Volume One: The Calamity of the Lich Chapter 159: The Eastern and Western Courts of Immortals, Emperor Jun’s Schemes

Upon hearing this, the Lord of the East grew restless, brushing his robe with impatience, and addressed his visitor.
“All right, go and report back to the Thunder God. I will seek him out soon enough.”

Much later, within the grand hall of the Celestial Court of Zifu Isle, the Lord of the East entered, and the Thunder God and others raised their eyes to him.
“Gentlemen, I wonder what occasion has brought you here to seek me so suddenly?”
The Lord of the East glanced at the gathered dignitaries of the Celestial Court, speaking with a hint of displeasure.

The assembly, observing his demeanor, could surmise the cause of his impatience.
None among them were ignorant of the Lord of the East’s deep admiration for the Queen Mother of the West from Western Kunlun.
Yet all his tender feelings had come to naught; she showed not the slightest interest in him.

Moreover, as the embodiment of the purest yang, the Lord of the East was gifted in ways beyond common men, and he often harassed the female immortals of Zifu Isle.
Strangely, many seemed to appreciate his advances, as if enchanted by him.
As long as these indulgences did not impede the court’s progress, they seldom reproached him.

After all, most of the immortals and gods present had joined the Celestial Court precisely because the Lord of the East held the title of preeminent male immortal.
Why did they not choose the Heavenly Court instead? The answer lay in the Heavenly Court’s domineering nature.
Between Emperor Jun and the Lord of the East, the latter was more agreeable to them, thus the Celestial Court came into being.

Cultivators, by their nature, often retreated into seclusion, so the Lord of the East’s flaws were of little consequence to them.

“Majesty, our Celestial Court is rising rapidly. Though the Dao Ancestor favors us, we are still years behind the Heavenly Court.
We have already begun to clash with them.”

Upon hearing this, the Lord of the East shed his previous demeanor and became every bit the commanding monarch.
“Oh? Does Emperor Jun not fear angering the Dao Ancestor?”
“Majesty, in terms of manpower, we are still lacking compared to Emperor Jun’s demon clan and the Heavenly Court.”

In my opinion, we should accompany Your Majesty to Western Kunlun. By showing proper respect to the Queen Mother of the West, she will be compelled to give us a favorable answer.
Seeing so many of us, she might be moved as well.

What was left unsaid was that if even then the Queen Mother showed no inclination, both Emperor Jun and the Zifu Isle faction would speculate deeply about her true intentions.
On the Heavenly Court’s side, Emperor Jun would never fully trust her, and the Heavenly Court, unlike their own nascent Celestial Court, wielded real power.

The Lord of the East pondered for a moment and agreed to the proposal.
Since they could not yet confront the Heavenly Court directly, they would first gather strength and recruits before making their move.
Thus, the Zifu Isle contingent set out for Western Kunlun, and to the Lord of the East’s surprise,
upon arrival, he found the place already teeming with female immortals—
some transformed from birds, others from spiritual roots, flowers, and herbs.

Seeing this, the Lord of the East’s mind began to race, but thanks to the Thunder God’s timely reminder, he quickly concealed his thoughts.
After stating their purpose, the Queen Mother of the West offered no resistance and agreed to their proposal outright.
On their return, their numbers had multiplied several times.

Though many were not skilled in battle—female immortals and cultivators of flowers or roots—the Celestial Court of Zifu Isle had nonetheless gained considerable strength.
Though still inferior to the Heavenly Court, their living force increased dramatically.

When news reached Emperor Jun, he was so furious he nearly smashed the countless treasures beside him.
Yet good tidings also arrived: his countless demon saints and demon kings had grown stronger,
and now, the four great demon emperors had fully reached the level of quasi-saints.
The demon kings had attained the rank of Grand Golden Immortal, and ten demon saints were only a step away from becoming quasi-saints themselves.

“Demon kings, demon saints! You have followed me all this way. Now, let’s hear your advice—what methods can we use to swiftly raise the strength of our Heavenly Court?”

Bai Ze looked at Emperor Jun, his bearing resolute, and spoke:
“Majesty, many land-bound beasts and birds have joined our demon clan,
but we still lack aquatic tribes. Though there are many water clans across the primordial land, none compare to the Four Seas.”

He paused and continued,
“Moreover, the Four Seas host numerous dragon clans, famed since ancient times. If the Heavenly Court could win them over, it would greatly boost our prestige and power.”

Emperor Jun replied,
“But isn’t it said the dragon clan cannot leave the Four Seas?”
“Majesty, so it’s said, but we can try. Besides, we’ll need strong aquatic allies to face the Celestial Court of Zifu Isle in the future.”

Bai Ze gazed toward the East Sea, his eyes filled with ambition for the future.
He failed to notice how much he himself had changed from before.
“Since you, my strategist, suggest it, let us give it a try! We have nothing to lose.”

Just then, after Bai Ze finished speaking, Emperor Jun received a message,
not from another, but revealing the solution.

“I also heard that in the North Sea, there is a tribe rarely seen in the primordial lands, and their strength is considerable.”
Bai Ze told Emperor Jun about the North Sea Black Turtle clan,
unaware that it was the same tribe as the Black Tortoise, one of the Four Divine Beasts.

Then Bai Ze mentioned the White Tiger clan to the west; though few in number, they were all exceptionally powerful. If subdued, they would become a formidable force.

After hearing Bai Ze’s words, Emperor Jun resolved to bring these mighty clans under his command.
He believed that by recruiting these major tribes, he would gain the confidence to face the stars.

Thus, after consulting with the demon saints and demon kings, he quietly led them and countless warriors toward the far west.
Earlier, after learning the current state of the primordial world from Taiyi, Emperor Jun had secretly sent word to his covert agents to lie low.
Once his arrangements were complete, he began to execute his plan.
Now, with Bai Ze’s information, his desire for conquest was rekindled.