novelapdf Chapter 31 A Gathering of Immortals
Chapter 31 A Gathering of Immortals
On this day, the sky was clear and the moon was bright, the blue sky was as if it had been washed clean. The entire primordial world was silent, all living things held their breath, as if they were waiting for something.
Sudden--
when!when!when!
A magnificent and resounding bell rang throughout the heavens and earth, piercing through the thirty-three heavens and falling into every corner of the primordial land.
In an instant, countless streams of light shot into the sky, crisscrossing and densely packed.
The dazzling lights and vibrant colors created a spectacular fireworks display, transforming the entire sky into a wondrous and magnificent spectacle.
Those streaks of light were all made up of cultivators!
The Heavenly Peach Banquet has officially begun!
The cultivators from all sides had been waiting for a long time. Upon hearing the Heavenly Bell ring, they dared not delay for even a moment. They quickly took to the clouds and flew towards the Heavenly Court.
There were immortals with flowing robes, exuding an otherworldly air, riding on auspicious clouds, leisurely ascending straight into the blue sky.
Various exotic beasts and celestial birds that had attained enlightenment transformed into their true forms at this moment, soaring upwards with extraordinary momentum.
Countless cultivators also rode flying swords, gourds, whisks, and other magical treasures, their divine light radiating as they soared into the sky.
These diverse creatures, each with its own unique posture, are all moving in the same direction—to the Southern Heavenly Gate beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, to attend the Peach Banquet.
---
Kunlun Mountain, Yuxu Palace.
The Three Pure Ones sat upright on their cloud beds, eyes closed in meditation. Disciples from the three religions stood on either side, silently waiting below.
After a long while, Laozi slowly opened his eyes and said, "Randeng, you will lead your disciples to the Heavenly Peach Banquet this time."
Upon hearing this, Daoist Ran Deng felt a sudden jolt in his heart.
He was originally one of the three thousand guests of Zixiao Palace. After joining the Chan Sect, he was appointed as the vice leader of the Chan Sect by Yuanshi Tianzun. It was not abrupt for him to lead the team.
However... there's nothing wrong with going to the Peach Banquet itself, but the disciples of the Chan and Jie sects are really hard to manage!
That person in the Heavenly Court is capable of slaughtering saints. If anything goes wrong, he won't give Ran Deng any face—not even the face of a saint. If his disciple is harmed, it will be Ran Deng's responsibility. How can this be a good job?
Burning Lamp inwardly groaned.
You say that since the three sects have already separated, they should each send their own disciples. Why do they have to come together? Isn't that just asking for trouble? In the primordial world, who doesn't know that the disciples of the Jie and Chan sects have always been at odds?
Oh, what a miserable life!
However, how could a mere deputy leader refuse a command from the sage? He could only bow and say, "Yes, I will obey the command of the leader."
Randeng's concerns were not unfounded. Haotian's strength was evident to all; even the disciples of the Chan and Jie sects dared not act recklessly in front of him.
But the problem is—what if the disciples of the two sects start fighting amongst themselves? If a conflict breaks out in public at the Peach Banquet, it will not only embarrass the three sects in front of all living beings in the prehistoric world, but it will also easily provoke the Heavenly Court if things get out of hand.
Ran Deng glanced at his disciples on either side and saw that the disciples of the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect were exchanging disgusted looks, their eyes cold, clearly harboring resentment for a long time. He sighed inwardly: This trip is unlikely to be peaceful.
Although he accepted the task, Randeng couldn't help but feel a bit resentful.
Honestly, he was hardworking and dedicated to the Chan Sect. He did all the dirty and tiring work, and was always the first to step in when something happened.
However, he rarely receives any benefits. If this continues, who wouldn't have some reservations?
Suddenly, something came to mind.
Not long ago, Jieyin and Zhunti secretly approached him and made a promise—as long as he was willing to go to the West, an ancient Buddha's position would be waiting for him.
If he could recruit a few more disciples of the Chan Sect, there would be other rewards. The two sages would also protect his safety.
Perhaps... I should think about this carefully. The primordial world is vast, and there are not only the three religions of Humanity, Chan, and Jie. Although the three religions are powerful, they are not so harmonious. Although the Three Pure Ones originated from one body, their hearts are not together.
While Ran Deng's mind raced, he remained outwardly calm and led the disciples of the three religions out of the Jade Void Palace in silence.
Sanqing watched the departing figures of Randeng and the others in silence.
In fact, they had hesitated about whether to attend the Peach Banquet in person.
But in the end, he decided not to go. The main reason was that Yuanshi Tianzun couldn't bring himself to do it.
However, given Haotian's strength and the influence of Hongjun Daozu, it would be inappropriate not to go. Therefore, they had no choice but to send a disciple.
---
In the west, Mount Sumeru.
When Jieyin and Zhunti heard the Heavenly Bell ring, they immediately looked at each other and smiled, their smiles exceptionally bright.
Although revenge is not possible for the time being, the opportunity to collect interest has arrived.
The two of them perished last time, suffering significant losses in their cultivation. This time, with the Heavenly Court holding the Peach Banquet, they're determined to give Haotian a good beating to vent their pent-up anger.
As for whether Haotian would harm them—they weren't worried at all. They were simply attending the Peach Banquet as normal, with invitations from the Heavenly Court; they weren't going to cause trouble. How could Haotian possibly attack them without reason?
Moreover, they didn't believe Haotian was unharmed after burning the very essence of the stars last time. Going to the Peach Banquet and simultaneously gathering intelligence would be a win-win situation.
Master Zhunti clapped his hands, turned around, and shouted to his disciples, "Disciples, listen to my command! On this trip to the banquet, eat your fill! It would be best if you ate your way through the Heavenly Court!"
Upon hearing this, the disciples, including the Medicine Master and Maitreya, couldn't help but grin and laugh, as if they could already see the dazzling array of delicacies at the banquet.
"Rest assured, Master!" the disciples shouted in unison. "We will definitely eat and take some, we won't lose out!"
He spoke these words with complete confidence and without a trace of shame.
The Three Pure Ones were unwilling to go, but Jieyin and Zhunti, who had a grudge against Haotian, insisted on taking all their disciples with them.
As for uttering such "shameless" words—if it were any other saint, they would surely be ridiculed by the world. But for Zhunti, it was perfectly normal.
Moreover, they have a grudge against the Heavenly Court. The Jade Emperor is hosting the Peach Banquet, inviting cultivators from all sides to eat the peaches—this is a perfectly legitimate opportunity. The West is poor; wouldn't it be foolish not to seize such an opportunity?
Eat your fill, that's the only way to treat yourself well. Otherwise, once you miss out, you won't be able to enjoy it again.
As for reputation and prestige—the Western Religion's reputation had already plummeted, so it didn't care about this one time. The saint's prestige had already been shattered by Haotian himself; he'd already been killed once, so what else could he do?
---
In the Nuwa Palace, the goddess Nuwa was already fully prepared to depart.
She was preparing to go to the Heavenly Court to attend the Peach Banquet. It wasn't that she coveted the peaches, but rather that she wanted to take this opportunity to discuss a few things with the Jade Emperor.
The first thing is about the demon race.
Although the demon race has declined, there are still a few remaining demon saints. If Nuwa lets things go unchecked, given Haotian's style of doing things, she will probably deal with them sooner or later.
These demon saints and their descendants cannot possibly escape unscathed in the primordial world. To protect their clans, they will inevitably take action in the future, at which point the Heavenly Court will have the perfect opportunity to launch its attack.
Rather than doing that, it would be better to take the initiative to discuss with Haotian and let these demon saints join the Heavenly Court. This would be a way to make up for the damage that the demon race caused to the prehistoric world and reduce the karma of the demon race.