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Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme-Chapter 1173 - 705: Imperial Decree
Golden Light dazzles brightly, illuminating the Great Thousand, naturally causing flowers to rain down from the sky, presenting myriad auspicious signs, and even the sound of Heaven and Earth, the Great Dao sings loudly.
"Golden Que Xuanqiong Master, High Supreme Jade Emperor, Miao Xiang Crowned All Heavens, Merciful Light Illuminating the Three Realms, True Saint Miao Dao Master, Heavenly People’s Relying Master. Mahayana Teachings, True One Points the Way. Merit like the void, praises endless..."
Amidst the chanting of the Daoist verses, the Golden Light gradually condensed, eventually forming a figure, seated atop the Heaven’s Luan Court, dressed in a robe adorned with the sun, moon, and stars, crowned with jade tassels, manifesting supreme dignity, embodying the sovereign of Heaven and Earth.
It was indeed…
"Emperor Venerable!"
"Your Majesty!"
Numerous saints came forward to greet him, followed by a sky full of Immortals and Buddhas, all bowing deeply in a grand ceremony.
Such imposing grandeur, needless to say, indeed belonged to the Master of Xuanhuang, Supreme Heaven Opening Talisman Imperial Calendar Containing True Body Dao Golden Cloud Palace Nine Vault Imperial Calendar All Paths of Tao Bright Hall Supreme Heaven Golden Palace Supreme Jade Emperor Pardoning Sins Great Venerate—God Xuanqiong!
With saints greeting and Immortals and Buddhas bowing, Qiong Gao was also moved, his voice echoing through Heaven and Earth: "The calamitous cycle has concluded, Immortals and Buddhas return to the Dao, such fortunate events for the Three Realms, all thanks to myriad beings and saints, Immortals and Buddhas. Now that the Evil Demon is vanquished, it is time to reward based on merits, and confer Divine Positions!"
Having said that, he waved his large sleeve, and instantly the light shone even brighter, condensing into one figure, precisely the Deity of the Sun.
As the foremost among Xuanhuang Earth Immortals, in this battle, he was also duty-bound, like Xu Yang he was one of the Four Immortals inheriting the legacy of the Dao, only his inheritance was the Shakyamuni Dao Fruit, Great Sun Mahavairocana, thus he did not survive, in that ultimate conflict against Moluo, where Three Buddhas merged into one, returning to the root.
From death to life, the Deity of the Sun was also somewhat surprised by the outcome, but upon seeing the Heavenly Emperor, he felt relieved and made a bow: "Your Majesty!"
"Zhu Ming!"
Qiong Gao smiled and loudly declared: "Originally the Sun Star Lord of Sunlight Flame Palace, now decreed to be the Sun Emperor of East Splendor Purple Palace!"
With the divine decree spoken, Heaven and Earth responded immediately, causing flowers to fall and Earth Gushing Golden Lotus, various miraculous visions appeared, the Great Dao stirred, power added, instantly establishing a Heavenly Immortal Saint.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Sun Star Lord, no, Sun Emperor, upon receiving the divine conferment, stood to one side, ranked among the Heavenly Immortal Saints.
He fell in battle, now resurrected from death, decreed as Heavenly Immortal Emperor Lord. Although this act was similar to Divine Enthronement, eliminating the possibility of self-attainment of the Dao, the position of Heavenly Immortal was the endpoint of this life, but compared to perishing along with his Dao, this was the best outcome, not to mention the Heavenly Emperor also restored his Earth God Cave Heaven and All Gods’ Army.
Sun Emperor stepped aside, Qiong Gao Heavenly Emperor’s gaze turned, decreeing a multitude of Immortals and Divine Beings.
"Decree Emperor Donghua of the East!"
"Decree Emperor Fusang of the Southeast!"
"Decree Emperor Zhuling of the South!"
"Decree Taihua Elder of the Southwest!"
"Decree Emperor Haoling of the West!"
"Decree Emperor Ziwei of the North!"
"Decree Chongxu Heavenly Monarch of the Northeast!"
"Decree the Ten Directions Flying Sky God King, Flying Gods, Three Officials and Four Saints, Two Luminaries and Nine Stars, Beidou and Nandou, East, West, and Central Stars, Twenty-Eight Constellations, Heavenly Stars, Vajra Warriors…"
"Decree Demon Subduing Vajra, Four Heavenly Gate Kings, Five Mountains and Four Rivers, and the rest covering mountains, four seas, Nine Rivers and Twelve River Sources, mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes…"
With divine words, Heaven echoed, and Earth responded, countless Immortals and Divine Beings received conferment, those Heavenly Immortals who fell during the Three Heavens battle were fully resurrected, even their Cave Heaven worlds restored, all gods and generals, everyone revived.
After the Heavenly Immortals, to the Earth Immortals, though not all could fully resume positions like Heavenly Immortals, any contributor received respective rewards, even those below Earth Immortals, Human Immortals, and even Great Mahayana Return to Void Cultivators, all received varying Divine Position Conferment.
So it was, after an unknown period, that the Divine Conferment upon the Immortals and Buddhas, all Heavenly Divine Beings, was completed. Due to the heavy casualties of the sacred beings and life forms in the Immortal Demon War, they have eventually recovered some of their Yuan Qi.
In the end, only one was left without divine conferment; the eyes of the divine beings turned with a hint of expectation.
Those who were conferred before, whether Immortals, Buddhas, or Divine Beings, had actually perished. Although resurrected by the decree of the Heavenly Emperor, this did not fully restore them as living beings; they could only be conferred as Divine Spirits by the Heavenly Gods and Earthly Spirits Technique. novelbuddy.cσ๓
Living beings and Divine Spirits, a difference of just one word, yet a chasm as vast as the heavens, the latter being incomplete. Thereafter, their possibility for self-cultivation and self-promotion relied solely on external conferment, divine status blessings, with Heavenly Immortal as the visible end.
But there was one who was different, he had not perished in the battle, still a complete living being, with immense merit and infinite potential.
What kind of divine reward would the Heavenly Emperor bestow upon this person?
The divine beings looked on curiously, and the Heavenly Emperor also turned his gaze, looking towards Xu Yang, speaking in a solemn voice: "When Mara once came, the Supreme Daoist, to protect the living, sacrificed himself in righteousness. Fortunately, the destiny was not severed, and the Supreme Dao Lineage eventually had a successor. Today, I announce in public the new Supreme Daoist, Supreme Nine Forms Venerable—Xu Qingyang!"
As the word was uttered, the law followed, immediately heaven and earth responded, the Supreme Great Dao converged, the previously dispersed Taiching Tao Fruit recongregated. Although it was an external conferment, it also obtained fifty percent of the divine essence, allowing Xu Yang to return to the realm of Heavenly Immortal. The fractured Xuanyuan also received repairs, and many Heroic Spirits and Taoist Soldiers were reborn from within.
Seeing this, Xu Yang did not say much, only bowed to the Heavenly Emperor: "Thank Emperor Venerable!"
Addressing him as Emperor Venerable rather than ’Your Majesty’ is a privilege of being a Heavenly Immortal, indicating the relationship between them. Although there is a distinction of superior and inferior, it is not a sovereign-subject relationship, but rather one of mutual cultivation along the same path, both Taoist Masters and Taoists, all are Heavenly Immortals, all are Emperor Lords.
The difference is significant, if it were sovereign and subject, then if the ruler orders death, the subject must die. But if it is mutual cultivation along the same path, even though the Taoist Master is respected, they cannot oppress their followers, and there’s no notion of the ruler ordering subjects to die.
Relatively speaking, the status is more revered!
"Supreme Daoist?"
"This…"
"Indeed, he truly deserves it!"
"Congratulations, Taoist friend!"
Although the guess was in their minds, seeing Xu Yang receiving this divine conferment, the crowd of Immortals and Buddhas was still somewhat surprised.
Only the Golden Mother Primordial Lord, Daoist Shangqing, and the other Xuanhuang Five Saints remained unfazed, nodding and giving Xu Yang congratulatory looks.
This conferment of the Supreme Daoist is indeed significant!
The Xuanhuang Nine Saints are the leaders of Xuanhuang Heavenly Immortals, respectively commanding Taoism, Buddhism, Underworld, Dragon Palace, and Kunlun Yaochi, the Five Great Taoist Sects.
Among the Nine Saints and Five Paths, Taoism with Pangu and The Three Pure Ones, and Buddhism with the Great Brahma Three Venerables are the most powerful. Their authority is so great that even the Heavenly Emperor cannot dismiss them, being the masters of Taoism and the honored of Buddhism.
To speak bluntly, even if these Nine Saints wanted to establish their own sects, leading the Five Great Taoist Sects to break away from the control of the Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Emperor could do nothing about it, as they are all self-cultivated Heavenly Immortals, of the same rank as heaven and earth, and even the Heavenly Emperor cannot dismiss them, they could completely ignore commands and follow their desires.
Although that was in the past, times have changed, after defeating Mara Boxun, the authority of Qiong Gao Heavenly Emperor has even increased, possibly even reaching the realm of a Golden Immortal, but this still doesn’t diminish the value of the "Nine Great Saint Positions."
Being an Earth Immortal, Xu Yang receiving this endorsement places him as one of the Xuanhuang Nine Saints, truly one below Immortals and above tens of thousands, needless to say about his status.
Besides, this Supreme Dao Fruit is immensely beneficial for Xu Yang’s cultivation, allowing him to "hop on the train first and buy the ticket later," helping him comprehend the Supreme Dao. With Xu Yang’s capabilities, as long as there are no accidents, he is bound to prove himself as a Heavenly Immortal, truly becoming a legitimate Supreme Daoist.
To put it plainly, the Heavenly Emperor’s great reward is equivalent to handing over the chance of certain ascension to Heavenly Immortal to Xu Yang, the importance of this cannot be overstated.
But arguing the merit and reward, with his achievements, this divine conferment is also deserved.
After the divine conferment, all Immortals and Buddhas returned to their places.
Above the Luan Court, the Heavenly Emperor sat on his high throne, his Jade sound resounding through Xuanhuang, declaring this calamity finally quenched.
"Calamities are in Heaven, calamities without Heaven, the Jade Sky is clear, with no Heaven, yet there is Heaven!"
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