Daojun, start from Penglai foundation building

When disaster strikes the human world, demons and monsters emerge everywhere.

From being a heretical cultivator at the beginning to a prodigy in the Integration Realm, the people of the Judicial Heavenly Monarch's Mansion have been struggling to keep going.

After the great demons at the fifth level of the Fusion Realm wreaked havoc in the Three Realms and the human world, the people of the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Mansion finally couldn't hold on any longer. Fortunately, they all had connections, and by asking their fellow disciples and senior uncles for help, plus the Moon Wisdom True Lord and Sun Wisdom True Lord using the power of the Four Swords of Annihilation and Trapping, they were able to maintain their position for a while.

After struggling for nearly two hundred years, when even demon lords at the Mahayana realm brazenly descended upon the Three Realms and openly defied the Heavenly Court, the pressure from the Heavenly Court and the hardships of the past two hundred years finally overwhelmed everyone in the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace.

Inside the main hall of the Heavenly Lord of Justice's Palace, a celestial mirror hangs in the center. Tian Ming'an, Qiu Buyu, Li Jianchun, Huang Ping'an, Shen Yao, and the True Lords of the Five Capitals, who are in charge of the Heavenly Lord of Justice's Palace, are gathered here, creating an extremely somber atmosphere.

In the celestial mirror, a mountain range of the Southern Continent was clearly reflected.

The demonic aura above the mountain range was so intense that it obscured the sun and even interfered with the Heavenly Court's perception, making it difficult to discern how many demons were present. All that could be seen were more than ten banners erected amidst the undulating mountains, and among those banners, in the very center of the mountain range, a large banner hung high.

It was a gilded banner with nine tails, standing atop the highest peak in the very center of the mountain range, inscribed with four large characters written in a flamboyant style: "Heaven-Shaking Demon Lord".

Beneath this great banner, the sounds of battle cries never ceased in the mountains. The soaring battle cries and the rising bloodthirsty aura indicated that a large number of demon soldiers were training within the demonic aura.

Undoubtedly, this is the source of the greatest turmoil in the Southern Continent today, the Daoist temple established by that Mahayana Realm demon lord.

Qiu Buyu's voice was calm, but tinged with weariness: "The Heaven-Shaking Demon Lord, ever since he established his power and prestige in the Southern Sky Continent, most of the demons and monsters in the entire Southern Sky Continent have submitted to his command."

"Right now, the Heavenly Demon Lord is causing trouble in the Southern Continent with more than ten demons of the Upper Three Realms, and has become the biggest source of chaos in the Three Realms."

"Before this one arrived, everything was still manageable. Whether it was the four seas or the various continents, although some people caused chaos, they were scattered and the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace was still able to strike them one by one."

"But now, they've banded together for warmth, occupying a place in the Southern Continent, setting up magic arrays, and training demon soldiers, making it difficult for us to deal with them."

Duobao, who was standing to the side, finally asked the question that had been on his mind: "Wasn't Nanxiao Buzhou the site of Tianhe Dao Sect before? Even if Tianhe Dao Sect is gone, there are still Jinchan Temple, Tianlong Temple, and Zhenxiao Dao Sect."

"These are all sacred lands established by powerful Dao holders. The three Pure Yang Sacred Lands are in the Southern Xiao Continent. How dare a Mahayana cultivator cause trouble?"

This issue is not only about Duobao, but also about the doubts of Shen Yao, representing the Jinhua Mountain lineage within the Shenxiao Thunder Palace, as well as Zhengyang Zhenjun and others under Huaguang Emperor.

After all, whether it was the previous Dongling Huazhou or the Dongshan Haizhou formed by the fusion of Linghuazhou and the Shanhai Realm, although there was no Chunyang Daojun guarding the mortal world, the two emperors were stationed in Dongshan Haizhou and no troubles arose. Occasional minor disturbances were not considered. Overall, Dongshan Haizhou was peaceful and tranquil.

Tian Ming'an also knew that these True Lords from the Eastern Continent were not familiar with the situation in the Southern Continent, so he explained, "It is normal for Uncle Duobao to have some misunderstandings about it."

"The origin of Nanxiao Continent is truly complex. When the Three Realms were first established, it was a fusion of the Southern Continent and Western Continent of my Mountain and River Realm with the Flame Continent and Yuan Continent of Panfeng Realm. It was originally a place where immortals, gods and Buddhas were mixed together."

"Since the ancient times, immortals, gods and Buddhas have lived together, the Southern Continent has always been prosperous and extraordinary. It is a place for exchanges between various religions and religions, and it can be said to be second only to the East in the Three Realms."

"With the end of the Xuanmen Calamity, Kaiyuan Tianzun moved the Tianhe Dao Sect to the east, and at the same time, the Xiaoyun Realm of the Xiaoyun Changsheng Emperor was incorporated into it, forming the present-day Nanxiao Continent."

"However, because there are immortals, Buddhas, and saints in Nanxiao Buzhou, all parties are very restrained. For example, Jinchan Temple and Tianlong Temple are located in the west and southwest of Nanxiao Buzhou respectively, while Zhenxiao Daozong is located in the south of Nanxiao Buzhou."

“In the eastern, northern, and central parts of Nanxiao Buzhou, there are no holy sites to suppress them. As for the pure Yang powerhouses of the three holy sites, they are either in the heavens or in the grotto-heavens. After all, Nanxiao Buzhou is under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court, and most areas are guarded by deities dispatched by the Heavenly Court.”

At this point, both Duobao and Zhengyang Zhenjun understood why the situation in Nanxiao Buzhou was so strange.

Duobao suddenly realized: "So, the Golden Zen Temple, the Heavenly Dragon Temple, and the True Xiao Dao Sect don't actually interfere much with the situation in the Southern Xiao Continent. They're all minding their own business, and the entire Southern Xiao Continent is actually suppressed by the Heavenly Court?"

Tian Ming'an nodded: "That's right. Previously, the Heavenly Court relied on the Divine Firmament Emperor and the Divine Firmament Imperial Palace, but whether it's the Divine Firmament Emperor or the Divine Firmament Imperial Palace..."

Tian Ming'an didn't continue, but everyone knew perfectly well that Shenxiao Emperor and Shenxiao Imperial Palace had been swept into the trash heap by Jiang Sheng. Shenxiao Imperial Palace was even demolished by the Heavenly Court and rebuilt into Shenxiao Thunder Palace, which is now a force under the jurisdiction of the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace.

It can be said that the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace is currently wielding great power, but it lacks top-tier combat strength.

Everyone sighed again. Mingdong rubbed his temples in distress: "The chaos in the human world has become increasingly serious in the last hundred years, especially after that Zhentian Demon Lord came to Nanxiao Continent. Now the situation in Nanxiao Continent is turbulent, and all sides are watching the actions of the Heavenly Court. The pressure from the Heavenly Court is all on my Judicial Heavenly Lord's Mansion. It's really difficult to handle."

Mingzhen suggested, "Why don't we ask our sect's senior uncles for help again?"

Myeongdong smiled wryly and said, "Over the years, we have repeatedly asked our senior brothers and even uncles from the sect for help. If we rely on the sect for everything, what use are we?"

"Moreover, the main target this time is a Mahayana Demon Lord. Even if we ask the sect for help, which Mahayana realm senior uncles or senior masters can the sect spare?"

If the Five Tribulations Realm is the backbone of a sect and the key to the prosperity of a Pure Yang Holy Land, then the Great Ascension Realm is the Pure Yang Holy Land's most treasured group of people. They have reached the pinnacle of the Nine Realms of Cultivation, and it can be said that they have reached the limit of progress and have extinguished the hope of Pure Yang. Therefore, they often suppress a place for the sect or go into seclusion.

They usually only step forward when the sect is facing a life-or-death crisis or an unprecedented opportunity and challenge.

Although the Tianhe Dao Sect is now a Heavenly Venerable lineage, it lost too many combatants in the fierce battle in the Tianyuan Realm. Even after winning the Xuanmen Calamity, it still needs time to lick its wounds and recover its strength. Currently, there are very few Mahayana cultivators who can be mobilized.

Moreover, asking a Mahayana Realm cultivator to suppress the chaos in Nanxiao Continent is simply beyond the reach of Ming Dong and his ilk, regardless of their seniority or reputation. After all, even among their own disciples, they are considered newcomers. Even Ming Xian would find it unlikely to persuade a Mahayana Immortal Lord to intervene, let alone them.

Xuanxing couldn't help but shake his head: "Yes, it's not easy to invite senior uncles and masters at the Mahayana realm. Even if my senior brother were to step forward, I'm afraid it would be difficult to persuade any Mahayana senior uncle to come. After all, those senior uncles at the Mahayana realm are basically seventh, eighth, or ninth generation true disciples, which are too far removed from us."

As he spoke, Xuanxing said angrily, "The current situation is very strange! If the human world was relatively stable three hundred years ago, with only a few minor demons and evil spirits, then in the last two hundred years, all sorts of demons and monsters have appeared in the human world. What exactly is going on with this great world of the Three Realms?"

"How can so many monsters be born under the Heavenly Court's rule?! Doesn't the Demon Emperor's Palace do anything about it?!"

It seems that Xuanxing has already blamed the Demon Emperor's Palace in the Northern Continent.

However, everyone knew that this was just Xuanxing's casual remark. In the end, the Demon Emperor Palace was located in the Northern Continent. The Northern Demon Emperor Palace could manage things, but the Southern Continent was under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court. How could the Demon Emperor Palace be so foolish as to interfere?

Ling Yan looked at Zhu Yuzi, Zhao Xingzi, and Zhen Leizi of Chixiao Capital. Zhao Xingzi shook his head and said, "We can't ask our senior uncles at the Mahayana Realm to come forward. We don't have that kind of face or the strength."

Over the years, the three members of Chixiao have contributed a great deal, always charging ahead in battles, almost comparable to Duobao, and can be regarded as role models of dedication and hard work.

But Duobao is different. Duobao is purely driven by a bloodthirsty nature, while the three fellow Daoists from the Chixiao Dao Sect are simply dutiful.

Judging from their energy and spirit, it's no exaggeration to say that these three are exhausted, both physically and mentally.

Ling Yan glanced at the silent Fairy Su Jing and the others. Although the three fairies did not speak, their expressions revealed their exhaustion and helplessness.

Although the three fairies of Yaochi—Sujing, Suzhao, and Suhuan—had a shallow relationship with Jiang Sheng, they had been incredibly diligent after taking up their posts in the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace. Over the past few centuries, they had never hesitated to contribute, never complaining about even the greatest difficulties, but instead seeking help from Yaochi. Even the Moon Sword Fairy had personally intervened several times. Finally, Ling Yan looked at Ling Xuan and Ling Qiu. Over the past few centuries, even the naturally lively and spirited Ling Qiu looked much more tired, and her star-like eyes had dimmed considerably.

"Ugh"

With a sigh, Ling Yan shook his head helplessly: This is the current state of the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace. It lacks top-tier combat power, and the assistance it can invite is insufficient to deal with Mahayana-level beings. In addition, it is difficult to get the cooperation of the major deities of the Heavenly Court's Thunder Department, Fighting Department, and other departments. As a result, the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace is extremely powerless in the face of the increasingly chaotic situation in the human world.

But does the Heavenly Emperor's Palace of Justice truly lack any foundation?
no.

Five hundred years ago, the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace could also invoke the Heavenly Court's Dipper Department, summoning the Seven Lords of the Big Dipper and the Six Lords of the Southern Dipper—a total of thirteen Star Lords at the Integration Realm—to appear in broad daylight and seal off the heavens and earth; it could also invoke the Thunder Department and the Wind Department, summoning the Wind and Thunder Gods to bring down thunder and wind to shake the Three Realms.

The Eastern Heavenly Daoist School and various departments of the Heavenly Court also cooperated seamlessly with the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace.

As for why it was possible then but not now, Ling Yan, Tian Ming'an, Shen Yao, and even the True Lords of the Five Capitals all know perfectly well: they lack that backbone, they lack Jiang Sheng.

Is it really impossible for the Heavenly Lord of Justice to invite even a Mahayana Immortal Lord?

No, if Jiang Sheng were to step forward, not only would the Great Ascension Immortals of Qinghua and Tianhe be willing to lend a hand, but the Great Ascension Immortals of Chixiao and Yaochi might also be willing to cooperate, and all departments of the Heavenly Court would be willing to cooperate as well.

Because they are helping Penglai Lingyuan.

However, with Jiang Sheng going into seclusion, the attitude of the various departments of the Heavenly Court was not as good as before. Although they still cooperated, it was only within their duties. It was extremely difficult to ask those at the Integration level or above, let alone those at the Fifth Tribulation Realm or even the Mahayana Realm.

Ultimately, all parties were willing to give Jiang Sheng face and favors.

The Heavenly Lord of Justice Lingyuan and the Heavenly Lord of Justice Palace are two different concepts.

Without Jiang Sheng overseeing the coordination and connecting people from all sides, let alone the vast difference in strength and seniority between Tian Ming'an and others, how many helpers could Ling Yan, Ming Dong, and Xuan Xing possibly get?
When the situation in the human world was still relatively good, things were stable. However, as the chaos in the human world intensified, with the frequent appearance of demons at the fifth level of cultivation and even demon lords at the Mahayana realm openly rebelling against Heaven, it was not only Tian Ming'an who could not control the mess in the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace, but even with everyone working together, it was difficult to cope with the current situation.

After all, they were not capable of dealing with a Mahayana Demon Lord, nor could they invite senior disciples or elders from their sects at the Mahayana realm to help them.

In an instant, an invisible sense of defeat enveloped everyone. Despite having tried their best for hundreds of years, they could not suppress the situation as easily as Jiang Sheng, which made everyone feel very uncomfortable.

Looking at his senior brother's disciples who had not yet ascended to the Void Refinement stage, Ling Yan still spoke up: "You have all read the reprimand document from Dou Niu Palace. The current chaos in the mortal realm must be quelled as soon as possible."

Zhao Xingzi smiled bitterly and said, "Fellow Daoist Lingyan, it's not that we haven't tried our best, but given the current situation, we are powerless to resolve it on our own."

Ultimately, we can't handle the mess that is the Heavenly Lord of Justice's Palace.

"Leaving aside the thirty-six departments of the Heavenly Court, even that Princess Xuan Nu only knows Ling Yuan. With Ling Yuan gone, and that other one too, when have the various departments and academies of the Heavenly Court ever given us a second glance?"

Upon hearing this, the True Lords from the Pure Yang Holy Land and the Xuanmen Dao Sect couldn't help but sigh. If the facts weren't right there, who would be willing to admit these things?
As it turned out, they were not capable of supporting the vast Judicial Heavenly Emperor's Palace.

In the midst of the deathly silence, the Palace of the Heavenly Ruler of Justice suddenly stirred.

Suddenly, boundless spiritual energy surged into the Palace of the Heavenly Lord of Justice like a raging torrent. The stars and moon in all directions shone brightly, and countless rays of sunlight, moonlight, and starlight converged into a terrifying waterfall that cascaded down into the rear hall of the Palace of the Heavenly Lord of Justice.

The Heavenly Lord of Justice was thrown into turmoil, the troops in various districts were in a panic, and the True Lords were at a loss.

Beneath the boundless spiritual energy and the surging celestial waterfall of sun, moon, and stars, in the rear hall of the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace, a colossal being seemed to awaken, and an indescribable pressure rose up, like a celestial being or a deity.

As it awakened, a gentle breeze swept through the seventh heaven, accompanied by purple lightning and thunder, and bursting crimson flames and surging black water. Amidst the interplay of wind, thunder, water, and fire, its immense pressure, akin to that of immortals and deities, startled the stars in all directions and shook the heavens and the sun and moon.

Within the imperial palaces of this seventh heavenly realm, countless eyes were fixed upon this place, upon the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace.

Suddenly, amidst the swirling wind, thunder, water, and fire, the three colors of gold, silver, and lead swirled and transformed into a three-colored lotus flower that stretched for millions of miles, spinning endlessly. At the same time, the five colors of azure, red, white, black, and yellow swirled and surged, condensing into a five-colored wheel that spun endlessly for millions of miles.

The three-colored radiance was magnificent, and the energy of the five elements permeated the air.

Tian Ming'an, Shen Yao, Duobao, Ling Yan, and the others, who were in the main hall of the Heavenly Lord of Justice's Palace, were startled by the commotion and rushed out of the hall. At this moment, as they looked at the strange phenomenon rising above the rear hall, Zhao Xingzi couldn't help but exclaim, "Three Flowers Gather at the Top! Five Qi Converge at the Origin!"

The strange phenomenon that arose above the rear hall of the Heavenly Lord of Justice, where Jiang Sheng was in seclusion, was a symbol of the completion of the three tribulations of refining the void and the five tribulations of merging the body, with the three flowers gathering at the top and the five energies converging at the origin!
Subsequently, beneath the three-colored lotus and behind the five-colored Dao wheel, the multicolored spiritual energy and the three-colored celestial waterfall formed by the essence of the sun, moon, and stars continuously intertwined and condensed. Furthermore, various laws such as the Four Symbols, Five Elements, Yin and Yang, Time, Three Calamities, and the Final Calamity manifested and condensed. In the process of pouring spiritual energy and interweaving various laws, a vast Dharma image was gradually constructed.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, in the Palace of the Heavenly Lord of Justice, the image of a Taoist with five hearts facing the sky gradually solidified. The blue light on the top of the image condensed into a Taoist crown, and the black and purple spiritual energy on the body intertwined to form a crimson robe. The power of wind, thunder, water and fire shimmered and transformed into a four-colored sword, and all kinds of splendor intertwined to form fluttering celestial feathers.
Above the Buddha's head, a three-colored lotus flower rotates endlessly; in front of the Buddha's chest, a five-colored wheel of enlightenment continues to turn.

At this moment, golden and purple energy emanated from the body of the Dharma Image, bursting forth from the top of its head and transforming into a blue-purple auspicious cloud that unfolded. However, within that blue-purple auspicious cloud, faint strands of gold could be seen, as if it were about to become the third layer of color within the auspicious cloud.

In an instant, everyone in the entire Seventh Heaven Palace understood: Three Flowers Gather at the Top, Five Elements Return to the Origin!
Jiang Sheng has already taken the last step before the Pure Yang Path. At this moment, Jiang Sheng can be said to be only one point away from Pure Yang!
At that moment, the three flowers on the top of the massive Dharma image disappeared into the top of its head, and the five energies in front of its chest were gathered into its five internal organs. As the strange phenomena of the three flowers and five energies dissipated, the four-colored sword energy was also absorbed into its body, and the colorful heavenly feathers scattered into auspicious clouds and rosy light.

The three flowers and five elements condense, and the four symbols and yin and yang condense.

Amidst auspicious clouds and rosy light, countless blue and black lotuses bloomed around the Dharma image with its five hearts facing the sky. These lotuses swayed and rose, instantly forming a vast blue and black lotus sea that covered the entire Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace.

In the very center of the lotus sea, amidst clusters of blue and black lotuses, a Dao wheel, interwoven with yin and yang, emerges behind the Dharma image's head, radiating a pure and clear light.

The next instant, Faxiang suddenly opened his eyes, and azure-gold light shot out from his eyes, shaking the Seven Heavens Palace and the Eight Heavens Realm, causing the stars in all directions to flicker and the sun and moon in all the heavens to tremble and become uneasy.

The immortals, Buddhas, and saints in the eighth heaven were startled. They then sensed what was below them. What came into their senses was the Dharma image of the one sitting cross-legged in the Azure Lotus Sea in the Palace of the Heavenly Lord of Justice, with the Yin-Yang Dao Wheel behind his head clear.

In the eastern part of the Eighth Heaven Realm, Daoist Jingxuan couldn't help but smile: "So it's Lingyuan."

In the Eastern Cangwu Palace, Daoist Chixiao snorted in annoyance, then couldn't help but laugh: "That kid Lingyuan, he's quite worthy of being valued so much by Daoist Qingyan, he actually made such a commotion."

In the Southeastern Sky Cloud Palace, the Southern Sky Cloud Longevity Emperor, Qiongyun Daojun, stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "He is indeed a promising immortal. The strength of the Eastern Heaven is not necessarily a bad thing for this old man..."

Meanwhile, the three great Buddhist masters—Mingguang Bodhisattva in Guanyin Temple to the south, Jinglian Bodhisattva in Guanyin Pavilion to the southwest, and Maitreya Bodhisattva in Futu Temple to the west—all had different expressions, but they all just laughed off the commotion caused by Jiang Sheng.

However, the Bodhisattva Zhenque, who was representing the Great Lingyin Temple, was somewhat annoyed. But after sensing that none of the Pure Yang cultivators in the Eighth Heaven Realm had any objections, she simply decided to ignore it to avoid getting angry.

Meanwhile, in the northwest of the Eighth Heaven Realm, within the Jade Pool Terrace, the Golden Mother Yuanjun's hand, which was arranging flowers, trembled slightly. She glanced up at the Seventh Heaven Realm, then quickly looked away.

"It seems the Peach Banquet more than two hundred years later will require an extra person." (End of Chapter)