Humm!!! With a thought, the phantom of the Heavenly Court appeared behind Di Jun. Some unseen power of all living beings seemed to bolster his pupils, where brilliant golden light shone. Layer upon layer of Dao rings formed in his eyes, and his Mythological Imperial Dynasty's authority seemed to reach its ultimate sublimation, tracing a vertical mark between his brows.
He was the ruler of the Heavenly Court—in other words, the ruler of a Mythological Imperial Dynasty.
He drew power from his Mythological Imperial Dynasty!
With a single glance, his mythological authority unfolded layer by layer, as if it could pierce through illusion and reach the source. Everything hidden beneath the void in the Land of Guixu—the past, the future, every trace and imprint—was revealed to Di Jun.
"Power beyond the Hunyuan Realm. One side carries a faint aura of the Heavenly Dao, while the other has several different auras, but all are Hunyuan, and all are ancient. Just as I thought."
"This Enlightenment Tea Tree appeared deliberately!"
"Who are the players? Dao Ancestor Hongjun? And the other side? Is it them? Soon, soon. The answer is getting closer."
A hint of amusement tugged at Di Jun's lips. His eyes flickered, and the authority of his Mythological Imperial Dynasty faded as his expression returned to calm.
Was the Primordial Wilderness a game board, with several players behind the scenes making their moves?
Was he Dao Ancestor Hongjun's pawn? And was East King Duke a pawn of the others?
"Once the Mythological Cultivation System emerges, it remains to be seen who is a pawn and who is a player. The game has only just begun!"
Di Jun's gaze was profound. Though he sat cross-legged on a cushion, he seemed instead to be seated upon an imperial throne, watching the evolution of boundless realms as an unrivaled sovereign. The All Heavens and Myriad Realms lay within his sight.
"Kunpeng, Randeng, go to Guixu. Taiyi, Nuwa, Fuxi, stand by in support. If necessary, intervene. You must bring back the Enlightenment Tea Tree."
Di Jun's lips moved, and his lofty, imposing voice resounded throughout the Nine Heavens.
With that, Di Jun slowly closed his eyes. The vast Heavenly Emperor Palace fell silent once more.
"We obey Your Majesty's decree."
"We obey Your Majesty's decree."
"We obey Your Majesty's decree."
In their respective abodes, Kunpeng, Randeng, and the other high-ranking members of the Heavenly Court opened their eyes one after another. They rose and bowed deeply toward the Heavenly Emperor Palace, then all the leaders of the Heavenly Court called out in unison.
"Before now, I could only watch Nuwa and the others show off. At last, it's my turn."
Ancient, faintly glowing lamps surrounded Randeng. As his eyes opened and closed, all the strange phenomena faded away, and a smile appeared on his face.
"My Myriad Manifestations Dharma Aspect has taken shape. This is the perfect chance to put it to the test."
Kunpeng's eyes flickered. Behind him appeared not only a phantom of a Great Peng spreading its wings and a Kun Fish soaring skyward, but also a dragon and phoenix circling as a qilin roared. A heavenly horse seemed to neigh, while auspicious beasts and rare birds bowed their heads. Waves of fighting spirit gradually surged from Kunpeng.
The two exchanged glances across countless layers of space. After nodding to each other, Randeng and Kunpeng tore through the void and descended into the Primordial Wilderness.
At the end of the Four Seas.
The Land of Guixu, once vast and boundless, seemed to stretch on without end. But with the Enlightenment Tea Tree's emergence, it had been utterly shattered. The space that had contained Chaos airflow had completely vanished, replaced by an ancient Enlightenment Tea Tree, so enormous it seemed larger than a world, standing in the void.
It was so immense that even a Small Thousand World was but a speck before it, while ordinary realms were no more than dust. Even from billions of kilometers away, one could feel its dense Dao Rhyme, as if it contained the truth of the Great Dao. A mere glimmer of insight could transform one's Dao Fruit.
Countless streaks of divine light flashed past as waves of spatial power surged. One after another, Primordial Great Powers arrived within the range of the Enlightenment Tea Tree.
Queen Mother of the West, Head of Female Immortals!
Minghe, lord of the Sea of Blood!
The Three Pure Ones, Pangu's Primordial Spirit!
Xihe and Changxi, Lunar Goddesses!
Junti and Jieyin, the Two Sages of the West!
Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun, from Longevity Mountain!
There were also the Three Thousand Guests of Zixiao Palace, who had once listened to Dao Ancestor Hongjun preach.
Countless ages had passed. Many of the three thousand guests of the Purple Cloud Palace had perished, and many others had fallen behind, but dozens had broken through to the Quasi-Sage Realm.
The number of Quasi-Sages gathered here had already reached several dozen!
The Primordial Wilderness's powerful figures who had hoped to compete for the Enlightenment Tea Tree fell silent at the sight. Then, one by one, they quietly withdrew.
Boom!!!
The phantom of the Heavenly Court descended, and its majestic might spread outward. Everyone immediately looked toward the void, their eyes filled with solemnity. They all knew perfectly well that the Heavenly Court was the greatest rival—or rather, their common enemy!
A beam of light descended from the heavens, and Kunpeng and Randeng quickly crossed between the two worlds, arriving in the area around the Enlightenment Tea Tree.
"The Heavenly Emperor only sent the two of you?"
Shangqing raised an eyebrow.
"If that's not enough, others will come," Randeng replied with a genial smile.
"..."
At the thought of Nuwa, Fuxi, and Taiyi displaying their might in the battle at Purple Mansion, all the Primordial Great Powers felt their teeth ache.
Boom!!!
Just then, a vast tide of purple qi radiated from the distant horizon, as if it would cover the boundless cosmos and give rise to countless strange phenomena.
"The Purple Mansion?"
"The Purple Mansion's elite were nearly wiped out in the battle with the Heavenly Court, and East King Duke himself was seriously injured. What right does he have to compete for the Enlightenment Tea Tree? Is he coming in person?"
"Hmm? This is..."
"Ten Quasi-Sages??? Where did those ten Quasi-Sages come from? Can East King Duke mass-produce Quasi-Sages?"
"Something's wrong. Someone is backing East King Duke!? There's no way this can be explained as a mere fortuitous opportunity!"
The eyes of the Primordial Great Powers flashed. They had been wondering, but when they saw the ten people who had arrived from the Purple Mansion—especially the auras they carried—their expressions changed slightly, and countless thoughts immediately raced through their minds.
None of them were fools. If they still couldn't see what was going on by this point, something would truly be wrong.
"The Ten Kings of Zifu greet you all. The Enlightenment Tea Tree's restriction is about to fade. We have come here to compete for it. Since that's the case, why don't we get straight to the point? As for the three thousand Great Dao Tea Leaves the tree has produced this epoch, how should they be divided? Shall we discuss it?"
The speaker was the leader of the ten Quasi-Sages from the Purple Mansion, the Snake King, founder of the Tengshe Clan. His eyes were cold and indifferent. Though he addressed everyone, his gaze stayed fixed on Kunpeng and Randeng, making his meaning clear.
Hearing the Snake King's words, all the Great Powers turned their eyes toward Kunpeng and Randeng, who represented the Heavenly Court and Di Jun. After all, it was obvious who held the greatest power here.
"Since someone has asked, we might as well settle this now and save time. The Heavenly Court will take the Enlightenment Tea Tree, and we will also take the three thousand Great Dao Tea Leaves it produced this epoch. If anyone has any thoughts or objections, speak up."
Kunpeng spoke slowly.
"???"
At his words, everyone's breathing caught.
Are you serious?
Is the Heavenly Court actually serious?
There were nearly a hundred Quasi-Sage Realm Great Powers present. Some of the most powerful were already close to the peak of the early Quasi-Sage stage, and you two wanted to take everything for yourselves? Did we hear you right?
Thanks to [㐽岚], our generous patron, for the 100 Qidian Coins! You're too generous~~~
Ping Fan will work hard to write even better content and plot to repay you! I can't say much else, but I can promise that the later plot will be even more exciting and satisfying. I've already prepared several million words' worth of outlines and detailed plans. Even I think it'll be thrilling once the grand scheme unfolds QAQ. I can't wait to write it all out.
Before you continue