729. Chapter 717: Invested as Tianpeng to Govern the Celestial River, Commander-in-Chief of the Water Army!

This means they no longer want to fight.

The Five-Colored Divine Light was incredibly cunning, allowing only the Daoist to use weapons, but forbidding Wang Lingguan weapon. Continuing to fight like this would only lead to self-inflicted suffering.

Wang Lingguan wasn't stupid either.

He bowed to the Jade Emperor, apologized to the Master Sa, and then asked to leave.

"Wait a minute."

Just as he was about to leave, the Daoist priest who had fought with him earlier stopped him.

Wang Lingguan was about to frown and grimace when he saw the Daoist wave his hand and throw over the golden whip, the divine sword, and the red-tasseled spear, which were the three weapons that he had just swept away.

Thank you!

Wang Lingguan realized the misunderstanding, quickly thanked him, and left the High Firmament Palace.

"He's an upright person, after all."

Lu Qingfeng smiled inwardly when he saw Wang Lingguan readily admit defeat.

Standing proudly in the hall.

Glancing at the unfriendly-looking Master Sa, Lu Qingfeng rushed to the Jade Emperor's head, cupped his hands, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, even General Wang is no match for me. If I were to become a spirit official and be at his beck and call, I would not accept it."

The immortals in the hall had strange expressions.

He glanced vaguely at Master Sa.

Anyone with eyes could tell that the Daoist Wang Lingguan was saying he was dissatisfied with Wang Lingguan, but in reality, he was dissatisfied with this Master Sa.

However, this Daoist's Divine Ability are indeed formidable, and it's quite unexpected that he suddenly appeared from some obscure corner.

Master Sa's face darkened upon hearing this, but he forced himself to say, "He's merely relying on Divine Ability. In terms of combat strength, how could he possibly be a match for General Wang?!"

That's just sophistry.

Divine Ability and martial arts skills are both part of strength.

How can we discuss them separately?

Lu Qingfeng sneered, ignoring the Celestial Master and waiting for the Jade Emperor to speak. He figured the Jade Emperor, having twice ordered Celestial Master Sa to invite him, wouldn't simply dismiss him with a mere position as a spirit official.

They have already displayed their Divine Ability combat abilities.

Now is the time to see the real test.

Lu Qingfeng's prediction was correct.

After defeating Wang Lingguan, one of the immortals at the head of the celestial officials' line, whose position was even above the four great celestial masters such as True Person Sa and Immortal Elder Ge, spoke up, "Your Majesty, the Pure Daoist Divine Ability incredibly powerful and has no bad deeds to his name. It is indeed a waste of his talent to be placed in the Spirit Officer Hall."

Lu Qingfeng looked toward the person who had spoken.

I do not recognize this person.

But then the Jade Emperor asked, "Dear Subject, what position do you think the Pure Daoist should hold?"

Dear Subject?

Lu Qingfeng's thoughts raced, and seeing where this immortal was positioned, he immediately made a guess.

This must be the Star Lord Taibai Chang Geng Jade Emperor's trusted confidant, the Venus, whose name is 'Li Chang Geng'.

Lu Qingfeng also accompanied Wukong to the Heavenly Palace in the Journey to the West Space-Time, but the Heavenly Court was full of powerful figures, and neither he nor Six Ears dared to show their faces. They transformed into dust and hid in Wukong's ear, so they never saw this old man.

I do not know.

Lu Qingfeng's guess was correct.

This person was none other than Venus Star Lord Taibai.

Upon hearing the Venus Star Lord Taibai Jade Emperor's inquiry, Venus pretended to ponder for a moment, then his eyes lit up, and he said, "Your Majesty, there is still a lack of a commander in the Celestial River. How about sending this Pure Daoist to the Celestial River to take charge of the Tianpeng Water Palace?"

Upon hearing this...

All the officials and generals in the hall were startled.

The Tianpeng Water Palace, also known as the "Northern Pole Exorcist Palace," is in charge of the Celestial River and commands eight million Celestial River Water Army. Its leader is the "True Lord Tianpeng," the head of the Four Saints of the North Pole.

This is a highly respected and extremely powerful deity.

He could be described as 'high in rank and power'.

He was on par with the Eight Commanders, and in the vast Heavenly Court, he was only below the Six Emperors.

Neither the five hundred spirit officials nor the Wang Lingguan in charge of the Spirit Officer Hall can compare to him. The Wang Lingguan, for example, is an assistant to the True Lord Guardian Saint.

This True Lord Guardian Saint is one of the Four Saints of the North Pole, and his ranking is even below True Lord Tianpeng.

The difference is obvious.

The sudden promotion of a demon immortal from the lower realm to such a high position has caused an uproar among the immortals.

However, it was Venus Star Lord Taibai, the most trusted confidant of the Jade Emperor, who offered the suggestion. His suggestion likely reflected the will of the Jade Emperor himself.

There was no one else in the hall.

Most of them were promoted by the Jade Emperor. Although they were shocked and even somewhat Qi Ingestion, no one spoke up to object.

Even Master Sa.

He merely opened his mouth, his brows furrowed, but ultimately uttered no sound.

Seeing this, the Jade Emperor said loudly, "The Celestial River is a vital area, and it is indeed inappropriate that it has been left uncontrolled for so long. Since the Pure Daoist has Divine Ability, I hereby appoint you as the Grand Marshal True Lord Tianpeng, to take charge of the Tianpeng Water Palace, to command eight million naval troops, and to be the Grand Commander of the Celestial River Water Army, leading the Celestial River!"

"Your subject accepts the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude!"

Lu Qingfeng readily agreed and bowed deeply.

When getting up.

Empyrean Palace, a seal and a bell descended from the starry sky.

The seal is the Tianpeng Seal, which is both a symbol of divine status and a talisman for mobilizing eight million Celestial River Water Army.

The bell is the Emperor-Shaking Bell, and also the divine artifact of Tianpeng.

Lu Qingfeng accepted it.

Xuanyin then resounded throughout the hall—

"Six dragons stand to the left, nine tigers guard the pass, revealing the majestic countenance of Three Heads and Six Arms, wielding the grand creation of the Seven Governance Eight Spirits. The imperial bell has just struck, and all saints descend; with a light swing of the axe, demons are shattered. Divine light shines brightly, constantly protecting all living beings; true nature is majestic, vowing to forever uphold the righteous path. It cleaves corpses for a thousand miles, slaying the five forms of ghosts. With great compassion and great vows, with great holiness and great mercy, it prays to heaven for blessings, extends auspiciousness and cleanses calamities, protects life and safety, the Grand Marshal of the Eighty-One Armies of the Northern Tianpeng, the True Lord who protects the country and eliminates demons, the Heavenly Venerable of Universal Dharma-Cloud Covering."

From then on.

The Celestial River has a master, Tianpeng has returned to his place!

All the gods in the Three Realms felt it.

Lu Qingfeng felt his status rise and his fortune surge. Then he heard the Emperor Dao, "I think it is not right for True Lord Tianpeng to be without a suitable weapon."

The words fell.

He then bestowed upon him six divine weapons: an axe, a bow and arrow, a sword, a bell, a halberd, and a rope, all of which were first-class Spirit Treasures. He also bestowed upon him black robes, a dark crown, and golden armor to adorn his imposing appearance.

Lu Qingfeng was overjoyed upon seeing this and quickly thanked him again.

Then, Venus Star Lord Taibai led them towards the Tianpeng Water Palace in the Celestial River.

"The Celestial River Water Army has always been stationed on the thirty-six continents and seventy-two islands in the center of the Silver River. It is not frequently mobilized and can only be deployed by the imperial edict of Marshal Tianpeng."

"Since the previous Marshal Tianpeng violated the Heavenly Laws and was demoted to the mortal realm, the Celestial River Water Army has been under the command of the former Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing. After Li Jing betrayed the Heavenly Court and joined the Buddhist Sect, it came under the command of the Fourth Princess of the South Sea Ao Luan. After the Fourth Princess retired, the Celestial River Water Army has been without a leader and has become rather disorganized."

As Venus Star Lord Taibai led Lu Qingfeng toward the Celestial River, he also briefed Lu Qingfeng on the situation of the Celestial River Water Army.

Lu Qingfeng listened quietly.

I have a general understanding now.

In general.

The Celestial River Water Army was famous Three Realms, but that was a long time ago.

With a series of changes, it has become a disorganized mess.

They were originally known as '48 million heavenly soldiers and naval troops'.

But first, 20 million was taken away by Zhu Bajie, the second king of Flower-Fruit Mountain, then 10 million was taken away by Li Jing, the former Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, and then 12 million was taken away by the Fourth Princess of the South Sea.

It's said that there are still eight million online trolls left, but in reality, there are at most six million.

Even that's not enough.

Many positions such as former generals, Five Ding Commandants, Seven Governance Eight Spirits, Monthly Duty Generals, and twelve zhi zhi zhi fu are also vacant.

"Now that the Marshal is gone, we must devote ourselves wholeheartedly to rebuilding the navy as soon as possible, and not let His Majesty down!" Venus Star Lord Taibai said earnestly.

"..."

Lu Qingfeng felt a strange sensation in his heart, and nodded to Venus Star Lord Taibai, saying, "I will certainly not fail in my mission."

Venus Star Lord Taibai spoke with a heavy tone.

In fact.

Even if only six million heavenly soldiers and naval troops remain, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. Keep in mind, the entire Heaven-Watching Marshal's Manor only has a little over two hundred thousand heavenly soldiers.

That is the Orthodox God of the Thunder Ministry.

The number of heavenly soldiers directly under his command is at most one million.

Lu Qingfeng is now Tianpeng, yet he can command six million heavenly soldiers. Furthermore, it would not be considered presumptuous of him to recruit more soldiers and expand his navy to forty-eight million in the future.

It could even rival the entire Thunder Ministry.

The extent of their power is evident.

Not to mention that the Celestial River holds billions of treasures, making it an extremely lucrative position.

"How did this kind of job end up on my shoulders?"

Lu Qingfeng walked on, filled with doubt.

Despite his apparent surprise, he was actually quite uncertain inside.

The thought of the Jade Emperor sitting high on his throne made Lu Qingfeng feel like he had fallen into a trap. But the Jade Emperor was simply too unfathomable. Even though he was now a pseudo- Golden Immortal, he couldn't fathom him, let alone contend with him.

"The best course of action now."

"We can only take it one step at a time."

Lu Qingfeng was making plans in his mind.

Regardless, at least he secured the position of True Lord Tianpeng and temporarily escaped the entanglements of the Buddhist Sect.

That's a good thing, too.

As for the rest, we can only think about it more and make more preparations. Worrying too much is just creating trouble for ourselves and is of little use.

While thinking, he chatted idly with Venus Star Lord Taibai.

The two left the Lingxiao Palace, passed through the Thirty-Three Palaces, and finally arrived at the Celestial River.

"The Supreme Heavenly Emperor, the Greatly Compassionate and Benevolent One, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme God of the Mysterious Vault, hereby decrees: The Celestial River, a sacred land, cannot be without a commander for even a day. It is heard that the Pure Daoist, a demon immortal of Yellow Wind Ridge, possesses high Merit and has accumulated merits. He is skilled in training naval forces. By the will of the Primordial One Beginning, I hereby bestow upon the Pure Daoist the position of Grand Commander of the Celestial River Water Army, granting him the title of Grand Marshal True Lord Tianpeng, to train eight million heavenly soldiers and naval troops. You shall obey!"

The central continent of the Silver River is one of the thirty-six Central Continents.

A host of the Celestial River generals and officials arrived, with Venus proclaiming the Venus Star Lord Taibai Jade Emperor's decree. Lu Qingfeng stood by, dressed in black robes, a dark crown, and golden armor, looking quite imposing. The generals and officials below repeatedly cast their gazes at him, but Lu Qingfeng remained unmoved, steadfast and unperturbed.

After the imperial decree was read out.

Venus Star Lord Taibai took his leave, leaving Lu Qingfeng alone.

Lu Qingfeng looked at his generals and officers and called out loudly, "Where is the Great Sage Tiangang?!"

The Great Sage Tiangang.

This is the first honored position under the True Lord Tianpeng.

Lu Qingfeng looked around but couldn't find the person.

A celestial official stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the Marshal, the Great Sage Tiangang is currently training the navy in the Weaving-Cloud Continent."

"Training the navy."

Lu Qingfeng snorted coldly.

This was a sign of dissatisfaction with him, a way to give this new official a hard time. It makes sense, considering Lu Qingfeng was originally just a minor demon immortal from Yellow Wind Ridge; after joining the Heavenly Court, he was merely a general in the Thunder Ministry.

Regarding ranks.

All the gods, generals, and celestial officials present were above him.

He suddenly ascended to the highest position in the Tianpeng.

How can these generals of the Celestial River Qi Ingestion?

Lu Qingfeng was prepared.

Let's ignore it for now.

He then asked, "Where are the Grand General of Primordial Unity and the Thunderous Slaughter General?!"

These two generals were ranked below True Lord Tianpeng and Great Sage Tiangang, but above the Thirty-Six Generals of Tianpeng, and were highly respected.

That's why I asked.

The words fell.

Another celestial official stepped forward and loudly replied, "General Wang has already descended to the mortal realm and is now in Flower-Fruit Mountain. Marshal Tao went to the South Sea with the former Marshal, Princess Ao Luan."

Okay!

Unexpectedly, Zhu Bajie and Ao Luan were quite prestigious in the Celestial River, so much so that these high-ranking Celestial River abandoned their careers to follow them.

Lu Qingfeng shook his head inwardly and asked again, "Nine-Heavens Slaying Youth General, the Divine General Gao Diaobei Weng General Long-Skulled Behemoth, the General Might-Sword God-King, the Five Ding Commandants, the Seven Governance Eight Spirits, the Monthly Duty General, and the Twelve Branches Straight Talismans?!"

These are the Thirty-Six Generals of Tianpeng, below the Grand Marshal and the Three Supreme Generals, who command thirty-six Celestial River Water Army and have always been stationed on the Thirty-Six Continents.

Lu Qingfeng summoned him.

Six generals stepped forward; they were six of the thirty-six generals, all of whom were among the twelve chief officers.

Among them, the Ziri Direct Talisman Envoy of the twelve chief officers, wearing a rat-head crown, dressed in black, and holding a gun, stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the Marshal, of the thirty-six generals, seven followed Zhu Bajie to become outlaws on Flower-Fruit Mountain; five were misled by the Buddhist Sect and followed the traitor Li Jing into the Buddhist Sect; and nine followed the previous Marshal Tianpeng Ao Luan to live in seclusion in the South Sea. Only the fifteen of us are still in the army. Among them, nine generals are either leading troops in battle or training the navy and have not yet arrived."

Lu Qingfeng listened.

That's when I realized what it meant to be "a disorganized mess"!