The day of the Purple Firmament Palace's "Jade Terrace Immortal Gathering"—or rather, the "Primordial Chaos's First Beauty Pageant"—arrived amid an atmosphere that was both exceedingly bizarre and fervent.
On this day, the Chaos beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens became lively once more. Completely unlike the solemn, wary, even slightly tragic atmosphere when the great powers had come to hear the Dao last time, this time, each dazzling streak of escape light appeared especially... flamboyant?
Rainbow feathered robes shimmered brilliantly; jade pendants chimed as immortal music drifted through the air.
In the past, escape lights pursued only speed and ferocity. Today, however, all sorts of dazzling special effects had been added: some rode seven-colored auspicious clouds, some scattered showers of flower petals behind them, and some were surrounded by starlit ornaments... It was as if they had not come to attend a "grand gathering" hosted by the Dao Ancestor, but to walk in a Primordial Chaos version of the Victoria's Secret show.
Queen Mother of the West had ultimately come. She rode in the Nine Phoenix Imperial Carriage, her ceremonial retinue imposing and her expression as cool as ever. Yet the brand-new palace robe she wore, woven from Ten Thousand Year Ice Silkworm Silk and adorned with Moon Essence and Star Gems, along with the Peach Wood hairpin in her hair that faintly flowed with Yi Mu Green Qi, all revealed careful preparation. She told herself this was for the dignity of Jade Pool, absolutely not for that... merit!
Empress Nuwa had come as well. She was the calmest of them all, arriving atop a blue luan, still bearing the compassionate and gentle appearance of a saint. Only, she now held a small and exquisite clay figurine in her hand, seemingly prepared to demonstrate "the beauty of creation" on a whim at any moment.
Golden Spirit Holy Mother, Holy Mother Wudang, Turtle Spirit Holy Mother, Yun Xiao, Qiong Xiao, Bi Xiao, and the other female immortals among the independent cultivators had come as a group under the encouragement—instigation, really—of "it'd be fun to go, build some prestige, and maybe win some merit while we're at it." They arrived in a lively flock, brimming with momentum.
Xi He, forced to participate with an icy expression; Chang Xi, looking curious yet speechless; and several alluring female Demon Saints from the Demon Master Palace also arrived one after another. Demonic qi and immortal radiance intertwined, forming a unique sight.
The Western Teachings had actually sent several bodhisattvas in female forms as well. Though their expressions were full of suffering, their Buddhist light was pure and their appearances solemn, as they attempted to interpret another kind of "beauty." Jieyin and Zhunti's thoughts were simple: merit! It had to be merit!
There were also the Dragon Girl of the dragon clan, the Phoenix Maiden of the phoenix clan, the Auspicious Maiden of the kirin clan, the Rakshasa Maiden from the Netherworld Sea of Blood, Qing Feng Ming Yue from Wuzhuang Temple in their young maiden forms... Even ancient female cultivators, spirits, and goddesses who had lived in seclusion and only emerged after hearing there was merit to be gained... Nearly seven or eight out of every ten female powers and cultivators in the Primordial Chaos with any reputation and a bit of confidence in their appearance and bearing had come!
The studded gates of the Purple Firmament Palace stood wide open for the first time. Even the two stone lions at the entrance, usually yawning, had been forcibly twisted by Xiao Kuang using his authority into "smiling" expressions, making them look especially bizarre.
Inside the palace, Xiao Kuang had used his authority to haphazardly remodel everything. Flashing colored lights hung everywhere, simulated with Chaos Qi; a red carpet was laid out, conjured from fire clouds; there was even a crooked T-shaped platform, supposedly a Dao Discussion Stage. At the very front stood a row of "judges' seats," occupied by the expressionless Xi He, Chang Xi, who had been forcibly seated there, and Queen Mother of the West, who had been dragged over by Xiao Kuang. Naturally, Xiao Kuang's luxurious reclining massage chair occupied the main seat.
The backstage area was even more chaotic. Female immortals from every faction were fighting over the best "dressing rooms," temporary little compartments, while sizing up one another's outfits. Invisible sparks of competition filled the air, along with the rich fragrance of all kinds of perfumes and spiritual herbs.
"The time has come! The first Jade Terrace Immortal Gathering officially begins!" Xiao Kuang announced listlessly from his chair, holding a microphone. "Next, contestant number one... Uh, who was it again? Oh, Fellow Daoist White Fox from Qingqiu Mountain! Please show everyone... her tail?"
A stunningly beautiful woman with fluffy white fox tails swaying behind her forced herself to endure the embarrassment as she stepped onto the stage and began displaying her sleek, glossy fur and nimble tail dance...
The female immortals below the stage: "..." Was this a beauty pageant or a pet competition?!
Before they could complain, however, a huge golden counter beside Xiao Kuang, condensed from Heavenly Dao Merit, drew every eye as the numbers on it began jumping!
[Merit reward for current talent display: +100]
She had only shown off her tail, and she got a hundred merit?! Every female immortal's eyes instantly turned red! Their complaints and sense of shame were immediately thrown beyond the ninth heaven!
"Number two! Who's number two? Get up here!" Xiao Kuang urged.
A Clam Spirit female immortal from the East Sea immediately rushed onto the stage. Without a word, she opened her shell, revealing dazzling pearls within. Their radiance illuminated the entire hall!
[Pearls and jewels, outstanding visual effect! +150 merit!]
"Number three! Fellow Daoist Houtu of the witch clan... Eh? What are you going to show us, Fellow Daoist? Pinching dirt with your bare hands?" Xiao Kuang looked at Houtu as she stepped onstage. She had not wanted to come in the first place, but the other Ancestral Witches had pushed her here under the pretense of "bringing glory to the witch clan and scamming some merit."
Houtu smiled gently and said nothing more. Breathing Soil flowed through her hands as she instantly molded lifelike miniature creatures of the Primordial Chaos. The aura of creation circulated around them, and Dao rhythm naturally emerged.
[Creation Divine Ability, profound substance! +300 merit!]
Xiao Kuang thought this craft could be used to make figurines in the future.
This completely ignited the crowd!
Who cared whether this event was absurd anymore? Who still had time to be reserved? Merit was what truly mattered!
What followed became utterly uninhibited!
Some female immortals performed Samadhi True Fire-roasted spirit fish on the spot, calling it "the beauty of cooking"!(+50 merit, the fish was burnt.) Some performed sword dances, their sword qi sweeping everywhere and nearly cleaving the judges' seats apart!(+200 merit, bonus points for dangerous moves.) Some simply began recounting their difficult cultivation journeys, weeping bitterly as they spoke!(+80 merit, emotional points.) The three Xiao sisters of the Severing Teaching directly set up a miniature Nine Bends Yellow River Formation, sending immortal light racing wildly through the hall and nearly causing chaos!(+500 merit, grand spectacle award.) The bodhisattvas of the Western Teachings preached scriptures on the spot, heavenly flowers raining down as they tried to convert the judges!(+250 merit, spiritual pollution fee?)
The entire Purple Firmament Palace had completely turned into a massive, chaotic, yet glittering golden—merit being distributed nonstop—bizarre talent show!
Xiao Kuang watched while yawning repeatedly, handing out scores entirely according to his personal preferences. If he found someone pleasing to the eye, he gave her more; if he found her talent boring, he pinched every last point. Whenever he saw a pretty young woman, his eyes lit up, and he practically wanted to award extra "beauty points."
Queen Mother of the West, Xi He, and Chang Xi, the three "judges," remained expressionless. Inside, they had long since gone numb and only wanted this farce to end quickly.
Meanwhile, beneath the stage, countless female immortals were frantically calculating how they could maximize their merit gains when it was their turn to go onstage. They had even begun studying Xiao Kuang's preferences.
"The Dao Ancestor seems to like fluffy tails?" "Is the Dao Ancestor interested in food?" "Does the Dao Ancestor prefer livelier ones?"
A supposedly solemn "Dao discussion and appreciation of beauty" had thoroughly turned into a merit competition centered around discerning the saint's will—the salted fish's will.
The moral integrity of the Primordial Chaos rapidly vanished at a speed visible to the naked eye, accompanied by the continuously distributed Heavenly Dao Merit...
Heavenly Dao (in deep sleep): Zzz...(Merit -100... Merit -200... Merit -500... Resource repository abnormal depletion warning... Ignored... Continuing sleep...)
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