Incense Burns the Heavenly River, Warming Gongming; A Scheme to Turn Nezha

Within the cave dwelling on the deserted island, the wisp of green smoke rising from the Myriad Spirits Nourishing God Incense was as thin as a thread, yet it contained the peculiar power of the Chaos Origin, the collective will of all beings, and the blessings of the Sanxiao bloodline. It ignored spatial barriers and, following an unseen thread of karma, drifted towards the Thirty-Three Heavens.

Tongtian stood still, his Chaos Dao Fruit rotating slightly, his mind attached to the wisp of smoke, carefully sensing its faint feedback.

The Heavenly River, located at the extreme northern edge of the Heavenly Court, was the boundary between the Great Desolation's starry sky and Chaos. It wasn't a true river but a brilliant ribbon of light stretching across the void, formed by the collision of endless starlight and chaotic currents. Beautiful yet extremely dangerous. Violent chaotic currents constantly scoured its banks, and ordinary Golden Immortals risked utter annihilation just by approaching.

At this moment, on a section of the Heavenly River's bank, dozens of illusory and dim True Spirit shadows were, like forced laborers, struggling to maintain a massive golden shield against the surging chaotic torrents from outside. Each impact of the torrents caused their already weakened True Spirits to tremble violently, their light dimming further. The person at the forefront, with a robust build but almost transparently illusory, was Zhao Gongming. He gritted his teeth, burning the little True Spirit origin he had left, holding on desperately to protect the even weaker Luo Xuan, Lü Yue, and other disciples of the Jie Teachings behind him.

Endless pain and despair gnawed at them, their True Spirits like candles in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

Just as Zhao Gongming's consciousness began to blur, an extremely faint yet exceptionally warm and pure aura seemed to pierce through infinite time and space, quietly permeating them.

This aura carries Master's unique Chaos Dao rhythm? And the bloodline aura and endless blessings of my three sisters? As well as a strange power that nourishes the soul's origin, which I've never felt before!

Like timely rain after a long drought, this warm aura merged into his nearly depleted True Spirit, instantly bringing a faint but real sense of relief! The pain from the chaotic currents seemed to lessen by one ten-thousandth, and the dim light of his True Spirit appeared to solidify by a tiny bit!

Though still a drop in the bucket, it was undoubtedly a ray of light in the darkness and despair!

Zhao Gongming suddenly raised his head, an incredible light bursting from his dim eyes. He looked towards the void, his lips trembling silently: "Master, Junior Sisters."

Behind him, Luo Xuan, Lü Yue, and the other disciples of the Jie Teachings also seemed to vaguely sense something, a faint fluctuation appearing on their numb faces.

"Senior Brother Gongming," a weak thought conveyed.

"Steady your minds! Conceal your auras! Absorb with all your might!" Zhao Gongming immediately commanded with his divine sense, reminding everyone. Although he didn't know what method Master had used, this was undoubtedly an act against heaven's will and must not be detected by the overseers!

The disciples immediately understood, suppressing their excitement, and silently absorbed the faint, almost imperceptible warm aura. Their struggling will was strengthened by this.

On the deserted island, Tongtian slowly opened his eyes, letting out a slight sigh of relief. The incense was effective! Although the effect was weak, it could at least temporarily slow the dissipation of Gongming and the others' True Spirits, buying them precious time!

"Master, how is it?" Yun Xiao asked anxiously, Qiongxiao and Bixiao also looking on nervously.

"The incense has been delivered, they are temporarily safe," Tongtian's tone softened slightly. "However, this is not a long-term solution. We need to find a way to enhance its efficacy quickly, or find another method."

Just as Tongtian was contemplating his next move, his brow suddenly furrowed. He sensed that the hidden restrictions around the deserted island had been triggered!

It wasn't a forceful attack, but an extremely faint divine sense, carrying a sharp martial aura, swept over like a probe.

"Someone is spying!" Tongtian's eyes turned cold. He instantly concealed all his aura, the Chaos Bead's brilliance contained within, completely isolating the entire cave dwelling once more.

Almost simultaneously, miles above the clouds outside the deserted island.

A young divine general, standing on Wind Fire Wheels, holding a Fire-Tipped Spear, with the Universe Ring wrapped around his arm and the Heaven and Earth Circle at his waist, frowned and looked down at the unremarkable deserted island below with confusion. A vertical mark on his forehead slightly opened, emitting a divine light that pierced through illusions and revealed the void. It was Nezha, known as the "Great God of the Three Altars," who had been ordered to patrol the Three Realms!

"Strange... I clearly sensed an extremely subtle energy fluctuation just now, neither Dao nor not Dao, neither Chaos nor not Chaos... why is it gone instantly?" Nezha scratched his head. His keen spiritual sense, which had integrated the Lotus Root Immortal Body and the Spirit Pearl Child, had captured something unusual, but upon probing again, he found nothing.

"Could it be some old Yaoguai in seclusion below? Or... is it the residual aura of those Outer Realm Demon Gods again?" Nezha recalled the tense atmosphere in the Heavenly Court recently and his father Li Jing's repeated warnings. He dared not be careless and decided to descend to search carefully.

However, as he lowered his cloud, a cold and majestic voice, without any warning, directly sounded in the depths of his primordial spirit:

"Nezha, do you seek death?"

Nezha shivered all over, almost falling off the Wind Fire Wheels! This voice... was overbearing, ancient, carrying a pressure that made his lotus root incarnation tremble! It was definitely not an ordinary immortal or god!

"Who?! Hiding your head and showing your tail, get out here, you punk!" Although startled, Nezha was not flustered. He held his Fire-Tipped Spear horizontally, scanning his surroundings vigilantly, the Heaven and Earth Circle and Universe Ring poised for action.

"Hmph, still wet behind the ears, relying on a few magic treasures, and you dare to be so presumptuous?" The voice was full of disdain. "Even your Master Taiyi wouldn't dare speak to me like this!"

Nezha's heart trembled again. This person actually called his Master by name with such arrogance? He forced himself to calm down: "Stop playing tricks! State your name!"

"You are not worthy to know my name," the voice said indifferently. "Let me ask you, you stand on Wind Fire Wheels and hold a Fire-Tipped Spear, do you still remember where these magic treasures originally came from? And whose kindness did you receive to have your lotus root incarnation reshaped?"

Upon hearing this, Nezha's expression changed drastically! These were the deepest secrets and hidden pains in his heart!

Most of his magic treasures came from the Golden Light Cave on Qianyuan Mountain, but Master Taiyi had once said that the methods of refining artifacts and even some core materials were inextricably linked to the ancient Jie Teachings. And his lotus root incarnation was the result of a great disaster in the past. After he had returned his bones to his father and his flesh to his mother, True Man Taiyi had sought many connections to reshape him using the roots of the Innate Spiritual Lotus mixed with the Three Lights Divine Water, and it seemed he owed some karma for that.

"Who exactly are you?!" Nezha's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"I am an old acquaintance from the past," the voice suddenly became ethereal. "Seeing your Spirit Pearl origin being enslaved by the Heavenly Court, becoming a vanguard for suppressing dissent, is truly pathetic."

"You're spouting nonsense! I am a formally appointed god of the Heavenly Court, the Great God of the Three Altars, protecting the Heavenly Court. What do you mean by enslavement!" Nezha retorted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, but a flicker of imperceptible confusion crossed his eyes. Over the years, he had campaigned east and west, suppressing Yaoguai, and also suppressing many "disobedient" rogue immortals and even former disciples of the Jie Teachings. At times, he felt that he was drifting further and further away from the self who once acted with righteous indignation.

"Oh? Is that so?" The voice was full of mockery. "Then do you know what the 'traces of Outer Realm demons' and 'remnants of the Jie Teachings' you are ordered to search for actually look like? Why are you searching? Have the Jade Emperor and the Saints ever told you who is filling the gaps on the Heavenly River bank with their True Spirits?"

A series of questions struck Nezha's heart like heavy hammers. He indeed only followed orders and knew little about the deeper reasons. The matter of the Heavenly River was a taboo, and no one dared to mention it.

"You stop trying to sow discord!" Nezha gritted his teeth but subconsciously slowed his search.

"Sow discord?" The voice sneered. "I merely pity your Spirit Pearl incarnation, which should have been free to roam the heavens and earth, but has instead become an unknowing pawn. Your father, Li Jing, holding the Pagoda aloft, appears majestic, but is merely a puppet in the game between the Western Teachings and the Heavenly Court. He can even sacrifice his own son, let alone you?"

"Shut up!" Nezha hated it most when people brought up past events. He instantly became furious and thrust his Fire-Tipped Spear towards the deserted island below!

Boom! The spear's might raged, shattering a corner of the deserted island, yet it still couldn't break through the Chaos restrictions in the core area.

"Enraged by shame?" The voice remained calm. "Very well, I have said all I can. You only need to remember that what I say today will come to pass. When you finally awaken, you may come to the extreme of the East Sea, find an ancient reef, and silently recite 'Spirit Pearl Child, return to your place,' and perhaps you will see a glimmer of hope. Take care of yourself."

The voice abruptly stopped. No matter how Nezha cursed or probed, there was no response.

Nezha hovered in mid-air, his expression shifting, his mind in utter chaos. The other party's words echoed in his mind like a curse. The Heavenly Court's concealment, his father's pragmatism, his Master's calculations, and those deliberately forgotten desires for freedom and his true heart.

He ultimately did not continue to attack the deserted island. He only cast a deep look at it, snorted coldly, "Putting on a show!" and rode his Wind Fire Wheels away, seemingly in a rage, but his intention to patrol had completely vanished.

Inside the cave dwelling, Tongtian slowly withdrew his divine sense. It was naturally him who had used the Chaos Bead to simulate the aura and transmit his voice, tricking Nezha.

"Master, this child is rebellious and a direct disciple of the Chan Teachings. Why..." Yun Xiao was somewhat puzzled. Nezha was one of the "culprits" who had caused many Jie Teachings disciples to be listed on the Investiture of the Gods.

"The Spirit Pearl Child's nature is not bad, he has just been taught wrongly. Moreover, his background is special, with karma involving the Western Teachings, Chan Teachings, the Heavenly Court, and even Empress Nuwa. He is an important piece," Tongtian's gaze was profound. "If we can use him as an entry point, we might be able to plant a nail within the Heavenly Court, which could have a miraculous effect at a critical moment. Today, I sow a cause; let's see the result in the future."

He said no more, his gaze returning to the Myriad Spirits Nourishing God Incense, which was about to burn out.

The first stick of incense is almost burnt out, I must refine more quickly! Moreover, the effect needs to be strengthened!

Mere nourishment is not enough! I must find a way to penetrate the shackles of the Investiture of the Gods and directly strengthen the origin of the True Spirit!

His gaze once again fell on the System Mall, and... that vast Great Desolation.

Perhaps it's time to visit another "old friend."

That Empress Pingxin (Houtu), who presides over reincarnation yet is also trapped by the Heavenly Dao and dissatisfied with the Saints.