The Jade Emperor knew jack shit. Watching the scene now, he smiled. "Just in time. The enormous price I paid wasn't wasted!"
Thousand-Mile Eye knew that persuading Daoist Haitian was no easy task, and persuading Daoist Lord Lingbao was harder still. Haitian alone might not have been able to rein in veterans like Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Goddesses. Unless Lingbao agreed, it wouldn't work, so the price must have been steep.
"Thank you for your efforts, Your Majesty!" He promptly laid on the flattery. "Only Your Majesty can turn the tide and save the Heavenly Court from danger!"
The Jade Emperor found that very pleasing. Stroking his beard, he said, "The world is ever-changing. When one door closes, another opens. Ever since I came into contact with that bastard, my thinking has broadened considerably. I ought to thank that scoundrel Natural Daoist, too. Without him, I wouldn't have become so open-minded, stepping outside the chessboard to survey the whole game!"
Thousand-Mile Eye's eyes shifted. You're just terrified of being screwed over by Dongwang Gong again, aren't you? He's traumatized you!
"This incident looks like a crisis, but it's actually an opportunity. You simply have to look at it from another angle. I learned all this from Natural Daoist, haha! Crisis and opportunity are only a word apart, and in truth, they can't be completely separated. I may have paid a price, but look: Daoist Haitian has come forward to read my decree. From now on, the Jiejiao faction will draw closer to me. It signals which way the wind is blowing: Lingbao supports me.
"The Twelve Golden Immortals under the Primordial Lord all occupy high positions. They obey me in word but not in spirit, arrogant and unruly. Their influence is immense, making them the strongest faction in