The closer he got, the more Sun Wukong could see the numerous ancient trees standing in the garden, each bearing peach after peach.
Even just looking at them, Sun Wukong could tell that these peaches were extraordinary.
"Peaches of Immortality."
Sun Wukong arrived at this answer in his heart.
"The Peach Garden. Perhaps I can give it a try." Sun Wukong's heart stirred.
On one hand, Sun Wukong knew that the Peaches of Immortality should be extremely precious. On the other, they were genuinely tempting him.
After all, Sun Wukong was still a monkey.
In the original history, the Heavenly Court had him guard the Peach Garden. That had simply made it easier for him to steal from it.
"Sun Wukong, you're not at your own place. Why have you come to my Peach Garden?" Before Sun Wukong could enter the Peach Garden, a woman's voice rang out.
Under Sun Wukong's gaze, a woman dressed in splendid clothes slowly appeared. Her eyes were like stars, and she was an utterly stunning beauty.
However, this woman held no attraction for Sun Wukong.
What made Sun Wukong cautious was the terrifying aura radiating from her.
That aura surpassed the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm and could even rival that of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva he had encountered earlier.
A Quasi-Saint expert?
Sun Wukong felt like vomiting blood.
He had just met the terrifying Grand Supreme Elder Lao, and now he had encountered another Quasi-Saint expert.
Was the Heavenly Court really this powerful?
If so, then his successful rampage through Heaven in history had truly been a joke, at least to some extent.
"Who are you?" Sun Wukong asked.
"I am the Queen Mother," the woman said calmly.
The Queen Mother was also one of the Heavenly Court's major figures. Whenever she held the Peach Banquet, all the gods had to show her respect.
According to history, the Queen Mother's Peach Banquet should have taken place around this time.
That was when Sun Wukong entered Heaven for the second time and was put in charge of guarding the Peach Garden.
He simply had not expected the Queen Mother to appear in the Peach Garden at this time.
It seemed that seizing the Peaches of Immortality inside would not be possible.
"Queen Mother, this old Sun got lost," Sun Wukong said foolishly, using the same explanation he had given Grand Supreme Elder Lao earlier.
"..." The Queen Mother's eyes carried a trace of amusement. "Your place is over there."
"Then thank you." Sun Wukong nodded. "This old Sun will take his leave."
With that, Sun Wukong immediately left the Peach Garden.
"Sun Wukong." The Queen Mother frowned. "I always feel that this monkey is not simple."
Leaving aside the Queen Mother's suspicions,
Sun Wukong felt a faint sadness after leaving. It seemed that snatching a powerful figure's treasure in one go was not possible.
"Looks like there's no other way. My fellow Immortals and Gods, don't blame me." A crafty glint shone in Sun Wukong's eyes.
At this moment,
Sun Wukong decided to carry out in Heaven the same tactic he had used in the underworld: clubbing the Immortals and Gods over the head.
He could do nothing about Great Unity Golden Immortal or even Quasi-Saint experts.
But surely he could attack the gods and immortals below that level, right?
At this moment,
many gods and immortals in their own residences suddenly felt their hairs stand on end.
They had no idea that a god in the Heavenly Court had already set his sights on them.
Heavenly Court, a certain residence.
This residence was usually vacant, but its owner had appeared today.
He was an overwhelmingly powerful expert.
A major figure among the first-generation human race—the Grand Master Xuandu.
As a member of the first-generation human race, Grand Master Xuandu had once taken Laozi as his master and become the eldest disciple of the Ren Sect.
Among the Three Pure Ones, Laozi had only one disciple: Grand Master Xuandu.
Laozi pursued tranquility and non-action, and Xuandu was the same.
Therefore, even during the Battle of the Gods, Grand Master Xuandu had not participated.
But no one would underestimate Grand Master Xuandu's strength.
As Laozi's disciple and the eldest disciple of the Ren Sect, Xuandu also possessed astonishing Merit and Destiny.
His strength might even have been comparable to that of the top Quasi-Saint experts.
Among the Three Teachings, Guangchengzi, whom Yuanshi Tianzun had once favored greatly in the Chan Sect, and Daoist Duobao, the eldest disciple of the Interception Sect, were probably no match for Grand Master Xuandu.
That was the astonishing strength of the Ren Sect's eldest disciple.
Perhaps only after Duobao betrayed the Interception Sect, joined the Buddhist Sect, and became the Tathagata of today could Buddha Tathagata contend with the current Grand Master Xuandu.
This time, Grand Master Xuandu had come here under his teacher's orders.
The Saint Laozi also sometimes had to repay the karma formed with the Two Sages of the West during the Battle of the Gods.
"Greetings, Teacher." Marshal Tian Peng appeared there and respectfully saluted Grand Master Xuandu.
Marshal Tian Peng knew that his teacher was the Ren Sect's eldest disciple, a renowned Quasi-Saint expert.
Unfortunately, he was only Grand Master Xuandu's nominal disciple, not his true disciple.
Chapter Twenty-Two: The Rise of the Human Race, Becoming the Ruler of Heaven and Earth!
In any case,
there was still a huge difference between a nominal disciple and a true disciple.
Marshal Tian Peng also wanted to work hard and see whether he could become Grand Master Xuandu's true disciple.
Unfortunately, Grand Master Xuandu rarely came to the Heavenly Court.
Ever since Tian Peng had become the general in charge of the Celestial River, that had become even more so.
After all, Grand Master Xuandu was not a god of the Heavenly Court. He was the Ren Sect's eldest disciple and was generally always in seclusion cultivating.
This time, Xuandu's sudden appearance in the Heavenly Court caught Marshal Tian Peng somewhat by surprise.
"Tian Peng, it has been a long time since we last met," Xuandu said calmly as he looked at the handsome and vigorous Tian Peng before him.
"Yes, Teacher. Many years have passed since our last farewell," Marshal Tian Peng replied with a nod.
"I still remember when you were merely a mortal. Now you have become one of the Heavenly Court's Immortals and Gods." Xuandu sighed with emotion.
Marshal Tian Peng had once been a mortal before becoming an Immortal and God.
Such a situation was rare even in the Heavenly Court of today.
One had to understand that when the Heavenly Court was established, most of its members were the Immortals and Gods who had fallen during the Battle of the Gods.
Whether they were disciples of the Chan Sect or disciples of the Interception Sect, very few of them were human.
As a result, there were only a handful of humans who had become immortals in the Heavenly Court, and even fewer who had risen to its highest ranks.
The Six Imperial Lords who controlled the authority of the Heavenly Court—
aside from Haotian, there were also the figures of several Saints, including Yuanshi Tianzun, Nuwa, and Houtu.
After the Investiture of the Gods, although the Chan Sect had disciples like Cihang who defected, it also had Chan Sect disciples who held positions among the Six Imperial Lords.
Thus, compared with the Interception Sect, the Chan Sect's situation was still fairly decent.
Otherwise, when the prideful Yuanshi Tianzun saw the Two Sages of the West poaching his disciples, he probably would have disregarded his dignity and attacked the Two Sages of the West directly.
Compared with the Interception Sect's tragic state back then, Yuanshi Tianzun's Chan Sect had not been crippled.
Setting that aside, when Marshal Tian Peng heard Xuandu's sigh, he immediately replied, "Teacher, it was all thanks to your help. If you had not guided me back then and bestowed Pills upon me, I could never have reached where I am today."
It could be said that as a human who had become an immortal, Marshal Tian Peng had truly had a smooth journey.
Of course, Marshal Tian Peng himself had also worked hard. Otherwise, how could he have become the Heavenly Court's Marshal Tian Peng?
Positions with real authority also required capable immortals to hold them.
Just like Sun Wukong in the original history, whether he was Bimawen or the one in charge of guarding the Peach Garden, neither position held much actual power.
"Mm. Tian Peng, your own efforts also played a major role in getting you where you are today." Grand Master Xuandu smiled. "This time, I came to find you because there is something I need to tell you."
Before you continue