Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 121 The Belated Maitreya Buddha

"If Mr. Monkey were to be the head chef, the banquet would surely feature a lot more variety, wouldn’t it, Erlang Shen?" Tian Peng spoke to Yang Jian.

"Indeed." Regaining his senses, Yang Jian nodded his agreement.

He momentarily pushed Nezha’s odd behavior to the back of his mind.

"Regardless, it’s bound to be much better than whatever the Food God and Stove God pair could muster!" Tian Peng said with critical acclaim.

He was all too familiar with these two who had been in charge of the Heavenly Court’s kitchen for many years; their cooking was always the same, and it paled in comparison to Shopkeeper Chen’s dishes.

Suddenly, the immortals halted their conversations; the noise from the Palace of the Polestar abruptly subsided.

"We pay our respects to the Jade Emperor and the Empress."

All the immortals who noticed bowed respectfully toward the two seated in the high positions.

A few great deities, like Master Zhenyuan, simply nodded slightly.

Haotian and the Lady of the Jade Pool arrived at their thrones and sat down on either side.

Haotian raised his hand and said, "My beloved officials, you may rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Thousand-Mile Eye, have all the immortals arrived?" Haotian glancing at Thousand-Mile Eye below him.

Thousand-Mile Eye had excellent vision, so he was entrusted with tallying the immortals in attendance against the register.

Hearing this, Thousand-Mile Eye quickly looked down at the register in his hands and said, "Most of the invited immortals have arrived."

So some deities were absent?

Haotian nodded, as there were always such cases.

His nephew Yang Jian, for example, had never attended this feast; the food was always sent to him instead.

"Who has not arrived?"

Thousand-Mile Eye looked at the register again and said, "There’s... Goddess Wudang."

Haotian took this in stride; it was quite normal since Goddess Wudang seemed to have been in seclusion ever since the God-Sealing Tribulation.

"Also..."

Thousand-Mile Eye read off a few more names, including Guangchengzi, Zen Master Wuchao, among others.

Haotian’s expression remained unchanged. Even if Guangchengzi begged, he wouldn’t want him there.

It was a mere formality, after all. As for the second generation disciples of the Chan School, Haotian found them as irksome as could be; their absence was a relief.

"No one from Buddhism has arrived."

Bang!

Haotian’s expression turned sour as he slammed his palm onto the table, startling many immortals.

Thousand-Mile Eye lowered his head, beginning to tremble.

Buddhism, such audacity, utterly insolent!

Did Buddhism believe that the banquet would not proceed and therefore none attended?

Under normal circumstances, they would flood in; an invitation for four would see five clamoring to come.

Seven slots were allocated to Buddhism this time, and yet not a single one had shown up?

Haotian chuckled coldly in his heart. Surely Buddhism didn’t truly think the banquet wouldn’t go on? Unfortunately, that Monkey was never taught by Buddhism, how could he act according to their plans?

The atmosphere in the great hall was oppressively tense for a moment. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"My apologies for the lateness, Your Majesties," a voice preceded the speaker.

Then, a rotund figure entered the grand hall, breaking the heavy atmosphere. It was none other than Maitreya Buddha.

Maitreya Buddha chuckled, dusting off his robe, and, bending at the waist with some difficulty, he said, "Your humble monk greets the Jade Emperor and the Empress."

"Rise," Haotian said, softening his previously suffocating aura.

Maitreya Buddha, though a high-ranking member of Buddhism, was something of an outsider. There was no point targeting him.

He probably had been pressured into coming.

Haotian paid no further attention, but then he noticed something else; Yang Jian’s name was not on the absentee list!

Scanning the hall, Haotian’s gaze fell upon a tall figure, and involuntarily, he was taken aback.

Yang Jian had come; what was the meaning of this?

Yang Jian, too, felt Haotian’s gaze and met his eyes without flinching.

He didn’t know if it was an illusion, but Haotian felt that Yang Jian’s hostility towards him had lessened a good deal, which unexpectedly lightened his mood.

As for his single-minded nephew, Haotian was at a loss for words on what to say.

Moreover, as the dignity of heaven and earth, it was even less permissible for him to lower his head and go to the periphery.

Withdrawing his gaze and dismissing Maitreya Buddha, Haotian began a lengthy opening address.

The content was essentially nothing but empty pleasantries, unavoidable as they were necessary procedure for grand occasions.

All to showcase the majesty of the Heavenly Court.

"Proceed to the Jade Pool banquet!"

Finally, after finishing his lengthy introduction, Haotian waved his hand grandly.

The immortals had been impatiently waiting and, following his gesture, streaks of light darted out towards the exterior of the palace.

Maitreya Buddha, on the other hand, strolled leisurely, having just come from the Imperial Kitchen, as the food wouldn’t be ready in an instant. It was the perfect opportunity for a walk to aid in digestion.

"Let’s go too," Yunxiao called out cheerfully.

Bixiao lacked enthusiasm; "Ah, without the cuisine from Wonton Residence, I simply can’t work up an appetite."

"Consider it just going through the motions."

Golden Spirit, however, was somewhat teasing: "Fortunately, I haven’t tasted such delectable dishes, so I can’t even imagine."

Hence, having never sampled them, there was no aversion towards the Flat Peach banquet.

Yang Jian, Tian Peng, Nezha, and others also began to move out.

"Today’s banquet will surely surprise you," Jade Pool said to Haotian with a mysterious smile.

Haotian raised his eyebrows. He knew Jade Pool had gone to the Imperial Kitchen to inspect, but he wasn’t clear on the specifics.

However, seeing Jade Pool’s confident demeanor, it was surely not going to disappoint, right?

"Well then, I’m starting to look forward to it," Haotian replied with a smile, sending a telepathic message.

In truth, Jade Pool was also feeling somewhat apprehensive, for she still had no idea what the dish Sun Wukong had guaranteed her was.

If it wasn’t tasty, Jade Pool herself would become the laughingstock.

Having lived for so long, the pursuit of cultivation had become less important for her as a Quasi-Saint, since the path to the pinnacle above had already been closed off. Hence, face was the most important thing.

Jade Pool absolutely couldn’t afford to lose face in front of so many immortals!

One after another, the immortals trickled into the Jade Pool area, where the banquet tables were set up neatly.

Each immortal had a prearranged place, with only those absent having their seats withdrawn.

This, too, was a show of the Heavenly Court’s magnanimity. Whether or not you attended, a place was reserved for you.

Orchids and moss lined the bottoms, ferns and algae graced the edges.

The beauty of the Jade Pool was perfection, naturally so, not to mention the careful setup for today’s occasion.

This made the Immortal Realm seem even more worldly than usual, not in any way detracting from its beauty but adding an extraordinary touch.

The immortals took their seats, with Immortal Attendants bringing out drinks, although few immortals were in the mood to indulge.

Because most immortals were preoccupied with what quality of Flat Peach they would receive.

"That’s so average." Tian Peng took a few sips and, with a wrinkled face, lost interest in tasting further.

Yang Jian nodded in agreement and put down his cup as well. Compared to the Peach Blossom Brew from Chaos Residence, it was far inferior.

It was better to concentrate on waiting for the dishes.

"What’s wrong with this alcohol?" Nezha sipped a bit and smacked his lips, showing a trace of satisfaction on his face.

It was rather tasty.

"You’ll understand once you go to Chaos Residence," Tian Peng said with a chuckle, holding his secret close.

Nezha rolled his eyes as if to say, who hasn’t been there before.

Yet, his eagerness during his first visit was such that he had not paid attention to anything else.

Seeing Tian Peng’s reaction, this alcohol from Chaos Residence must be exceptional then?

Nezha internally nodded to himself, deciding he would have to give it a try on his next visit.

But he had to choose a time without acquaintances.

Otherwise, if someone brought up the topic of Divine Skills, wouldn’t he die of embarrassment?