Haotian Golden Palace, Miluo Heavenly Palace, Palace of the Polestar.

This is the place where the Jade Emperor, the Supreme of the Three Realms, summons his ministers to discuss state affairs.

However, at this moment, the entire hall is empty, with only the Jade Emperor himself sitting alone on his throne, staring solemnly at the Heavenly Treasure Mirror before him.

This Divine Mirror is a personal gift from the Taoist Ancestor, capable of seeing through everything that occurs within the Three Realms, allowing him, the Heavenly Emperor, to be informed of worldly affairs without leaving his abode.

At this moment, the Heavenly Treasure Mirror is displaying a scene from the Joyful Heaven Gambling House.

Ultimately, the image on the mirror freezes on a tall and valiant young Daoist.

The Jade Emperor looks at the young Daoist, his gaze gradually becoming extremely complex.

There is reminiscence, there is hatred, there is reluctance, there is helplessness, there is longing...

"Your Majesty!" From outside the Palace of the Polestar, a duty Spiritual Official speaks respectfully through the hall doors: "Star Lord Taibai requests an audience on urgent matters!"

The complex look in the Jade Emperor's eyes instantly vanishes tracelessly, he waves his hand to put away the Heavenly Treasure Mirror and says expressionlessly: "Announce him!"

"Creak!"

The doors open, and Star Lord Taibai Li Changgeng, dressed in a white robe as pure as snow and carrying the air of a hermit, strides into the Treasure Hall, respectfully salutes towards the Jade Emperor seated at the head of the hall, "Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty! May Your Majesty be powerful and prosperous, and the Three Realms eternally stable!"

The Three Realms eternally stable?

A cold sneer echoes in the Jade Emperor's heart; are the Three Realms still his?

For the Supreme of the Three Realms, how can it be that even his own daughter cannot be protected?

"You may rise."

The Jade Emperor looks toward Star Lord Taibai and calmly asks, "There is no imperial court today, for what matter has my servant come?"

Li Changgeng stands up, respectfully saying: "Your humble servant has just heard that a person called One Qi Immortal from Primordial Chaos is causing trouble in the Joyful Heaven Gambling House, and the incident has even involved True Monarch Zhao Gongming. Now, Tota Li Heavenly King has already dispatched Disciple Hui An with a hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals to search everywhere for the whereabouts of the One Qi Immortal, causing panic throughout the Heavenly Court..."

At this point, he cautiously looks up to gauge the Jade Emperor's expression.

The latter remains expressionless, but deep inside, there is already a towering rage.

What a Tota Li Heavenly King!

Are you the subject of Us, or the lapdog of Western Heaven?!

Without Our imperial edict, you dare mobilize a hundred thousand troops, is there no place for Us, the Supreme of the Three Realms, in your eyes?

"We are already aware of this matter, you may withdraw."

"Your Majesty!"

Star Lord Taibai Li Changgeng falls to his knees with a "thud," and kowtows, "Your humble servant implores Your Majesty to strictly punish father and son of Li Jing, and retrieve control of the troops!"

The Jade Emperor's expression shifts slightly, as he speaks in a low voice: "Li Changgeng, are you instructing Us on what to do?"

Li Changgeng touches his forehead to the ground, speaking in a low voice: "Your servant dares not! Your servant merely wishes to know if Your Majesty is still the Heavenly Emperor that your servant is loyal to.

Why have you become so... forbearing since your return after the cycle of calamities?"

Seeing that this trusted official pondered for so long only to come up with a less demeaning word, the Jade Emperor internally sighs.

It is hard for him.

But now is not the time to turn against Western Heaven.

His incarnate identity called Zhang Bairen is to endure what ordinary people cannot!

Currently, the Xuanmen Three Sects are in decline, while the Western Buddhist Sect is at the height of power!

With several real Buddhas alone, plus numerous Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and the protectors of the eight divisions including devas and dragons... perhaps only the Jie Sect before the Investiture of the Gods can compare to them.

Most importantly, the Incense Fire Divine Dao is becoming more prosperous.

The Heaven Gold, Earth Silver, and Incense Bronze have become the common currency system of the Three Realms, and although the initiator, the Western Sect, has disappeared into history, all of its legacy has been inherited by the Buddhist Sect.

In this era where no saints appear and even the Taoist Ancestor is absent, the Western Heaven Buddhist Sect has firmly grasped the lifeline of primordial times.

If he, as the Heavenly Emperor, wants to sit securely, he can only temporarily endure them for the moment, and address it later.

"Your servant may withdraw, We have our own discretion."

The Jade Emperor speaks indifferently.

Li Changgeng was slightly shaken, his gaze flickering a few times, as if he was pondering the intention of the Supreme of the Three Realms.

Finally, he stood up, respectfully bowed, then bowed once more and withdrew from the hall.

After Li Changgeng left, the Jade Emperor called forth the Heavenly Treasure Mirror again.

At this time, the chant of the on-duty Spiritual Official resounded outside the Palace of the Polestar: "Golden Mother has arrived!"

The Jade Emperor raised his head, only to see the motherly and dignified Golden Mother floating slowly into the Palace of the Polestar, accompanied by her maids, and then calmly ordered: "You all may leave."

"Yes."

The maids bowed in respect, filed out of the door, and thoughtfully closed the doors behind them.

"How does the Empress find the time to visit Us today?" the Jade Emperor asked calmly.

The Golden Mother first glanced at the Heavenly Treasure Mirror, which was constantly changing and flickering, seemingly in search of something.

She squinted slightly and said to the Jade Emperor, "It seems the Emperor has already received the news... That Yu Yuan has made an appearance again. What are the Emperor's plans?"

"For the time being, just observe the changes," the Jade Emperor said. "Let's see what his purpose is for appearing this time..."

"To just observe the changes?" The Golden Mother's expression turned fierce, and she scolded: "Has the Emperor forgotten the incident where Long Ji was implicated by him and perished, with both body and spirit annihilated?

The Taoist Ancestor himself personally said that this Primordial One Qi Immortal is an unprecedented variable that absolutely cannot be left unchecked!

Yet, Your daughter stubbornly refused to listen and insisted on getting involved in that Great Calamity!

And what was the result?

Long Ji was implicated by him, perished under the Primordial Dust-whisk, her body and spirit annihilated!

Even You were cast into Samsara, underwent 1750 calamities before finally returning to Your origin and reassuming Your seat on the Heavenly Emperor's Throne... Now that this fellow has just returned, he's already caused a disturbance in Joyful Heaven and taken away Zhao Gongming; his goal is definitely to help these Jie Sect disciples escape from the Investiture of the Gods!

Previously, You helped him, but now he wants to be an enemy of You, the Heavenly Emperor!"

"If these Jie Sect disciples can escape from the Investiture of the Gods, that would indeed be a good thing!" the Jade Emperor replied irritably: "Even though they are governed by the Investiture of the Gods, don't they just spend their days in drunken stupors, no different from mud-sculpted deities... What's the use of such subjects?"

Back in the day, after the Divine Enthronement calamity, the Jie Sect declined.

Of its more than ten thousand Immortal Gods, either they perished into ash and annihilation, were converted to Western Buddhism, or their True Spirits were listed on the Investiture of the Gods...

Logically, the Heavenly Court, having taken over the Investiture of the Gods, should have been the biggest winner, but because the Heavenly Emperor was cast into Samsara, those enlisted Jie Sect disciples also started to "slack off," spending their days either in seclusion or drunken stupors, ignoring the Immortal Class positions that they should have been upholding.

Not even a shadow could be seen during the great court sessions.

And it was precisely for this reason that the Western Buddhist Sect had the opportunity to stuff the Heavenly Court with Westerners.

When the Heavenly Emperor returned from his trials and reassumed His seat as the Jade Emperor, He found that although the Heavenly Court had grown much stronger, it had also gradually slipped from His control.

Now within the Three Realms, the Western Buddhist Sect stands alone in dominance, quietly reaping the victory of the Divine Enthronement with the attitude of a fisherman benefiting from others' strife.

In the Xuanmen's Three Sects, the once-great Jie Sect now existed in name only; the Chan Sect was greatly weakened, having lost many disciples and countless Cave Heaven Spirit Veins from Dongsheng Divine Continent to the Westerners.

As for the Human Sect, it goes without saying, with only Xuan Du left sitting desolately on Daluo Mountain, still not taking that final step...

Looking across the Primordial lands, there is not a single force capable of contending with the Western Buddhist Sect!

Unless... those enlisted Jie Sect disciples could muster up the will to rise again, only then could there be a possibility to rival the Western Buddhist Sect.

However, these Jie Sect disciples had long since given up hope after being listed, their path to immortality cut off, lifelong slaves; how could they possibly do as He wishes and struggle against the Western Buddhist Sect?

Yet now, the Jade Emperor did see hope—if Yu Yuan truly came back this time to help those Jie Sect disciples escape from the Investiture of the Gods, maybe it was an excellent opportunity.

The Golden Mother seemed to guess his thoughts, and said coldly: "Useless! The Taoist Ancestor has already erased all traces of that Yu Yuan. Only We, the Quasi-Saints of such power, can retain memories of him. All others have long since forgotten him completely!

Even if he does harbor intentions of saving others, those Jie Sect disciples do not remember him, so how could they possibly trust him?"

The Jade Emperor fell silent for a good while, then looked up at the Golden Mother and asked, "Then what does the Empress suggest?"

"To use the power of the Buddhist Sect to avenge our daughter's death!" the Golden Mother said solemnly.

The Jade Emperor's expression darkened slightly as He rebuked, "Nonsense! The Emperor also grieves for the loss of Long Ji, but she volunteered to take the disaster for Yu Yuan, it's no one else's fault... Moreover, Yu Yuan promised that he would find a way to save her life!"

"How can he save her?"

The Golden Mother mocked, "Could he even reverse everything back to the start?"

"This..."

The Jade Emperor was at a loss for words, not knowing what to say.

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