Permission Granted

A grand performance was taking place in the Lingxiao Palace.

The many anxious immortals looked at the dejected old emperor in the Lingxiao Palace.

Compared to the Three Pure Ones, the Jade Emperor's presence is not very prominent.

However, the order of the Immortal Court was formed around the Jade Emperor. Whether it was Yuanshi Tianzun, Laojun, or Lingbao Tianzun of Biyou Palace, these great figures only had the ability to form a sect, but did not have the talent to lead and control a country.

Although the Jade Emperor has not displayed his killing prowess in recent years, he has managed affairs in an orderly manner, allowing the Immortal Court to enjoy eight hundred years of prosperity and even maintain its hold on a region after five hundred years of continuous chaos.

The Lingxiao Secret Realm was developed under the leadership of the Jade Emperor, which led to its current scale.

They were used to the immense power of the three Celestial Venerables and acted with them as their leaders.

When the Jade Emperor resigned, many immortals became anxious, feeling that the power of the Immortal Court was about to dissipate.

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely not allowed!" Chang Geng Xingjun pleaded earnestly.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider. Even if we submit to the Western Kunlun system, it does not require Your Majesty to relinquish the position of the Immortal Court," Laojun said, frowning.

"That's right, Your Majesty!"

Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, also tried his best to persuade the Jade Emperor, and eventually, many great immortals bowed and sincerely begged the Jade Emperor to rescind his decision.

"Fourteen hundred years ago, Emperor Xin and Haotian held outdated views, which led to a rift and a protracted war in which gods and immortals fell one after another," the Jade Emperor said. "After these successive battles, few survived. Three hundred and sixty-five gods of Heavenly Court have fallen, and the Investiture of the Gods is now history. Do you, my lords, wish to participate in the Investiture of the Immortals and have your names inscribed on that list?"

"This..."

The immortals' earnest advice was met with silence.

"Now, if I simply step down from this position, and you all obey my orders, you can at least avoid being listed on the Immortal Ranking," the Jade Emperor said. "History is a clear lesson; we must not repeat the same mistakes!"

"Our Immortal Court is now protected by the Great Heavenly Evolution Boundless Array," Li Jing said unwillingly.

"The formation can only provide temporary safety," the Jade Emperor shook his head. "Simply cut off the spiritual spring, burn the spiritual tree, and seal the Heavenly Gate so we can't enter or leave. We'll be like turtles in a jar, eventually starving to death in the Lingxiao Secret Realm. Even the strongest formation will be useless then!"

"Your Majesty, alas!"

Laojun sighed.

The Jade Emperor was too honest; he even spoke of the Immortal Court's weaknesses in front of the people of Western Kunlun.

The Immortal Court has existed for far too long, and its internal structure has become rotten beyond recognition. The great immortals are either retired or contribute without putting in any real effort, and there are very few capable fighters.

If the Jade Emperor, as the main character, doesn't oppose them, even if the three Heavenly Venerables put in their efforts, they won't fare well. Moreover, Lingbao Heavenly Venerable has been in seclusion since being punished, and Laojun himself is in dire straits. Only Yuanshi Heavenly Venerable can exert his full strength.

If continuous conflicts occur, a second wave of the Investiture of the Gods tragedy could happen.

Today's Immortal Court is the Heavenly Court of the past. History is always in a cycle, and those who are old enough to know the future can indeed foresee it.

The Jade Emperor's decision to back down may seem frivolous, but it is also the best way to protect himself.

"We currently do not control the Great Han Dynasty, we have no continuous tribute, and we lack a constant stream of talented individuals. Every death in our struggle is a loss," the Jade Emperor said solemnly. "More importantly, if we abandon the rule of conduct, how will we expect others to follow it in the future?"

"Your Majesty is right!"

Laojun nodded, his face showing a hint of seriousness.

The mediocre Jade Emperor was a good thing for the complex network of relationships in the Immortal Court, but without the Jade Emperor, even the Three Pure Ones Heavenly Venerables wouldn't have such a comfortable life.

He was just waiting to see how things would develop. If the Emperor was too powerful, Laojun would have no choice but to go into seclusion and seek peace and quiet.

The collapse of the outwardly strong but inwardly weak Immortal Court caught everyone completely off guard. Many people, like parasites on rotten wood, hoped to rely on the Heavenly Court until the end of time.

We're all getting old!

The Jade Emperor pointed to himself, then to Laojun, and then to all the immortals.

After pointing to each of them, he placed his finger on the Mystic Maiden.

Compared to the many elderly immortals in the Immortal Court, the Mysterious Maiden still maintains the appearance of someone in their thirties or forties.

A simple comparison reveals the status of the emperor and empress.

"Those treasures are no longer useful. Lingbao Tianzun's treasure was damaged, Laojun's treasure was lost, and Yuanshi Tianzun's Law Treasure was also damaged in the past few years!"

After the Jade Emperor laid out all the drawbacks of his side, the immortals frequently turned their gazes toward the Mystic Maiden and the others.

Although Xuan Nu was the third most powerful figure in Western Kunlun, she rarely witnessed such a transfer of power.

The Jade Emperor spoke of the Immortal Court's disadvantages, but Western Kunlun wasn't much better off. It wasn't as powerful as one might imagine. Its old members were dying, and few of its treasures were still usable. Even the Heavenly Robe were becoming increasingly rare.

But the Mysterious Maiden could neither persuade the Jade Emperor nor reveal the secrets of Kunlun.

"I'd like to ask what happens to the rewards for us winners of this grand event? Who should I ask now that you're in seclusion?"

Xuan Nu felt that nothing she said would be effective, nor could she truly speak on behalf of the Emperor, lest she say too much and make too many mistakes. It was Zhang Xuezhou who spoke up to save her from the predicament.

Putting everything else aside, the Jade Emperor should at least continue to perform his duties and bestow rewards as they are due before he abdicates and goes into seclusion.

"What do you want?" the Jade Emperor asked.

"When I entered the Divine Ability Realm, I chose a useless Divine Ability. I wanted to forget some of the Technique Method I had practiced in the past, so as to obtain a truly useful great Divine Ability," Zhang Xuezhou said. "My request to the Immortal Court is to receive relevant assistance when I break through my realm."

"Oh?"

"Divine Lord Zhenyuan said that the Heavenly Venerable possesses... this kind of inheritance, which allows him to do whatever I desire!"

Zhang Xuezhou pondered for a few seconds before finishing his sentence.

His request surprised the Jade Emperor, while Laojun stroked his beard and looked at the Jade Emperor.

"This is easily resolved; you can come to me again in the future," the Jade Emperor said. "However, I cannot guarantee that you will get what you want, and the spell of forgetfulness is very difficult to reverse. You need to think carefully to avoid losing more than you gain!"

"Is it enough to just look for you?"

Zhang Xuezhou exclaimed in surprise.

According to Divine Lord Zhenyuan, Zhang Xuezhou sought help from among the Three Pure Ones Heavenly Venerables, with Yuanshi Tianzun being the most likely candidate.

Zhang Xuezhou hadn't expected that the Jade Emperor would agree to the matter without him even having to test the waters.

"Having experienced the Great Heavenly Evolution Boundless Array, you should know that this array can blur memories through illusions," the Jade Emperor forced a smile. "It was like this when I didn't have control over it, and it's a different story when I do. Fulfilling your wish shouldn't be difficult!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Jade Emperor!"

Zhang Xuezhou bowed in thanks, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from his heart.

At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder why the Jade Emperor's all-encompassing approach wasn't handled by the three Heavenly Venerables, including Daoist Hongjun.

"Since you've spoken, I will also grant the requests of the other participants in this grand event. Wang Shan, what is your request...?"

The Jade Emperor stood atop the Lingxiao Palace, issuing commands. The immortals, no longer displaying their former unrestrained behavior, became as solemn as wooden stakes.

This situation is quite rare in the Immortal Court.

It doesn't hurt unless the knife is on your own body; the Western Sect, which has been ranked third for a long time, obviously only needs to watch the show.

The Sect Master Jieyin found a stone bench and sat down. He then took out a wine pot that flickered with lightning from his sleeve and occasionally dripped a few drops of blue liquid into his mouth.

It wasn't until a hurried cry of "Jieyin!" came from outside the Lingxiao Hall that the Sect Master Jieyin abruptly stood up.

It's rare for the two leaders of the Western Sect to go out at the same time. The fact that the leader of the Zhunti rushed to find him means that something big must have happened in the Western Sect.