This was in the Palace of the Polestar, atop the thirty-sixth layer of heaven and the first among the seventy-two palaces. It was constructed of glazed tiles and adorned with precious gems.
On either side of the great hall stood nine white jade columns, each wrapped by a golden-scaled, sun-bright red-bearded dragon, while the hanging ceiling featured the rainbow-feathered vermillion phoenix soaring through mists. With the purple mist thick around, and dragons and phoenixes complementing each other, the scene was indeed one of auspiciousness in a thousand forms.
The Heavenly Emperor, seated on the resplendent lotus throne, had fairies massaging his shoulders and a heavenly queen fanning him. In front of him lay a jade-green table overladen with cups made of glazed glass, and atop it rested layers of Immortal Pills, each peculiar and unique, each a sought-after rarity.
