The Heavenly Emperor's Seal Falls, Now It's Kunlun's Turn!

As Zhao Xuan finished speaking.

Guangchengzi's aura faltered instantly.

It was not that he dared not truly suppress Zhao Xuan.

Even if he could.

He could not let these words spread.

The Chan Sect could be lofty.

It could be pure.

It could remain untainted by the mortal world.

But it could not be branded with the reputation of hindering disaster relief while the East Sea was on the verge of collapse.

Otherwise, it would not just be a lack of merit.

It would be a lack of virtue!

BOOM!

Deep within the East Sea, another thunderous roar erupted.

A black-blue spiritual tide surged into the sky.

The surface of the sea was torn apart as if by an invisible giant hand.

A veteran official of the Dragon Palace turned deathly pale and knelt on the spot.

"Your Majesty!"

"The Third Sea Eye has cracked sixty percent!"

"If we delay any longer, even the Immortal Qingxiaozi may not be able to suppress it!"

Haotian's expression was grim.

He did not look at the Dragon Palace official.

Instead, he looked at Guangchengzi.

Guangchengzi stood upon the clouds, the Yuqing Immortal Light still roiling around him.

Yet at this moment, that immortal light appeared exceptionally glaring.

Haotian finally raised his hand.

The Heavenly Emperor Seal manifested once more.

Guangchengzi's expression shifted.

"Your Majesty!"

Haotian said coldly:

"Enough."

Guangchengzi furrowed his brows.

Haotian continued:

"The Heavenly Court's invitation has nothing to do with your Chan Sect."

"If Yuxu Palace finds it inappropriate, let Senior Brother Yuanshi come and speak to Me personally."

As his voice fell.

The sea surface suddenly went silent.

Taibai Jinxing lowered his head.

He knew that Haotian had already made his choice.

It was not because he was willing to bow his head.

It was because the East Sea could not wait.

And the Heavenly Court could not wait either.

Guangchengzi's expression finally changed.

He had not expected Haotian to distance the Chan Sect at such a time, right in front of the members of the Jie Sect.

Even if his intention was not to help Zhao Xuan.

It still sent a dangerous signal!

Zhao Xuan looked at Haotian.

"Has Your Majesty thought this through?"

Haotian's eyes were cold.

"Zhao Xuan, today I act for the sake of all living beings in the East Sea."

Zhao Xuan nodded.

"Very well."

He raised a finger and pointed.

Another line of text appeared on the jade slip.

"On behalf of all living beings in the East Sea, the Heavenly Court requests Jie Sect disciple Qingxiaozi to temporarily act as the Water Department guardian of the Third Sea Eye."

"All merits earned during this period shall belong to Qingxiaozi."

"All karma shall be borne by the Heavenly Court."

"Should the Sea Eye backlash damage his Dao foundation, the Heavenly Court shall provide additional compensation."

"Subsequent divine positions, authority, and destiny shall be settled separately."

Haotian stared at those lines of text.

His fingers slowly tightened.

He was the Heavenly Emperor.

He knew what it meant for this jade slip to be sent down.

From this day forward, whenever a Jie Sect disciple worked for the Heavenly Court, it would no longer be a muddled account.

There was a petition.

There was merit.

There was karma.

There was a subsequent settlement.

Yet, the roaring of the Third Sea Eye continued.

Haotian had no second choice.

The Heavenly Emperor Seal descended.

BOOM!

Golden light exploded.

The Heavenly Court Petition was finalized.

The eyes of every Jie Sect disciple on the sea surface lit up simultaneously.

The old ministers of the Dragon Palace nearly collapsed to the ground.

Taibai Jinxing let out a long breath.

Holy Mother Guiling sneered.

"Wouldn't it have been easier to just do this from the start?"

Haotian cast a cold glance at her.

Holy Mother Guiling's expression remained unchanged, showing not a shred of fear.

Zhao Xuan reached out to take the jade slip and scanned it.

After confirming everything was correct, he turned around.

"Qingxiaozi."

In the distance, Qingxiaozi immediately stepped forward.

"Senior Brother."

Zhao Xuan handed the jade slip to him.

"Take it."

"This is the first bit of dignity you are owed for these past two thousand years."

Qingxiaozi took it with both hands.

His knuckles turned white.

He lowered his head, his voice slightly hoarse.

"This disciple accepts the order."

Zhao Xuan said:

"Go to the Third Sea Eye."

"Suppress the formation only."

"Do not take the blame."

"If the Heavenly Court dares to pin any crimes on you again, use this petition to hold them accountable."

Qingxiaozi bowed deeply.

"Yes!"

The next moment.

He transformed into a streak of azure light, heading straight for the depths of the East Sea.

The old official of the Dragon Palace hurriedly rose to his feet.

"This old servant shall lead the way for the Exalted Qingxiaozi!"

Zhao Xuan glanced at him.

"The debt the Dragon Palace owes Qingxiaozi will be settled separately."

The old official's body stiffened.

"Understood."

"This old servant shall report this to the Dragon King upon returning."

Zhao Xuan said:

"It is not a report."

"It is a settlement."

The old official's face turned pale.

He dared not speak further, transforming into a streak of water to pursue Qingxiaozi.

In the distance.

The Third Sea Eye was still churning.

Black-blue spiritual tides surged out of the sea, lashing out in all directions like countless chains.

Several immortal officials from the Water Department stood guard on the periphery, their faces deathly pale.

They dared not approach.

They dared not enter the array even more.

Qingxiaozi descended into the spiritual tide.

He wasted no words.

He pressed down with one palm.

The array patterns in his palm suddenly flared with light.

The Sea-Suppressing Array, which had been in complete disarray, suddenly reacted.

A point of azure light ignited.

Then a second.

A third.

A fourth.

The immortal officials of the Water Department watched with stiff expressions.

The array veins they had studied for three days without understanding.

Qingxiaozi had reconnected the four array eyes with just a single palm strike.

Qingxiaozi said coldly:

"The southeast array flag is off by three inches."

"Who moved it?"

No one dared to answer.

Qingxiaozi continued:

"The northwest water vein was severed by thunder arts."

"Who authorized the Thunder Department to suppress the Sea Eye?"

Still, no one spoke.

Qingxiaozi did not ask again.

He raised his hand and waved it.

The Heavenly Court Petition hovered above his head.

Golden light cascaded down.

The Heavenly Emperor Mark connected with the Sea-Suppressing Array.

The karma that had originally weighed down his Dao foundation was, for the first time, diverted by the Heavenly Court Petition.

Qingxiaozi's eyes turned red in an instant.

It was not from grievance.

It was from pure satisfaction.

So, for these two thousand years, it was never that he couldn't suppress the Sea Eye.

It was that he had been shouldering far too much karma that was never his to bear.

"Suppress!"

Qingxiaozi let out a low shout.

Boom!

The Sea-Suppressing Array lit up.

A steady beam of formation light rose from the seabed.

The violent tide of spiritual energy was forcibly held back by a thin line.

The tremors on the sea surface eased slightly.

The old officials of the Dragon Palace knelt upon the water, tears of relief streaming down their faces.

"It's stable!"

"It's temporarily stabilized!"

Holy Mother Guiling looked at Haotian and sneered.

"Did you see that?"

"The hole you couldn't patch in three days."

"My Jie Sect disciples suppressed it the moment they arrived."

Zhao Gongming added, "In the past, this was out of friendship."

"From now on, this is a debt."

Taibai Jinxing's eyelids twitched.

Haotian did not speak.

His expression was far from pleasant.

Because the Sea Eye had been stabilized.

It proved one thing.

The Heavenly Court truly could not do without these Jie Sect disciples.

It even directly exposed the Heavenly Court's outward strength and inward weakness!

Guangchengzi's face looked even worse.

The faster Qingxiaozi stabilized the Sea Eye, the more ridiculous his previous words appeared.

So much for worldly karma.

So much for shallow roots and poor foundations.

So much for Jie Sect disciples being destined to bear the calamity.

When the disaster truly arrived, the ones who stepped up to suppress the Sea Eye were the very Jie Sect disciples he had disparaged.

Zhao Xuan, however, no longer looked at the Sea Eye.

He turned his gaze toward Guangchengzi.

"The Heavenly Court has signed."

"Now it is Kunlun's turn."

Guangchengzi's expression turned grim.

"Zhao Xuan, do not push your luck."

Zhao Xuan raised the jade slip inscribed with the Merits and Demerits of the Three Sects.

"It is not me pushing my luck."

"It is your Chan Sect that delivered itself to my doorstep."

"Had you not come, this debt would not have fallen upon your head today."

Guangchengzi said coldly, "This poor Daoist will not sign."

Zhao Xuan nodded.

"Very well."

"Then I shall write it down clearly."

He raised his hand and tapped the air.

Clear light rippled across the jade slip.

A line of text emerged.

"Chan Sect's Guangchengzi refuses to sign the audit of the Merits and Demerits of the Three Sects."

Guangchengzi's eyes turned icy.

The second line of text appeared immediately after.

"Those who have not performed meritorious service shall not be granted divine positions."

The third line.

"Those who have not borne the weight of the tribulation shall not be allocated shares of providence."

The fourth line.

"Furthermore, at the time of the Third Sea Eye crisis, obstruct the Heavenly Court from requesting Jie Sect disciples to suppress the sea."

With each sentence that fell.

Guangchengzi's expression grew a shade uglier.

Zhao Xuan looked at him.

"Junior Brother."

"Did I write something wrong?"