Chapter 667
Human Laws Formed
The Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain led the True Immortal Huo Ling, Ye Meicang, and Ling Feiling to the Tongming Hall to bid farewell to the Jade Emperor, but the three True Immortals Huo Ling were stopped outside.
This was Ye Meicang and Ling Feiling's first time visiting Da Luo Tian, and their first time visiting the Tongming Palace.
Fire Spirit Immortal had come here with Zhuang Yan before, but she had only come and had not yet met the Jade Emperor.
Ling Feiling stood outside and asked Ye Meicang in a low voice, "Isn't the Jade Emperor holding court in the Lingxiao Palace? Why is this place called the Tongming Palace?"
Many deities in the lower realms who have never been to the Great Luo Heaven are not particularly clear about these matters.
Upon hearing Ling Feiling's question, Ye Meicang immediately replied, "I have heard His Majesty say that the Lingxiao Palace is where the Heavenly Court discusses important matters. The Jade Emperor also convenes grand court assemblies with civil and military deities in the Lingxiao Palace. The Tongming Palace is where the Jade Emperor and his ministers conduct their daily affairs."
Upon hearing this, Ling Feiling suddenly realized what was going on and said to Ye Meicang, "So that's how it is. I thought the Great Celestial Venerable was always governing in the Lingxiao Palace."
The Fire Spirit Immortal in front remained silent, but suddenly she raised her head. The next moment, a spirit official came to the outside of the hall and announced: "By imperial decree of the Jade Emperor, the Fire Spirit Immortal, the Grand Master of Fate of the Mortal Realm, is hereby summoned to an audience."
Ye Meicang and Ling Feiling were very surprised, never expecting that the Jade Emperor would suddenly summon the Fire Spirit Immortal.
The two watched as the Fire Spirit Immortal entered the Tongming Hall, their eyes filled with envy.
Now, Fire Spirit True Immortal entered the Tongming Hall, walked all the way to the center, and bowed, saying: "Your subject, Fire Spirit True Immortal of the Jade Palace of the Mortal Realm, pays respects to the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, the Supreme God of the Mysterious Vault."
The Jade Emperor, showing mercy and compassion, said: "Rise."
Fire Spirit Immortal bowed and said, "Thank you, Great Heavenly Venerable." Then he stood up.
The Jade Emperor's gaze fell upon the Fire Spirit Immortal, then he raised his hand and said, "I hereby bestow upon you the title of 'True King of Jade Heavenly Fire,' promote you to the third rank of the Upper Yuan Immortal Official, and bestow upon you ten jugs of imperial wine and thirty-six golden flowers."
Upon hearing this edict, all the gods and officials in the hall were astonished, and even the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain, who stood on the throne of the Azure Sky Emperor, was greatly surprised.
Fire Spirit Immortal was also stunned and speechless. After realizing what had happened, he hurriedly bowed and said, "I have no merit and dare not accept this reward. I beg the Great Heavenly Venerable to rescind his decree."
The Jade Emperor said, “You assist the Great Emperor of Shenxiao in managing the affairs of the Jade Palace in the mortal world. How can a mere fourth-rank celestial official be worthy of such a position? I hereby bestow upon you the title of True King and promote you to the third-rank celestial official position, precisely to match your duties and to enable you to command the Jade Palace in the mortal world and the ten directions of the divine path.”
Upon hearing this, True Immortal Huo Ling dared not refuse any longer and immediately accepted the decree, bowing and saying, "Your subject accepts the decree and kowtows to thank the Jade Emperor for his grace."
A golden light descended, and the fourth-rank immortal official robe on Huo Ling Zhen Xian's body instantly transformed into a third-rank immortal official robe, the "Five-Colored Heavenly Yin-Yang Immortal Robe," with a "Red Ribbon and White Jade Belt" around his waist.
The Jade Emperor stroked his long beard, nodded slightly and smiled, and said, "You must diligently assist the Divine Firmament Emperor in governing the human world."
Fire Spirit Immortal bowed again and said, "Your subject will obey the Great Heavenly Venerable's decree and will do his utmost to assist the Divine Firmament Emperor, bring peace to all beings in the Three Realms, and live up to the Great Heavenly Venerable's great kindness."
The Jade Emperor nodded, then lightly raised his hand and said, "Step down."
Fire Spirit Immortal accepted the rewards from the Heavenly Fairies on either side, then bowed in gratitude and took his leave before exiting the Tongming Hall.
When Ye Meicang and Ling Feiling saw Huo Ling Zhenxian wearing a third-rank official robe and carrying a jade plate full of imperial wine and golden flowers as he walked out of Tongming Hall, the two couldn't help but exchange a glance.
Then Ye Meicang cautiously asked, "Lord, what's wrong?"
The Fire Spirit Immortal put the imperial wine and golden flowers into the mustard seed magic treasure in his sleeve, and then took out the golden edict of the Jade Emperor and said: "The Great Heavenly Venerable has conferred upon me the title of 'True King of Jade Heavenly Fire', promoted me to the third rank of the Upper Yuan Immortal Official, and bestowed upon me ten jugs of imperial wine and thirty-six golden flowers."
"Hiss!" Ye Meicang and Ling Feiling were both shocked. A look of horror, envy, and jealousy flashed quickly in their eyes, but they all disappeared in the end.
Ye Meicang, who reacted the fastest, immediately cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "Your subject congratulates His Highness Huoling on being granted the title of True King."
Ling Feiling also quickly congratulated Huo Ling Zhenxian, addressing him as "Your Highness".
Once someone is granted the title of Divine Marquis, they can be called a 'Lord'; if they are granted the title of True King, they can be called 'Your Highness'.
If the official rank is lower than yours, he still has to refer to himself as "your subject".
Huo Ling Zhenxian thanked the two and then helped them up. At this time, the Great Emperor of Nanyue also came out of the Tongming Hall, and Ye Meicang and Ling Feiling quickly went forward to greet him.
Fire Spirit Immortal also stepped forward and bowed to greet him. At this moment, the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain no longer treated Fire Spirit Immortal with the airs of an emperor, but instead bowed and said, "Congratulations, fellow Daoist."
Although their ranks differed greatly, once they were granted the title of True King, they would only be one rank apart in terms of rank. Although they would still be in a relationship of ruler and subject, being granted the title of True King by the Jade Emperor was no small matter.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." True Immortal Huo Ling returned the greeting and expressed his gratitude.
Afterwards, the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain and his wife arrived outside the Southern Heavenly Gate, boarded the imperial carriage brought by Ye Meicang and Ling Feiling from the Southern Mountain Divine Palace, and then set off to descend to the mortal realm.
However, the Emperor and Empress of the Southern Peak did not immediately return to the Southern Peak Divine Palace. Instead, they went to Buzhou Mountain to pay their respects to Zhuang Yan. Since Zhuang Yan was their superior and it was Zhuang Yan who issued the edict ordering them to return to the Southern Peak Divine Palace to govern, it was only proper and logical for them to pay their respects to Zhuang Yan first.
Zhuang Yan had already ordered a celestial banquet to be held in the Immortal Palace of Buzhou Mountain, firstly to celebrate the recovery and return of the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain, and secondly to celebrate the True Immortal Huo Ling being granted the title of True King.
At the banquet, the gods and immortals of the Jade Palace first offered their congratulations to the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain, and then paid their respects to the True Immortal of Fire Spirit with great ceremony.
The fact that Huo Ling Zhenxian was granted the title of Zhenwang this time truly exceeded most people's expectations.
However, some insightful individuals understood that Zhuang Yan's blessing was at work on Huo Ling Zhenxian. As long as she remained trusted by Zhuang Yan, her divine favor would not diminish in the slightest.
Therefore, those who were surprised by this thought that the Fire Spirit Immortal was valued by the Jade Emperor, but in fact, it was entirely due to the Jade Emperor's absolute trust and reliance on Zhuang Yan.
Fire Spirit Immortal naturally understood that if Zhuang Yan hadn't trusted and employed her, how could she, Fire Spirit Immortal, have entered the Jade Emperor's eyes?
Therefore, after everyone paid their respects to him, the first thing Huo Ling Zhenxian did was to thank Zhuang Yan and offer him a toast.
With a smile on his face, Zhuang Yan raised his wine cup and drank it to the brim under the devout respect of the Fire Spirit Immortal.
Seeing this, Huang Zhoujun, the Western Supreme Lord of the Primordial Heaven, who was sitting next to the Southern Mountain Emperor, first toasted the Southern Mountain Emperor with a cup of wine, and then said with emotion, "Brother, you are really lucky."
The Great Emperor of Mount Heng looked at Lord Huang Zhou and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Huang Zhoujun said with a sigh, "You've kept your position as the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain."
Upon hearing this, the Great Emperor of Mount Heng remained silent for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "I have lost one of my sons."
Huang Zhoujun sighed and said, "As for sons, you can just have another one. But once you lose the Emperor's throne, it won't be so easy to get it back."
The Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain inwardly agreed with this statement. There were only a handful of Heavenly Emperors, and how many people in the Three Realms were eyeing that position? If one were stripped of their esteemed position, would they really think they could take it back? That was virtually impossible.
However, the Great Emperor of Nanyue could not openly agree, and simply said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist is drunk."
"Yes, yes, yes." Huang Zhoujun nodded, raised his wine cup to the Great Emperor of Nanyue, and said, "Then let's drink until we drop!"
The Emperor of Nanyue and his wife stayed overnight at Buzhou Mountain. The next morning, when the couple were about to bid farewell to Zhuang Yan, they sensed an unusual aura as soon as they arrived outside Lingtai Palace.
First, a magnificent golden light descended from the heavens, covering the entire Three Realms.
Then a beam of light shot into the sky. At this moment, the Emperor and his wife of Mount Nanyue, the divine generals at the palace gate, and everyone in Mount Buzhou looked up at the sky. Moreover, all the gods, cultivators, demons, and living beings in the entire Yamafu Great World felt the same and looked up at the sky.
Zhuang Yan, dressed in a black imperial robe and wearing a glazed crown, held a scepter in his left hand and a golden book in his right. Guided by countless auspicious clouds, he passed through the thirty-six heavens and ascended straight to the Great Luo Heaven.
Then, the sound of jade chimes and bells echoed from the Great Luo Heaven. The Four Emperors and all the other emperors arrived outside the Lingxiao Palace in their imperial carriages, and then flew into the Lingxiao Palace on auspicious clouds.
At the same time, thousands of civil and military immortals and gods from the Great Luo Heaven gathered at the Lingxiao Palace and entered the palace one by one under the guidance of Wang Lingguan.
Finally, the Jade Emperor rode in the Eight-Scenery Imperial Carriage and slowly entered the Lingxiao Palace, where he sat high in the sky and received the worship of all the gods and immortals.
After the worship ceremony, the Jade Emperor raised his hand and pointed. In the next moment, countless auspicious clouds carried Zhuang Yan to the Lingxiao Palace. Then, Zhuang Yan, holding a jade tablet, bowed and said, "Your subject, Zhuang Yan, the Emperor of the Mortal Realm, pays respects to the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Heavenly Venerable, the High God of the Mysterious Vault."
The Jade Emperor nodded slightly, then spoke mercifully: "You are ascending to heaven today on auspicious occasion. Is there something of great importance that would benefit the Three Realms that you wish to report?"
Zhuang Yan bowed and said, "Your subject Zhuang Yan reports to the Great Heavenly Venerable: I have completed the affairs of the mortal realm. Moved by the virtue of the Great Heavenly Venerable in upholding the Dao and the majesty of the Heavenly Law, I have compiled the affairs of the three realms and the mortal realm into a book called 'Heavenly Laws and Human Laws,' which I present to the Jade Emperor for His perusal."
After saying this, Zhuang Yan presented the golden book in his hand.
A flash of mysterious light appeared on the golden book, and without needing any celestial officials or attendants to pass it on, it naturally flew towards the Jade Emperor.
The Jade Emperor took the golden book, unfolded it, and saw that it contained three volumes, nine chapters, and one hundred and eighty jade rules, which encompassed all things in the human world without any omission.
After reading "The Laws of the Human World," the Jade Emperor burst into laughter, his laughter filled with joy and satisfaction.
"Great Emperor Shenxiao, you have indeed lived up to my expectations. With the promulgation of this 'Law of the Human Realm,' the Three Realms and the human world will enjoy eternal peace. This law should also be the ancestral law of the human world." The Jade Emperor spoke the golden words, and as soon as his voice fell, the "Law of the Human Realm" directly became part of the rules of the Heavenly Dao, becoming the general law covering the merits, sins, good and evil of all living beings and things in the human world, just like the Heavenly Laws.
Then the Jade Emperor raised his hand again and pointed at Zhuang Yan, saying, "You have established the divine laws, and your merits are immeasurable. I hereby bestow upon you the title of 'Spiritual Platform and Enlightened Heavenly Venerable Who Enforces the Laws, the Great Emperor Who Assists the Divine Firmament of the Three Realms,' so that you may be forever revered in the human world, wielding supreme power and ruling over all humankind!"
As soon as he finished speaking, immeasurable merits descended from the sky and landed entirely on Zhuang Yan's spiritual platform.
Zhuang Yan's imperial robes also underwent a significant change, transforming from the original 'Twelve-Patterned Robe' to the 'Twenty-Four-Heavenly Robe,' and the 'Twelve-Tassel Crown' became the 'Twelve-Tassel Heavenly Venerable Crown.'
Zhuang Yan, wearing a 'Twelve-Tassel Heavenly Venerable Crown' and a 'Twenty-Four Heavenly Mysterious Robe,' held a scepter in his left hand and a golden book of human laws in his right. He bowed deeply to express his gratitude to the Jade Emperor, then flew down to a position second only to the Four Emperors, where he stood to receive the homage of all the gods and deities of the heavens and all beings of the Three Realms. (End of Chapter)