The excitement was evident on everyone’s faces. Once the initial scare was over, they naturally realized what a significant achievement they had accomplished.

The Immortal Transformation Pond had always been one of the secrets of the Heavenly Court, capable of producing an endless stream of immortal Heavenly soldiers. Such ability was enough to drive all the forces in the Three Realms into frenzy.

Now that they had obtained the core, it meant that the fearsome Heavenly soldiers and generals were in their hands.

Such an achievement was almost beyond the scope of reward.

The group proceeded joyously toward the Eastern Sea, and within moments, they were over the azure ocean. Taoist Qingyun recited incantations, and after a ripple in space, a huge island shrouded in mist suddenly appeared above the sea.

"We’re finally back!" Taoist Qingyun sighed softly.

The hardships and dangers along the way were hard to explain to outsiders, but at least he was finally back here. All he needed to do was to hand over the core of the Immortal Transformation Pond to the Sect Leader, and he could finally breathe easily.

The white mist parted to either side, revealing the true form of the island.

One could see spirit grass and spirit flowers everywhere, with immortals’ cranes and green birds singing harmoniously and white deer darting about—truly a scene right out of an immortal’s domain.

There was a great mountain on the island, soaring into the clouds, rich in Spiritual Energy, with a giant tree at the summit enveloped in flames and shining like the sun, truly a wondrous sight.

"The Fusang Tree!" Taoist Qingyun murmured to himself in awe.

Every time he saw this tree, he couldn’t help but marvel at the magic of creation, that such a marvelous tree still existed within the Three Realms.

The arrival of Taoist Qingyun and the others immediately drew the attention of everyone on the island, and countless cultivators rushed out.

An elderly man with white hair wearing a Daoist robe approached Taoist Qingyun, asking with concern, "Have you got the object?"

Taoist Qingyun firmly nodded his head.

"Haha, I knew you could do it, well done! This is our chance to rise. With this object, we will have our place among the top forces of the Three Realms." The old man murmured to himself, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

He had been waiting for this day for so long that he had almost given up hope, but who could have foreseen such a turnaround at this juncture.

As he took the core handed over by Taoist Qingyun, the old man’s face showed a fascinated expression as he murmured, "This is the core of the Immortal Transformation Pond. With it, the countless Heavenly soldiers and generals of the Heavenly Court will be ours."

Taoist Qingyun also smiled, saying, "Master, let us begin building the Immortal Transformation Pond. Once it is completed, we will have the power to strike the Lingxiao Treasured Palace."

"Indeed, we have waited too long for this day. Just wait a moment, the Eastern King will be out of seclusion shortly. With the feats you have achieved this time, the Eastern King will surely not skimp on the rewards," the old man said with tears in his eyes.

Just then, a burst of purple light appeared, and a man dressed in purple ceremonial robes came out, and seeing Taoist Qingyun and the others, he smiled and said, "Congratulations on your safe return!"

"Greetings to the Eastern King!" several people hurriedly greeted with a bow.

The Eastern King, however, waved his hand lightly and said, "You have risked your lives to take the core of the Immortal Transformation Pond from the Heavenly Court. Your contributions are immense; there’s no need for such formalities. Was your journey smooth? What has happened there in the Heavenly Court?"

Taoist Qingyun and the others dared not hide a single detail, revealing everything that had happened in the Heavenly Court, instantly drawing the attention of numerous individuals.

It was known that, in these times, all four gates of the Heavenly Court were tightly closed and no one was allowed to enter or exit. Since no information had been revealed from inside, everyone was very curious about what else had occurred in the Heavenly Court.

After Taoist Qingyun narrated the events that had taken place in the Heavenly Court during this period, everyone was even more shocked. They hadn’t expected that, apart from their maneuver to seize the Immortal Transformation Pond, so many other changes had occurred.

The elder, upon hearing this, exclaimed in shock, "What! You say the Peach Garden was destroyed? Then there are no more Peach Trees in the world!"

The reason the old man was so anxious was that his life was nearing its end. He had originally planned to overthrow the Heavenly Court and then enjoy the Peaches to extend his life. Now, hearing that the Peaches were destroyed, one can imagine how anxious he felt.

Taoist Qingyun knew his master’s anxiety well, but he was helpless and said, "The Peach Garden has indeed been destroyed, but I do not know if any Peach Trees survived. After all, at that critical moment, I dared not inquire too deeply."

A look of despair appeared on the old man’s face, but the Eastern King softly said, "The Peach is a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root and would not be so easily destroyed. As long as one tree survives, it can be restored to its former scale. Furthermore, we have the Divine Fusang Tree, and in time, we could use its essence to extend your life. I have always been aware of your merits and will not let you die in the Underworld."

These words from the Eastern King rekindled hope in the elder’s eyes; he knew well that the person before him would not make promises lightly. This promise was surely effective.

Consequently, he deeply bowed to the Eastern King and said, "Thank you for your profound grace, Eastern King."

"What truly shocks me is Mr. Mo’s escape," the Eastern King said, puzzlingly. "This man is a confidant of the Jade Emperor. Although I do not know where the Jade Emperor found him, today’s might of the Heavenly Court is all with his help. To call him the strongest craftsman in the Three Realms is already an understatement. It’s truly unthinkable that such a person would also betray the Heavenly Court."

He was unaware of Mr. Mo’s past, always considering him a staunch adherent of the Jade Emperor, and never imagined he too would one day defect.

"If we could bring this man into our ranks, then our struggle against the Heavenly Court could become somewhat more favorable," the Eastern King muttered to himself.

In his words, the high regard for Mr. Mo was evident, not concealing his desire to recruit him at all.

Taoist Qingyun naturally understood that the Eastern King had a desire to recruit talented individuals. Not just the Eastern King, Taoist Qingyun believed that any power in the Three Realms, if they could attain the allegiance of this craftsman from the Heavenly Forge Bureau, Mr. Mo, would likely react similarly.

He sighed and said, "Unfortunately, the Heavenly Court is exceedingly secretive about Mr. Mo. I can’t find out any information about him at all. I reckon even the Heavenly Court does not know his whereabouts."

The Eastern King nodded upon hearing this and said, "He is the strongest craftsman in this world. If he truly wishes to escape, indeed, it would be very difficult to capture him, especially since he personally crafted many of the Heavenly Court’s artifacts. To find him would be even more difficult."

As they conversed, the clouds and mist around them once again shrouded the traces of the island, instantly hiding the entire island within the boundless void, to prevent it from being discovered by outsiders.

At that very moment, within the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the direction of the Eastern Sea, a slight smile curling up at the corners of his mouth as he said, "So, all these years you’ve been hiding here."