Qingxian Hall
Di Xin stared strangely at the two "briefings" before him. One was a carved bamboo slip, reporting that Grand Tutor Wen Zhong had already pacified the North Sea and was returning to court, reaching Chaoge in three days. Kong Xuan had also flown back to the army. The other was a brocade handkerchief sent by Fei Zhong, reporting that Su Hu was escorting Daji and would soon arrive in Chaoge. The date was also three days from now.
"What kind of grudge do these two have? How did they even manage to run into each other?"
Di Xin wore a sorrowful expression. He almost wanted to take out the Kongtong Seal, activate the River Diagram and Luo Script imprints, and divine the matter for them—to see whether the Nine-tailed fox had eaten Wen Zhong's previous incarnation five hundred years ago.
But then he remembered how, after he had chopped meat with the Xuanyuan Sword, Xuanyuan, the Human Emperor, had practiced swordsmanship with him for five days. In the end, Di Xin still lacked the courage to do it.
Emperor Fuxi might not show any reaction, but the other one certainly would not let him trample on and "insult" a Spiritual Treasure like that. Besides, she was the only female Saint in the Great Desolation...
"My Wine Pond and Meat Forest probably won't get built either, but..."
Di Xin looked up at the area outside the hall. The northern wind was rising, yet no thunder sounded.
"Winter is here. It's the season when bathhouse attendants get busy again... Why not build a bathhouse? A bathhouse attendant came all the way to Chaoge. If I don't have her scrub my back and show off her skills, wouldn't that be a waste? I heard someone even invented 'back-scrubbing sensations' and 'milk baths.' I wonder whether those are proper or not..."
With a full belly and warm clothes, one thought of... Di Xin raised his cup and drank alone. Before long, he was drunk...
After plotting for so long and moving forward step by step, he did not even have someone he could speak honestly with. He had to bear everything himself. It truly was exhausting...
Mount Kunlun
Before the Jade Void Palace
Guang Chengzi looked battered, with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. His Houtian Spiritual Treasure-grade Daoist robe was already in tatters, and even his hair knot was crooked.
Chi Jingzi was even more furious. He was only waiting to see Primordial Heavenly Venerate before going to Chaoge to reclaim his Spiritual Treasure.
As for Ci Hang Daoist and Manjushri Guangfa Heavenly Venerate, although their faces were livid, they did not show any other reaction.
—Creak!
The hall doors opened. White Crane Boy walked out from inside, saluted the four men, and then spoke.
"Four martial uncles, Saint Lord says that you should return to your respective mountains and reflect. Until the Investiture of the Gods begins, you are not to leave your mountain gates."
"What!!!"
Chi Jingzi shouted in alarm. Only after recovering did he realize what he had done. With a thump, he fell to his knees.
"This disciple lost his composure. I ask Master to punish me."
He had fought Di Xin and been ambushed, causing his Spiritual Treasure to be taken. He was certain that Primordial Heavenly Venerate knew about it.
Yet now, Primordial Heavenly Venerate had issued an edict ordering them to return to their respective mountain gates and reflect, forbidding them from leaving before the great tribulation. Wasn't this blatantly telling him to let the matter go?
An Innate Spiritual Treasure! He had also been ambushed by someone else. How could he possibly let the matter rest?
The Jade Void Palace was silent and serene. Guang Chengzi and the other two looked puzzled, especially Guang Chengzi. This time, he had lost his disciple and the Human Race Destiny brought by the title of "Imperial Teacher." By rights, he should have suffered the greatest loss, yet he had not lost his composure like this.
"Junior Brother, what's wrong? We should go down the mountain first."
Seeing that there had been no response from the Jade Void Palace for a long while, Guang Chengzi finally spoke.
"Senior Brother, Daoist Kong Xuan is from the same generation as Master, and he is no weakling among the Quasi-Saints. The four of us lost to him this time, but we did not lose face. We should go down the mountain first and avoid disturbing Master's peace."
Manjushri Daoist spoke next, forcibly finding a way to preserve the four men's dignity.
"You don't understand. Sigh!"
Chi Jingzi let out a hollow sigh. I lost the Spiritual Treasure bestowed by Master. I've lost a tremendous amount of face! But I can't let them see me make a fool of myself again.
"Forget it, forget it."
After the four of them descended Mount Kunlun, Guang Chengzi flicked his sleeve and released the unconscious Yin Jiao, Jin Zha, Mu Zha, and Huang Tianlu—the four little ones.
"Senior Brother Guang Chengzi, this child and I share some destiny. I'll take him back and teach him."
Manjushri waved his hand, and Jin Zha floated in the air behind him. After giving a Daoist salute, Manjushri rode off on auspicious clouds.
"Senior Brothers, Junior Brother will return to the mountain first."
"Senior Brothers, then I'll take this child with me."
Ci Hang glanced at Chi Jingzi one more time. He felt that Chi Jingzi was hiding something, but since Chi Jingzi did not say anything, he could not ask. Taking Mu Zha with him, he summoned auspicious clouds and headed toward the South Sea.
"Forget it. I'll take this child."
Guang Chengzi gritted his teeth and accepted Huang Tianlu, leaving Yin Hong to Chi Jingzi.
"But you have to tell me—why did you lose your composure like that today?"
Although the brothers were collectively known as the Twelve Golden Immortals, they were still closer to some than to others. Guang Chengzi, for example, had the best relationship with Chi Jingzi.
"Sigh! Senior Brother, my Water-Fire Bell was taken!"
After Manjushri and Ci Hang left, Chi Jingzi did not intend to hide the matter from Guang Chengzi. In a few words, he explained most of what had happened, his face aching with loss.
"Now that the four of us have been confined by Master, I truly can't swallow this anger! Tell me, Master, what exactly..."
"Shut up! Master naturally has his own judgment. How could you recklessly speculate about Saint intent? Do you think Master would harm us?"
Seeing Chi Jingzi's anger rising and his words becoming indiscreet, Guang Chengzi silenced all his complaints with a single sentence.
"For this Investiture of the Gods tribulation, Master has already made extensive plans for us. Cultivate peacefully in your cave abode. Stop thinking about reclaiming the Spiritual Treasure!"
Junior Brother, in this great tribulation, you and I only need to follow the plan to sever the Three Corpses. Don't ruin Master's painstaking arrangements over such a petty gain. Otherwise...
Sigh! It is both fortune and tribulation!
"I'll return to the mountain."
Chi Jingzi sighed, but he did not tell Guang Chengzi what he intended to do.
I'd better not drag Senior Brother into this. Sigh!
"Cultivate in peace. The Great Dao is within reach for us now. Don't act recklessly."
Guang Chengzi's words contained many hints. Regardless of whether Chi Jingzi understood them, he took Huang Tianlu with him and rode away on auspicious clouds.
The method of surviving the tribulation passed down by Primordial Heavenly Venerate required him to take another disciple...
After Guang Chengzi left, Chi Jingzi turned around and looked at the Jade Void Palace atop the mountain. He too rode away on clouds, but he headed east, while his cave abode was south of Mount Kunlun...
Within the Jade Void Palace, violet intent filled the air, and the Great Dao surged. Heavenly flowers bloomed one after another, while golden lotuses blossomed in profusion. Such an immortal scene could hardly be more beautiful.
"You've seen your junior brother make a fool of himself."
The moment Primordial Heavenly Venerate spoke, heavenly flowers fell, crushing the golden lotuses one after another. They took root in the earth and bloomed with countless rays of light.
"Kong Xuan is the son of Phoenix Ancestor, yet he hid among the Human Race and used the Human Race Destiny to conceal the karma of the Phoenix Race. To cultivate to such a realm, he truly possesses excellent talent."
Jieyin slowly opened his eyes. Golden light flooded the entire hall. Golden lotuses were reborn from nirvana, but they did not compete with the heavenly flowers. Instead, they took root in the gaps between them and coexisted peacefully.
"He shares quite a bit of destiny with the West."
"No rush, no rush. A mere Human Race could never cause chaos."
When it came to shifting karma, the West still specialized in its own field...
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