Daojun, start from Penglai foundation building

Click!
A crisp sound instantly silenced the inner hall of the Pixiang Palace.

Just moments ago, the Hall of Fragrant Incense was filled with clinking glasses and revelry, but now it was deathly silent. Amidst the fragrant aroma of imperial wine, Maitreya Bodhisattva stopped watching the three Moon Lords dance, and Pure Lotus Bodhisattva and Bright Light Bodhisattva stopped discussing the delicacies of land and sea.

Even Daoist Qiongyun couldn't help but look to the left and right, his eyes filled with surprise and doubt. The immortals, Buddhas, and saints in the hall were instantly speechless, all looking up at the high platform.

But then one could see the Heavenly Venerable Kaiyuan glaring angrily at the Heavenly Emperor of the Golden Palace. Behind the Heavenly Venerable Kaiyuan's clear Dao Wheel, one could vaguely see a vast Dharma image standing tall throughout the heavens and universe, spanning countless times and spaces, holding the Heavenly Kaiyuan Seal and the Heavenly River Boundary Ruler to divide time and determine destiny.

Meanwhile, Dao Lord Yueheng, Dao Lord Dejing, Dao Lord Miaoyan, and other Dao Lords of the Eastern Heaven all secretly activated their auras and locked onto the Bodhisattvas of the Western Heaven, including Bodhisattva Mingxian, Bodhisattva Lingjue, and Arhat Lingding, as well as several Heavenly Emperors. As they were locked onto by the Dao Lords of the Eastern Heaven, even though Bodhisattva Mingxian, Bodhisattva Lingjue, Arhat Lingding, and several Heavenly Emperors did not know what had happened, they still subconsciously activated their auras to lock onto them back.

If even those at the Pure Yang Realm were in such a state, the numerous Mahayana cultivators and Fifth Tribulation True Monarchs within the hall were even more wary of each other, resorting to their magical treasures. The three Moon Lords, currently in the center, dared not move amidst the clash of auras among the Pure Yang powerhouses, their faces ashen.

At this moment, the Eastern Heavenly Daoist School, the Heavenly Court, and the Western Heavenly Buddhist School are facing each other from afar. The Demon Emperor's Palace, the Golden Zen Temple, and the Heavenly Dragon Temple are all unaware of what is happening, but they are also on guard and looking at the people of the three Buddhist schools of the Glazed Daoist lineage in the Lesser Light Realm and the Floating Pagoda Realm.

Even Qingyan Tianzun and Mingyang Tianzun, who had been resting with their eyes closed, couldn't help but open their eyes and look at Jinque Tiandi and Jinjue Buddha. Although the two celestial beings did not speak, the suspicion in their expressions said it all.

At this moment, not only the inner hall of the Pixiang Palace, but even the lively atmosphere in the outer hall instantly dropped to freezing point. In the outer hall, where the atmosphere was originally enthusiastic, the true disciples of various immortal, Buddhist, and sacred lineages stopped their actions when they saw that something had happened in the inner hall. The celestial demons stopped fighting, the immortals abandoned their wine cups, and the venerables and heavenly kings of the Buddhist sect also formed their own groups, because the group of immortals and true disciples of the Eastern Heaven Daoist sect in the upper three realms had already locked onto them from afar.

The True Lord Cangyuan and True Lord Longyue of the Tianhe Dao Sect had already arrived at the side of the Venerable Heavenly Kings of the Great Lingyin Temple in the Western Heaven. The True Lords of Penglai and Qinghua, who were working in perfect harmony with the Tianhe Dao Sect, were the True Lords of the Combined Body Sect. The True Lords of the Eastern Heaven Dao Sect, such as True Lord Shihua, True Lord Yuming, True Lord Lanjing, and True Lord Huayu, were watching from two other directions. The True Lords of the Eastern Heaven Dao Sect immediately focused their attention on the Great Lingyin Temple.

Meanwhile, contemporary disciples like Mingxian, Xuanyi, and Lingwei had already locked onto the movements of the Heavenly Court's deities and star officials around them. Several of these star officials happened to be on Jiang Sheng's side, but they were being intimidated by Lin Fan, Lingyu, and the others from afar and dared not make any rash moves.

As for the Venerable Fa Hui, Fa Hua, and other members of the Fa generation at Da Ling Yin Temple, their expressions were uncertain. Jiang Sheng, who had been chatting with Ming Xian and Xuan Yi, had appeared before them without them noticing. Although he hadn't made a move, the murderous intent that lurked in and out of sight still sent chills down Fa Hua and the others' spines.

In the midst of a great calamity for the Xuanmen sect, countless true disciples of the Xuanmen Dao Sect died at Jiang Sheng's hands. Even three of them, who were at the fifth level of cultivation, perished. How could Fahua and the others not be wary of such formidable strength?
Although none of them mentioned the battle between the immortals, gods, and Buddhas in the Panfeng Realm, seemingly disregarding Jiang Sheng's strength, when the moment arrived and they faced Jiang Sheng so close, gazing at his calm and composed face, Fahua, Fading, and the others couldn't help but feel uneasy. This wasn't just because of the difference in their cultivation levels, but also because the scenes of Jiang Sheng displaying his divine power had left such a deep impression on them that, despite having the upper hand, the Bodhi disciples were now overwhelmed by Jiang Sheng's momentum.

Faced with this sudden standoff, a heavy atmosphere, like an impending storm, instantly enveloped the outer hall, making the wandering immortals and deities feel suffocated.

Inside the outer hall, the energies were already clashing, while inside the inner hall, the immortals, Buddhas, and saints of the Pure Yang Realm remained motionless.

Kaiyuan Tianzun gazed at Jinque Tiandi without uttering a word. Jinjue Buddha faced Qingyan Tianzun with an expressionless face, but behind him appeared a vast Dharma image that spanned the past and present.

Looking at the suspicious expressions of Daoist Chixiao and Jinmu Yuanjun, Daoist Qiongyun felt increasingly helpless. He really didn't know that things would turn out like this at Pixiang Palace today. Wasn't it just a banquet to invite all the immortals, Buddhas, and saints of the heavens to show the orthodox majesty of the Heavenly Court and to divide the positions of Heaven and Earth? How did it turn into smashing a cup as a signal?

Moreover, how could the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor win over the Golden Awakening Buddha and use the combined strength of the two families to confront the three Heavenly Venerables of the Eastern Heaven, whose fortunes are currently at their peak?
While pondering, Daoist Qiongyun looked at Emperor Jinque, only to see that Emperor Jinque's expression was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger, and beside Emperor Jinque, the shattered glass lamp was clearly visible.
In an instant, Daoist Qiongyun seemed to understand something. He first coughed lightly, attracting the attention of the immortals, Buddhas, and saints in the hall. Then, he slowly rose to show that he was harmless. Under the gaze of many Daoist masters and bodhisattvas from the Eastern Heaven and the Western Heaven, Daoist Qiongyun bowed slightly to the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor: "Your Majesty, the curtain-raising generals on both sides have behaved improperly before the Emperor, breaking a glass cup in public. They should be severely punished!"

The Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor slowly nodded: "The Great Emperor of Longevity of the Clouds is right. This fiend has ruined the elegant mood of me and my fellow Daoists and ministers. He should be severely punished!"

With that, the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor proclaimed loudly, "Where are the Heavenly Court's Golden Guards!"

Eight towering celestial generals and soldiers entered the hall from both sides. These eight celestial generals and soldiers wore golden helmets with phoenix wings and golden masks, and were covered with bright golden armor. They were tall and strong like iron towers. They held long halberds, had golden maces at their waists, and had precious carved bows hanging at their sides. Whether it was their golden helmets and armor or their long halberds, bows, and maces, they were all full of spiritual light and dazzling light, clearly extraordinary magic weapons.

It can be said that these eight Heavenly Generals and Dao Soldiers were all armed to the teeth, and their auras had all reached the Refinement of Emptiness Realm. Although there were only eight Dao Soldiers standing here, their auras were connected and could be faintly compared to the Refinement of Emptiness Realm of the Cave God Realm.

These are the Golden Guards of the Heavenly Emperor. Each Golden Guard represents the majesty of the Heavenly Emperor, so their armor and magical treasures are all of the highest quality. Although they cannot compare to a palace full of star lords and gods, ten Golden Guards with their auras linked together are enough to suppress ordinary star lords and gods. A hundred Golden Guards are comparable to the mid-stage of the Void Refinement Realm, and a thousand Golden Guards forming a battle formation would capture even the late-stage Void Refinement Realm.

Although there were only eight Golden Guards in the hall at this time, it was enough to suppress the two Curtain-Raising Heavenly Generals.

In fact, ever since he accidentally knocked over the glass cup, the Curtain-Rolling Heavenly General knew that he was doomed. He had caused trouble at such a grand banquet, and even ten thousand heads wouldn't be enough for the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor to chop off. However, the Curtain-Rolling Heavenly General stood there, motionless, clearly not daring to commit suicide, let alone resist. As for the wine-serving heavenly maid, she immediately knelt down and trembled.

Eight Imperial Guards rushed forward and captured the two Curtain-Rolling Heavenly Generals along with the Wine-Serving Heavenly Maiden, taking them to the foot of the imperial steps.

The Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor glanced at the two Curtain-Rolling Heavenly Generals and the wine-serving Heavenly Maiden, and said in a deep voice: "Left Curtain-Rolling Heavenly General, you have overturned the glass cup, lost your manners before the Emperor, spoiled my enjoyment, and damaged the majesty of the Heavenly Court. You shall be escorted to the Fallen Immortal Platform, stripped of your divine bones and immortal roots, and cast into the mortal realm. Day and night, quicksand will devour your flesh and blood, and every hour, ten thousand swords will pierce your internal organs. Only after ten thousand years will your soul be scattered, and you will not be able to enter the cycle of reincarnation for one hundred thousand years!"

"Although the Right Curtain-Rolling Heavenly General did not misbehave before the Emperor, he failed to supervise. When the Left Curtain-Rolling Heavenly General misbehaved, no one took precautions and allowed him to overturn the glass cup. He is also guilty of an unforgivable crime. His divine bones and immortal roots shall be cut off and he shall be taken to the eye of the North Sea, where the water of the icy abyss shall devour his flesh and soul. Every three days, he shall be struck by heavenly lightning. Only after ten thousand years can his soul be scattered and he be reincarnated."

As he spoke, the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor looked at the Wine-Serving Celestial Maiden and said coldly, "Wine-Serving Celestial Maiden, you failed to properly oversee the imperial wine, allowing the Curtain-Rolling Celestial General to overturn the crystal cup. Immediately, you shall have your divine bones and immortal roots ripped off and cast into the Heavenly Abyss. Every day, the winds of the Abyss will scrape away your soul and flesh. Only after ten thousand years will your soul be scattered and your spirit be unable to enter the cycle of reincarnation for one hundred thousand years!"

With just a few words, the fates of two Heavenly Generals and one Heavenly Maiden were decided. They had cultivated diligently for countless years to ascend to the Heavenly Court, only to lose their foundation in an instant and suffer ten thousand years of torment, or even a hundred thousand years without being reincarnated. It was truly a tragic fate.

However, none of the immortals, Buddhas, and deities in the hall, from the Heavenly Venerable Buddha, the Dao Lord Bodhisattva, to the Sun Lord, the Moon Lord, the Immortal Lord, and the Heavenly King, showed them any pity. These three fools almost caused the first great calamity of immortals, gods, and Buddhas after the Three Realms reached their limit. They were just a hair's breadth away from having several Dao Master True Yangs fight in this Fragrant Hall. Such a sin could not be washed away even if they did not enter the cycle of reincarnation for a million years.

"Drag him away!"

Following an imperial decree from the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor, two curtain-raising celestial generals, along with the wine-serving celestial maiden, were pulled out of the Fragrant Pavilion.

The Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor raised his cup and said, "Fellow Daoists and ministers, let's not let the actions of a few fools spoil our enjoyment. Come, let's raise our cups and drink together."

As he spoke, the Golden Palace Emperor looked at the three Moon Lords standing in the hall: "Moon Lords, why don't you quickly perform your dance?"

The three Moon Goddesses regained their senses and quickly resumed their dance. The celestial music that had been interrupted in the hall began to play again, and the assembled immortals, Buddhas, and saints joined in the toasting. However, the atmosphere was not as harmonious as it had been before.

Although the Heavenly General who rolled up the curtain only accidentally knocked over the glass cup, the subsequent wariness shown by the Eastern Heavenly Daoist School towards the Heavenly Court and the Western Heavenly Buddhist School, as well as the suspicion shown by the Western Heavenly Buddhist School towards the Heavenly Court during their confrontation with the Eastern Heavenly Daoist School, are enough to show that although the Three Realms seem stable now, neither the Eastern Heavenly Daoist School nor the Western Heavenly Buddhist School are completely integrated with the Heavenly Court.

The Heavenly Emperor of the Golden Palace proclaimed loudly, "By my decree, all the ministers in the inner palace shall be bestowed with ten thousand Heavenly Flowers and one hundred Golden Pills, and the ministers in the outer palace shall be rewarded with one thousand jugs of Imperial Wine, and each person shall receive ten Golden Pills and one hundred Heavenly Flowers."

With the Golden Emperor bestowing out a massive amount of Heavenly Flower Golden Pills in one go, the atmosphere in the Fragrant Pavilion finally became somewhat more harmonious.

The Heavenly Flower and Golden Elixir of the Heavenly Court are extraordinary items. The Heavenly Flower is a cultivation treasure that combines the spiritual energy of heaven and earth with the source of chaos. It is famous throughout the heavens and can be used by immortals, Buddhas, gods and saints to refine into the power of immortal, Buddha and demon sources. It is a resource of the upper three realms that is universally used throughout the heavens. As for the Golden Elixir, it is refined with the power of the sun and moon and the brilliance of stars. It has the power of the three lights of the sun, moon and stars and is also a supreme treasure for cultivation and a hard-to-use resource.

At this moment, the immortals, Buddhas, and saints inside the hall, and the True Lords and Star Lords in the outer hall, all consumed countless rare and precious materials as soon as the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor spoke.

But at least they managed to suppress that invisible conflict.

Lin Fan, his eyes still blurry with drunkenness, looked at the hundred celestial flowers and ten golden pills before him and couldn't help but smile: "His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor is truly generous. A hundred celestial flowers and ten golden pills can be exchanged for quite a few good things."

Ling Qiu, standing to the side, let out a long sigh of relief, her face still showing a hint of tension: "Senior Brother Ling Zhao, I really thought we were going to fight just now." Lin Fan hummed twice, seemingly half-drunk and half-awake: "We almost fought just now."

"Didn't you see that your Senior Brother Lingyuan went to suppress those Buddhist Venerables of the Dharma generation at the Great Lingyin Temple?"

"In such a tense atmosphere, if only a spark were lit, the Pixiang Palace would be a river of blood, with corpses of gods and Buddhas scattered everywhere."

Ling Qiu glanced at Lin Fan, then at Jiang Sheng. Just moments ago, Jiang Sheng had been displaying his divine power by single-handedly suppressing the Western Heaven Venerables such as Fahua and Fading, but now he was leisurely savoring the immortal fruits on the table. Ling Qiu couldn't help but sigh, "Senior Brother Ling Yuan, you're so calm. Aren't you afraid of a fight?"

Jiang Sheng sighed: "I'm not afraid of a fight. I've been in seclusion in Xiaopenglai for a hundred years, honing my skills for a hundred years, all for the sake of dominating all sides at this banquet in Pixiang Hall."

"But."

As he spoke, Jiang Sheng sighed helplessly.

Xiao Penglai has been in seclusion for a hundred years, using his merits and fortune to refine his physical body and soul, temper his magical treasures, and draw upon the Xuanhuang Qi to nurture a host of magical treasures and robes, all in preparation for the banquet at the Pixiang Hall to suppress those ignorant gods and Buddhist disciples.

However, Jiang Sheng never expected that his cultivation and magical treasures, honed through a century of seclusion, would not only fail to attract challenges from others, but would almost lead to a chaotic battle between immortals, gods, and Buddhas.

Now that the chaos has subsided, Jiang Sheng knows that no one will invite him to fight at this banquet in the Pixiang Palace, otherwise it would easily arouse everyone's vigilance and cause trouble again.

This also made Jiang Sheng realize that he was not the chosen one after all, and that everything in this world did not turn according to his will.

"After a hundred years of painstakingly honing this sword, I now stand here, sword in hand, looking around, utterly lost. Hahahaha!"

Lin Fan laughed heartily and personally poured Jiang Sheng a cup of wine: "Come, come, let's drink!"

After finishing a cup of wine, a cool and aloof figure walked over to Jiang Sheng: "True Lord Lingyuan just displayed great power. Without even drawing his sword, he suppressed the Venerables of the Western Heaven with just his aura, making them dare not make any rash moves."

Jiang Sheng looked up and saw Ye Wenshu.

When Lin Fan saw that it was the Heavenly Maiden, he smiled and offered her a seat: "Your Highness, please sit here."

Ye Wenshu didn't stand on ceremony and sat down generously, looking at Jiang Sheng: "True Lord Lingyuan, if someone really couldn't hold back and made a move just now, would you have drawn your sword?"

Jiang Sheng nodded: "Probably."

Ye Wenshu then asked, "Then if they were to face us, would you also have to take action?"

Jiang Sheng pondered for a moment: "Perhaps."

Ye Wenshu laughed: "Jiang Yuanchen, you really don't hold back at all."

"Forget it, I'm too lazy to talk to you about this. I'm here to talk to you about something important."

Serious business?!
Jiang Sheng was somewhat suspicious, but then he saw Ye Wenshu stand up and say solemnly, "By order of His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor, you may enter the inner hall of the Pixiang Palace from Penglai Lingyuan."

The inner hall of the Pixiang Hall?
Isn't it only those at the Mahayana level who can be included? Even veteran Five Tribulations True Lords of the Eastern Heavenly Daoist School, such as Yuan Yi True Lord, can only be included after obtaining the Mahayana level Heavenly Fruit Position.

Jiang Sheng currently has no Heavenly Fruit status and is only at the Third Tribulation stage of cultivation, yet he was able to enter the inner hall of the Pixiang Palace.
At this moment, not only Jiang Sheng, but also the True Lords of Penglai around him were astonished. Ling Wei paused for a moment, looked at Jiang Sheng and couldn't help but laugh: "Ling Yuan, what are you waiting for? Quickly thank the decree and enter the palace."

Jiang Sheng looked at his senior brother, then at his fellow disciples and uncles around him. Under the smiling gazes of everyone, he stood up to thank them for the imperial decree, and then followed Ye Wenshu into the inner hall of the Pixiang Palace.

Jiang Sheng was unaware that while the Golden Emperor had just issued an edict to appease the four directions with smallpox and golden pills, he had already communicated with the Heavenly Venerable Kaiyuan and the Buddha Jinjue to quell the incident.

Although this matter was not intentionally caused by the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor, the rift between them was clearly visible. Therefore, the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor had to make concessions to the Kaiyuan Heavenly Venerable in the arrangement of the Heavenly Fruits and positions of the Heavenly Court, and at the same time, he also had to give up some things to the Golden Awakening Buddha.

After all, no matter what, Buddha Jinjue was innocently implicated.

This concession resulted in the Eastern Heavenly Daoist family gaining many key positions in the Heavenly Court, and Jiang Sheng also had the opportunity to enter the inner hall of the Fragrant Pavilion.

The inner hall of the Pixiang Hall is not accessible to anyone below the Mahayana level. Looking at all the immortals, Buddhas, and saints in the hall, even the lowest level among them is a Mahayana cultivator with five kalpas of cultivation, let alone the many pure Yang powerhouses in the hall.

At this moment, Jiang Sheng followed Ye Wenshu into the inner hall of the Pixiang Palace. Looking at the Golden Emperor sitting high on the throne and the Heavenly Venerables and Buddhas on both sides, and then looking at the Dao Lords and Bodhisattvas on the left and right, Jiang Sheng suddenly felt like an ant mixed in with all the great powers in the hall, truly out of place.

The Golden Palace Emperor didn't pay much attention to Jiang Sheng, merely gesturing for Ye Wenshu to lead him to a seat, but this still attracted the attention of the Pure Yang disciples in the hall.

The Buddha Jinjue looked thoughtfully at Jiang Sheng, who had a calm and composed expression, showing no signs of tension or fear. The bodhisattvas of the Western Paradise also glanced at him. The Bodhisattvas Mingguang and Jinglian of the Lesser Light Realm exchanged whispers with Jiang Sheng, while the Bodhisattva Maitreya of the Floating Pagoda Realm always wore a smile. The Daoist Lord Chixiao and the Golden Mother Yuanjun looked at Jiang Sheng with a sense of enlightenment.

As for the Dao Lords of the Eastern Heaven, whether it was Dao Lord Yue Heng, Dao Lord De Jing, Dao Lord Miao Yan, or the other Yuanjun Dao Lords, they all looked at Jiang Sheng with kind smiles, extremely satisfied with his humble yet dignified demeanor, as if they had seen an outstanding junior.

The emperors, demon lords, and heavenly kings were puzzled, looking at Jiang Sheng but finding nothing special about him.

Faced with the suspicious or scrutinizing gazes of the immortals, Buddhas, and saints in the hall, Jiang Sheng remained calm and composed, showing no sign of fear. Even with a group of Pure Yang cultivators present, he remained at ease.

Led by Ye Wenshu, Jiang Sheng arrived beside Yuan Yi Zhenjun and the others amidst the gazes of the immortals, Buddhas, and saints. Before a new seat, which was merely an inconspicuous corner of the inner hall of the Pixiang Palace, Jiang Sheng sat down.

After nodding to the kind-hearted Master Yuanyi and his fellow disciples, Jiang Sheng calmly sat down. Looking around the entire inner hall, Jiang Sheng was sitting in the very corner, just like an ant or weed that no one cared about.

But Jiang Sheng eventually entered the inner hall and caught the eye of all the immortals, Buddhas, and saints in the hall.

The Heavenly Emperor of the Golden Palace raised his cup and said, "My ministers, drink this cup to the brim."

Amidst the majestic celestial music that echoed throughout the heavens, Jiang Sheng raised his cup with his fellow disciples, all of whom were at the Fifth Tribulation or Mahayana realm, with composure and grace. Beside him, Ye Wenshu quietly observed the young Daoist in his blue crown and black robe, her eyes shimmering with brilliance. (End of Chapter)