Daoist Qiu looked at the beaming Wang Qi and suddenly sighed. He realized he had underestimated this emperor who came from humble origins; the man had already become a fitting Emperor without notice.

This skillful act of evading the important and dwelling on the trivial had rendered his prepared accusations completely useless.

Nevertheless, he still wanted to contend.

"But Your Majesty, this Water and Land Dharma Assembly is a matter that the entire nation watches closely. Should the Buddhist Sect lead it, I fear the common people might think the Daoist Sect has no one, and I—as the current leader of the Daoist Sect—how could I just sit by and watch?"

"State Preceptor, you needn’t worry, in a few days I will hold a ceremony to worship Heaven and Earth, which is a major national event. Naturally, it should be an effort led by the Daoist Sect. I only hope that there will be no mishaps by then!" Wang Qi said indifferently.

Hearing this, Daoist Qiu looked up at Wang Qi, who was full of confidence, and spoke with a hint of a sigh, "Since Your Majesty commands it, we of the Daoist Sect naturally will follow."

Compared to the Water and Land Dharma Assembly for the salvation of lost souls, a ceremony for worshiping Heaven and Earth naturally held greater significance. Besides, Daoist Qiu was no longer that hopeless disciple within the Daoist Sect.

Thanks to his contributions to establishing the new dynasty, his status within the Daoist Sect was not insignificant, and his practice of cultivation was advancing rapidly. Naturally, he had also come to know some secrets he had never before been privy to.

A ceremony to worship Heaven and Earth might seem like a matter of the Mortal World, but it was inextricably linked with the gods of the Heavenly Court. If the Daoist Sect were to lead it, it could certainly strengthen the authority of the Jade Emperor and increase the likelihood of the Jade Emperor ascending the Great Dao—what a significant merit that would be.

For this reason, when Wang Qi had uttered these words, Daoist Qiu had given up the idea of accusing him and instead considered the benefits of the heavenly ceremony for the Daoist Sect.

Wang Qi watched him with a smile, without saying another word.

The Buddhist Sect and the Daoist Sect began their open and covert struggle in this newly established dynasty, yet remarkably they were both showing restraint. As one of the strongest forces in the Three Realms, neither side would openly break the peace unless absolutely necessary, and Wang Qi maintained a delicate balance between them.

It has to be said that this emperor of humble origins seemed to possess an innate talent.

Amid such tugging and pulling, the ceremony to worship Heaven and Earth slowly approached.

On this day, both the Imperial Court and the Daoist Sect attached great importance to the event. After all, worshiping Heaven and Earth was an extremely sacred matter that could not be treated carelessly.

Early in the morning, officials from the Imperial Court donned their grand court garments and proceeded in an orderly fashion toward the altar under Wang Qi’s leadership.

Today was the new dynasty’s ceremony to worship Heaven, and it was also the time for the new dynasty’s officials to receive their noble ranks.

Even those who were ill had to keep up with the procession, for if one were absent, losing one’s noble rank by the Emperor’s decree would be an irretrievable loss.

The impressive procession passed through the newly repaired main road of the capital city, heading toward the altar in the east.

At the same time, the members of the Daoist Sect were also bustling about in a fluster. This was the first ceremony to worship Heaven since the establishment of the new dynasty, and at this critical period, they dared not slacken their efforts.

From early in the morning, Daoists had begun sweeping the courtyard and arranging the items needed for the altar settings.

Daoist Qiu, wearing a purple Daoist robe and a golden crown, gazed intently at the altar with a solemn expression.

As the moment approached, however, he felt an unsettling anxiety, as if he was facing an abyss, with a reluctance to move any closer.

Just then, a commotion came from outside; Wang Qi arrived with a group of civil and military officials.

The ritual of offering sacrifices to heaven officially began.

Guided by Daoist Qiu, Wang Qi burned incense and prayed. However, when he looked up, he saw at the very top an image of a majestic emperor, and below that were the Founders of the Three Pure Ones. He couldn’t help but be puzzled and said, "I heard that the Founders of the Three Pure Ones are the ancestral masters of the Daoist Sect. How come they are placed below the Jade Emperor?"

"Your Majesty is unaware that the Jade Emperor is the Master of the Three Realms, the Commander of all living beings in the Three Realms. Although the Founders of the Three Pure Ones are formidable in strength, they do not fancy chores and therefore consider themselves as subjects, thus naturally ranking below the Jade Emperor," said Daoist Qiu with a slight smile, explaining gently.

Wang Qi did not inquire further; what did these matters of the immortals have to do with him? Today, he was merely there to proclaim to heaven and earth that he was inheriting the great mandate and establishing a new dynasty.

After going through the whole set of procedures, even Wang Qi’s robust body felt a trace of fatigue. The ritual of offering sacrifices was indeed complex and also did not allow for mistakes. Fortunately, he had a sharp mind from childhood, and that prevented any slip-ups.

Fortunately, it was all coming to an end, and the next step would be to confer ranks upon the court officials.

But at that moment, heaven and earth suddenly changed dramatically. The previously cloudless sky was now filled with auspicious clouds, and the air was filled with celestial music that resounded through heaven and earth.

Wang Qi looked at this scene with disbelief, the miracle-like phenomenon rendering him at a loss.

Fortunately, some quick-thinking officials had already dropped to their knees with a thump, shouting loudly, "Your Majesty is indeed the rightful Emperor chosen by heaven. Now that you ascend to the throne, heaven and earth celebrate—for such an auspicious omen is unprecedented!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the rest of the people also responded, falling on their knees and flattering Wang Qi, making even him feel like his rise was destined by heaven, this phenomenon being a congratulation to his ascension to the throne.

However, Daoist Qiu’s face was serious. He certainly knew that merely for an emperor of the Mortal World like Wang Qi to ascend to the throne, it would be impossible to cause such a clear and visible phenomenon in the Three Realms. Something major must have happened.

At that moment, the world began to shake, and an ethereal Imperial Crown slowly appeared in the void, carrying an aura unique to the Great Dao.

At this instant, Daoist Qiu understood—it was the phenomenon of the Jade Emperor ascending to the Great Dao.

After such a long time of preparation, the Jade Emperor was finally about to take the last step, to reign over the Three Realms.

This commotion immediately attracted the attention of all living beings in the Three Realms, and cultivators of all levels looked up at the sky.

"After all, we were one step too late!" sighed Maitreya softly.

In this period, he too had been accelerating his pace, whether it was spreading faith in the Mortal World or trying to suppress the faith of the Jade Emperor, it was all preparation for competing with the Jade Emperor as the first to ascend to the Great Dao.

But the Jade Emperor had been strategizing for many years, and now that he revealed himself, there was a sense of an unstoppable momentum. Despite Maitreya’s numerous attempts to hinder him, he had not been able to catch up with his pace, and could only watch the Heavenly Emperor take this critical step.

"Damn, once the Jade Emperor ascends to the Great Dao, we will never have a chance to emerge!" a powerful being roared in secret anger.

They were all individuals with the hope of ascending to the Great Dao. But if the Jade Emperor were to take the lead and ascend first, they would have no choice but to bow their heads and serve, for the emperor’s path was too unique, imposing upon all living beings, its success would certainly make it the foremost of all paths.

"Don’t worry, ascending to the Great Dao is not an easy feat, especially this dominant path, it won’t be so simple," someone else commented with a sneer.