Zhao Feng nodded, showing no sign of surprise.
The Thirty-Three Heavens of the Heavenly Court
Each layer of heaven was essentially its world and naturally served as a resource base for the court.
"How many beings are there in the entire Heavenly Court?" Zhao Feng asked curiously.
"Fellow Daoist,"
"That's a tough one you've asked."
"The Heavenly Court is vast and boundless. I, a mere celestial general, could never know how many beings it holds."
"But," the general continued, "I do know how many celestial soldiers we have over ten million soldiers and generals."
"In all of the Earth Immortal Realm, the Heavenly Court is undoubtedly the number one force," the general said with pride.
"Are there mortals raised within the Thirty-Three Heavens as well?" Zhao Feng asked with a casual smile.
"Of course!"
"Spiritual essence and blood-flesh pills are valuable things. While a great deal is tributed from the lower realms, it's naturally safer to produce them within the Heavenly Court."
"This recent disruption with the spiritual essence from the lower realms only proves that the former Heavenly Emperor's decision was correct."
"Fellow Daoist, I see you carry no murderous aura, so you must be a proper, orthodox cultivator. But orthodox cultivators don't fare well in today's world."
"Luckily, you ascended directly into the Heavenly Court, meaning you've been registered into our celestial ranks. Otherwise, celestial soldiers would've torn you apart on the spot."
"Spiritual essence has countless uses, and the same goes for blood and flesh, especially for someone like you who's achieved immortality."
"In the future, if you want to act within the Heavenly Court, you'll need to take shortcuts and, of course, refine and consume plenty of blood-flesh pills. That way, others won't get ideas about you," the general advised with a serious face, as if genuinely concerned for Zhao Feng.
The two chatted as they walked.
Before long
They arrived outside a grand and resplendent palace.
On the plaque above the hall's entrance was a single character: (Pill).
"Fellow Daoist,"
"This is the Pill Hall," the celestial general said, pointing toward the majestic structure.
Then
He stepped forward and addressed the celestial guards stationed at the entrance.
"This fellow Daoist's name is Yuanyangzi. He ascended from the Eastern Victory Continent and is a fifth-rank alchemist. Please report this."
"A fifth-rank alchemist?"
The celestial guards turned to Zhao Feng, all visibly surprised.
"Please wait I will report it at once," one of the celestial generals said and quickly entered the hall.
Meanwhile, Zhao Feng released his divine sense, enveloping the entire Pill Hall in secret.
"As expected of the Heavenly Court's wealthiest domain…"
"Over a dozen Grand Golden Immortals… and even a quasi-saint is stationed here."
Zhao Feng's divine sense was extremely strong probing the hall without being detected.
Even the quasi-saint within didn't sense a thing.
"It seems I can't act rashly within the Pill Hall."
"Better not alert the snake by poking the grass…" Zhao Feng thought to himself.
Now that he had reached the very core of the Heavenly Court, if he didn't take full advantage of the situation, he would be doing himself a disservice.
The Peach Garden…
This Pill Hall…
And the Treasure Hall…
If he didn't bring back some of the Heavenly Court's finest resources, he really would be letting himself down.
Before long
A robed alchemist walked out of the Pill Hall.
He was at the Golden Immortal stage.
"Summon your alchemist's flame," he said directly to Zhao Feng.
Zhao Feng didn't hesitate. He raised his hand and summoned a bright, crimson alchemist flame.
"Not bad."
"This flame is indeed of fifth-rank quality and with a bit of refinement, it could reach the sixth rank."
"Didn't expect someone like you to emerge from the lower realms."
"I am Danyangzi, a sixth-rank alchemist of the Pill Hall. I command a thousand alchemists who serve the Heavenly Court."
"From today onward, you will serve under me," Danyangzi said with a smile.
"Thank you, my lord," Zhao Feng replied immediately, looking excited.
Then
Danyangzi turned to the celestial general beside Zhao Feng.
"Well done, bringing us a fifth-rank alchemist."
"I reward you with a bottle of fifth-grade blood-flesh pills."
With a wave of his hand, a porcelain bottle floated into the general's hands.
"Many thanks, Lord Danyangzi!" the general said excitedly and bowed deeply.
"You may leave."
Danyangzi waved his hand.
The general dared not delay he immediately retreated.
"Yuanyangzi,"
"Come with me into the hall," Danyangzi said with a smile and turned to enter.
Zhao Feng followed unhurriedly.
Upon stepping inside the grand hall, unlike the splendor outside, a sharp, pungent odor immediately assaulted his nose.
Glancing around
Blood-red flesh and gore were everywhere.
It was like stepping into a slaughterhouse.
Yet everyone within the hall was dressed in pristine Daoist robes clean and proper. If not for the gruesome scene around them, one wouldn't suspect anything was amiss.
"This is the first level of our Pill Hall. The lowest here are fourth-rank alchemists, responsible for refining Essence Blood Pills and Flesh Pills for the Heavenly Court."
"As a fifth-rank alchemist, you now have the opportunity to ascend to the second level," Danyangzi said, pointing at the alchemists within the hall.
"Thank you for the guidance," Zhao Feng replied with a nod, his expression calm and unaffected.
Danyangzi continued to lead Zhao Feng through the hall.
After touring both the first and second levels of the Pill Hall
Danyangzi handed Zhao Feng a jade slip.
"This contains a map of the Finance Department and other key areas. Inject your divine sense, and you'll see your current location as well as the positions of all important halls."
"It also shows where the various departments of the Heavenly Court are located, including the Lingxiao Palace. Those marked areas are strictly off-limits."
"If you trespass, not even I can protect you," Danyangzi warned seriously.
"Thank you, my lord," Zhao Feng replied immediately.
"Today is your first day of ascension, and you're granted ten days of rest to adjust and cultivate."
"The pill techniques of our Pill Hall are also stored within the jade slip. Your assigned residence is marked on it as well head there on your own," Danyangzi instructed.
"Yes, sir," Zhao Feng said, taking the jade slip and immediately injecting his divine sense into it.
A smile appeared on his face.
"The Heavenly Court is covered in restrictions and crawling with powerful beings. Using divine sense to scout would be risky this map is quite handy."
"Peach Garden, Pill Hall, Treasure Hall, Lingxiao Palace, Doushuai Palace, Imperial Stables, Milky Way…"
"All marked on the jade slip."
"Just as I thought."
"I avoided the Southern Heavenly Gate by ascending directly through the special passage straight into the core of the Heavenly Court."
Zhao Feng was quite satisfied with this arrangement.
After giving his instructions, Danyangzi turned and went up to the second level of the Pill Hall.
"First, I'll check out the Peach Garden. Then I'll return to the Pill Hall and take all the pills and don't forget the Treasure Hall," Zhao Feng chuckled to himself, already forming a plan.
Following the jade slip's guidance, Zhao Feng first went to the residence Danyangzi had assigned him.
Then
He transformed into a breeze and headed straight for the Peach Garden.
Along the way
Zhao Feng released his divine sense and observed numerous patrolling celestial soldiers, but not a single one detected him.
The gap in cultivation, along with Zhao Feng's mastery of Heavenly Gang and Earth Fiend techniques, allowed him to conceal his aura completely. He moved freely without obstruction.
Soon
Zhao Feng arrived in front of the Peach Garden.
"As expected of a critical site within the Heavenly Court."
"Two Taiyi Golden Immortals are guarding this place… and a thousand Golden Immortals."
"For an internal defense setup, this is quite formidable."
Zhao Feng's divine sense quickly swept the entire Peach Garden, grasping every detail inside and out.
With such security, it was clear how seriously the Heavenly Court valued this garden.
Without hesitation
Zhao Feng revealed himself but changed his appearance to that of Li Jing.
Tower in hand
He walked slowly toward the entrance of the Peach Garden.
"Greetings, Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King!"
When they saw 'Li Jing' approaching
The two Taiyi Golden Immortals and the many Golden Immortals outside the garden immediately stepped forward and bowed.
Although Li Jing was known for being cowardly, his status in the Heavenly Court was quite high.
"Mm."
Zhao Feng nodded slightly.
Then said, "By decree of His Majesty, I've come to inspect the Peach Garden in preparation for the Peach Banquet."
"May I ask, Heavenly King, do you carry the imperial decree?" one of the Taiyi generals asked respectfully.
Zhao Feng raised his hand, instantly conjuring a golden scroll, imbued with an aura of imperial authority.
"The decree is here," Zhao Feng declared loudly.
The two Taiyi Golden Immortals glanced at the decree in his hand and, seeing nothing suspicious, immediately stepped aside. They each took out a command token and struck it toward the gate of the garden.
Instantly
The two tokens merged into a beam of light, which landed on the gate. As the halo of light fell, the gate opened slightly.
"A congenital-level defensive formation."
"The Heavenly Court spared no expense for these peach trees," Zhao Feng noted silently, already understanding the nature of the formation.
But on the surface, he remained composed and stepped inside.
The two Taiyi Golden Immortals followed behind him, holding their tokens.
"Why are you following me?" Zhao Feng turned and asked coldly.
"Reporting to the Heavenly King,"
"According to the rules of the Peach Garden, inspections must be accompanied by guards," one of the Taiyi generals explained respectfully.
Zhao Feng nodded and said no more.
He stepped forward into the Peach Garden.
Upon entering
The spiritual energy was a thousand times denser than the outside world.
It was clear that the Peach Garden was located at the very heart of the Heavenly Court. Looking around, thousands of peach trees stood tall, each one brimming with ripe, radiant peaches.
"There appear to be nine thousand peach trees in total, and the mother tree is right in the center that must be the true innate spiritual root," Zhao Feng thought to himself.
Peaches
They were a true treasure.
They extended their lifespan, and their effects surpassed even those of spiritual essence, capable of shielding one from the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations.
However...
These peach trees might look abundant and full of ripe fruit, but compared to the countless immortals and deities of the Heavenly Court, they were insufficient.
"If I take all these peaches with me, it'll cause the power of Great Qin to skyrocket," Zhao Feng muttered with a smile spreading across his face.
The two Taiyi Golden Immortals beside him looked puzzled, staring at Zhao Feng, who was suddenly smiling for no reason.
"Heavenly King,"
"May we ask what has amused you?" one of the Taiyi asked respectfully.
Zhao Feng gave a calm smile and slowly turned his head.
Suddenly
He struck without warning.
Two fingers pointed out.
The two Taiyi didn't even have time to react sword qi pierced through their chests instantly, laced with Netherworld Flame that burned their souls to ash.
Both were obliterated in a flash.
"Killed: Mid-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal. +2000 to all attributes."
"Killed: Early-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal. +1000 to all attributes." the system panel notified.
"Here in the Heavenly Court, 99% of the immortals deserve to die."
Zhao Feng remained completely unfazed after the kill.
With a wave of his hand, the command tokens from both immortals appeared in his grasp.
"The formation around the Peach Garden completely isolates it from the outside world. No one will notice what I do next," he said with a smile.
But just then
Zhao Feng suddenly turned around again, pointing out with a single finger.
A ray of sword qi shot straight into the ground beneath the Peach Garden.
"Ahhh!"
An aged scream rang out.
"Killed: Peak-stage Golden Immortal. +300 to all attributes." the panel chimed.
"The Earth Deity of the Peach Garden?"
"You thought hiding underground would save you?" Zhao Feng chuckled softly.
Then, his divine sense expanded again.
It locked onto the central tree in the garden a towering celestial peach tree.
"Innate Renshui Peach Tree an innate spiritual root."
"If I remember correctly, this was a gift from the Dao Ancestor Hongjun to the Queen Mother beside the Jade Emperor."
"A spiritual root like this… not ordinary at all."
"But now, it's mine," Zhao Feng said, his eyes blazing with desire as he stared at the tree.
"Since it's a spiritual root of the Heavenly Court, I should be cautious. If there are seals or restrictions on it, things could get tricky. Better to collect all the other trees first."
With a faint smile, Zhao Feng unleashed his divine sense.
It spread out, targeting all the other innate and acquired-grade celestial peach trees in the garden excluding the mother tree.
And then he made his move.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth trembled throughout the Peach Garden.
All the peach trees were uprooted in one fell swoop.
Zhao Feng had no intention of merely harvesting the fruit he was taking the entire orchard, roots and all.
He intended to leave the Peach Garden in ruins.
Inside a small world…
Around the Tongtian Sacred Tree, the area was now surrounded by numerous spiritual roots Zhao Feng had acquired.
A black dragon coiled lazily around the tree, becoming more and more sentient as the surrounding flora thrived.
This region spanned a thousand miles and was forbidden to all without Zhao Feng's decree.
Now, under Zhao Feng's divine guidance, the land surrounding the Tongtian Sacred Tree shifted again, forming 9,999 new pits.
With precise control, he placed the uprooted peach trees into each pit, covering them with soil. Being spiritual roots, the trees wouldn't die easily, and as heaven and earth spiritual energy converged, even though it wasn't as rich as in the Heavenly Court, the laws of the small world centered on the Sacred Tree were more suitable for spiritual roots to thrive.
The black dragon was stunned by the scene, but after remembering who its master was, it settled calmly back onto the tree.
"I wonder if the Heavenly Court will ever be able to hold another Peach Banquet again…"
Gazing at the crater-filled, devastated Peach Garden, Zhao Feng couldn't help but laugh.
This move… would surely enrage the Jade Emperor.
"Only this last tree left now…"
"The real treasure is the supreme innate spiritual root."
"The true celestial peach."
"I need to be extra cautious. Once I dig it out, I'll leave immediately. Don't want to get trapped here."
"And this soil from the Peach Garden is excellent too. Might as well take it all."
With a glance around, Zhao Feng's divine sense swept out again.
He dug deep, removing every last inch of the fertile earth, and transferred it into his small world.
"Only this one left."
Zhao Feng's divine sense locked onto the Innate Renshui Peach Tree. Without hesitation, he unleashed his full spiritual power and yanked.
Meanwhile, at the Jade Pool inside a divine palace…
The Queen Mother suddenly opened her eyes.
"Not good!"
"Someone's tampering with the Peach Tree!"
Her expression changed drastically.
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