548: What happened to Yuanshi Tianzun?

The deputy general had already stepped onto the execution platform, holding a bronze battle-axe high in his hand.

Upon the blade of the axe, dense Dao patterns emerged; this was the "Immortal-Slaying" authority granted to this execution weapon by the Heavenly Dao.

Regardless of whether you are an immortal Golden Immortal or indestructible through ten thousand tribulations, beneath this axe, both body and Primordial Spirit shall be utterly destroyed!

"Execute."

The deputy general let out a shout, and the bronze axe swung down.

"Wait!"

In the distance, the sea of clouds churned and auspicious mist rose. A Nine-Dragon Agarwood Carriage tore through the air, with a boy sitting upright upon it. He wore a Jade Pure Lotus Crown and an Eight-Trigrams Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe, his entire being suffused with natural Dao charm, as if he were one with heaven and earth.

This was none other than White Crane Boy, who served before Primordial Heavenly Venerate of Jade Void Palace. Although he was dressed as a boy, he possessed the genuine cultivation of a Golden Immortal, and the Nine-Dragon Agarwood Carriage represented the Saint's dignified presence.

"Spare him!" White Crane Boy's clear voice instantly echoed throughout the Beheading Platform.

Upon seeing the Nine-Dragon Agarwood Carriage, Shuhai frowned slightly and merely cupped his hands, saying, "Fellow Daoist White Crane, your arrival is welcome, and I apologize for not meeting you sooner. However, this execution is carried out under the explicit decree of Your Majesty. Senior Brother, what advice do you have?"

White Crane Boy descended from the clouds and said sternly, "Immortal Master Taiyi is one of the Twelve Golden Immortals of our Jade Void Palace and a Personal Disciple of the Saint.

Even if he has committed a fault, it should be handled by Jade Void Palace itself, or decided by our Teacher.

How can you arbitrarily use the Immortal-Slaying execution? I ask that you postpone the execution and allow me to meet with Jade Emperor, Your Majesty, to plead his case."

Shuhai shook his head: "His Majesty has decreed: Taiyi's crime is supported by conclusive evidence, and the heavenly laws are clear; there is no room for personal favors.

The decree has been issued; execute him immediately without delay. Fellow Daoist White Crane, please do not make things difficult for us."

"You!" White Crane Boy's expression darkened. "I have come under the decree of my Teacher; does the Heavenly Court not even care about the face of a Saint?"

Just then, a peaceful yet magnificent voice came from above the Nine Heavens, from beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens. It sounded like the chanting of the Great Dao, ringing in the hearts of every immortal and deity on the Beheading Platform:

"Fellow Daoist Jade Emperor, my Disciple has been unruly and offended the heavenly might. I, this poor Daoist, have failed to discipline him strictly and offer my apologies here.

However, Taiyi bears a heavenly destiny, and the Killing Tribulation has not yet passed. If he is executed on the Beheading Platform now, his body and Primordial Spirit will be destroyed, which I fear will hinder the operation of heaven and earth.

Could you, for the sake of this poor Daoist's humble reputation, spare his Primordial Spirit and physical form for now, allowing him to atone for his crimes through meritorious service, and decide his fate after the Killing Tribulation?"

A Saint had spoken, pleading for his Disciple!

The entire Heavenly Court seemed to fall silent for a moment.

The clouds stalled, the wind ceased, and the waves calmed. Countless gazes turned toward the South Heaven Gate and in the direction of the Hall of Miraculous Mist.

On the Beheading Platform, the heavenly soldiers and generals, and even White Crane Boy, held their breath, waiting for the Jade Emperor's response.

The face of a Saint is greater than the sky!

However, in the direction of the Hall of Miraculous Mist, there was only silence.

Just as the lingering echoes of that Great Dao chant were about to fade, Lu Jiuyuan's voice also rang in the ears of every immortal and deity watching the event:

"Fellow Daoist Primordial, when working, you must address me by my title; you must call me Your Majesty!"

"The heavenly laws are the statutes observed by the entire Three Realms. They are not established because of a person, nor are they abolished because of a person.

Taiyi's crime is not merely offending Me; it lies in trampling upon the heavenly laws and showing contempt for the Heavenly Court. His actions are clear, and his heart is rebellious.

If one can be shown leniency outside the law because of his background or his heavenly destiny, then how can the heavenly laws establish credibility? How can the Heavenly Court maintain its legitimacy? How can the beings of the Three Realms be convinced?"

"Executing Taiyi today is precisely to clarify the heavenly laws and rectify the Heavenly Court. The matter of the Killing Tribulation has its own course; the absence of one Taiyi will not render it unsolvable.

However, if the heavenly dignity is damaged and the laws are slackened, the disaster will be even more severe."

"Primordial Heavenly Venerate!" Lu Jiuyuan's voice paused slightly, seemingly piercing through the Chaos beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens to look directly at Jade Void Palace:

"You are the master of the Chan Sect, and I am the Supreme of the Three Realms! Since when can you order Me to do things?"

As Lu Jiuyuan's voice settled, the entire Thirty-Three Heavens, and even the four directions and eight extremes, fell into instant deathly silence.

On the Beheading Platform, the chains on the copper pillars hummed and trembled;

Outside the South Heaven Gate, the sea of clouds solidified like iron; inside the Hall of Miraculous Mist, even the sound of breathing disappeared without a trace.

All the immortals, deities, heavenly generals, and even those ancient beings hiding outside the Thirty-Three Heavens watching this matter, held their breath at this moment.

The face of a Saint is greater than the sky?

No!

Today, above the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor declared: The heavenly laws are more important than the face of a Saint!

The Great Dao chant that came from beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens sounded again after a moment of silence.

This time, the voice lacked a bit of negotiation and carried a bit more indifferent heavenly might:

"Jade Emperor, Your Majesty."

Primordial Heavenly Venerate had changed his address.

"I, this poor Daoist, am the master of Jade Void, in charge of the teachings of the Chan Sect, following the mandate of heaven, and have never had any intention of overstepping my authority.

However, Taiyi is my Personal Disciple, one of the Twelve Golden Immortals. Even if he has a thousand faults, they should be handled by the rules of our Jade Void Palace."

"If Your Majesty insists on executing him, are you intending to... draw a clear line with our Jade Void Palace?"

Every word was like thunder, shaking the entire Heavenly Court palaces. Countless immortal maidens and warriors turned pale as paper, and those with weaker cultivation even fainted directly.

When a Saint is angry, the colors of heaven and earth change!

On the Beheading Platform, White Crane Boy's spirits lifted, and he bowed toward the east: "Respectfully welcoming Teacher's dignified presence!"

The sea of clouds churned, rays of light shone for ten thousand feet, and purple Qi came from the east for thirty thousand li!

A Dharma image manifested from beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens. At first, it was only the size of a normal person, but in an instant, it filled heaven and earth.

Behold:

Wearing a Jade Pure Lotus Crown, draped in an Indestructible Robe of Ten Thousand Tribulations, holding the three treasures jade ruyi scepter.

His face was shrouded in the Dao charm of Chaos and could not be seen clearly. Only when his eyes opened and closed did scenes of creating heaven and earth and evolving all things seem to circulate.

It was none other than Jade Pure Primordial Heavenly Venerate!

It was not an Incarnation, nor a projection, but the true body of the Saint descending from beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens!

Ever since the Dao Ancestor merged with the Dao and the Six Saints went into seclusion, no Saint's true body had ever personally visited the Heavenly Court.

Today, to save one Disciple, Primordial Heavenly Venerate broke this precedent!

Throughout the entire Heavenly Court, all the immortals and deities bowed their heads involuntarily under the pressure of the Saint,

Only in the direction of the Hall of Miraculous Mist, that figure sitting upright on the throne remained as steady as a rock.

Lu Jiuyuan looked up, his crown tassels moving slightly, his gaze piercing through layers of palaces to meet the Dharma image of Primordial Heavenly Venerate.

"Since Sect Leader Primordial has arrived in person, why not enter the hall for a chat?"

The Dharma image of Primordial Heavenly Venerate paused slightly, as if examining this "Supreme of the Three Realms" who had always been low-key and forbearing.

A moment later, the magnificent Dharma image between heaven and earth slowly retracted, turning into a beam of clear light that fell into the South Heaven Gate, revealing the figure of a middle-aged man in Daoist robes.

He was still wearing the Jade Pure Crown and holding the three treasures jade ruyi scepter, but his figure was no different from a normal person, and he walked slowly up the Heaven Rank.

With every step he took, phantom golden lotuses bloomed on the white jade steps beneath his feet, Dao charm circulated, and a strange fragrance filled the air.

The immortal officials and warriors along the way all knelt down involuntarily, saying: "Respectfully welcoming the Saint!"

Primordial Heavenly Venerate looked straight ahead and walked directly to the front of the Hall of Miraculous Mist.

The hall doors opened wide. Lu Jiuyuan had already risen from his throne, walked down the nine-layered cloud platform, and stood in the center of the hall, facing Primordial Heavenly Venerate from a distance of ten zhang.

One was the Supreme of the Three Realms, the Jade Emperor.

The other was the Jade Pure Saint, the master of the Chan Sect.

Only Venus remained standing to the side in the hall, while all others had been dismissed.

"Your Majesty." Primordial Heavenly Venerate performed an obeisance, his etiquette perfect, but his tone was indifferent: "I, this poor Daoist, have come for only one thing: to ask Your Majesty to postpone the execution and hand Taiyi over to our Jade Void Palace for disposal."

Lu Jiuyuan stood with his hands behind his back: "I have already said that the heavenly laws cannot be abolished."

He looked at Primordial Heavenly Venerate: "Immortal Master Taiyi injured a divine general, forcibly broke into the Heavenly Palace, roared in the Hall of Miraculous Mist, intended to destroy items of the Heavenly Court, and even threatened to tear down the Hall of Miraculous Mist in front of Me. How can such conduct be forgiven?"

Primordial Heavenly Venerate was silent for a moment: "Taiyi was blinded by the Qi of tribulation; it was not his original intention."

"Where does the Qi of tribulation come from?" Lu Jiuyuan retorted, "The Investiture of the Gods Killing Tribulation is approaching, and the Qi of tribulation is spreading; this is the number of heaven.

But as a Golden Immortal of Jade Void, Taiyi should have had a firm Dao Heart and the ability to distinguish right from wrong, yet he was easily misled by the Qi of tribulation and committed such treasonous acts.

Is this the fault of the Qi of tribulation, or is it that his cultivation is insufficient and his Dao Heart is flawed?"

Dao charm circulated in Primordial Heavenly Venerate's eyes: "Is Your Majesty implying that our Jade Void Palace has failed in its discipline?"

"I am merely discussing the matter as it stands," Lu Jiuyuan said calmly.

"If today, because Taiyi is a Disciple of a Saint, he can be shown leniency outside the law, then when a Disciple of the Jie Sect commits a crime in the future and the Sect Leader Tongtian also comes to ask for the person, should I give them up or not?

If the Western Sect comes, what should I do then?"

"At that time, where will the dignity of the Heavenly Court be? Would the heavenly laws not become a joke?"