The great powers present, save for the three Sages and Zhenyuan and Minghe who remained composed, were all on high alert, fearing some deception.
Finally, as the banquet commenced, the hosts from the Heavenly Court arrived.
The Heavenly Emperor naturally stood at the forefront, leading the way. Qing Ling followed to his right. He had no intention of attending this grand feast, but he had received word from Nuwa, using this occasion of the gathering of the Four Emperors, One Teacher, and One Ancestor at the Wa Palace to discuss important matters.
Thus, Qing Ling naturally came.
As Di Jun made his appearance, all the great powers in the Myriad Stars Palace, whether prominent or not, turned their gaze towards him.
All the great powers, whether Da Luo Golden Immortals, Quasi-Saints, or even the three Sages, rose in salutation.
"We pay homage to the Heavenly Emperor! Congratulations on the Heavenly Emperor's great joy!"
As the voices of the great powers echoed, farther away, countless rogue cultivators and immortals also rose in unison, bowing respectfully. The vast and sonorous voices swept through the Heavenly Court.
"We pay homage to the Heavenly Emperor! Congratulations on the Heavenly Emperor's great joy!"
Even farther away, tens of millions of demon races from the Heavenly Realm prostrated themselves, "We pay homage to the Heavenly Emperor! Congratulations on the Heavenly Emperor's great joy!"
The majestic resonance descended from the Nine Heavens, spreading across the primordial lands. The myriad demon races of the twenty-eight domains of the Demon Clan bowed in unison, congratulating the Heavenly Emperor!
At this moment, regardless of who they were, within the primordial world, all bowed.
Great ancestors paid their respects, and all immortals and rogue cultivators bowed. It was truly a gathering of ten thousand immortals, a scene where even a Sage would yield a few points!
At this moment, let alone Di Jun, even Qing Ling, standing beside him, felt a surge of immense pride, the thought of being supreme in heaven and earth welling up within him.
Countless demon races felt pride, and countless great powers retreated. Even after an endless age, the demon race would never forget this era of prosperity!
Di Jun laughed heartily and said, "Thank you, fellow Daoists!
Today, it is the thousandth birthday of my ten sons. Fortunately, with the favor of all my fellow Daoists, we gather in the Heavenly Court. I am immensely grateful!"
Saying this, he looked at Shang Yang, the master of ceremonies, and said, "Go and invite the Ten Crown Princes to meet all our fellow Daoists."
Shang Yang bowed respectfully and proclaimed, "Invite the Ten Crown Princes into the hall!"
As Shang Yang's voice entered the void, ten Golden Crows descended from the Nine Heavens, breaking through the air. Shang Yang, seeing this, quickly extended his hand and waved a round moon, the Heavenly Empress's supreme treasure, the Moon Essence Wheel!
The Moon Essence Wheel transformed into a magnificent full moon, enveloping the ten three-legged Golden Crows, whose bodies blazed with terrifying flames. Even so, the people within the great hall still felt a wave of heat.
Tai Yi laughed heartily, "Please do not mind, everyone. These ten nephews of mine possess extraordinary talent. Born with the True Sun Fire, it is inextinguishable and can burn all things. They are still young and do not know how to restrain it, which is why they are protected within the Moon Essence Wheel. Otherwise, the entire Heavenly Court would be burned down by them!"
By the end of his speech, Tai Yi was already smiling. With such powerful talent, his ten Golden Crows were bound to achieve extraordinary divine abilities in the future. Even if they were not the most outstanding, they would at least be Demon Sages. With some fortune, they might even achieve the status of Demon Gods!
As for becoming Demon Emperors, it was not an easy feat, requiring great fortune, wisdom, and perseverance.
Tongtian, witnessing this, praised, "These ten sons of the Heavenly Emperor are such fine talents. If they are taught well, their future will be boundless."
Di Jun's smile grew brighter. This Sage was a straightforward person, and his words were undoubtedly true.
"Thank you for your kind words, fellow Daoist Tongtian. Why do I not see your two elder brothers here?"
Tongtian shook his head and chuckled, "My eldest brother has always enjoyed tranquility. My second brother is currently at a crucial stage of refining a Houtian supreme treasure and cannot spare the time, so he sent me to represent him!
However, although my eldest brother is not present, his gift cannot be absent. He specifically instructed me to bring ten Pills of Eight Revolutions as birthday gifts for the ten Crown Princes! My second brother has sent ten pairs of Houtian peak-grade Co-heart Swords. As for myself, I cannot compare to my two elder brothers in my magical abilities, so I can only offer a Xiantian spiritual treasure with eighteen layers of Dao prohibitions to express my sincerity."
Di Jun's smile widened, "Thank you, Three Sages of Kunlun, for your gifts. The demon race and Kunlun Mountain have always had a harmonious and friendly relationship, with deep affection."
Tongtian bowed in salute and sat down. The Three Sages had shown courtesy to the demon race, and naturally, the demon race would not antagonize the Three Sages without reason.
Following this, Zhun Ti stood up, his face beaming with a smile, "My senior brother and I were born in the arid and bitter land of the West, and we have no rare treasures. Therefore, we present five Bodhi leaves and five white lotus seeds to congratulate the Heavenly Emperor on the birth of his sons!"
Di Jun nodded and replied with a smile, "The two Sages possess profound Dao methods and are virtuous individuals of the West. Di Jun greatly admires you!"
Jieyin smiled wryly and shook his head, clasping his hands together, "We do not deserve the Heavenly Emperor's praise. You honor us too much."
The Sages offered their courtesies first, showing their respect. The favor between the demon race and the five Sages had been sufficiently established.
Next, it was time for the members of the demon race to bestow their gifts!
Tai Yi naturally had no need to make a superfluous gesture. He had already given his private gifts, and precious items were not to be presented under the public eye.
Sage Nuwa, as a Sage, held a unique position. After the grand banquet concluded, the Heavenly Emperor would personally lead the Ten Golden Crows to visit the Wa Palace to pay their respects.
Even with the prosperity of the demon race, rules could not be broken. No matter how powerful a Sage was, the Heavenly Emperor was still the nominal supreme leader of the demon race, the unified core of leadership. The other Emperors, Ancestors, and Teachers performed their respective duties, safeguarding the Heavenly Emperor as the center of power.
Therefore, the first to bestow a gift among the demon race was Qing Ling.
Qing Ling smiled and bowed slightly to everyone, then took a step forward and said, "As the Ancestor of the Demon Race, I naturally value the eternal prosperity of my descendants the most. The Heavenly Emperor's birth of ten sons is a supreme joy for the demon race.
As an elder, I must also consider the children's future. Therefore, today, I will bestow upon these ten children ten Crimson Flowers, wishing them a vibrant future, blooming endlessly!"
As his words fell, Qing Ling's eyes of life and death spun, and ten seeds of Samsara Flower integrated into the bodies of the ten flapping Golden Crows.
Everyone was startled. They had only heard of the Ancestor's renowned divine ability, the Samsara Flower of Life and Death, used for defeating enemies and winning battles, but they had never imagined it had other marvelous uses.
Di Jun, seeing this, laughed, "Thank you, Ancestor of the Demon Race, for your thoughtfulness. These ten children will surely show you filial piety in the future!"
Qing Ling, as the Ancestor of the Demon Race, was the elder of all demon races. Regardless of whether they were the Demon Emperor, Demon Teacher, or Heavenly Emperor, they had to show him respect.
In essence, it was akin to the elders in future mortal dynasties, such as the Empress Dowager, who would not engage in power struggles with the Grand Emperor and the reigning Emperor.
Qing Ling smiled and nodded, looking at the ten innocent and ignorant little Golden Crows. Today, he gifted them a Samsara Flower, hoping that they would be able to survive amidst death in the future.
Hou Yi shooting the sun, ten suns falling, how tragic.
Although the ten Golden Crows burned the primordial world, their hearts were sinful for using their innocent young minds to scheme against and harm innocent beings.
Now that Qing Ling was present, such events would never happen again. Furthermore, ten Golden Crows were equivalent to ten suns. If they lived for ten lifetimes, they would be ten sun gods. This fortune and merit were worth Qing Ling's efforts to prevent the ancient myths like Kuafu chasing the sun and Hou Yi shooting the sun from spreading in later ages, both for public and private reasons!