As the Heavenly Emperor, what was wrong with being a little forceful?

The cultivators present were all occupied with their own thoughts, so Haotian had no interest in the music and dancing either.

His little test just now

had let him see the Six Sages' true colors clearly.

It had also made Dao Ancestor Hongjun's current stance completely clear.

He, Haotian, had gotten the answer he wanted.

For now, the Old Man in Zixiao Palace was still on his side.

The result hadn't disappointed Haotian.

He hadn't done anything out of line yet, nor had he shown the slightest hint of misconduct.

Under those circumstances, it was only natural for the Old Man to stand with him.

After all, if the Sages killed him, Haotian, Hongjun would be the one made a laughingstock.

East Prince Gong's fall could still be blamed on his failure to read the situation.

But if Haotian were killed too,

what authority would Dao Ancestor Hongjun have left?

Two leaders personally appointed in succession had been killed by others.

How could Hongjun still command respect among the cultivators of the Primordial World?

Since the Dao Ancestor had put Haotian on the throne, Haotian represented Dao Ancestor Hongjun's reputation.

He also represented the future order of the Primordial World.

And, more importantly, its future stability.

In the original course of events, Haotian had gone to complain once,

and the Dao Ancestor had used that as an opportunity to set a Measure Calamity in motion.

Never mind whether Dao Ancestor Hongjun had other motives for doing so.

The fact remained that the calamity had arisen because Haotian had complained.

Besides, Haotian had come from Zixiao Palace. He could at least be considered half a disciple.

The Sages cared about their reputations, but did Dao Ancestor Hongjun not care about his?

He, Dao Ancestor Hongjun, had merely joined with the Dao. He wasn't dead.

As for having offended the Six Sages,

Haotian didn't regret it all that much.

If it had only been the Six Sages looking down on him, that would've been one thing.

They had high cultivation, after all.

But what did those Sage disciples have to brag about?

Their cultivation wasn't even as high as his. What gave them the right to look down on him?

It would've been one thing if they'd only looked down on him in their hearts. They acted that way, too.

And he was supposed to put up with schemes from the Six Sages as well.

Ever since he'd taken the position of Heavenly Emperor, every Measure Calamity in the Primordial World had dragged him into it.

What was even more infuriating was this:

The Investiture of the Gods Calamity had fully staffed the Heavenly Court.

Yet in the end, cultivators from the Three Teachings had sidelined him.

A dignified Heavenly Emperor had actually been turned into a laughingstock of the Primordial World by several Sages.

If Haotian wanted even a little peace of mind, he'd have to stand up to these Great Sects led by Sages.

Endure?

Not a chance.

The more he endured, the angrier he got. Every step back only made him feel more cheated!

As the Heavenly Emperor, what was wrong with being a little forceful?

If he wasn't forceful, what kind of Heavenly Emperor would he be?

Time passed slowly.

The banquet in the Jade Pool Immortal Realm was nearing its end amid the guests' conflicting thoughts.

Seeing that the time was right,

Haotian finally gathered his thoughts and rose to his feet. "Fellow Daoists!

I am deeply grateful for the Dao Ancestor's favor!

He bestowed the position of Heavenly Emperor upon me!

I know full well how great a responsibility it is.

The Heavenly Court is still in its infancy. I hope you'll remember our past ties

and give me your support!

Of course!

I don't intend to use our past ties to pressure you into abandoning your current ways of cultivation and joining the Heavenly Court.

As for joining the Heavenly Court and working together to maintain stability in the Primordial World,

my position has always been that it is entirely voluntary.

Those who wish to join are welcome.

I will surely entrust them with important responsibilities.

Those who don't wish to join need not force themselves.

They need only be mindful of their words and deeds from now on.

They must not bring needless bloodshed to the Primordial World or create all manner of evil karma,

lest the karmic ties of the Primordial World fall into disorder.

Since all you fellow Daoists are gathered here today, I am willing to form an alliance with you to maintain peace in the Primordial World.

From this day forward, cultivators of the Primordial World must not slaughter its living beings on a grand scale.

Cultivators of the Primordial World must not disrupt its Karma.

Cultivators of the Primordial World must not disrupt its order.

The Heavenly Court will surely punish any cultivator of the Primordial World burdened with grave Karmic Debt.

What do you all think of these four rules?"

As Haotian finished speaking, the cultivators present fell silent.

In their hearts, they grumbled.

They'd known this banquet wouldn't be a simple affair.

Haotian was trying to lay down rules for them!

But Haotian now had "the truth" on his side.

He'd even dared to stand up to a Sage. If they openly resisted, things might turn ugly.

Still, these rules weren't unreasonable as far as they were concerned.

They were Mystic Gate cultivators from Zixiao Palace. Who would go around doing such things?

Only disciples of the Interception Sect, sheltered by their Sage, failed to show restraint.

A moment later,

many cultivators spoke in unison. "The Great Heavenly Venerate's words are indeed sound advice for maintaining peace in the Primordial World.

We have no reason to object.

We agree to these four rules on our own behalf."

Seeing so many cultivators speak up,

Daoist Duobao and the other Interception Sect disciples felt terribly uncomfortable.

They felt targeted.

But the tide of events was surging. How could they possibly turn it back?

With no choice, they could only voice their agreement.

Seeing the cultivators accept the rules, Haotian nodded in satisfaction.

He hadn't expected them to attend a Peach Banquet and agree to join the Heavenly Court.

But securing this alliance was still a win for him.

At the very least, he would now have a legitimate basis for his actions.

With these four rules, he could establish countless Heavenly Rules and regulations.

Haotian then spoke. "Thank you for your support, fellow Daoists!

Rest assured!

When I establish Heavenly Rules and regulations, I will use these four rules as their foundation and refine them in detail.

I thank you all for coming to the banquet!

You are all true cultivators devoted to your practice, so I won't take up any more of your time.

Forgive me for not seeing you out!"

Hearing this, the cultivators immediately cupped their hands. "Great Heavenly Venerate, please stay!

We take our leave!"

With that,

the cultivators left the Heavenly Court in groups of three or five.

Once they had all departed,

Yaochi said to Haotian, "Your Majesty, why did you have to confront the Sage head-on?"

Haotian's eyes blazed as he replied, "Confront him?

No!

This is something I had to go through.

If I'd chosen to hold back this time, how would I deal with the Sage's disciples in the future?

Would I have to hold back every time?

A cultivator's desires have no end.

Get them a little, and they'll only want more.

It's just like the pursuit of cultivation. There's never a day when one can stop."

Hearing Haotian's words, Yaochi fell into thought.

How could she not understand what the Sage's disciples were thinking?

They simply didn't want the Heavenly Court to place any restrictions on them.

If that were all they wanted, it wouldn't be a problem.

Freedom, after all!

Who didn't want it?

But the question was, did freedom have no limits?

Freedom without any limits would be a disaster for the Primordial World.

It would also trample on the authority of the Heavenly Court.

When that happened, the Heavenly Court, which had let the Sage's disciples do as they pleased, would surely suffer the consequences too.

Others would enjoy the blessings,

while the Heavenly Court would have to share the blame.

Suffering for no reason was bad enough.

The worst part was having to put up with the cultivators' arrogance as well.

And who knew how much they might end up suffering?

What if they dragged the Heavenly Court into another Measure Calamity?

Or something even worse—what if they brought the Immeasurable Calamity early?

After a moment, she sighed.

"Since you've already made up your mind, Your Majesty, I won't say any more.

Please go on ahead. I'll see to the arrangements and take care of the aftermath."

Haotian nodded. "Then I'll leave the hard work to you!"

With that, Haotian set off for Taiwei Palace.