I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

In the main hall of the West Sea Dragon Palace, the pearls shone brightly. The old Dragon King looked expectant. His third son had many cronies, and perhaps he could get some inside information.

"Father!"

When asked by the Dragon King of the West Sea, Ao Lie cupped his hands in greeting.

"Regarding this Immortal Master Ning, I have inquired indirectly through some friends in the Heavenly Court..."

He paused, carefully considering his words.

"According to my friends, they haven't heard of the Supreme Sage taking on any new direct disciples recently..."

A bunch of useless idiots who only know how to eat, drink, and have fun!

The old Dragon King gently tapped the dragon throne with his dragon claw, saying nothing but nodding in acknowledgment, while Ao Lie continued speaking.

"As for Immortal Ning's senior brother, Daoist Qiufeng..."

Ao Lie frowned.

"Upon closer examination, even more doubts arose. His lineage and background were like looking at flowers through the fog, impossible to grasp. No one knew his exact origins, as if this person had appeared out of thin air."

"Oh?"

The old Dragon King's voice was deep and unreadable.

"But that Daoist Qiufeng's cultivation foundation is upright and righteous! He must be a direct descendant of the orthodox Xuanmen lineage! It's just that it's impossible to tell which lineage he belongs to..."

Even the most cunning dragon in Journey to the West, the Old Dragon King of the West Sea, was somewhat puzzled at this moment.

If the Immortal Master Ning in the secret chamber is a disciple of a sage, then his senior brother, Daoist Qiufeng, is the biggest question. How could a disciple of the Taiqing Sage do such a thing as freeloading?

If not, then why did the Supreme Saint of Taiqing issue a decree to punish the two underworld officials by deducting their salaries for more than ten thousand years because his soul was captured?

The identity of this young immortal master Ning is truly strange and wonderful!

Ao Lie looked at his father, who was deep in thought, stepped forward, and offered a suggestion in a low voice.

"Father, since this involves the Sage Taiqing, the matter is of great importance. The truth is hard to discern, and it concerns Xue'er's entire life. In my humble opinion, perhaps we should try to inquire further? Even if we dare not directly disturb the Sage's secluded cultivation, we could perhaps submit a memorial to His Majesty the Jade Emperor in Heaven and ask him indirectly?"

"Foolish!"

Before Ao Lie could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a shout from the old Dragon King Ao Run.

The old Dragon King suddenly raised his eyes, his weathered and insightful eyes glaring fiercely at his third son, who was the most talented but also the most upright.

"Inquire? How to inquire?"

The old Dragon King Ao Run's voice was kept extremely low, even though only he and his son were in the hall at the moment, he was afraid that others would hear it.

"Perhaps I should send a memorial directly to the Jade Emperor, asking Your Majesty whether the Sage Taiqing has recently accepted any new disciples?"

The old Dragon King's whiskers trembled slightly, clearly indicating that he was quite angry.

"When will you ever change your impetuous nature? Someone like Immortal Ning, whose origins are unknown yet who is suspected to be a direct disciple of a sage, is no different from an illegitimate child in the eyes of those powerful beings. Since the Supreme Sage has neither proclaimed it to the heavens nor bestowed any edicts or golden books, it means there must be some mystery behind this matter!"

"There must be something fishy about Immortal Master Ning's identity, or there may be other hidden reasons. How can such matters be inquired about so casually by people of your status?"

He looked at Ao Lie's still somewhat defiant face and raised his voice even higher.

"If we ask the right question, we might get a hint, but what if we ask the wrong one? Even if we guess correctly, and this private matter is exposed by us, angering the Sage, what do you think the consequences would be?"

The old Dragon King's voice carried a barely perceptible hint of fear.

"Do you still want to live in this vast world, with all the hundreds of dragon sons and grandsons of my West Sea Dragon Palace, along with the tens of thousands of aquatic creatures that depend on it? The West Sea Dragon Palace is incredibly wealthy, and it has always been coveted. A single wrong decision could lead to catastrophic disaster! Can't you weigh the weight of this matter?"

Ao Lie turned pale and broke out in a cold sweat after being scolded by his father. He finally realized the terrible consequences that his rash suggestion might have caused.

He lowered his head and dared not speak again.

Looking at his son, Ao Run felt both annoyed by his recklessness and saddened that although he was talented, he lacked the necessary composure.

His third son possesses top-tier spiritual talent and intelligence, but his way of handling affairs is too rigid and inflexible, and he is also ignorant of his own limitations.

Such a temperament would be a major taboo if he were to take charge of the West Sea Dragon Palace in the future. The eldest son is much more steady, while the third son will probably only be able to live a leisurely life as a prince.

He sighed.

"Alright, I'll have your uncles keep an eye on things... You don't need to concern yourself with this matter anymore, lest it cause further trouble!"

"Yes, Father!"

.........

Meanwhile, high above, deep within the Lingxiao Palace.

The Jade Emperor was dressed in a nine-chapter robe and wore a twelve-tassel crown, his face hidden behind pearls and jade.

He unfolded a memorial in his hand and was reading it carefully.

Below the Jade Emperor, Zhang Daoling, the newly appointed Celestial Master, holding a jade tablet and dressed in a purple celestial robe, stood respectfully with his head bowed.

"Zhang Qing..."

The Jade Emperor's voice was calm and even. He casually tossed the memorial in his hand forward, and it slid across the ground before rolling to Zhang Daoling's feet.

"Why not take a look at this memorial..."

The Jade Emperor's tone was as calm as water, revealing no emotion whatsoever, but the act of throwing out the memorial made Zhang Daoling's heart sink.

"Someone from the lower realm has reported that a strange thing has happened under the rule of the Zhengyi sect in your mortal world: a baby girl, only a few months old, has already grown into the appearance of a child several years old. Is the Celestial Master aware of this matter?"

Zhang Daoling's heart sank suddenly, as if his soul had been frozen by eternal ice!

He bent down and picked up the memorial that had been presented from who-knows-where on the ground.

Zhang Tianshi quickly scanned the area, only to find his vision going black.

He swayed a few times before barely managing to stay upright and avoid losing his composure in front of the emperor.

Zhang Tianshi took a deep breath and bowed deeply to the Jade Emperor.

"Your Majesty, I am ashamed to say that I was truly unaware of this matter..."

"Unaware?"

The Jade Emperor was not angry, but the calmer his attitude was, the more Zhang Tianshi trembled with fear.

"What a convenient excuse for being completely unaware!"

"Master Zhang, I have high hopes for you."

The Jade Emperor paused, each word seeming to strike Zhang Daoling like a hammer blow.

"The Heavenly Court will need the strong support of a loyal minister like you for many important matters in the future."

He stepped down from his throne and came to Zhang Daoling's side, his voice so low that only Zhang Daoling could hear him clearly.

"No one is perfect; everyone makes mistakes. Who hasn't been young and reckless, going astray? My sister back then also had an affair with a mortal, violating the heavenly law. I used the Ten Crows Formation, intending to persuade her to return, but in the end..."

The Jade Emperor shook his head and did not continue speaking. He turned his back to Zhang Tianshi.

"I don't want to do this either, but I'm doing it, and people are watching. Sometimes I have no choice in the matter!"

As Zhang Daoling listened to the Jade Emperor recount the secret of Yao Ji's complete annihilation, his heart trembled, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his inner robe.

The Jade Emperor was clearly implying to him that he should make a decisive decision!

"I will not delve into the past events in the mortal realm. The most important thing for you, my dear minister, is to be able to correct your mistakes in time."

Realize your mistake and turn back!

These four words struck Zhang Daoling's heart like a heavy hammer!

Zhang Tianshi understood that the Jade Emperor wanted him to end this ill-fated relationship as soon as possible!

Zhang Daoling clenched his teeth, his temples bulging, and finally he slowly lowered his head, the light in his eyes gradually dimming.

"Your Majesty understands!"

The Jade Emperor gave him a deep look, but said nothing more. He simply waved his sleeve, signaling Zhang Daoling to step down.

Like a puppet on strings, Zhang Daoling bowed again, then slowly retreated, walking backwards step by step out of the Lingxiao Palace.

As he stepped out of the main hall, he stumbled and almost fell, feeling utterly miserable.

It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm afraid your daughter can't be saved. It's not that I don't want to help, but that baby girl has such a tragic fate!

I have tried my best to delay, but who dares to disobey the Jade Emperor's decree? Who can disobey it?