Outside Xuantian Hall.
Han Xuanji was dressed in a green robe, his sleeves fluttering lightly. His dao-rhythm was restrained, making him appear ordinary, yet he naturally exuded a pressure capable of suppressing heaven and earth.
Beside him, Li Taiqing stood tall in white robes. Following closely behind Han Xuanji were Yun Wuji, Jiang Hao, and several other Personal Disciples, all with refined Auras and solemn expressions.
For such a good occasion, Xiao Bai naturally clamored and cried to come along, even dragging Xiao Jin to keep him company.
Speaking of which, Xiao Bai was now at the Primordial Chaos Golden Immortal Realm after all. While he might not be much among this group, it was enough for him to stand firm among the immortals and gods of the myriad Realms.
"Let's go."
Han Xuanji spoke calmly. Before his voice had even faded, nine dragon roars suddenly rang out in the sky, shaking the clouds.
The sound caused confusion to arise in everyone's hearts.
Immediately after, a golden light manifested, and an ancient, magnificent, and massive carriage slowly appeared—it was the nine dragon agarwood carriage.
The body of the carriage was engraved with complex Dao patterns, surrounded by a faint Dragon Qi and auspicious light. Nine majestic, pure golden divine dragons stood tall with their heads slightly lowered, respectfully supporting the carriage. Each giant dragon emitted a powerful pressure and a magnificent Aura.
"Is this Master's carriage?"
"How majestic!"
Everyone discussed fervently; it was their first time seeing Han Xuanji bring out this treasure.
Han Xuanji tapped his toes and was the first to step into the carriage. Li Taiqing, Yun Wuji, Jiang Hao, and the other Personal Disciples followed him inside.
After a moment, the nine dragon agarwood carriage slowly rose into the air. The nine divine dragons roared in unison, carrying everyone as they glided toward the Heavenly Court.
Wherever the carriage passed, the laws of heaven and earth bowed. Traversing time and space took only an instant without the slightest discomfort. It was truly the most flashy and top-tier mount in the Immortal Realm.
They soon arrived at the Heavenly Court. Upon seeing the nine dragon agarwood carriage, the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals on duty along the way bowed in greeting, their expressions filled with awe, not even daring to breathe loudly.
Though they didn't know which great figure had arrived, this carriage was clearly the possession of a supreme being.
The news of Han Xuanji's arrival was also quickly relayed to the Heavenly Emperor.
This time, the reception provided by the Heavenly Emperor was undoubtedly even grander.
Unlike Han Xuanji's previous visit to a banquet, the Heavenly Emperor personally led the various Emperors and Immortal Officials of the Heavenly Court to wait beneath the South Heaven Gate, dressed in his imperial robes with a respectful expression.
"The Great Heavenly Venerable graces us with his presence. I have failed to welcome you from afar; I hope for your understanding!"
The Heavenly Emperor stepped forward quickly and bowed slightly, his tone humble.
That respect was definitely not a deliberate act, and even his form of address had become much more polite. Ever since Han Xuanji revealed his strength, the Heavenly Emperor became increasingly aware of the gap between them. Especially now that the situation was growing tense and the entire Immortal Realm had to rely on Han Xuanji, their relationship had shifted from equals to Han Xuanji being the superior.
Han Xuanji nodded slightly and said calmly:
"Fellow Daoist Heavenly Emperor is too polite."
His expression was natural without the slightest discomfort; instead, he felt a secret sense of satisfaction.
The world of cultivation was like this—strength was respected, and those who recognized the circumstances were heroes.
During the last banquet, he and the Heavenly Emperor still treated each other as equals. Now, the other party proactively lowered his stance, which was simply the inevitable result of his increased strength. There was nothing to be pretentious about.
Li Taiqing and the Disciples followed behind, bowing to the Heavenly Emperor with neither arrogance nor servility.
They were Disciples of the Xuantian Dao Palace and Personal Disciples of Han Xuanji, so they naturally had no need to be overly fawning toward the Heavenly Court.
Led by the Heavenly Emperor and the various gods of the Heavenly Court toward the Lingxiao Palace, Han Xuanji observed the immortals. He could only say their progress wasn't small; compared to last time, the number of Primordial Chaos Experts had increased significantly. However, there were no new people who had stepped into the Celestial Golden Immortal Realm, let alone the Limitless Primordial Realm.
Stepping into the Hall of Miraculous Mist, the hall was already bustling with noise yet remained orderly.
Lined up on both sides were the immortals and gods of the myriad heavens, including Powerful Experts from Holy Lands of great sects, ancient beings who had lived in seclusion for years, and Loose Cultivator experts from the Chaos who had come for the banquet. All were individuals with thick Auras and profound cultivation, including many experts of the Celestial Golden Immortal Realm.
But the moment Han Xuanji stepped into the hall, all noise ceased instantly. Countless gazes turned toward him in unison—some with awe, some with curiosity, some with wariness—but not a single person dared to show the slightest slight.
Han Xuanji's gaze swept across the hall. With a calm expression, he walked straight toward the primary seat specially prepared for him by the Heavenly Emperor.
Only after Han Xuanji was seated did the Heavenly Emperor slowly walk up to his throne and announce the opening of the Peach Banquet.
The Peach Banquet officially began.
Immortal music played in unison as immortal officials brought out crystal-clear Peaches of Immortality, mellow and long-lasting Immortal Brews, and various rare treasures served as spiritual food. The fragrance filled the entire Hall of Miraculous Mist. The immortals of the heavens raised their cups one after another, their expressions joyful as they temporarily set aside their distractions.
The Heavenly Emperor's gaze, however, remained fixed on Han Xuanji at the primary seat. Once the atmosphere in the hall had relaxed slightly, he stood up, raised his wine cup, and walked slowly to Han Xuanji with a smile and a friendly tone:
"Fellow Daoist Han, I use this Peach Banquet today to toast you.
Thanks to you presiding over the Xuantian Dao Palace and deterring the Chaos, our Immortal Realm has been able to remain stable until now and successfully reclaim the Demon Domain. This kindness is something I and the living beings of the Immortal Realm will never forget."
Han Xuanji raised the Immortal Brew before him, his fingertip lightly touching the rim of the cup, and said in a flat tone:
"Fellow Daoist is too polite. It is merely my duty."
After saying that, he took a shallow sip. The Immortal Brew entered his throat and transformed into a wisp of pure Spiritual Qi, merging into his body without causing the slightest ripple in his cultivation. At his current Realm, ordinary Immortal Brews could only be considered a pastime.
At the start, the Heavenly Emperor naturally didn't mention serious business, but simply chatted idly with Han Xuanji.
He spoke of the Demon Ancestor being like a stray dog, how the Myriad Realms Merchant Alliance was no good either, and how some people in the Immortal Realm were truly shameless.
Han Xuanji nodded slightly, acting as a listener. Seeing that Han Xuanji wasn't displeased, the Heavenly Emperor opened up even more. His tone became filled with more indignation, and his voice unconsciously grew heavier:
"What I despise most are those so-called 'Great Experts' of my Immortal Realm! Years ago, when the Immortal Realm was invaded by the Demon Ancestor and was in imminent danger, I summoned them several times. They either hid away or made excuses to decline, not even daring to show their faces!"
At this point, he sighed heavily, his face full of helplessness and disdain:
"But what about now? The Immortal Realm is stable, and rumors of the secret of transcendence have spread. These people have all jumped out, visiting every day and pestering me incessantly. They beat around the bush asking about the secret of the Dao Ancestor and searching for opportunities for Transcendence. Their faces are so obvious, they might as well have written 'I want the Dao Ancestor's Secret' directly on their foreheads!"
"They don't even think—if the Immortal Realm had truly been destroyed back then, even if there were a secret of transcendence, would it be their turn? Now they want to come and enjoy the fruits of others' labor, hoping to reach the heavens in one step by relying on the so-called 'Dao Ancestor's Secret.' Truly shameless to the extreme!"
The Heavenly Emperor grew angrier as he spoke. Clearly, he had been pestered into a state of mental exhaustion by these people over the years.
These people didn't dare disturb Han Xuanji, but they had clearly targeted the Heavenly Emperor as a 'soft target'.
Listening to this, Han Xuanji felt some sympathy for the Heavenly Emperor. He had wondered why, despite the Immortal Realm producing countless experts, it seemed like only the Heavenly Emperor put in any effort during the simulations.
It could only be said that even having heaven-reaching cultivation didn't mean one had high moral character.
However, Han Xuanji also understood to some extent. After all, the Demon Ancestor's strength was indeed formidable—at the Perfection of the Limitless Primordial Realm, not everyone had the courage to face him as an enemy.
After the Heavenly Emperor vented for a while, he thought for a moment and said:
"Fellow Daoist Han, speaking of which, your Disciple Yun Wuji has peerless talent and a steady Heart-Nature. He is already in the Celestial Golden Immortal Realm and possesses a heart for protecting the Dao. Observing his Aura, he truly has the bearing I had back then.
Does he have any intention of taking over the position of Heavenly Emperor and taking charge of the Immortal Realm's affairs?"