Just then, Taishang slowly asked:
"What brings you here?"
As he spoke, Taishang didn't even lift his eyelids.
Hearing this, the Celestial Court Envoy didn't beat around the bush and promptly explained his purpose:
"By order of East King Duke, I've come to invite the three seniors to join the Immortal Court!"
"If the three seniors are willing to join the Immortal Court, you'll be treated as Immortal Ancestors, with a status second only to East King Duke."
Qin Mu stood to one side. After hearing the Celestial Court Envoy's words, he couldn't help but find them amusing.
"This East King Duke really is arrogant!"
"He's inviting the Three Pure Ones to join the Immortal Court, yet he doesn't even come in person—he sends a mere Great Principle Golden Immortal to deliver the message?"
"Does he really think that being named Head of Male Immortals by Hongjun means he can stand as an equal to the Three Pure Ones?"
Qin Mu couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
The Three Pure Ones were, after all, of Pangu's Orthodox Lineage and possessed immense cultivation.
Earlier, Dijun of the Demon Race had also wanted to invite the Three Pure Ones to join the Demon Race's camp.
But the Three Pure Ones had refused.
That time, Dijun and Taiyi had personally come to receive them, welcoming the Three Pure Ones to the Demon Race's Heavenly Court.
East King Duke, on the other hand, had only sent a Great Principle Golden Immortal to deliver a message, and the gifts he'd brought consisted of no more than three Primordial Spiritual Objects.
He'd even bluntly stated that if the Three Pure Ones joined the Immortal Court, their status would be beneath East King Duke's.
In the eyes of the Three Pure Ones, he clearly didn't take East King Duke seriously at all.
As for the title Head of Male Immortals, they scoffed at it even more.
If Hongjun hadn't issued an edict appointing him to punish on Heaven's behalf and govern the Primordial Wilderness, they wouldn't have shown East King Duke any respect.
In terms of origins, East King Duke was merely formed from the first wisp of innate yang energy. How could he compare to their Pangu's Orthodox Lineage?
Just as Qin Mu had expected,
the moment the Celestial Court Envoy finished speaking, Tongtian's expression darkened. He barked:
"Get out!"
With that shout, Tongtian swept his sleeve, unleashing a tremendous surge of invisible power.
"Boom! Bang!"
Before the Great Principle Golden Immortal could even react, he was sent flying and slammed hard into the ground outside Kunlun Mountain.
After knocking the Celestial Court Envoy away, Tongtian turned to Taishang:
"Eldest Brother, isn't East King Duke being far too arrogant?"
"Does he really think he's Head of Male Immortals, free to command the entire Primordial Wilderness?"
Taishang narrowed his eyes slightly, looking thoughtful.
After a moment's consideration, he replied:
"It doesn't matter."
"His time is almost up."
With that, the Three Pure Ones said no more about the matter and continued discussing the Dao.
Taishang hadn't said much, but Qin Mu understood what he meant by "his time." It was the death calamity awaiting East King Duke.
Meanwhile, outside Kunlun Mountain, the Celestial Court Envoy had crashed heavily to the ground.
When he got up, he saw that Kunlun Mountain's Mountain-Protecting Array had already closed.
"Hmph!"
The Celestial Court Envoy snorted. He hadn't expected that after traveling such a long way, the Three Pure Ones would treat him this way.
Of course, he was furious but didn't dare voice his anger.
Fuming, he turned into a streak of light and flew away.
East Sea, Purple Mansion Continent.
This was where East King Duke had taken form.
That was why he'd established the Immortal Court's foundations on Purple Mansion Continent,
using the Immortal Court's Fortune to protect the land from which his power had risen.
At the center of Purple Mansion Continent, East King Duke had spent vast resources and great power to build an extravagant palace.
The palace sprawled across the land, surrounded by clouds and mist, with ornate beams and painted rafters.
It looked exceedingly magnificent and grand.
At that moment, celestial maidens danced in the Immortal Court's main hall, while ethereal music drifted through the air.
In the seat of honor, a man lounged and enjoyed himself.
He was handsome, with white hair and a jade-like face.
He was none other than the Head of Male Immortals and lord of the Immortal Court, East King Duke!
Suddenly, a beam of golden light descended outside the hall.
A moment later, the Celestial Court Envoy came rushing into the main hall, stumbling and tumbling along the way.
At the sight, the music and dancing came to a halt.
"Hmm?"
East King Duke's brow furrowed as he stared at the Great Principle Golden Immortal:
"What happened?"
"Didn't I send you to Kunlun Mountain to invite the Three Pure Ones?"
With a long face, the Great Principle Golden Immortal recounted everything that had happened at Kunlun Mountain.
"What?"
After hearing him out, East King Duke flew into a rage and smashed the jade table before him with a single blow.
"Outrageous!"
"How dare the Three Pure Ones show me such disrespect?"
East King Duke's face flushed with anger.
In his view, he was the Head of Male Immortals personally appointed by Ancestor Hongjun, ruling over all the immortals of the Primordial Wilderness.
How dare the Three Pure Ones slight him like this?
They'd even sent his messenger flying with a single slap.
Wasn't that a blatant slap in his face?
But for all his fury, East King Duke ultimately forced himself to hold back.
After all, the Three Pure Ones were powerful. He couldn't beat them!
And in the future, the three of them would become Saints.
That made them even harder to offend.
Time slipped by.
Before long, several thousand years had passed.
Kunlun Mountain.
Clouds and mist swirled as rays of light blazed across the sky.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a powerful aura burst forth from within a cave dwelling.
Before long, a man slowly emerged from the cave.
That man was none other than Qin Mu.
After listening to the Three Pure Ones discuss the Dao, he'd returned to his cave dwelling to cultivate in seclusion.
Over the past few thousand years, with the aid of pills, his cultivation had broken through to the Taiyi Golden Immortal level.
At that moment, stars seemed to turn in Qin Mu's eyes, while his aura stretched deep and vast as an abyss.
"I've finally reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal level!"
Qin Mu let out a long breath. Feeling the surging power within him, he was overjoyed.
Over the past several thousand years, he'd refined even more of the Fire Spirit Pearl's restrictions. With the help of pills, he'd also successfully broken through his bottleneck and advanced to the Taiyi Golden Immortal level.
What delighted him even more was that after so many years of cultivation, his Exclusive Great Dao Level Cultivation Method had finally reached the first layer.
Within him, a Sword Leaf had fully solidified, no longer looking as illusory as before.
As Qin Mu was marveling at this, a system notification sounded in his mind:
[ Ding! ] [ The host's Exclusive Great Dao Level Cultivation Method has reached the first layer. ] [ Innate Divine Ability awakened—Heaven-Defying Comprehension! ]
"Hmm?"
Qin Mu was taken aback, his eyes flashing.
"I solidified a Sword Leaf and awakened an Innate Divine Ability—Heaven-Defying Comprehension?"
"Does that mean that with Heaven-Defying Comprehension, I can grasp any cultivation method, divine ability, or Great Dao Law without any hindrance?"
"Doesn't that mean my comprehension has reached the highest level in the Primordial Wilderness?"
Qin Mu was stunned.
He hadn't expected that solidifying just one Sword Leaf would grant him such an astonishing divine ability.
"Now that my cultivation has advanced,"
"and I have Heaven-Defying Comprehension,"
"it's time to go out and gain some experience."
Qin Mu murmured to himself, determination flashing in his eyes. He then shot toward Tongtian's cave dwelling.
It wasn't long before Qin Mu arrived.
At that moment, Tongtian sat cross-legged on the Cloud Platform, Daoist aura swirling around him.
When Qin Mu entered the hall, a hint of approval flashed in Tongtian's eyes.
"Not bad. You've reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal level. You haven't disgraced your master."
Tongtian said with a smile. At a glance, he could tell that Qin Mu had broken through the Golden Immortal level and advanced to the Taiyi Golden Immortal level.
Qin Mu bowed respectfully to Tongtian and said:
"Master, this disciple would like to go down the mountain and travel for a while."
Before you continue