Volume 3: The World of the Lotus Lantern Chapter 45: Force the emperor to abdicate? Give up the throne?
The surprise came so suddenly.
Not only was he allowed to be the Jade Emperor, but he was also given the Shangqing lineage. How could he feel so flattered?
By the way, if this really came true, with the Heaven Court, the Qing lineage, and the Demonic Path, most of the three realms would be his. And then there would be some Karami left, and he could just take them all down with ease, unify the three realms, and gather the luck of the three realms into one. After helping Yunxiao break through, could he give it a try too?
The hundred-year period has come, and the Peach Banquet begins again.
This time, the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother thought that there would not be any more accidents. After all, the Shangqing lineage had been relatively peaceful in the past hundred years. And after the commotion caused by the Shangqing lineage a hundred years ago, other forces were also quiet, as if they were afraid that if they made too much noise, they would be targeted by the Shangqing lineage.
Regarding this situation, the Jade Emperor was both happy and sad. He was happy because the three realms were at peace, but he was sad because the influence of the Shangqing lineage now seemed to be greater than that of the Heavenly Court.
Yaochi.
A number of immortals and gods have appeared in the Heavenly Palace one after another, passing through the South Gate of Heaven and entering the Yaochi Lake.
Almost all the immortals and gods above the fifth rank in heaven have arrived.
Some great immortals who have lived in seclusion, such as Zhen Yuanzi, were also not late.
However, this year's Peach Festival seems to be a little different.
"Kunpeng! That's the Kunpeng ancestor of Beiming!"
Taibai Jinxing couldn't help but exclaimed when he saw the immortal who suddenly appeared in Yaochi. As one of the few top figures in the Three Realms, Patriarch Kunpeng was on the same level as the Immortal Zhenyuanzi and the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor would naturally invite him to every Peach Banquet, but in the past, Patriarch Kunpeng looked down on the Heavenly Court and was unwilling to come.
This time the invitation was also sent by Taibai Jinxing. I thought that Ancestor Kunpeng would not come as he did in the past, but I didn't expect that Ancestor Kunpeng would come this time?
What is the reason?
Everyone was thinking, is there something different about this Peach Banquet? Otherwise, why would Patriarch Kunpeng come?
"Daoist Fellow Kunpeng is a rare distinguished guest, please take a seat."
When Ancestor Kunpeng arrived, the Jade Emperor became a little uneasy. After all, this was truly a rare guest. He and the Queen Mother walked out a few steps to greet him. Upon hearing this, Ancestor Kunpeng looked at the Jade Emperor with a joking expression.
"Fellow Daoist, I am here to watch the fun. Don't worry about me. Just greet the others."
The Jade Emperor couldn't help but feel a little gloomy when he heard this. From the moment Patriarch Kunpeng appeared, the Jade Emperor felt that his luck had changed, as if some big change was about to happen. Now after hearing what Patriarch Kunpeng said, the Jade Emperor felt that there was even more of a problem. However, looking at Kunpeng who had already sat down by himself, it seemed that he had no intention of explaining to him.
Looking at this situation, the Jade Emperor could only be on guard in his heart.
"Jade Pure Golden Immortal!"
However, before the Jade Emperor could bring Yao Chi back to the throne, he heard the call again. Looking up, he saw nine figures appearing at the same time. Leading them were Guangchengzi and Nan Ji Xian Weng, followed by Chi Jing|zi, Yu Ding Zhenren, Daoxing Tianzun, Huanglong Taoist, Taiyi Zhenren, and Lingbao Dafashi.
The Eight Jade Golden Immortals and the outer sect disciple, the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole, are all here. What kind of day is this?
You know, in the past Peach Banquet, not to mention Guangchengzi's eight Jade Purity disciples, even the Nan Ji Xianweng, one of the Six Imperial Lords of Heaven, did not attend. What day is it today? First it was Taoist Kunpeng, and then it was Jade Purity Golden Immortal.
"It is a great joy for Heaven that fellow Taoists are attending the Peach Banquet."
Although they felt increasingly uneasy, the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother still hurried to greet him with smiles. After all, no matter what the Jade Pure Golden Immortal's purpose was, they had to give him face.
Guangchengzi responded to the Jade Emperor with a smile.
"Fellow Daoist, please don't blame us for not coming to the Peach Festival in the past. Now that we have nothing to do, we can just bring our fellow disciples to join in the fun. Fellow Daoist, please don't pay any attention to us."
As he spoke, he led everyone to their seats.
The group of immortals and gods in heaven who were originally calling their friends and chatting happily have now become completely quiet. Ever since the appearance of Patriarch Kunpeng and Jade Pure Golden Immortal, the atmosphere of the entire Peach Banquet seems to have changed.
At this time, no god dared to speak. They were all keeping their eyes and ears open, ready to run away if anything went wrong.
The Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother stood where they were, looking at the figures coming towards them, their faces completely changed.
"Master Xuandu!"
The Taiqing lineage is here too!
Even a fool would know that something was wrong at this point. After all, so many masters who had not attended the Peach Banquet in the past had come. If it were just one or two of them, it would be normal, but with so many people coming together, this was too abnormal.
Something big must have happened.
"Daoyou is here too."
The great master Xuandu slowly descended, looked at the ancestor Kunpeng and the Jade Pure Golden Immortal who were already seated, and smiled.
"It seems that I am late, fellow Taoist, I hope you don't mind my bothering you."
The Jade Emperor waved his hands quickly.
"I am so glad to see you here, fellow Taoist. Please take a seat."
Accompanying Master Xuandu were the Eight Immortals of the Upper Cave, and after paying their respects to the Jade Emperor, they all took their seats one by one.
It has to be said that with the arrival of these Golden Immortals, the level of the entire Peach Banquet was suddenly raised a lot.
Then, many immortals who lived in seclusion came one after another, and the banquet in Yaochi was actually overcrowded.
“Here it comes!”
I don't know who said it, but the immortals and gods put down the wine jugs that were about to reach their mouths and looked up, and sure enough, a large group of figures appeared.
It was so majestic that they dared not look directly at it.
Who is this person? Why does he look like he is trying to mess things up? After all, how could so many people come together?
The Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother had completely changed their colors. Looking at the Three Holy Mothers and the disciples of the Shangqing lineage who suddenly appeared, the Jade Emperor seemed to have thought of something. Could it be that Master Xuandu and others came for the Shangqing lineage? Thinking of what Patriarch Kunpeng said, the Jade Emperor became even more gloomy. This was entirely possible.
The alarm in his heart had already reached its highest level. At this moment, the Jade Emperor felt that it was not excessive for him to be extremely cautious.
With the good fortune of Heaven upon him, the Jade Emperor naturally did not want to fall behind facing the unrestrained momentum of the Golden Spirit Mother. If he lost face in front of the Golden Spirit Mother, how could he lead the Zhou Tian in the future? You must know that the Golden Spirit Mother is not only the head of Shangqing, but also Dou Mu Yuanjun of the Kan Palace in Heaven.
"Daoyou!"
The Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother welcomed the Golden Spirit Mother and others. In the Heavenly Palace, staunch supporters of the Jade Emperor, such as the Zhenwu Emperor, Taibai Jinxian and others, also followed behind the Jade Emperor at this time, obviously to support the occasion. However, when this picture came out, not only was there no intention of welcoming guests, but it was like a street fight appointment.
Ancestor Kunpeng was already a little excited; this was the excitement he wanted to see.
However, after seeing the majestic Shangqing lineage, everyone took a deep breath.
The three holy mothers are at the peak of the golden immortal realm.
Behind them are Zhao Gongming, Sanxiao, the Six Immortal Attendants, Lü Wen, Luo Xuan, the Ten Heavenly Lords and other outstanding figures of the second generation.
Among the three generations, there are also powerful disciples such as Wen Zhong, Ge Hong, and the Holy Mother of Fire Spirit.
There is also Jia Le, whose position is almost equal to that of the three Holy Mothers. The image of him fighting against Xingtian with the cultivation base of a mid-stage Golden Immortal is still fresh in their minds. From this point of view, the Shangqing lineage is the peak combat power of the four Golden Immortals, no, it is five. The Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation of the Three Sky almost made the Nan Ji Immortal commit suicide by following the footsteps of the Twelve Golden Immortals.
Among the five peak Golden Immortals, who else in the entire Three Realms, and which force can compare with the Shangqing lineage.
Yang Jian and the others all looked at Jia Le at this time. After all, the last time they met, Jia Le's cultivation was still at the Xuanxian level, which was a whole realm lower than him. It has only been a short time, and yet Jia Le is able to fight Xing Tian. It is incredible to think about it.
The Jade Emperor also looked at Jia Le after he finished speaking, as if he wanted to see something from Jia Le's face.
However, when he saw that smiling face, the Jade Emperor's heart skipped a beat. Jia Le at this moment could actually give him a sense of crisis. This was too incredible. Even Xing Tian could not do it to this extent.
"Oh, it's so lively, I hope I'm not late."
At this moment, the monkey suddenly appeared beside the Jade Emperor, accompanied by Bajie, Sha Seng and Little White Dragon.
It seems that after returning to the Flower-Fruit Mountain, the monkey gathered all his fellow disciples together, obviously fearing that they might be in danger. The situation in the Three Realms is a little unclear now.
The peak of Golden Immortal!
All the immortals and gods have fallen completely silent. They don't know when it started, but the peak Golden Immortals who were rarely seen in the Three Realms in the past seem to have suddenly become more numerous, especially today.
Bixiao's eyes fell on the monkey, and he always felt something was wrong.
Is this the monkey who fought him so hard? Why did he reach the peak of the Golden Immortal so quickly? She is only in the middle stage of the Golden Immortal.
"Fighting Buddha is here too, please take a seat."
The Jade Emperor suppressed his worry and asked everyone to sit down. The moment the Shangqing lineage showed up, the Queen Mother had already begun arranging for more seats. The Peach Banquet, which was always full in the past, was becoming more and more incomprehensible now.
Some immortals and gods even began to move their seats consciously. In the end, only the disciples of the Shangqing lineage sat alone in one row, and the others sat on the other side.
"Well, this Peach Banquet is the most successful one since the Peach Banquet was held in Heaven. I welcome everyone here. Please drink this cup."
The Jade Emperor still had this face, and even the Golden Spirit Mother cooperated and drank the wine in the glass.
But after drinking the wine in the glass, Holy Mother Golden Spirit stood up directly.
Seeing this scene, everyone's heart skipped a beat and they secretly said, "Here it comes."
The Jade Emperor's eyelids also jumped, "Doumu Yuanjun, do you have something to say?"
The Golden Spirit Mother nodded and pointed at Yang Jian and said.
"God of Justice, please bring out all the true and false accounts of the cases you have handled over the years."
Case! True and false accounts!
Yang Jian's face has completely changed. What does it mean? The Shangqing clan has made such a big fuss just to check his accounts. The point is that his accounts really can't stand up to checking. What's more, they even know whether the accounts are true or false. What's the point of checking? They just want to judge him.
Yang Jian couldn't help but cast his gaze towards Jade Ding Zhenren. Yang Jian knew that if Golden Spirit Mother really wanted to get him, the Jade Emperor could not save him, only the Yuqing lineage could. Yang Jian was not afraid of being defeated, but after being defeated, what would happen to the people of the Three Realms?
Jade Ding Zhenren met Yang Jian's gaze and nodded, indicating that Yang Jian should agree.
What are you thinking? The Shangqing clan has made such a big fuss just to deal with a junior like you? The travel expenses are not even enough.
When Yang Jian saw Master Yu Ding’s signal, he no longer had any doubts. He felt relieved as long as he had his master’s support.
"Boss Kang, go back and get the account book."
The Jade Emperor's face had become completely gloomy at this time.
What Jade Ding Zhenren can think of, the Jade Emperor can naturally think of as well. What does this mean? Can a small effort achieve a great result?
Boss Kang left quickly and came back quickly, and soon handed the two account books, the bright and the dark, to Yang Jian.
After Yang Jian got the account book, he looked at the Jade Emperor and then at the Golden Spirit Mother. The Golden Spirit Mother was waiting patiently, as if she was following the Jade Emperor's orders.
The Jade Emperor knew about the open and hidden account books, and there were few things in the Heavenly Palace that could be hidden from him. The reason why he ignored them was that he didn't think it was worth his attention.
Now, the Golden Spirit Mother has to take care of it first.
"Why don't you let Dou Mu Yuanjun take a look?"
Dou Mu Yuanjun is not an outsider, but Dou Mu Yuanjun whose status is no less than that of the Six Emperors and who commands the stars in the sky. If Dou Mu Yuanjun wants to check the accounts, the Jade Emperor has no reason to stop her, especially at this Peach Banquet, in front of so many immortals and gods, the Jade Emperor has already determined that the Shangqing lineage is here with ill intentions, otherwise, how could they suddenly attack at this Peach Banquet.
Seeing that the Jade Emperor also agreed, Yang Jian had no choice but to hand over the two account books, the light and the dark, to the Golden Spirit Mother.
The Golden Spirit Mother took it in her hand, glanced at it carefully, and then looked at Yang Jian.
"Why would the God of Justice handle the case this way? But do you have any ideas?"
There must be some thoughts, but can I say it? However, at this point, Yang Jian seemed to have no need to hide it. He also realized that he was just a chess piece today. Although he was somewhat unwilling to be a chess piece, he also saw a glimmer of hope in the Golden Spirit Mother. Perhaps he could use the power of the Golden Spirit Mother to change the heavenly rule.
If the Heavenly Laws could be changed, then it wouldn't make much sense for him, the God of Justice, to do anything.
Thinking of this, Yang Jian no longer had any worries.
"The laws of the Heavenly Court are all handed down from ancient times and have long been corrupted. The situation in the Three Realms is constantly changing. These ancient laws are not suitable for the Three Realms today, and the punishments are even more severe. Therefore, I think that the laws of the Heavenly Court should be revised and a new law suitable for today's world should be created. Over the years, I have also been experimenting. Although this secret account violates the laws of the Heavenly Court, it is the best for the Three Realms.
If you want to establish new laws, this is the best reference. Carefully making these two accounts is not selfish, but only for the benefit of the three realms of life. "
Upon hearing this, the Golden Spirit Mother nodded, seeming to agree with Yang Jian's words.
"Have you told the Jade Emperor about this idea?"
Yang Jian looked at the Jade Emperor, hesitated for a moment, and continued, "I did say that, but the Emperor didn't seem to agree. Yang Jian took the position of the God of Justice only when he had no other choice, to bring some welfare to all living beings in the world."
Upon hearing this, the Golden Spirit Mother nodded.
He looked around at all the immortals and gods, "Do you agree with what the God of Justice said?"
All the immortals and gods were completely confused at this point. How did they suddenly turn the show into a meeting to take sides? What should they say?
All the immortals and gods looked at each other, pretending to be dumb and ignorant, unable to do anything but watch with their eyes and noses.
The Holy Mother of the Golden Spirit stopped forcing him and just looked at the Jade Emperor, "Fellow Daoist, not to mention the new and old laws, even the God of Justice does not agree with you, which shows that you are really unpopular. I have also read the voices of the creatures in the three realms, and it seems that they only fear you, but not respect you. Perhaps you have been sitting on the throne of the Emperor for too long and cannot see clearly the hearts of people. I heard that the Emperor had experienced a great catastrophe before and only then returned to the throne.
Now that so much time has passed, perhaps you can come again. As for the position of the Emperor, let someone else take it and wait for the Emperor to come back."
What!
The gods and immortals at the Peach Banquet have completely changed their expressions. They are trying to seize power. No wonder all the major forces have come. It turns out that something big is really happening. The Golden Spirit Mother has brought so many disciples here to force the Jade Emperor to abdicate. What replacement? If the Jade Emperor abdicates, who will take the throne? It must be the Shangqing lineage, and it is most likely the Golden Spirit Mother.
This was replaced by the Golden Spirit Holy Mother. It is not known whether the Jade Emperor will come back in the future. Even if he can come back, I am afraid that the Golden Spirit Holy Mother will have to continue to take over.
"Dou Mu Yuanjun, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to usurp the throne?"
At this moment, the Great Emperor Zhenwu suddenly stood up. Facing the Golden Spirit Mother, he was not afraid at all and shouted directly.
The Golden Spirit Holy Mother knew that the Great Emperor Zhenwu was a staunch supporter of the Jade Emperor, so she just took a glance and said.
"Who is the superior and who is the inferior? Hmm!"
The Golden Spirit Mother just looked at the Great Emperor Zhenwu, as if she was really waiting for an answer from the Great Emperor Zhenwu.
At this moment, Emperor Zhenwu felt a chill in his heart.
Naturally, it is the Golden Spirit Mother who is inferior to the Jade Emperor. However, even if this is true, the Zhenwu Emperor cannot say it. Dou Mu Yuanjun commands the stars in the sky and her status in the Heavenly Court is no less than that of the Jade Emperor. No one in the Three Realms dares to say that the Golden Spirit Mother is inferior to the Jade Emperor in terms of cultivation or status. If he says such words today, he is afraid that the Golden Spirit Mother will kill him. Other immortals dare not say anything.
"The Emperor sits on the throne, and the Three Realms are stable. No matter who is on top or who is below, Dou Mu Yuanjun should not be so threatening. How do you want the creatures of the Three Realms to view the behavior of the Shangqing lineage today?"
The Golden Spirit Mother simply shook her head.
"The Three Realms are stable, but that doesn't mean it's safe. Intimidation? I'm just proposing it to the Emperor."
Then he looked at the Jade Emperor again, "What does the Emperor say?"
The Jade Emperor calmed down at this time. "My throne was conferred by Daozu, and you cannot question it. Moreover, even if I really retire, who will take over? You, Daoist? Do you think you can do better than me?"
The Golden Spirit Mother pointed at Jiale.
"In the mortal world, there is a saying that when a father dies, his son takes over. If you are going through a catastrophe, you can follow this example. Jingchun is your adopted son, so it is only natural for him to take on this important task."
What!
All the immortals and gods were completely confused by the Golden Spirit Mother's outrageous actions. After all this time, it was not the Golden Spirit Mother who wanted to take the throne herself, but she pushed Jia Le to the throne.
All eyes were focused on Jia Le. At this moment, all the immortals and gods were inexplicably jealous.
It has been a short time since Jiale emerged. At that time, Jiale's cultivation level seemed to be that of a true immortal, and he was named the fourth-rank Sun Lord by the Jade Emperor.
Later, he was adopted as the son of the Jade Emperor. At that time, Jiale was just a Xuanxian.
But in the blink of an eye, Jiale has become a Golden Immortal and can even fight against Xing Tian, a peak Golden Immortal. Now he is about to be promoted to the position of Emperor by the Shangqing lineage. Isn't this just too lucky?
The Jade Emperor also looked at Jiale.
No wonder Jiale refused when he was told to be named the Western Sun Emperor. After all this time, it’s not that he felt he was unworthy, but that he looked down on him. He had been eyeing his position for a long time. He adopted Jiale as his adopted son with good intentions, but now, this rebellious son wants to seize power and usurp the throne!
This was Jiale's first time to experience the feeling of being the center of attention, and the owners of these gazes were the kind of people whose mere breathing could affect the peace of others.
Facing the Jade Emperor's slightly angry gaze, Jiale responded calmly.
The Jade Emperor sits here every year, and this year he came to my house. The monkeys in the Heavenly Palace are making trouble, and so is Yang Jian. So can't my family have some trouble too?
As for the father-son relationship, seeing how tired the Jade Emperor is, isn't it his duty as his adopted son to help him? This is all for the good of the Jade Emperor.
"Are you kidding me, my friend?"
The Jade Emperor felt that he could no longer control his emotions. He did not know why, but when the Three Pure Ones and the Taoist Ancestor were around, the Jade Emperor felt like a puppet who could not make decisions on his own and was just guarding the Heavenly Palace for them. Now that the Three Pure Ones and the Taoist Ancestor had finally disappeared, the Jade Emperor felt that he was not at ease anymore.
Until today, the Jade Emperor actually misses the Three Pure Ones and the Taoist Ancestor.
If they were there, they would never allow such a thing to happen, so that now he doesn't know who to complain to when he feels wronged.
"You know me well, I never joke. Or are you going to use the ancient rules that the strong are respected?"
The Golden Spirit Mother has already revealed her true colors. The main idea is: first use courtesy, then force. If you don't accept the courtesy and are unwilling to step down in a dignified manner, then the next step will be force. If you retreat after being beaten, you will lose face.
"Oh!"
It has come to this, what's the point of talking about face?
"Fellow Daoist, do you think Jingchun was able to fight Xingtian when he was in the middle stage of the Golden Immortal, and now that he has broken through to the late stage of the Golden Immortal, he can defeat me? Or do you plan to use your numbers to bully the minority and kill me by force?"
Upon hearing this, the Golden Spirit Mother couldn't help but shake her head. The Jade Emperor still couldn't let it go.
"Since Jingchun is the heir to the throne, it's natural for Jingchun to compete with you. Let's put it this way, you compete with Jingchun. If you win, we'll leave now. If you lose, just abdicate. This way, it can be considered that the disciple is better than the master. Anyway, the throne is passed to our own family, so you won't lose no matter how you look at it."
Family! Not a loss!
The Jade Emperor felt like he couldn't help cursing. Is this how your family calculates accounts? He is an adopted son, not a biological son. Moreover, even if he was a biological son, he wouldn't want to give him the throne. If he wanted to give him the throne, it would have been better to let Little Golden Crow take the throne, and Jia Le would have gotten a bargain!
However, isn't the Golden Spirit Mother a little too arrogant? Not to mention that Jia Le has just broken through to the late Golden Immortal stage, even if he broke through to the peak of the Golden Immortal stage, can he really defeat him?
Do you really think that he has been the Jade Emperor for so many years in vain? Well, today he will let the entire Three Realms see why he got the position of the Jade Emperor.
"OK!"
