Chapter Twenty-Six: The Celestial Court Is Finally Established

After all, anything connected to the human race would become extraordinary. Take Laozi, for instance—he merely passed down a method of Golden Core cultivation to the humans and was elevated to sainthood. Of course, that was largely due to the merit left behind from Pangu’s act of creation.

“Is that really true?” Nuwa was skeptical, but under Li Tian’s encouragement, she eventually spent several months compiling a cultivation method. The moment she finished, a golden light descended once more—seventy percent of it settled upon Nuwa, while thirty percent fell on Li Tian. Yet this time, the merit was not even one percent of what it had been before.

“So it truly is merit?” Nuwa exclaimed in delight.

Li Tian smiled, then casually summoned someone to have Nuwa’s cultivation method widely disseminated. As for what happened afterward, he no longer cared—after all, the merit was already his.

...

In the Pangu Hall among the Wu tribe, the Twelve Ancestral Witches were locked in a heated debate over the newly risen powers on Mount Buzhou. Over the course of several millennia, they had successively created tens of millions of Wu, including twelve Great Witches, their influence spreading across most of the prehistoric world. Except for the barren West and the oceans—lands where the Wu could not tread—all territories were claimed as their domain.

Yet, despite their numbers, the Wu were but a drop in the ocean compared to the myriad races of the world. Under their pressure, many of the ancient races united, led by powerful demons, and began to resist the Wu.

Most battles ended in Wu victories, but each skirmish came at a cost, while the casualties among the other races were negligible. Over time, the Wu ceased provoking those ancient clans led by great demons.

In a sense, these great demons could be considered the predecessors of the demon race. In the original history, it was Taiyi and Dijun who united all the great demons to form the Demon Court. Of course, at present, the concept of “demon” had not yet emerged.

“Mount Buzhou is the transformed backbone of Father Pangu—how can we surrender it to those beasts!”

...

Within the Pangu Hall, Zhu Rong’s voice thundered with vehemence, making it clear he had no intention of giving up Mount Buzhou.

“Enough, Zhu Rong!” Dijun slammed the table in anger. “As an Ancestral Witch, you are responsible for tens of millions of our people!”

“Brother, don’t be angry,” said Candle Jiuyin calmly. “There’s no need to harm the harmony between us. Zhu Rong’s temper may be fierce, but his heart is with our tribe.” Dressed in a black cloak, with a bald head, sharp nose, and pale skin, he had an eerie presence reminiscent of Western sorcerers in later ages.

“The founder of Heaven’s Court is the Supreme Emperor of Subtle Law, the foremost disciple of Hongjun. He created the written word and is cloaked in great merit. We should not make him our enemy. Besides, his power is concentrated around Mount Buzhou and does not affect us much. Unless it’s necessary, we should avoid provoking him.”

Dijun nodded and sat down, no longer angry. Candle Jiuyin’s words echoed his own thoughts—for him, the Wu’s priority should be increasing their numbers, not waging needless wars. Each campaign only depleted their ranks, and in his eyes, such actions were foolish.

...

Several centuries passed in the blink of an eye.

After so much time and vast expenditures of manpower and resources, Heaven’s Court was finally completed. All those who had labored over its construction breathed sighs of relief, their hearts swelling with pride.

During the building of Heaven’s Court, Li Tian frequently returned to inspect the progress, offering suggestions and demanding reconstruction whenever he was dissatisfied. He sought nothing less than perfection.

Entering through the Southern Heavenly Gate and passing through a long corridor of immortals, one soon beheld a towering celestial staircase—nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps, resting upon the clouds.

Ascending the stairway, Li Tian arrived at an immense plaza, spanning thousands of miles. The balustrades were crafted from the rarest spirit jades, and the ground paved with a unique, unyielding spiritual stone capable of bearing billions of tons.

Beyond the plaza stood the grandest palace of Heaven’s Court: the Palace of Myriad Realms. At its pinnacle rose the legendary Hall of Supreme Clouds. Built to Li Tian’s specifications, it soared ten thousand meters high, constructed from the finest materials and adorned with carvings of fantastical beasts.

...

Behind the Palace of Myriad Realms were the sequential palaces: the Cloud Dispatch Palace, the Bishamon Palace, the Three Pure Ones’ Palace, the Palace of Five Lights, the Doushuai Palace, the Palace of Radiance, the Palace of Wondrous Rock, the Palace of Transformative Bliss, the Cloud Tower Palace, the Wuhao Palace, the Palace of Crimson Splendor, the Palace of Blossoming Jade, the Palace of Purple Clouds, the Oxen Palace, the Palace of Pristine Clarity, the Tonglu Palace, the Palace of Harmonious Joy, the Palace of Stars and Moon, the Palace of Sun and Stars, the Pure Abode, the Palace of Polaris, the Palace of Flower Remedies, the Palace of Luminous Jade, the Kunlun Palace, the Palace of Jade Glory, the Hanging Garden Palace... in total, three hundred and forty-five palaces, with one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine halls.

Li Tian might not have known what Taiyi and Dijun’s Heaven’s Court would look like, but he was certain that his own surpassed it in every regard.

Looking down from above, the entire palace complex rested on nine layers of cloud shields, anchored by three hundred and sixty-five celestial pillars.

Securing the clouds had been a painstaking task. In the end, it was Fuxi who, following the stellar patterns from the River Diagram and the Luo Book, constructed the Celestial Arrangement with these pillars. Only then could the clouds forever support the palaces above. Otherwise, after a few centuries or millennia, if the clouds dispersed, the consequences would be disastrous.

Li Tian had brought forth the pillars but never specified where to place them. He couldn’t help but feel embarrassed—he had no idea how the original Taiyi and Dijun had managed it.

After a thorough inspection, Li Tian was satisfied with every aspect of Heaven’s Court.

“With the Court complete, it’s time to hold the Grand Ceremony of Heaven, establishing our authority over the prehistoric world,” Li Tian said as he returned to Fuxi’s side.

Fuxi nodded. “Leave the ceremony to me. Yet, the world is vast—inviting all the mighty beings scattered across it will take centuries.”

“Then let’s set the ceremony for a thousand years from now,” Li Tian decided. Time was the one thing the primordial world had in abundance. “Send as many people as you need, dispatch all the Golden Immortals if necessary. At the very least, all three thousand guests of the Purple Cloud Palace must be present.”

“Your creation of the written word has earned you great prestige among the common people—no one will oppose you. But the Wu tribe...” Fuxi said with concern.

“Leave the Wu tribe for now,” Li Tian replied with a smile. He had never entertained the idea of bringing the Wu under Heaven’s Court, at least not yet, as it was simply impossible.

“Our goal is to bring every power aside from the Wu into our fold... I’ll handle this personally. If they submit, all is well. If not...” A trace of ruthlessness flickered across Li Tian’s face.

Fuxi nodded, knowing full well he was not one to hesitate.