117: Chapter 117 Begging for Alms, It Still Has to Be the Great Emperor

The lake bottom instantly fell silent again.

Then, many thoughts and intents began to intertwine frantically.

"Again?"

"Building the Heavenly Court? What the hell does that have to do with us!"

"And they want us to contribute Materials? Grateful to heaven and earth? I'm grateful to his grandpa!"

"Extortion, this is blatant extortion!"

"Then what should we do?"

"Ah, this..."

"Hold back, we must hold back, let's see what he wants..."

After a suffocating silence, the aged voice of the Lord of the Reincarnation Lake sounded once more:

"Great Emperor... your words are all reasonable. Such a grand occasion, we... should indeed offer our support. May we ask what items the Great Emperor requires? We... will do our utmost to gather them."

"Fellow Daoist, you are profoundly righteous." Jiang Hao's smile grew even wider. With a casual flick of his finger, a golden light shot into the lake, transforming into a long list that appeared before the eyes of every Supreme Being.

The list detailed top-tier divine Materials rare throughout the heavens: Void God-Iron Essence, Myriad Things Earth... The quantities were so vast they would make any Emperor's heart ache and bleed.

The trembling of the lake water seemed to become even more pronounced.

And this wasn't the end. Jiang Hao spoke again, his smile becoming even more sincere.

"I have heard that at the bottom of the Reincarnation Lake lies a Reincarnation and Rebirth Pavilion, constructed from Primordial Reincarnation Stone and Life-Death Netherworld Wood. It contains the Dao Principles of life and death, aiding in the comprehension of the true meaning of life and death."

"This pavilion lies at the lake bottom, a pearl hidden in the dust. It would be better to relocate it to the newly established Heavenly Court, where its light can illuminate all realms, fulfilling its wondrous function of rebirth and enlightenment."

The lake bottom instantly fell deathly silent.

The divine senses of all the Supreme Beings froze.

The Reincarnation and Rebirth Pavilion.

That was one of the core symbols of the Reincarnation Lake Forbidden Area, a truly ancient foundational structure kept in reserve, existing since the Mythical Era, having witnessed countless secrets!

This wasn't about asking for Materials; this was about directly moving their ancestral hall.

"Great Emperor..." The voice of the Lord of the Reincarnation Lake was extremely hoarse.

"That Rebirth Pavilion is connected to the Reincarnation Foundation of the lake bottom. It would be difficult to relocate, and it is a place for cultivation and remembrance of past sages..."

"No matter." Jiang Hao waved his hand dismissively, his tone relaxed.

"This Emperor can personally intervene to sever its connection to the lake bottom, ensuring no harm comes to the Reincarnation Lake's Foundation. As for remembering past sages..."

"With the Heavenly Court established and order rectified, all living beings will feel gratitude. Wouldn't that be a better tribute to the past sages? This pavilion, entering the Heavenly Court, shall oversee the enlightenment and education of all living beings, accumulating boundless merit. Fellow Daoists, you too will share in this honor."

The Reincarnation Lake Supreme Beings: ...

After a period of fierce mental exchange and silence, a dim, dark light, mixed with countless intricate runes, laboriously rose from the deepest part of the lake's heart.

It was the phantom of a nine-story ancient pavilion, its entire body constructed from strange grey-black stone and ancient wood resembling black jade, emanating a profound Dao charm of life and death.

Though it appeared illusory, it was the true manifestation of the core Dao seal.

"...This pavilion is presented to the Great Emperor, to congratulate... the establishment of the Heavenly Court." The voice of the Lord of the Reincarnation Lake was very weak.

Subsequently, streams of light flew out from the depths of the Reincarnation Lake, piling up above the lake surface into a small mountain emitting various immortal lights and soaring Dao charm.

"This is... a token of our regard, wishing the Great Emperor... the early completion of the Heavenly Court, bestowing blessings... for eternity." This time, the voice of the Lord of the Reincarnation Lake sounded as if he were about to breathe his last.

"Fellow Daoists, you are too courteous." Jiang Hao waved his sleeve grandly, unceremoniously collecting everything, his smile becoming a touch more genuine.

"This Emperor thanks you all for your generosity on behalf of future generations. On the day of the Heavenly Court's banquet, you will surely be invited to the seats of honor."

Having said that, his figure vanished from the spot.

Only after that suffocating, placid Emperor's aura had completely dissipated did the bottom of the Reincarnation Lake erupt with roars and curses suppressed to the extreme, shaking the lake water to a boil, yet still tightly confined within the lake, not daring to leak out the slightest bit.

"Bandit, brigand!"

"Collaborate for the grand endeavor? I'll collaborate with his ancestors!"

"Our treasures..."

"Endure... endure for a moment of calm..."

"Wait for his twilight years, wait for him to pass away, we must grind his bones to dust!"

...

Burial God Abyss, where baleful energy soared to the heavens.

Jiang Hao arrived in person, his gaze falling upon the Myriad Tribulations Path-Tempering Tower within the abyss, a tower built upon the cores of nine ancient stars and Primal Chaos Yellow Qi, infused with the Dao principles and Battle Intent of countless powerful beings.

This tower's murderous aura soared to the sky, yet it was also a Supreme treasure ground for tempering the Dao Heart and honing combat skills.

"The Killing Intent of this tower is too heavy. Remaining long in the abyss may breed inauspiciousness." Jiang Hao commented,

"It would be better placed in the Heavenly Court's trial grounds, to be cleansed by the vibrant life force and righteous Dao charm of the heroes of all races, transforming killing tribulations into tempering, returning to simplicity. That is the proper path."

Within the Burial God Abyss, the divine senses of many Heavenly Venerables and Ancient Emperors were icy cold, yet they dared not act out.

In the end, the shrunken phantom of the Path-Tempering Tower and a pile of divine Materials were sent out.

Chaos Ancient Cave.

Jiang Hao expressed considerable appreciation for the naturally formed Chaos Inquiry Platform deep within the ancient cave.

"Chaos gives birth to the myriad daos. This platform is favored by the creation of heaven and earth, perfectly aligning with the Heavenly Court's concept of honoring all Daos. Placed in the Heavenly Court's myriad daos Palace, it can serve as the core for discourse on the Dao."

The Supreme Beings of the Chaos Ancient Cave remained silent, inwardly grumbling, "If you say so, then so be it..."

Then they sent out the Chaos Inquiry Platform and a gourd of Chaos Spirit Sand.

Meteorite Sea.

Jiang Hao took away the Sun-Moon Patrol Tower floating at the core of the star sea, refined by harmonizing Sun Essence Fire and Lunar True Marrow.

This tower could patrol the heavens and survey the earth, regulate Yin and Yang, and balance spiritual energy. "Perfectly suited for the Heavenly Court's monitoring and regulatory needs."

The Supreme Beings inside dared not say much, offering the tower body along with large quantities of Sun Essence Stone and Lunar Cold Jade.

Heavenly Sound Vast Sea, where the sounds of the Dao lingered faintly.

Jiang Hao did not demand anything else, but instead pointed to a piece of floating ruins at the edge of the vast sea.

It was the remains of an ancient Star Pivot Hall from the Mythical Era's Ancient Heavenly Court. Though ruined, it retained parts of the ancient formation patterns for channeling the power of the celestial stars, possessing immense research value.

"The legacy of the Ancient Heavenly Court should be brought back into the light of day to enlighten future generations." Jiang Hao's tone carried a trace of emotion.

A Heavenly Venerable's divine sense was complex. Finally, with a long sigh, he not only handed over control of the ruins...

On this day, the various Forbidden Areas all experienced what it meant to be "voluntarily generous."

Jiang Hao's attitude remained consistently gentle and reasonable, the reasons he gave were always lofty and noble, and the numbers on the lists always made one's heart ache and bleed.

But no Forbidden Area dared to refuse.

Even if they had cursed Jiang Hao a million times in their hearts, on the surface they still had to be reverent and respectful. To avoid appearing stingy and inviting trouble, they even had to give a little extra.

For a time, a strange spectacle appeared in the cosmos: meteors wrapped in astonishing treasure light "voluntarily" flew out from those terrifying, infamous forbidden lands.

These structures and Materials all displayed the glory and heritage of Ancient Emperors and Heavenly Venerables, yet now they became the bricks, tiles, sand, and stones for constructing the new Heavenly Court.

Cultivators across the myriad realms watched, dumbfounded.

"Those are... flying out from the Forbidden Areas?"

"Laden with divine material treasure light... were they robbed?"

"Robbed? Have you ever seen robbery where the goods are packaged so nicely and delivered so quickly?"

"That's... the Myriad Tribulations Path-Tempering Tower from the Burial God Abyss!"

"The Chaos Inquiry Platform from the Chaos Ancient Cave, a treasure of the Chaos Ancient Cave!"

"And the ruins of the Ancient Heavenly Court! My heavens, is Chaos Great Emperor planning to dismantle the homes of these Ancient Emperors and Heavenly Venerables?"

"Look at those Materials, Nine Nether God-Iron, Sun Essence Stone... each one is a rare treasure that would make Quasi-Emperors fight to the death! Now they're being sent out as if they were free..."

"It really has to be Chaos Great Emperor. Every time he makes a move, it's so extraordinary!"