Chapter 153: Attaining the Dao as a Celestial Immortal (Third Update)

Chapter 153: Proving the Dao of Celestial Immortality

Threads of merit and Qi destiny converged, shining with golden brilliance and vast purple aura, transforming into thin streams that rushed toward the Golden Wheel of Merit in Luo Feng's mind.

Continuously gathering, weaving, expanding, and intensifying, perhaps after hundreds of millions of years, it could reach the realm of the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Honored One, whose divine wheel illuminates the void of all realms and the ten directions across the three paths.

With the Golden Wheel of Merit cast out, one stands in a state of congenital invincibility, where enemies wouldn't even dare to touch it.

Truly, it was the ultimate life-saving divine artifact of Luo Feng's dreams: wearing the thickest armor while practicing the fastest movement techniques. As for offensive capability, it could be entirely neglected.

Immortals enjoy boundless longevity; as long as one lives long enough to outlast the enemy, the day of dancing on their grave will eventually arrive.

"However, it would be even better if there were a bit more."

Luo Feng looked on with lingering reluctance as a significant portion of the merit and Qi destiny rushed toward other destinations.

A fraction flowed into the Heavenly Court, transforming into public resources, while another portion flowed directly into the hands of the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Honored One.

After passing through so many layers, very few mouthfuls actually fell into his own hands.

As for increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, it was easy to talk about but difficult to execute.

Luo Feng sighed once again. On the side of reducing expenditure, whether it was the Heavenly Court's public resources or the Jade Emperor himself, he could not shake them in the slightest.

As for increasing revenue, the path seemed even more straightforward.

The water sources of the Celestial Realm were controlled by his own hands, while the water essences of the primordial mortal realm belonged to the jurisdiction of the Dragon Clan. Across the Four Seas and the Eight Desolations, waters had flood dragons, and seas had true dragons, together constructing a massive water deity system. In the Netherworld, a River of Oblivion traversed the multiverse, witnessing boundless vows, while a Spring of Yellow Springs governed life, death, and the nether regions, striking awe into all the heavens.

As long as Luo Feng went on a continuous power surge, first hacking down the True Dragons of the Four Seas, then smashing the turf of Houtu in the Reincarnation, and finally evaporating the Sea of Blood and the River of Oblivion, mere water essence would naturally fall right into his grasp.

Luo Feng chuckled and immediately slapped his past self from a second ago: wake up, it's not dark yet.

Although the Black Emperor Zulong was absent, the Dragon Clan remained a major clan in the primordial world. To bargain with them required at least the level of a Da Luo.

As for Houtu and the River of Oblivion, those two ruthless figures... well,呵呵.

Not even delivering heads to enemies was done quite like this.

Holding a jade scroll, Luo Feng examined it while sighing with emotion.

"Reducing expenditure is impossible, I'll never reduce expenditure in this lifetime. And I don't know how to increase revenue, so I can only muddle through life by making reforms."

The Heavenly Court was the orthodox ruler of the Three Realms; squeezing a bit of merit and Qi destiny out of it was still possible. Luo Feng adored this place.

Suddenly, a voice of report sounded outside the hall.

An immortal official holding a stack of documents and jade slips walked in.

"Greetings, Star Lord. These are this year's records from the Ministry of Water. Please review them, Star Lord."

Luo Feng nodded in acknowledgment, took the documents, and while reviewing them, asked, "Lingyuan, why is it you, a vice director, coming to deliver the documents this year? Such trivial matters could simply be left to ordinary immortal officials."

Luo Feng had led the Xuanyuan Alliance up to the heavens, creating a moderate sensation in the cultivation world of the Yin and Shang dynasty.

To entice talents as a ruler would buy a fine horse, the Heavenly Court arranged official positions for any Daoist willing to ascend to the heavens, regardless of their level of cultivation.

Among the Xuanyuan Alliance, Luo Feng's direct lineage almost all came to serve in the Ministry of Water, while the rest went to the naval forces or were bestowed titles as local deities, more or less connected to the water essence.

In this vast Ministry of Water, from the six principal directors down to casual divine generals and immortal officials, quite a few were Luo Feng's disciples and grand-disciples.

Each generation of the Son of Heaven brings their own ministers; the Ministry of Water was undergoing a generational replacement.

Lingyuan was one of them, counting as a grand-disciple generation, currently serving as the Vice Director of the Documentation Bureau.

It was precisely because the main deity of the Ministry of Water took the lead, coupled with the fact that subordinates were all his own people, that the reforms in the Ministry of Water had been so successful.

Daoist Lingyuan looked slightly surprised and said, "Did Senior Brother Jinxin not mention this to the Grand Uncle-Master?"

Luo Feng raised his brows slightly, recalling that he had an avatar in the Water Origin Palace, but he hadn't contacted it for a long time, and his information was somewhat outdated.

After all, he was not yet a Da Luo; achieving instantaneous, real-time synchronization everywhere still posed a bit of difficulty.

Besides, after all these years, his avatar puppets were... just a tiny bit too numerous.

Putting down the documents, Luo Feng said calmly, "Your Senior Brother Jinxin has been busy lately and hasn't had time to contact me."

Daoist Lingyuan immediately frowned and said with a hint of anxiety, "I assumed the Grand Uncle-Master knew, which is why I came today to discuss countermeasures."

"I didn't expect..."

"Stop!" Luo Feng interrupted Daoist Lingyuan's words and said, "Keep it brief."

"Yes!"

Daoist Lingyuan readily complied and quickly summarized it in one sentence: "The ancestor of Huaqing Temple is about to prove the Dao of the Golden Immortal!"

"He has invited immortals from the Seven Sects to visit Huaqing Grotto-heaven for the observation ceremony thirty years from now."

In an instant, Luo Feng's expression turned one of great shock as he stood up from his chair.

Yet in his heart, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Scared the life out of me. Let alone not having proved the Dao yet, even if he had already attained the Golden Immortal realm...

No, I mustn't grow arrogant.

Although most Golden Immortals in the primordial world had rather shallow foundations and uneven qualities, failing to even reach the second stage of the Five Qi.

Still, they had lived for millions of years, and goodness knows what trump cards they might possess.

He still needed to deal with this cautiously.

After his thoughts churned a thousand times, Luo Feng sat back down and gestured with his hand for Daoist Lingyuan to continue.

Daoist Lingyuan sighed and said, "Grand Uncle-Master, you also know that although the Seven Sects have formed the Xuanyuan Alliance, our hearts are not aligned. Although the various sect leaders are suppressing it, factional struggles are constant."

"Among them, the ancestor of Huaqing Temple possesses profound cultivation and already leads the primary faction. If he attains the Golden Immortal realm, I fear he will usurp the master's role."

"I await the Grand Uncle-Master's final decision."

As he spoke, Daoist Lingyuan stood up, bowed solemnly to Luo Feng, his expression grave.

Luo Feng waved his hand, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "What is the exact attitude of Huaqing Patriarch? Does he want to seize the dominant position, or does he want to stand alone and dissolve the alliance?"

This question was crucial, as it would determine whether Huaqing Patriarch might accidentally meet a sudden, violent death when stepping out one day.

Daoist Lingyuan thought carefully for a moment and replied, "Although the Huaqing faction is arrogant, they haven't reached the point of tearing faces apart. Instead, they are everywhere trying to win over our direct disciples and retainers, while showing a must-win attitude toward certain divine positions."

"They want to take advantage of this opportunity to seize benefits."

A smile appeared on Luo Feng's face; he understood.

Ever since joining the Heavenly Court, the Xuanyuan Alliance had come to realize the grandness of the Heavenly Court was something they could not possibly contend against. Even Huaqing Patriarch did not dare to offend the Heavenly Court or openly oppose him, the Star Lord of Water Virtue.

Therefore, they chose the method of poaching walls to strengthen themselves.

"Go back and tell our disciples to remain still and await developments. Thirty years from now, I will naturally go to observe the ceremony."

Luo Feng instructed calmly.

Daoist Lingyuan instantly grew anxious and hurriedly said, "Grand Uncle-Master, that is a Golden Immortal..."

"A Golden Immortal, so what if he's a Golden Immortal? Can he compare to the Heavenly Court?"

Luo Feng retorted with a question.

Daoist Lingyuan paused, frowned, and said, "Naturally, he cannot compare."

Having entered the Heavenly Court, they were no longer ignorant bumpkins from the Xuanyuan Mountains; naturally, they understood the might of the Heavenly Court.

Luo Feng smiled and said, "That is precisely it. With the Heavenly Court backing us, even if Huaqing Patriarch proves the Golden Immortal Dao, he wouldn't dare to act presumptuously."

"As for the Huaqing faction being overly arrogant..."

Luo Feng paused, his tone deep with meaning: "The official position of the Star Lord of Water Virtue is equivalent to that of a Golden Immortal. Having held this office for so many years, this poor Daoist has gained some insights."

Daoist Lingyuan's expression lit up with joy, and he quickly asked, "Grand Uncle-Master, are you about to prove the Dao of Celestial Immortality?"