"This kid is so bold." The giant spirit didn't feel embarrassed at all at this moment. The one who should be embarrassed now was either Fang Jian or Taishang Laojun.

But Fang Jian was not embarrassed. He stood there upright and motionless, looking righteous and awe-inspiring.

Was Taishang Laojun embarrassed? No, he still had a calm and peaceful smile on his face.

The Jade Emperor stared at Fang Jian for a long time, his eyes narrowed slightly before he turned around and asked with a smile, "What do you think, Daozu?"

The Supreme Lord laughed, waved the whisk in his hand, and said in a mantra: "The great way is inaction, and the highest good is like water."

The Jade Emperor smiled faintly upon hearing this, then turned his gaze to the west and asked, "What do you think, Buddha?"

After a while, a magnificent and melodious Buddhist voice rang out in the Lingxiao Hall: "This exists because that exists, this arises because that arises. This does not exist because that does not exist, this ceases because that ceases."

As the voices of Daozu and Buddha echoed in the Lingxiao Palace, the minds of the immortals and gods quickly calmed down.

The Jade Emperor looked at Fang Jian and said, "Fang Jian, what do you think of what the Taoist and Buddha said?"

Fang Jian had a slight understanding. At this moment, he understood why the Taoist was the Taoist and why the Buddha was the Buddha. He just responded casually and easily resolved his own words.

But it was not a response to him. He was not qualified to ask Daozu and Buddha to respond personally. Daozu and Buddha were responding to the Jade Emperor because the Jade Emperor had just used his words to briefly attack Daozu and Buddha.

The Taoist ancestor said, "The Great Way is inaction; the highest good is like water." This is the maxim that led to his enlightenment. The Great Way is inaction, yet it can do everything. This means that although he is the ancestor of Taoism, he practices the doctrine of "inaction" for his disciples. Since the Taoist ancestor practices inaction, it follows that his disciples naturally follow the path of "doing everything." "The highest good is like water" perfectly complements the Great Way's inaction. Although the path of cultivation for Taoist disciples involves "doing everything," they ultimately prioritize kindness, emphasizing the importance of avoiding or minimizing contention, and maintaining a humble and modest attitude. Therefore, our Daoist sect does not interfere with the rule of the Heavenly Court; its actions are fundamentally in accordance with the laws of Heaven.

As for what the Buddha said, it is a dialectical philosophy. Where there is heaven, there is religion. Where there is religion, there is practice. Heaven and religion complement each other and are connected and interdependent. There is no conflict between the two. Therefore, "when this arises, that arises; when this perishes, that perishes."

Fang Jian sighed inwardly, thinking that his cultivation was still very shallow.

So he said respectfully, "Your Majesty, after hearing the words of the Taoist and Buddha ancestors, I have gained a lot of enlightenment and benefited greatly. I would like to express my gratitude."

The Jade Emperor was greatly pleased to hear this. He was loyal, knew when to advance and when to retreat, and was sensible. This was what a loyal minister should be like. He valued Fang Jian even more.

With the Jade Emperor's nod, Fang Jian first bowed to the Jade Emperor, who smiled and nodded. He then bowed toward the west, and then a lotus flower appeared in the Lingxiao Palace, a faint ray of Buddha light shone, and then completely disappeared.

"Fang Jian." The Jade Emperor called out.

Fang Jian quickly responded solemnly, "I'm here."

The Jade Emperor said, "You are both virtuous and virtuous, diligent in cultivation and practice, and have benefited all living beings and brought peace to the region in your role as a land deity, with outstanding achievements. I promote you to the rank of sixth-grade immortal official, and appoint you as the mountain deity of Duanjie Mountain in Xihua Prefecture, Northern Julu Continent. I also grant you the Nine-Dragon Staff. With the Nine-Dragon Staff, you can freely command immortal officials and heavenly soldiers and generals stationed outside the Heavenly Palace."

When this reward was announced, many gods and immortals present were envious. They were not envious of the Nine-Dragon Scepter, but of the fact that every immortal official present had the power to dispatch heavenly soldiers and generals.

What they envied was that this little land god rose to prominence in the emperor's heart so quickly that not only was he promoted directly to the sixth-rank immortal official by the Jade Emperor, but he was also given the Nine-Dragon Scepter.

You must know that it has never happened before that a sixth-rank immortal official of the Yuan Dynasty was awarded the Nine-Dragon Scepter. The only explanation is that Fang Jian is deeply loved and valued by the Jade Emperor.

Upon hearing this, Fang Jian immediately bowed his head and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness. I will do my duty diligently and live up to your high expectations."

"Stand up," the Jade Emperor said to Fang Jian in a good mood. "Serving as the God of Broken Boundary Mountain is a heavy responsibility. You must be diligent and cautious. You must plan carefully before taking any action, and avoid being reckless, lest you put yourself in danger."

Fang Jian said gratefully, "I thank Your Majesty for your concern and entrustment. I will be diligent and cautious and assist Master Weisheng in capturing the Four-Eyed Demon King and retrieving the birth register as soon as possible."

"Okay." The Jade Emperor nodded and said, "As for the specific matters, after leaving the palace, you will go to Taixuandu Province with the General of the Left Guard in front of the palace and wait. The Grand Envoy will make the arrangements."

Fang Jian accepted the order and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will take my leave."

"Yes." said the Jade Emperor.

Fang Jian bowed to the Jade Emperor, then slowly walked out of the Lingxiao Palace.

...

Fang Jian walked out of the Lingxiao Palace, looked up at the bright and clear sky, and felt a sense of peace in his heart.

Although his previous remarks were easily resolved by Daozu and Buddha, he did not fail. Instead, he successfully gained the respect and trust of the Jade Emperor, which was his greatest success.

For a small land god who went to heaven to meet the Jade Emperor for the first time, Fang Jian had accomplished an unprecedented feat.

Whether the road ahead will be broad or not depends on whether I can do a good job in the position of the Mountain God of Duanjie Mountain.

"I congratulate the mountain king." At this moment, a powerful voice came from behind.

Fang Jian turned around and saw a tall general wearing golden armor with beast and fish scales standing behind him. He was smiling and speaking to him with a fist.

Fang Jian also bowed in return. Shanjun is an elegant name for the mountain god. It was obvious that this heavenly general already knew that he had been promoted to the sixth-rank mountain god.

"I am Song Kuang, the General of the Left Guard in front of your palace. I have been ordered to lead the mountain king to the immortal palace of Taixuandu Province." Song Kuang said with a smile.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!