Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

For a time, the area in front of the Tongming Hall was filled with a magnificent spectacle.

Gods gathered in droves, and immortals rained down upon them.

Purple ribbons and golden seals, shining brighter than the sun and moon; star-studded crowns and rosy robes, gleaming like the stars and the heavens.

According to the celestial rules and rituals, the deities of each department, mountain, and prefecture, according to their rank and duties, were arranged in their respective directions, solemn and silent.

The Emperor is lofty and distant, the Three Officials and Four Sages are majestic and awe-inspiring, the Five Sacred Mountains and Eight Extremes are imposing and profound, the Ten Palaces are solemn and imposing, the Thunder, Fire, Plague, and War departments are all in good order, and the immortals and immortals from overseas are ethereal and distant…

From the Thirty-Three Heavens above to the Netherworld below, there are all the celestial officials, overseas immortals, and the four seas and eight rivers. It is truly a gathering of all gods and a pilgrimage of all the heavens.

The atmosphere in front of the Tongming Hall was extremely heavy, reaching its peak.

The gods lowered their eyes, each with their own thoughts, yet none dared to make a sound.

All the contradictions, right and wrong, and games of strategy are silently brewing and fermenting in this suffocating silence, waiting only for the gates of the Lingxiao Palace to open and the morning bell to ring.

Chen Jiao stood before the Thunder Department, his body, beneath his black robe, as upright as ever.

He seemed oblivious to those gazes, some fiery, some majestic, some profound; only deep within his eyes, a single, blazing white lightning bolt remained, as calm and still as a cold star in an ancient well.

"Thump!"

Deep and ancient, as if it had existed since the beginning of time, the celestial bell resounded loudly in the utmost silence.

The sound waves surged forth with an unstoppable majesty, layer upon layer, vast and mighty.

It swept across every corner of the thirty-three heavens, cleansing every wisp of celestial mist and divine light.

Finally, they converged before this Tongming Hall, striking deep within the spirits of every immortal and deity.

The bell tolls nine times, each sound echoing the other, with long intervals, perfectly in accordance with the numbers of heaven and earth.

Each sound added to the solemnity and gravity of this place where all the gods gathered.

"Thump!"

The final twang of the Heavenly Bell during the morning assembly resounded from the depths of the Lingxiao Palace, shaking the heavens and cleansing the universe.

The two majestic gates of the Lingxiao Palace, engraved with patterns of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and the worship of all spirits, slowly opened inward with a deep rumble.

Inside the gate, auspicious air cascaded down like a waterfall, and rosy light soared into the sky. In the distance, one could vaguely see the figure of the supreme ruler sitting on a throne surrounded by nine dragons high in the palace.

A divine official, with divine eyes on his forehead, stood guard at the temple gate, clad in golden armor and a red robe, wielding a golden whip.

He suddenly lashed the golden whip in his hand three times into the void.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

The crack of the whip was crisp and sharp, like thunder exploding in the hearts of every immortal and god.

With a solemn intention to purge the wicked and warn the disloyal, they completely dispelled the last trace of complacency and distracting thoughts.

Wang Lingguan's eyes flashed like lightning as he scanned the entire room, and his voice boomed like a bell:

"quiet!"

The two words, once uttered, were like a decree; even the faint rustling of robes in front of the Tongming Hall vanished completely.

Immediately afterwards, a celestial official dressed in a purple robe with a crane motif and holding a jade tablet walked steadily out from the open palace gate.

"The grand assembly begins! All the celestial beings and deities, according to their rank and order, come to pay their respects—"

As the announcement ended, the celestial beings and gods, who had already been arranged in an orderly manner, began to move in sequence.

Inside the Lingxiao Palace, the dome is high and far, stars are scattered, auspicious clouds cover the ground, and golden lotuses gush forth.

The Heavenly Emperor's throne sits atop the ninefold red steps, enveloped in boundless pure light.

The Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, sat upright, his face hidden behind his crown, only his gaze visible, encompassing the Three Realms.

Beneath the throne were the Four Emperors, the Five Elders of the Five Directions, the Three Great Emperors, Buddhist Venerables, the chief gods of various departments, and the Star Lords of the Heavens…

They stood densely packed together, according to their rank, duties, and location, with almost no gaps between them.

All the gods returned to their places, and the hall fell silent.

However, at the very beginning of this court assembly, as the gods' gazes naturally swept across the hall.

Countless gazes involuntarily fixed on the far left front of the main hall.

That position, which had always been vacant, was still above the Four Emperors and was a position of honor that transcended the ordinary court order.

There, a figure had quietly appeared somewhere.

The man was dressed in an ordinary gray Taoist robe, his hair was tied up with a simple wooden hairpin, his eyes were slightly closed, and his aura was calm and serene.

He seemed out of place in the solemn and majestic Lingxiao Palace, yet it also seemed as if he belonged there all along.

He had no magical power fluctuations or dazzling divine light around him, but he possessed an indescribable and profound aura.

His presence caused any deity or immortal who gazed upon him to involuntarily feel a sense of peace, their distracting thoughts vanishing.

Such an ordinary figure, appearing in this position, was like a mountain cast into a calm lake, and a silent thunderclap in the solemn court!

"That is..."

"The Three Pure Ones seats... how come there are people here?"

"Grand Master Xuandu?"

"The First Disciple of the Dao Ancestor, the Celestial Venerable of Wonderful Joy!"

Even the immortals and deities present, all of whom had achieved great cultivation, could not hide their shock at this moment.

Grand Master Xuandu, the first disciple of the Supreme Dao Ancestor, resides in the Xuandu Purple Mansion of the Great Luo Heaven year-round, living a secluded life and holding a transcendent position, rarely attending the Heavenly Court assemblies.

Today, it appeared here quietly, and even appeared in the position symbolizing the Supreme Ancestor of Tao!

What shocked many informed immortals and gods even more was that this Grand Master Xuandu, the Heavenly Venerable Miaole, was none other than the direct senior brother of the True Lord Huangtian Jingfa!

The lineage of the Daoist Ancestor is unbroken!

Is it a symbol of the Dao Ancestor's personal descent? Or does it merely represent the personal intention of Grand Master Xuandu?

Countless gazes, some shocked, some inquisitive, and some wary, swept across Grand Master Xuandu's calm and composed face.

Then, involuntarily, he turned to the front of the mine-fighting train, to that tall and upright figure.

The Great Emperor Gouchen and the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole, who sat upright in the four imperial thrones, had their eyelids slightly lowered and their expressions were calm, as if they had expected this.

The scorching divine light emanating from the Sun Emperor's body paused almost imperceptibly for a moment.

Chen Jiao, who was below the jade steps, also looked up at the gray-robed Taoist at this moment, and felt a warmth in his heart.

This aura was exactly the same as that of the person who had been hiding in the teacher's quiet room that day.

When Chen Jiao frankly told the Dao Ancestor that he wanted to absorb all the Five Elements and Ten Qi, he sensed a slight ripple in the Qi for a moment.

It really is Senior Brother Xuandu.

There was no verbal exchange between the two brothers, and they didn't even exchange glances.

Grand Master Xuandu kept his eyes slightly closed, seemingly unaware of the gazes of all the gods.

It stands silently in the highest position of the Dao Ancestor, like an ancient cliff that has existed since time immemorial.

However, this simple appearance, in the Lingxiao Palace where all the gods were watching and a storm was brewing, carried more weight than any thunderous declaration.

After a while.

The celestial official standing beside the imperial steps unfurled a jade scroll radiating countless rays of light, and recited in a clear, resonant voice that echoed throughout the palace:

"All celestial beings and deities, report your duties!"

At the beginning of the court assembly, as is customary, the heads of each department, cave, and lower realm briefly reported on the recent affairs under their jurisdiction, the unusual events in heaven and earth, and the rise and fall of demons.

This is a customary practice, and it is also to inform the gods of the current situation in the Three Realms.

Immediately, the supervising spirit officer who oversees all the gods stepped forward to report what he had seen during his recent inspections.

These are nothing more than minor offenses and punishments. Occasionally, a demon king from the lower realm violates the heavenly rules, and heavenly generals have been dispatched to capture him, and so on.

Next, the Three Great Emperors briefly described the general outline of the examination of the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Water, and the number of blessings, pardons, and relief from calamities.

The sound of reports echoed through the spacious and majestic hall.

Most gods keep their eyes on their noses and their noses on their hearts, seemingly listening, but in reality, their minds are already tense.

Everyone knows that this is just the prelude.