Chapter 741: First Rank
On this particularly special festive day, a Yinglong Warship appeared high above the skies of the Imperial Capital.
The Divine Central Guard and the Tianchen Division had been informed in advance, immediately lifting their alerts and opening the formation gates to allow the Yinglong Warship to descend.
In truth, the Yinglong Warship could hover indefinitely in the air, but that easily evoked imagery of the Daoist Order towering over the Imperial Court, which was not conducive to unity between the Daoists and the court.
As a general rule, they would not do things that harmed unity.
So, the massive Yinglong Warship slowly descended on Penglai Pool.
If a typical flying ship’s descent would bring on a light rain, then the Yinglong Warship’s arrival would unleash a torrential downpour. Given the winter chill, the water droplets transformed into fluttering, goose-feather-sized snowflakes that swirled midair, adding a distinct ethereal aura to the majestic flying ship.
Coincidentally, snow had just fallen the day before. So the trees, mountains, and rivers were all blanketed in white, resembling a celestial realm.
By now, the entire Haosheng Southeast District near the Penglai Pool was fully sealed off. The Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion’s Spirit Guards, the Green Phoenix Guard of the Imperial Guard’s Office, and the Black Robes of the Divine Central Guards surrounded the outer perimeter, while Daoist priests of the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion and the Tianchen Division’s officials secured the inner cordon.
Those closest to the shore of the Penglai Pool were all top dignitaries. The first and foremost was Prince Jin—Qin Quanyi—representing the emperor himself. Among the Imperial Princes, Prince Liao, Prince Jin, and Prince Qi were the top three. With Prince Liao absent from the Imperial Capital and the aging Prince Qi largely retired from public affairs, Prince Jin took the lead in this reception.
Behind Prince Jin was the Second Cabinet Minister, the Grand Scholar of Jinshen Hall, Zhang Qingbai. Standing alongside him were the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion’s high-ranking officials—Mansion Master Li Ruoshui, Chief Deputy Zhou Jiaoxian, Second Deputy Shi Bingyun, and other Deputy Mansion Masters who were all in the second rank. All these Sages were formally dressed in their hechangs and lotus crowns, signifying their rank as second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters.
Next came the group of young elites, who were all in their twenties or thirties. Though they were not as prominent as the old folks ahead of them, they had illustrious backgrounds and limitless prospects. This included two Imperial Princes, a young duke, and the Daoist prodigies—Li Changge, Zhang Yuelu, and Yao Pei.