"

Jiang Sheng laughed and said, "I didn't make it myself; I got it from your Senior Brother Ling Zhao."

Lingqiu asked suspiciously, "I remember Senior Brother Lingzhao only made two bottles after all his hard work, right? Would he really give them to you?"

Jiang Sheng smiled but remained silent. Ling Qiu understood: this pill must not have been obtained willingly; it might have been stolen.

Looking at Jiang Sheng, who seemed quite smug, Ling Qiu thought to herself: "Taking other people's things to repay one's own debts—even Senior Brother Ling Yuan would do something like this. It seems that Senior Brother Ling Wei and Senior Sister Ling Yu weren't exaggerating when they said that Senior Brother Ling Yuan had changed his personality. Senior Brother Ling Yuan really is more approachable and more likable than before."

Looking at Jiang Sheng, who was smiling, with a flawless aura and faintly visible blue and red radiance, and three flowers blooming on his head, Ling Qiu couldn't help but sigh: Senior Brother's cultivation has indeed improved again. Now, Senior Brother is probably only one step away from the peak of the ninth realm of cultivation, and from the realm of Three Flowers Gathering and Five Qi Converging.

thump~
thump~
thump~
Thirty-three years after the shattering of the Xuanhuang Realm, in spring.

The melodious and resounding sound of bells and chimes emanated from the Penglai Villa in the central region of the Xuanhuang Continent, the sound ethereal and echoing through the heavens.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the secluded courtyard, Lingqiu, the thirteenth generation true disciple of the Penglai Daoist sect, wearing a lotus crown and a palace dress with cloud sash, stood formally at the entrance to welcome guests from all directions.

Jiang Huan, wearing a Taoist crown and robe, followed beside his master, watching the arrival of the immortals.

"The True Lord Xuan Yi and True Lord Xuan Xin of the Qinghua Dao Sect have arrived!"

"True Lord Mingxian and True Lord Mingfang of the Tianhe Dao Sect have arrived!"

"True Lord Xuyuan and True Lord Mingji of the Crimson Cloud Dao Sect have arrived!"

"The Jade Pool Holy Land's True Lord Suqin has arrived!"

"The Crested Ibis Demon Lord of the Southern Fire God Palace has arrived!"

"The Venerable Guangwen and Venerable Guanghui of Jinchan Temple have arrived!"

"Demon Lord Kong Zhen and Demon Lord Jin Qiong of the Demon Emperor's Palace have arrived!"

"The Four Seas True Lord of the Canglang Holy Sect has arrived!"

"Young Master Bai Mingjun of the Xuan Su Sect has arrived!"

"."

As congratulatory chants resounded, processions of ceremonial chariots arrived from all directions.

There were true lords with jade crowns and black robes, young masters in brocade robes and jade hairpins, fairies with golden hairpins and flowing skirts, and awe-inspiring demon lords.

Let alone Jiang Huan, even the various human clans and sects in the Central Region, and even the disciples in Penglai Villa, have never seen so many Upper Three Realms Immortals gathered together in the past few decades.
The mountains where Penglai Villa is located are clear and cloudless, with rosy clouds and auspicious mists reflecting on them. Spiritual mists and celestial energy drift through the clouds, and above the bright sky, large stars twinkle and shine brightly in all directions. Each star represents a being of the Upper Three Realms.

At this moment, the number of bright stars gathered at Penglai Villa is far more than the number on two hands.

Penglai Villa, a palace in the clouds, with koi leaping in the air amidst flowing springs and waterfalls outside the halls, and spirit birds surrounding the jade railings and corridors.

Inside the main hall, screens and flowing gauze curtains surrounded the space. The incense burner emitted sandalwood fragrance, and the pearl lamp on the crane platform burned eternally. The pearl curtains shone brightly, and the jade trees and orchids were adorned with extraordinary colors.

As the immortals from all sides entered the hall, cloud beds were placed in place, and jade tables were raised. The flower immortals and crane attendants that Lingwei had enlightened in the past few days stepped forward with broken jade and glass cups, and served delicacies from the mountains and seas and fine wines on the jade tables.

As the celestial banquet began, celestial mists drifted by, music played, celestial maidens danced, and the various True Lords chatted and laughed, sharing their experiences and observations from the past few years.

The immortals chatted about heaven and earth, expounding their magic and discussing the Dao, captivating Wang Yuan and Li Shu, who were watching intently from a corner of the hall. The methods and techniques these immortals from the upper three realms were things they had never seen or heard of before, leaving them bewildered and full of awe at their incredible skills, yet they could not fully comprehend them.

As the various schools of thought expounded their doctrines and discussed the Dao, Xuan Yi turned to Ling Wei and asked, "Fellow Daoist Ling Wei, wasn't it said that Ling Yuan was hosting a banquet for us?"

"Why is there still no sign of Lingyuan?"

Upon hearing this, Mingxian, Xuyuanzi, Fairy Suqin, and the others all looked at Lingwei.

Ling smiled and said, "Fellow Daoists, please don't be impatient. Ling Yuan is hosting a banquet for you all; how could he possibly entertain you with such a crude immortal feast?"

"Lingyuan is personally preparing for everyone."

Upon hearing this, everyone's curiosity was piqued. They all knew that Jiang Sheng had been on the Taiyin Star for the past few years, but they didn't know exactly how much benefit he had gained.

Hearing Lingwei's words now, it's clear that Jiang Sheng has gained quite a lot.

Before long, a voice came from outside the hall: "True Lord Lingyuan has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuan, Li Shu, and the other miscellaneous disciples in the corner of the hall craned their necks and stared wide-eyed at the hall entrance; the immortals inside the hall also stopped what they were doing and looked at the hall entrance.

As the palace doors opened, Jiang Sheng, dressed in a blue crown and black robe, strolled in, drawing the attention of Wang Yuan, Li Shu, and the other servant disciples.

The newcomer wore a jade crown adorned with stars, a black robe with lotus patterns, a belt with dragons and clouds around his waist, and a green bamboo and crane-patterned outer garment. Zhou Shen was protected by the Four Symbols Sword Qi, which manifested as wind, thunder, water, and fire, and behind his head were four-colored Dao Wheels, swirling with auras of blue, purple, vermilion, and black.

Three flowers gather on the top of the head, and blue and red nectar flows and condenses in the chest.

Truly, he possessed the bearing of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance

As Jiang Sheng appeared, the immortals from all sides greeted him. After meeting with each of them, Jiang Sheng went to his seat and took his place.

After taking his seat, Jiang Sheng said, "As you all know, I have been to the Taiyin Star in the past few years. Although the trip to the Taiyin Star was fraught with danger, I also gained some things."

"I have prepared a gift for you all with what I obtained from the Taiyin star. Please don't find it offensive."

As he spoke, streaks of light flew out from Jiang Sheng's sleeves and landed accurately in front of each immortal. Even in front of Ling Wei, Ling Yu, Lin Fan, and Ling Qiu, there was a spiritual light that shone with azure and gold.

With curiosity, everyone clicked on the stream of light, and upon seeing what was inside, they were all shocked. For a moment, the hall was filled with gasps of astonishment.

Xuan Yi was initially suspicious of what good things Jiang Sheng had brought out, but upon closer inspection, he saw the saplings of Guanghan Osmanthus, the lotus seeds of Linglong Ice Lotus, Ice Soul Jade Marrow, Cold Pool Dragon Beard Grass, Illusion Moon Flowing Dew, as well as Moon Soul Grass, Cold Jade Mushroom and other unique natural treasures of the Taiyin Star, and even rare treasures such as Taiyin Cold Gold, Guanghan Jade Dew and Thousand-Year Frost.

These unique natural treasures of the Taiyin star are priceless in the outside world.

Leaving aside other matters, the Three Realms are vast, with the Heavenly Court occupying four of the six Moon Stars and the Heavenly Court occupying two of the four Sun Stars. The Taoist sect in the Eastern Heaven and the Buddhist sect in the Western Heaven each have only one day and one month, so their output is truly limited.

These rare and precious materials of the Mahayana level are not available to them.

Besides these rare and precious materials, there were even three bottles of Taiyin Treasure Pills.

Xuan Yi knew with just a sniff that these precious pills were all top-grade eighth-rank pills, with medicinal effects such as calming the mind, purifying the qi and warding off evil, and nourishing the spirit and soul. They could not be refined by anyone who was not at the Integration Realm.

Xuan Yi counted them carefully and gasped in astonishment. There were quite a lot of rare and precious herbs and pills, and most importantly, everyone received one of these gifts!
Thinking of this, Xuan Yi couldn't help but look at Jiang Sheng: Just how much benefit did Ling Yuan gain on the Taiyin Star, that so many good things could be shared among everyone!
At this moment, Jiang Sheng calmly sipped his tea, ignoring the surprised or suspicious glances he received.

What Xuan Yi thought of, Ming Xian, Xu Yuanzi, Fairy Suqin and others could also think of. Jiang Sheng must have kept enough for his own share before distributing these. And there were still so many. What exactly did Jiang Sheng discover on the Taiyin Star?
We can't very well plunder the Dao Palace of a Pure Yang Dao Lord, can we?!

Looking at the group of True Lords with their own thoughts, Jiang Sheng smiled calmly: "These are just a few things, nothing to be treasured. Please accept them."

"I have invited you all here today not to boast about how much I have gained on the Taiyin Star, but because I have another opportunity that I would like to share with you."

Another opportunity?
The Crested Ibis Demon Lord raised an eyebrow, as if he had thought of something and couldn't help but ask, "Ling Yuan, you don't necessarily want to land on the Sun Star, do you?!"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Jiang Sheng.

Jiang Sheng, however, remained calm as he met the gazes of those dozen or so prodigies and Dao disciples: "What, is that not allowed?"

"I have already ascended to the Moon Star, so why can't I ascend to the Sun Star?"

"Furthermore, if any of you need anything during this ascent to the Sun Star, please feel free to ask, and I will bring back anything I can."

Xu Yuanzi asked suspiciously, "Giving such a huge benefit, Ling Yuan, what exactly do you need us to do?"

Jiang Sheng said solemnly, "It's very simple. I would like to ask all fellow Daoists to brainstorm and help me think of a safe way to ascend to the Sun Star."

Upon hearing this, everyone had different expressions: a way to safely ascend to the sun?

If such a method truly existed, wouldn't they have already ascended to the heavens and stars? Why would they still be wasting their time in this Xuanhuang Realm?
The rare treasures of this world are few and far between in the mortal realm. The most precious immortal treasures are found in the heavens and on earth, especially around the sun and moon, which are filled with treasures belonging to both yang and yin attributes. No matter which one it is, it is extremely useful to cultivators.

But the positions of the sun and moon are so lofty, how can they be easily climbed?

Xuan Yi sighed: "Ling Yuan, if you want to ascend to the Sun Star, that won't be easy."

"Even if the origin of this Xuanhuang Realm has been lost, it is still a great world, and the position of its sun and moon must be above the Mahayana level."

"Moreover, the dangers of the Sun are far greater than those of the Moon. You are already in great peril on the Moon, so wouldn't it be even more dangerous to go to the Sun?"

"As for the methods to ascend to the sun and stars, we can name seven or eight, but each one has extremely high requirements. Even if we gather all our strength, we may not be able to achieve it."

Mingxian also said, "That's right, the Sun Star is not so easy to climb. The true fire of the sun burns away all evil, and living beings avoid it. Even with your cultivation, you would probably turn to ashes if you went up there."

"Lingyuan, we must be extremely cautious about this matter."

Xuan Yi and Ming Xian both disapproved of Jiang Sheng's idea of ​​ascending to the Sun Star. Judging from their own experience, they couldn't imagine what safe way Jiang Sheng could walk on the Sun Star. Therefore, persuading Jiang Sheng was undoubtedly a responsible act for Penglai and for Jiang Sheng himself.

However, in the face of Xuan Yi and Ming Xian's opposition, the Crested Ibis Demon Lord said, "Ling Yuan, I do have a method that might actually allow us to ascend to the Sun Star."

Jiang Sheng raised an eyebrow and looked at the Crested Ibis Demon Lord: "Fellow Daoist Crested Ibis, what method do you have?"

The crested ibis smiled smugly and took out a long, elegant feather from its sleeve: "Look, what is this?"

Everyone looked up and sensed the innate, sacred, noble, and immortal aura emanating from the feather. As if realizing something, they all showed expressions of astonishment, and Jin Qiong couldn't help but exclaim, "A phoenix feather?!"

"A primordial deity, the essence of a fire phoenix, a phoenix feather?!"

Looking at the astonished expressions of the crowd, the crested ibis felt extremely satisfied: "That's right, it is indeed the Phoenix Feather."

“I found this phoenix feather in a volcano in the southeast. The reason I said I had a way to ascend to the sun and stars was because of this phoenix feather.”

Holding up the phoenix feather, the crested ibis looked at Jiang Sheng: "Lingyuan, I have the phoenix feather, but I cannot reach the sun and stars; while you can find the true location of the sun and stars, but you cannot ascend to it. How about we join forces?"

"As long as you take me to the Sun Star, we can travel for at least five days using this Phoenix Feather."

Before the crested ibis could finish speaking, Xu Yuanzi suddenly said, "Ling Yuan, I also have a way!"

As he spoke, Xu Yuanzi took out a crimson talisman from his sleeve: "Fire Virtue Talisman, All Fires Repel!"

"Lingyuan, if you wish to ascend to the Sun and Star and cooperate with me, this Yuan Talisman is sufficient to allow us to travel on the Sun and Star for seven days!"

Seeing that the crested ibis and Xu Yuanzi were coming up with their own clever tricks, Xuan Yi and Ming Xian were getting restless. However, before they could speak, Guang Wen laughed and said, "We have a fire-repelling golden bell shield in our hands. It is made of glass Buddhist Dharma combined with merit gold. It can withstand ten thousand fires and can even cross the sun."

“Fellow Daoist Lingyuan, if you need it, we can offer this treasure to you, in exchange for your help in retrieving two pieces of Great Sun Gold Essence and two Sun Star Fire Silkworms.”

As Shao Bai Mingjun watched everyone making their bids, he couldn't help but look at Si Hai Zhenjun beside him: "Fellow Daoist Si Hai, do you have any treasures to offer?"

The Four Seas True Monarch said helplessly, "Our Canglang Holy Sect is full of water-related treasures, and even our Canghai Realm is a vast water-based world. If we're talking about finding treasures that can restrain fire-related elements, we have plenty."

"But how many of those things would be usable once they arrived at the Sun Star? I'm afraid they'd ignite the Great Sun's True Fire as soon as they got there."

Upon hearing this, Shao Bai Mingjun sighed helplessly, confirming that what Sihai Zhenjun said was true.

It is true that water-element treasures can restrain fire-element treasures, but the relationship between water and fire is not a matter of the five elements being in a sequential or reverse order; there is never an absolute rule.

Especially when you reach the Great Sun Star, taking out a water-attribute magic weapon will definitely trigger the Great Sun Star's instinctive counterattack. At that time, under the overwhelming Great Sun True Fire, who would dare to say that water can overcome fire?
Just then, Kong Zhen suddenly stood up and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Lingyuan, I also have a method that can help you ascend to the Sun Star."

As he spoke, Kong Zhen carefully took out a thin, misty gauze robe from his bosom: "This is the Purple Bell Fire-Repelling Robe, which can help you avoid raging fire and ascend to the sun with ease."

"This item can protect you for at least fourteen days, which is more than enough for your use."

Looking at the treasures brought out by each family, Lingwei and Lingyu were dazzled by the choices, while Lin Fan stared intently, filled with envy.

These are all wonderful items. None of these items can be measured in monetary terms; the only way to obtain them is by bartering with other treasures of the same quality.

Now, these treasures are laid out openly in front of Jiang Sheng, allowing him to choose freely.

This feeling made Lin Fan feel as if his heart was bleeding: Why don't I have the cultivation level of the Integration Realm? Why can't I get close to the Great Sun and the Stars?!
Lin Fan was lost in thought. If he could find the Sun Star, he would definitely want all these treasures. As for the things he had promised, he would deal with them after he ascended to the Sun Star!

Jiang Sheng looked at the treasures one by one, but his expression remained calm: these things were good, but they were still not enough for him!

After all, Jiang Sheng not only wanted to ascend to the Sun Star himself, but also to bring his four disciples with him.

If Jiang Sheng were to ascend to the sun alone, there would be no need for these fire-repelling treasures. Jiang Sheng could simply go straight up, since he himself possesses a pure Yang Dao seed of fire within his body, enough to disregard the true fire of the sun and stars.

Jiang Sheng himself could withstand the intense heat and blazing fire of the sun and stars, but his four disciples could not. And right now, these treasures probably wouldn't be enough for his four disciples.

As Jiang Sheng was pondering, just as he was about to say something, Xuan Yi suddenly spoke up: "Ling Yuan, tell me, are you preparing a fire-repelling item for yourself, or a life-protecting item for others?"

Jiang Sheng looked at Xuan Yi with surprise: "Brother Xuan Yi, what do you mean by that?"

Xuan Yi said, "If you want to prepare something to ward off fire, I really don't have anything that will satisfy you."

"But if you're preparing something for someone else, I do have something that you might find useful."

As he spoke, Xuan Yi solemnly took out a small jade box from his sleeve.

As Xuan Yi opened the jade box, five crystal-clear seeds appeared before everyone.

At a glance, the seed drew gasps of surprise from everyone, and Jiang Sheng was particularly astonished.

"An innate fire spirit seed?!" (End of Chapter)