Journey to the West: Cultivation Begins at Jindou Mountain

Chapter 232 The Peach Banquet
It was the tenth day since Daojun returned to the Heavenly Court.

At this moment, Daojun was heading to Yaochi with Lü Dongbin, whom he had found.

"We haven't seen Taibai Jinxing for several days. I've heard that the entire Qiming Palace and Yaochi have been extremely busy lately."

Daojun stood on the clouds and nodded with a smile.

"After all, such a big incident happened last time, so the celestial officials are all a bit nervous this time."

Lü Dongbin nodded in agreement and sighed:
"That Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, is indeed very capable, but now, it seems that the True Lord You Sheng will soon overshadow Sun Wukong."

"Oh? What do you mean by that, fellow Daoist?"

"Daojun has been in seclusion in the lower realm for many years, so it's normal that he's not well-informed. I've received news that the reincarnated Yousheng Zhenjun has regained his memories and is leading his lineage in the demon-infested Beiju Luzhou for thirty years, where all the demons have been subdued and killed!"

"It is said that His Majesty the Jade Emperor was overjoyed upon hearing this, laughed several times, and said that once the True Lord Yousheng had successfully subdued the demons, he would bestow rewards upon him."

Upon hearing this, Niu Yi nodded knowingly.

It is likely that in a few decades, the name of the True Martial Emperor will spread throughout the four continents.
As the two talked, they soon arrived at the Jade Pool.

At this moment, the Jade Pool was filled with the fragrance of jade and the auspicious mist, the Jade Terrace was adorned with colorful ribbons, and the Treasure Pavilion was shrouded in mist.

The numerous celestial officials and warriors who had finished transporting the divine wine and delicacies emerged one by one, while the fairies who had been gathering celestial fruits and laying out colorful ribbons were also putting on their final preparations.

Niu Yi flipped his hand, and a long jade box appeared in his palm. Beside him, Lü Dongbin also took out a golden box from his sleeve, and together with Daojun, they walked toward the pair of fairies at the entrance of Yaochi.

Before Daoist Lü Dongbin were four immortals who were quite familiar with him and his companion, handing over birthday gifts to the fairy.

These two dignified and elegant fairies, dressed in red, were receiving birthday gifts from the various immortals who came to offer their congratulations. The other fairy continuously recorded the gifts from these immortals in the precious book in her hand.

"Four Celestial Masters, please~"

The four people in front of Daojun were none other than the four Celestial Masters Zhang, Ge, Xu, and Qiu from the Tongming Hall.

"The four of you, it's been a long time."

Hearing the voice behind them, the four old celestial masters who were about to enter the Jade Pool turned around and saw the Divine Physician Daojun and Lü Dongbin flying towards them on clouds.

Upon meeting, the group greeted each other with smiles and clasped hands in greeting.

"Daojun, Fellow Daoist Lü, it's been a long time!"

"Haha~ Gentlemen, after we present our birthday gifts, we'll have a long chat~"

"Very well, in that case, the four of us will go to the Treasure Pavilion to wait for you two."

"Please, please~"

"Please~"

As Daojun and Lü Dongbin saw the four enter the Jade Pool, they approached the two female immortals and presented them with the treasure boxes they held.

"I have met the Divine Physician Daoist and Immortal Master Lü."

Daojun said:
"In this box of mine are three sticks of Nine Phoenixes Awaiting Ceremony Incense, which are a birthday gift from this humble Taoist."

Lü Dongbin said:

"In this box of mine, there are also three Pure Yang Golden Pills, which are my birthday gift."

The fairy, with a gentle smile, gracefully accepted the treasure boxes from Daoist Lord and Lü Dongbin. At the same time, another fairy finished writing down the contents of the treasure book and said together:

"Daoist Master, Immortal Master Lü, please~"

Seeing the two fairies lead the way to the Jade Pool, Daojun and Lü Dongbin nodded with smiles and stepped inside together, heading towards the treasure pavilion within the Jade Pool.

Before long, the two of them entered the Jade Pool Pavilion.

The pavilion was vast, and beyond the vermilion railings stretched an endless expanse of the magnificent Yaochi (Jade Pool), shrouded in auspicious mist.

The Nine Phoenix Red Cloud Screen stands at the innermost part of the Treasure Pavilion, surrounded by flowing light. In front of the screen are two side by side golden and magnificent thrones.

The numerous chairs and tables placed inside this treasure pavilion were all extraordinary, including the Eight Treasures Purple Rainbow Stool, the Five-Colored Gold-Painted Table, and the Thousand-Flower Jade Basin.

On the table were dragon liver and phoenix marrow, bear paws and orangutan lips, a hundred kinds of delicacies and rare foods, all kinds of exotic dishes.

At this time, many immortals had already arrived at the treasure pavilion, and they were chatting and laughing in twos and threes.

As the two of them entered, they attracted the attention of some people.

Those who were unfamiliar with the group quickly looked away, while those who were quite familiar with the Four Celestial Masters soon gathered together, chatting and laughing.

"Daojun, how have you been lately?"

Hearing the voice behind him, Niu Yi turned around and saw two figures, one in a fiery red robe and the other in a light blue robe, approaching him and standing in front of him, bowing respectfully.

Daojun returned the greeting and smiled:
"Fire Deity, Water Deity, it's been a long time! I'm doing well, thank you both for your concern~"

On the Fire Virtue Star Lord's side, he had previously exchanged a Fire Jujube Spirit Seed and many Fire-element Incense for this person's Fire Spirit Pearl, and the two of them had crossed paths since then.

As for Shui De Xing Jun, Dao Jun had met him twice at a gathering that Tai Bai Jin Xing had taken him to, and they had talked and were quite familiar with each other.

The Water Deity Star Lord, a slightly overweight, bald old man with light blue skin and a kind face, said with a smile:

"Haha~ I saw a glint of divine light flash in Daoist Lord's eyes; his cultivation must be about to make a great breakthrough. How could it not be good~"

With a well-proportioned figure, fiery red skin, and a dignified face, the Fire God nodded and said:

"Indeed, Dao Lord, your current appearance clearly indicates that your cultivation has made another breakthrough. Congratulations, Dao Lord."

"Not at all, not at all, you two are too kind. I am far from being worthy of such praise."

After talking with the Water Virtue Star Lord and the Fire Virtue Star Lord for a while, the topic shifted to the Fire Virtue Star Lord's Fire Jujube Spirit Root, which had only just grown to three feet tall.

On Daojun's side, he recommended his own spiritual liquid in exchange for many rare and precious treasures from the Fire Virtue Star Lord, most of which were of the fire element. This made both sides quite satisfied.

On the other side, the Water Deity Star Lord, seeing the extraordinary nature of the Dao Lord's spiritual liquid, which could be called a "miracle drug" for cultivating spiritual roots and rare treasures, also took out many rare treasures of heaven and earth and exchanged them for many back.

"Hahaha~ Daojun, you have such a wonderful treasure! You must save some for me. I'll trade it for the Purple Ganoderma and Jade Grass from my mountain!"

Hearing the voices coming from the side, the people who were talking quickly turned around and saw a figure dressed in a green robe with a wooden hairpin in his hair walking slowly towards them.

The group bowed respectfully and said:

"Greetings, Emperor Donghua." "Everyone, no need for formalities." Emperor Donghua nodded with a smile, then his gaze fell on Daojun. "Daojun, I wonder if you could exchange some of your spiritual liquid with me?"

“If you have a request, I have no reason not to accept it.”

Emperor Donghua smiled, exchanging the Purple Ganoderma Lucidum for most of the remaining spiritual liquid in the Daoist's hand. He then nodded with satisfaction and said:

"If you have some free time, Daoist Lord, you might as well visit Fangzhang Immortal Mountain again. In recent years, my immortal tree has been growing well, but I would still like to invite you to take a look."

Upon hearing this, Daojun readily agreed, cupping his hands in acknowledgment. Donghua Dijun then exchanged a few words with Daojun before turning and leaving.

Only after the Emperor left did the lively atmosphere return to normal.

Before long, Daojun heard a familiar young voice again.

"Master Dao."

Daojun looked in the direction from which the sound came and saw Nezha, the Third Prince, walking over and bowing to Daojun in greeting.

"Third Prince".

"Daoist Lord, it's been a long time. I've been quite busy lately. If you have some free time, why don't you spar with me again?"

Looking at Nezha's handsome face and the fiery fighting spirit and will in his eyes, Daojun knew that this person wanted to fight his original form again.

"If you have the time, then it is perfectly acceptable."

Having received a satisfactory reply, Nezha was about to chat with his old friend when he suddenly felt a pair of small hands hugging his left leg.

Daojun and Nezha looked down together and saw a little girl with fair skin, wearing a pink dress, looking up at Nezha with her big, bright eyes.

"Third brother~"

Hearing that crisp, clear voice, a rare tenderness appeared in Nezha's eyes. He picked up the little girl and said:
"Why aren't you with your father? This is the Queen Mother's Peach Banquet, don't wander off."

Seemingly sensing the Daoist's gaze, Nezha turned to look at him and said:
“This is my younger sister, Li Zhenying. A few days ago, my mother took her on a trip, and the Queen Mother of the West saw her. The Queen Mother took a great liking to my younger sister.”

"Therefore, although my younger sister was not among those invited to this Peach Banquet, she can still enter, since there is an imperial decree from the Empress."

Daojun nodded in realization. This Peach Banquet was held to celebrate the Queen Mother's birthday. If a little girl, whom the hostess of the banquet, liked appeared at the banquet, no one would gossip.

While Daojun was chatting with Nezha, Li Zhenying was also watching Daojun with great curiosity.

Although this little girl is only six or seven years old, she is very well-behaved, never cries or makes a fuss, and seems quite intelligent, with clear and logical thoughts at such a young age.

After all, he was the child of Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, and his wife. How could the child of two immortals be like a child in the mortal world?

"Little Zhenying, your third brother and I have been friends for many years. Since this is our first meeting, I'm giving you this jade pendant for longevity."

As Daojun spoke, he took out a round, dark green jade from his sleeve and presented it to Li Zhenying.

The round jade was radiating a vibrant green, and it was carved with all sorts of exotic flowers and plants, making it look extremely beautiful.

Li Zhenying seemed to really like the jade pendant. At Nezha's prompting, she took it in her hand, a sweet smile on her face, and happily said, "Thank you, Daojun."

Nezha, holding Li Zhenying, chatted with Daojun for a while longer, discussing his experiences of subduing demons in the mortal realm, before heading towards the direction of Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.

After a while, the Thunder God General, the West Sea Dragon King, the Barefoot Immortal, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and other familiar figures of the Daoist Lord entered the Treasure Pavilion and exchanged pleasantries with him.

The Peach Banquet invited everyone from the Three Pure Ones and the Four Emperors to all the great and small deities of Heaven. Such a grand event could only be witnessed at the Peach Banquet.

Fortunately, the Treasure Pavilion is extremely spacious, so even with so many immortals here, it is still very roomy.

However, although they are said to be the most important and lesser deities in the Heavenly Court, the lowest rank required to enter is the Thirty-Six Divine Generals of the Thunder Department.

Of course, not to mention the Three Pure Ones and the Four Emperors, even the Five Elders and other beings from all directions don't come every time. For beings like them who have lived for countless eons, the Peach Banquet, which happens once every 365 years, might be missed if they go into seclusion even once.

In any case, whether these people come or not, the Peach Banquet will proceed as scheduled.

After a while, as many deities gathered here, Venus also arrived, weary from his journey. After a brief chat, Venus said:
"Gentlemen, judging by the time, His Majesty and the Empress should be arriving soon."

Everyone nodded and then dispersed to their seats.

Daojun's position in this treasure pavilion is quite high. He is close to the Four Heavenly Masters, Venus, and others. The other Nine Luminaries and Twenty-Eight Constellations are all below him. Even Lü Dongbin's position is much lower than his.

Above the Dao Lord are the many Great Luo beings or many highly respected seniors.

Daojun didn't seem to mind being looked down upon, after all, he had only been cultivating for a short time. Furthermore, the occasional glances from below made him realize that his presence there had already surprised many people.
These seats should have been arranged by the celestial officials of the Heavenly Court, but I never expected that he would be placed in such a prominent position.

As a burst of celestial music echoed across the Jade Pool, Niu Yi's expression turned solemn, knowing that the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother had arrived.

Before long, as celestial music filled the air, the majestic Jade Emperor and the elegant Queen Mother of the West appeared together, passing over the assembled immortals, and slowly sat down before the throne at the head of the treasure pavilion.

As the two took their seats, all the immortals below the pavilion bowed in unison and paid their respects:
"Greetings to His Majesty the Jade Emperor, greetings to the Queen Mother of the West."

The scene of all the immortals celebrating caused the Queen Mother of the West and the Jade Emperor to nod slightly. The Jade Emperor raised his hand and said:

"Rise, all immortals."

"Thank you, Jade Emperor."

At this moment, the Queen Mother of the West also looked down at the many immortals below, and said with a smile:

"Please take your seats, esteemed immortals."

"Thank you, empress."

Daojun took his seat with the other immortals. As the Queen Mother of the West announced the start of the Peach Banquet, celestial music once again filled the pavilion. One after another, fairies, waving their colorful sleeves, came to the center of the pavilion and danced gracefully to the music.

At the same time, a group of fairies in colorful clothes were walking in front of the many immortals, carrying fruit baskets. Every time they passed a table, a peach would fly out of the basket.

What fell before Niu Yi was a medium-sized peach with a layer of sweet blossoms and fruit, ripening once every six thousand years, while what lay before the dozen or so Great Immortals was a large peach with purple veins and a yellow pit, ripening once every nine thousand years.

As for the many deities on the periphery, such as the thirty-six generals of the Thunder Department, they are small peach trees with tiny flowers and fruits, ripening only once every three thousand years.

As numerous peaches flew into the plate, many fairies danced to celestial music, their graceful and ethereal movements elevating the atmosphere of the Peach Banquet to its zenith.

Daojun looked at the enormous peach in front of him.

These peaches of immortality belong exclusively to the Queen Mother of the West, and their fame has spread throughout the Three Realms. Even in the human world, the legend of the peaches of immortality has been passed down through generations.

(End of this chapter)