Chapter 140: The Peach Banquet, Immortals Gather to Wish Longevity, Chang'e Dances with Immortal Grace!

In the direction of the Nantian Gate.
Within the Heavenly Palace.
A procession of majestic celestial soldiers clad in golden armor led the way ahead.
Zhen Yuanzi walked with measured, steady strides in the middle.
Behind him closely followed Qingfeng, the slightly older of his three disciples.
Further back followed the youngest, Mingyue, and Lu Wufei. Each held a tray, upon which rested a small object covered with a silk cloth. They were following right behind.
The objects beneath the silk cloths were naturally Ginseng Fruit. This type of rare spiritual fruit of heaven and earth grew to the size of a two- or three-year-old child when ripe, so they were by no means small.
"So this is the Heavenly Court. Truly magnificent."
Not long after passing through the Nantian Gate, Mingyue's voice echoed in the minds of Lu Wufei and Qingfeng.
"Senior brothers were right. This place is indeed different from our Wuzhuang Taoist Temple."
"So very different."
"Mm, the spiritual energy here is also extremely dense."
Qingfeng, walking in front, replied at this moment, his voice resonating in the ears of Lu Wufei and Mingyue.
To these words,
Lu Wufei expressed complete agreement.
His first impression of the heavenly palace before his eyes was simply its scale.
It was unimaginably vast.
The surrounding giant pillars were so thick that at least a dozen people would be needed to embrace one.
Just as he entered the Nantian Gate, he had seen at least hundreds, if not thousands, of such pillars.
Every single pillar pierced straight up into the clouds above, their ends entirely out of sight.
Furthermore, the corridor beneath his feet was so wide that dozens of people walking abreast would pose no problem at all.
Walking within the corridor made of white jade, mist billowed and rose beneath his feet and all around in the air.
These mists were certainly not mere water vapor, nor were they the dry ice of his memories.
Rather, they were mists formed by the condensation of spiritual energy that was far too dense within the air.
A spectacle of such abundant spiritual energy
Lu Wufei had only ever witnessed before within the Ginseng Fruit Orchard of his own sect, right beside the primordial spiritual root, the Ginseng Fruit Tree.
However, the area of the Ginseng Fruit Orchard was limited.
Aside from that, even the blessed lands of the lower realms—the grotto-heaven of Longevity Mountain and Wuzhuang Taoist Temple—fell quite short compared to the heavenly palace before him.
When he first arrived in this world,
Lu Wufei had once thought that since a day in heaven was equivalent to a year on earth, cultivating below would grant a tremendous advantage.
Yet, in a place with such abundant spiritual energy,
cultivating in this heavenly palace for a single day probably rivaled several years of cultivation in places like Taiping Mountain or Great Desolate Mountain.
At that moment,
a strange cry resounded.
Lu Wufei looked up and saw in the air ahead, above the corridor, flying high amidst the spiritual clouds and mist, an immortal bird with a chicken's head, swallow's jaw, snake's neck, tortoise's back, and fish's tail. Its entire body shone with five-colored brilliance, making it incomparably beautiful. It soon vanished into the high-altitude mists.
"A phoenix..."
At that instant, Lu Wufei immediately recalled the descriptions of the phoenix he had once read in the library of Wuzhuang Taoist Temple, and sudden understanding dawned in his heart.
"Hey, did you guys see that? That flying creature just now was a phoenix, right?"
At this point, Mingyue's voice sounded once more in Lu Wufei's mind.
Lu Wufei transmitted his voice, "Senior brother's eyes did not deceive you. What just flew past was indeed a phoenix."
On Longevity Mountain, there were quite a few creatures such as white tigers, white deer, white cranes, and even qilin that were usually regarded as auspicious beasts.
Yet there were no phoenixes; this time, he had truly laid eyes on one.
They continued forward.
In mid-air from time to time, cranes, phoenixes, qilin, and various other immortal birds and beasts could be seen flying and roaming about.
Following behind their teacher, they gradually walked deeper into the heavenly palace.
Before long,
the figures of other immortals began to appear ahead. Aside from the heavenly soldiers clad in golden armor, everyone they met was dressed in glowing dharma robes and gorgeous garments, exuding an immortal and transcendent air.
Upon seeing Zhen Yuanzi appear,
they all stepped forward with smiling, respectful expressions, offering bows and addressing him as Great Immortal.
Their teacher Zhen Yuanzi possessed high enough seniority, status, and formidable strength.
Following behind their teacher, Lu Wufei and the three disciples Qingfeng and Mingyue did not need to constantly bow and pay respects like the disciples and attendants of certain other immortals.
However, Qingfeng, Mingyue, and Lu Wufei himself were all following their teacher to the Heavenly Court for the very first time.
Aside from a few deities whose identities could be guessed from their distinct appearances and attire,
they recognized very few of the surrounding immortals.
"Senior brother, junior brother, do you know which deity that high-foreheaded one over there is?"
After a few more immortals who had stepped forward to pay respects had departed,
Mingyue's voice rang out once again in the minds of Lu Wufei and Qingfeng.
"If I remember correctly,"
Qingfeng spoke up in reply, "that one just now should be the Longevity Star, one of the Star Gods of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity..."
Lu Wufei also recognized him.
Because that immortal's appearance was simply too typical and eye-catching.
The deeper they went into the Heavenly Court,
the livelier the surroundings became, and the variety of immortals truly opened Lu Wufei's eyes.
Following behind their teacher,
Lu Wufei, along with fellow disciples Qingfeng and Mingyue, went straight to the venue of the grand gathering.
"The Great Immortal Zhen Yuan has arrived!"
When the herald announced Zhen Yuanzi's great name,
a throng of immortals immediately hurried forward to pay their respects.
"Greetings, Great Immortal..."
"The Great Immortal has arrived..."
"Great Immortal, it has been a long time..."
"Great Immortal, we haven't seen each other in a while. After the gathering, please come to my pavilion for a visit. I have acquired some fine tea, and we can play chess and taste tea together. Wouldn't that be a delight?"
"Great Immortal, this little immortal has calculated that the ripening time for the Ginseng Fruit in your temple is near. I will surely come to pay a visit and partake then; the Great Immortal must not be stingy with his hospitality..."
"Hahaha, little friend, just come whenever you wish."
Feeling the enthusiasm of the surrounding immortals toward their teacher,
Lu Wufei, holding a tray of Ginseng Fruit and standing among the crowd of immortals, truly witnessed it firsthand.
Qingfeng and Mingyue beside him were much the same; although smiles constantly graced their faces,
their facial muscles were likely growing numb from smiling.
Their understanding of their teacher's exalted status grew ever clearer in their hearts.
Thus, after a short while,
"The Queen Mother has arrived!"
"The Grand Venerable has arrived!"
Following two resounding shouts from the herald,
across the colossal assembly hall,
whether standing, sitting, or resting with eyes closed, all the immortals rose in unison and looked toward the entrance of the gathering. They beheld the Queen Mother, wearing a phoenix coronet and draped in embroidered robes, alongside the Jade Emperor, dressed in robes of the nine-fold chapter and wearing a crown adorned with twelve rows of pearls. Flanked by several golden youths and jade maidens attending on either side, they stepped into the banquet hall.
All the immortals bowed in unison: "Greetings to the Queen Mother, greetings to Your Majesty."
"Rise, all immortals."
The Queen Mother looked upon the assembly with a smile and spoke.
Then, she and the Jade Emperor took their seats upon the main thrones of the grand gathering.
With the arrival of the principal hosts, the Queen Mother and the Jade Emperor,
the Peach Banquet officially commenced.
Immortal music began to play, and a multitude of celestial maidens flooded in.
Lu Wufei, Qingfeng, and Mingyue stood behind their teacher, watching as tall and beautiful celestial maidens holding flower baskets—each basket filled with plump, round, white-with-a-flush, overflowing with spiritual energy, and pristine immortal peaches—walked briskly into the banquet venue in orderly succession, beginning to distribute peaches to the tables of the immortals.
The three disciples all widened their eyes.
"These celestial maidens are all so pretty."
Mingyue's voice echoed once more in the minds of Lu Wufei and Qingfeng.
Lu Wufei smiled and transmitted his voice, "Shouldn't senior brother be focusing on those immortal peaches instead?"
Mingyue chuckled inwardly and replied, "I pay attention to all things that are beautiful..."
Hearing the banter between his two junior brothers, Qingfeng transmitted his voice and said, "Legend has it that in the Queen Mother's Peach Orchard, there are three thousand six hundred peach trees: the first twelve hundred trees bear small flowers and tiny fruit, ripening once every three years; those who eat them achieve the Tao and become immortals, their bodies growing light and robust. The middle twelve hundred trees bear layered blossoms and sweet fruit, ripening once every six years; those who eat them ascend on rosy clouds, attaining longevity without aging. The final twelve hundred trees bear purple-veined pits and pale-yellow flesh, ripening once every nine years; those who eat them live as long as heaven and earth, their years matching the sun and moon."
"Wow,"
As soon as Qingfeng finished speaking, Mingyue exclaimed upon hearing his senior brother's explanation, "If we could be allotted just a single one..."
The moment the words left his mouth,
realizing he had spoken amiss, Mingyue promptly clamped his mouth shut.
Spouting nonsense among the three senior and junior brothers usually didn't matter.
Right now, however, their teacher was standing right beside them, and Mingyue had momentarily forgotten, though thankfully he caught himself in time.
Seeing Mingyue's reaction, Lu Wufei and Qingfeng immediately understood and both smiled.
Their teacher was fiercely protective of his own, so Mingyue felt no awkwardness; he quickly amended his words, "I wonder which variety the teacher will be allotted?"
Lu Wufei chimed in, "Given our teacher's status, it will surely be the 'purple-veined pit' peaches from the final twelve hundred fruit trees."
Qingfeng nodded as well: "It should indeed be so."
While the three disciples were conversing among themselves,
within the banquet plaza, numerous celestial maidens shuttled back and forth. After serving the immortal peaches in turn, they brought out various other spiritual fruits and delicacies, filling the tables before each immortal.
At that moment, Lu Wufei also caught sight of the immortal peaches placed before his teacher's table.
Two offering trays held the peaches—one held a single peach, while the other held two.
Among them, one peach was the size of a soccer ball, plump, bright, tender, overflowing with spiritual energy, and exuding a rich fruity aroma. It could well be called the finest peach fruit Lu Wufei had ever seen in his two lifetimes.
The other peach was considerably smaller, though identical in every other aspect to the larger one. Just looking at it, one could tell it was an extremely precious spiritual delicacy, utterly mouth-watering.
"Senior brother, junior brother,"
Mingyue spoke again: "Can you tell which tree these two peaches grew from?"
Qingfeng replied, "I observed that the largest peach on His Majesty's and the Queen Mother's tables was no larger than that big peach before our teacher. Therefore, that large one before our teacher should be from the last twelve hundred peach trees—the 'purple-veined pit' peaches that ripen every nine years."
"As for the smaller one, after comparing it with the other immortal peaches, it's quite easy to guess. It should be from the outermost twelve hundred fruit trees in the Peach Orchard, the ones that ripen every three years."
Lu Wufei withdrew his gaze and smiled, "Senior brother has a discerning eye."
Just moments ago, he had also been observing the immortal peaches on the tables of the other deities. However, rather than judging by size like Senior Brother Qingfeng, he had been noting the quantity of immortal peaches on each deity's table.
Among the immortals qualified to have a table, the vast majority were only allotted a single immortal peach.
Meanwhile, those deities who lacked a table—those standing, sitting, or sharing a single table among several people—received no immortal peach at all.
Hearing Qingfeng's analysis and carefully comparing the sizes of the immortal peaches on each table allowed one to clearly discern their respective standings within the Heavenly Court.
"The teacher has been allotted two immortal peaches—one nine-year peach, and one three-year peach."
"The nine-year one is beyond imagining, but the three-year one..."
"As three junior and senior brothers, do we have any chance to taste one?"
Having heard what Senior Brother Qingfeng said, the three disciples at that instant turned and exchanged a tacit look. None of them spoke a word.
Yet in their hearts, the exact same thought arose simultaneously.
Such a legendary spiritual treasure renowned throughout the three realms—who wouldn't want to taste a bite? Speaking of it later would be supreme bragging material, a matter of immense prestige.
Before long,
the banquet peaches and delicacies were served.
A procession of celestial maidens dressed in white gowns, tall, beautiful, and possessed of an extraordinarily transcendent grace, began to enter the arena.
Unlike the ordinary, albeit neat, celestial maidens from earlier,
the moment this group of distinctly graceful celestial maidens entered,
though the immortals did not cause an uproar, a lively buzz rippled through the hall. Regardless of whether they were whispering, chatting, or smiling, the immortals all raised their heads, looking at this group of maidens with expressions of delight and pleasure, showering them with ceaseless praise.
A few generals clad in formidable armor nearly popped their eyes out, their faces filled with excitement.
When the two lead maidens—whose grace was exceptionally transcendent and whose fairy beauty was utterly breathtaking—bowed to the Queen Mother and the Jade Emperor on the main thrones,
the flock of celestial maidens immediately began to dance gracefully in the center of the venue to the accompaniment of immortal music.
"We've finally waited for this again! Watching the dance of these Chang'es from the Moon Palace is truly an absolute delight..."
[Chang'e: In Journey to the West, this refers to female deities belonging to the Moon Palace. It is a title rather than a personal name; all female immortals of the Moon Palace hold the position of Chang'e.]
"Indeed, it's a pity we cannot invite those two fairies ourselves."
"We can only enjoy such a magnificent spectacle by availing ourselves of the banquet hosted by the Queen Mother and His Majesty."
"Fairy Su'e's dancing posture grows more and more beautiful with each passing day..."
"Fairy Su'e is lovely, but I prefer Fairy Nishang. This old Taoist is Fairy Nishang's most loyal viewer."
"You old shameless one..."
"If the Taiyin Star Lord were to hear that, you'd better watch out lest she bar you from the Moon Palace again."
"Heh, I'm merely appreciating Fairy Nishang's dance. Anyone can tell I harbor no improper thoughts. I'm not like certain Heavenly Marshal who looks as though his eyes might pop out every time he sees Nishang dance..."
"Hush, keep your voice down. What has that to do with us?"
"Hmph, I merely despise that ugly expression of his, looking for all the world like a pig that has never seen a woman."
"Shh, keep it down, keep it down. I have no desire to incur that Marshal's grudge."
"What is there to fear? I fear him not..."
"Ah, old friend, with that temper of yours, what am I to do with you?"
The various Chang'e fairies of the Moon Palace began to dance to the immortal music.
The moment they took the stage, every gaze at the banquet instantly focused on the center of the hall, centering upon the Chang'es of the Moon Palace.
Qingfeng and Mingyue were no exception.
Having spent many years within Wuzhuang Taoist Temple, when had they ever witnessed such exquisite dancing? Their minds were instantly captivated.
Qingfeng managed to keep his composure.
Mingyue gazed on, muttering in a voice transmission: "I have never seen a dance before, let alone a dance by such beautiful fairies. The Heavenly Court is truly a wonderful place."
Lu Wufei no longer had the mind to pay attention to Mingyue's words at that moment.
He, too, was staring in a trance at the dance performed by those celestial maidens in the field ahead.
When they had first entered, observing the faint plum blossom marks between their eyebrows and the subtle crescent moon marks of the Moon Palace,
Lu Wufei had already made a few guesses. After all, this group of fairies, regardless of their poise, appearance, or temperament, possessed an extraordinary beauty that stood out even among the female immortals and maidens he had seen in the Heavenly Court.
And the murmurs constantly drifting from the surroundings confirmed that Lu Wufei's guess was correct.
These were indeed the Chang'es hailing from the Moon Palace.
As for the two in the very center—one looking cold and stunning, the other sweet and charming, both transcendent in grace and of breathtaking beauty—they were none other than Fairies Nishang and Su'e.
At the mere thought of Fairy Nishang,
Lu Wufei instantly recalled the memory of Marshal Tianpeng getting drunk, harassing Fairy Nishang, being banished to the mortal realm, and being reincarnated into a pig's womb.
He immediately began rapidly scanning his surroundings.
Before long, Lu Wufei spotted a tall, robust deity clad in silver armor, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and an imposing, mighty presence.
It was just a pity that this general was currently staring fixedly at the group of Moon Palace Chang'es in the center of the hall. Not only were his eyes wide open and his gaze overly entranced, but his mouth was even slightly parted, which looked rather unseemly.