Lingxiao Palace.
The golden bell rang, and jade chimes pealed.
The tolling swept through layer upon layer of cloud seas, rolling down the ninety-nine tiers of White Jade Stairway.
In principle, anyone who attained the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit qualified to enter Lingxiao Palace and attend the Morning Court Assembly.
But rules were rules, and reality was reality.
The Heavenly Court had countless Golden Immortals holding nominal posts. If they all poured in, they would likely fill the entire hall.
Whether one qualified to stand at court depended less on cultivation than on official rank.
Chen Wei had previously carried a string of titles: Inspector of Tongming Hall, Left Commissioner. They sounded imposing, but in truth, he had been little more than an internal administrator of Tongming Hall, nowhere near the threshold of Lingxiao Palace.
Now, things were entirely different.
An Imperial Decree had descended, elevating the bureau into an institute. In one stroke, he had become the first Head of the Discipline Inspection Court. With that status, Chen Wei had finally received a pass to attend court and deliberate on affairs.
Inside the great hall, auspicious radiance streamed in a thousand trails, and rosy light shone in ten thousand rays.
Holding a white jade court tablet, Chen Wei lowered his eyes deferentially and walked toward the rear of the civil officials' ranks, finally taking his place near the hall doors.
It was certainly an out-of-the-way spot, practically tucked into a corner, but he was thoroughly satisfied.
Simply being allowed to stand inside the hall was a heaven-defying stroke of fortune!
Looking up, he saw the immortals assembled within. Which of them, taken on their own, was not a formidable figure whose renowned might shook the Three Realms?
He could breathe the same immortal qi as a hall full of