"Old monk Yu Zhen of the Heaven Temple pays respects to His Majesty the Emperor of Great Zhou."
Benevolent Sovereign Ji Long, bedridden and unable to rise, received Heaven Temple Master Yu Zhen in the East Warm Pavilion.
The title of Heaven Temple Master was not something just anyone could use.
Not to mention the hall masters of the Heaven Temple Lower Court, such as Moon Hall Master Baili Fei and Azure Hall Master Mu Xu—they were not qualified to call themselves masters.
Likewise, Hong Ru, the Heaven Temple's current representative in the mortal world, was also unqualified to call himself a master.
Within the Heaven Temple, master was an honorific title, one that could only be earned through profound learning and vast knowledge.
It was not cultivation that won them respect, but their fame for deep scholarly research.
Creation Realm Divine Beings or those at the peak of the Dao Realm in the Heaven Temple could inspire awe in countless martial artists, but Heaven Temple Masters could earn the respect of innumerable beings throughout the Myriad Worlds.
That was the significance of a master.
That was also why Benevolent Sovereign Ji Long had invited Yu Zhen inside the moment he heard that title.
Moreover, after Yu Zhen entered the East Warm Pavilion, he performed the Heaven Temple's palms-joined salute. Benevolent Sovereign Ji Long did not find it strange.
Heaven Temple Masters could receive respect wherever they went.
After the formalities, Yu Zhen's nose suddenly twitched. He caught the scent of blood that had yet to dissipate from the East Warm Pavilion. "Has Your Majesty already reached the stage of coughing up blood regularly?"
A trace of bitterness appeared at the corners of Benevolent Sovereign Ji Long's lips. Grand Supervisor of the Inner Palace Yu Chaoen, who stood attending at