Chapter 758: The Human Race Elder, the Unscrupulous East Yang Heavenly Venerable (4K)

Zhang Jian then sent people to notify the four Grand Inspectors under the Inspection Heavenly Venerable's Mansion, the twelve Inspection Immortal Monarchs, and the thirty-six Army Commanding Grand Generals to come and pay their respects.

In the center of the Inspection Hall, Zhang Jian was flipping through the register in his hand, as well as part of the garrison map of the Longevity True Realm left behind by the previous Inspection Heavenly Venerable, his brows slightly furrowed.

The previous Inspection Heavenly Venerable did not leave him a mess, but neither did he leave him a complete setup.

His four Grand Inspectors were missing three full positions.

Half of the twelve Inspection Immortal Monarchs were also gone.

Among the thirty-six Army Commanding Grand Generals, more than ten were also missing.

Zhang Jian did not fly into a rage over this situation.

He had seen this scene many times before, merely calmly flipping through part of the register of the Inspection Hall.

Not long after, first came a black-faced Daoist whose entire body was entwined with killing aura, walking in from outside the Inspection Hall.

Upon seeing Zhang Jian, he immediately clasped his fists.

"Subordinate Yan Jiao pays respects to the new Inspection Heavenly Venerable!"

"Yan Jiao Daoist, no need for excessive courtesy!"

Zhang Jian's gaze fell upon this black-faced Inspector, his eyes sweeping over him slightly.

This might be the only Daoist Monarch under his command.

The four Grand Inspectors should, by rights, have four Daoist Monarchs in their establishment, but now only one remains.

Perhaps he was left behind because this Yan Jiao Daoist is half-crippled.

Zhang Jian could see at a glance that he bore Dao wounds on his body, which have not yet healed.

Zhang Jian did not therefore look down on this Daoist Monarch, and asked.

"Daoist Yan Jiao, I have heard you come from the Three Sovereigns Heaven Realm, and moreover that you are among the first batch of innate human beings born in the Three Sovereigns Heaven Realm?"

Upon hearing this, Daoist Yan Jiao slightly clasped his hands and said.

"The Heavenly Venerable's gaze is like a torch; Yan Jiao is indeed among the first batch of innate human beings born and nurtured in the Three Sovereigns Heaven Realm!"

In the depths of his eyes, there was some recollection, and also a hint of pride.

The first batch of innate human beings in the Three Sovereigns Heaven Realm could be said to be exceptionally favored.

Such credentials are equivalent to the first batch of innate deities born in other heaven realms.

Moreover, these innate human beings likewise innately received the primordial creation of one heaven realm!

It is only a pity that, among that first batch of innate human beings, his achievements can only be considered middling.

He has always regretted this.

Those countless opportunities for creation were once right before his eyes, yet he was muddled and confused, merely grasping at a tail.

Zhang Jian nodded slightly.

"That also counts as an elder of the human race!"

Daoist Yan Jiao spoke solemnly.

"Heavenly Venerable overpraises me; Yan Jiao merely lived longer, and dare not call himself an elder of the human race!"

Zhang Jian nodded, then said.

"Daoist Yan Jiao, it seems you have already been stationed in the Longevity True Realm for a very long time?"

Zhang Jian's gaze fell upon Daoist Yan Jiao, his eyes holding some ripples in their depths.

Upon hearing this, Daoist Yan Jiao's expression froze slightly, and he said.

"More than a thousand yuanhui!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jian sighed.

"That is indeed a considerable span of time; this is already nearly one-eighth of a yandi!"

Usually one yandi is close to eight thousand one hundred yuanhui, and how many yandi an era can have depends on when the Boundless Kalpa arrives.

If the kalamity that sweeps the heavenly void erupts, the era will naturally end.

According to his knowledge, as eras progress, the duration of an era grows longer; for example, the Middle Ancient Era and the Present Ancient Era are obviously much longer than the Primeval Ancient Era.

Zhang Jian gazed at this Daoist Monarch and casually asked.

"Have you never thought of leaving the Longevity True Realm?"

Daoist Yan Jiao said.

"Subordinate has thought about it, but still cannot leave the Longevity True Realm!"

"Oh?"

Zhang Jian was slightly surprised.

Upon hearing this, Daoist Yan Jiao spoke solemnly.

"Here lies the second homeland that subordinate cherishes, and also the people and matters that subordinate cannot let go of!"

Zhang Jian smiled faintly.

"Those whom a Daoist Monarch cherishes should be fortunate!"

Before him, this Daoist Monarch Yan Jiao seems to have another story.

Zhang Jian did not continue pressing, but immediately asked.

"Could you describe your impression of the Longevity True Realm? Or rather, what you know of the Longevity True Realm? This Venerable has just arrived, and although I have already studied the human culture of this realm, I still wish to hear your account of the Longevity True Realm?"

Upon hearing this, Daoist Yan Jiao pondered slightly, then immediately said.

"Heavenly Venerable, I fear I cannot help you with this!"

"Hmm?"

Zhang Jian's gaze fell upon Daoist Yan Jiao, his eyes deep with intense solemnity; under this vast Daoist Venerable's aura, Daoist Yan Jiao felt immense pressure, his expression strained to remain calm, and he could only barely clasp his hands and say.

"Heavenly Venerable, it is not that subordinate is being perfunctory; subordinate's perception of the Longevity True Realm is too complex, and subordinate fears misleading the Heavenly Venerable!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jian finally withdrew his gaze slightly.

He did not continue to reproach this Daoist Sovereign.

Although it was only an initial contact, he sensed that this Daoist Sovereign had quite a temper.

At this moment, nearly thirty other high-ranking immortals also entered the Inspection Hall in single file from outside.

Leading them were six immortals of differing auras.

They wore the black-and-red robes of the Inspection Immortal Sovereigns, and their bodies radiated the divine aura unique to high-ranking immortals.

The weakest among the six immortals was a Taiyi Heavenly Immortal, while the strongest had already reached the Taiyi Great Perfection, and they had taken three or four steps forward.

Their foundations were actually not bad.

The remaining were twenty-two commander-generals, whose cultivation ranged from Taiyi True Numbers to Taiyi Great Perfection and beyond.

The immortals stood in the great hall, feeling the intimidating gaze of the Inspection Heavenly Sovereign above them, and instantly fell silent like cicadas in winter.

In their perception, this Inspection Heavenly Sovereign before them was like the blazing sun high in the heavens, an entity controlling the boundless cosmic authority of heaven and earth, exalted above, holding the pivot of Qiankun.

Suppressing the fear in their hearts, they immediately followed the rules, solemnly facing this newly appointed Inspection Heavenly Sovereign and paying their respects.

At this moment, many immortals still felt uneasy in their hearts.

A new official brings three blazing fires upon taking office, and they were indeed worried that this fire might burn them.

Zhang Jian remained calm, slightly waving his hand to signal the gods to forego the rites, and only then spoke lightly.

"According to the basic configuration of the Inspection Hall, I should originally have four Inspection Envoys, twelve Inspection Immortal Sovereigns, and thirty-six Commander Gods, totaling fifty-two people, yet currently only twenty-nine are present in the great hall. Has anyone told me where the others have gone?"

His expression remained unchanged, but his eyes were like an ancient well, causing many ancient immortals and gods in the hall to feel their hearts skip.

One by one, they lowered their heads, daring not to speak further.

"Has no one told me?"

Zhang Jian's expression was cold and indifferent, yet he casually tossed the roster onto the imperial case before him, his muffled voice seeming to fall upon the hearts of the gods.

After a moment, one of the Inspection Immortal Sovereigns stepped forward with gritted teeth.

"Reporting to the Heavenly Sovereign, the remaining twenty-two people—most of them have already resigned their immortal posts, or become attendant gods under the previous Heavenly Sovereign, or have elsewhere gone..."

This was a white-robed Immortal Sovereign, his body radiating soft immortal light, yet his cultivation was not weak—he was a powerful immortal of Taiyi Great Perfection.

Zhang Jian already knew his background.

His name was Gélún Immortal Sovereign, from the Nine Luminaries Heavenly Realm, an immortal of the Shangqing Dao lineage of the Nine Luminaries Heavenly Realm.

Likewise, he was also of orthodox human descent.

Most of the immortals present were of human descent, with a portion being innate deities.

At this moment, they dared not conceal anything, lest they provoke this newly arrived Inspection Heavenly Sovereign's wrath, possibly bringing punishment upon all immortals.

He then immediately laid out the current situation of the Inspection Hall in full detail.

Zhang Jian gradually came to understand.

The responsibility still lay with the previous Inspection Heavenly Sovereign.

Before his departure, he had indeed taken away a batch of people.

This included two Inspection Envoys, three Inspection Immortal Sovereigns, and seven Commander-Generals, including tens of thousands of immortal soldiers and gods.

The reason was that these people had long since become his attendant gods, or had resigned their immortal posts and willingly joined his retinue.

This was outright corruption for personal gain!

The trouble was not only that some followed the previous Inspection Heavenly Sovereign away.

Also, some immortals of the previous Inspection Heavenly Sovereign's residence, after his departure, were 'poached' by others!

As for those who were poached by those people,

Zhang Jian slightly furrowed his brow, seeing Gélún Immortal Sovereign hem and haw, vaguely pointing toward the Divine Palace of Longevity, his expression cold and indifferent.

After Gélún Immortal Sovereign finished his report, he then said.

"As for those immortals who resigned their posts and left the Inspection Immortal Hall, we shall not mention them for now. The previous Heavenly Sovereign's corruption for personal gain, privately poaching the Inspection Hall's defensive forces, I will surely punish him severely! I ask the Three Sovereigns and Five Elders to give my Inspection Hall an explanation!"

"If everyone learns from him, what war are we still fighting?"

After a brief pause, Zhang Jian added.

"However, the defense of the True Realm of Longevity cannot be lacking. For now, the priority is to promptly fill the vacancies in the Inspection Hall with immortals, thus perfecting its inspection and defense system!"

Seeing some strong ones' eyes light up, he said lightly.

"But rules cannot be changed arbitrarily. The positions of the Four Great Inspection Envoys cannot be held by anyone below Daoist Sovereign level, and the twelve Inspection Immortal Sovereigns must at least be Taiyi Heavenly Immortals, or even Taiyi Great Perfection to qualify!"

"The thirty-six Commander Gods must possess at least the cultivation level of Taiyi True Numbers!"

Upon hearing this, the immortals were momentarily stunned, yet some commander-generals' eyes gleamed with light, for they had long met the promotion conditions, merely lacking opportunity.

At this moment, these immortals gazing upward at the newly appointed Inspection Heavenly Sovereign felt his countenance suddenly become kind and approachable!

Having said this, Zhang Jian ignored the enthusiasm of some immortals, his expression stern as he said.

"I know that many of you harbor your own secrets, and I will not interfere in that. But I detest those who eat from the pot yet smash others' rice bowls. If anyone does not wish to serve the Inspection Hall, they may depart directly—I will not blame them!

But if they remain, yet harbor divided loyalties, then they must be cautious of their own heads!"

Upon hearing this, the immortals' expressions turned stern, and they could only chorus: "We dare not!"

"Then do as you see fit!"

Zhang Jian merely said lightly, and after the lecture, he rose and departed.

He next prepared to visit the local host of this place, and incidentally ask for personnel.

Within the great hall, the immortals began to buzz with activity.

……

Divine Tree of the Heavenly Realm, Eighth Layer.

Upon learning that Zhang Jian, this newly appointed Inspection Heavenly Sovereign, had come to visit, Emperor Dongyang held a grand immortal banquet to welcome him.

Immortals and gods gathered together, and even some renowned immortals and gods from the Longevity True Realm appeared in full force.

A rich variety of sounds filled the air, and the hall was packed with attendees.

Zhang Jian did not immediately flare up.

As for whether to cause trouble for the Longevity Divine Court, it still depended on the attitude of Emperor Dongyang.

The Immortal Banquet was quite satisfactory, but afterward Zhang Jian had a private audience with Emperor Dongyang.

In the imperial garden, blossoms of purple and red flourished, rare flowers and exotic grasses without number; though pink butterflies fluttered lightly and spirit beasts danced in the air, the place remained quite tranquil.

After the two gods met, Zhang Jian directly inquired.

"Fellow Daoist Dongyang, I have heard that among the four great inspection envoys under your esteemed self's Inspection Palace, one of them, Ming Lei Dao Jun, has entered Your Majesty's service?"

The four great inspection envoys: the former Heavenly Sovereign took away two, leaving only Ming Lei Dao Jun and Yan Jue Dao Jun as the remaining two.

Both of these are Dao Jun of quite ancient standing.

Moreover, both are Second Transformation Dao Jun.

This loss is not merely a cat or dog; Zhang Jian naturally would not just pretend to be deaf and dumb.

Emperor Dongyang nodded slightly.

He did not deny it.

This emperor smiled faintly and said.

"Indeed, Ming Lei Dao Jun recently joined the Longevity Divine Court; his cultivation is extraordinary, and his origins are special. Now he has been bestowed by me the title of Thunder Department Emperor of the Longevity True Realm, overseeing the gods of the Thunder Department and guarding the eastern lands!"

"He holds part of the Thunder Dao origin of the Longevity True Realm, and has also obtained a position of real authority as an emperor—no wonder!"

Zhang Jian muttered to himself, then immediately said.

"Fellow Daoist Dongyang, according to my knowledge, whether immortals and gods under the Inspection Palace wish to resign their immortal posts or seek to serve other immortals and gods, they must obtain the personal seal of the current Inspection Heavenly Sovereign. I wonder, when Ming Lei Dao Jun resigned, did he receive the golden seal of the Inspection Palace?"

"Of course!"

Emperor Dongyang gave a slight nod, his gaze falling upon Zhang Jian as he smiled and said.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, do you have doubts?"

"Of course I doubt it—I only arrived yesterday; how could I have used the seal to let Ming Lei Dao Jun leave the Inspection Palace early!"

Zhang Jian sighed faintly.

"I do not know who it is, but to have such audacity—before the new Inspection Heavenly Sovereign arrives, they actually used the Inspection Heavenly Sovereign's exclusive golden seal!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Dongyang's brows slightly furrowed; he glanced up and down at Zhang Jian, then smiled and said.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, this is merely a small matter—why bother? Since we cannot retain the person, forcing the melon won't make it sweet!"

"But this melon quenches thirst!"

Zhang Jian's expression remained calm, and without waiting for Emperor Dongyang to speak, he simply said.

"Your Majesty Dongyang, there are now many vacant immortal posts inside and outside the Inspection Palace, especially since only one of the four great inspection envoys remains, and Yan Jue Dao Jun is still in a severely injured state. If this continues long-term, the Inspection Palace's defensive strength will surely suffer a major decline!"

Not just a major decline.

With three inspection envoys missing from the Inspection Palace, how can Zhang Jian fulfill his duties?

He cannot possibly run himself ragged, doing everything personally.

Moreover, this is also a slap in his face.

Since the former Heavenly Sovereign has already departed, Zhang Jian can only go through the Three Emperors' Holy Court to file a complaint against them.

But Emperor Dongyang has poached his corner, and used 'illegal' means—this matter naturally demands an explanation from him.

Zhang Jian spoke as if stating a fact; moments later he turned his gaze to Emperor Dongyang and said calmly.

"Of course, I also know this matter is my own responsibility and has nothing to do with Fellow Daoist Dongyang, yet this matter is still significantly related to Ming Lei Dao Jun. Your Majesty Dongyang, what do you think?"

Emperor Dongyang's eyes fell upon Zhang Jian; hearing this, his gaze flickered, then he nodded shortly after.

"If the Inspection Palace's defensive system develops a breach, Fellow Daoist Zhang, you are indeed solely responsible!"

Zhang Jian nodded and said.

"The facts are as such—Fellow Daoist Dongyang, could you point me toward a clear path? After all, I am also in a difficult position; the gods of the Longevity True Realm are all watching this matter. If I handle my duties poorly, I fear the gods will all be gossiping endlessly!"

As he said this, Zhang Jian's eyes slightly narrowed.

Emperor Dongyang, however, seemed not to have noticed Zhang Jian's expression, and instead laughed and said.

"This matter is easy!"

At this moment, he wore a smile, clearly having prepared in advance.