webnovelfull Chapter 173 The Celestial Master's Defection
Chapter 173 The Celestial Master's Defection
"Today's Peach Banquet is a great honor to have all the celestial lords present!"
In the Celestial Court, on the Thirty-Third Heaven, by the Jade Pool, Lord Xunyuan entered the arena. At the banquets set up on all sides, a powerful celestial lord rose to pay his respects.
Xun Yuan Tianjun glanced around and saw that all the major forces in the Central Continent had arrived. In addition, the major forces in the Northern Frontier, Eastern Wilderness, Southern Ridge, and Western Regions had also come.
Almost everyone knows that today is of extraordinary significance, as it relates to the future direction of the entire Immortal Realm.
"Please, immortals, take a seat!"
Xun Yuan Tianjun stepped onto the seat of honor and then stretched out his hand.
"The Celestial Court has planned for the greater good, securing a century of peace for the Celestial Realm. I propose that we all raise a toast to the Heavenly Emperor!"
An old immortal with white hair and beard spoke, and the entire audience responded immediately.
"it is good!"
"Without the Heavenly Lord's intervention, the Immortal Realm would be in dire straits!"
"If the Celestial Court had not made a pact with the strange creatures, would we still be sitting here drinking?"
Amidst the praises, Xun Yuan Tianjun smiled and raised his cup to drink with everyone.
Just as he raised his glass, he suddenly caught a glimpse of two people sitting motionless at a peach wood table in the southeast corner.
Luo Yan, the leader of the Sun Moon Sect in the Northern Frontier, and Lin Ruofeng, the sect leader of the Sword Sect!
He calmly finished his drink, but the secret message had already been transmitted. The moment the cup hit the ground, one of his trusted immortal lords nearby immediately rose and coldly said:
"Fellow Daoists Luo Yan and Ruo Feng, why didn't you two raise your cups and drink together just now? Did you perhaps think that your great contributions to the Celestial Court weren't worthy of such a drink?"
Immediately, everyone's eyes fell on Luo Yan and Lin Ruofeng.
The leader of the Luo Yan sect said calmly, "A century of peace is but a fleeting moment. What is there to celebrate about something of such an unknown origin?"
As soon as she said this, many people around her immediately spoke up and criticized her!
"Sect Leader Luo Yan, what do you mean by this? A century of peace is nothing to celebrate. Do you mean that we should only celebrate when we form an allied force like you and the Sword Sect and suffer a crushing defeat?"
"Heh heh, if it weren't for the Celestial Court's intervention, you would have been reduced to stray dogs, yet you still dare to be so arrogant!"
"Ungrateful! Moreover, what do you mean by saying that the century of peace has an unclear origin?"
Xun Yuan Tianjun had been cultivating his influence for a long time, and he had countless followers. Even the other onlookers felt that Luo Yan Sect Leader's words were a bit excessive.
The Sect Leader Luo Yan continued, "If someone were to step forward and fight against the Gray Mist, forcing it to retreat and thus enhancing the prestige of our Immortal Realm, what would be wrong with drinking thirty thousand cups of wine, let alone one? But it seems that the Immortal Court is willing to compromise and make peace with the Gray Mist... The outcome is uncertain, and the future is unclear, so we would like to ask the Heavenly Lord to clear up our doubts first!"
She got straight to the point.
Her words were laced with sarcasm because she and Lin Ruofeng, the sect leader of the Sword Sect, already knew that the century of peace had absolutely nothing to do with the Celestial Court.
Therefore, the Celestial Court naturally feels cold.
However, they all knew that dwelling on this matter was pointless. The Celestial Court had already made a fabricated story appear as solid as gold, and speaking about it would only add to the trouble and wouldn't change anything.
The most crucial step is determining whether to pursue war or peace.
"Please, Your Majesty, dispel my doubts!"
"We are also unsure of your long-term plans, but we would like to hear your thoughts!"
With Sect Leader Luo Yan taking the lead, several other factions also spoke up.
The Immortal Realm is too vast. Even with all his efforts, Xun Yuan Tianjun could not completely unify everyone's thoughts. Different voices still existed, only varying in degree.
Xun Yuan Tianjun felt a chill in his heart. He sensed the sarcasm in Luo Yan Sect Leader's words, and killing intent arose within him. However, his face remained calm, and he even smiled slightly, saying:
"To be honest, I don't know what the future holds."
"However, I think that whether it is war or peace, it should be beneficial to our immortal realm. In fact, it can be said that war and peace are not important. What is important is how to bring the greatest benefit to all living beings in the immortal realm. What do you all think?"
He skillfully avoided the question.
As the person in charge, he was already an old hand at political maneuvering and would not easily express his opinion.
His principle was to do things without saying anything, and let his subordinates handle how to say them.
"The Heavenly Lord is right!"
"Is there even a question? Of course, we must take the path of alienation; only then can we survive!"
"Fight? How can we fight? Dugu Yibai of the Sword Sect has already died in battle. Fighting will only lead to our deaths!"
The crowd was in an uproar.
Leader Luo Yan and Lin Ruofeng exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.
In fact, they had already anticipated this scenario before they arrived. The old fox Xun Yuan Tianjun had already gained power, and the Sword Sect, the Sun Moon Sect, and a few other forces could not change it.
They came simply to make their voices heard, to at least show that there are still people in this world who are persisting on another path!
Seeing the discussion among the crowd, Xun Yuan Tianjun smiled with satisfaction, raised his hand, and immediately the crowd quieted down. He said:
“I previously contacted several forbidden races from the Primordial Era, inviting them to return so we could discuss ways to bring blessings to all living beings. Today, a fellow Daoist from one of these races is about to return. I have already sent people to welcome them, and they will be joining us at the banquet soon. What do you say?”
He smiled leisurely.
The crowd responded enthusiastically.
……
now.
Zhongzhou, Liangjie Mountain.
The Celestial Court sent people to build this array for many years, and finally completed a great array that can provide coordinates for people in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, and guide them back.
Today, a middle-aged woman dressed in a white fairy robe is waiting here.
She is the junior sister of Xun Yuan Tianjun, and the Mi Feng Tianjun.
"The great formation has moved; they have returned!"
The grand formation trembled, its immortal energy was consumed frantically, and various lights burst forth. Phoenix Seeking Heavenly Monarch looked up and vaguely saw a lion-headed ship sailing towards the formation from a deep and illusory cosmic space, getting closer and closer…
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the heavens and earth seemed to respond, thunder crashed down, and space itself was torn apart. From the crack, a massive warship emerged from the rift.
The ram of the large ship was shaped like a lion's head and was made of divine gold, which was extremely impressive. Hundreds of nine-headed lions with wild temperament and prominent horns stood on the warship.
The leader was an elderly man with blond hair and golden eyes. Although he was old, his aura was still extremely imposing.
"I am here on the orders of my master to welcome the Great Sage Devouring Heaven and the Nine-Headed Heavenly Lion Clan!"
Seeking Phoenix Heavenly Lord stepped forward and bowed.
The golden-haired elder at the head of the group nodded and said, "The Immortal Emperor is very kind. Please thank him for me."
"My senior brother has already set up a Peach Banquet in the Celestial Court, intending to establish an alliance with the Great Sage. He has also prepared several exceptionally talented women for the noble sons to choose from. Would the Great Sage please come and join us?"
“Very well, the path of alienation is the only way to survive, so it should be so!” said the Great Sage Devouring Heaven.
……
"The Great Sage Devouring Heaven and the Nine-Headed Heavenly Lion Clan have arrived!"
At the Jade Pool, during the Peach Banquet, a celestial messenger reported the event.
The entire audience was immediately taken aback.
The forbidden beings of the primordial era have not appeared for thousands of years. Have they finally returned?
Moreover, it was led by a great sage!
Everyone stood up, and Xun Yuan Tianjun went out to greet them with a big smile.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Great Sage Devouring Heaven and his clansmen entered the arena. All the Nine-Headed Heavenly Lions strode in with their heads held high, occasionally glancing around the arena with an air of arrogance.
"Great Sage, please take your seat!"
Xun Yuan Tianjun stepped forward to exchange pleasantries and led everyone to their seats. He then smiled and said, "Just now, I was discussing the Dao with the immortals of the Celestial Court. We were talking about how to find a way for the common people when the gray fog was approaching. Everyone was very much looking forward to your arrival. Now, we would like to ask the Great Sage to enlighten us. What do you say?"
Xun Yuan Tianjun handled everything perfectly.
The leader of the Luoyan Sect and Lin Ruofeng, among others, all had their brows furrowed with worry. They knew that all of this was a scheme arranged by Xun Yuan Tianjun, but they couldn't find a single way to break the deadlock!
If this trend continues, the world will be in grave danger!
"Is that even a question?"
The Great Sage Devouring Heaven sneered and was about to speak.
But just then, a voice suddenly came from outside: "Nine-Headed Forbidden Mountain Devouring Light requests an audience! He says he has urgent business to report to the Great Sage Devouring Heaven!"
Upon hearing this, a hint of doubt flashed in Xun Yuan Tianjun's eyes.
The Great Sage Devouring Heaven was also puzzled. Shi Ming was just a mixed-blood descendant of their clan, responsible for guarding the mountain. What urgent matter could he possibly have?
However, he still said, "Let him in."
Soon after, Shi Ming strode over, his face filled with urgency and worry. He said, "Great Sage... I have urgent business to discuss. May I speak to you in secret?"
The Great Sage Devouring Heaven was extremely displeased. With so many people watching, how could Devouring Ming be so oblivious to the situation!
But he remained patient and casually waved his hand, instantly creating a blurry light barrier between him and Shi Ming.
Everyone around was shocked. As expected of the Great Sage's abilities, with just a wave of his hand, he created a secret domain that no one else could detect.
"The Great Sage Devouring Heaven is close to becoming a Celestial Venerable!"
"That's normal."
"Is this a rudimentary form of divine power in the Dao realm?"
Many people were whispering.
Inside the light barrier, the Great Sage Devouring Heaven said, "What is it? Speak quickly."
Shi Ming hurriedly said, "A month ago, our ancestor returned from the gray mist!"
Upon hearing this, the Great Sage Devouring Heaven was startled and exclaimed, "What?"
"These are the remains of our ancestors..."
Shi Ming took out a skeleton, and the Great Sage Devouring Heaven stood up, took it, and placed it in his hands, trembling as he exclaimed, "Grandfather!!!"
He recognized the skeleton.
When the Great Sage Devouring Heaven was still a young lion, he had already met his great-grandfather. At that time, his great-grandfather was already extremely old, but he was the strongest in the clan. His cultivation had almost reached the Dao in an unconventional way. In the eyes of the Great Sage Devouring Heaven, his great-grandfather was invincible!
Later, my great-grandfather went into the gray fog and never came back.
Now, his remains have actually reappeared?
Shocked, he hurriedly asked, "What exactly happened?!"
Shi Ming then recounted everything that had happened over the past month.
After hearing this, the Great Sage Devouring Heaven was deeply shocked.
“My great-grandfather’s cultivation was so profound that it has never been extinguished. He must have returned by taking advantage of the gray mist’s invasion of the immortal realm!”
The Great Sage Devouring Heaven was heartbroken!
"It's a pity I'm too late. Otherwise, if I had helped my great-grandfather, he might have been able to come back to life!"
He was filled with regret!
"I heard that the Great Sage has returned today. I thought that the last words left by the Primordial Ancestor were extremely important, so I had no choice but to leave the mountain and go to the Celestial Court to report this."
Shi Ming hadn't expected this ancestor to be so powerful. He hurriedly lowered his head and spoke, fearing that the Great Sage would blame him for his poor protection.
"Alienation is dangerous... Even on his deathbed, our great-grandfather did not forget the safety of our people!"
The Great Sage Devouring Heaven sighed and said, "I originally thought that what the Supreme Immortal Emperor said was indeed the only path, but now it seems..."
He pondered for a long time.
……
After a long while, the light screen was finally removed.
Shi Ming naturally stood behind the Great Sage Devouring Heaven.
"Is there anything urgent?"
Xun Yuan Tianjun asked a question.
The Great Sage Devouring Heaven shook his head: "It's alright."
"That's good. By the way, I was just about to ask the Great Sage what to do when the gray fog descends?" Xun Yuan Tianjun continued the conversation.
Everyone was filled with anticipation.
"Is that even a question?"
The Great Sage Devouring Heaven coldly replied, "Gray Mist is the mortal enemy of all living beings under heaven; there is only one way to defeat it!"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was stunned for a moment.
As if they hadn't heard a thing, Xun Yuan Tianjun was also stunned. After a moment of reaction, he said, "Great Sage said... war?"
"Our people advocate war!"
The Great Sage Who Devoured Heaven spoke with unwavering conviction!
At that moment, the entire venue erupted in a thunderous roar!
……