You just need to grow as tall as Three Flower Lady's little bamboo pole from now on.

"Insolence!"

A dignified, composed voice rang out from deep within the white clouds, from some unknown palace or pavilion.

"With the body of a mortal, you dared defy the heavens and ascend to the Heavenly Palace, violating the Heavenly Laws. You claimed the gods were lacking in virtue and sought to restore the road to heaven, yet secretly tampered with the passage between heaven and man, bringing it under your control. This is even less tolerable to heaven and earth—a crime deserving ten thousand deaths! Is this what Fulong Temple's present generation has come to—a hypocrite like you?"

"Everything I have done was reported to the Heavenly Dao. I gained the Heavenly Dao's approval above and the support of the people below; that is how I prevailed. Any god in heaven with a clear mirror in their heart knows this well. That is why none came to aid you."

That brief sentence plunged the palace into silence for a long while.

The divine officials and heavenly generals before him also hesitated.

Only after a long time did a voice emerge from there.

"Y-you insolent..."

It was a somewhat youthful voice.

Without even raising his eyes, the Taoist could tell that it was likely one of the Emperor of Heaven's two attendant officials—the brush-bearing official or the curtain-drawing official.

Those two were certainly loyal.

Only then did the Emperor of Heaven's voice ring out:

"Utter nonsense!"

The Taoist merely smiled and did not argue with him.

There was no point in arguing over such matters now. The true dispute had ended long ago, when the Four Directions and Four Saints and the two Buddhas were defeated and perished.

"The Emperor of Heaven's merits are insufficient and his virtue is lacking. He should have died with his soul scattered more than two