Qing Ling stepped into the thirty-third heavenly realm, a feat that naturally did not escape the notice of the various saints. A thought echoed in the minds of the six saints: if he truly succeeded and forged his own path, how powerful would he become?
Even Nu Wa, currently the strongest among the saints, merely followed in Hong Jun's footsteps.
This was because Hong Jun was the first to successfully achieve the method of "slaying the three corpses."
After him, all others who followed this path were latercomers, and exceedingly few, numbering only nine. Beyond these nine, the path of slaying the three corpses could no longer produce Hunyuan or Saints.
Of course, Qing Ling's ascension to the thirty-third heaven was only sensed by the six saints.
The height Qing Ling had reached was a level none of the six saints had attained before becoming saints themselves.
With Qing Ling's current strength, even a half-step Hunyuan who had sensed his "Self-Corpse" would not be his match.
If his two bodies were to merge, the combined power of his "Chaos Self" and his "Primordial World Self" would be sufficient to crush any existence below the level of the six saints. Even the supremely talented Dong Huang Tai Yi, blessed by immense fortune, or ancient beings like Shen Ni in his beast form, were far inferior to Qing Ling.
The foremost individual below the saintly realm, whether it be Hong Jun of the past or the various Dao beings of the future, Qing Ling was their closest rival.
Time flowed gradually, and the atmosphere between the Wu and Yao tribes grew increasingly tense.
The twenty-eight demon territories on the Great Earth seemed to subtly encircle the twelve tribes of the Wu. In the heavens, the Zhou Tian Xing Dou array crisscrossed, its starlight weaving a net that enveloped the Primordial World.
Countless Yao tribe members mobilized. They surged across the land, and in the sky, clouds and shadows layered upon each other. Every day, streams of light ascended and descended, rushing back and forth.
Within the Ling Xiao Palace, the three Emperors and the Grand Tutor of the Yao tribe gathered with the demon gods and various great powerhouses assembled through diverse means. Some were drawn by treasures and spiritual wealth, others by profound scriptures and techniques, some sought to break through tribulations by engaging in combat, while some were coerced. In total, there were no less than a hundred Great Luo Immortals.
The Ling Xiao Palace was immensely vast, spanning over ten thousand zhang, capable of housing hundreds of thousands, even millions, of beings.
Currently, hundreds of seats were arranged within the grand hall.
From time to time, one or two figures would be escorted to their seats by attendants outside the hall.
Every arrival was no ordinary individual; each was a person who could shake a region with a single stomp.
There was no other reason than that every single one of them was a Great Luo Golden Immortal!
Yet, today, their seats were relegated to the middle and rear, merely the lower echelons of the hall.
At the front of the hall, dozens of seats remained empty, clearly indicating that the banquet had not yet commenced.
Once seated, the Great Luo Immortals in the hall engaged in mutual greetings, some conversing and laughing, others sitting in cold solitude, and even exchanging veiled insults in secret, evidently encountering old adversaries.
The guards within the grand hall stood respectfully. None of the individuals present could be offended.
One by one, the Heavenly Court's demon saints arrived, some boisterously, others ferociously, and some with meticulous courtesy, taking their seats.
When the Seven Xuan Demon Saint arrived, many individuals were already seated in the hall. She took a middle seat on the right side, greeted the demon saints beside her, and then remained silent.
As she watched the Great Luo Immortals arrive, she couldn't help but marvel at the prosperity of the Yao tribe!
She belonged to the faction of the Empress's Heavenly Consort, yet she was seated next to several demon saints from the Grand Tutor's faction. Among them was particularly the Xuan Ji Demon Saint, who, despite being a four-legged reptile by nature, was notoriously lecherous. As one of the few female demon saints, and having cultivated illusionary arts, she was considered an ideal Dao companion by many demon saints.
The Xuan Ji Demon Saint, seeing the Seven Xuan Demon Saint beside him, winked and said, "Great Saint Seven Xuan, it has been hundreds of thousands of years since we last met after our encounter in the Dou Xu Demon Territory of the lower realm."
The Seven Xuan could only smile and reply, "Indeed, Great Saint Xuan Ji remembers well."
The Xuan Ji Demon Saint before her was the brother of the Demon God Lord Gui Che. Although not blood-related, their bond was close. Furthermore, she served under the Demon God Lord Gui Che, making it necessary for her to show him a degree of deference.
"Heh heh, Great Saint Seven Xuan, if you have some leisure time, I recently acquired a Seven-Star Exquisite Horn. I heard that you, little sister Seven Xuan, spent a long time searching for the Illusory Dream Stone in vain. This item should be comparable, perhaps after the banquet, we could have a small gathering at my cave dwelling?" Xuan Ji said with a relaxed smile.
"That will not do," the Seven Xuan shook her head. "I have had other fortuitous encounters and found something else. I have already left my Seven-Colored Illusionary Light lineage's inheritance in the Yun Meng Great Marsh. There is no need for Great Saint's concern."
Xuan Ji looked displeased and was about to speak again, but suddenly stopped and looked towards the entrance of the hall.
At this moment, a figure of cold purity walked into the hall, and a sharp killing intent swept through the crowd, startling everyone.
A tall and powerfully built youth entered the hall, clad in a blood-red robe, with a long saber strapped to his back.
Dozens of demon saints rose in unison to pay their respects, saying, "Greetings, Lord Ba Qi Demon God!"
Qi nodded faintly, strode forward, and took the eighth seat on the left side of the front row.
Seeing this, the Seven Xuan quickly spoke up to interrupt Xuan Ji, her eyebrows raised, "Great Saint Xuan Ji, why is Lord Gui Che not here? Surely you did not forget to inform him?"
Xuan Ji chuckled, "How could that be? This is a personal decree from His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor. How could my brother not know?"
While diverting him, the Seven Xuan observed the people in the hall. Most of them were demon saints personally appointed by the Heavenly Court, along with leaders of great sects from the lower realms, grand elders, and even rogue cultivators who had allied with the Yao tribe. They were all Great Luo Immortals.
At the very front, the Tu Shan Demon God had already arrived, making him the fourth demon god present, seated in the fourth position on the right side.
Following him was the Shang Yang Demon God, seated in the third position on the right side, placing him quite towards the front.
The Shang Yang Demon God and the Tu Shan Demon God clearly had a good relationship, exchanging a few words with smiles.
After them, the sixteen demon gods of the Heavenly Court arrived in succession. Among these sixteen demon gods, ten possessed the highest strength and status. The Ying Zhao Demon God was considered the foremost among the demon gods, possessing the highest strength, yet he only occupied the second seat on the left side. The Bai Ze Demon God, however, sat in front of the Ying Zhao Demon God, taking the foremost position on the left side.
The Great Luo Immortals present understood the hierarchy of status among those gathered.
The five hundred-plus seats in the hall were now mostly filled. The attendees were vaguely divided into six factions. The foremost faction was naturally the demon saints and demon gods under the Heavenly Emperor. Following them were the demon saints and demon gods under the Eastern Emperor, then the faction of Nu Wa, the faction of the Grand Tutor, and the faction of the Heavenly Consort.
There were once seven factions, with the addition of the Demon Ancestor's faction. However, ever since the Qian Yan Demon God perished at the hands of the Ancestral Wu Di Jiang tens of thousands of kalpas ago, the Demon Ancestor's faction had naturally dissolved. Furthermore, the Demon Ancestor was the least prominent among the imperial-tier beings and had never interfered in the affairs of the Heavenly Court of the Yao tribe, so there was no longer any need to designate a separate faction.
If a division were to be made, it would only be for the Ba Qi Demon God, who had recently returned from the Sea of Blood and attained the realm of a demon god.
Within Nu Wa's faction, aside from the Tu Shan Demon God, the Kong Xuan Demon Saint was the strongest. Rumor had it that his combat prowess was enough to contend with a demon god without falling behind.
After another quarter of an hour, at the uppermost section, the Heavenly Emperor, the Heavenly Consort, the Eastern Emperor, and the Grand Tutor appeared simultaneously. Hundreds of demon saints and demon gods bowed in unison, saying, "We pay our respects to His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor, Her Majesty the Heavenly Consort, Lord Eastern Emperor, and Lord Grand Tutor!"
Di Jun stepped forward and said, "All rise!"
After everyone had risen, Di Jun continued, "This is the first grand banquet I have hosted within the Ling Xiao Palace. Due to her saintly status, Saint Nu Wa cannot personally grace the mortal realm.
The Demon Ancestor remains in seclusion and has not emerged. I believe all of you are aware of the Demon Ancestor's near-death experience tens of thousands of kalpas ago.
Therefore, this grand banquet will be presented to you by the four of us."
Xi He stepped forward with a gentle smile, "Everyone, please be seated. There are no distinctions between ruler and subject, nor any constraints of etiquette at this banquet. Please relax."
Everyone bowed and thanked Her Majesty. However, they all grumbled inwardly, noting that this was the first time the Heavenly Consort had smiled since the loss of her son.
Di Jun raised his golden chalice and addressed the assembly, "Today, I have invited all of you here, and I believe you have already guessed the general purpose. Since that is the case, there is no need for lengthy speeches. Let us first partake in this wine of Nine Heavens Jade Nectar, to strengthen your fearless hearts!"
As his words fell, Di Jun was the first to drain his cup.