Yellow Court Daoist-Chapter 794 - 714: By Imperial Decree, Tianpeng Commands Tianhe, Appointed as the Marshal in Charge of the Naval Forces!

This indicates a reluctance to fight any further.

The Five-Colored Divine Light is unreasonably tight, allowing only the Daoist to wield military weapons, yet not permitting General Wang to hold the Divine Artifact. Continuing this struggle is merely asking for misery.

General Wang is not a fool.

He bows to the Jade Emperor and apologizes to Sa Heavenly Master, then requests to withdraw.

"Hold a moment."

Just as he is about to leave, he is stopped by the Daoist with whom he had just clashed.

General Wang is about to frown with a show of teeth, but he sees the Daoist wave his hand, tossing over a Golden Whip, a Divine Sword, and a Red Tassel Spear—precisely the three weapons that had been brushed away earlier.

"Many thanks!"

Acknowledging the misunderstanding, General Wang quickly expresses gratitude and exits the Spirit Xiao Palace.

"He is indeed an upright man."

Lu Qingfeng sees General Wang openly concede defeat and smiles to himself.

He stands with pride in the middle of the hall.

Looking at Sa Heavenly Master with an unsightly expression, Lu Qingfeng bows to the leading Jade Emperor and declares aloud, "Your Majesty, if General Wang is not worthy of being my opponent, then appointing me to a Spirit Official position and ordering me about is something I cannot accept."

The expressions of all immortals in the hall grow peculiar.

They cast glances towards Sa Heavenly Master.

It is clear to those with discerning eyes that the Daoist is not just refusing General Wang, but indeed, refusing the authority of Sa Heavenly Master himself.

However, this Daoist's Divine Skills are truly formidable, and no one knows from which corner he has suddenly leaped forth—a genuine surprise.

Sa Heavenly Master's face turns ugly upon hearing this, grudgingly saying, "It's all thanks to leveraging Divine Skills. In terms of combat strength, how could General Wang not be a match for a mere round of fighting?!"

This is, however, nothing but sophistry.

Divine Skills, martial arts—they are all parts of strength.

How can they be separated for argument's sake?

Lu Qingfeng sneers coldly, ignoring the Heavenly Master, and silently awaits the Jade Emperor to speak. It seems that the Jade Emperor, having commanded Sa Heavenly Master to invite him twice, will not dismiss him with just a Spirit Official position.

The demonstration of Divine Skills has already been presented.

Now is the time to see the real deal.

Lu Qingfeng's prediction is not wrong.

After defeating General Wang, a celestial being, ranking even above the Four Great Celestial Masters like Master Sa and Ge Xianweng, speaks out, "Your Majesty, Qingjing Daoist possesses impressive Divine Skills and has committed no misdeeds. It is truly beneath him to occupy a position in the Spirit Official Hall."

Lu Qingfeng looks towards the one who speaks.

He does not recognize this person.

But he hears the Jade Emperor inquire, "What position does Li Aiqing think fitting for Qingjing Daoist?"

Li Aiqing?

Lu Qingfeng's thoughts spin, and seeing where the celestial stands, he makes a guess.

This person must be the trusted confidant of the Jade Emperor, the Gold Star Taibai, known as 'Li Changgeng'.

Lu Qingfeng once accompanied Wukong to the Heavenly Palace during his Western Tour; however, given that the Heavenly Court is full of Great Powers, he and Six-Eared did not dare to show themselves and instead turned into specks of dust hiding in Wukong's ear. Therefore, he has never seen this venerable elder in person.

It can be no surprise he doesn't recognize him.

Lu Qingfeng's guess is correct.

This person is indeed Gold Star Taibai.

Hearing the Jade Emperor's inquiry, Gold Star Taibai feigns contemplation, and soon after with a glint in his eyes, he says, "Your Majesty, within the Tianhe, there currently lacks a commander. Why not let Qingjing Daoist take charge of Tianpeng Water Mansion in the Tianhe?"

Upon hearing this.

The assembled ministers and generals are all startled.

The Tianpeng Water Mansion, also known as the 'North Pole Exorcism Mansion,' holds command over the Tianhe and leads the eight million Tianhe Water Army, with its leader being the chief of the North Pole Four Saints, the 'Tianpeng True Monarch.'

This position is both venerable and of great authority.

It can be described as 'high-ranking and powerful.'

Able to sit on an equal footing with the Eight Divisions Commanders, across the vast expanse of the Heavenly Palace, it ranks only below the Six Imperial Emperors.

Regardless of the five hundred Spirit Officials or the head of the Spirit Official Hall, General Wang, none are comparable. As for General Wang, he is merely an assistant to You Sheng Zhenjun.

And this You Sheng Zhenjun is one of the North Pole Four Saints, with a rank still below that of Tianpeng True Monarch.

The gap between them is easy to imagine.

To abruptly elevate a demon immortal from the Lower Realm to such a high position is sure to cause a stir among the immortals.

But the proposer is Gold Star Taibai, who is the Jade Emperor's number one confidant. With his suggestion, it likely reflects the Jade Emperor's own will.

There are no outsiders present in the hall.

Most were raised to their positions by the Jade Emperor himself. Although many felt internally shocked, even somewhat resentful, not a single one opened their mouth to oppose.

Even Sa Heavenly Master.

He just opens his mouth, frowns deeply, but in the end, says nothing.

The Jade Emperor, seeing this, declares in a clear voice, "The Tianhe is an important place, and it has been improperly unmanaged for too long. Since Qingjing Daoist has Divine Skills, I thus appoint you as Marshal Tianpeng, the Great Imperial General who will reside over the Tianpeng Water Mansion, commanding the eight million water army, and serving as the Great Commander of the Tianhe Water Army, overseeing the Tianhe!"

"Your servant accepts the decree with thanks!"

Lu Qingfeng has no objections, bowing deeply.

As he rises.

At the front of the Spirit Xiao Palace, a seal and a bell descend from the stars.

The seal is the Tianpeng Seal, signifying both the Divine Position and the talismanic decree to mobilize the eight million Tianhe Water Army.

The bell is the Emperor's Regret Bell, also a Tianpeng Divine Artifact.

Lu Qingfeng accepts these.

Then Xuan Music echoes through the hall—

"To the left of the Six Dragon Throne, amidst the Nine Tigers Pass, now manifest are the formidable appearance of Three Heads and Six Arms, executing the vast creation of Seven Politics and Eight Spirits. When the Emperor Bell tolls, all sacred beings convene; with a light swing of the Yue Axe, myriad demons shatter. The resplendent Divine Light ever protects All Living Beings; the lofty true nature vows eternal prosperity for the Righteous Sect. Slaying corpses across miles, decapitating ghosts of all forms. Great compassion, great resolve, great holiness, great mercy, reaching to the heavens with prayers for blessings, dispelling calamity, ensuring peace and life, the North Pole Tianpeng Commander of the Eighty-One Army, True Monarch who banishes demons and protects the nation, Heavenly Venerable who envelops the clouds of law, covering all of the Nine Heavens."

From this point forth.

The Tianhe has its master, Tianpeng reassumes its place!

All gods across the Three Realms sense the change.

Lu Qingfeng feels the addition of his new divine rank, his destiny surges, and he hears the Jade Emperor say from above, "We observe that Marshal Tianpeng lacks a handy weapon, which is ultimately not appropriate."

As the words fall.

He bestows the Yue Axe, a bow and arrows, a sword, a Duo, a halberd, and a rope—six pieces of Divine Weapons, all top-tier Spiritual Treasures. He also gives Black Robe, Mysterious Crown, and Golden Armor to adorn the figure with majesty.

Lu Qingfeng is overjoyed and quickly offers his thanks.

He is then led by Gold Star Taibai, rushing towards the Tianpeng Water Mansion within the Tianhe.

...

"The Tianhe Water Army has always been stationed across the thirty-six continents and seventy-two islands at the center of the Milky Way, rarely mobilizing unless decreed by the talisman of Marshal Tianpeng."

"Ever since the last appointment, when Marshal Tianpeng violated the heavenly laws and was demoted to the Lower Realm, the Tianhe Water Army was temporarily overseen by the former Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, Li Jing. After Li Jing defected to the Buddhist Sect, the command was passed to the South Sea Fourth Princess, Ao Luan. Upon her retreat, the Water Army remained leaderless and became rather disorganized."

As Gold Star Taibai led Lu Qingfeng toward Tianhe, he filled him in on the state of the Water Army.

Lu Qingfeng listened quietly.

And roughly grasped the situation.

In summary.

Once renowned throughout the Three Realms, the Tianhe Water Army's glory days were long past.

Following successive changes in command, it was now fragmented and disordered.

Originally touted as the '48 million Heavenly Soldiers and Water Army'.

But Bajie of Huaguo Mountain took 20 million away, followed by 10 million taken by the former Pagoda-Bearing King, Li Jing, and another 12 million by the Fourth Princess of South Sea.

Now, they say 8 million remain, but in reality, there are at most only 6 million.

Or even less than that.

Former generals, Five Ding Dusi, Seven Politics and Eight Spirits, General Zhi Yue, and the Twelve Direct Symbols were largely unaccounted for.

"With the Marshal gone, we must dedicate our hearts and effort to reorganizing the Water Army as soon as possible; let us not disappoint His Majesty's expectations!" Gold Star Taibai spoke gravely.

"..."

Lu Qingfeng felt strange inside but nodded at Gold Star Taibai, saying, "I shall not fail in my duty."

Gold Star Taibai's words were weighty.

But in reality.

Even with only 6 million Heavenly Soldiers and Water Army remaining, it was still like the skinny camel that's bigger than a horse. After all, the entire Heavenly Observation Marshal Mansion had only a little over 200,000 Heavenly Soldiers.

Even among the True Gods of the Thunder Department.

The soldiers directly under their command numbered at most in the millions.

Now Lu Qingfeng, as Tianpeng, could command 6 million Heavenly Soldiers, and in the future, it wouldn't seem presumptuous to expand the Water Army back to the full 48 million. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

He could even contend with the entire Thunder Department.

The magnitude of such power was readily apparent.

Not to mention the countless treasures hidden within Tianhe, a truly lucrative post.

"How did such a good thing fall into my lap?"

Lu Qingfeng walked on in wonder.

Though outwardly he appeared pleasantly surprised, inwardly he was uncertain.

The thought of the Jade Emperor on his throne made Lu Qingfeng feel as if he had fallen into a trap. At the Jade Emperor's level, the machinations were far too complex. Even with his recently attained status as a Pseudo Golden Immortal, he was unable to fathom the Emperor's plots, let alone compete with him.

"The only plan for now,"

"Is to take one step at a time."

Lu Qingfeng contemplated to himself.

No matter what, at least he had picked up the position of Tianpeng True Monarch and had temporarily evaded the entanglements of the Buddhist Sect.

That was a good thing in itself.

As for the rest, he could only think more about it, prepare more, and avoid unnecessary worrying, which was fruitless and unhelpful.

With these thoughts, he casually chatted with Gold Star Taibai.

After leaving the Palace of the Polestar and passing through the Thirty-Three Palaces, they finally arrived at Tianhe.

...

"The High and Holy, Kind and Benevolent Jade Emperor, Great Venerable of the High Expanses, decrees by divine authority: The strategic position of Tianhe cannot go a day without a Marshal. Having heard of the Qingjing Daoist from Yellow Wind Ridge, a Demon Immortal of considerable virtue with a history of Merit, adept at training the Water Army, I accept the Primordial Beginning's will and hereby appoint Qingjing Daoist as the Great Commander of the Tianhe Water Army, assuming the role of True Monarch and Marshal Tianpeng, to lead 8 million Heavenly Soldiers and Water Army. Let this be heeded!"

In the Central Continent among the thirty-six, a gathering of Tianhe Divine Generals and Immortal Officials was present. Gold Star Taibai proclaimed the Jade Emperor's will, while Lu Qingfeng stood by in black robe, mystical crown, and golden armor, looking truly majestic. Divine Generals and Immortal Officials frequently turned their gaze towards him, while Lu Qingfeng remained motionless, resolute!

When the proclamation was completed.

Gold Star Taibai took his leave, leaving Lu Qingfeng behind.

Lu Qingfeng looked at the various commanders and assistants and called out loudly, "Where is the Heavenly Gang Saint?!"

The Heavenly Gang Saint.

This is the first and most honored position under the Tianpeng True Monarch.

Lu Qingfeng scanned the crowd, but this person was not seen.

An Immortal Official came forward and said, "Reporting to the Marshal, the Heavenly Gang Saint is currently training the Water Army on Weaving Cloud Continent."

"Training the Water Army."

Lu Qingfeng scoffed.

This was a display of insubordination, an attempt to intimidate him as the new official. It was to be expected; previously, Lu Qingfeng had been just a minor demon immortal of Yellow Wind Ridge and later merely a Divine General in the Thunder Department.

In terms of rank.

All of the Divine Generals and Immortal Officials present outranked him.

Suddenly ascending to the high position of Tianpeng.

How could these Tianhe generals accept him?

Lu Qingfeng was well prepared.

He chose to ignore it for the moment.

Then he asked, "Where are the General of the Unified Qi, Thunder Killing General, and the other esteemed generals?"

These two generals, below the Tianpeng True Monarch and the Heavenly Gang Saint but above the thirty-six Tianpeng generals, also held high respect.

Thus, he inquired.

The words had barely left his mouth.

When another Immortal Official stepped forward and replied loudly, "General Wang has already descended to the Lower Realm and is now in Huaguo Mountain. Marshal Tao has followed the previous Marshal, Princess Ao Luan, to the South Sea."

Well, then!

Unexpectedly, Bajie and Ao Luan held quite a bit of sway within Tianhe, managing to persuade these revered Tianhe Admirals to abandon their posts and follow them.

Lu Qingfeng shook his head inwardly and then asked, "What about the Nine Heavens Slaughter General, Gao Diaobei Weng God General, Long Skull Giant Beast General, Mighty Sword God King General, Five Ding Dusi, Seven Politics and Eight Spirits, General Zhi Yue, Twelve Direct Symbols and where are they?!"

These generals, commanded by the Great Marshal and three senior generals of Tianpeng, control thirty-six Tianhe Water Army contingents and are usually stationed across the thirty-six continents.

Lu Qingfeng summoned them.

Six generals among the thirty-six appeared; each one was among the Twelve Direct Symbols.

Among them, the leader of the Twelve Direct Symbols, 'Zi Day Straight Talisman Envoy,' who wore a rat-head crown, dressed in black, and held a spear, stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the Marshal, seven of the thirty-six generals have followed Bajie to Huaguo Mountain to turn bandit; five have been beguiled by the Buddhist Sect and followed the traitor Li Jing; nine have followed the last Tianpeng, Princess Ao Luan, into retirement in the South Sea. Only fifteen of us remain in the army, with nine generals currently leading troops or training the Water Army, unable to attend immediately."

Lu Qingfeng listened.

And now understood what truly meant 'a scattering of sand'!"