Shangyuque

Chapter 356 The Judgment of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.
The blue carp frolic among the immortal herbs in the spirit pond, sometimes flicking their tails, sometimes leaping.

The Jade Palace Immortal simply stared intently at the fish in the water.

What he was pondering, however, was the future of the turtle pond in the Four Spirit Realms.

The blue carp was born in the immortal's spiritual pool. It seemed carefree and without worries, but it could not control its own destiny.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has gained control over his own destiny and a great deal of freedom and ease, but it is also extremely dangerous.

Once one's cultivation and status have gradually reached the halfway point of the Supreme Realm, there is no one left who can protect the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable from wind and rain.

The current smooth sailing is only a temporary state.

As long as the jade pendant remains, the Four Spirit Realms will never be at peace, and even the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable will find it difficult to feel at ease.

It can be removed as you please.

Hiding away to avoid battle and wait for an opportunity is an excellent strategy, so much so that even the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was helpless against the Jade Pendant.

What good would it do to distribute the Dao Fruits of the Ten Provinces' Prodigies?
So what if the water replenishment in the Four Spirit Realms went smoothly?

As long as Huanpei retains the ability to jump out and reap the rewards at any time, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's struggle will be very dangerous.

This is equivalent to the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable working hard to stockpile a lot of grain in the Four Spirit Realms and achieving certain results through his efforts.

Huanpei did nothing, but just by holding a gun, she was able to make the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable extremely cautious—not quite like walking on thin ice, but just being careful was enough.

In other words, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was unaware that the Dao Lord had already issued an endless world extermination order, clearly stating that Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was to be killed.

Otherwise, given Huanpei's prolonged seclusion, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's worries would only intensify—when a mischievous child isn't causing trouble, they're most likely up to something bad, and Huanpei is far more terrifying than a mischievous child.
"Master."

Chongliu entered the Immortal Venerable's cultivation place, disrupting the Immortal Venerable's thoughts.

Xiao Hei and Chu Ran came with Chong Liu.

The black dragon skillfully darted into the spirit pool, devoured more than a dozen spirit fish raised by the immortal venerable in one gulp, and then happily soaked in the water.

Although both are Golden Core cultivators, a Golden Core cultivator like the Black Dragon clearly doesn't have such a far-reaching expectation for the future.

Although this black dragon horse witnessed the vastness of heaven and earth and the wonders of cultivation by following the Immortal Venerable, its mind was well protected thanks to the Immortal Venerable's protection.

"You are here."

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable nodded slightly, raised his hand, and inserted his selection plan for the competition among the ten continents' geniuses for the Dao Fruit into the minds of Chongliu and Churan.

Then, he gave specific instructions.

"Go ahead, but beware of virtuous people."

Chongliu looked up, somewhat puzzled.

"Master, is the Heavenly Emperor of Benevolence making any moves?"

"No, if the living jump around happily, the virtuous will think it's an opportunity."

Given her personality, she would at least send her men out to test the waters.

Therefore, the only pressure should come from virtue.

As for the others, they are nothing more than spineless dogs; at most, they'll bare their teeth.

The other Golden Core cultivators from the Four Spirit Realms are not spineless dogs; they simply cannot catch the eye of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

Chongliu knew the matter was difficult, so he asked for a lot of support before leaving with a heavy heart.

After seeing Chongliu leave, Qin Churan asked with some concern.

"My lord, is it appropriate for me to directly seize the Dao Fruit position as the number one person in Liezhou this time?"

She genuinely doesn't think she's qualified to be too fast, too fast, or too easy.

The position of Golden Core cultivator, like a flatbread, fell directly from between the fingers of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, making Qin Churan a little dizzy.

"What's inappropriate about it?"

I led the establishment of the order of the Four Spirit Realms, and I organized the Water Replenishment Conference.

Even the opportunity for the Dao Fruition of the True People of the Ten Provinces was given out by me.

It doesn't matter who you give it to.
Here you go, perfect, keeping the good stuff in the family.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has already overcome the most difficult hurdle and achieved the position of half-step supreme being in the Four Spirit Realms. Sending his Daoist companion to the Azure Clouds is still a simple matter for him.

"No, my lord, no, Chu Ran is worried. When you were in the Great World, you were known for your fairness and willingness to give your subordinates opportunities."

The distribution of Dao Fruits across the ten states grants significant power to those below, marking a crucial step in your management of the Four Spirit Realms.

I'll expand my influence little by little, starting with one or two new Golden Core cultivators emerging from within the Ten Provinces Dao Court. But if I were to seize the opportunity to take over Lie Province, I'm afraid I would be criticized.

"It will affect your reputation, my lord."

The black dragon happily played a chasing game with the Yin-Yang Cauldron in the Spirit Pool, and the Immortal Venerable replied with a smile.

"Fame is a cage; for me now, rules and order are already a constraint."

I can't let them have too high expectations of me, otherwise, their morale will crumble even faster.

The golden body is a means, not an end. The Immortal Venerable will certainly not be trapped by that cage called 'reputation'.

"In addition, a lot happened at the meeting, and some of the methods were indeed effective."

Don't worry, nothing serious will happen.

"I can't interfere in the affairs of Sanxian Prefecture and Mufan Prefecture, but I still have some influence in Lie Prefecture."

Qin Churan thought to herself, her husband's influence in Liezhou was more than just a few clouts.

After the new era of the Daoist courts in the Four Spirit Realms and Ten Provinces was ushered in, Mu Fan, the Heavenly Emperor of Benevolence, and the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable each took charge of a Daoist court.

Moreover, the Dao Courts of these three individuals, including the Dao Court of Mufanzhou with its number of Golden Core cultivators, also have more than thirty Golden Core cultivators.

It can be said that these three are the core of the Four Spirit Realms.

In Liezhou, all of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's allies and partners are wolves in sheep's clothing.

However, it was then integrated by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable and refined in an instant.

This became an aid for the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable to go further—this is the method of the ruler of the world.

"Some of these methods are indeed effective?" Qin Churan asked, puzzled.

The Immortal Venerable nodded slightly.

"Yes, calling a deer a horse, calling a deer a horse, when I first heard this story, I just thought it was absurd."

But just like burying one's head in the sand, things in this world are always simple; complexity is merely an appearance.

They said, "You're just an unknown, lucky nobody who only got to where you are today thanks to my help."

As the Immortal Venerable explained, Qin Churan's heart was filled with unease.

The Immortal Venerable's meaning should never be taken at face value; this is, of course, a form of suppression and warning.

Qin Churan herself knew that she was indeed a typical opportunist.

There's a reason why there's never a shortage of opportunists.

"In my opinion, you are the most considerate person."

"Now that you've attained enlightenment, I can use this opportunity to 'point a deer at a horse' and see if any brainless, ignorant, or fearless hot-blooded youths will rush out and say I'm wrong."

The integration of the ten states' courts aims to promote water replenishment and defense against the sand oxen, representing a war preparation mobilization and overall efficiency transformation within the Four Spirit Realms version.

The ten prodigies of the Ten Continents compete for the Dao Fruit, with the aim of expanding the influence of the Immortal Venerable—every logic of the Salvation of Life is correct (of course, correct does not mean that it must be followed, because correct is also defined under the guidance of a preconceived stance).

However, the expansion of influence must begin with one's core base.

This consolidation and guidance of the core base can also be seen as a preliminary preparation for confronting Sha Niu and seizing control of the Four Spirit Realms.

The idea that having a position means you can rest easy forever is almost naive.

In the Four Spirit Realms, the core base of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is Liezhou.

It is the Liezhou Dao Court built upon the foundation of the Pure Water Dao Court, the Houpu Dao Court, and the support of the Great Heaven and Earth for the Golden Core cultivators.

Therefore, Chu Ran's Dao Fruit is the target that Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has laid out in the open, trying to seduce the most brainless and ambitious people.

Lure the snake out of its hole.

Lure out the dumbest ones, kill them, and the other smart ones will become wary.

In reality, this means that the Celestial Venerable is actively choosing enemies for himself, thereby ensuring that he can accurately establish his authority.

This is also a detail of cultivation; it is not even about scheming and intrigue, but the true path. Those voices that repeatedly define scheming and intrigue are the ones who have truly attained the Dao, creating those who bear the consequences.

The inherent contradictions within the power structure can never be avoided before Jade Palace Immortal Venerable achieves absolute supremacy in strength.

"I understand, my husband. Don't worry, I will withstand the pressure."

Qin Churan lowered her head and earnestly promised.

She knew exactly where her value lay—at that moment, she was a useful target in the hands of the Immortal Venerable.

Then prepare a target – isn't this the practice of a seeker of the Way?
Cultivation is a complex process, and after following Jade Palace Immortal for so many years, Chu Ran has learned a great deal.

One of them is "never assume that a particular method can work indefinitely".

Change is not just empty talk, but the only constant element that truly runs through the entire process of a practitioner's struggle.

The knowledge gained from following the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable alone is far more valuable than any so-called supernatural powers, magical artifacts, or elixirs.

"No, you don't need to withstand the pressure."

Without pressure, anyone who tries to stop you is my enemy.

So, go ahead and be as high-profile as you want.

This isn't some vast, open world; there aren't many old fogies pointing fingers at me from above.

The enemy's opinions are utter nonsense; the enemy's pressure is the driving force behind the massacre.

The first path to dominance is to eliminate all entities that hinder one's control over possibilities.

When all changes and possibilities are under the sole control of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, he will attain absolute freedom and true transcendence.

kill?
No, it wasn't murder, absolutely not murder. The definition of a human being has been completely dissolved in the process of confrontation with the supremacist.

This is not an excuse under the sway of morality. The process by which a practitioner gradually approaches the Tao from being an ordinary person and approaches transcendence is the process of breaking free from various constraints.

Whether seeking externally or internally, the Dharma of Dharma Form, the Dharma of Limitless, the Dharma of Divine Illumination, and the Dharma of Nascent Soul all aim to break free from the limitations of one's past and reach a farther, higher, and more carefree level.

It can be said that the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's repeated self-iterations in cultivation far exceeded what outsiders expected.

When the Great Heaven and Earth supported the Golden Core cultivators, believing that the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's 'Seven Treasures Wonderful Jade Lotus' was a glimpse into the path to becoming a Golden Immortal, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was already contemplating the path to supremacy after becoming a Golden Immortal.

Those who cannot plan for the whole cannot plan for a part.
"How can I make this stand out?"

Qin Churan asked, somewhat dumbfounded. She never expected that her Golden Core would require such a process.

You should know that she has been following Jade Palace Immortal for many years, and for all those years, she has been studying how to keep a low profile.

The Immortal Venerable is a pragmatic cultivator who has never liked those mindless and high-profile Daoist partners.

But now, the Immortal Venerable wants Qin Churan, who has been keeping a low profile for many years, to deliberately make a high profile in order to lure people in. This is somewhat difficult for him.

"Hahaha, Black Dragon, you should teach her a lesson."

"Idiot, you can't even be high-profile."

Just keep scolding them every now and then.

While dodging the fierce blows from the Yin-Yang Cauldron, Xiao Hei managed to answer.

That was somewhat of a direct expression of my feelings.

"Black Dragon?" Jade Palace Immortal Venerable reminded him, while also controlling the Two-Element Cauldron that was concentrating on bullying the Black Dragon.

His cultivation level is indeed gradually approaching that of a Golden Immortal, and the Two Elements Cauldron has been upgraded by him to a true mid-grade immortal artifact.

As a Golden Core cultivator proficient in alchemy, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's natal magic weapon naturally possesses formidable power.

Under the control of the God of the Cauldron, smashing a shoddy Golden Core like the Black Dragon was as easy as playing around.

"Little Qin, just think of those Celestial Realm novices as trash and brain-dead."

They were condemned as the ones who bore the consequences, the fuel for their master's immortal position.

In this way, naturally some hot-blooded youths will step forward to die.

Qin Churan was speechless.

"My lord, is this appropriate? Everyone says that those who win the hearts of the people are more likely to win."

"Don't let any ideology influence your behavior. It's never about who wins people's hearts, but about who is more efficient in their practice."

As for how to improve relative cultivation efficiency, different stages have different needs.

Right now, I need Liezhou to be my support, not a hindrance.

"Either let the conflict erupt as soon as possible, or immediately follow my rules and gradually transform Liezhou."

The contradictions at different stages, the contradictions as a whole, and the contradictions in their parts.
Giving true people the opportunity to attain enlightenment is the most generous empowerment in the endless world, fully demonstrating the decree of the immortals.

Suppressing opponents within his own faction, even going so far as to send his Daoist partner to lure them out, also demonstrates the power of a Celestial Venerable.

"Xiao Qin, you just don't understand people's hearts at all."

These Celestial Realm True Persons in the Four Spirit Realms are all survivors of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Their resolve in the path is insufficient in cultivation, but they are exceptionally resilient.

Don't worry, you can't crush them.

The master's intentions were never about killing.

Killing is the means; the goal is to implement the new order and stabilize the overall situation of the Liezhou Daoting.

As for how to achieve this goal through strong pressure, there is a good method.

After all, the price to pay for bribery is far too high.

You can be kind, generous, selfless, and fair.

However, all actions eventually face the same question—who will bear the consequences?

Cultivators are beings whose great power resides in the individual. Like other cultivators, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable seeks transcendence on the other side.

If they want to win, they cannot be the ones to bear the consequences.

"So that's how it is; I was being attached to appearances."

Qin Churan accepted the order and left, and the black dragon immediately leaped out of the water.

"Master, you yourself are unwilling to be the bad guy, so is it appropriate for me to play the bad guy and deceive your Daoist partner?"

"That's good. At least you've got a new purpose besides carrying me around to scare those bumpkins."

"Hmm. The evil dragon under the Immortal Venerable's command, not bad, hahaha."

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable truly did not want to leave the stage so easily.

His size has reached a point where even his opponents can feel awe and respect.

If he continues to act as he always has, easily stepping down from the game, in the long run, he will only end up losing everything.

The prestige of a position of honor has no absolute value or progress bar, but the prestige of a position of honor will be subject to real wear and tear—it has a limit.

Therefore, avoiding taking initiative is actually a form of protection for oneself and one's partners.

Because the prestige of the Immortal Venerable's position is so great that a slight loss is of little consequence to him.

But the storms that raged around the Immortal Venerable were enough to make the loyal Jade Generals, Jade Generals, Daoist companions, and jade pendants around him feel like they were dying of pleasure.

Like Bi Fang, there are hardly any people left around him.

When Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was still a minor cultivator, he couldn't understand why the old monks liked to hold their breath and why they preferred stability.

Isn't chaos a stepping stone for ambitious people?
Why is it that those who are most ambitious and have the strongest moral compass don't actually enjoy chaos?
Now, the Immortal Venerable clearly understands the reason completely.

In the pursuit of greater victories, more complex confrontations, and more dangerous games, strategic convergence is inevitable.

It's somewhat like natural selection, like the law of convergent evolution among species.

Those different beings were slowly worn down and killed by various reasons!

"Ha, Master, you're bullying me just like the Cauldron God. I don't want to live anymore—unless you help me upgrade the Divine Dragon Thorn to a Celestial Artifact!"

As he spoke, the black dragon began to roll around on the ground, completely losing its appearance as a Golden Core Demon God.

If you didn't know better, you'd think it was a sly snake playing around.

"Forget it, your cultivation level is far too low, no rush."

With Black Dragon's current cultivation level, even if he had a celestial artifact, he wouldn't be able to exert much of an effect.

Upgrading a celestial artifact takes a long time, and the time of a Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is far, far, far more valuable than gold.

Seeing that throwing a tantrum was useless, the black dragon jumped up from the ground and gave a reminder.

"However, Master, taking the risk of luring the snake out of its hole in order to strengthen control over the Liezhou Dao Court is a good strategy."

But you also need to be careful to prevent others from taking advantage of your situation.

Black Dragon was clearly still somewhat naive. Qin Churan was the Daoist partner of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, and her actions might become a target for some people to attack Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

But the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is no ordinary person; he is a true Golden Core cultivator with real power. Does he have any objections, opinions, or dissatisfaction?

It’s you who’s waiting!
Go and tell my dragon, and my Yin-Yang Cauldron!
"Don't worry, everything is under control."

The answer was the same; clearly, the Immortal Venerable had adapted to the change in his status.

As for the loyal Xiao Hei, he was somewhat nostalgic for the simpler level of the past. He was loyal, but he was also somewhat at a loss as to how the situation was developing.

"What if it gets out of control?"

"Nothing unexpected!"

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable answered in this way, and then began his cultivation.

In fact, what Black Dragon meant by "what if" was another purpose of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable. However, there was no need to tell Black Dragon about this game of strategy and confrontation.

How can we just give away every favor indiscriminately? What if the Black Dragon gets all full and then wants to jump ship?
This is what the Donkey King is like.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is wary even of his Daoist companions, let alone his mount.
So, what kind of secret confrontation did Jade Palace Immortal Venerable not reveal to the Black Dragon?

Two words—Jade pendants!
When undertaking a task, one should strive to ensure that the probability of success outweighs the probability of failure.

Ideally, even if it fails, it should be an expected and controllable failure.

The most pressing issue for Jade Palace Immortal Venerable right now is actually the whereabouts of the jade pendant, which is currently unknown.

Luring the snake out of its hole—if the ones lured out are heroes and valiant men of Liezhou, then those heroes and valiant men will become the new bait.

Lure for fishing rings!
Success, victory—the people of Liezhou are all loyal loyal dogs, a good thing.

Not going well, but winning means all that's left are loyal, jade-skinned dogs—a good thing.

Extremely unfavorable, but winning—Huanpei deliberately bumped into Bifang's ultimate move, what a great thing!

It may seem exaggerated, but this is truly the ordinary practice of a ruler who governs the world.

If you can't reach that level, then die—there's no other way.
-
The immortal is cultivating.

The turmoil in the Four Spirit Realms reached a new climax with his casual move.

In the Heavenly Palace of the Three Immortal Continents, the Benevolent Heavenly Emperor is cultivating with Lizhen.

A small change can lead to countless insights and breakthroughs.

While this description may seem exaggerated, for the most outstanding talents who stand at the pinnacle of countless eras and among endless cultivators, this situation is truly not an exaggeration.

If Jade Palace Immortal Venerable doesn't have a high enough level of skill, he will die. If Little Fish and Gong Shande don't have a high enough talent, they will also die. Everyone is in the same boat.

Therefore, after the Great Heavenly Emperor supported the Golden Core cultivators in joining forces with the cultivators of the Four Spirit Realms to kill Nian Wuyai, the Benevolent Heavenly Emperor ushered in a period of explosive growth in strength.

For the native Golden Core cultivators who participated in the team building activity that day, Nian Wuyai's death was truly an immense opportunity.

The Heavenly Emperor of Good Virtue had many insights, one of which was a breakthrough in the practice of dual cultivation.

Qingrui may have had similar methods in the past, and the old masters of the Great World were all the same. However, with the rapid collapse of the possibilities and changes in the Great World, such differentiated competitive strategies were systematically eliminated—at least in the cultivation above the Golden Core stage.

The situation in the Four Spirit Realms is different. The native Golden Core cultivators have opened their eyes, and the existing old system can extract more benefits from them.

It can be simply understood as: the universe has already been squeezed, but there is no room for squeezing in the newly formed order.

The Four Spirit Realms have a space for exploitation, so Lizhen was exploited by Gong Shande to the point of ecstasy.

After absorbing a great deal of Li Zhen's cultivation, the Heavenly Emperor of Good Virtue ultimately held back, kicking the dazed Li Zhen off the bed.

"Useless! Is this all you've got?" Seondeok scolded in dissatisfaction.

Exhausted and with her Dao Fruit swaying, Li Zhen struggled to her feet and said bitterly.

"Your Majesty, I."

With a snap, the old woman used her magic to deliver a powerful blow to Lizhen, slapping her words back into her stomach.

"Enough. Even Dusheng knew to jump out and stop them. What about you?"

This is your punishment for not daring to stop Wang Yuque.

Stop pretending to be pitiful. Immediately go and summon all the peak Celestial Realm cultivators from the Three Immortals Dao Court.

Lizhen shrank back timidly and eventually retreated silently.

What a beautiful woman to pledge her love to, a fairy grants her a destiny, and the woman, thirty thousand years older, ascends to the ranks of immortals.

It's all bullshit.

Don't talk about women being 30,000 years older; it has nothing to do with gender. Those who possess the Dao Fruit are not kind men or women. Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is so insightful that he could predict, even before anything happened, that Gong Shande would definitely cause trouble in the competition for the Dao Fruit among the ten continents' geniuses.

Gong Shande was so clever that, despite appearing to be a complete fool and clown, he was able to adapt quickly to changes and win step by step.

After the establishment of the Ten Provinces Dao Court, in the new situation of the Four Spirit Realms, Gong Shande's hands and feet, which had been bound before, were completely untied.

Mu Fan's victory, in relative proportion, was far less than Gong Shande's.

However, it's hard to say whether Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was secretly supporting Gong Shande.

They fight, fight to the death, torment each other—that's how the Golden Immortals are.

There are a total of thirty-seven Golden Core cultivators at the Transformation Realm in the Three Immortals Dao Court.

Due to the differences between the Four Spirit Realms and the Great Heaven and Earth versions, the Three Immortals Dao Court has a total of over a thousand Celestial Realm True Persons.

This ratio is actually quite outrageous—the efficiency is very low.

However, the situation is changing. Whether it's replenishing water, fighting against the Sand Bull, or even the more intense new version of the Golden Core battle, all require the newly established Dao Courts to concentrate more resources on this.

Of course, this matter needs time to develop.

For the fifty-odd peak Celestial Realm cultivators of the Three Immortals Dao Court, they dared not think too far ahead.

Because both the reorganization of the Dao Court and the large-scale distribution of Dao Fruits to the geniuses of the Ten Provinces were turbulent events for the cultivators of the Celestial Realm.

It was truly as if the immortal lord raised his hand, and endless blood flowed like a river, while endless opportunities fell from the sky like pies.

In the Three Immortals Dao Court, the peak Celestial Realm cultivators gradually arrived.

In response to the summons of the Heavenly Emperor of Good Virtue, everyone chatted enthusiastically.

The Four Spirit Realms are unique in that they seem mindless, but that's actually how they are; the pressure on the true people isn't that great.

"Did you see the message in the Mirror of Wind and Rain? It is said to be a decree personally issued by the Pure Water Ancestor."

Twenty individuals at the peak of the Celestial Realm who have made significant contributions to replenishing water will be selected and directly elevated to the status of Dao Ancestors.

A real person who didn't know much about the truth remarked.

"Forget it, your information is free and inaccurate."

Moreover, he is no longer the Pure Water Dao Ancestor, but the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, who is said to be the Eastern Jade Palace Wonderful Method Water Transformation Immortal Venerable.

This is more terrifying than giving someone a chance to transform themselves; the water replenishment conference has just begun.

Another knowledgeable person mysteriously recounted the real secrets.

These are ordinary news items for the Golden Core cultivators of the Four Spirit Realms, but they remain a vague and unclear concept for the True Immortals.

Seeking the truth is very difficult.

"If you ask me, we can't expect to get a chance to become a Transcendent Realm expert; this thing is poisoned bait."

The infighting within the Water Replenishment Conference was extremely fierce. Even those who were fortunate enough to achieve enlightenment through the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's decree still faced a dangerous situation.

This is a truly gifted person, able to see the truth behind complex situations.

"Oh? Why is that? Even reaching the Dao stage is dangerous. Hasn't the Water Replenishment Ceremony already become a consensus in the world?"
Otherwise, our native Dao Ancestors wouldn't have cooperated with Dao Ancestors from elsewhere.

"You don't understand. You get the opportunity to transform into the Dao from the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, but your cultivation location is still within the specific Dao Court of the Ten Provinces."

In other words, they were treated like stepchildren; the disputes at the water replenishment conference, when applied to the people of Xinhuadao, became an overwhelming pressure.

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Yes, the underlying logic of many things is very simple. Everyone has their own cultivation, and with a little guidance, they can naturally understand the key points.

The Dao Ancestor, but the living environment and future development of the Dao Ancestor raised by a stepmother are naturally hard to say.

"I see. Thank you for the reminder, fellow Daoist. This matter is so dangerous. I think I'll just pretend to try my best when the time comes, and I can't actually be selected."

A quick-thinking real person immediately began an attempt to 'shape consensus and guide others to become the price'.

“Absolutely, absolutely. We dare not easily participate in those battles between Dao Ancestors,” another True Person echoed.

To be honest, these real people from the Four Spirit Realms were rather 'cute' in their behavior.

I wonder if there are any truly ultimate idiots who would believe this nonsense and be fooled into giving up the chance to compete for the Dao Fruit.

Suddenly, the voice of the Heavenly Emperor of Good Virtue rang out.

"Everyone come in."

The immortals immediately became as obedient as quails, and dared not continue their nonsense, and all entered the Heavenly Emperor's Heavenly Palace.

Looking at these peak Celestial Realm cultivators from the Dao Court, Empress Shande pondered how many Dao Fruits she should give them.

Of course, she could not possibly obey the Jade Palace Immortal's 'decree'.

Among the ten prodigies vying for the Dao Fruit, each province's Dao Court has two slots.

One is a nomination, the other is fair competition.

However, Seondeok plans to change both spots to competition, omitting the nomination process—and then let his own cronies win.

In this way, it's easy to explain to the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable on the surface, avoids having to make concessions to those insect-like Dao Ancestors internally, and can completely control the changes below.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable wants to win, and so does Benevolent Heavenly Emperor. In their pursuit of cultivation, Benevolent Heavenly Emperor's goals are no less ambitious than Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's.

"Fellow Daoist Jade Palace, oh, that is Fellow Daoist Pure Water, has cultivated a new supernatural power."
Therefore, the two winners can quickly comprehend the Great Dao with the help of the 'Seven Treasures Jade Lotus', thus achieving Dao transformation relatively easily.

"Given this opportunity, it would be inappropriate to nominate anyone; giving it to anyone would make us seem biased."

The less something is, the more you should emphasize it.

Since Gong Shande is powerful, she is not afraid of the opinions of her subordinates.

"Therefore, both spots will be awarded through a selection competition. The competition will begin in March, so go back and prepare well."

Faced with the Empress's 'generosity', the True Immortals of the Three Immortals Dao Court left with high expectations.

Three months later, they will contend for the Dao Fruit!
-
The Heavenly Emperor of Good Virtue has a beautiful dream.

However, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable had a comprehensive plan for the Ten Provinces' struggle for the Dao Fruit.

Chongliu is the person responsible for actually pushing this matter forward.

No sooner had the Heavenly Emperor of Good Virtue settled the matter than Chongliu grasped his movements.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable gave him instructions in person, urging Chongliu to make a difference.

Therefore, it dared not delay and immediately came to the Three Immortals' Court to express its intention to witness the grand event.

It means attending the ceremony.

"You can watch, you can watch, of course you can attend the ceremony."

However, since the Dao Court was newly established, it took a great deal of effort to gather the spiritual lands of water together in one place.

With so many forces crammed together, there's not enough space.

Therefore, the Three Immortals Dao Court is unable to prepare any accommodations for you, Fellow Daoist Chongliu, and we can only ask you to make do with what you have.

Gong Shande never expected that the subordinates of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable would even try to interfere in the affairs of the Three Immortals Dao Court.

This was before the geniuses of the Ten Continents had even attained enlightenment with the help of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.
It can only be said that the Immortal Venerable's intention to take the initiative was too strong.

“I understand what Fellow Daoist Shande means, and I will certainly not disturb the cultivation of the fellow Daoists of the Three Immortals Dao Court.”

It's about enduring hardship and bearing heavy burdens. The key to getting things done is to get things done well, not to act impulsively for the moment.

If Chongliu can achieve a real victory, the Immortal Venerable and the progress of the era will reward it twice, which is the most crucial point.

Acting on impulse is both foolish and futile.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, who grasps the mysteries of change, defines the rules, and the disciples of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable can exploit these rules by virtue of the Immortal Venerable's name.

The order created the Celestial Venerable's semi-supreme status, but those who benefit from the order must acknowledge its value.

Therefore, as long as Shan De's behavior hasn't gone too far, Chong Liu and the immortal behind him can only watch silently.

Grind and grind, grind and grind, and it'll be done.

Within the order he himself has built, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has already won big; there's no need to rush.
-
March onwards
The Three Immortals State is a spiritual land for replenishing water, and it is the most mindless lake form.

However, it was quite large in scale, with a diameter of 1,200 li, roughly equivalent to a small ocean.

Countless magical waters and sands settled at the bottom of the lake, together with the spiritual water in the lake and aided by the external array, forming a wonderful blessed land for immortals.

The competition for the Dao Fruit of the Three Immortal Dao Courts was held on the lakeside of the sacred land.

Such a grand event naturally had nothing to do with Foundation Establishment or Qi Refining cultivators; even those just watching the spectacle were at least True Persons of the Celestial Realm.

Emperor Seondeok sat atop a magnificent dark green ceremonial carriage, while Lizhen, like a eunuch serving the emperor, oversaw the competition step by step.

Even with Chongliu present, the Golden Core Dao Ancestors of the other three Immortal Dao Courts dared not easily befriend Chongliu in order to secure the qualification for their subordinates to win.

The Immortal Venerable's semi-supreme status was built upon the complex and uncertain situation of the Four Spirit Realms.

When the Heavenly Emperor of Benevolence and Mu Fan joined forces to deal with the changing situation, even the Golden Core cultivators had to bow their heads and obediently disappear into the waves of the times.

Chongliu wasn't in a hurry; he simply waited silently.

He trusted his master's judgment.

That judgment was bound to happen!
The competition continued round after round, and by the fourth round, eight people remained.

Of the eight, three were disciples of the Heavenly Emperor of Good Virtue.

The competition for the top eight to the top four is still going smoothly, and there are still two disciples of the Heavenly Emperor of Good Virtue remaining.

These two individuals each defeated their opponents and successfully advanced to the fifth round.

“Fellow Daoist Shande, those who can survive to the fourth or fifth round are the essence of the cultivators in the Four Spirit Realms.”

"We can't keep killing. We have to think about the future of the Four Spirit Realms," Chongliu advised.

Those two unlucky souls who struggled and risked their lives until the eve of victory finally received the favor of the Celestial Venerable.

There's no way around it; the Immortal Venerable's great hand only favors the strong—high-quality targets have a higher return on investment expectation.

Upon hearing Chongliu speak, the Celestial Realm cultivators who were observing the ceremony finally felt a little relieved from their anxiety of "the rabbit mourns the fox's death."

It was clearly a fair selection process, yet Gong Shande sat there and watched his disciples slaughter each other in the final stage of the competition.

The other Golden Core cultivators dared not utter a word, but Chongliu dared to speak.

That is the meaning.

The Immortal Venerable doesn't need Chongliu to get deeply involved; he can win people's hearts simply by observing from the sidelines and getting something for nothing.

Yes, people's hearts are unreliable.

But victory requires fighting bit by bit across countless dimensions.

No matter what is done, it is impossible to satisfy everyone in the grand event of the Ten Provinces' Prodigies competing for the Dao Fruit. So the Immortal Venerable seeks a guaranteed victory.

That is enough.

In any case, in the Immortal Venerable's judgment, there was another crucial chance of victory—not the one where the passionate young man from Liezhou used the bait to lure the Immortal Pendant.

"Chongliu, the affairs of the Three Immortals Dao Court are probably not your business!"

The withered-looking Daoist Master Lizhen rebuked Chongliu.

Almost drained dry, yet still loyal.

Chongliu glanced at Lizhen with feigned pity and said indifferently.

"You four must not use lethal force, otherwise I will intervene."

The Three Immortals Daoist Court should prioritize unity and cultivate virtuous fellow Daoists; this is also Master's expectation.

Chongliu's words were not loud, but to the Celestial Realm cultivators watching the ceremony, they were as thunderous as thunder.

With just a little kindness, with just a sliver of hope for those below, the Jade Emperor appears so human.
Compared to Gong Shande's ruthless exploitation, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was sometimes too kind.

"Ha, it's not worthy! Let it come and talk!"
"Lizhen, continue!"

Since the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable wasn't around, Gong Shande certainly had the guts to fart loudly.

The competition continues.

Gong Shande's disciple won the first game, but the second game was more interesting.

A deer versus a wolf.

The deer is a red-spotted deer, a demon king at the peak of the Celestial Realm, and originally a member of an ordinary Daoist court in the Three Immortal States.

The wolf is a skeleton wolf, a demon king at the peak of the Celestial Realm, and a new favorite of Shande's sect—Tehuipei, specially paired with Shande.

This can be considered a small attempt by the Heavenly Emperor of Good Virtue to enrich his tastes.

With many Dao Ancestors observing the ceremony, and facing pressure from Gong Shande, the Dao Ancestor to whom the Red-spotted Deer belonged dared not utter a single objection.

The skeleton wolf drooled as it glared fiercely at its former fellow Daoist.

In its view, the warning from Chongliu was utter nonsense.

This is the Three Immortals' Court. As long as the Benevolent Heavenly Emperor is here, he can naturally devour the Red-spotted Deer whole.

Those who have reached this point are the essence of the Four Spirit Realms; they shouldn't be killed.

The skeleton wolf didn't care about any of that—what did the future of the Four Spirit Realms have to do with me?
"start."

At Lizhen's command, the skeleton wolf charged towards its opponent.

In just a few rounds, the red-spotted deer was torn apart and injured.

The skeleton wolves even started eating, fighting and eating at the same time, the scene was almost a massacre.

"Stop! There's no need for this!"

Chongliu was like an incompetent husband; his appeals only earned him sneers from Gong Shande and others.

"Survival of the fittest, and in a battle of magic, everyone will naturally rely on their own methods. Fellow Daoist Chongliu, don't be too surprised."

Lizhen stood directly beside Chongliu, seemingly to prevent him from making a move.

Of course, since the Dao Fruit was being absorbed by Gong Shande and was swaying, it couldn't stop it—the main purpose was to show its sincerity.

"Alright, alright, Chongliu, I've learned a lot," Chongliu replied helplessly.

Just after the two finished their conversation, the red-spotted deer, which had been struggling against the skeleton wolf demon king in the battle and had chunks of flesh torn off its body, suddenly stopped its losing streak.

A red sun suddenly appeared between the two antlers on its head.

A crimson death ray shot out from the red sun, and the red-spotted deer with the red sun above its head completely reversed the situation in just a few exchanges.

The Heavenly Emperor of Benevolence sat up straight, glared fiercely at the Dao Ancestor on the back of the red-spotted deer, and said coldly.

"What a beast! He actually possesses such profound cultivation."

It turns out that the red-spotted deer had already begun to cultivate the Great Dao, and its cultivation was even just one step away from the Dao Transformation stage.

He pretended until Chongliu and Lizhen agreed to the rule of 'each relying on their own methods in a battle,' and only when he was certain that someone would protect him did he unleash his full power.

The Four Spirit Realms are simply a cultivation version that lags behind the greater world; it doesn't mean there are no geniuses in this realm!

“Fellow Daoist Shande, it is I.”

The Daoist ancestor behind the red-spotted deer was already drenched in sweat and hurriedly began to explain.

Because, as the red-spotted deer's direct superior, it was also kept in the dark!

This is the judgment of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable—the competition among the geniuses of the ten states for the Dao Fruit will surely see some long-dormant geniuses emerge to seize victory as soon as the competition begins!

An ordinary peak Celestial Realm cultivator wants to transform into the Dao, to become the Dao Ancestor, because becoming the Dao Ancestor is to attain the Dao.

The competition for those at the peak of the Celestial Realm with true potential—after the Dao Transformation stage—is too intense. They must accumulate more foundation in advance to ensure their true attainment of the Dao in the future.

It can be said that both Mangxiang and Yuque Xianzun followed the latter path.

Proving the truth is not the end, not the end point, but a new beginning.

As it turns out, the Jade Palace Immortal's judgment was correct.

The Red-spotted Deer is like the Old Man of the Nine Netherworlds, deeply hidden, with great ambition, only revealing its true nature at the last moment.

Of course, in the process of watching the hidden geniuses of the Four Spirit Realms emerge to respond to the favors bestowed upon them, many talented geniuses will inevitably be squeezed out and killed due to the pressure of risks.

However, the logic remains the same—the celestial lord's great hand only favors the strong.

You need to be strong and lucky enough to qualify for even greater luck.

"Alright, alright, it's survival of the fittest, I think it's fine. When it comes to fighting, everyone has to rely on their own methods!" Chongliu said with a smile, trying to smooth things over.

Gong Shande, with an unhappy expression; the sweating Dao Ancestor; the withered wolf demon king, beaten to a pulp; Chong Liu, grinning; and many Celestial Realm cultivators secretly cheering for the Red-spotted Deer.

What a beautiful realistic painting of "The Jade Palace Immortal's Great Grace and Affection".

You ask where the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is?

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is cultivating in the Daoist temple.
-
Compared to the Three Immortals' Dao Fruit Competition, which was turned into a mere contest of magic under Gong Shande's interference and became a mess, this was a far cry from the competition itself.

The situation in Jinzhou is different.

Jinzhou does not have a Taoist ancestor with an absolute advantage.

Several key Daoist courts and several Daoist ancestors at the peak of the Heavenly Immortal Realm and the half-step Golden Immortal Realm, through compromise, truly elected a lucky one.

The remaining spot was also selected relatively fairly, according to the Immortal Venerable's design, through a multi-dimensional competition.

The winner is the founder of a small sect.

He was originally a bandit, kept a low profile for a long time, and suddenly became famous overnight—which perfectly matched the Immortal Venerable's judgment.

And within the ten states, there are six such individuals.

The native prodigies of the Four Spirit Realms, represented by the Red-spotted Deer, have initially joined the ranks of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

However, for the local Jin Dan (a type of martial arts practitioner) in Jinzhou, this result was somewhat difficult to accept.

As an external ally of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, an important participant in the Water Replenishment Conference, and the controller of Spring Spring Island, the spiritual land of Jinzhou Water Replenishment.

The celebration banquet following the conclusion of the Dao Fruit Competition was naturally held at the Murong Dao Court.

Murong Niao said to Zhi Sha with some helplessness.

"After much arguing, a minor cultivator who was previously completely unknown emerged victorious."

What kind of nonsense is this? The one they recommended was already utterly incompetent.

The result was even worse than expected.

Push out a useless person – a measure of nonviolent non-cooperation.

It may seem absurd, but it can thwart the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's intention to expand his influence, making it extremely useful.

But the one who was elected was also a minor figure in the past. The native Golden Core cultivators of the Four Spirit Realms knew that they had been tricked by Jade Palace Immortal Venerable once again.

"What kind of mess is this? The plan was proposed by Wang Yuque, and the competition was also designed by him."

As a result, several of the candidates selected by the provincial courts shared the same characteristics.

They came from humble backgrounds, possessed great potential, and were quite powerful, yet they all rallied under Wang Yuque's banner.

"Shouldn't we go and demand an explanation from Wang Yuque?" suggested Daozu Zhisha.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable sat in the Daoist temple and determined the correct outcome.

As things gradually became clear, even the slow-witted Dao Ancestor understood.

It's fair to say that this matter is extremely difficult for those involved.

A group of prodigies with great potential were thus won over by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

They were all carefully cultivated by the various state courts and their affiliated forces over a period of time.
Now, while receiving provisions from the state government, he is about to assume the duties of a lowly dog.
There's a kind of America where the US military needs its dogs to pay for their own food and make up for the military expenses.

"If you're willing to accept the consequences of your bet, what kind of explanation can you expect?"

I want to see it; perhaps we should expand the scale of the Jinzhou Daoting.

We should use our own people to cultivate more cultivators at the Transformation Realm!
In this way, Wang Yuque's influence and interference with us should be greatly reduced.

Old Mang raised his glass, listening to the logic of the others' analysis, and silently observed.

Mang Xiang certainly understood the method of mixing sand in.

But in its heart, it secretly shook its head at the plan.

"No, our cultivation is already strained enough. If more Dao Ancestors come, it will be difficult for everyone to cultivate!" Old Man Jiuyou reminded everyone.

Murong Niao sighed softly.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable proposed the initiative, gained the upper hand, and has since won.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable also gained the upper hand in the distribution of Dao Fruits to the Ten Provinces' Prodigies, causing unrest in the Dao Courts of the Ten Provinces.

Now, the Dao Ancestors are in a state of 'the snot has reached their mouths and they know it's flowing, but it's too late'.

The difference in cultivation levels is truly outrageous.

The cultivation here is not just about the level of power or cultivation, but about the understanding of the Great Dao and change.

"How about replacing the recommended master?" Zhi Sha asked.

They nominated a good-for-nothing, originally to annoy Jade Palace Immortal Venerable—the person they nominated was useless, and the person they selected was capable but wouldn't be of use to Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

Unfortunately, things didn't go according to plan at all.

It can only be said that the native Golden Core cultivators of the Four Spirit Realms are still somewhat lacking in their perception of change.

(End of this chapter)