"Guard the carriage!"
"An assassin!"
Among the accompanying Immortal Gods, the quick responders immediately cried out loud, and hastily ran beside the Heavenly Emperor's Treasure Chariot, looking utterly loyal.
Li Changgeng secretly furrowed his brows and imperceptibly took a few steps back.
It wasn't that he feared death; he simply didn't wish to associate with these mindless Immortal Gods.
Who is the Heavenly Emperor?
That's an Innate Great God from Zixiao Palace!
A top magnate in the entire Primordial Heaven and Earth!
What kind of assassin would dare to strike him?
Most likely it's just a drunk Immortal God.
The facts were not far from what he had imagined.
The "assassin", though fierce in momentum, that even the nine True Dragons pulling the Heavenly Emperor's Treasure Chariot couldn't dodge in time and three were struck flying, forcing the treasure carriage to halt.
But the "assassin" himself didn't fare any better – impaled through by a True Dragon's horn, bruised and nose bleeding, covered in blood, hanging limply on the dragon horn, he let out a weak moan before fainting.
A dozen Golden Armored God Generals stepped forward, with spears and halberds encircling the "assassin".
"How dare you, brazen demon, to crash into the Heavenly Emperor's Treasure Chariot!"
"Report your name immediately and await your sentence!"
...
While the gaze of the multitude of Immortal Gods was drawn by the "assassin", the Heavenly Emperor's heart stirred slightly as he looked ahead.
Sensing his movement, Li Changgeng also cast his gaze forward.
He saw a young Daoist, imposing and with respectable features, drifting towards them on a white cloud.
He was dressed in a pale blue cloud-pattern Daoist robe, with a Five Mountains Crown on his head, his face sharply defined as if sculpted.
His Daoist attire lent him an air of otherworldliness, but the vigorous spirit within him was not entirely hidden.
The young Daoist, riding the cloud, seemed leisurely but moved with incredible speed, reaching close in the blink of an eye.
However, he had no intent of steering away; instead, he flew straight towards the "assassin" hanging on the dragon horn, laughing with schadenfreude, "Serves you right for not slowing down despite being told! Now look, you've damaged someone's True Dragon chariot puller!"
As he spoke, all the Golden Armored God Generals gripped their weapons tightly, watching him with tension.
A leading God General shouted sternly, "Who are you people, to dare collide with the Heavenly Emperor's Treasure Chariot?"
"The Emperor of Heaven?"
The young Daoist looked puzzled; his eyes shifted toward the supremely composed and grandly seated Heavenly Emperor, and asked curiously, "I've recently heard that the Heavenly Court was re-established, and an Innate Great God named Heavenly Emperor ascended the throne... could that be you?"
"How insolent!"
"Outrageous!"
"Uttering His Majesty's name is a grave sin!"
The group of escorting Immortal Gods all changed their expressions, rebuking loudly.
It seemed only such behavior could demonstrate their loyalty.
Two more Golden Armored God Generals stepped forward to seize the young Daoist.
Irritated, the latter casually waved a hand, sending the two generals flying while several Immortal Gods were knocked over in the process.
The look in the Immortal Gods' eyes turned to one of terror.
"He's the assassin!"
"Protect the carriage! Guard it!"
"..."
The young Daoist frowned, "What is all this fuss about? Assassinate who? Guard what carriage?"
With that, he turned his gaze toward the Heavenly Emperor, and said annoyedly, "An Emperor of Heaven should at least pick some decent Immortal Gods for your entourage, what's with this cowardly bunch?"
"..."
All the Immortal Gods exchanged looks, feeling a chill down their spines, devoid even of anger.
On the Heavenly Emperor's Treasure Chariot, the gaze of the Heavenly Emperor sharpened slightly.
It wasn't because of the young Daoist's irreverent words, but rather because he had just effortlessly flung away those two Golden Armored God Generals.
For the sake of maintaining appearances, all the Immortal Gods accompanying the treasure carriage this time were elites from the Heavenly Court... all True Immortals.
And those Golden Armored God Generals were among the cream of the crop.
Yet just now, two elites had no power to fight back against the young Daoist, and were easily tossed aside.
Had the young Daoist been a Heavenly Immortal or a Golden Immortal, perhaps that would have been the end of it.
Such cultivation would not have been enough to draw his attention.
Yet, that young Daoist was merely a superior Profound Immortal!
That was somewhat incongruous.
Although in the Primordial world the law of the jungle prevailed and only the fittest survived, as a result many Immortal Gods mastered the magic to disguise their own cultivation realm, making it difficult for others to perceive their true power, so as to intimidate others or to make people lower their guard. However, this kind of magic could be seen through at a glance by a real powerhouse!
There was no doubt that the Heavenly Emperor was a supreme powerhouse!
But no matter how he looked, the young Daoist was just a superior Profound Immortal who had not completed the Three Calamities.
This was simply inconceivable!
Nonetheless, the Heavenly Emperor was after all one of the mightiest beings between Heaven and Earth, and he collected his thoughts in an instant, not letting the surprise show on his face.
He quickly calculated with the hand inside his sleeve, trying to divine the origins of the young Daoist, only to find that the Heavenly Mechanism was muddled, as if obscured by a thick fog and difficult to see through.
With his cultivation, there weren't many in this world who could escape his divination.
Aside from the disciples of Saintly sects, there were not many left.
With this in mind, he had already made some calculations.
Right away, he calmly looked at Li Changgeng beside him, signaling him to take care of it.
Li Changgeng understood and quickly stepped forward, bowing to the young Daoist, "I am Heavenly Immortal Official Li Changgeng, may I ask for your honored name..."
Before he could finish speaking, he heard the young Daoist lightly exclaim "Ah!", and then looked straight at him.
"Are you Li Changgeng? I've heard about you. You were the one who came to our Jie Sect to seek aid last time, weren't you?"
Jie Sect?
He is a Jie Sect disciple!
Li Changgeng felt his eyelids twitch, and an ominous premonition rose in his heart without reason.
Before he could speak, he saw the young Daoist walk up enthusiastically, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, "Your Heavenly Court must still need people right?
Come on, this guy here is to be presented to your Heavenly Court, just give him an official rank... Mmm, nothing too high, a fifth or sixth rank would do!"
"Um?"
Li Changgeng was stunned for a moment, then realized the "guy" the other was referring to was the "assassin" hanging on the Dragon Horn.
"What, are you not satisfied?"
The young Daoist frowned, "Don't judge him by his sorry state right now, that's because I didn't control my strength well during our game of ball just now. He'll be hopping around again after resting up for a couple of days...
But none of that is important, you only need to know that he is actually a superior Heavenly Immortal.
By the way, how many Heavenly Immortals do you have in your Heavenly Court now?"
Heavenly Immortal Officials: "..."
Although they were loath to admit it, not to mention Heavenly Immortals, their Heavenly Court did not even have a single Earth Immortal.
"Cough cough—"
Li Changgeng coughed twice, then said with all seriousness, "I have yet to ask for your honored name..."
The young Daoist gave him a glance, "What? Think I'm joking around with you? Or do you think I'm not the one calling the shots here?"
Li Changgeng quickly shook his head, "The Immortal misunderstands..."
Before he could finish, the young Daoist interrupted him, "No harm in telling you, just to ease your mind. Listen well! I am Yu Yuan, the Primordial One Qi Immortal from Penglai Immortal Island, disciple of the Golden Spirit Saint Mother, and the legitimate third-generation Jie Sect successor!
I am here by my master's order to deliver a person to your Heavenly Court, do you understand?"
"Understood, understood."
Li Changgeng nodded his head, yet his heart was heaving with shock, instinctively turning his head to look back at the Heavenly Emperor.
However, the Heavenly Emperor still sat there, as steady as a mountain, his face showing no emotion, betraying no hint of what he felt.
But Li Changgeng, who knew him well, understood that even the Heavenly Emperor might find the situation tricky now!