The Dharma Feast Ends in Peixiang Palace, the Heavenly Emperor Raises His Blade to Sever a Fruit Position

Within Peixiang Palace, the gathered immortals feasted; the Lunar Maiden offered a dance, her face like the moon.

Jiang Sheng sat in a corner of the hall, watching the immortal, Buddhist, and divine sages discuss Dharma and debate the Dao. The Buddhist Heavenly Kings and Arhats, the Divine Path's emperors and Star Officials, all spoke with animated faces, gesturing grandly as they discussed romance and moonlight. Looking to his own side, the Daoist Immortal Lords were no better. It could be said that all were making merry to their hearts' content.

After looking around, Jiang Sheng found it somewhat difficult to drink from the wine cup before him.

"What's wrong? Finding it hard to fit in?"

Yuanyi True Lord's voice reached him. Jiang Sheng looked over. This veteran True Lord of Penglai's Yuan generation had shed his usual stern, taciturn demeanor and was stroking his beard as he watched the dancing, looking rather delighted.

Jiang Sheng nodded, then shook his head. "Martial Uncle Yuanyi, your nephew merely feels that this Peixiang Palace banquet differs somewhat from what I imagined."

Yuanyi True Lord laughed. "What matters in the Peixiang Palace banquet is not Peixiang Palace, but the word banquet."

"His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor held this Dharma feast and invited immortal, Buddhist, and divine sages from All Heavens and Myriad Worlds precisely so that he might rejoice together with the celestial immortals. They raise cups, exchange toasts, laugh and converse freely—is that not exactly the point?"

"Do not think too highly of Peixiang Palace, nor think too little of the immortals filling this hall. In the end, this Peixiang Palace banquet was a feast His Majesty arranged because he deeply felt that our Eastern Heaven Daoist Sect had previously grown too powerful—a feast meant to reshape the Heavenly Court's majesty and