The words of the Water Emperor just now should only be believed three-tenths.

After all, everyone wants to retain a part of their strength; the real drama is yet to come.

Moreover, it's not certain that the Earth Deity Realm has a good relationship with the Donghua Heavenly Court; perhaps they are plotting something.

Several factions have been scheming against each other for so many years. Without a bit of cunning, they would have long been reduced to scattered souls and ashes.

They're all millennia-old demons; how could they possibly be so naive?

In any case, the primary task is to find the Great Sun World Venerable.

Uncover the foundations of the Donghua Heavenly Court. Don't be fooled by the Golden Que Emperor's yelling for blood against the Donghua Heavenly Court's people earlier; when the time comes, he might even join forces with Donghua to slay the Water Emperor and his ilk.

...

The Original Pure Land.

All heavenly humans of the Pure Land had been transformed, some reincarnated, some turned into devils, some became monks, but none remained as the heavenly humans they once were.

These deliberately created deaf and blind heavenly humans were a detriment to karmic virtue if left to persist.

Beneath the stars, here lies the Medium Thousand Earth.

The largest piece, of course, is the mortal realm, also known as the Earth Immortal Realm. Those immortals who haven't ascended are the Earth Immortals, and Earth Immortals generally dwell in the mortal world.

Above the clouds, if there stood a transcendent, they could see eleven dimensions in total.

Layered like a cake, one atop another.

At the topmost layer lies the Palace of the Polestar. At this moment, Song Lin was still in the rear garden refining alchemy pills.

Halfway through, he suddenly stood up and said to Bai Ze beside him, "You keep an eye on things."

Then he arrived at the Palace of the Polestar, where the court officials had already assembled.

"Thank you all for your hard work," Song Lin said with a smile.

These past days, he had been idle; the matter of merging the small worlds had been completely delegated to others.

"Let us skip the pleasantries. With the addition of seven Small Thousand Worlds, their leadership must be decided."

"For the Sanmao Worlds, Mao Ying, Mao Gu, and Mao Zhong will each oversee one Small Thousand World. The position of Upper Mao Monarch remains vacant and will be temporarily managed by Lin Zhen."

"Tianji, Moyu Qilin, Xiezhi, and Medicine Buddha will each have a world as well."

In just a few concise sentences, Song Lin allocated the leadership roles for the seven Small Thousand Worlds.

Of course, there were twelve other worlds besides these.

The greatest Mortal Realm was untouchable; no faction had the right to claim authority over it. Only the Heavenly Emperor above and the mortal emperors on land held such privilege.

There was also a layer designated for the underworld.

Song Lin planned to expand the underworld to three layers.

The deeper one ventured, the stronger the spirits and ghosts became. By separating the strong from the weak, the rise of unruly Ghost Kings could be curtailed, thus reducing the costs of suppressing rebellions.

The Palace of the Polestar occupied one layer, Kunlun Zeng City took three layers—upper, middle, and lower—and the mountain base occupied one layer.

That accounted for eight layers.

The remaining four layers were to be reserved for Chiyou, Zhonghuang Zi, the Immortal Descendants, Half-demon Abnormal Soldiers, spirit monsters, and others.

The expansion of the Heavenly Court inevitably came with a more complex composition. Some races were inherently in conflict, and some couldn't adapt to shared environments; thus, segregation by type became a sensible solution.

Song Lin carefully organized the Heavenly Court's system.

Every Small Thousand World had a Heavenly Emperor. Each layer had its own Great Emperor. The Lord of the Stars was Ziwei Bo Yikao.

The Star Lords consisted of a mix of cultivators, primarily of Innate Divine Beings, ensuring a fair and unbiased system where everyone had representation.

There were also several Heavenly Immortals currently suppressed at the riverbed. Once the God-beating Whip was retrieved, the Heavenly Court's elite forces would erupt like a torrent.

Song Lin summoned Mao Gu and the others.

"The Immortal Pills still need decades to mature. How is Upper Mao Monarch's condition?"

"Still the same," Mao Zhong replied, "By the way, lately, quite a few people have been inquiring about our eldest brother. Has the secret been exposed?"

"The Great Sun World Venerable isn't dead yet. Sooner or later, the secret will come to light," Song Lin said calmly.

"What shall we do then?"

"We'll deal with it when the time comes. I can handle a True Immortal."

Song Lin's cultivation, equivalent to five Golden Cores, was sufficient to contend with an average True Immortal, not to mention the Bright Treasure Wheel he could summon.

Aside from the Golden Que Emperor, who posed some difficulties, the others were easily manageable.

After arranging these matters, Song Lin returned to the story world again.

First, he arrived in the Mortal Realm. As previously mentioned, the Mortal Realm was synonymous with the Earth Immortal Realm. Here, the so-called Ancestor of Earth Immortals was, in fact, the progenitor of mortal cultivators, highlighting Zhen Yuanzi's immense status.

In the Wuzhuang Temple, a long distance away, loomed an ancient ginseng fruit tree, its branches laden with bountiful fruit, exuding a mesmerizing fragrance.

Song Lin descended and knocked gently on the door.

"Who are you?" The door creaked open slightly, and a rosy-cheeked Taoist disciple peered out inquisitively.

"This humble monk is Le Tian, disciple of the Western Jin Naluo Bodhisattva. I must trouble you, young friend, to deliver a message."

"Wait here."

The door closed. Footsteps echoed, gradually fading and eventually drawing near again.

"You may enter now."

Song Lin followed the Taoist disciple inside.

The front courtyard housed a ginseng fruit tree, its fruit shaped like infants. These were the famed ginseng fruits, celebrated across the Three Realms as one of its supreme treasures, reputedly granting immortality upon consumption.

Though many had coveted this place, none had dared to visit seeking advantage.

In recent years, Zhen Yuanzi had led an exceedingly low-profile life. Within the temple, apart from the Taoist disciples Qingfeng and Mingyue, the temple was notably quiet and deserted.

Following the disciple to the main hall, Song Lin noticed a plump middle-aged Taoist seated within. Aside from his Taoist robe, he looked more like a prosperous merchant at first glance.

"Junior greets Senior Zhen Yuanzi."

Zhen Yuanzi held a status in the Three Realms second only to the Three Pure Ones, his cultivation unfathomably deep—perhaps even surpassing that of the Jade Emperor by a margin.

"Be seated. Qingfeng, serve some tea."

Zhen Yuanzi gestured casually.

Once Song Lin was seated, the two engaged in some light conversation, speaking of matters concerning the Buddhist and Taoist sects.

"Who sent you here?" Zhen Yuanzi suddenly inquired.

"Randeng Buddha."

"So that's it. We are old friends."

Zhen Yuanzi did not seem surprised, indicating he likely already knew of Song Lin's existence.

"I shall ask you one question, and afterward, I can tell you what you wish to know."

"What is your perspective on the rivalry between Buddhism and Taoism? Who is right, and who is wrong?"

"It's not a matter of right or wrong; both have their merits and flaws."

The Buddha has the virtues of the Buddha, and the Tao has the virtues of the Tao.

Of course, neither the Tathagata nor the Jade Emperor is without faults. Both possess an exceptionally strong desire for control and deeply value their respective orthodoxy. On this matter, there is an undeniable incompatibility between them.

"Then who do you think can resolve this rivalry?"

"I can," Song Lin declared.

"You?" Zhen Yuanzi abruptly stood up, his gaze sharp. "What audacity from a junior! What makes you think you can mediate the Three Realms? Do not expect to learn anything further. Qingfeng, see the guest out."

Whoosh!

A fierce gust of wind surged, the vermilion doors swung open, the ginseng fruit tree swayed violently, and thunder growled ominously in the skies.

Song Lin stood firm, meeting Zhen Yuanzi's gaze without flinching.

"Because I am the Demon of Ten Thousand Demons, the inheritor of Randeng Buddha, and the disciple of the Supreme Lord Lao Zi. I embody the union of Tao, Buddha, and demon—why should I not qualify?"

As he spoke, his visage shape-shifted between three distinct appearances: Wutian, Le Tian, and his true self.

The moment those words fell, all fell silent.

Zhen Yuanzi's expression betrayed shock. He stood in stunned silence for a long while before regaining his composure. "No wonder... no wonder Randeng was willing to entrust you with his secrets."

They resumed their seats.

Zhen Yuanzi broke into a smile. "My earlier words were meant merely as a test. I hope you don't take offense at my rudeness."

"I understand."

Song Lin had deliberately divulged his secret, recognizing Zhen Yuanzi's probing tendencies. He surmised that without revealing some substance, Zhen Yuanzi would never disclose the whereabouts of the other Shariputra relics.

Zhen Yuanzi had been reclusive for years, with very limited interaction with the outside world. Knowing he was also a trusted confidant of Randeng Buddha, Song Lin was confident Zhen Yuanzi wouldn't leak his secret.

"Tsk tsk, incredible."

Zhen Yuanzi had only intended to test Song Lin and had been utterly shocked by the result. To unite Tao, Buddha, and demon in one person—it would either be a monstrously cunning villain or an unparalleled saint of virtue.

Back then, when Randeng Buddha entrusted Zhen Yuanzi with this secret, he'd instructed him to eliminate this person without hesitation should he ever align with any single faction.

Though Song Lin's claim was bold—asserting that the fate of the Three Realms lay in his hands—one couldn't deny that he did indeed seem worthy.

"I will reveal the locations of fifteen Shariputra relics. Two are atop the pagoda temple in the mortal world, one in the treasure vault of the Luo Nan Country Imperial Palace... One in the depths of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, beneath the Tathagata's Lotus Throne, and another in the Jade Emperor's rear garden."

...

In the Real World, the whereabouts of the Great Sun World Venerable were discovered by the Golden Que Emperor.

"What? The other figure was merely a corpse? Excellent, I was tricked by mere scoundrels! Tomorrow, we mobilize the armies to march upon Donghua Heavenly Court!"

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