Immortality begins with meditation puppets

Old Wang, who had been chattering away the whole way, finally shut up when he was led to the front row and saw the privileged people of equal status to him. This relieved Mr. Li, who had been walking with him for decades and felt that he had been shortening his lifespan, thinking that he could finally watch the show in peace.

Before he could even settle into his seat, he saw the cultivators in front of and behind him all stand up and bow to the heavens.

Mr. Li was puzzled, but he followed the crowd and did as everyone else did. When he bowed, he glanced curiously and saw a graceful figure in white dress float down to the VIP seats upstairs.

Only after being reminded by someone nearby did Boss Li realize that this person was a true disciple of the Snail Emperor Palace. With such a status, it was no wonder that the cultivators dared not be negligent.

Then, one after another, important figures like this true disciple of the Snail Emperor Palace arrived. Each time one arrived, the cultivators had to stand up to show respect. Boss Li had to sit and stand dozens of times as well, and couldn't help but complain to Old Wang in a low voice:

"People always say front-row tickets are good, but I think back-row tickets are better. Not only will you not be a master here, but I'll be bowing and scraping more times than I do in a whole day at the restaurant!"

"You think you can be a master just because you're in the front row? The real masters are all in the VIP boxes upstairs! The floors vary according to strength and status. My old man is only on the second floor, and the Second Elder and the First Elder are only on the third floor!"

Old Wang pursed his lips, not feeling that there was anything wrong with bowing to others. Before the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom was established, his son, the Third Elder, also had to do hard labor in the mines and smile at the people of the four major families. Now that Master Su was giving face to them, the elders of the far west, they couldn't embarrass him. They knew that most of the distinguished guests upstairs were invited to Kaiyuan by Master Su with great effort. How much effort would it take to greet them, show them respect, and make them feel comfortable?
Boss Li immediately understood. Just like how his restaurant made a fortune entertaining visiting cultivators, these VIPs upstairs were probably the gods of wealth for True Person Su and even the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom. Thinking about it this way, what was the big deal about bowing? Kowtowing wouldn't be excessive. Making money is nothing to be ashamed of!
Sitting and standing, watching several cultivators who held considerable positions in the Tianyuan cultivation world or the myriad realms, a commotion suddenly arose in the front hall. Just as Boss Li turned his head, he saw a dark shadow flying towards him.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Zhou Ya, a regular customer of Li Family Restaurant.

This fellow Daoist is a pure ascetic, undisturbed by the frivolous world of the far west city, and detached from all lowly pleasures. He only knows how to cultivate diligently all day long. His greatest pastime is to come to his restaurant for a drink after his daily cultivation and listen to the other patrons chatting and joking.

It's hard to imagine who he might offend!

Therefore, when Boss Li saw that he had been beaten from the front hall to the meeting room and was vomiting blood, he immediately pulled Old Wang to stand up.

"What... what is going on? Today is such a grand occasion, how can there be bloodshed in the venue! Fellow Daoist, no matter what offense Fellow Daoist Zhou has committed, please calm down for now. I, Li Kuangtu, apologize to Fellow Daoist Zhou on his behalf!"

Boss Li took three steps at a time and blocked Zhou Ya's path before the pale-faced Taoist priest could attack him again.

Along with him, Old Wang, who looked bewildered and still didn't understand what was going on, was also blocking the way.

"You're nothing but a mere Qi Refining ant, how dare you apologize to me?"

The pale-faced Taoist priest didn't even glance at Boss Li, continuing forward as if he were a venomous snake ready to devour anyone who stood in his way.

Old Wang, who was sharp-tongued and had some privileges but was actually weak, was now intimidated by the man's imposing manner. But despite his fear, he still had to uphold his loyalty.

“My friend, my father is Wang Yitong. I’m afraid you don’t know, but I’ll remind you that he is the Third Elder of the Western Elder Hall of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom. For my father’s sake, how about we let this matter drop today?”

"What Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom? It's nothing but a weak lineage that has lasted for less than a hundred years. They don't understand any rules, which is why cultivators like you, who are neither superior nor inferior, dare to bare your teeth in front of me!"

When Old Wang spoke, he thought that this pale-faced cultivator dared to make a move in the main hall, so he must be an arrogant character who might not be afraid of his father. However, he did not expect that this cultivator would be so arrogant that he even looked down on the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom.

Old Wang was furious and terrified. He and Boss Li trembled as they faced the Foundation Establishment spiritual pressure of the pale-faced cultivator. Once locked on, they no longer had the ability to abandon their principles and withdraw from the conflict.

Just as they were beginning to regret their actions, a loud shout rang in their ears.

"Who dares to be so insolent in the auditorium!"

This loud shout dispersed the spiritual pressure accumulated by the white-faced cultivator, and dispelled the fear in the hearts of Boss Li and Old Wang, who looked at the newcomer as if they were looking at a savior.

The newcomer was a burly man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, exuding righteousness. He was shirtless, which showed his open and honest heart. He was clearly a guardian of the people and a partner of justice.

Those who recognized him were already exclaiming in surprise.

"It's Li Kuishan, Master Li!"

"I've heard his story. He started his fortune in Shipwreck Bay with Master Su, and later became a wealthy and powerful figure in the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom. Unfortunately, he married a bad woman and was cheated out of all his wealth. Now he can't even afford a decent robe, and he's shirtless in this freezing weather. Alas, it's true what they say, a good man is hard to find, and a virtuous wife is even harder to come by. Even a third-level cultivator can't withstand a spendthrift woman!"

"What's so bad about him? Even if he's in a bad situation, he's still a third-tier cultivator, currently working in the security department of the Su Group, with an annual salary starting at 50,000 spirit stones. That's something you and I can't compare to."

Li Kuishan ignored the discussions of the other cultivators, his eyes sharp as a hunting dog, staring intently at the pale-faced cultivator opposite him who had committed the crime. As the captain of the third brigade of the security department of Su Ji Group, Li Kuishan cherished this job. If it weren't for Master Su giving him this job out of consideration for their past friendship, when his family was ruined and he was heavily in debt, he would probably have signed a contract of servitude with Xiong Er Money House and become a slave to pay off his debts.

Because he cherishes this job so much, anyone who dares to undermine his work is someone Li Kuishan is determined to crack down on.

Today's Heroes' Gathering has been repeatedly emphasized by the entire group to ensure stability at the venue and to prevent anything from damaging the image of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom. To this end, their security department conducted several rounds of anti-gang and anti-crime operations in Jixi City months ago, wiping out all the robbers and thieves who had sprung up in the city. If anyone were to cause trouble, wouldn't all those robbers and thieves who were eliminated have been sacrificed in vain?

"I am Feng Tianyang of Kunlun, a disciple of the Heavenly Artifact Sect. Just now, a lower-ranking cultivator spoke rudely to me, so I punished him. What advice do you have for this esteemed person?" Upon seeing a third-rank esteemed person, Feng Tianyang remained arrogant. Coming from an ancient lineage, he always used his status to intimidate others when strength failed. After arriving in Kaiyuan, he received many courtesies from the official reception staff of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom. He felt that this place was no different from other places, and that everyone here was a country bumpkin groveling to their ancient lineage. After announcing his identity, he even raised his neck higher than before, looking down at Li Kuishan, waiting for him to fawn over him.

"I don't care if you're from Kunlun or Penglai, you were the one who injured someone just now, right? You think you're right after injuring someone? I'll give you a slap to teach you a lesson!"

Li Kuishan suddenly sprang up, his body like a mad dog that would tear apart anything that existed for its master. In a flash, he sent Feng Tianyang flying more than a hundred feet away. Boss Li estimated that this distance was exactly twice the distance Zhou Ya had fallen from!

"Master Li, you are fair in your dealings. This is the kind of swift and decisive action you should take when dealing with villains!" With just one sentence, Boss Li was ready to confirm Feng Tianyang's identity as a villain!

“These villains from the outside world have bullied the people of the Western Immortal Realm, and they deserve this punishment!” Old Wang understood immediately and placed them on the opposite side of the people of the Western Immortal Realm.

The reason the two men acted this way was for Li Kuishan's sake. The slap that the man had just given them was indeed exciting, and they wanted to applaud him. However, it was also a slap to the face of an outsider cultivator. In the current atmosphere of preferential treatment for outsiders cultivators, the security captain would probably be in trouble afterward. Only by enhancing the legitimacy of his actions could they reduce the possibility of him being punished afterward!
Because these two spoke at the right time, the crowd that had been gathering due to the commotion saw Zhou Ya coughing up small amounts of blood, Feng Tianyang coughing up large amounts of blood, and a shirtless, burly man walking menacingly towards Feng Tianyang with a thick black handcuff. Based on their first impressions, they automatically categorized the characters as good and bad. However, the shouts from Lao Wang and Lao Li stirred up the shared hatred among the Kaiyuan cultivators around them, and the newly arrived onlookers naturally followed suit and identified Feng Tianyang as the villain!
"Well done! The people of Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom have treated us cultivators from other places exceptionally well. The old man at the house I stayed with even lent me his treasured puppet, just in case I wasn't used to sleeping in this new place!"

"The people of the Heavenly Artifact Sect have a terrible reputation throughout the heavens. They say they are one of the branch sects of the Primordial Sect, but who knows if that's true? But they've done a lot of arrogant things using that name. It's a pity I'm late today, otherwise I would have helped deal with this villain earlier!"

"That handcuffed guy is really handsome. Does anyone know him? Introduce me, Black Spider! I love talking to handsome guys like him!"

Hearing that everyone approved of his actions, Li Kuishan was so excited that his abs trembled, which drew whispers from the female cultivators around him that sounded shy but were actually quite bold.

When they picked up Feng Tianyang like a chick, handcuffed him, and prepared to take him to the Kaiyuan Law Enforcement Bureau.

An inexplicably powerful aura, undoubtedly at least at the third or fourth rank, but its exact rank was beyond his current level to discern, pressed him to the spot, rendering him immobile.

"The people of Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom have such high standards, daring to take away my disciples from the Heavenly Artifact Sect. Today, I'll see who can take away my grand-disciple!"

With a cold snort, a cold-faced, white-browed old cultivator entered. Behind him, a group of cultivators dressed in uniform sect attire surrounded the old cultivator, quickly parting the crowd and walking up to Li Kuishan.

The old cultivator didn't do much; he simply used his power to bind Li Kuishan to the spot, roasting him over a fire. He would stop once he had established his authority over Li Kuishan and regained the face that Feng Tianyang had just lost.

As the sect leader of the Heavenly Artifact Sect, a peak Nascent Soul cultivator, he was arrogant and ruthless. He would kill anyone who offended the sect's authority to maintain its reputation in the myriad worlds, where infamy was more important than good reputation, which was like a gladiatorial arena.

But now, with all the celestial lineages descending upon the Tianyuan Realm, and even renowned sects like the Yuanshi Sect and Lingbao Sect spouting benevolence and morality, emphasizing the importance of human righteousness, their Tianqi Sect would be better off being sensible and benevolent, and not lightly committing acts of killing that would provoke public anger.

Despite his own restraint, Li Kuishan, whom he had spared, not only failed to thank him for his life but also dared to speak ill of him.

"Where did this old bastard come from, daring to act tough on my Su Ji Group employees? This time, I'll let you off the hook as outsiders who don't know the rules. But if you don't release me now, your entire sect will be sent to the law enforcement bureau!"

Li Kuishan was indeed furious. Having grown accustomed to the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, he only knew that following Master Su's rules allowed him to act with impunity. He had completely forgotten the basic understanding that one should show respect to superior cultivators in the cultivation world. At this moment, all he could think about was how this old man dared to arrest him? In front of countless cultivators, in the Kaiyuan territory, he dared to arrest him, an outstanding employee of Master Su's Company who upheld the law? If he were allowed to take away this villain Feng Tianyang today, what would become of the laws of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom? What would become of Li Kuishan's reputation? When he returned, he would likely be despised by his colleagues!

Enraged, Li Kuishan's already inhumanly strong muscles swelled even more, and as his body swelled, his aura also increased several times over. He wanted to break through the spiritual pressure with his explosive energy, but he underestimated the strength of the Heavenly Artifact Sect Master. Seeing his face turn red, Feng Xiaozhen just watched coldly, thinking to himself that if this person overestimated himself and recklessly circulated his blood and qi, thus dying from his explosive energy, then he couldn't be blamed.

Just as the two were at an impasse.

The previously noisy hall suddenly fell silent.

A burst of laughter and conversation came from afar, and Feng Xiaozhen turned around to look.

There were five people who came.

A person dressed in a robe of primordial stars, with wide sleeves and a kind face, exuding a gentle and approachable demeanor.

A man dressed in simple linen clothes, with a spirit sword on his back, had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and exuded a fierce aura.

A man dressed in a purple-blue Taoist robe, holding a whisk, with old eyebrows and eyes, not handsome but rather ugly.

A man dressed in the robe of the Primordial Daoist, with black hair and a white beard, was stern and had a dignified appearance.

The man in the center, a handsome and dashing young man, moved with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, subtly conveying the emotions of the other four through his eyes, actions, and words.

Feng Xiaozhen stared blankly as the five people casually walked past him, seemingly oblivious to the situation unfolding before fleeing towards the highest point of the Kaiyuan Grand Hall. Only the young Taoist seemed to sense something and glanced back indifferently.

Feng Xiaozhen, who had previously been extremely protective of Feng Tianyang and regarded him as the face of the Heavenly Artifact Sect, unexpectedly struck Feng Tianyang's crown with a palm.

"That damned beast! I expelled him from the sect long ago, yet he still dares to use the name of my Heavenly Artifact Sect to commit evil deeds. Today, this old Daoist will clean house so that all of you here know that my Heavenly Artifact Sect is the most law-abiding, especially in upholding the rules of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom! Any disciple of my Heavenly Artifact Sect who dares to commit evil in Kaiyuan will suffer the same fate!" (End of Chapter)