Honghuang Town Yuanzi.

Chapter 44 Scenes of the Heavenly Court (Combined Chapter)

Just as Zhen Yuanzi had put the Jade Sword into his primordial spirit and nurtured it with his primordial spirit energy, he saw Qingfeng and Mingyue rushing over.

"Master, just now a demon king claiming to be from the Heavenly Court delivered an invitation!" As he spoke, Qingfeng Mingyue handed over an invitation.

"The Heavenly Court of the Demon Race!" Zhen Yuanzi reached out and took the invitation, glanced at it, and frowned slightly. He muttered to himself, "It seems I have no choice but to make a trip there."

This time, the demon emperors Di Jun and Tai Yi occupied a part of the Heavenly Court, united a group of demon saints and demon kings, and proclaimed themselves the Demon Emperor and the Eastern Emperor, ruling over heaven and earth, and invited a group of great supernatural beings from the primordial world to come and witness their deeds.

Zhen Yuanzi naturally needed to make the trip to see what the Heavenly Court of the Demon Clan was like.

"I must go to the Heavenly Court. You all remember to guard the mountain gate closely and do not run off to play with the Nine-Headed Beast." Zhen Yuanzi instructed Qingfeng and Mingyue, then got up and left Wuzhuang Temple on Wanshou Mountain, heading towards Buzhou Mountain.

Along the way, one could see numerous witch tribes forging weapons and practicing battle formations, all preparing for war.

The demon race consisted of countless demon saints and demon kings, all converging on Buzhou Mountain, seemingly gathering all the demon races of the prehistoric world in one place.

The closer they got to Buzhou Mountain, the more numerous and arrogant the demon race became. Regardless of whether they were cultivators or other primordial creatures, anyone who did not submit was immediately attacked and killed or driven away without any regard for consequences, as if they had already regarded Buzhou Mountain as the territory of the demon race.

Standing atop the auspicious cloud, Zhen Yuanzi gazed at the mountains before him. He saw that all the surrounding sacred mountains and blessed lands had been occupied by the demon race. Dark clouds swirled among the mountains, demonic energy soared into the sky, and noisy clamor filled the air.

"Di Jun and Tai Yi have only occupied the Heavenly Court for a little over a hundred years, yet they are already eager to drive out all the cultivators and other prehistoric races and creatures, intending to monopolize Buzhou Mountain." Zhen Yuanzi couldn't help but sigh.

This place is still some distance from Buzhou Mountain, yet it already looks like this.

It is evident how arrogant the demon race's Heavenly Court is these days!

Just as Zhen Yuanzi was feeling sentimental, a golden auspicious cloud drifted over from afar, upon which stood a Taoist priest dressed in a golden Taoist robe, carrying a primordial sword on his back. This was none other than the Eastern King Duke of Chunyang Cave in Qingyuan Mountain.

Compared to the last time in Zixiao Palace, when the Eastern King Duke's divine light was restrained and the aura of the Innate Pure Yang Dao Fruit could not be detected at all, it is clear that he has gained a lot.

"It's only been a little over a hundred years since we last met, and your innate pure Yang Dao has become even more refined. I am truly envious." Zhen Yuanzi stood on the auspicious cloud and bowed slightly to Dong Wanggong.

Compared to Dongwanggong, who immediately went into seclusion and cultivated diligently upon returning to Chunyang Cave in Qingyuan Mountain, spending over a hundred years organizing what he had learned from Hongjun Daozu's sermon.

Zhen Yuanzi, on the other hand, has been much more negligent. In over a hundred years, he has only managed to forge a single sword and has not yet truly gone into seclusion to organize the teachings he has gained from Hongjun Daozu's lectures.

"I have only gained a little," said the Eastern King Duke, who arrived before Zhen Yuanzi on a cloud. He smiled and asked, "Speaking of which, fellow Daoist, did you also come here for the sake of the Demon Clan's Heavenly Court?"

"That's why I've come." Zhen Yuanzi nodded and said, "The demon race's occupation of a part of the Heavenly Court is a major event in the primordial world, and I naturally had to come and see it."

"Besides, even for the sake of Nuwa and Fuxi, we still have to come."

Upon hearing Zhen Yuanzi's words, Dong Wanggong couldn't help but remind him, "Fellow Daoist, it's fine for us to come and observe the ceremony, but we must not become too close to the demon race because of Nuwa and Fuxi."

"Fellow Daoist, rest assured, I have only come here to observe the ceremony and casually visit Taiqing, Yuqing, Shangqing, and all of you fellow Daoists." Zhen Yuanzi naturally would not have a close relationship with the demon race because of Nuwa and Fuxi.

"Besides, the Wu Clan is also a great clan in the prehistoric world, and its strength is even greater than that of the Demon Clan. Now that Di Jun and Tai Yi have occupied the Heavenly Court and intend to take control of the prehistoric world, how could the Wu Clan possibly agree to that?" Zhen Yuanzi said meaningfully.

The Lich and Demon races are two distinct groups. One is formed from the myriad races of the primordial era, encompassing creatures with scales, fur, feathers, and insects, and can be described as numerous and possessing a long and prosperous destiny.

One is formed from the bloodline of the great god Pangu, possessing the legacy of the great god Pangu and the merits of creating the world. The various great shamans in the clan are powerful and also possess great fortune.

It is conceivable that the Wu tribe would never sit idly by and watch the demon tribe take control of the primordial world, and the two tribes would inevitably have a struggle in the future.

Seeing that Zhen Yuanzi valued the Wu tribe so highly, Dong Wanggong was somewhat surprised and said, "Fellow Daoist, you actually admire the Wu tribe so much?"

"Emperor Jun and Taiyi both possess innate spiritual treasures, and each has extraordinary cultivation and supernatural powers. In addition, with the assistance of three great supernatural beings—Nuwa, Fuxi, and Kunpeng—as well as a group of demon saints and demon kings, how can the Wu Clan compare!"

Not only was the Eastern King Duke unaware of the Wu Clan's formidable strength, but even many powerful beings from the primordial era were also unaware of it.

"Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but the strength of the Witch Clan is still superior to that of the Demon Clan."

Zhen Yuanzi said with a smile, "The twelve ancestral witches of the witch clan possess formidable physical and supernatural powers, comparable to us great supernatural beings. Among them, the great witches Xing Tian and Jiu Feng are far superior to all the demon saints."

Of course, Di Jun and Tai Yi are also extraordinary. Whether it is the True Fire of the Sun, the innate spiritual treasure He Tu Luo Shu, or the innate supreme treasure Donghuang Zhong, none of them can be compared with ordinary great supernatural beings.

In addition, the demon race also has three great sages: Nuwa, Fuxi, and Kunpeng, who should not be underestimated.

"However, this matter is none of our concern. Whether the demon race or the witch race rules the primordial world, it has nothing to do with us great supernatural beings," Zhen Yuanzi said with a smile.

Let alone the Lich and Demon races, even the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin races of yesteryear, with quasi-saints and great supernatural beings in charge, could not control the great supernatural beings of the primordial world.

Just then, a loud laugh came from afar.

"Haha, since you two fellow Daoists have come to Buzhou Mountain, how can we not enter?" Three auspicious clouds flew in from afar, upon which stood the Daoist Taiqing, the Daoist Yuqing, and the Daoist Shangqing.

"Greetings, fellow Daoists!" Zhen Yuanzi and Dong Wanggong bowed in unison.

"Fellow Daoists, there's no need for such formalities. Why don't you come inside and sit down first?" Daoist Taiqing returned the greeting and invited.

"That's fine then." Zhen Yuanzi and Dong Wanggong nodded.

The group rode on auspicious clouds and arrived at Buzhou Mountain. There, they saw a tall mountain peak that soared into the sky, like a pillar connecting heaven and earth. Countless mountain ranges rose and fell around it, with peaks standing tall everywhere.

"Eh!" Zhen Yuanzi couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation. Almost everyone coming and going from Buzhou Mountain was a demon. Looking down from the top...

All that could be seen was auspicious light and clouds, without the slightest trace of demonic energy, but rather faintly radiating the brilliance of the stars in the heavens.

Zhen Yuanzi's heart skipped a beat. Could it be the essence of the stars in the heavens?

The thirty-six heavens of the Heavenly Court are close to a multitude of celestial stars, and every moment the essence of the celestial stars falls down, which can cleanse the demon race of their demonic aura.

Furthermore, the essence of the stars in this universe, formed over hundreds of millions of years, is a top-tier spiritual material in the primordial world.

Although it is not among the innate talents, it can surpass many innate spiritual materials.

The legendary Witch-Slaying Sword from my past life was forged from the essence of stars and could destroy the true form of the Ancestral Witch.

This shows how extraordinary the essence of the stars is.

"Fellow Daoist, have you discovered something extraordinary about the Heavenly Court?"

As he spoke, Daoist Yuqing pointed to the void at the top of Buzhou Mountain and said, "Although I have never been to the Heavenly Court, I know that the Heavenly Court must be vast, capable of accommodating hundreds of millions of demons, and contains the essence of the stars of the heavens, which can cleanse the demons of their demonic aura."

The biggest difference between demons and cultivators is that demons cultivate the primordial spirit dharma form and their innate demonic energy, while cultivators cultivate the primordial spirit three flowers and their innate divine light.

However, after being refined by the essence of the stars, the demon race's demonic aura became pure and uniform, like the divine light of a cultivator, extremely pure. Not only could they avoid going astray, but their divine power was also far greater than before.

"Hmph!" Shangqing Daoist snorted coldly, clearly very dissatisfied with the demon race occupying part of the Heavenly Court.

"If it weren't for my two elder brothers stopping me, I would have definitely tested what the Great Sage of the Demon Clan is capable of!" The Shangqing Daoist was filled with sword energy, as if he wanted to storm into the Heavenly Court and fight against Di Jun and Taiyi.

"Junior brother, there's no need to be angry." Daoist Taiqing shook his head and said, "The demon race has taken over the Heavenly Court. This is the will of Heaven, and it is not something we can stop."

The Jade Purity Daoist and the Upper Purity Daoist were already furious about the demon race's occupation of the Heavenly Court.

Mount Buzhou is the place where the Three Pure Ones took form. How can we allow the demon race to establish a heavenly court and turn the mountain into a place of chaos and disorder?

However, the Taoist Taiqing was content with his lot and did not want to get into a fight with the demon race.

Moreover, the establishment of the Heavenly Court by the demon race is in accordance with the will of Heaven, and it is not something that the Three Pure Ones can stop. It would be better to find another place to practice.

Before long, the group descended from the auspicious clouds and took their seats.

"Are you three fellow Daoists planning to find another place to practice?" Zhen Yuanzi asked.

"That is indeed the intention." Master Taiqing nodded.

"To be honest, fellow Daoist, we do indeed have this intention, but..."

Daoist Yuqing gave a wry smile and said, "Now, all thirty-six grotto-heavens and seventy-two blessed lands in the prehistoric world have fellow cultivators cultivating in seclusion. As for the other immortal mountains and blessed lands, they are either occupied by the demon race or occupied by the witch race. Finding a suitable place to cultivate is easier said than done."

This is also what angered Daoist Yuqing.

"In a while, the three of us Taoists plan to travel to the Four Seas to see if there are any suitable immortal islands to serve as our Taoist temples." Shangqing Taoist also gave a wry smile.

Compared to the primordial land, the Four Seas, although inhabited by dragons, are relatively peaceful. Moreover, the Four Seas are vast and boundless, with numerous immortal islands, making them a suitable place for cultivation.

However, the four seas are far from the primordial land, and few people with great supernatural powers are willing to go there.

Upon hearing "the land of the four seas," Zhen Yuanzi's heart stirred. In his previous life, the Daoist Shangqing's Daoist temple was located in the land of the four seas, while the Kunlun Mountain of the Daoist Yuqing was in the southwest of the prehistoric world.

"Fellow Daoist, why don't you make a trip to the southwest first?" Zhen Yuanzi suddenly said.

"The Southwest!" Daoist Shangqing said with a puzzled look, "The Southwest is close to the western part of the Primordial Wilderness. First, the White Tiger drained its Five Elements Metal Qi there, leaving it lacking Metal. Then, a powerful being detonated the earth's veins, making it barren and desolate. How could there be any immortal mountains or blessed lands there?"

"It would be better to go directly to the four seas."

"Junior brother, watch your words!" Daoist Yuqing's expression changed, he glared at Shangqing, and said in an annoyed tone, "Have you forgotten that Daoist Zhenyuanzi's Longevity Mountain is located between the southern and western parts of the prehistoric world?"

"Please forgive me, fellow Daoist!" Upon hearing Yuqing Daoist's words, Shangqing Daoist was filled with remorse. How could he have forgotten about Longevity Mountain?

"Hehe, fellow Daoist, there's no need for that," Zhen Yuanzi said with a smile. "Fellow Daoist Shangqing is right. The West is indeed barren and impoverished, even the southwest is like that."

"However, the southwest region is not without its sacred mountains and blessed lands."

At this point, Zhen Yuanzi pointed to the western part of the prehistoric world and said, "When I was sorting out the veins of the western prehistoric world, I saw a very extraordinary immortal mountain in the southwest. However, I already had Longevity Mountain, so I did not take it."

"Is that really true?" The three Qings' eyes lit up, their gazes falling on Zhen Yuanzi, somewhat incredulous.

On the contrary, the Eastern King Duke remained silent and smiled without showing any surprise.

Back when the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans dominated the prehistoric world, Zhen Yuanzi traveled extensively throughout the prehistoric world and even sorted out the ley lines in the western part of the prehistoric world. It was perfectly normal for him to encounter several excellent immortal mountains and blessed lands during this time.

"Haha, fellow Daoists, please don't get excited."

Zhen Yuanzi chuckled and said, "It has been hundreds of millions of years since I sorted out the ley lines of the western wilderness. I don't know if any great supernatural beings have taken over them."

"Regardless, the three of us must thank you, fellow Daoist." Daoist Taiqing expressed his gratitude.

The southwestern region has always been desolate and uninhabited, rarely visited by those with great supernatural powers. Moreover, given Zhen Yuanzi's knowledge, it can be called a "celestial mountain," so it must be no ordinary celestial mountain.

"Fellow Daoist, when can we set off?" Shangqing Daoist asked impatiently.

"Once the matter with the Heavenly Court is settled, how about I take the three of you on a journey?" Zhen Yuanzi said after calculating the time.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist!" The Three Pure Ones expressed their gratitude once again.

"It just so happens that I'm also going on a trip with a few fellow Daoists." Dongwanggong also wanted to see the immortal mountain that Zhenyuanzi had mentioned.

Zhen Yuanzi merely smiled in response.

"Alright, let's go to the Heavenly Court now, fellow Daoist. I want to see what kind of presence Emperor Jun and Taiyi have!" Mentioning the Heavenly Court only made Shangqing Daoist feel a surge of resentment, but he couldn't vent it.

"Very well, fellow Daoists, you may all go together," Zhen Yuanzi invited.

The group rode on auspicious clouds and soon arrived at the top of Buzhou Mountain.

"Fellow Daoists, the Heavenly Court is located in the void above the top of Buzhou Mountain. We still need to pass through the void to reach the Heavenly Court." After saying this, Daoist Yuqing led everyone through the void and arrived at the Heavenly Court, as if they had entered another world.

Before them lay a dense array of innate spiritual energy, with countless essences of the stars cascading down. In the distance lay palaces, pavilions, and towers of countless kinds.

It can be said that every place is a blessed land, and every step brings opportunities and good fortune.

"What a magnificent place with thirty-six heavens! It may even surpass Fellow Daoist Hongyun's Fire Cloud Cave." Upon seeing the thirty-six heavens deep within the Heavenly Court, Zhen Yuanzi's eyes narrowed. Compared to other blessed lands like Chunyang Cave and Longevity Mountain, the Heavenly Court could truly be considered a blessed land.

To be even more precise, the thirty-six heavens of the Heavenly Court have already exceeded the scope of blessed lands and grotto-heavens, and can be considered as a true world of their own, which can be called the Heavenly Realm.

Yuqing Daoist's face turned cold, and he snorted, saying, "No wonder Dijun and Taiyi gathered hundreds of millions of demons, intending to occupy Buzhou Mountain alone. It turns out that this place is actually a world of its own."

As they spoke, the group walked into the Heavenly Court, where they saw a white jade gate in front of them, about a thousand feet high and several hundred feet wide, with three innate divine characters on the plaque that read "South Heavenly Gate".

Outside the South Heavenly Gate, rows of demon soldiers and generals patrolled, each clad in gleaming armor, their weapons gleaming with divine light.

Among them were several demon saints and demon kings who greeted the arriving and departing cultivators and guests.

Upon seeing Zhen Yuanzi, the Three Pure Ones, and the Eastern King Duke approaching, a demon saint guarding the South Heavenly Gate narrowed his eyes, recognizing their identities. He immediately stepped forward to pay his respects, saying, "Bai Ze greets all the True Immortals. Please come inside."

Bai Ze!

Bai Ze, one of the Ten Great Demon Saints of the Demon Clan!

The group glanced at Bai Ze, then nodded. Led by a palace maid, they entered the South Heavenly Gate. Instantly, the scene before them changed. Pavilions and palaces were surrounded by celestial energy, with golden rays rolling like red rainbows and auspicious clouds spraying purple mist. They wore crimson gauze robes, adorned with starlight, and wore hibiscus crowns, gleaming with gold and jade. They also wore jade hairpins, pearl shoes, purple ribbons, and gold seals.

The Heavenly Court can be divided into thirty-six heavens, each with its own celestial palace: the Cloud Palace, the Vaishravana Palace, the Five Bright Palace, the Sun Palace, the Joyful Transformation Palace… each palace's ridge is adorned with golden beasts; there are also seventy-two magnificent halls: the Hall of Court Assembly, the Hall of Soaring Void, the Hall of Precious Light, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Hall of Spirit Officials… each hall's pillars are lined with jade unicorns. On the Longevity Star Platform, there are famous flowers that never wither for thousands of years; beside the alchemy furnace, there are auspicious herbs that remain evergreen for countless millennia.

Bright clouds shimmer in the sky, while a misty haze veils the mouth of the Big Dipper. On the Longevity God's Terrace, there are flowers that bloom for millennia; beside the alchemy furnace, there are auspicious herbs that remain evergreen for countless years. Then, before the Pilgrimage Tower, a woman in a crimson robe, radiant as the stars, wears a lotus crown, resplendent in gold and jade. Adorned with jade hairpins and pearl-embroidered shoes, she wears a purple ribbon and a golden seal. The golden bell tolls, and the three divine officials present their memorials on the crimson steps; the heavenly drums sound.

The group walked all the way to the Thirty-Sixth Heaven. Along the way, they saw palaces and pavilions standing in rows, seemingly arranged according to the number one in the heavens, which could attract the divine light of the stars and make the palaces themselves seem like a blessed land.

"These Emperor Jun and Taiyi have certainly spared no expense. The spiritual materials accumulated by the demon race over hundreds of millions of years have probably all been used for the Heavenly Court." As Shangqing Daoist walked along, he became more and more alarmed.

To this, Zhen Yuanzi merely smiled and said, "The rise of the demon race is the will of Heaven. But no race in the primordial world can prosper forever."

"What happened to the three clans of dragons, phoenixes, and qilin in the past?"

"In the end, they all declined. The Dragon Clan was confined to the four seas, the Phoenix Clan guarded the Undying Mountain, and the Qilin Clan went far overseas."

"What you say is quite right, fellow Daoist." Daoist Taiqing nodded.

As they spoke, the group followed a palace maid to a palace called the Lingxiao Palace.

Among them, the golden nails adorn the jade doors, the colorful phoenixes dance on the vermilion gates, and the covered corridors and winding paths are exquisite and intricate, with three eaves and four clusters, and layers of dragons and phoenixes soaring.

Even more magnificent was the Purple Tower, the Bright Moon Pearl, shimmering with golden light and surrounded by celestial aura, truly a splendid and resplendent object.

(End of this chapter)