Daojun, start from Penglai foundation building

The Three Realms and the Great Thousand Worlds, the Southern Heavenly Gate.

The South Heavenly Gate is different from the other three Heavenly Gates: East, West, and North.

The Eastern Heavenly Gate is controlled by the Eastern Heavenly Daoist sect and faces the East Sea and the Eastern Continent. Apart from the immortals and gods of the Eastern Heavenly Daoist sect, it is difficult for others to gain any advantage. The Western Heavenly Gate, on the other hand, is located in the Western Sea, right under the nose of the Western Heavenly Buddhism sect, and is therefore not valued by the Heavenly Court.

Although the North Sea, where the North Heavenly Gate is located, does not have Taoism or Buddhism, and the dragons of the North Sea and the demons of the Northern Continent are quite carefree, the North is a harsh and cold place compared to the East, West, and South, especially the East, which is blessed with natural beauty, and the West, which is rich in resources. Therefore, the Heavenly Court will not allocate too much resources to the North.

The South Heavenly Gate is different. Located in the South China Sea, it is backed by the Heavenly Court and flanked by the Eastern Heavenly Taoism and the Western Heavenly Buddhism. It has the resources of both Buddhism and Taoism, and is under the special attention of the Heavenly Court. In addition, the entire south is a place where humans, gods, ghosts, demons, immortals, Buddhas, and saints gather. Naturally, the South Heavenly Gate has become the largest operating center of the entire Three Realms and a place to demonstrate the majesty of the Heavenly Court.

Although the four Heavenly Gates of the East, West, South, and North were originally war platforms forged by the Mountain and River Realm to deal with collisions in the Great Thousand Worlds and world wars, as the four Heavenly Gates fell into the hands of the Heavenly Court, the Eastern Heavenly Daoist School, the Western Heavenly Buddhist School, and the Heavenly Court continuously repaired and reinforced them. With various Daoist traces, spiritual patterns, cloud-restricting formations, and other enhancements, the four Heavenly Gates are no longer entirely under the control of the Eastern Heavenly Daoist School. In particular, the Southern Heavenly Gate has become the facade and delivery platform of the Heavenly Court.

In addition, many immortals, Buddhas, saints, gods, ghosts and demons from outside the Heavenly Court enter the Three Realms through the Southern Heavenly Palace, and their first stop is always the Southern Heavenly Gate. This makes the Heavenly Court attach great importance to the Southern Heavenly Gate. As a result, the Southern Heavenly Gate can be said to be the most magnificent, the most vast, and the most capable of demonstrating the vastness of the Three Realms and the majesty of the Heavenly Court among the four Heavenly Gates in the east, west, south and north.

Two jade pillars, each 100,000 feet tall, stood erect, with a gilded plaque above them bearing the inscription "Gate of the Golden Palace," written in gold by the Heavenly Emperor of the Golden Palace. These three characters alone, imbued with the divine power and authority of the Heavenly Emperor of the Golden Palace, were enough to suppress all petty evil spirits.

To the left and right of the South Heavenly Gate are endless palace walls that resemble a galaxy. Heavenly soldiers in silver helmets and armor stand densely packed like a forest beneath the walls, while numerous heavenly generals guard the gate. As the most important gateway and delivery platform of the Heavenly Court, the South Heavenly Gate is guarded by twenty-four divine lords year-round. It is also connected to the imperial palace of the Divine Firmament Emperor. If any arrogant villains are encountered, the Divine Firmament Emperor, a powerful warrior of the Heavenly Court, can arrive at the South Heavenly Gate at any time.

Below the South Heavenly Gate, nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine jade steps unfold one after another. Each jade step is ten thousand feet long and three thousand feet wide, and its entire surface is smooth and exudes celestial light and mist, resembling nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine spacious platforms. Furthermore, beneath these jade steps, there is a platform ninety thousand feet square for cloud chariots to dock.
As the symbol of the Heavenly Court, the South Heavenly Gate has always been known for its magnificent and awe-inspiring architecture. Today, it is a gathering place for the most outstanding talents and geniuses from the Three Realms and countless other worlds.

Those holy sons and celestial demons from various great holy lands, and those chosen ones born from various middle thousand worlds, gathered at the South Heavenly Gate, awaiting the convening of this Fruition Feast.

Above the Nine Heavens Palace, in the Lingxiao Hall of the Dou Niu Palace, the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor sat on his throne, looking at the scene at the South Heavenly Gate through the Heavenly Mirror, and couldn't help but feel a surge of pride that "all the heroes of the heavens are under my control."

However, this heroic spirit was quickly suppressed by the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor. Among the talents and heroes of the myriad realms, there were quite a few from Taoism, the demon race, and Buddhism. It was hard to say how many would ultimately fall into his hands.

After some thought, the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor looked at the assembled immortals, Buddhas, and saints in the hall. This banquet for the attainment of a high position was only for a Mahayana master. Although that position was that of the Heavenly Lord of Justice, who had the power to enforce the laws of heaven and punish offenders, neither the Eastern Heavenly Daoists nor the Western Heavenly Buddhists showed much importance to it.

The one from the Eastern Heavenly Daoist sect was the Penglai Jingxuan Daojun, who was stationed at the Eighth Heavenly Palace; the one from the Western Heavenly Buddhist sect was the Zhenque Bodhisattva, who was also stationed at the Eighth Heavenly Palace; and the one from the Northern Demon Emperor's Palace was the Divine Wind Great Sage. Not counting the gods seated in the Heavenly Court, there were a total of three Daoist Pure Yang beings present, which can be said to be giving the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor a lot of face.

However, it is still in the Lingxiao Palace. If the South Heavenly Gate is the symbol of the Heavenly Court, then the Lingxiao Palace in the Dou Niu Palace is the face of the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor.

Therefore, all the immortals, Buddhas, and saints who held positions in the Heavenly Court were present in the Lingxiao Palace.

The Eastern Emperor of Cangwu, the Western Emperor of Kunlun, and the Southern Emperor of Changsheng; among the Five Elders, the Eastern Maitreya Buddha Bodhisattva, the Southern Bright Light Guanyin Bodhisattva, and the Western Pure Lotus Guanyin Bodhisattva.
The three Xuanmen Dao holders and the three Buddhist Dao holders are all here, along with the Supreme Emperor and the Heavenly Emperor of the Heavenly Court, as well as a group of the Heavenly Court's Sun Lord, Moon Lord, Emperor Lord, and Star Lord. The lowest level of those in the Lingxiao Palace are all at the peak of the Mahayana stage of the ninth realm of cultivation. There are also quite a few Dao holders who are known as the Great Ruler of the Thousand Worlds and the Chaos Sub-Lord.

The Golden Emperor surveyed the assembled immortals, Buddhas, and saints in the hall, then slowly spoke: "A hundred years ago, I felt that Heaven and Earth had given birth to the fruit of the throne, but the world was in disarray and the Three Realms were incomplete, making it difficult to obtain the complete laws and regulations. Therefore, I abolished the position of the God of Justice and bestowed the fruit of the Heavenly Emperor."

"Now, talents from all realms and races have gathered at the South Heavenly Gate to compete for this position, which shows that the Three Realms today far surpass all realms and races, and all races will eventually return to oneness."

As he spoke, the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor looked at the scene of the Southern Heavenly Gate projected in the Heavenly Mirror: "My lords, now that all the talents of the heavens have gathered, how should this Fruit Rank Banquet be held, and what method should be used to select the virtuous and talented to obtain this Fruit Rank?"

Upon hearing this, the Divine Emperor stepped forward and spoke first: "Your Majesty, I believe that the Judicial Heavenly Lord, who upholds the will of the Heavenly Court, enforces the laws of Heaven and Earth, and governs the Heavenly Rules, can only be a person with great supernatural powers who is well-versed in criminal law and understands the will of Heaven. After all, he is the most suitable person for the position."

"He understands the laws and the will of Heaven"—these words implied that the Divine Emperor was recommending himself.

The Golden Palace Emperor glanced at the Divine Firmament Emperor, said nothing, and simply nodded slowly as if he thought there was some truth to it.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Yi Zhenjun was displeased. As one of the Sun Lords, he was qualified to stand in this hall. At this moment, Yuan Yi Zhenjun stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "The words of Shenxiao Emperor are indeed inappropriate."

The Divine Emperor looked at True Lord Yuanyi: "What insightful opinion does Lord Yuanyi have?"

Yuan Yi Zhenjun said calmly, "If we only use so-called laws and punishments to arrange the positions and duties of immortals and gods, then what is the point of us immortals and gods?"

"If the Heavenly Emperor of Justice insists on appointing someone who is proficient in criminal law, wouldn't all the emperors and great emperors of the Heavenly Court have to be selected from mortal emperors?"

"Throughout history, attaining a high position and fulfilling one's duties has not been solely based on talent; it requires both virtue and ability, as well as competence and accomplishment."

"Otherwise, how many of the myriad geniuses outside the Southern Heavenly Gate are knowledgeable in criminal law?"

“Criminal laws and regulations can be studied by later generations and can be used to assist officials. As the chief official, it is sufficient to be knowledgeable in managing subordinates; there is no need to be an expert in every single one.”

After Yuan Yi Zhenjun finished speaking, all the Zhenjun of the Eastern Heaven in the hall nodded repeatedly. Even Chi Xiao Daojun and Jin Mu Yuanjun, who were the King and Queen Emperor and the Queen Mother Emperor, had smiles on their faces, clearly agreeing with what Yuan Yi Zhenjun said.

Shenxiao Emperor glanced at Yuanyi Zhenjun, snorted coldly, and ignored him. He knew that Yuanyi Zhenjun was arguing, but some things could not be put on the table.

The Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor, observing the subtle struggle between Yuan Yi Zhenjun and Shenxiao Emperor, remained silent. Soon, others stepped forward to offer their opinions. Some suggested that only those with great supernatural powers could uphold the Heavenly Majesty and suppress the four directions; others proposed that only those from the divine path could do so, as the immortals and Buddhas could hardly fully comply with the will of Heaven; still others suggested finding someone who was neither human, god, ghost, nor demon, to demonstrate equality and neutrality.
Amidst the discussions, Daoist Qiongyun pondered for a moment and suddenly said, "Everyone, I have something to say; you may all listen."

Qiongyun Daojun held the Southern Imperial position, was the Venerable Emperor of Longevity of the Clouds, and was also at the Dao-holding realm. When he spoke, the hall naturally quieted down. The Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor also thought highly of Qiongyun Daojun and smiled, "What brilliant insights does the Emperor of Longevity have?"

Qiongyun Daojun laughed and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that this competition for the position is intended to demonstrate to all the myriad races of the heavens the vastness of our Three Realms and the strength of the Heavenly Court, so that beings who yearn for the Three Realms may enter the Three Realms, increase the fortune of our Three Realms, and strengthen the foundation of our Heavenly Court."

"Therefore, there is no need to be bound by any one method or law. As long as each of you fellow Daoists puts forward a test that is in accordance with the Dao of humans, gods, ghosts, demons, immortals, Buddhas, and saints, those who pass will surely be amazing talents. Even if they do not understand the Heavenly Rules, they will still be able to properly perform the duties of the Heavenly Judicial Lord in the future."

The Way of Humans, Gods, Ghosts, Demons, Immortals, Buddhas, and Saints.
Upon hearing this, the people in the hall stopped arguing and began to consider Qiongyun Daojun's opinion. In the end, they found that this method was indeed appropriate. It may not be the best, but it was definitely the most balancing and most suitable for the current situation.

Seeing everyone nod, the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor also smiled and said, "The Longevity Emperor is indeed farsighted; this method is very prudent."

"In that case, I ask all the ministers in the hall to each present a test, and with the combined strength of all, to select talents for the Heavenly Court."

"And the Emperor of Longevity served as the chief examiner."

While it is said to refer to all the ministers, it actually refers to the four major families of immortals, Buddhas, saints, and gods. The Taoists of the Eastern Heaven, the Buddhists of the Western Heaven, the demons of the Northern Heaven, and the emperors of the Heavenly Court are the main question setters.

As the Golden Emperor of Heaven instructed the immortals, Buddhas, and saints to present their questions, the geniuses of all races outside the South Heavenly Gate watched the Lingxiao Palace projected onto the South Heavenly Gate and quietly awaited the examination by the group of Pure Yang powerhouses.

Standing in the crowd, Ying Tian looked around and recognized many familiar faces, including the young master of the Suanni clan in the Great Wilderness Realm, the young lord of the Southern Fire God Palace in the Zhu Ming Realm, the Kui Niu clan of Ji Lei Mountain in the Ju Rong Realm, and the Tian Yu clan of the Wei Yu Realm.
All the demon realms sent outstanding celestial demons, making Yingtian Demon Lord look forward to clashing with these powerful demons. Besides these demons, Yingtian Demon Lord also saw a familiar figure: Liuyuan Emperor of the Southern Crimson Realm.

Recalling the scene a hundred years ago when this person was invited into the Heavenly Court by the Mysterious Maiden, the Demon Lord Yingtian had a sudden realization: This person might be the Heavenly Lord of Justice whom the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor had appointed.
In reality, Ying Tian Yaojun only guessed half of it correctly.

The reason why Emperor Liuyuan was invited to the Heavenly Court to meet Emperor Jinque was indeed because Emperor Jinque wanted Emperor Liuyuan to compete for the position of Judicial Emperor. However, it would be wrong to say that Emperor Liuyuan was the person Emperor Jinque favored.

Over the past century, the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor has summoned no fewer than dozens of divine beings like Emperor Liuyuan, who emerged from the thousands of worlds of the divine path and possess the fortune and opportunities of a single realm.

There are no people who are chosen by the Heavenly Emperor of the Golden Palace. Only those who make it to the end are selected by the Heavenly Emperor of the Golden Palace. The rest are just waste materials.

At this moment, Emperor Liuyuan was also among a group of divine emperors. They were all from the divine path and were all at the Mahayana realm. The divine emperors were chatting happily. In the past hundred years, Emperor Liuyuan had met more Mahayana emperors than he had met in the past five thousand years. This truly allowed Emperor Liuyuan to see the profound depth of the Three Realms.

At this moment, the talents of all the heavens and myriad races gathered outside the South Heavenly Gate, each forming their own groups and discussing in hushed tones what kind of questions the high-ranking immortals, Buddhas, and saints in the Lingxiao Palace would give them.

Inside the Lingxiao Palace, Daoist Qiongyun looked at everyone deep in thought and smiled again: "Your Majesty, in my opinion, why not let Daoist Jingxuan, Bodhisattva Zhenque, Great Sage Shenfeng, and the Supreme Emperor each cast spells to evolve a region and then merge them into one world, transforming it into the four realms of immortals, Buddhas, saints, and gods to accommodate the geniuses of all races in the heavens?"

"First, they will be tested by the methods of immortals, Buddhas, and saints. Those who pass will proceed to the next test, which will be conducted by the old minister, the king and emperor, the queen mother and emperor, the three Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and the emperor of heaven. Finally, His Majesty will personally set the questions."

"Thus, there are nine trials in total, which are in accordance with the Mahayana fruition of the Heavenly Lord of Justice."

The Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor nodded: "In that case, the Eastern Heaven, the Western Heaven, the Demon Clan, and the Supreme Emperor will set the questions first."

Jingxuan Daojun, Zhenque Bodhisattva, Shenfeng Dasheng, and Shanghuang Dadi exchanged glances. The four Daoist Pure Yang beings all received the decree and then came together. They talked and quickly determined the appearance of the realm of immortals, Buddhas, and saints.

Immediately, the four Pure Yang beings made their moves. Daoist Jingxuan raised her finger and pointed, and various flowing clouds and radiant light condensed into a mountain realm shrouded in clouds and mist. Bodhisattva Zhenque activated Buddhist teachings, unleashing the glazed Buddha light to manifest multiple layers of Bodhi Dharma, which finally transformed into a Pure Land Zen temple. Great Sage Shenfeng stirred up the heavenly winds, which transformed into a vast desert of flying sand and raging winds. Emperor Shanghuang activated his divine powers, which transformed into a majestic and solemn city and palace.

As the four Daoist Pure Yang cultivators cast their spells in succession, Daoist Qiongyun smiled and waved his whisk. With the rotation of the Great Dao, the magical realms evolved by the four Daoist Pure Yang cultivators were perfectly integrated under Daoist Qiongyun's control, without any sense of incongruity, as if it was meant to be this way from the beginning.

Upon seeing this, Daoist Qiongyun smiled and said, "This small world, created by the four fellow Daoists, is sufficient to test the geniuses of all races."

"Your Majesty, shall we begin the trials for this Fruit Rank Ceremony?"

The Golden Palace Emperor nodded: "Now that the first test is set, let's begin."

Upon receiving the decree, Daoist Qiongyun activated his divine powers to push the realm of the four realms into the Nine Heavens. A stream of light fell from the Nine Heavens layer by layer, finally landing in front of the South Heavenly Gate, transforming into a vast vortex secret realm between two coiled dragon jade pillars.

In an instant, the geniuses of all the heavens and myriad races turned their gazes toward the South Heavenly Gate, and then the voice of Daoist Qiongyun came: "By His Majesty's decree, this Fruit Rank Feast will be divided into nine trials, this is the first trial."

"All elites, why don't you hurry up and enter the territory?"

Before the words were finished, the vortex above the South Heavenly Gate suddenly unleashed an immense suction force.

Emperor Liuyuan was filled with surprise and doubt. The emperors subconsciously tried to activate their supernatural powers, but were shocked to find that all laws were forbidden and supernatural powers were difficult to use. Demon Lord Yingtian wanted to look around, but found that although the various demon races were powerful and strong, they could not escape the pull and attraction. There were also spirits, monsters, and wandering immortals who were stunned and wanted to resist the pull, but they were powerless to resist.
In an instant, spacetime outside the South Heavenly Gate distorted and all laws were forbidden. The geniuses of all races standing on the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine jade steps had no time to react before they were pulled into the secret realm by that pulling force. Only the laughter of Daoist Qiongyun remained.
"This trial is called the Four Sages' Test of Fundamentals." (End of Chapter)