If I become a saint, a celestial official will summon me to raise horses.

Chapter 974 Merit-Suppressing Heavenly Lord
The words of the Nine Nether Hongmeng Emperor made Zhang Bukui and Xu You's faces turn ugly. To this day, the Nine Nether Hongmeng Emperor is their biggest backer. How can they stop a power that even the Nine Nether Hongmeng Emperor fears?

"Is the Heavenly Court aware of this matter?"

Xu You asked the question in a serious tone.

As a former emperor, he knew very well how terrifying an existence that could threaten the Nine Netherworld Emperor was, and such an existence could certainly also threaten the Heavenly Court.

"Perhaps they know, perhaps they don't, but this power is aimed at the Heavenly Dao," the Nine Netherworld Primordial Emperor said quietly.

Zhang Buku frowned deeply; he felt the pressure.

He had gone to great lengths to revive his father, but he didn't want to lose him, much less become his enemy.

Zhang Chunqiu's expression was equally grim, his eyes darting around, lost in thought.

Xu You turned to look at Zhang Bukui, waiting for Zhang Bukui to make a decision.

Zhang Bukui took a deep breath and said, "Since you cannot help me, could you point out a way out?"

Emperor Jiuyou Hongmeng did not answer. After waiting for a while, Zhang Bukui finally turned and left.

"Father, let's go."

Zhang Buku said to Zhang Chunqiu, and then walked past him.

Xu You followed Zhang Bukui's footsteps, while Zhang Chunqiu, who was lagging behind, looked back and found that the Nine Netherworld Emperor was no longer visible in the thick fog.

Zhang Chunqiu immediately turned around, quickly stepped forward, and followed Zhang Bukui and the other man.

……

Heavenly Court, Lingxiao Palace.

The Heavenly Emperor, high above, looked down at Xuanqing Xingjun kneeling in the hall, his face indifferent. He asked in a mocking tone, "Do you mean to let a newly arrived god ascend to heaven in one step and become the Supreme Being of the Heavenly Dao? Are you joking, or did I mishear you?"

Xuanqing Xingjun looked up and said in a panic, "Your Majesty, although he has no achievements, his merits are real. You can create a separate first-level immortal position for him, above the Supreme Immortal, but not quite the Heavenly Dao Supreme position. If you want to support a merit immortal, you need a high enough immortal position. There are already so many merit immortals, but their influence in the Heavenly Court is negligible. If Your Majesty does not believe me, Your Majesty can go and see that being in person."

The Heavenly Emperor's gaze remained indifferent. He said in a low voice, "The Primordial Ancestor, I have indeed seen his merits, but his merits are not enough to warrant such treatment. However, his strength certainly deserves it."

Upon hearing this, Xuanqing Xingjun's face lit up with surprise and delight, and he quickly asked, "Your Majesty, do you know what his cultivation level is?"

“In the past, he had opposed the Emperor Emeritus. How could I not know him?”

The Heavenly Emperor replied, his tone devoid of any emotion.

Upon hearing this, Xuanqing Xingjun thought carefully and his expression suddenly changed drastically. He exclaimed, "Back then, someone blocked the Heavenly Army from clearing away the chaotic demons of the Three Thousand Great Worlds. The Emperor and the Supreme Lord descended to the mortal realm to capture him, but they returned empty-handed. Could that person have been the Primordial Ancestor?"

With the loss of power by the Supreme Emperor, many past secrets have surfaced and are being discussed privately by immortals and gods. Xuanqing Star Lord has also heard some of these stories. It is said that the reason why the Supreme Emperor failed back then was because of a certain supreme powerhouse in the lower realm.

If the Supreme Emperor had not failed that time, there would have been no subsequent changes. As long as the Three Thousand Great Worlds remained stable, he would have been able to deal with the invasion of the Dark Heavenly Court with ease.

The Heavenly Emperor did not answer him, but tapped the armrest of the dragon throne with one hand, as if he was thinking.

Xuanqing Xingjun became nervous, fearing that the Heavenly Emperor would therefore be wary of Wushi Zushi.

After all, when the emperor was in a position of supreme power, the Heavenly Emperor was still an unknown minor emperor.

He did not doubt that the Primordial Ancestor had sinister schemes. With the Primordial Ancestor's strength, there was no need for him to protect a region or the Three Thousand Great Worlds in the first place.

With such abilities, becoming an immortal would be too easy; there's no need to painstakingly accumulate merit. Besides, merit doesn't lie!
"Alright then, I hereby bestow upon him the title of Heavenly Lord of Merit and Virtue, who may reside in the Twenty-Nine Heavens and oversee all the divine steeds and related celestial officials of the Heavenly Court. Even the highest immortals must pay their respects to him."

The Heavenly Emperor spoke, and these words delighted Xuanqing Star Lord, who quickly bowed in gratitude.

Immediately, the Heavenly Emperor raised his hand, and the Heavenly Dao's fortune condensed in his palm, shining with golden light. Faintly, celestial figures flew in from all directions and entered this golden light, and the shadows of divine steeds galloped around.

Xuanqing Xingjun looked up and could feel the Heavenly Emperor gathering vast Heavenly Dao fortune, which made him even more excited.

The Heavenly Emperor is serious!

He feared that the Heavenly Emperor would deceive the Primordial Ancestor like the Jade Emperor in Journey to the West.

The Primordial Ancestor was far more powerful than Sun Wukong. If he were to wreak havoc in the Heavenly Palace, the destruction he would cause would be unimaginable.

Moreover, the Primordial Ancestor also said that the Heavenly Court is about to face a catastrophe from chaos.

After a while, a golden token, thirty centimeters long, appeared in the palm of the Heavenly Emperor. The token was like a sword blade, with two divine steeds intertwined on its surface.

The golden token flew swiftly toward Xuanqing Xingjun, who immediately raised his hand to catch it.

"Place this Merit Steed Token into the Heavenly Dao Immortal Scroll. It will only take a hundred years for the two to merge," the Heavenly Emperor said expressionlessly. With a wave of his hand, the one that created the Merit Steed Token sent a golden light flying into the sky above and disappearing.

Xuanqing Star Lord was secretly shocked. Was the Heavenly Emperor's luck really that powerful? He had only been on the throne for a short time, yet he could achieve such a feat so easily.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, the patriarch once said that he joined the Heavenly Court to assist the Heavenly Dao in dealing with the calamities from Chaos. Can Chaos really threaten the Heavenly Dao?"

The Heavenly Emperor's lips curled into a sneer, "Since ancient times, how many forces of Chaos have invaded the Heavenly Court, and what has been their fate?"

Upon hearing this, Xuanqing Xingjun felt that he was too arrogant, after all, he had not yet dealt with the invasion from the power of chaos since he took the throne.

No wonder the Primordial Ancestor wanted to join the Heavenly Court.

Xuanqing Xingjun watched as the former Emperor Taihao became the current Heavenly Emperor Taihao. He always felt that Taihao was still young, which is why he did his best to recruit merit-making immortals. He wanted to help the Heavenly Emperor.

He knew that there was no point in saying anything more now, so he did not question the Heavenly Emperor's words.

He stood up, bowed to the Heavenly Emperor, and then turned and left.

After he turned around, the arrogant smile on the Heavenly Emperor's face disappeared, replaced by coldness.

……

Even a hundred years after Xuanqing Xingjun left, disciples still visit Gu An from time to time to ask when Xuanqing Xingjun will return.

The second-generation disciples felt that Gu An's ascension to immortality was a major event. The higher Gu An's immortal rank, the more face they would have. Therefore, they were even more eager than Gu An, and some even wanted to become immortals themselves.

On this day, Gu An was practicing his sword in the courtyard. His swordsmanship was elegant, and Shen Zhen felt that each move contained the essence of Tao.

boom--

A deafening roar suddenly erupted, causing Mount Wuzhong to tremble. Shen Zhen turned his head to look, his brows furrowing.

Gu An did not stop and continued practicing his swordsmanship.

The tremors came and went quickly. Shen Zhen scanned the area with his divine sense but couldn't find the source.

(End of this chapter)