Chapter 6: The Ruler and His Ministers Join Hands

However, when it concerns the saints, how could these minor true immortals dare to speak out?

As the saying goes, even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice

They understand it very clearly

Even if a sage were to emerge now, the overall environment has changed from what it once was. It is no longer possible for oneself to wield absolute power like the Heavenly Emperor of the demon race, but at the very least, one should be able to maintain the dignity of the Supreme Being of the Three Realms

Even a pig can be transformed into an immortal, let alone these celestial ministers and divine generals who are already true immortals

Li Changgen lowered his head and remained silent

Perhaps it could also attract some celestial beings to come and seek refuge

The celestial ranks in the heavenly court are scarce, almost entirely composed of divine officials

The Heavenly Emperor pondered for a moment, and immediately changed his expression of disappointment to one of joy, saying: "My dear minister, you truly are the backbone of my reign. If this plan succeeds, I shall certainly grant you the title of Celestial Master!"

Not only has he not seen the face of the sage, but even those great disciples of the religion do not take this Heavenly Emperor seriously

You are indeed my trusted minister. After hearing your words, I feel much more at ease. However, you have made one mistake; my urgency in rebuilding the Heavenly Court is not to exert dominance over the Three Realms, but rather to maintain the stability of the Heavenly Way and the balance of the Three Realms

A figure emerged from behind the coiled dragon golden pillar, walking to the center of the grand hall to respectfully bow.

There are only a few celestial beings recruited by the Heavenly Court, where can we find additional personnel to serve as a facade

Thus, the only thing he could do was to build a magnificent palace in the midst of this enormous mess in the Heavenly Court, and then recruit deities to serve him

Your Majesty

Despite expending considerable effort, he only attracted a few mysterious immortals and true immortals, which was far from his expectations

This is not an exaggeration at all

Li Changgeng, who was sent to invite people, personally drafted the edict and successively went to Shouyang, Kunlun, and Jinao Island, but ultimately returned with only three similar pieces of news

After a brief pause, he said softly: "Just now, I thought of a method that might resolve the predicament of the Heavenly Court... I just don't know if I can speak of it"

Do not even mention the majesty of the Supreme Being of the Three Realms; within that ruinous Heavenly Court, he had nowhere to place his feet.

This is simply impossible

If another heavenly palace could be added within the Heavenly Court, the fortune would surely be enhanced a little, wouldn't it

What kind of majesty does the Celestial Emperor of the Demon Clan possess

The Supreme God of Heaven nodded slightly, revealing a faint smile on His face

On this day, the Heavenly Emperor summoned several celestial ministers and divine generals to the Lingxiao Palace to discuss strategies together

I believe that in due time, once they feel Your Majesty's majesty and benevolence, they will naturally be as captivated by Your Majesty's demeanor as I am, willingly serving Your Majesty with all their hearts

Li Changgen rose in accordance with the words, appearing to be deeply moved

The Heavenly Emperor sighed, "Since you esteemed ministers have no good plans, you may withdraw for now."

When the Daoist Patriarch conferred upon him the title of Heavenly Emperor, he was filled with excitement and could hardly contain his joy

This is also an unavoidable situation

The immortal beings roam freely between heaven and earth. Although they may face the three disasters and nine tribulations, if they can attain the fruit of the Golden Immortal path, they will achieve immortality, truly realizing eternal life without death

In order to attract the celestial beings, the Heavenly Emperor has been wearing a frown all day and has not returned to his palace for a long time, which has made the Golden Mother extremely irritated. A few days ago, she even sent someone to convey a message that if he did not return to the palace soon, she would establish another heavenly palace beside the Miro Palace.

Li Changgen's eyes flickered as he hurriedly bowed and said: "Serving Your Majesty and alleviating your burdens is the duty of a humble minister; I do not dare to claim any credit for it"

Upon hearing this, the God of Heaven was almost moved to applaud in congratulations

At this moment, all he needs to do is to be a faithful listener

Speaking of this matter, Haotian and the God of Books still cannot help but feel a wave of frustration.

The Supreme Deity glared, "Your words are inappropriate. Those who have made contributions to the Heavenly Court shall certainly be rewarded by me! If this plan succeeds, your merit will be immense... No, the position of Celestial Master is too small; I shall appoint you as the Star Lord!"

The Pan Tao spirit fruit and divine elixirs are not beyond his reach either

Oh... not bad... very good! Very good indeed!

Particularly the Lingxiao Palace in the imperial court, it can be described as a structure with golden nails fastening jade doors, where colorful phoenixes dance at the vermilion gates, and everywhere is exquisite and translucent, with layers of dragons and phoenixes soaring.

However, to his surprise, Li Changeng smiled and said after listening, "If the sage chooses to avoid us, it is of no consequence. Your Majesty may directly proceed to the Purple Cloud Palace to seek the assistance of the Dao Ancestor. In this way, the predicament of the Heavenly Court will naturally find a solution."

Within the grand hall, the sovereign and his ministers join hands, as if composing a beautiful tale

The Supreme God smiled and said: "You and I, as sovereign and subjects, hand in hand, I believe it will not be long before we can rejuvenate this heavenly court!"

What do you all think of the current situation? How should I proceed next?

Li Changgen nodded slightly and said in a low voice: "This humble minister has been ordered to go to the Three Teachings to invite someone, but due to my shallow understanding and lowly position, I was dismissed without having seen the true face of the sage... However, if Your Majesty were to go in person..."

In today's heavenly realm, it is not only regarded as worthless in the eyes of the disciples of major sects, but even those scattered immortals with a modicum of skill look down upon it.

Furthermore, the predicament of the Heavenly Court is evident to all. The reason why the Dao Ancestor entrusted this heavy responsibility to Your Majesty is that he believes Your Majesty will ultimately clear the obstacles and overcome the dangers.

The purpose is to make them understand that the status of a sage is transcendent and cannot be measured by ordinary standards, and that they should refrain from proposing similar foolish ideas in the future

Moreover, it is preferable to have an audience that listens with one ear and lets the sound escape from the other.

Li Changgen hurriedly bowed and said loudly: "I, your humble servant, will spare no effort and dedicate my life and soul for Your Majesty!"

The Master Xuandu from the Renjiao, the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chanjiao, the Eight Great Disciples of the Jiejiao, the Seven Immortals in attendance, the Four Saints of Nine Dragon Island, and the Ten Heavenly Lords of Golden Turtle Island, if just a few of them were to take their seats in the Heavenly Court, those lurking remnants of the witch and demon factions would surely have to lower their flags and cease their activities, living in constant fear and anxiety

Especially since it also involves those vengeful disciples of the截教, one misstep, and one might face complete annihilation of both body and spirit

To have the disciples of the Holy Church come to the Heavenly Court to take their positions is akin to sending a royal prince to a household of slaves

Heavenly Palace, Miro Heavenly Palace, Lingxiao Treasure Hall

Your Majesty is wise

Esteemed ministers, you are all among the rarest of true immortals, endowed with innate wisdom, and surely possess the ability to teach me

Indeed, the Empress is truly my capable consort

Although the divine path can also achieve immortality and possesses great power, it is subject to corresponding constraints, such as heavenly laws and edicts from the Heavenly Emperor, and one must also fulfill the duties associated with their divine office

However, there are distinctions between immortals and deities

Your Majesty, please rise quickly

The Supreme Deity looked at him and said: "My dear minister, today you have witnessed the true nature of these celestial officials and divine generals, have you not? On ordinary days, each one speaks of loyalty and righteousness, vowing to serve me faithfully, yet when I truly need them, they all stammer and do not dare to utter a word!"

The Supreme God descended from the hall in person and extended His hand to help him up

Although they are true immortals, they are all aware that they have no hope in the path of immortality. Thus, they have come to seek refuge just as the Heavenly Court has recently been reestablished, in order to compete for the few immortal ranks and high-grade divine positions.

He immediately stood up, gazing directly at the Heavenly Emperor, and with a solemn expression said: "Your Majesty speaks too highly of me! Among the many immortals in the Heavenly Court, there are not just myself who are willing to serve Your Majesty; however, they are all new to the Heavenly Court and are not yet familiar with this environment, which is why they do not dare to speak recklessly

As evidenced by the books, he indeed thought too much.

The divine is bestowed from without, while the immortal is self-generated

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly God shook his head, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes, and said softly: "The sage is like the Dao, existing alongside heaven and earth, when approached, one cannot see his form, when gazed upon, he is not present before the eyes..."

The Supreme God Haotian, upon witnessing this, could not conceal the disappointment in his heart

Upon hearing these words, Li Changgeng knew it was time for him to speak up

What he is asking is merely a test

The immortal being is a spirit of eternal life

After they left, the Heavenly God Haotian shook his head and softly said: "Chang Geng, my beloved minister, come forth."

Let us see whether these celestial ministers and divine generals are truly willing to dedicate their lives to him, or if they are merely seeking to secure a position among the immortals in the heavenly court.

It is unfortunate that these few originally promising celestial ministers and divine generals did not even attempt to conceal their intentions, directly shirking their responsibilities.

Recently, I dispatched the esteemed Minister Chang Geng to successively undertake missions to Shouyang Mountain, Kunlun Mountain, and Jinao Island, and I believe you have all heard the results...

Once this is understood, the Heavenly God will abandon the futile effort of recruiting deities like searching for a needle in the ocean, and instead focus on the great teachings of the saints.

In comparison, only those who are self-aware and cannot attain the Dao fruit of the Golden Immortal, or those immortals who cannot overcome the three disasters and nine tribulations, will turn to cultivate the Divine Path

It seems that he has overestimated his own pride

After a pause, he looked at Li Changgeng and said: "You may find it difficult to understand my words... Let me put it this way, even if I were to go in person, the three sages might not be willing to meet."

Regarding the matter of the Heavenly Emperor wanting to invite someone from the Saintly Great Teaching, each of them was as clear as a mirror in their hearts

The Supreme Deity immediately said: "In the hall, there are only the two of us, the sovereign and the minister. Feel free to speak your mind!"

He did not truly expect these few celestial ministers and divine generals to come up with any reliable ideas

Looking back to those years, how powerful was the Heavenly Court of the Demon Clan?

Truly, it exerts pressure both at home and abroad, traversing the realms of heaven and earth as well as the world of books

As for these celestial ministers and divine generals, the Supreme Deity of Heaven has his own judgment in his heart and does not require much discourse from him

The only thing lacking is that there are no divine generals in golden helmets and armor standing at the door

With this thought in mind, he traveled from the Purple Cloud Palace to the Heavenly Court

Let the majesty of the heavenly court radiate across the three realms, and may Your Majesty's edicts command the universe

In simple terms, those who are capable of making achievements in the path of immortality cannot possibly turn to the path of divinity

I kindly ask all of you, esteemed ministers, to offer your guidance

At present, all the celestial ministers and divine generals can only bow their hands in submission, saying: "This humble immortal is dull-witted and has no clue about this matter; I hope Your Majesty will forgive me"

If it is the former, he will naturally be well cultivated

The several celestial ministers and divine generals were still unaware that they had missed the opportunity they had longed for, and hurriedly performed a bow, secretly feeling fortunate as they exited the Lingxiao Treasure Hall

In this vast and primordial world, he has neither a foundation nor trusted confidants; apart from the background of the Purple Cloud Palace, he possesses no other advantageous resources.

Indeed, after a bout of scolding, the Heavenly Emperor's anger dissipated significantly. He looked at Li Changgeng and said: "Looking across the entire Heavenly Court, apart from you, my beloved minister, I find no one else to rely on. Being this Heavenly Emperor truly feels quite suffocating!"

That is indeed the Holy Great Teaching, far more fragrant than the Heavenly Court and such

Thank you very much for your generous bestowal, Your Majesty! Li Changeng quickly bowed and paid his respects

Li Changgen is the immortal minister he values and intends to cultivate vigorously, which is why he would explain so much

The several celestial beings standing in the grand hall exchanged glances, quickly bowing and greeting, saying "We dare not"

Later, he also came to understand.

At present, only the residence of the Heavenly Emperor in the entire Heavenly Court possesses a semblance of what a sovereign of the Three Realms should look like

Offending the Celestial Emperor before me would at most result in being demoted, losing access to the celestial elixirs and salaries of the Heavenly Court, and no longer enjoying the bestowed merits and offerings. However, if one were to speak recklessly and offend those disciples of the great teachings...