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

The decree has been issued, but its influence lingers.

With the merits and demerits of the True Lord of Pacifying Law determined, the atmosphere in the hall eased slightly.

Venus then announced the rewards and honors bestowed upon the other meritorious officials in the Weak Water case and its aftermath.

All were rewarded according to the old rules and regulations of Heaven.

Lei Bu Fei Peng, Hu Lei She Qi Da Jiang, Tun Mo Dan Yao Meng Li, and other generals and officers who contributed their efforts.

All were promoted in rank according to their merits and were generously rewarded with rare and precious medicines to recognize their diligence in serving the king and their contributions to assisting the true ruler.

She is also known as Ao Ying, the daughter of Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea and the water goddess of the Liuyun Sea.

The Dragon Girl had long been aware of the abnormalities in the sea's ley lines and the subtle changes in the water element.

He had reported the matter to the Water Patrol and Investigation Division of the Ministry of Water Resources several times, but since the division chief, Ji Shuibao, was the mastermind, the report was never heard from again.

After the flood of the Weak Water, the Dragon Maiden tirelessly guided the aquatic creatures of her domain and rescued countless lives, performing many meritorious deeds. Therefore, she was specially promoted in rank and bestowed with the plaque "Wise Heart Saves the Waters".

The Heavenly Court also did not overlook those lower-level cultivators and spirits who, though not listed in the celestial register, either bravely assisted in times of calamity or steadfastly upheld the path of goodness.

The decree stated that day and night wandering gods and celestial officials from the Heavenly Pivot Academy would be dispatched to various places to bestow elixirs and magic formulas upon them according to the magnitude of their merits, as a form of recognition.

This demonstrates the impartiality of Heaven's way, rewarding the virtuous without overlooking even the smallest act.

With this, the decree is considered complete.

Rewards and punishments are clearly distinguished, and kindness and severity are applied together. From the highest emperors and star lords to the lowest rogue cultivators and earth deities, all those who have made merits or demerits in this great calamity of the Weak Water will be rewarded accordingly.

Heaven's justice is impartial, and the net of law is all-encompassing.

The Jade Emperor, the supreme Heavenly Venerable, who holds supreme power over the Three Realms and governs all living beings, is fully demonstrated in this decree.

All the gods praised the Great Heavenly Venerable's benevolence and virtue.

All the bestowals and rewards have been completed.

The heavenly decree in Venus's hand had already closed and disappeared without a trace.

Instead of returning to his original position, he took out another scroll from his sleeve, a book with a jade scroll and a plain white background.

It is decorated with patterns depicting the celestial sphere, the changing seasons, and the contours of mountains and rivers.

Venus's voice, in a neutral and peaceful tone, no longer targets specific individuals or events.

Rather, it is like an explanation of the rhythm of heaven and earth itself, clearly echoing within the vast palace.

With each word uttered, a corresponding golden ancient seal character appeared and rose, then was imprinted in the void.

"Heaven's will is merciful, and order is maintained."

The Great Celestial Venerable has decreed the fundamental laws governing the operation of all heavens in the Three Realms for the next thousand years.

The sun, moon, and stars; wind, rain, frost, and dew; mountains and rivers; seasons; yin and yang; life and death—all must follow this natural order. All officials and deities, please obey without fail.

The decree states: "Times shall be set and seasons adjusted, and wind and rain regulated."

Within the Three Realms, the celestial cycles operate according to the Haotian Qianyuan Calendar, with the Thunder Department in charge of the changing of the four seasons and the Water Department in charge of the distribution of clouds, rain, frost, and snow.

All celestial phenomena, such as cloud formations, rain, wind, dew, snowfall, and thunder, must be recorded in the Book of Celestial Phenomena, with the signatures of the Thunder and Water Departments.

No one may arbitrarily alter the seasons, recklessly stir up wind and rain to satisfy personal grievances, or frivolously disturb the lower realms.

Those who disobey will be stripped of their divine office and cast into the cycle of reincarnation.

The gods of thunder and water all bowed slightly.

The decree states: "The three luminaries (sun, moon, and stars) shall be in order to illuminate the darkness and the new moon."

The sun, moon, and stars shine upon the universe, nourishing all living beings and influencing life and fortune.

The sun's light and heat, the moon's clear radiance, and the stars' flickering and arrangement throughout the heavens.

When the three lights (light, luminosity, and incantation) are in operation, they must adhere to the normal order and must not suddenly brighten or dim, fail to shine on time, or allow the light to be tainted by evil or defilement.

The Three Enclosures, Four Symbols, and Twenty-Eight Mansions are all governed by the Dipper Department, following their proper order, each in its own place, illuminating the heavens and guiding the lower realms, without the slightest deviation or disorder.

The remaining stars of the eleven luminaries should learn from this lesson, remain steadfast in their duties, and safeguard the brilliance of the sun and moon.

Those who illegally draw upon stellar power and arbitrarily obscure the three luminaries (light, sun, and moon) are considered to be disrupting the heavens. The Thunder Department and the Dipper Department shall jointly investigate and severely punish them without exception!

The four saints of the North Pole, including Tianpeng Dazhenjun, along with the gods and constellations of the Dipper, all wore solemn expressions.

"Zhi said: Organize the earth's veins and Anshanchuan.

The earth, with its profound virtue, bears all things and receives the mandate of heaven. The Five Great Emperors guard the four directions and the central pole of the earth, while the gods of all the famous mountains and rivers in the world are at peace in their respective domains.

The flow of earth's veins and the rise and fall of spiritual energy must be in accordance with nature. One must not privately pierce earth's passages, move mountains without authorization, or sever spiritual veins for personal gain.

All matters involving changes in the earth or the migration of dragon veins, whether done by gods, immortals, humans, or ghosts, must be reported to the Earth Gods Office.

Those who act rashly will cause mountains to fill seas and divine bodies to imprison prisoners.

The Five Great Emperors stepped forward and bowed to receive the decree.

The decree states: "Balance Yin and Yang, and order life and death."

The pure rises and the turbid descends; yin and yang are mutually dependent; life and death cycle endlessly—this is the constant way of heaven and earth.

The underworld governs reincarnation and must be just and impartial, ensuring that no injustice is tolerated and that the established order is not disrupted.

Yang energy must not disturb the netherworld without cause, and Yin spirits must not linger in the mortal world without permission.

On the day of the Three Primal Elements, the Three Great Emperors examine merits and demerits. The Big Dipper records death, and the Southern Dipper records life, each according to the Heavenly Laws.

Anyone who disrupts the order of Yin and Yang or interferes with the normal cycle of life and death, regardless of whether they are immortal or mortal, can be apprehended and punished by the Thunder Department in conjunction with the Underworld.

The Ten Kings of Hell and the Three Great Emperors all bowed their heads in acceptance.

The decree stated: "When conducting military campaigns during festivals, be cautious in summoning and recruiting."

All living beings in the three realms have their own path.

The Heavenly Court recruits cultivators, demons, or heroic souls from the lower realms to become gods or generals, but must assess their merits and clearly define their duties; it is forbidden to arbitrarily recruit or abduct them.

When cultivators in the lower realm undergo tribulation, there are heavenly laws and predetermined fates. When the Thunder Department carries out executions, it must uphold the utmost impartiality, neither adding nor subtracting punishments, and without venting personal grievances.

Unless there is a great calamity, chaos, great good or great evil, the various departments should not easily bestow large-scale blessings or punishments, so as not to disturb the natural growth of the lower realm.

Anyone found guilty of dereliction of duty, negligence, or abuse of power will be severely punished according to the laws of nature!

After Venus finished his proclamation, he closed the book, bowed to the throne, and returned to his original position.

This is not a new decree, but rather the fundamental law by which the Heavenly Court rules the Three Realms and maintains order, which needs to be reiterated and proclaimed after each grand court assembly.

This reward and punishment, this gratitude and resentment, transcends the individual and is as constant and unchanging as the rising and setting of the sun and the changing of the seasons.

It serves as a reminder to every deity in the hall, regardless of the turbulent waves they have just experienced.

The Way of Heaven still operates overhead, the laws still extend beneath our feet, and our responsibilities still rest on our shoulders.

The myriad immortals and deities within the hall, regardless of their previous stance or mood, all bowed their heads solemnly and responded in unison:

"I will obey the decree!"

"Gentlemen, do you have any further matters to report?"

Venus, the planet of Venus, made his routine inquiry, his voice echoing throughout the palace.

His Highness remained silent.

With the case of the Weak Water solved, and the gods having different thoughts, who would want to cause trouble at this time?

Then Venus proclaimed in a loud voice:

"All matters have been completed. All the immortals and saints may return to their respective offices and domains and act according to the decree—"

Before the words were even finished, just as the word "matter" was about to be uttered, the gods relaxed their guard slightly and prepared to take their leave according to custom.

Chen Jiao suddenly had a thought and lowered his eyes to look at the Eastern Continent of the lower realm.

Many of the more perceptive deities in the hall, such as Guanyin Bodhisattva, Tianpeng Dazhenjun, and Nezha, noticed the change almost simultaneously and showed expressions of surprise.

Their gazes were drawn in unison to the depths beneath the vast sky outside the hall, where the endless sea of ​​clouds and the Milky Way met.

The next moment, without needing to consciously sense it, the strange phenomenon appeared!

But then, in the lower realm, where the four vast continents were located, their exact location unknown, two beams of golden light suddenly shot out!

"boom!"

Golden light blazed forth, shooting towards the Dipper constellation!

Two blazing, dazzling golden beams of light burst through the clouds and mist that blocked their path, causing the clouds to scatter.

Even some of the closer stars high in the sky dimmed in their light.

Its color is pure gold, dazzling and radiant, far surpassing the brilliance of ordinary lights, and without a trace of evil or gloom.

Instead, it exudes a pure, unpolished, yet innate spiritual energy that is both powerful and untamed!

The golden light seemed to originate from a very distant place in the lower realm.

Yet its light and power were able to penetrate the layers of fierce winds and clouds of the Thirty-Three Heavens and the boundless barriers of the Dharma Realm, reaching directly outside the Lingxiao Palace and shaking the Dou Mansion!

Inside the hall, the stillness of the court session was violently shattered by this sudden golden light!

"What kind of monster is this? How dare you!"

"Where does such golden light come from in the lower realm?"

"This is probably not a good omen..."

"Such a domineering golden light! It seems to possess innate energy?"

The Jade Emperor's gaze seemed to pierce through the Lingxiao Palace, looking towards the place where the golden light rose in the lower realm.

After a moment of silence, the Great Celestial Venerable's calm voice rang out again in the hall.

"With eyes that can see a thousand miles and ears that can hear the wind, from where in the mortal realm has such golden light appeared, startling the Heavenly Court?"

Go immediately to the South Heavenly Gate, investigate, and report back.

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