The Eternal God Emperor and the Demon Ancestor

Chapter 87 Dan Yuan Conference 3

In the primordial world, beside the Heavenly Mirror Pool in the Eastern Region, the Heaven and Earth Academy stands tall.

The academy is built against the mountain and by the water. The halls are all made of ancient black nanmu wood. The flying eaves and upturned corners are surrounded by a strong Confucian and Taoist atmosphere. The gray tiles are always shrouded in a faint glow of literary elegance. The outline of the academy is reflected in the pond, and even the water ripples are full of elegance and weight.

This place is one of the sacred sites of Confucianism and Taoism in the Primordial World, gathering a large number of Confucian and Taoist geniuses from the Primordial World. Many of them migrated from the Kunlun Realm, while others were beings from the Taiwei Realm. After Mingde rescued the beings from the Taiwei Realm, he integrated them into the Primordial World. The courtyard is filled with the spirit of literature, and the sound of reciting scriptures never ceases day and night. Every inch of the land is imbued with the lingering charm of the writings of the sages, making it a sacred place for cultivating Confucianism and Taoism.

At this moment, in front of the Wenyuan Pavilion on the east side of the academy, on a square paved with bluestone, several Fish-Dragon Realm Confucian scholars dressed in plain-colored robes sat together. Bamboo slips, writing brushes, ink, and tea were laid out on a table. They exuded a scholarly aura, and their conversation was filled with classical texts and poetry. Their composure indicated that they had already reached the peak of the Fish-Dragon Realm, only one step away from the Half-Saint Realm. Sitting in the center of the group was a handsome young man with a gentle and refined temperament. He was Gu Qingchan, the current head of the Heavenly Academy.

Gu Qingchan sat upright on a futon, his fingertips lightly tapping the bamboo slips on the table. His clothes were spotless, and his aura of scholarship flowed like a clear spring. His eyes were clear yet deep as an abyss. His innate elegance and demeanor made him stand out from the crowd. He was a descendant of the contemporary master of the Calligraphy Sect, the Painting Emperor, and possessed the top-tier Confucian and Taoist talent, the "Myriad Transformations Sacred Heart." His understanding of Confucian and Taoist classics, poetry, and current affairs far surpassed that of his peers, and was in no way inferior to Confucian cultivators in the Sacred Realm. He was a Confucian and Taoist prodigy that the Heavenly Academy had seen only once in ten thousand years.

"Brother Qingchan, the Deer Cry Banquet will be held in three days. Among your peers in the academy, I'm afraid no one can rival you. You must be very confident this time, right?" A round-faced scholar beside him held a book, his tone full of admiration, and his eyes were full of respect as he looked at Gu Qingchan.

The others echoed, their gazes fixed on Gu Qingchan, filled with anticipation and envy. The Deer Cry Banquet originated from the ancient Celestial Academy, a legendary Confucian and Taoist gathering founded by the Second Ancestor of Confucianism. Now, its reopening in the Primordial World is of extraordinary significance. It is not only a competition among Confucian and Taoist students in the Primordial World, but also a stage for Confucian and Taoist geniuses from all the heavens and myriad worlds to compete on the same stage. Anyone who can stand out in the Deer Cry Banquet will become famous throughout the heavens, be revered by Confucian cultivators from all the worlds, and receive great treasures and endless opportunities.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingchan slowly put down the Confucian and Daoist documents annotated by the Saint Realm Confucian cultivator in his hand. A gentle yet confident smile appeared on his lips, and he said in a calm and unhurried tone: "The Deer Cry Banquet has been in preparation for a long time, and I have naturally made full preparations. My participation in this event is not only to compete for rankings, but also to take this opportunity to go to the All-Nation Examination, to discuss poetry, literature, and classics with my fellow Confucian and Daoist practitioners from all over the world, to explore strategies for governing the country and bringing peace to the world, and to broaden my own Confucian and Daoist horizons."

His demeanor was calm and composed, without a trace of arrogance, yet the confidence hidden beneath his gentleness won everyone's respect. As the great-grandson of the Painting Emperor, he had been immersed in Confucianism and Taoism since childhood. He could memorize the classics after reading them once, and his poems and essays flowed fluently from his lips. His insights into the current affairs were also incisive. The headmaster of the academy once predicted that Gu Qingchan would definitely become a Confucian sage in the future, and might even have the opportunity to become a god.

The news of the consecutive Deer Cry Banquet and the Myriad Nations Examination in the Primordial World has spread throughout the myriad realms. Countless Confucian and Taoist cultivators have crossed galaxies and traveled billions of miles to the Primordial World, all for the sake of attending this unprecedented grand event. It should be noted that since the defeat of the Kunlun Realm and the decline of Confucianism and Taoism, there has been no Confucian and Taoist ceremony of such scale in the myriad realms for a long time. This grand event is not only an opportunity for scholars to make a name for themselves, but also a sign of the revival of Confucianism and Taoism. The Confucian and Taoist students of the Primordial World are all eager to participate, full of expectations, hoping to take advantage of this opportunity to leap over the dragon gate and become famous throughout the world.

"Brother Qingchan is a descendant of the Painting Emperor, born with a saintly heart, and his Confucian and Taoist attainments are unparalleled among his peers. He will surely win first place at this Deer Cry Banquet and become famous throughout the heavens and myriad realms!" Another Confucian cultivator spoke up, his tone full of flattery, but it was also a heartfelt recognition.

Hearing the praise from the crowd, even the usually calm and reserved Gu Qingchan couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. He had carried the glory of being a descendant of the Painting Emperor since childhood, and his cultivation path had been smooth sailing, yet he had never slacked off. He was determined to win at this Deer Cry Banquet. Especially when he thought of the generous rewards of the Deer Cry Banquet and the Myriad Nations Examination, the treasures that could aid Confucian and Daoist cultivators, and the opportunity to discuss the Dao with top Confucian and Daoist masters from all over the world, his eyes blazed with anticipation, and his literary aura rippled slightly.

Meanwhile, deep within the Eastern Wilderness of the Primordial Realm, inside the Jixia Academy, a completely different scene unfolded.

Like the Heaven and Earth Academy, the Jixia Academy is another great Confucian and Taoist holy land in the Eastern Wilderness. Compared to the refined and reserved Heaven and Earth Academy, the Jixia Academy is more magnificent and grand, with its halls stretching for thousands of miles and its students spread across all realms. The academy not only houses students practicing Confucianism and Taoism but also those studying various other schools of thought, embracing talents from all worlds. At this moment, deep within the academy, in an elegant courtyard, ancient trees reach for the sky, and the air is filled with the fragrance of flowers. Hundreds of students from different worlds have gathered here, their voices clamoring, a far cry from the tranquility of the Heaven and Earth Academy. The focus of their discussion is not the Deer Cry Banquet, but the upcoming Heavenly Palace Pill Refining Conference.

Among the crowd, a Saint Realm scholar, dressed in a star-patterned robe and exuding a refined aura, stood high above. Hailing from the Thousand Star Civilization, his cultivation had reached the Saint Realm. Knowledgeable and experienced, he was now addressing the crowd with a reverent tone: "Fellow Daoists, you have surely all heard that the Heavenly Palace's once-every-thirty-thousand-years Pill Refining Assembly is about to be held in the Lingxiao Heavenly Realm. This is the most prestigious and unparalleled divine banquet in our Heavenly Court's territory, a truly exceptional event in the entire universe!"

Upon hearing this, the courtyard fell silent instantly, all the students' eyes fixed on him, filled with longing and awe. The Dan Yuan Assembly was a renowned event known throughout the myriad realms; it was a top-tier ceremony personally established by Haotian after he took control of the Heavenly Palace.

"This Pill Refining Assembly is not something ordinary cultivators can participate in. Only gods at the True God Realm and above are qualified to receive an invitation jade slip personally issued by the Heavenly Palace," the Saint Realm student from the Thousand Star Civilization continued, his tone becoming increasingly solemn. "The purpose of this assembly is to reward the gods from all realms who have rendered great service to the Heavenly Court and resisted the invasion of the Hell Realm over the past 30,000 years, and to reward them according to their merits. And the most coveted item at the Pill Refining Assembly is the precious divine pill jointly refined by several Pill Refining Masters of the Heavenly Palace. These are supreme treasures that can help God Realm cultivators break through bottlenecks, and they are extremely rare throughout the entire universe!"

The crowd listened with great excitement, their eyes filled with longing. For these students at the Saint Realm and below, the True God Realm was an unattainable existence, and the divine pills at the Pill Yuan Assembly were legendary treasures, which were awe-inspiring even to hear about.

Several students from the Holy Realm, whose rankings were lower on the Heavenly Merit Ranking, couldn't help but speak up, their voices filled with longing: "We've also heard that on the eve of the Pill Refining Conference, the Heavenly Palace will hold a Sacred Pill Banquet, where it will sell all kinds of Sacred Pills that it has accumulated and refined over the past 30,000 years. Among them are many King-grade Sacred Pills, and even some legendary Quasi-Emperor-grade Sacred Pills. I wonder if this is true or not?"

"Of course it's true!" The students from the Thousand Star Civilization nodded, their tone certain. "Although the Sacred Pill Banquet is a prelude to the Pill Yuan Conference, it is also an opportunity for us Saint Realm cultivators. You must know that King-grade and Quasi-Emperor-grade Sacred Pills are priceless treasures in all realms. Ordinary cultivators would spend their entire lives trying to obtain even one. Only the Heavenly Palace has such a grand gesture, which is also a resource acquisition method that many cultivators from smaller realms dream of."

At this point, everyone's gaze turned to the corner of the courtyard, to a young man dressed in a plain white robe with a cold expression. That young man was Gao Suqing, originally from the Gao clan, an ancient clan in the northern region of Kunlun Realm. He was also a top student of Jixia Academy, with profound knowledge of Confucianism and Taoism.

The gazes of the crowd toward him were full of eagerness and flattery, simply because Gao Suqing had a cousin who was the personal disciple of Zhenyu Divine Lord, a rising star in the Heavenly Court.

The name of Zhenyu Divine Lord now resounds throughout the Heavenly Court. It is said that he is not only a martial arts master but also a top-notch alchemy master. Even the gods are eager to obtain the divine pills he refines. When they received the news that Zhenyu Divine Lord had specially refined several batches of top-grade holy pills for this Pill Yuan Conference, the cultivators of the minor realms of the heavens went crazy and wanted to find connections to buy them.

These students from a backward and small world are well aware that their world has a shallow foundation and scarce resources. If they can buy the sacred pills refined by the True Universe God at the Sacred Pill Banquet, they will have the opportunity to change their entire destiny.

However, at the Sacred Pill Banquet, powerful figures abound, and the four dominant worlds and top forces will inevitably vie for it. These cultivators from smaller realms have no chance at all. Only by attaching themselves to the connections of the Primordial World can they have a sliver of hope.

"Brother Suqing, we have heard that your cousin is already a Saint King Realm expert and has been carefully cultivated by the True Universe Divine Lord in the Five Elements Temple. We are all colleagues in the academy. We wonder if we could trouble you to introduce us? Even if it is just to purchase an ordinary Saint Pill, we would be extremely grateful!" A Saint Realm student from a remote border world spoke cautiously, his tone full of pleading.

Gao Suqing, who was concentrating with his eyes closed, comprehending the meaning of Confucian and Taoist classics, frowned instantly upon hearing this, his face showing impatience and annoyance. This was the eighth group of academy colleagues to come and plead with him in the past half month. From classmates to students from all walks of life, they came in an endless stream, all for the sacred pill refined by the True Universe Divine Lord.

Although he and his cousin both came from the Gao clan of the Northern Region of Kunlun Realm, his cousin had already reached the Saint King Realm and was being taken into seclusion by True Universe Divine Lord at the Five Elements Temple for cultivation. He had no way to contact him, let alone introduce him to anyone. The repeated pleas and entanglements had become unbearable for him, leaving him extremely annoyed.

Gao Suqing opened his eyes, his gaze cold and his tone calm yet resolute: "Fellow colleagues, my cousin is currently in seclusion at the Five Elements Temple, not concerning himself with worldly affairs. I have not seen him for hundreds of years, and we have lost all contact. I apologize that I am unable to make any introductions, and I ask that you not bring it up again in the future."

Seeing his resolute attitude, leaving no room for negotiation, the crowd reluctantly gave up and said no more. However, they were still unwilling to give up and privately discussed and pondered other methods, hoping to find a way to purchase the Sacred Pill through the local forces of the Primordial Realm. After all, for them, this was the only chance to change their own and their race's fate, and they could not give it up easily.

"What kind of decorum is this, with you all gathered here making such a racket? You're neglecting your cultivation, obsessed with external things all day long. Have you forgotten the principles of learning at the Jixia Academy?"

Just as everyone was discussing, a deep and majestic voice suddenly rang out, like a great bell, resounding throughout the courtyard. An old man dressed in a black Confucian robe, with white hair and beard, walked slowly in. His aura of righteousness surged like a vast ocean, and his presence was unfathomable. He had already stepped into the Great Sage Realm. He was Hu Ruzhen, an instructor at Jixia Academy and one of the academy's bishops, who held extremely high prestige within the academy.

Upon seeing this, the students immediately fell silent, bowing respectfully and saying, "Teacher Hu, we were just discussing the Heavenly Palace Elixir Assembly. Our noise disturbed you, and we are guilty."

Hu Ruzhen walked to the center of the crowd, his gaze sweeping over them. Looking at these students from all over the heavens, their eyes filled with longing and anxiety, he immediately understood. Having taught for many years, he knew the plight of these students well. Most of them came from small worlds ranked low on the list of merits in the heavens, worlds with only one or two true gods in charge, resources were scarce, the inheritance of cultivation techniques was incomplete, and the path of cultivation was extremely difficult.

Within the Heavenly Court, cultivation resources above the Saint Realm are almost entirely monopolized by the Four Sovereign Worlds and other top-tier forces, leaving ordinary minor worlds with virtually no access. The once-every-thirty-thousand-years Saint Pill Banquet, personally hosted by the Heavenly Palace, offers reasonably priced and high-quality pills, making it one of the few ways for cultivators from these minor worlds to obtain top-tier resources. No wonder they are so obsessed with it.

Hu Ruzhen sighed softly, his tone softening slightly, and said, "I have heard a little about the Dan Yuan Assembly. This time, in order to reward the gods who fought bloody battles on the Taiwei battlefield, His Majesty Haotian personally invited the one with the strongest spiritual power from Feixian Valley to join forces with Zhenyu Divine Lord to refine a batch of top-grade divine pills."

These words caused an uproar throughout the hall. All the students stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with shock and disbelief. They all knew the legend of that great man from Flying Immortal Valley. He was a figure at the pinnacle of the universe, and the divine pill he had jointly refined with True Universe God was of unimaginable value.

"Legend has it that this furnace of divine pills was made by Lord Haotian using the corpse of a giant in the realm of hell as the main ingredient, supplemented with countless great medicines. Its medicinal effects are heaven-defying. Even powerful beings in the realm of god-kings and god-venerables would benefit greatly from taking it, enough to break through bottlenecks that have lasted for many years. It can be called a treasure of the universe!" Hu Ruzhen said with emotion, a hint of longing in his eyes.

The students listened with great excitement, their faces filled with longing. They all imagined themselves one day stepping into the Lingxiao Palace, standing alongside the gods, and tasting such peerless divine pills. But they also knew that for them now, this was nothing but a distant dream.

Seeing everyone's engrossed expressions, Hu Ruzhen immediately interrupted them in a stern voice: "Enough! The Dan Yuan Assembly is a grand feast for True God Realm cultivators. You haven't even reached the Great Saint Realm yet. Instead of daydreaming about these illusory treasures, you should be down-to-earth, focus on your cultivation, and figure out how to achieve a good ranking at the upcoming Deer Cry Banquet!"

Upon hearing this, everyone snapped out of their daze, their faces showing shame, and they lowered their heads, remaining silent.

Several students from less developed regions were still unwilling to give up. One of them mustered his courage and cautiously asked, "Teacher Hu, I've heard that if one can pass the eight trials of the Deer Cry Banquet and break into the top 100, one can obtain a Five Virtues Supreme Fruit. Is this true?"

The Five Virtues Supreme Fruit is one of the most precious treasures of the Primordial World. It originated from the Five Virtues Divine Origin Tree, which Zhenyu found in an ancient secret realm. This tree blossoms once every three thousand years and bears fruit once every ten thousand years, producing only three hundred fruits each time. Each fruit contains a rich source of the Five Elements and Five Virtues. Consuming it can reshape one's physique, transforming it into an acquired Five Virtues Supreme Body. This physique is in no way inferior to a Supreme Perfection Body, making it an unparalleled treasure for cultivators below the Saint Realm, capable of defying fate.

Upon hearing this, Hu Ruzhen smiled and nodded in affirmation, "Of course it's true. The Five Virtues Supreme Fruit is the foundation of our realm. This Deer Cry Banquet is to select extraordinary talents in Confucianism and Taoism from all the heavens, bestowing upon them precious treasures to aid their growth. Moreover, if one can break into the top ten of the Deer Cry Banquet, the True God seniors from the academies and universities will each be rewarded with a bottle of Four Seasons Bright Heart Brew."

"Four Seasons Brightening Heart Brew?" Everyone exclaimed in surprise, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"That's right, this is an unparalleled divine brew personally crafted by the Four Seasons Gods of the ancient Kunlun Realm. It has survived to this day and is extremely precious. Even the gods yearn to taste it. It can not only condense the divine soul and purify inner demons, but also help Confucian and Taoist cultivators comprehend the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, bringing immeasurable benefits." Hu Ruzhen said slowly, his tone full of solemnity.

Several students from less developed realms, upon hearing this, instantly ignited a determined light in their eyes, and their auras sharpened. They knew that the Deer Cry Banquet was not a test of pure cultivation and combat strength, but rather of their understanding of Confucian and Taoist classics and their talent in poetry and prose. Even if they came from less developed realms and lacked sufficient foundation, they were not entirely without a chance.

Their world was weak and vulnerable, constantly at risk of being swept into the battlefield of celestial merit, becoming cannon fodder, and their clan's annihilation imminent. The Deer Cry Banquet, however, was their only chance to defy fate. If they could seize it, they could ascend to the heavens, not only achieving the Great Dao themselves but also protecting their entire clan. This time, they had to fight with all their might and never retreat.

While the grand Confucian and Taoist gathering in the Primordial World was in full swing, and students from all over the heavens were eager to participate, undercurrents were surging in the Confucian world of the distant Western Universe.