Warmth!

The man with the goldfish eyes who just appeared was also a familiar figure to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

They knew that the man was Taotie, one of the ferocious beasts of the demon race, and was the disciple who had cultivated for the shortest time under the tutelage of Dao Ancestor Kunpeng, but was also the most favored.

Although the Dao Ancestor Kunpeng was a Chaos True God, his true form was that of a beast and a demon. After becoming a Great Luo Dao Ancestor, all the disciples he accepted were demons, either divine beasts or ferocious beasts.

Taotie is known for its ferocity and gluttony among the ferocious beasts. It is extremely greedy and often regarded the Beiming Ocean as the private property of its sect when it was in its lair.

Anyone who enters the palace must be captured and forced to work as laborers. Anyone who resists even slightly will be killed, regardless of whether they are human, demon, immortal, or monster, and will be devoured as food.

Even if they dared not resist, after doing hard labor for a long time, they would inevitably have their flesh and blood devoured, and their souls used to refine demonic arts. Therefore, the True Immortal Taotie was extremely infamous in the Three Realms.

The Dao Ancestor Kunpeng knew that his little disciple was too ruthless, and had always kept him confined in the Northern Darkness Sea to prevent him from causing trouble. Now, for some reason, he had let him escape again and even had some connection with Zhou Hao.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, holding prayer beads, sat serenely on a lotus throne, reciting Buddhist scriptures and the scattered practitioners who had come to listen. He seemed indifferent to what the Nine-Headed and Taotie were saying on the other side, but in reality, he was pondering something in his heart:

"Some time ago, Emperor Zhou destroyed Wushan Gorge, seized the foundation of the Ten Thousand Demon Palace, and established the Limitless Palace, which has already angered Styx Dao Ancestor."

"The Styx Dao Ancestor did not launch an attack afterward, presumably because the Three Pure Ones intervened to protect him, and he was unwilling to turn against the Dao Sect at this time, showing some restraint."

"But if we were to clash with the Nine-Headed and the Taotie, and further anger the Dao Ancestor Kunpeng... if two of the Four Ancestors of Source River had a falling out with my Nuwa Faction, then their future allegiance would be uncertain."

His previous words to Nine-Headed were, in fact, a form of advice and attempt to win him over.

After all, the Four Ancestors of Source River, along with their disciples, constitute a significant force in the Three Realms. Whether they join the Nuwa or Wujian faction, it will greatly increase the strength and fortune of that faction.

"I received the Buddha's mandate to assume the position of Heavenly Court Eastern Victory Divine Continent is only possible with the tacit approval of the Three Pure Ones. Now, the Three Pure Ones have ordered the Heavenly Emperor Zhou to unite the scattered cultivators of the Heavenly Realm in preparation for future calamities. I cannot stand by and watch him go against the grain and stray further and further from the right path." Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's mind raced, but he was determined to help Zhou Hao and the Nine-Headed Demon resolve the conflict.

Just as he was pondering how to begin, he saw the Nine-Headed Celestial God suddenly change his expression and rise abruptly from his throne.

"Senior Brother?" True Immortal Taotie asked, puzzled.

"It was Feiyi who was killed." The Nine-Headed Celestial God's eyes flashed coldly.

"Feiyi is dead?" True Immortal Taotie asked in confusion. "Wasn't he always with his eldest brother at Earth Treasury? How could he have died outside?"

That Feiyi was also a divine beast, a rare and exotic species. Although he was a celestial being, he was still among the top in his class and rarely encountered an opponent. He also had excellent culinary skills and was best at preparing delicacies. He was very much liked by his senior brother, who always kept him by his side. Even Fei Yi himself loved Fei Yi's cooking the most.

"I was exchanging sparring and discussing the Dao with Earth Treasury when Feiyi said he was going to the Cloud Immortal Realm to prepare some rare dishes as a tribute to me, and then he left." The Nine-Headed Celestial God frowned. "Knowing that he was my beloved disciple, he still directly killed him? And he did it so quickly. Fei Feiyi Signal Talisman when the life talisman shattered immediately afterward... Anyone with such abilities must be a True Immortal or Heavenly God."

Although they were used to being arrogant in the Beiming, they had been specifically instructed not to cause trouble when they came to the territory of the Eastern Victory Divine Continent Daoist Dao Sect.

How could simply going to find a few recipes lead to such a deadly predicament?

"Who cares who he is? He dared to kill a disciple of our lineage. We'll have to get our revenge!" True Immortal Taotie urged from the side.

He was a ferocious beast, always causing trouble even when no one provoked him, let alone the fact that the one who died was one of his beloved junior disciples.

"Let's go see who's being so disrespectful." The black cloud hovering above the Nine-Headed Celestial God's head 'whooshed' down and disappeared from the platform in the blink of an eye.

He left without even saying hello to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva felt a slight stirring in his heart. He continued to preach, and a golden Dharma image appeared in the Buddha light above his head before disappearing into the void.

Most of the immortals in the Buddhist temple were listening attentively to Earth Treasury's sermon and did not pay attention. Only a few Bodhisattva Zen masters who had come to assist Earth Treasury paid a little attention.

Seeing that Earth Treasury Bodhisattva remained unmoved, he knew it wasn't a big deal, so he glanced at him and then ignored it.

On the banks of the Milky Way.

The Withered Grass Fairy killed the two celestial beings, and she didn't want any of the scattered magical treasures. Instead, she used the energy of heaven and earth to gather them together and handed them to Xiangcao to play with.

Xiangcao had only recently taken human form, and her mind was still like that of a child. When she received those magical treasures, she was like someone who had just acquired a fun new toy. She was particularly pleased to see that the vajra was engraved with countless scriptures, densely packed like a picture, and shimmering with gold.

"Brother, look, isn't it much better for me to wield this golden staff than for that fat monk?" Xiangcao held the vajra in her hand, feeling its lightness as if it were not made of metal. She then casually swung it a few times to show off to Zhou Hao.

In the Hundred Graves Mountain, she always saw many female immortal sisters; the only man she ever met was the gentle uncle who gave her a wooden plaque and a wooden bow.

Seeing Zhou Hao again now, I felt a strange sense of familiarity and naturally felt warm towards him.

"Beautiful." Zhou Hao's heart fluttered when he heard Xiangcao call him brother.

In the past life, I caused you to be harmed and reincarnated. In this life... as your older brother, I will definitely not let you suffer any more calamities or struggle in the cycle of reincarnation.

"Oh no, my wooden sign!" Xiangcao suddenly remembered that her wooden sign had fallen some distance away and had not yet been retrieved.

"It's alright, it's still here." Zhou Hao waved and picked up the purple wooden plaque from the ground. He felt a faint woody fragrance envelop him, and a kind of ancient charm seemed to fill his heart.

A quick glance revealed that the symbols carved on the wooden plaque vaguely formed an ancient character for "protect". Looking closer at the patterns, there were even traces of carving, as if it had been casually carved by someone.

Zhou Hao was surprised.

"For such a carved object to become a primordial spiritual treasure, it seems that not only is the carver incredibly powerful, but the wood used for carving is also extraordinary."

Although he was curious, with the Withered Grass Fairy watching coldly, it was inconvenient for him to observe closely. He took the purple wooden token and went to the Xiangcao grass fairy, handing it to the Xiangcao Withered Grass Fairy.

"Thank you, brother." Xiangcao hung the purple wooden plaque on her waist, and the purple wooden bow, which she also shrunk to the size of a palm, was hung on the other side.

"Xiangcao, don't address me so casually. Zhou Tiandi is the Heavenly Emperor of the Heavenly Court," the Withered Grass Fairy said softly.

"It's alright," Zhou Hao said with a smile. "I find that I get along quite well with Sister Xiangcao. Since she calls me 'brother,' I can't accept it for nothing. I happen to have a few Azure Bamboo plants in my Perching Dragon Gorge Medicine King Ridge. They've been growing for ten thousand years and have produced a few bamboo shoots. I'll give them to Sister Xiangcao; eating them will help her restore her Origin Power."

"Azure bamboo shoots?" The Withered Grass Fairy was somewhat surprised. This was a rare treasure of the wood element, especially for plant spirits like them who cultivated immortality. It had miraculous effects on strengthening the foundation of their cultivation, and was even more precious than the Pure Yang Elixir.

"So beautiful!" Xiangcao saw the three jade-like bamboo shoots in Zhou Hao's hand, glistening with dewdrops, and smelled an enticing fragrance that made her mouth water. She exclaimed happily, "Brother is the Heavenly Emperor, so I'll call you Heavenly Emperor Brother from now on. Thank you, Heavenly Emperor Brother!"

"When you get back, you can eat one first. After you've refined the life energy within, then eat the second one. Don't be greedy and eat them all at once," Zhou Hao said with a smile. "After eating these three bamboo shoots, I'm sure your foundation after transformation will be solid. In the future, when you have the chance, visit Perching Dragon Gorge. I have many fruit trees there, and many of the fruits they bear are hard to find elsewhere."

"Okay." Xiangcao nodded happily, while the Withered Grass Fairy stood there, somewhat unsure of Zhou Hao's thoughts.

From what she knew, this Zhou Tiandi, though not having cultivated for long, was quite powerful.

She also knew about the previous destruction of Wushan Gorge and the usurpation of power.

"It is said that Zhou Hao is ruthless and not a kind person. Moreover, since the Daoist Sanqing made him the Heavenly Emperor, he must not be a simple character. Could it be that he wants to use the Xiangcao to plot against my Hundred Graves Mountain?" The Withered Grass Fairy pondered to herself.

"Although Master forbade me from getting involved in the conflict between the two factions, Master has already officially joined the war and taken control of the First World. How can I escape? Besides, many of my sisters are already caught up in it and can't avoid it either... No, I have to keep Xiangcao away from him."

Thinking of this, the Withered Grass Fairy immediately made up her mind that she would never let Xiangcao have the opportunity to see Zhou Hao again.

As for the azure bamboo shoots that Zhou Hao gave her this time, since Xiangcao has already accepted them, refusing them would only arouse Zhou Hao's suspicion and expose her inclination towards Hundred Graves Mountain too early.

"I am deeply grateful to Emperor Zhou for his help today. I left in a great hurry and did not bring any treasures with me, so I offer this jar of 'Hundred Flower Immortal Wine' as a token of my gratitude," the Withered Grass Fairy said softly. "I must take my sister back to the mountain, so I will take my leave now."

After saying this, she took out a black clay wine jar and left it for Zhou Hao, then teleported away with Xiangcao.

Before leaving, the Withered Grass Fairy made sure to erase the traces she had left behind.

With her Pure Yang True Immortal realm, her attainments in the Great Dao of Time were also quite profound. This time, apart from the Great Luo Dao Ancestor with a higher realm, or a True Immortal who has fully comprehended and mastered the Great Dao of Time, it would be difficult for others to use time reversal to see what happened before.

As Zhou Hao watched Xiangcao wave goodbye before leaving, her eyes filled with reluctance, he sighed inwardly.

"If Xiangcao's life were simpler, I could have taken her back directly. But judging from those two purple wood treasures and the Withered Grass Fairy's attitude towards her, it's probably related to the powerful figure rumored to be behind the Withered Grass Fairy." Zhou Hao pondered silently, "Who exactly is this powerful figure?"

Back at the Eight Views Imperial Carriage, Liu Yu and Yun Yuchan were already getting quite anxious.

Although both of them knew that with their senior brother's strength, he could even face true immortals and gods without any problem.

It's always understandable to worry about it.

Upon hearing Zhou Hao's account that he had encountered the reincarnation of Xiangcao, the two women were even more astonished.

"Senior brother, you haven't recognized Sister Xiangcao yet?" Liu Yu had been to Xiangcao Valley before, and even her engagement to Zhou Hao took place at Xiangcao's grave. She was well aware of Xiangcao's significance to Zhou Hao.

"In this life, she was a spirit of plants and trees. Although I can't discern her origins, since she has only recently taken human form at the Void Return Realm, she must be extraordinary. Now that she hasn't yet recovered her memories of her past life, it wouldn't be wise for me to rashly acknowledge her." Zhou Hao shook his head. "Besides, there's also the Withered Grass Fairy there. Before we fully understand the details of Hundred Graves Mountain, we still have some concerns."

At this point, he began to regret giving Xiangcao three azure bamboo shoots.

If Hundred Graves Mountain is truly on the side of the Wujian Faction, then my actions have been somewhat reckless.

If someone with ulterior motives discovers the connection between Xiangcao and himself in his past life and uses it to make trouble, it could cause some problems.

But so be it. After all, a wood-type treasure equivalent to three ordinary pure yang spirit pills isn't that precious to the Heavenly Emperor of the Heavenly Court. Giving it to someone he finds agreeable and destined to receive it is perfectly acceptable.

Just be careful in the future, and don't pay too much attention to Xiangcao before you're absolutely sure.

This also protects the Xiangcao.

"I don't want to think about these things anymore. Since Xiangcao has been reincarnated, she is reborn. Seeing that she is well now, I am at peace." Zhou Hao smiled and took out some freshly picked pineapple flowers and put them in the two women's hair buns. He then spread the remaining flowers around them, and suddenly the carriage seemed to have a golden flower carpet.

The two women were amazed by the golden flowers that were so realistic they were hard to tell from the real thing. After playing with them for a while, their girlish hearts were stirred again, and they used the golden flowers to decorate the carriage.

"Oh, right. When that Withered Grass Fairy left me a jar of Hundred Flower Immortal Wine, it was the mildest of all the immortal wines. Even though you are pregnant, it's fine for you to drink some." Zhou Hao then took out the black clay wine jar. After opening it, a rich aroma of flowers and herbs filled the air, making one feel as if they were in a sea of flowers.

Liu Yu and Yun Yuchan curiously accepted the wine cups handed to them by Zhou Hao. They saw that the wine was amber in color and had a sweet aroma. After taking a small sip, they felt their mouths water and a warm feeling flow through their bodies. Even their Qi cultivation techniques circulated faster.

"It's so sweet and delicious," Liu Yu and Yun Yuchan both said to Zhou Hao with smiles. "We can't even taste the alcohol, but we're already a little tipsy."

"This jar of wine is enough to exchange for a pure Yang magic weapon; it's even more valuable than the three Azure Bamboo Shoots I gave away," Zhou Hao said with a smile. "After drinking this wine, you can take a nap to refresh yourselves. I'll wake you up when we reach Jade Pool."

At this moment, nine golden dragons outside pulled the celestial chariot and continued westward.

As the carriage moved, the bright jewels and jade on the curtains jingled and clinked, creating a pleasant sound. The carriage was filled with the fragrance of wine and flowers. The two women relaxed, rested their heads on Zhou Hao's lap, and lay down on the soft pineapple flowers, falling into a deep sleep.

Zhou Hao also closed his eyes, only occasionally stroking the two women's hair with his hands, feeling boundless warmth in his heart.

With a beautiful wife by my side, and after the children are born, we can play with them together in our free time. If the family can stay like this forever... that would truly be a heavenly life.

Lost in this warm and intoxicating state, even though he hadn't cultivated, Zhou Hao felt as if his heart had suddenly left his body, drifting and stretching endlessly.

It was an extremely mysterious feeling, like the ordinary satisfaction with life, the freedom of living, and the longing for the future, yet it made his heart even more empty and serene.

Gradually... his heart extended to all corners of the world.

In the ethereal void, the entire Cloud Sea Realm seemed to be enveloped by his own heart.

His mind could 'see' the Southern Heavenly Gate of the Heavenly Court, the fairy islands like Penglai and Yingzhou in the north, the majestic divine mountains in the east, and the source of the Milky Way in the west...

Even his heart strived to continue expanding and extending, towards the edge of the Cloud Sea Realm, towards the Heavenly Realm, towards the chaotic void...

"Hmm?" Zhou Hao suddenly frowned and opened his eyes.

Under the probing of his 'heart', he clearly saw a dark cloud rushing straight towards the island he had just left.

"Those are the Nine-Headed Celestial God, the True Immortal Taotie, and a Buddhist Immortal..." Zhou Hao's heart stirred. "Is it Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva?"