Daojun, start from Penglai foundation building

The buildings of the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace are mostly decorated with silver and iron, and the black and white colors are used to show solemnity.

From those towering, cold palaces and pavilions that seem to be cast in bronze, one can glimpse fragments of the majesty of heavenly laws and the cruelty of heavenly rules.

Although they had been living in the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace for several months, Qingming and Qingzheng's activities were limited to a side hall, and they knew little about this imperial palace that spanned eight million square miles.

Normally, all one sees are silver-armored celestial soldiers patrolling everywhere and tall, cold mystical towers, as well as the sun, moon, and stars in the four directions, day after day. There are few immortals or gods coming and going, and no celestial birds or spirit beasts are seen. Even the palaces and pavilions filled with auspicious light and mist do not add any vitality to the place.

The entire Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace was like a huge, cold, and desolate prison. The invisible pressure made Qing Zheng's divine sense feel as if it were drowning in the deep sea, making it difficult for him to breathe.

This time, by accompanying Ling Yan to see Jiang Sheng, Qing Zheng finally got to see the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Mansion from a different perspective.

Looking up, towering towers made of black iron gleamed with a cold light, and were covered with various magical treasures such as Heavenly Crossbows, Demon-revealing Mirrors, and Demon-binding Ropes. The suspended corridors connecting the towers were filled with silver-armored heavenly soldiers.

Below the suspended corridor was a sea of ​​mist, and the bottom was nowhere to be seen. Qingming and Qingzheng followed Lingyan through a straight corridor to the main hall. The corridor was a hundred feet high, with celestial soldiers in silver armor holding spears and halberds on both sides. Under their feet was a bottomless sea of ​​mist and silver light. After passing through the corridor, they were greeted by three solemn palaces connected together.

The palace is as tall as a mountain, with thousands of black-patterned bronze pillars supporting it like gods. Walking under the main hall's corridors, among those tall, cold bronze pillars, one can always feel the insignificance and powerlessness of human beings and the unfathomable will and majesty of the heavens.

This is also the focus of the construction of the Palace of the Heavenly Ruler of Justice: to be magnificent and imposing, to demonstrate the grandeur of the Heavenly Court, and to show the majesty of the Heavenly Law.

Finally arriving at the main hall, the eight doors, each three thousand feet high, seemed to be cast from black iron and refined copper, adorned with moon silver patterns and celestial rules and prohibitions. Standing outside the hall, one could almost glimpse the chilling atmosphere within.

Standing outside the main hall, even Qing Zheng, a cultivator at the Mahayana level and from a holy land, couldn't help but feel uneasy. The heavenly rules and restrictions that came his way, and the seemingly omnipresent heavenly might and decrees, made Qing Zheng feel as if he had returned to his weak and frail days, in a desolate land, where every corner posed a threat that could take his life.

However, Ling Yan was completely unaware of Qing Zheng's various feelings.

Having stayed at the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace for a long time, Ling Yan only felt that the palace was too big and too few people. At most, she felt that it lacked vitality and was somewhat cold and desolate.

After all, Ling Yan was not born of the demon race, but was a perfectly orthodox human from the Xuanmen, and had a heavenly duty. Whether it was the heavenly duty and position or the true inheritance jade tablet and the Heavenly Palace seal on his waist, they all invisibly eliminated the omnipresent pressure and restrictions of the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace for Ling Yan, allowing him to be free from the suppression of heavenly rules and laws.

As the Azure Bird Messenger of the Jade Pool Holy Land, Qingming was favored by the Queen Mother of the West and naturally had unimpeded access to the Heavenly Court, without being bound by any heavenly rules or restrictions.

Ling Yan is one of their own, and Qing Ming is also a member of the Heavenly Court, but Qing Zheng is a genuine outsider and a demon. He is already restricted in the Heavenly Court, and the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace is a place that demonstrates the might and laws of Heaven. There are restrictions everywhere targeting demons and monsters. No matter how much Qing Zheng claims to be an innate saint or a holy demon, he is treated as an outsider demon in the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace.

The various celestial laws and decrees, the various restrictions and divine power, and the omnipresent spiritual patterns and restrictions engraved on the walls of all palaces, towers and palaces are unimaginable suppressions even for the celestial gods and immortals, let alone those who are not from the celestial court.

Although Qing Zheng had a pass token, the suppression he was under was not too great, but he still felt very uncomfortable. His soul and bloodline were constantly warning him to escape this oppressive place.

Ling Yan looked at the somewhat uneasy Qing Zheng, and then at the calm Qing Ming beside him, and immediately realized the problem. However, Ling Yan pretended not to know: "You two, your senior brother is waiting for you. Please."

Suppressing the surging blood rush that made him eager to get away, Qing Zheng nodded and followed Ling Yan into the main hall.

The main hall of the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace was exceptionally spacious. Apart from the massive bronze and black iron pillars on both sides, there were only some candles and lamps inside. There was no celestial music or heavenly sounds; only wisps of smoke rose from the Boshan censers beside several screens, and incense burned faintly in the crane-shaped bronze censers.

Deep within the main hall, beneath the towering cloud-soaring dragon wall, a Taoist priest in a blue crown and black robe sat behind a table on a six-tiered platform. The jade seal and golden book of the Heavenly Lord of Justice were on his left, and the command arrows and flags were on his right. On the table were also a blue brush and a scroll of heavenly book.

When Qingzheng followed Lingyan across the towering bronze pillars to the depths of the hall, the first thing he saw was the Taoist sitting on the sixth-floor platform.

Wearing a blue crown and black robe, his nature was as cold as a lotus.

The Taoist's identity is self-evident. He is the thirteenth generation true disciple of Penglai, and is hailed as the number one contemporary Taoist of the Eastern Heaven, the leader of the Three Realms and the number one contemporary master of all the heavens and myriad worlds. He is also known as the True Lord of Penglai Yuchen Lingyuan.

And this person, who now holds a heavenly position in the Three Realms, is the Heavenly Lord of Justice, the master of this imperial palace.

What puzzled Qingzheng was the dragon with the round head standing behind the Heavenly Lord of Justice.

The Heavenly Lord of Justice is a perfectly orthodox Xuanmen True Lord. His eight disciples are all of pure human blood; there's no record of any dragon among them. Moreover, judging from his appearance, his dragon horns are slightly curved, and his body is black, resembling a Black Dragon from the North Sea. Yet, his sideburns are tinged with blue, giving him the aura of an Azure Dragon from the East Sea.
Qing Zheng was puzzled and began to recall the rumors about Jiang Sheng. It was said that he disliked extravagance and wine and meat, loved tea, and also liked some rare and exotic beasts. Could it be that the true dragon that the Heavenly Lord had recently raised?

Putting everything else aside, when Qingzheng saw Ao Li, who was also a born deity and a true dragon bloodline, standing obediently behind Jiang Sheng, his last remaining bit of arrogance vanished completely.

Ultimately, weren't the Azure Phoenix clan also regarded as domesticated creatures by the Queen Mother of the West in Yaochi?

They just don't admit it and are still trying to struggle.
"Qingzhanjian Qingzheng, I have met the Heavenly Lord of Justice."

"No need for that, please have a seat."

As Jiang Sheng raised his hand, two tables rose up, and Qing Ming and Qing Zheng took their seats. A waiter came forward to serve tea and fruit. As the waiter left, Qing Zheng stood up again: "I have heard that Qing Hua is arrogant and rampant, stirring up trouble in the South China Sea and causing chaos in the region. This is truly a great crime."

"Such an act that violates the laws of Heaven and defies the majesty of Heaven has been captured by the Heavenly Emperor. This is a blessing for the South Sea and also a blessing for the Three Realms."

"Although Qinghua is indeed guilty of grave sins, he is, after all, a direct descendant of the Qingluan clan. Our clan leader is both indignant at his actions and saddened by his path. Furthermore, the clan cannot bear to see him suffer punishment in the Three Realms. Therefore, he specially dispatched me to the Three Realms to seek an audience with the Heavenly Emperor, hoping that the Heavenly Emperor will show leniency and allow me to take him back to the Weiyu Realm for severe punishment."

It must be said that Qing Zheng's performance was truly commendable. He first acknowledged Qing Hua's crime, then flattered Jiang Sheng, and finally suggested that the Qing Luan clan also acknowledge their mistake, subtly proposing that Qing Hua return to the Wei Yu Realm to accept his punishment.

This person's abilities truly qualify him to be a steward elder of Tianyu Palace.

Jiang Sheng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said, "Qinghua's trip was out of love for his people, which I can understand."

"However, his actions in the South China Sea, disregarding the myriad creatures of the Liuyu Sea and displaying his power recklessly, are indeed a violation of the laws and regulations of Heaven."

“If anyone could rely on their high level of cultivation and use their background to suppress others, would there be any way for the common people of the Three Realms to survive? Today you suppress me with the background of a holy land and the Mahayana realm, tomorrow I will suppress you with the Heavenly Court’s lineage and the Pure Yang body. Not to mention the Three Realms, all the heavens and myriad worlds would probably be in chaos long ago.”

"What does Elder Qingzheng think?"

Qingzheng nodded repeatedly in agreement: "What the Heavenly Lord says is correct."

As Jiang Sheng said, the cultivation world should remain within the cultivation world. Involving ordinary people is already undignified. To further intimidate them with the background of a sacred place and the Mahayana path is simply blinding them with greed.

If you dare to use the background of the Tianyu Palace in the Weiyu Realm to intimidate people, aren't you afraid that others will use the background of the Dongtian Dao Family to take advantage of you?
Whether it was Qing Zheng, the clan leader Qing Zhan, or the princess Qing Yan, they all understood this point, which is why they quickly came to admit their mistakes. Otherwise, the calamity that befell the Qingqiu Holy Land in the past would fall on the Qingluan clan in the future. "Heavenly Lord, our clan will never shirk responsibility for Qing Hua's crimes."

"When the clan chief came, he instructed me to make amends to all the forces and peoples in the Liuyu Sea of ​​the South China Sea; not for any other reason than to comfort the various clans and to atone for some of the sins and karma of Qinghua."

"In addition, our clan is willing to offer a large sum of money to the Heavenly Court for the Liuyu Sea Realm, to show our clan's remorse and willingness to accept punishment."

Qingzheng looked sincere and clearly stated that he pleaded guilty and accepted punishment, almost saying that he was willing to pay money to redeem Qinghua.

A Mahayana Demon Venerable! With the Qingluan clan's ancestor in seclusion, a Mahayana Demon Venerable represents a quarter of the Qingluan clan's fighting strength. If we also consider Qingyan, the Qingluan clan's eldest princess, who spends most of her time in the Chongming clan's Tongming Palace, then Qinghua almost represents a third of the Qingluan clan's current fighting strength.

If Qinghua is truly trapped in the Three Realms, the Qingluan clan will suffer another major blow.

As Qingzheng made his statement, Jiang Sheng lightly tapped the table. Wisps of smoke from the crane-shaped bronze incense burners on either side swirled around him, obscuring his expression. With each light tap, Qingzheng's heart tightened, awaiting Jiang Sheng's judgment.

Seeing Jiang Sheng fall silent, Qing Ming gave Qing Zheng a wink, and Qing Zheng immediately said, "In addition, our clan leader Wen Tianjun has already broken through to the fifth tribulation realm, and four of his disciples have successively attained enlightenment and ascended to immortality. However, we learned of the news too late and missed Tianjun's fifth tribulation ceremony. When I came here, the clan leader specially instructed me to present a congratulatory gift to Tianjun."

After saying that, Qingzheng took out a congratulatory letter.

Standing behind Jiang Sheng, Ao Li immediately ran down the platform, took the congratulatory letter from Qing Zheng, and then ran back to Jiang Sheng's side.

Jiang Sheng took the congratulatory letter from Ao Li and glanced at it, his expression indifferent, while Ao Li was dazzled by the list of rare and precious materials.

The event began with three hundred Dragon and Phoenix Blood Jade Fruits, followed by vast quantities of specialties from the Weiyu Realm, such as Luan Feather Robes, Qingjian Jade, Chongyang Fruit from the Chongming Clan, Haiming Stone from the Jingwei Clan, Suspended Gold from the Xuanhe Clan, and Danliu Fire from the Danque Clan.
Behind them followed a vast array of rare and precious materials from the demon race, such as the Cangming Blood Jade and Cangkong Flowing Crystal unique to the Kuocang Realm, the Heavenly Demon Jade Cup and the Broken Moon Silver Temple, as well as countless other rare and precious materials commonly found in the myriad realms.

It can be said that the contents of this congratulatory letter are equivalent to the entire treasury of more than a dozen immortal sects and clans.

It was indeed one-tenth of the Azure Phoenix Clan's accumulated wealth over ten thousand years. Even without bringing out their most treasured possessions, the Holy Land's foundation was still evident.

However, in Jiang Sheng's eyes, these things were just so-so, and there wasn't much of them that he cared about. He could share the Dragon and Phoenix Blood Jade Fruit with his subordinate demons, and as for the Azure Feather Robe, which was made of Azure Phoenix feathers, Senior Sister Lingyu and Junior Sister Lingqiu might like it.

Lin Fan and Ling Xuan can use the Double Ninth Fruit; the Sea Crystal Stone and Azure Jade can be used to decorate Little Penglai; the Suspended Gold can be kept to distribute among the disciples; and the Crimson Flame can be given to Senior Brother Lingwei and Uncle Yuming, as they enjoy alchemy.
In short, they are all good things, but Jiang Sheng can only use a few of them.

However, as he looked around, one thing caught Jiang Sheng's attention: a pot of Time Sand.

Time Sands, though called sand, are not sands. They are strange things eroded by the power of time, traces of years, and dust of history.

Time Sand has many uses. It can be used to refine magical treasures, create strange objects related to time, and set up magic arrays that isolate time.

In the past, during the great calamity of the Xuanmen, Jiang Sheng went to the Xuanhuang Realm. The reason why the Guanghan Yuanjun of the Xuanhuang Realm has been able to survive from the last Yuanhui to the present day is largely due to the magic array that seals the primordial energy and isolates time. And the important material of that magic array is the sand of time.

However, the sands of time are extremely rare. They can only be found in certain gaps in time and space, or in the storms of time. To obtain them on a large scale, one must either brave the tides of time to fish them out of the river of time, or search for them within the span of time.

This time, Qing Zheng's first move was a whole pot of Time Sand, a truly astonishing quantity.

Considering that the ancestor of the Azure Phoenix clan had just returned from the Time Realm, it was not surprising.

Speaking of the various miraculous effects of the Sands of Time, whether it is used to connect magical treasures, create strange objects, or set up magic arrays, its effects are extraordinary. However, what Jiang Sheng values ​​more is its ability to rewind the past and preserve history.

Every grain of sand in time can be seen as a period of time, a piece of history.

Most importantly, this period of history is vivid.

While most of history may be useless, certain historical fragments can have an unimaginable impact.

For a moment, Jiang Sheng couldn't help but recall his conversation with Feng Yue in Pingxiangjie.

"The innate gourd vine has long since disappeared into the annals of history and is now nowhere to be found. Where did you find any trace of that red auspicious gourd?"

As Jiang Sheng voiced his doubts, Fairy Fengyue, her face filled with pride and her eyes gleaming, said, "If not in the present world, then surely in the past?"

"Jiang Sheng, what do you think the past, present, and future are?"

Are they three separate lines, or a connected circle?

"The past is the past, but what is past does not mean it cannot appear in the future."

“I once stumbled upon a sea of ​​sand in time and space. Every grain of sand in that sea of ​​sand represents a separate time, a piece of isolated history.”

“It was from there that I obtained a trace of the red gourd.”

As she spoke, Fairy Fengyue took out a wisp of ethereal crimson cloud. The crimson cloud was ethereal and illusory, giving people a hazy feeling, yet it also exuded an extraordinary aura, carrying a faint joy of the seven emotions, making people involuntarily happy. Looking at it, it seemed as if one could see that majestic path of the seven emotions, and see the innate law of joy.

But then Fairy Fengyue said, "This is a trace left by the Crimson Joyful Gourd, sealed by that grain of spacetime dust, becoming the rosy clouds within it, which I obtained. There must be traces of the true existence of the Crimson Joyful Gourd in that sea of ​​spacetime sand!"

Jiang Sheng still remembered how he questioned Fairy Fengyue: "A trace doesn't prove anything. Let alone whether there are any traces in that spacetime sand sea, even if there are, how do you find that one grain of spacetime dust containing the trace of the red gourd in that boundless spacetime dust? And how do you take it out?"

The Fairy of Wind and Moon answered seriously and firmly: "Use the Sand of Time!"

"The sands of time can project things from the past into the present, and can also allow us to return to the past."

"Within the same time and space, innate spiritual roots, innate treasures, acquired spiritual roots, and acquired treasures are all unique in their respective positions; there used to be a red gourd of joy, but there is no red gourd of joy now!"

"If only we could go back to the past, obtain the Crimson Joyful Gourd, and then infuse it with the aura of the present world."

"With a unique position in the same spacetime, the aura of the present world will connect to the past. Whether it's the Crimson Lucky Gourd or us, we will all be forcibly returned to the present world!" (End of this chapter)