Probing the Essence! Pawn? Player? All Sides Gather

Buzz! With a single thought, the Heavenly Court Phantom manifested behind Di Jun. As if the collective power of all living beings bore down upon his pupils, brilliant golden light shone forth as layers upon layers of Dao rings formed at the depths of his eyes. Mythological authority seemed to reach its ultimate sublimation, tracing a vertical line at the center of Di Jun's brow.

He was the Lord of the Heavenly Court—the master of the Mythological Imperial Dynasty.

Empowered by the Mythological Imperial Dynasty!

With a single glance, mythological authority cascaded layer upon layer, as if piercing through illusion straight to the root of existence. Every trace of past, future, and lingering imprint hidden beneath the void in the Land of Guixu was laid bare before Di Jun's eyes.

"Power beyond the Hunyuan Realm. One side carries a faint aura of the Heavenly Dao; the other side bears multiple auras, all Hunyuan, all ancient—just as I thought."

"This Enlightenment Tea Tree was deliberately made to emerge!"

"Who are the players? Dao Ancestor Hongjun? And the other side? Is it Them? Soon, soon—the answer draws closer and closer."

A hint of amusement curled at the corner of his mouth. Di Jun's eyes flickered, then the authority of the Mythological Imperial Dynasty faded, and his expression returned to calm.

The Primordial World as a chessboard—several players behind the scenes moving their pieces.

Was he a piece of the Dao Ancestor? And East King Duke—was he one of the others'?

"Once the Mythological Cultivation System emerges, who is the piece and who is the player remains to be seen. The great game has only just begun!"

His gaze deep, Di Jun sat cross-legged on his cushion, yet seemed more like he was seated upon a throne, overlooking the evolution of boundless realms like a supreme sovereign. Where his eyes reached were the All Heavens and Myriad Realms.

"Kunpeng, Randeng—go to the Land of Guixu. Taiyi, Nuwa, Fuxi—you provide support. If necessary, make your move. Be sure to bring back the Enlightenment Tea Tree."

His lips moved slightly, and Di Jun's lofty, majestic voice resounded throughout the entire Nine Heavens.

With that, Di Jun slowly closed his eyes, and the vast Heavenly Emperor Palace returned to silence.

"As Your Majesty commands."

"As Your Majesty commands."

"As Your Majesty commands."

In their respective Dao fields, Kunpeng, Randeng, and the other high-ranking members of the Heavenly Court opened their eyes one after another, rose, and bowed deeply toward the Heavenly Emperor Palace before all the Heavenly Court giants shouted in unison.

"I've watched Nuwa and the others show off long enough—finally, it's my turn."

Surrounded by ancient, faintly glowing lamps, Randeng's eyes opened and closed, all visions converging as a smile crept onto his face.

"My Myriad Phenomena Dharma Aspect is initially complete—time to test it out."

Kunpeng's eyes flickered. Behind him, not only did the roc spread its wings and the kun fish surge skyward, but dragons and phoenixes coiled, qilins roared, heavenly horses seemed to neigh, and auspicious beasts and strange birds bowed their heads. A thread of battle intent gradually erupted from Kunpeng's body.

The two looked at each other, their gazes crossing countless spans of space to meet directly. With a slight nod of mutual acknowledgment, Randeng and Kunpeng simultaneously tore through the void and descended to the Primordial World.

At the end of the Four Seas.

The once vast, seemingly boundless Land of Guixu had been utterly shattered by the emergence of the Enlightenment Tea Tree. The space filled with Chaos airflow had completely dissipated, replaced by an Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree that seemed even larger than a world, standing firm in the void.

Its sheer magnitude made even a Small Thousand World seem like a grain of rice before it, and ordinary realms like specks of dust. Even without approaching within billions of kilometers, one could feel the intense Dao Rhyme, as if it contained the true essence of the Great Dao—a single insight could transform one's Dao Fruit.

Countless divine lights flashed, waves of spatial force surged, and one by one, Primordial Great Powers arrived and descended within the range radiated by the Enlightenment Tea Tree.

The Head of Female Immortals, Queen Mother of the West!

The Lord of the Sea of Blood, Minghe!

The Primordial Spirit of Pangu, the Three Pure Ones!

The Lunar Goddesses, Xihe and Changxi!

The Two Western Sages, Junti and Jieyin!

Zhen Yuanzi of Longevity Mountain, and Hong Yun!

And beyond them, the Three Thousand Guests who had once listened to Dao Ancestor Hongjun's lectures at Purple Cloud Palace!

Though countless ages had passed and many of those three thousand guests had fallen or fallen behind, several dozen had still broken through to the Quasi-Sage Realm.

The number of Quasi-Sages gathered here had reached several dozen!

The Primordial World powerhouses who had originally harbored thoughts of contending for the Enlightenment Tea Tree fell silent at the sight, then quietly withdrew.

Boom!!!

The Heavenly Court Phantom descended, its majestic heavenly might spreading outward. Everyone immediately looked toward the void, their eyes filled with gravity—clearly aware that the Heavenly Court was the true rival, or rather, the common enemy of all!

Light of Jieyin descended from the heavens, and Kunpeng and Randeng swiftly crossed the two realms to arrive in the region of the Enlightenment Tea Tree.

"The Heavenly Emperor sent only the two of you?" Shangqing raised an eyebrow.

"If that's not enough, naturally there will be others." Randeng said with a chuckle.

"..."

Thinking of the awe-inspiring display of Nuwa, Fuxi, and Taiyi in the battle at Purple Mansion, every Primordial Great Power present felt a pang of dread.

Boom!!!

At that moment, vast, rolling purple qi radiated from the distant horizon, as if to cover infinite cosmos and manifest endless visions.

"Purple Mansion?"

"The Zifu elites were nearly wiped out in the Heavenly Court battle, and East King Duke himself was severely wounded. How could he possibly qualify to contend for the Enlightenment Tea Tree? This Seat has come in person?"

"Oh? This is..."

"Ten Quasi-Saints??? Where did ten Quasi-Saints come from? Can East King Duke mass-produce Quasi-Saints?"

"Something's wrong. East King Duke has someone backing him! This can't be explained by mere fortune!"

One by one, the Primordial Great Powers' eyes flashed with sharp light. They had been curious at first, but when they saw the ten arrivals from Zifu—especially the auras radiating from them—everyone's expression shifted slightly, and countless thoughts immediately raced through their minds.

None of them were fools. If they still couldn't see anything by now, there would truly be something wrong.

"The Ten Kings of Zifu greet you all. The Enlightenment Tea Tree's barrier is about to dissipate. We have all come here to contend for it. Since that's the case, why not be straightforward? How shall we divide the Enlightenment Tea Tree and the Three Thousand Great Dao Tea Leaves? Why not discuss it?"

The leader of the ten Quasi-Saints from Zifu, the Snake King, progenitor of the Tengshe Clan, spoke in a cold, dark tone. Though his words were addressed to everyone, his gaze locked solely onto Kunpeng and Randeng. The implication was clear.

Hearing the Snake King's words, all the Great Powers' gazes turned in unison toward Kunpeng and Randeng, who represented the Heavenly Court and Di Jun. After all, who held the greatest power here was obvious at a glance.

"Since someone has asked, let's settle the matter and avoid wasting time. The Heavenly Court wants the Enlightenment Tea Tree. The Heavenly Court also wants the Three Thousand Great Dao Tea Leaves that this Yuanji has nurtured from the tree. If any of you have thoughts or objections, speak them freely."

Kunpeng said slowly.

"???"

At these words, everyone's breath hitched.

Are you serious?

Is the Heavenly Court being serious?

There are nearly a hundred Quasi-Saint realm Great Powers seated here, with some cultivators even approaching the peak of the early Quasi-Saint stage. You two want to take it all for yourselves? Are you sure you didn't misspeak?

Thanks to boss [Feng Lan] for the 100 starting point coin tip support. Boss is generous~~~

Ping Fan will work hard to write better content and plot to repay you. I won't say much else—Ping Fan can only promise that the subsequent plot will be even more exciting and satisfying. I've already outlined millions of words of main and detailed outlines. Even I find the grand scope thrilling and exhilarating QAQ. I can't wait to write it all out.