Chapter 108: Praise to the Great Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor
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Chapter 108: A Hymn to the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable
Luo Feng lowered his eyes and clasped his hands.
“Your Majesty, this poor Daoist has come to relieve you of your burdens.”
“If I were to ascend to Heaven with the cultivation of a Golden Immortal, as perceived by the Three Realms, it would attract unnecessary attention and give rise to misunderstandings.”
“But for a mere Earth Immortal to ascend to Heaven, that would be nothing more than an ordinary, unremarkable matter.”
Seated upon his throne, the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, nodded, reluctantly accepting this explanation.
“What suggestions do you have? Let us hear them.”
Luo Feng performed a Taoist salute. “What I am about to say concerns the Great Calamity. I beg Your Majesty to dismiss your attendants and establish layer upon layer of heavenly restrictions.”
The celestial generals on either side immediately changed expression and shouted angrily, “How insolent of a wandering cultivator!”
On the right side of the hall, the first minister beneath the Celestial Emperor’s left hand, the Venus Star Lord, smiled amiably.
“Generals, there is no need for anger. Fellow Daoist Luo merely speaks out of concern for the Heavenly Court. Your Majesty, I ask that you render your judgment.”
“The Great Calamity?”
The Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, pondered for a moment. Then, with a sweep of his hand, he gave the order.
All the guards and martial officers, as well as the celestial maidens in attendance, withdrew.
Within the great hall, only the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, the Venus Star Lord, and Luo Feng remained.
From this alone, it was clear how much the Jade Emperor trusted the Venus Star Lord. He was unquestionably one of His Majesty’s most intimate confidants.
Once the attendants had departed, silence descended upon the hall. Naturally, the Jade Emperor could not take the initiative to question Luo Feng or offer any explanation. That would diminish the dignity of the Celestial Emperor.
Thus, the Venus Star Lord, whose name was ever present in the Emperor’s thoughts, spoke at precisely the right moment.
With a flick of his horsetail whisk, the Venus Star Lord smiled benevolently.
“Fellow Daoist Luo, you may speak now. The Great Heavenly Venerable is the sovereign of the Three Realms, sacred and majestic, exalted beyond compare. No prying gaze would dare descend upon this place.”
Luo Feng nodded. The Celestial Emperor’s dwelling was equivalent to a Sage’s sacred domain. To spy upon it recklessly would be to insult the Celestial Emperor—a sure way to forge a mortal enmity with the Heavenly Court.
No Grand Luo expert would ever act with such abandon.
After once more saluting the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, Luo Feng said with a smile, “The Heavenly Court is the legitimate authority of the Three Realms, and Your Majesty is their supreme ruler. Your countenance is wondrous and solemn, your Dharma body supreme. You command the countless heavens, govern the myriad gods, rule Heaven and Earth, enlighten all the celestial realms, carry out Heaven’s Dao, spread Heaven’s virtue, bring creation to all things, save and deliver all living beings, weigh and balance the Three Realms, govern the myriad spirits, and extend immeasurable salvation to all. You are the supreme deity of the celestial realm, the highest sovereign who rules over all the heavens.”
Whatever one wished to do, it was best to begin with a little flattery. After all, one did not strike a smiling face.
The Venus Star Lord, standing to one side, could not help but be slightly taken aback. He had never heard such words before.
Even the flatterers of the Heavenly Court usually said no more than that His Majesty’s sacred longevity was boundless and that he ruled the Three Realms. Anything beyond that was too deliberate and had long since fallen into cliché.
Fellow Daoist Luo’s speech was fresh and unconventional. He truly was an extraordinary man.
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Yet the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, seated upon his throne, continued to smile as he listened attentively. A halo of merit shone in all directions, lending him an incomparable and solemn majesty.
Seeing this, Luo Feng pressed on and continued his praise.
“The Supreme Heaven of Mysterious Mystery, boundlessly wondrous and true. The distant Violet-Gold Palace, the Jade Purity Palace of the Great Subtlety. The holy one without limit or equal, whose vast expanse gives birth to radiance. Silent and immense, without origin, whose mysterious law encompasses the ten directions. The tranquil and profound eternal Dao, whose mighty divine powers are vast and boundless. The Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, the High Sovereign of the Mysterious Vault…”
At first, the Venus Star Lord merely smiled and listened. After all, it would hardly do to stop someone from speaking well of his superior.
But as Luo Feng continued, the Venus Star Lord began to sense that something was amiss. If the Heavenly Court truly possessed all the virtues Luo Feng described, it would have long since ruled over the Three Realms. His Majesty would not be so exasperated with the Three Teachings.
After a while, even the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, whose expression had remained calm and utterly composed, showed the slightest change of countenance.
Luo Feng noticed this as well and decided to bring his praise to an end.
“The holy one without limit or equal, whose radiance returns from the void. Silent and immense, without origin, whose mysterious law encompasses the ten directions. The tranquil and profound eternal Dao, whose mighty divine powers are vast and boundless. The True Ancient One of the Vaulted Heavens, wondrous, perfect, pure, and still. Possessed of wisdom and eloquence, supreme among the supreme Dao. Teacher of the Three Realms, Ancestor of Primordial Unity. Holy Lord beyond compare, compassionate father of the four forms of life. Supreme Sage of the High Heavens, compassionate and benevolent one. Perfect in the Ten Titles, surrounded by ten thousand virtues. Bestower of immeasurable salvation, deliverer from the suffering of life and death. King among all the saints.”
“Praise be to the Vast-Heaven Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, the High Sovereign of the Mysterious Vault!”
The Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, remained silent for a while before finally asking, “Immortal Luo has spoken at considerable length. May I ask what suggestions you have?”
After someone had said so much, some response had to be given. Otherwise, it would make the host appear excessively cold and severe.
Yet he also feared that Luo Feng might take advantage of the situation and overstep himself, so he phrased the question tactfully.
In other words: You have been speaking nonsense for quite some time. Do you have anything substantial to offer?
Seeing that the Jade Emperor had finally spoken, Luo Feng smiled knowingly. Naturally, he had something substantial to say.
Why had he gone to such lengths to make the Jade Emperor speak?
This involved a matter of psychology: what is sought but not easily obtained.
If Luo Feng had merely followed the Venus Star Lord’s lead and continued speaking, he would have been nothing more than a minister presenting a proposal—someone of little consequence.
But now that the Jade Emperor had personally asked for advice, the matter had become a request for counsel. Once his proposal was put into practice, it would inevitably carry some weight in the Emperor’s heart.
It was rather like Liu Bei making three visits to the thatched cottage to seek Zhuge Liang.
Of course, Luo Feng did not dare compare himself too boldly. He was no Zhuge Liang, whose wisdom bordered on the supernatural.
Nor was the Jade Emperor some fallen Lord Liu Bei. He was the legitimate Celestial Emperor, the sovereign of the Three Realms.
Luo Feng stepped forward and saluted.
“Your Majesty, the Heavenly Court has only recently been established. In the face of the orthodox lineages of the Sages, it is like a newly sprouted seed. It truly cannot contend with them directly.”
“There are many great powers beneath Heaven: the Netherworld Blood Sea’s River Styx, the Master of Five庄 Temple, the Golden Mother of the Western Kunlun Mountains, and others. They may serve as allies, but they cannot be plotted against. We ought to cultivate friendly relations with them.”
“The Heavenly Court is the legitimate authority of the Three Realms, while humanity is the chosen protagonist of Heaven and Earth. If the essence of one could be taken while its dross was discarded, and the two united, then the Heavenly Court would surely flourish.”
“Although the Ancestor of the Dao bestowed the Investiture List, all the orthodox gods of the Eight Divisions are disciples of the Three Teachings. Even after being placed upon the list, they remain proud and unruly.”
“This poor Daoist believes that the foundation of the Heavenly Court lies in humanity. What the Heavenly Court needs is an army that belongs to Your Majesty—an army that obeys Your Majesty’s commands!”
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“And not a group of disciples from the Three Teachings who were merely placed upon the Investiture List!”
After finishing, Luo Feng stood to one side and quietly awaited the Jade Emperor’s reply.
The Venus Star Lord’s eyes, however, glittered brightly. He had initially assumed Luo Feng to be nothing more than a sycophant, yet he had not expected him to possess such great talent. Many of his opinions coincided perfectly with the plans he and His Majesty had discussed.
The Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, scrutinized Luo Feng, who stood in the hall like a lifelike puppet, and nodded slightly. A hint of admiration flashed through his eyes.
Before one in a position of power, Luo Feng had shown neither humility nor arrogance. His observations had struck directly at the heart of the matter, and every word he spoke contained substance.
He was truly a great sage and a man of extraordinary talent.
After a long while, the calm voice of the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, rang out.
“May I ask how Immortal Luo came to learn of the Great Calamity of Investiture?”
The Venus Star Lord, who was familiar with the Jade Emperor’s temperament, felt his heart tremble. He could not help looking toward Luo Feng.
If this question was answered poorly, it would mean certain peril to his life.
More than ten thousand years remained before the Great Calamity began.
The words “Great Calamity of Investiture” were not something an ordinary immortal could know.
Below the realm of the Grand Luo, only the orthodox lineages of the Sages and the important ministers of the Heavenly Court understood a little of the matter.
Even a Golden Immortal should not have known of it.
Yet Luo Feng knew of the Great Calamity of Investiture—and judging by his words, he even understood something of its inner workings.
He was very likely a pawn of one of the Sage lineages, or a spy sent by some Grand Luo expert.
Luo Feng had long since prepared for this possibility.
He remained unhurried and composed, responding without the slightest panic. After all, he too had a powerful origin.
Time to reveal a trump card.
[One update today. Everyone, go to sleep.]
[Find an opportunity to settle on a definite update time.]
End of Chapter