The Damaged South Heaven Gate

The woman in the black dress gritted her teeth and ran wildly.

That bull-like man was a bit dim-witted—the island wasn't big, but the ocean outside was infinitely vast. She wasn't a ghost with 'limited movement range,' why did she insist on staying on this island?

Once she escaped the island and entered the ocean, the sea would be wide enough for fish to leap freely, and with her swimming skills, she wouldn't have to worry about getting away. As she raced towards the ocean, the woman in the black dress tore off the hem of her skirt so that her clothes wouldn't hinder her movements in the water.

"Ape Four, stop her!" the Wolf One man shouted.

The long-armed man accelerated desperately, trying to close the distance between himself and the woman in the black dress, Chu Chu.

However, Ape Four was still a few steps slower.

The girl, Chu Chu, had almost reached the ocean. With a leap, she darted in like a nimble Mermaid, quickly disappearing from sight. Clearly, she was an excellent swimmer...

Although Ox Two, Ape Four, and the Wolf One man could also swim, their swimming skills were no match for the woman in the black dress.

"It's a shame she still ran into the water. We had a chance to enjoy this girl." Ox Two stood on the shore and picked his nose.

The Wolf One man rolled his eyes; he was at his wits' end with the dim-witted Ox Two.

Then, he flicked the communicator next to his ear. "Shark Nine, Whale Eight, that girl has already run into the water, take some men and catch her."

After saying that, he tapped on the communicator again and changed the channel. "Fox Ten, everything is ready. You can prepare to move. We will try our best to push this girl into a corner and create an opportunity for you. Remember, you only have one chance, try your best to trick that <Sword Formula> out of this woman."

They were also extremely envious of the Sword Formula that the Chu Aristocratic Clan had obtained.

The 'Void Sword Sect' thought they had kept the news under wraps, but in reality, several other families already knew that the Chu Aristocratic Clan had obtained the <Sword Formula>. However, most of the forces that knew about this were powerful families or sects, and they wouldn't care about a minor Sword Formula.

The Void Sword Sect is that small sect that constantly makes things difficult for the Chu Aristocratic Clan.

******************************

On Heavenly Island, outside Jiudeng Temple, near that 'imperfect beauty' flower field.

A roar resounded, like a lion's roar, deafening and inexplicably tightening the heart, awe-inspiring and terrifying.

This is precisely the <Buddhist Lion's Roar Skill>.

Under the guidance of the Miss Jiudeng, Song Shuhang has begun to practice this skill. At this moment, he let out a roar, already showing the demeanor of a lion king.

Jiudeng sat cross-legged in the void, her body supported by two Golden Lotus: "Very good. After only a few lessons, you've grasped the essentials of the Lion's Roar Technique. Next, all you need to do is practice diligently. Also, if you awaken your Mouth Aperture Talent during your Mouth Aperture, combining it with the Lion's Roar Technique will yield outstanding results."

After saying that, she looked at the Onion Lady on the Enlightenment Stone next to Song Shuhang and said, "Why don't you give it a try too?"

A tiny mouth peeked out from Onion Lady seedlings. Then, she let out a long howl. "Meow~"

Song Shuhang: "..."

Jiudeng: "..."

"Are you trying to be cute? I taught you the Lion's Roar Technique, so roar like a lion!" Jiudeng tried hard to control his emotions. "I'll give you one more chance, roar out loud and forcefully!"

The Onion Lady on the Enlightenment Stone swayed in the wind, seemingly gathering strength.

A moment later, Onion Lady opened her little mouth and meowed, "Meow meow meow meow~~~"

The veins on the forehead of the Miss Jiudeng bulged with anger.

"Seriously! I'm teaching you 'Lion's Roar Technique,' not 'Cat's Howl.' If you try to meow like a cat again, I'll pluck your new green onion sprouts! I'll give you one last chance. Try meowing like Shuhang and do it properly!" Jiudeng Deng threatened with a terrifying smile.

Onion Lady's body trembled violently.

Then, she shook her scallion seedlings even more vigorously, this time seemingly gathering enough strength. "Meow~~ Meow~~ Waaaaah~~"

By the end, Onion Lady was almost in tears...

Three veins of rage erupted from Jiudeng's forehead.

Seeing this, Song Shuhang quickly spoke up to plead for Onion Lady: "Ahem, Miss Jiudeng, please don't be angry. Judging from Onion Lady's expression, she definitely didn't do it on purpose. Perhaps this technique isn't suitable for Onion Lady? Besides, she's still quite small right now. Maybe she'll be able to master the Lion's Roar Technique when she returns to her human form someday?"

Jiudeng rubbed his temples. "Fine, you can teach Onion Lady's Lion's Roar Technique from now on. I don't care anymore!"

Song Shuhang smiled sheepishly and put away the Enlightenment Stone and Onion Lady.

Onion Lady was immediately moved to tears.

Jiudeng waved his hand and said, "Alright, I have taught you the essentials of the Lion's Roar Technique. After you leave the island, study it diligently on your own. It will greatly benefit you in opening your 'Mouth Aperture'."

Having said that, she stood up, and Golden Lotus carried her, flying to Song Shuhang's side. She reached out her hand to Song Shuhang: "Come with me, I'll take you off the island."

Song Shuhang's heart skipped a beat—finally, it was time to leave Heavenly Island.

***************************

A huge red moon appeared in the sky above Heavenly Island at some unknown time.

Holding Song Shuhang's hand, Jiudeng, with her feet on Golden Lotus, climbed higher and higher.

With each step she took, the Golden Lotus beneath her feet disappeared, but a new Golden Lotus would bloom where she landed next.

Flowers bloom and fade, each step Golden Lotus.

"He's so handsome," Song Shuhang thought to himself.

It's a pity this is Buddhist Sect practice, which will make you bald. Otherwise, how dashing it would be if a handsome scholar-like man, stepping on the void with each step a Golden Lotus!

"Miss Jiudeng, are we going to the most mysterious place on Heavenly Island next?" Song Shuhang asked.

Next comes the process of sealing away one's memories, right?

But what he was more curious about was why every senior member in the group willingly sealed their memories and left Heavenly Island.

What secrets are hidden on this Heavenly Island? What would make a senior willing to seal their memories and not reveal the secrets of Heavenly Island?

"The place we're going to next is the real 'Heaven Realm'," the Miss Jiudeng replied with a smile.

The real 'Heaven Realm'? Is it somewhere in the sky? Song Shuhang wondered to himself.

As they ascended higher, Song Shuhang unexpectedly spotted several black dots at the edge of the jungle—the professor and his group who had separated from them after disembarking from the plane.

"Miss Jiudeng, well... if it's possible, could you please take care of these people a little? After all, Heavenly Island fraught with danger, and these people are just mortals; accidents could easily happen to them on the island," Song Shuhang pleaded.

All he could do now was plead with Jiudeng on behalf of these passengers. Whether Jiudeng was willing to help was beyond his control.

"Don't worry, these ordinary people won't be in any danger on Heavenly Island. However, Heavenly Island won't force them to leave. They'll only be able to find the Ancient City on their own and leave when they want to. Someone will guide them into the 'Starry Sky Home' to complete the transaction and leave Heavenly Island," the Miss Jiudeng replied.

After receiving her reply, Song Shuhang felt somewhat relieved.

The two figures continued to rise.

Finally... they flew all the way to the enormous red moon.

Only then did Song Shuhang realize that it wasn't a red moon at all, but a red opening leading to a long passage.

A red light emanates from the passageway, which, when viewed from below, can be mistaken for a red moon.

"Let's go in." The Miss Jiudeng led the way, stepping into the red passage.

She led Song Shuhang by the hand into the passageway.

Speaking of which—I've been holding hands with Miss Jiudeng for quite a while now, could she be pregnant?

Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!

After entering the red channel and walking for about a hundred meters, Song Shuhang felt a sudden light in his eyes.

Before him appeared a fairyland shrouded in auspicious energy, with countless golden rays shining and purple mist permeating the air. Above the thick clouds stood an enormous gate.

The gate was a deep, dark green, as if cast from crystal; it shone brightly, as if adorned with precious jade!

Above the gate is a plaque inscribed with the three characters "Nantianmen" (South Heaven Gate), radiating brilliance.

However, these three characters appear to be written in two different handwriting styles.

Half of the characters "" and "" are written in the same handwriting. The other half of "" and the character "" are written in the same handwriting.

It seems that these three characters were once split in two, and then someone else filled them back in.

Not only those three characters, but even this huge, ornate gate shows many signs of repair.

At first glance, it's easy to overlook because of its dazzling light. But upon closer inspection, you can see many damages on this 'South Heaven Gate'.

"The South Heaven Gate? The South Heaven Gate of the Heavenly Court in mythology?" Song Shuhang turned his head and stared at the Miss Jiudeng.

The South Heaven Gate isn't anything special; there are many "South Heaven Gate" all over China. However, this particular "South Heaven Gate" inevitably brings to mind the South Heaven Gate of the Heavenly Court in mythology. Coupled with the name "Heavenly Island" of this place, could this Heavenly Island be the "Heavenly Court" of mythology, the ruler of all beings in the three realms and beyond?

"It is indeed the South Heaven Gate, but it is not the Heavenly Court of myths and legends that you know." The Miss Jiudeng gazed at the Heavenly Court that shone with dazzling light before her and let out a deep sigh.

"What exactly happened?" Song Shuhang asked curiously, looking at the South Heaven Gate, which appeared severely damaged and had been repaired multiple times.

"Every cultivator who comes here asks this question," said the Miss Jiudeng.

"Let alone cultivators, any China person who knows mythology would ask this question," Song Shuhang thought to himself.

The Miss Jiudeng recounted in detail. "According to the description my senior once gave me... the Heavenly Court exploded. Hmm, the Heavenly Court I'm talking about is completely different from the one in 'mythology' that you know. The reason why both have a 'South Heaven Gate' is probably just a coincidence."

Second update.