Daojun, start from Penglai foundation building

The South China Sea is a jade-like paradise, a fairyland inhabited by immortals.

The Little Penglai Island, spanning twelve million li, comprises one hundred and eight islands, thirty-six of which are inner and seventy-two outer. The islands are scattered like stars, connecting the celestial phenomena above and the earth's veins below, presenting a magnificent and ever-changing landscape at a glance.

At this moment, above Little Penglai, two figures were quietly suspended in the clouds, gazing down at the peaceful and serene celestial paradise.

"I thought the Heavenly Judicial Lord's Palace in the heavens was big enough, but I never imagined that the True Lord's Daoist temple would be even better than the Emperor's palace."

The Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace in the seventh heavenly palace of the Heavenly Court is of standard Mahayana Emperor specifications, covering an area of ​​eight million li, with all kinds of palaces, pavilions, and side courtyards inside.

When Crane Demon Lord saw the magnificent palaces and pavilions stretching like mountains in the Palace of the Heavenly Lord of Justice, he felt that they were luxurious and grand enough. But when he looked at the Little Penglai Wonderland in the South China Sea, he had a different feeling.

While the Palace of the Heavenly Lord of Justice is indeed grand and luxurious, it primarily serves to highlight the majesty of the Heavenly Court and the solemnity of the Heavenly Lord of Justice. Therefore, the cold and towering palaces and pavilions give people a sense of solemnity and coldness. Although there are spiritual plant gardens, spiritual beast gardens, and even rare flowers, exotic plants, jade trees, and spiritual treasures within, they only add a little vitality to the Palace of the Heavenly Lord of Justice. Moreover, most of the people coming and going are in a hurry, and the cold feeling of the Heavenly Court's high and mighty status remains unchanged. It is only because of Jiang Sheng's aloof and indifferent nature that he doesn't care about this. In any case, Jiang Sheng spends most of his time in the inner palace and doesn't go anywhere else.

But for a celestial demon like Crane Demon Lord, she would rather be free than be trapped in that tall, cold palace. For feathered creatures, if they do not fly for a long time and their wings are not exposed to wind and rain, they will break and they will never be able to fly again.

Therefore, when Crane Demon Lord saw Little Penglai, he felt that Little Penglai was better than the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Mansion.

In reality, the area of ​​Little Penglai spans twelve million square kilometers. Apart from the core Little Penglai Island, which is the true Little Penglai Wonderland, the remaining 108 islands, both inner and outer, can barely be considered blessed lands. After all, the main function of these islands is to form an array that protects the core of Little Penglai.

But He Wei, the Demon Lord, didn't care about any of that. What she saw was lush greenery everywhere, an endless ocean, scattered islands, densely populated areas, and the boundless sky and sea where all things could freely roam.

Moon Wisdom True Lord said calmly, "Little Penglai is a bit larger than the Palace of the Heavenly Lord of Justice. The Palace of the Heavenly Lord of Justice is eight million miles in circumference. It is the standard size of the Heavenly Court Emperor. The Heavenly Court is supported by the Three Realms. It has the human world, the four seas, and the various continents, as well as the three thousand worlds outside. It is never short of all kinds of rare treasures, so it is built to be exceptionally magnificent."

"In addition, each company will secretly add something without affecting the external regulations. As long as the outside is the same, not many people care about the inside."

"But this Little Penglai was originally the human hub of the Mountain and River Realm's counterattack against the Panfeng Realm. It was built as a sealing array, so it was built to be exceptionally large. Later, when the Three Realms merged, the Heavenly Venerable bestowed this place as his own Daoist temple. However, he did not manage this place much. The inhabitants on these islands that you see were all built by the migrating beings themselves."

He Wei, the Demon Lord, nodded. After all, she came from a sacred land, and even though it was a sacred land of the demon race, her vision was still high enough. Her clan had no shortage of various books on magic treasures, formations, talismans, spirit patterns, and restrictions. Therefore, He Wei could see that the 108 islands scattered on the vast sea below seemed to form a formation: "This is, using the islands as a formation?"

Moon Wisdom True Lord glanced at Crane Demon Lord and then said, "That's right. With the 108 islands inside and outside as nodes, the islands are connected by the earth veins of the Liuyu Sea. The spiritual veins are endless, the celestial phenomena are obvious, and the stars are scattered between the latitude and longitude lines. This is the Small Heavenly Star Array."

"However, the true core of Little Penglai is not here."

Not here?

Yes, True Lord Yuehui only said that this is a great formation composed of 108 islands, but where is Little Penglai Island?

Crane Demon Lord looked around, but still couldn't see the core of Little Penglai that Moon Wisdom True Lord had mentioned.

"The core lies between reality and illusion, with the two islands of water and fire in the north and south as the yin and yang duality, forming the Yin-Yang Water-Fire Array. The real Little Penglai Immortal Island is inside the Yin-Yang Water-Fire Array, which is also the core of this Little Penglai that spans twelve million miles."

"However, you don't need to go to Little Penglai Wonderland. You can choose any of the 108 islands, inside and outside, to settle down. As long as you don't leave this area of ​​12 million li, you will be safe."

"No one in the Three Realms has ever dared to capture anyone in Little Penglai."

Listening to Moonbeam True Lord's words, Crane Demon Lord thought for a moment and then pointed to an island: "I'll go there."

Looking at it, True Lord Yuehui saw that it was not a very large island, only tens of thousands of miles in circumference. However, it was mostly inhabited by demons and feathered creatures, indicating that Demon Lord Hewei preferred to stay with the feathered creatures.

True Monarch Yuehui nodded and handed a token to Demon Lord Hewei: "Take this jade token. If you encounter any danger, you can use it to activate the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Star Array."

He Wei Yaojun was somewhat surprised; she truly hadn't expected Jiang Sheng to value her so much.

The voice of True Monarch Yuehui was calm and devoid of emotion: "Don't overthink it. I promised your brother that I would protect you and your brother."

"Moreover, if something really happens to you in this Little Penglai, what will become of my reputation, and the reputation of Penglai?"

"Just stay put, and you should be safe in a few hundred years."

Seeing that True Lord Yuehui was about to leave, Demon Lord Hewei hurriedly asked, "What about my younger brother?"

Moon Wisdom True Lord paused in his tracks: "He is safe now, but very weak and needs recuperation. In another hundred years, you and your brother will be able to meet again."

After saying this, True Monarch Yuehui left directly. Demon Monarch Hewei sighed, looked down at the vast ocean and islands below, and finally managed a smile: "Then let's wait another hundred years."

Day after day, year after year.

In the blink of an eye, thirty years have passed.

Crane Demon Lord settled down in Little Penglai, spending his days either cultivating and meditating or reading books. Occasionally, he would go out for a flight or visit other demon islands.

In the palace of the Heavenly Lord of Justice, the Heavenly Mirror hangs high, reflecting the every move of the Demon Lord He Wei.

True Monarch Yuehui rubbed her temples: "Judging from her appearance, she doesn't seem to know much about the situation in the Weiyu Realm."

"But she is, after all, the legitimate daughter of the Xuanhe clan of the Weiyu Realm, and also a Dongxuan Dao Fruit cultivator. How could someone with such a status be completely unaware of the clan's situation?"

Rihui Zhenjun propped his head up and analyzed, "Perhaps it is precisely because she is both the legitimate daughter and a Dongxuan that the clan does not allow her to know too much. After all, if they can protect a Dongxuan seed, their Xuanhe clan will still have hope for the future."

"Don't forget, this legitimate daughter carries the purest blood of the Great Sage of the Xuanhe Clan."

True Monarch Yuehui pondered: "All living beings value their mothers above all else, especially demons. With her as their legitimate daughter, the bloodline of the Xuanhe clan will not be cut off. This makes sense."

"But if that's really the case, why would they let her come to the Three Realms Great Thousand Worlds?"

Sun-Wisdom True Lord said, "It is precisely because it is the Three Realms that her life can be protected. She has been struggling in the Three Realms for three hundred years without any trouble. She has a few friends she can rely on. After all, all the immortals, Buddhas and saints in the Three Realms are watching closely, and ordinary status and background are useless. If she were to go to other realms, she would inevitably be suppressed by others with the background of the Three Realms, and she would definitely lose her life."

"It must be a highly respected old fellow from the Xuanhe clan who sent her to the Three Realms to save people. It is said that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. These old fellows have a lot of experience and are mostly wise and experienced in planning the country."

"Perhaps, the Xuanhe clan of Weiyu Realm has already quietly dispersed its members, and those direct descendants who are traveling abroad have all disguised themselves and hidden away."

Moon Wisdom True Monarch sighed, "We should have let her return to the Weiyu Realm back then. If she had gone back, it would have caused some turmoil in the Weiyu Realm, and the Chongming and Qingluan clans would have made a move."

Listening to his two clones discussing back and forth, Jiang Sheng couldn't help but laugh and said, "One He Wei can't accomplish anything. It would be good to send her back to stir up trouble, but in reality, I don't care at all whether the two Great Saints of the Qingluan Clan and Jingwei Clan are injured."

"As long as the Great Saints of the Chongming, Danque, and Xuanhe clans are indeed trapped in the Time Realm, then the Weiyu Realm is already full of loopholes."

“Right now, any ancestor of the Eastern Heaven who is at the Dao Realm could take down the Weiyu Realm, but what the Eastern Heaven needs right now is time.”

"The mobilization of manpower and preparations from all sides cannot be completed in three to five years. The great war with the Nine Provinces Realm was prepared by the Eastern Heaven starting five hundred years after the Three Realms were established. It involved distant alliances and close attacks, as well as many preparations. It was not until 1,350 that there was any real movement. After nearly a thousand years of preparation, the Eastern Heaven had the overwhelming power to end this great calamity that affected all the heavens in just over a hundred years."

"Now, facing a vast demon realm, we are not afraid of their numbers. As long as we have more time to prepare, we can crush them without them making any waves."

"Therefore, let's wait and see what happens in the Weiyu Realm, and what rumors circulate within the Three Realms. The Queen Mother of the West's Peach Banquet is about to begin, and at this critical juncture, some people will surely be unable to contain themselves."

As Jiang Sheng spoke, his gaze turned to the northwest. In the Kunlun Continent of the northwest, what choice would that Azure Bird Fairy make?

At this moment, the Bluebird Fairy in Kunlun was indeed very troubled.

The Queen Mother's Peach Banquet was right before her eyes, and she was busy with that, but people from her clan kept coming, which annoyed the Azure Bird Fairy.

"I've already said I can't make that decision, so what's the point of you coming to me?"

"You know better than I do what the situation is in the Weiyu community right now. What's the point of scheming against each other instead of uniting to protect ourselves at this time?"

“The Heavenly Court’s Judicial Lord is already paying attention to this matter. He is a true disciple of Penglai in the Eastern Heaven, possessing great supernatural powers and extraordinary insight. If he manages to unravel the situation, there will surely be a commotion in the Eastern Heaven.”

The Azure Bird Fairy looked helplessly at her clansmen. She had experienced the Xuanmen Calamity with the Queen Mother and witnessed the grandeur of the Three Realms. The Three Realms were now majestic. Although the Xuanmen Calamity had merged the Nine Realms of Xuanmen into the Three Realms, it did not satisfy the appetite of the Three Realms, or rather, it did not satisfy the appetite of those few True Yang Masters.

The Three Realms are currently ravenously hungry and eager to devour all the heavens. If those few were to see through the true nature of the Weiyu Realm, the Weiyu Realm's merging into the Three Realms would be a minor matter, but what benefits would the Qingluan Clan gain?
Even the most respected elders dared not get angry in front of the Azure Bird Fairy, and the few young and ambitious prodigies of the Azure Phoenix Clan lowered their heads and dared not say another word.

The elder sighed, "Qingming, you stand higher than us in the Three Realms and have better access to information, so you can see further than we can."

“We know you wouldn’t harm the entire clan, but the current situation is that we have no other choice.”

"The news of our ancestor's return is top secret; few know of it. The entire clan only knows that the Xuanhe clan's ancestor is trapped in the Time Realm, and that the Xuanhe clan is in dire straits. Everyone only sees the opportunity to devour the Xuanhe clan's fortune and benefit our Qingluan clan, but no one knows that our Qingluan clan's current situation is no better than the Xuanhe clan's." "At a time like this, if we don't take a firm stance, what will the Yinglong clan of the Kuocang Realm think? We can forgo the resources of the Dragon-Phoenix Forest, and we can forgo the Xuanhe clan's fortune, but our Qingluan clan must retain a place to live, and our little ones must have a sky where they can fly freely. We can't be truly bound by ropes and confined to Kunlun for life, can we?"

Upon hearing this, Fairy Qingniao felt a deep sense of powerlessness. The Qingluan clan had formed alliances with distant clans and attacked nearby ones. They had befriended the Yinglong clan, maintained good relations with Yaochi, and even had connections with Tushan in the Great Wilderness Realm. However, among all the heavens and myriad realms, the Qingluan clan was still extremely weak, relying entirely on their ancestor to suppress the clan's fortune.

Now that the ancestor has encountered mishap, if the Azure Phoenix Clan cannot maintain its toughness and appearance, it will inevitably be exposed and become someone else's prey.

After all, the relationship between the myriad realms had already changed since the end of the Xuanmen Great Calamity and the merging of the various Xuanmen realms into the Three Realms.

Everyone knows that the unification of all heavens is an irreversible trend, and everyone wants to protect themselves in this trend. Everyone wants to continue living the free and unrestrained life they used to live, but how is that possible?

If one does not strive for good fortune and merit, and lacks a solid foundation, one will only become nourishment for others in the future.

The fate of those magnificent Daoist holy lands and grand cities of the Xuanmen sect is the best proof of this. Without those Xuanmen sects and holy cities as nourishment, how could the Eastern Heaven Daoist sect be so powerful today?
And wasn't it precisely by taking advantage of the winds of the Xuanmen Calamity that Yaochi achieved its current status of dominating the northwest of the Three Realms?

The Queen Mother of the West, the most revered of the Four Heavenly Emperors and the epitome of all the celestial maidens, earned her title through the great calamity of the Xuanmen, by stepping over the corpses of the Nine-Headed Lion, and by bringing two Great Thousand Realms into the Three Realms.

How can the Azure Phoenix Clan possibly compete?

It's already good enough if you can ensure that others don't covet it.

However, the Qingluan clan at least has a Pure Yang Great Sage who can barely protect themselves. There are many clans and forces in the myriad realms that do not have Pure Yang, and those people are destined to drift with the tide and be slaughtered by others.

After sighing, the Azure Bird Fairy said, "Within a hundred years, there will not be any major changes in the overall structure of the heavens."

"The Queen Mother has invited the Ancestor to this Peach Banquet. If the Ancestor can show up, everything can still be maintained. But if the Ancestor cannot show up, then it's hard to say."

Upon hearing this, the elder hesitated, "But our ancestor is currently in seclusion, and we don't know anything about it."

The Azure Bird Fairy interrupted the elder: "If we show ourselves, there is still room for negotiation and we can retain some autonomy. Otherwise, the Azure Phoenix Clan will only be at the mercy of others."

"I don't know if that Heavenly Lord of Justice is still paying attention to this matter. I have already cut off all ties with the Xuanhe Clan. At this point, I must be decisive. There is no other choice."

The elder was speechless for a moment, then sighed, "I understand."

After seeing off the elders and clansmen, the Azure Bird Fairy felt utterly exhausted. She curled up on her cloud bed and picked up the fox beside her, burying her face in its fluffy, soft fur.

After a long while, the somewhat muffled voice of the Azure Bird Fairy finally came through: "If only I could be as carefree as you, just eating, drinking, playing, and sleeping."

"With all these responsibilities weighing on my shoulders, I can't tell anyone about anything, no matter how big the matter is. Everyone says I have a noble status and a prestigious position, but in reality, I am just a puppet controlled by the entanglements of cause and effect from all sides."

"They live in their own little world, indulging in pleasure and happiness, completely unaware of the difficulties I face in the Three Realms."

The Azure Bird Fairy wasn't unaware of the clan's situation; rather, she dared not interfere too much. If she did, it would inevitably attract attention from all sides, and she would end up harming the Azure Phoenix clan instead of protecting it.

She thought her people would understand her good intentions, but she didn't know that what she thought she had explained to them was seen in a completely different light by them.

After leaving the Yaochi Holy Land in Kunlun Continent, the expressions of those previously timid and submissive prodigies immediately changed:

"If it weren't for the Azure Phoenix Clan, how could she be where she is today? Yet she refuses to mediate within her own clan!"

“My sister has changed. She used to be the pride of the clan, but now she is an envoy of Yaochi. She is no longer one of us.”

"We can't count on her anymore; we still have to rely on ourselves."

Looking at these spirited young prodigies, the elder sighed, "Qingming had no choice in the matter. What she said makes sense. As long as the ancestor intervenes, everything will be alright."

But one clansman stubbornly asked, "Elder! What if the Ancestor cannot intervene?"

"No one can be sure of the Ancestor's current condition. If the Ancestor is in seclusion recuperating from his injuries, going there at this time would be tantamount to endangering his life!"

“My elder sister holds a noble position in Yaochi, yet she is unwilling to speak up for the clan and always relies on the ancestor for everything. What use is there in sending her to Yaochi?!”

"That's right, she's afraid of that so-called Heavenly Lord of Justice, but we're not!"

Clearly, in their eyes, if the Azure Bird Fairy could not influence Yaochi or the Queen Mother's decisions, she was a useless person.

Another member of the tribe said, "She has her difficulties, but the tribe doesn't?"

“We didn’t tell her about the situation in the clan before, whether it was good or bad, so she could focus on her cultivation in Yaochi. Now that she has a high status, she can’t provide anything of use to the clan. We can’t even borrow her name. What has she been cultivating in Yaochi?”

Seeing that these clansmen were getting increasingly out of line, the elder couldn't help but scold them, "Shut up, all of you!"

Seeing that the elder had lost his temper, the group reluctantly shut up.

The elder angrily said, "What do you know?! Even in Yaochi, Qingming can't do everything according to her wishes. In the end, she is the envoy of the Queen Mother of the West. Every word and action of hers is being watched. Moreover, as long as Qingming is still in Yaochi and still in that position, we can still borrow some of Yaochi's power. Even in the most difficult situations, there is room for maneuver."

"Is it that you don't understand such a simple principle, or that you're unwilling to understand it?"

"You are young and impetuous, but you should think more about the clan. The clan is already going through a tough time, do you want to cause more trouble?"

The prodigies looked at each other, all with resentment on their faces. They were young and full of vigor. When they were fearless, as direct descendants of the Azure Phoenix Clan and as winged celestial demons, they were high-spirited and looked down on everything. The more vast the world became, the more they felt they could roam freely, completely disregarding any taboos.

With just a few glances, these prodigies of the Azure Phoenix Clan made up their minds. However, the elder was still unaware of this and thought that he had intimidated them: "We will rest in Kunlun for a day and go to prepare some things tomorrow. We still have Kuocang Realm and Great Wilderness Realm to go to."

"In any case, Qingming is right about one thing: the overall situation of the heavens will not change much before the Peach Banquet. We should take this opportunity to visit Tushan and Canghuang Mountain."

Several prodigies nodded, seemingly in agreement, but their minds were actually elsewhere.

That night, several prodigies secretly gathered together and discussed the current situation of the Azure Phoenix Clan.

At the height of their pride and arrogance, and with a burning desire to do something for their people, the group discussed briefly and made a decision: to find He Wei and He Yin and bring them back to the Wei Yu Realm!

"The ancestor of the Xuanhe clan is now trapped in the Time Realm, while the ancestor of my Qingluan clan is still in the Weiyu Realm. In any case, we are more confident than the Xuanhe clan!"

"As long as we capture He Wei and He Yin, the brother and sister, and make them bow down, we will have made a great contribution to the clan."

"Moreover, with He Wei and He Yin around, they can force the Xuanhe clan to back down, which will improve the situation of my Qingluan clan."

"That's right. If we're not assertive, others will underestimate our Azure Phoenix Clan. But as long as we maintain our strength, others won't be able to see through our true strength!"

“You’re absolutely right! The elders say we’re young and impetuous, but at our age, wouldn’t it be a waste of our youthful passion if we weren’t so impetuous?”

"That Penglai Lingyuan is hailed as the number one in the current era of all the heavens and myriad realms, but he is someone from many years ago. Others are wary of his background, but as long as we don't confront him head-on, what can he do?"

"Exactly, do you think you can just ignore our status and attack us without any reason?"

The more they talked, the more excited they became, displaying an air of self-assurance that they were the only ones capable of saving their people from dire straits.

But as they were talking, someone said with concern, "But the elder is taking us away tomorrow."

After saying this, the group exchanged glances and made up their minds.

The next day, when the elder went out of the room to look for the group, he couldn't find them anywhere. Suspicious, the elder immediately asked the other clansmen, but they were also at a loss: "These rooms are all protected by restrictions, preventing us from being detected. We don't know where they went. Their room doors are all locked tight, and we can't open them either."

The Northwest Kunlun Continent is, after all, the territory of immortals, so all its rules are the same as those of the other continents in the Eastern Heaven. Moreover, there are many taboos among various creatures. Therefore, the temporary cave dwellings and inns in various cities are equipped with internal and external restrictions to prevent outsiders from spying on them. Even the owners of these cave dwellings and inns cannot open them easily. In fact, the higher the status and the greater the background of the cave dwelling or inn, the more strictly these rules are followed.

Seeing that the group had disappeared, the elder immediately went to find the steward. The steward rushed over, confirmed their identities, and opened their rooms, only to find that the rooms were already empty, with nothing left behind.

While the clansmen were still looking at each other in bewilderment, the elder's expression changed: "This is bad, those few are going to cause trouble!"

"You must hurry back to the Jade Pool Holy Land to find Qingming, or something bad might happen!"

Having said that, the elder disregarded everything else and immediately headed for the teleportation array. However, it took the clansmen considerable effort to re-enter the Yaochi Holy Land. By the time the Azure Bird Fairy arrived in a hurry and saw several clansmen and heard that some were missing, it was already too late. (End of Chapter)