Primordial Era: Cultivation level equals the sum of the Jie Sect's total; the Three Pure Ones a

Xuan Du spoke, his voice calm.

"Master."

"Although it will take several thousand years for the Five Emperors to return to their rightful place, these several thousand years will not be peaceful."

"The Chan Sect, the Ren Sect, and the Western Sect will definitely get involved."

"They will not allow the Jie Sect to easily gain three more saints."

Upon hearing this, Tongtian's gaze turned cold.

"Do they dare?"

Xuan Du gently shook his head.

"It's not a matter of whether we dare or not."

"It's something we have no choice but to do."

"If they do nothing, they can only watch helplessly as the Jie Sect grows stronger."

"Once the three human saints return to their positions, the Jie Sect will have nearly twenty saint-level combat forces."

"At that time, the Investiture of the Gods will begin, and even if the Dao Ancestor Hongjun personally intervenes, he will be powerless to reverse the situation."

"So they have to fight."

"We have to grab it."

"We have to fight for it."

Tongtian remained silent.

He gazed at Xuandu, at those eyes as calm as an ancient well.

a long time.

He spoke slowly.

"How do you plan to deal with this?"

Xuandu said, "This disciple plans to personally enter the human race."

"Protect the Five Emperors to their rightful place."

"The merit of protecting humanity."

"Protect the three saints' positions and have them all join the Jie Sect."

The seven words fell with a resounding clang, like metal striking stone.

Tongtian looked at him, his eyes gleaming.

"You're going in person?"

Xuan Du nodded.

"The return of the Five Emperors to their thrones and the ensuing struggle over merits were no ordinary affair."

"The Chan Sect, the Human Sect, and the Western Sect will definitely send their disciples, or even take action themselves."

"If the Jie Sect only sends its disciples, they may not be a match for them."

"If I do not go, things may change."

Tongtian remained silent.

He knew that Xuan Du was right.

The debate over the merits of the Five Emperors is extremely important.

It was important enough to influence the ending of the Investiture of the Gods.

It was important enough to determine the fate of the Jie Sect.

It was so important that Xuandu had to take action personally.

"Go."

The two words fell, and a great weight was lifted from my shoulders.

Xuan Du bowed slightly.

"Thank you, Master."

He straightened up, turned around, and took a step forward.

The void rippled silently.

The figure in green vanished from Biyou Palace in an instant.

Tongtian stood alone before the cloud bed, gazing at the disappearing figure.

His eyes were deep and unfathomable.

"The Five Emperors".

He murmured softly.

"Three Sages of Humanity".

"Xuan Du, you're going to scheme for the human race again."

"Your master is on Jin'ao Island, waiting for your return."

......

Heaven

The Lingxiao Palace.

It was magnificent and shrouded in mist.

The hall was empty and silent.

Haotian sat upright on the dragon throne, wearing a crown and imperial robes.

But the face beneath that crown had no trace of majesty.

Only numbness.

A kind of numbness that can accumulate over hundreds of millions of yuan.

He gazed at the empty hall and the few heavenly soldiers standing in it.

As far as the eye could see, everything was desolate and bleak.

Since Hongjun Daozu appointed him as the Jade Emperor, he has been the ruler of the Three Realms.

In name, they rule over all heavens and hold sway over the universe.

But actually?

Above are celestial sages who look down upon all living beings, and whose words can determine life and death.

His disciples, who were disciples of a sage, acted recklessly and no one ever took him seriously.

These were those rogue cultivators, demon kings, and even mortal cultivators.

When they encountered people from the Heavenly Court, they merely gave them perfunctory responses.

No one has ever truly revered this supreme ruler of the three realms.

No one ever really took the Heavenly Court seriously.

No one ever truly took Haotian seriously.

He sat there numbly.

Thinking back on these years.

I recall those disciples of the sages, who entered and exited the Heavenly Court as if it were their own backyard.

He recalled those Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect who neither bowed nor paid homage to him.

I think of those disciples of the Jie Sect who treated the laws of Heaven as nothing.

He thought of those Western monks who came and went with smiles on their faces, never taking him seriously.

He is the Jade Emperor.

He is the supreme ruler of the three realms.

But in their eyes, he was nothing more than a pageboy by the Dao Ancestor's side.

A puppet pushed to the forefront to save face.

Haotian slowly closed his eyes.

In those eyes, there was weariness, helplessness, and even more so, the lingering resentment that the billions of dollars would never have faded away...

"His Majesty."

A voice came from outside the hall.

Haotian opened his eyes.

Yaochi stepped into the palace, adorned in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, her face radiant and beautiful.

But her beautiful face was now filled with worry.

She walked to the side of the dragon throne and bowed slightly.

"Your Majesty, news has just arrived from the mortal realm..."

She paused, her voice slightly lower:

"The six saints of humanity have returned to their positions, and the two saints of earth have returned to their positions."

"Eight saints were born at the same time."

Haotian's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this.

But the numbness in those eyes had deepened even further.

Eight saints.

Of course he knew.

He could clearly sense those eight soaring auras deep within the Heavenly Court.

Six saints of the human path and two saints of the earth path.

Eight saints were born at the same time.

In addition to the existing Heavenly Saints, Xuandu of the Jie Sect, and the Four Ferocious Beasts...

In the primordial world, there are now nearly twenty beings at the level of saints.

And what about his Heavenly Court?

Haotian lowered his eyes and looked at his own hands.

Magical power flowed endlessly in his palm.

Peak Quasi-Saint.

He studied diligently day and night, never daring to slack off.

But a Quasi-Saint is still a Quasi-Saint.

Before a sage, they are nothing but ants.

Even if he were to rebuild a multi-million dollar club, he still wouldn't be able to take that step.

Because he was the attendant of the Dao Ancestor.

Because his path had already been set by the Dao Ancestor.

Because his life was never truly his own.

"His Majesty."

Yaochi spoke again, her voice tinged with an barely suppressed bitterness:

"With the return of the eight saints, the Jie Sect now possesses a combat strength of over a dozen saints."

"And my Heavenly Court..."

She paused, then didn't continue.

But Haotian knew what she wanted to say.

My Heavenly Court has nothing.

There is no sage to oversee things.

There is no powerful protector.

There is no supreme treasure to suppress the fortune.

He was the only Quasi-Saint, and Yaochi was the only Quasi-Saint.

Only those heavenly soldiers and generals with low cultivation, mediocre talent, and no background.

How can such a heavenly court govern the three realms?

How can such a heavenly court command the submission of all races?

How can such a Heavenly Court be worthy of the title "Lord of the Three Realms"?

Haotian remained silent.

He gazed at the empty hall and the few heavenly soldiers.

An indescribable sense of sorrow welled up in my heart.

He thought back to those days.

Back then, the Dao Ancestor Hongjun appointed him as the Jade Emperor, entrusting him with the reins of the Heavenly Court.

He thought that meant he was being given an important position.

He thought it was trust.

He thought that was his reward for serving the Taoist patriarch with hundreds of millions of dollars.

But he later found out.

That was simply because the Dao Ancestor needed someone to sit in that chair.

That chair that nominally rules the three realms but actually holds no real power.

That chair, high above, yet utterly alone.

That chair that everyone envied, but which in reality made his life a living hell.

"Jade Pool".

Haotian spoke, his voice hoarse.

Yaochi looked up at him.

Those eyes were filled with worry.

"His Majesty?"

Haotian looked at her and remained silent for a moment.

Then, he slowly began to speak:

"How many men do we have left?"

Yaochi was taken aback.

She thought for a moment, her voice growing increasingly bitter:

"Your Majesty, there are almost no capable people available."

"In the Heavenly Court, the highest cultivation levels are Your Majesty and myself, both at the peak of Quasi-Saint."

"Next are a few senior officials, but they are all Great Luo Golden Immortals."

"The rest are all Golden Immortals and Taiyi Immortals."

"Moreover, most of these people are of mediocre talent and have ordinary backgrounds."

"Without the right opportunity, even if you cultivate a multi-million dollar guild, it will be difficult to achieve great success."

"As for those cultivators who are qualified, have a solid foundation, and possess potential..."

She paused, her voice even lower:

"They either joined the Jie Sect, the Chan Sect, or the Western Sect."

"The remaining rogue cultivators, those with any skill, are unwilling to come to the Heavenly Court."

"Because they know that the Heavenly Court is nothing more than a decoration for the Heavenly Saints."

"Coming to the Heavenly Court means being bound, being shackled, and ruining one's own future."

Haotian remained silent.

he knows.

He knew all of that.

The Heavenly Court has been short of personnel for quite some time.

From the day he was appointed Jade Emperor, the Heavenly Court was short of people.

Because those who are truly capable prefer to become disciples of sages.

They also did not wish to become subjects of the Heavenly Court.

Because those under the sage's tutelage possess the necessary skills, resources, and powerful backers.

Upon arriving at the Heavenly Court, there was nothing there.

Only he, Haotian, only Yaochi.

That dragon throne is utterly useless.