Theft and Withdrawal

Why was it stolen?

"We didn't see anything?"

"Not a trace was left!"

"Everyone must open their own storage bags and search them thoroughly to see if anyone has stolen anything!"

"Are you kidding me? How could a storage bag possibly hold so many?"

In the Lingxiao Palace, which should have been the site of the centennial celebration, some great immortals hurried away, while others came to report.

Why are you looking at me? I'm a victim too!

Laojun paced back and forth in the Lingxiao Palace, getting increasingly agitated by the furtive glances from the crowd, indicating that his own Tushita Palace had also been robbed, suffering equally heavy losses.

"Fortunately, most of the stolen items were for spiritual practice, and none were treasures that would sustain my life!"

In the main hall, an elderly man with a youthful face and white hair offered words of comfort with a look of relief.

"Venus, since your house hasn't been burgled, you can speak with ease!"

"What items were stolen from the home of Fire Virtue -True Lord? Should an inventory be taken?"

"An inventory check is definitely necessary!"

When Chang Geng Xingjun asked a question, Fire Virtue True Lord, filled with righteous indignation, lowered his voice considerably.

"Don't wash your dirty linen in public; don't let others laugh at you," the Barefoot Immortal reminded them.

"That's right!"

Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, who had rushed back and then returned, also nodded.

It was one thing for many of his colleagues from the Immortal Court to be making a ruckus in the Lingxiao Palace, but it would undoubtedly be very embarrassing if word got out about this theft.

But the theft is far more troublesome than other issues.

Seeing that the Star Lord Chang Geng picked up a scroll of heavenly book to record something, many people looked uneasy and began to change the subject.

"Holy Son, why aren't they discussing the thief anymore?"

Left out in the cold, Cai Ma asked Zhang Xuezhou in a low voice, but Zhang Xuezhou did not answer.

Zhang Xuezhou had committed some thefts within the Great Heavenly Evolution Boundless Array, but not this many. Moreover, Zhang Xuezhou regarded the pills placed in the Tushita Palace as rewards, and his actions when taking them were dishonest, inevitably leaving traces.

At present, these traces of the Tushita Palace have been erased and cannot be found, and even Laojun has not been able to trace them back to him.

"They've already said we shouldn't wash our dirty linen in public," Zhang Xuezhou replied casually.

"But we already know that the Lingxiao Secret Realm has been stolen," Cai Ma said.

"Say less, and you'll have fewer opportunities to make a fool of yourself!"

Zhang Xuezhou responded in a low voice.

Cai Ma ate the flawed spiritual fruits on his table, and their relationship immediately became very good.

Cai Ma was indebted to him, and Zhang Xuezhou had also benefited from the situation, so he would certainly not jump out at this time, especially since his own actions had also been dealt with.

Of course, cleaning up the mess doesn't mean helping Zhang Xuezhou; even if he were investigated, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't bear the blame for the large-scale theft.

There is clearly a great conflict within the Immortal Court, and this conflict most likely involves cultivation resources.

Thinking of the array space set up under the Jade Emperor's throne, the thousands of large boxes of treasures placed there, and the mirage pearl that the other party was demanding, he couldn't help but ponder.

The Lingxiao Palace was as noisy as the East and West Markets, so Zhang Xuezhou and Cai Ma's whispering didn't stand out much.

As Chang Geng Xingjun (the Star Lord of the Moon) attempted to record the events from half of the Heavenly Book, the noise in the Lingxiao Palace began to subside significantly, while others quickly pulled at the grand gathering.

"The grand gathering of a century has concluded, and the order of the Three Realms has been restored. Western Kunlun took the lead during the gathering, and Lingxiao welcomes the Haotian Emperor to guide us!"

At the very front of the main hall, the thirteen-zhang-tall divine body no longer appeared in the auspicious clouds, but the voice of the Jade Emperor filled everyone's ears.

"Our Western Sect is willing to follow the arrangements of Kunlun and Lingxiao to build a century-long order, thereby maintaining the stability of the Three Realms," the Sect Master Jieyin said calmly.

"Why?"

The Jade Emperor spoke first, Sect Master Jieyin fawned over him. This sudden change of heart caught Xuan Nu off guard, and she could only casually echo his words.

Xuan Nu felt that things would have to be debated to some extent, and that the Heavenly Venerable and the Great Immortals were not Qi Ingestion, thus generating resistance.

The agreement to last a century is one thing, but its implementation is another.

The Jade Emperor in the Lingxiao Palace is undoubtedly a weathervane, but this weathervane shifted too directly, with the Jade Emperor showing no sign of dissent.

"I have ruled the Immortal Court for over a thousand years without any achievements, always accomplishing nothing, so I won't cause any trouble for the Haotian Emperor!"

Within the Lingxiao Palace, the auspicious clouds spoke again.

This time, the Sect Master Jieyin did not choose to follow, but instead showed a look of astonishment on his face.

"His Majesty..."

"Since the rules have been set, then we must abide by them!"

Just as Chang Geng Xingjun uttered a sound in confusion, the voice from the auspicious clouds spoke again.

"To avoid any controversy, I am willing to go into seclusion in the Pixiang Palace for a hundred years to demonstrate my sincerity!"

Layers of auspicious clouds rolled and rolled in the main hall, then gradually faded away, revealing an elderly emperor sitting on a high seat at the very front of the Lingxiao Hall.

He slowly stood up, removed the crown from his head, stepped down from the golden throne, and stood below it with his hands clasped in a gesture of respect. His expression was one of desolation, a far cry from the aloof and supreme image of an emperor.

"His Majesty?"

Laojun, who was also suspected of theft from the Tushita Palace, was somewhat taken aback. He uttered a sentence, then shut his mouth and finally fell silent.

The Immortal Court has won far too many times, so many that many people consider winning to be a normal and natural thing.

Even though the Immortal Court suffered a defeat in the Western Kunlun region, no one doubted that the Immortal Court would be eliminated from the grand event.

But things were disappointing; all the careful planning was in vain. The Holy Son of Western Kunlun directly took the top spot in the Immortal Court's home arena, and even though the Immortal Court cultivators took second and third place, they couldn't catch up in the accumulated points.

The Jade Emperor's outright surrender caused the expressions of some powerful immortals to change repeatedly, even lightening the somber mood of their homes being burglarized.

"The Heavenly Court has always kept its promises and kept its doors closed. I am merely following basic principles in my actions. I will not force you all to obey my decision, but you must remember that whether you stay in Lingxiao or leave, you must abide by the rules set by Kunlun, lest you lose your lives for it!"

The old emperor's words were like a heavy stone thrown into a deep pool, splashing up countless waves.

Many self-proclaimed spiritual masters had previously expressed righteous indignation about their own home being burglarized, but in the blink of an eye, they are facing the collapse and reconstruction of order, leaving many people feeling uneasy.

"He's using a strategic retreat to advance!"

Standing in the Lingxiao Palace, Zhang Xuezhou looked at the elderly emperor who had removed his crown.

The Jade Emperor, recognized by all the celestial officials, appeared in a different form, unlike the middle-aged appearance Zhang Xuezhou had seen before, and also unlike the appearance shrouded in clouds and mist.

"He downplayed the theft and used his disappointment to escape trouble. Was taking so many important items from the celestial officials to preserve capital for a comeback?"

Even though Zhang Xuezhou was knowledgeable and intelligent, he didn't fully understand the Jade Emperor's intentions.

Zhang Xuezhou had witnessed the behavior of some immortals. Immortals like Yao Yuanguang from the outer sect were constantly on the move, Nezha acted according to his whims, Jinxia Yuanjun and others formed their own forces, the immortals led by Li Jing wantonly killed Li Shaojun, and there were also many immortals who dawdled and pretended to investigate, while in the Yin-Yang Secret Realm, immortals killed each other, and there were also cases where Yuanshi Tianzun had to personally travel to the place.

Zhang Xuezhou glimpsed part of it, but not the whole thing.

He had only been in the Immortal Court for a short time and was not familiar with the internal workings of this large power that had lasted for over a thousand years.

"Does he want the teacher to play the villain for a hundred years, purging the Immortal Court, and then make a comeback at the grand gathering a hundred years later?"

Having witnessed the successive changes in the Scarlet Alliance State Council, Zhang Xuezhou felt that the Immortal Court, a power with an extremely long history, was also undergoing painful reforms.

The centennial celebration is more of a pretext, and even the emperor is likely to be used as a target.