Breaking the Siege

Su Yao's Sword Intent shone forth, its clear, water-like radiance spreading silently, causing the five Holding the Profound dragons to freeze in fear.

On the golden carriage, a phantom of a colorful phoenix suddenly spread its wings, and the power of order surged out like a tide, dispelling the incoming Sword Intent layer by layer.

Seeing this, Su Yao's heart sank slightly.

After breaking through to the Purple Mansion, he originally thought that the first to make a move would be either the Confucian School or the Witch Department, but he did not expect that it would be the Dipper Department who came.

He sighed, and the Nine Heavens Auspicious Cloud Banner rose into the sky, surrounded by ten thousand auspicious clouds. Then he drew his Autumn Steed and pointed it at the convoy.

"The Heavenly Order is the natural order of heaven and earth, like the Beichen in the center, the light of heaven and earth, yet it has unexpectedly become someone else's private tool!"

A loud, androgynous laugh came from inside the carriage:

"Qixia Daozi has quite the temper. Is this how you treat an angel who has come here? Is Supreme True Person how the Supreme Being taught you? You have truly disgraced Jade Pure One."

Su Yao sneered:

"The Beichen is to my Jade Pure One what the Yuanfu and the Yang Palace are to the Supreme Purity."

Before the other person could speak, he shouted:

"The heavens shine brightly, with the Beichen residing in its place and all the other stars revolving around it. Unlike the owl that migrates to the Southern Ocean. May I ask the celestial being—who carries the banner of the colorful phoenix—why does he travel from the north to the south?"

After Su Yao finished speaking, the carriage fell silent.

After a long silence, a low sigh escaped through the curtains:

"The Beichen remains unchanged, while the stars revolve. The phoenix perches on the parasol tree, the owl feeds on rotten rats; each follows its own kind, each pursues its own benefit. Daozi guards the rosy clouds Golden Ao Ridge, while I, your envoy, gallop through the dust beneath the Purple Palace. Our paths diverge, north and south; why bother asking each other?"

Anger surged in Su Yao's eyes:

"What a fine example of each following their own kind and pursuing their own interests! What a fine example of different paths leading north and south! Why bother asking each other!"

Then, he suddenly raised his sword:

"Then let's have a showdown!"

The clear light from the sword tip shot out and struck the phantom of the colorful phoenix.

None of the people in the convoy moved.

Just as the Sword Intent was about to touch the colorful phoenix, countless illusory stars suddenly appeared, enveloping the phoenix within them.

A brilliant Silver Light shone from the carriage, like the Beichen in the mid-sky, fixing the Sword Intent firmly in mid-air.

Su Yao sneered:

"The Heavenly Order Divine Ability" Enact Heavenly Order, but unfortunately, although the path is righteous, it is used in the wrong place.

The voice immediately retorted, its tone carrying a hint of solemnity:

"The rites of Heaven and Earth are the true path."

Before Su Yao could answer, the voice suddenly rose in pitch, like a decree descending from heaven:

"Su Yao, the imperial decree has arrived. Will you accept it or not?"

Su Yao remained silent upon hearing this. The Autumn Steed Sword horizontally before him, its shimmering surface reflecting his cold eyes. Then, Su Yao Su Yao stroked the sword with his left hand, continuously channeling his Law Power into it.

Heavenly Clouds clouds fell from above, and a phantom of a colorful phoenix let out a clear cry. The power of order rippled outwards, blocking the rosy clouds emanating from Su Yao at a distance of ten feet.

The voice then drifted down faintly from inside the carriage:

"Zhi Nu, go and meet with Qixia Daozi."

At the forefront of the procession, a general clad in silver armor removed a small silver seal from his waist, held it in his palm, and bowed slightly to Su Yao, his voice neither humble nor arrogant:

"Dipper Department Heavenly Pivot Court, Left Clerk, Zhi Nu, humbly request your guidance, Daoist Master."

Su Yao narrowed his eyes.

Dianbu was a minor official in the Dipper Department who was in charge of documents.

But the aura of this silver-armored celestial general was as deep and profound as an abyss, clearly belonging to the Purple Mansion, yet he was merely a clerk...

Before Su Yao could think further, Zhi Nu raised his hand, and the small silver seal suddenly lit up.

Countless illusory stars silently appeared in the Great Void, forming an invisible net that completely sealed off Su Yao from all sides.

Each star moves slowly along a very precise trajectory, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to swirl and twist.

"The Heavenly Net," Zhi Nu whispered, "Please, Daoist, assess it."

Su Yao did not retreat. He stepped forward with his left foot, and the golden threads on his black feather robe suddenly lit up, with rays of light spreading out from his shoulders in layers, like an abyss or a curtain.

The illusory stars collided with the rosy light, emitting extremely faint hissing sounds, like ice and snow melting into boiling water, each one dissolving into the deep darkness.

Zhi Nu's gaze shifted slightly. He thought to himself, "The Rainbow Clouds Sect... is untouched by anything. If, apart from the three sect leaders, there were any lineage that could restrain the Rainbow Clouds Sect, no one would have been targeting Qixia Temple all these years."

Before he could think any further, Su Yao's sword had already arrived.

The sword silently bypassed the net of stars and landed directly three inches from Zhi Nu's chest.

The phantom of the colorful phoenix cried out once more, and the power of order descended from the sky, barely suppressing the sword light.

The two forces were locked in a stalemate in mid-air, emitting a very faint hum.

Zhi Nu glanced down at the breastplate, slightly dented by the sword light, and finally abandoned his composure, saying solemnly:

"Excellent Sword Intent."

At the same time, he lamented that his Purple Mansion had ultimately relied on shortcuts, possessing Law Power but lacking Divine Ability...

Su Yao did not respond.

He gazed at the sword light, which, despite being suppressed by both the colorful phoenix and the starlight, still refused to dissipate, and suddenly laughed, a laugh full of mockery:

"A divine decree? Only Qixia has ever issued divine decrees. Apart from the Three Palaces, who dares to issue a divine decree to Qixia!"

The voice from inside the carriage sounded again:

"Enough, Zhi Nu may leave."

Upon hearing this, Zhi Nu retrieved the small silver seal, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Su Yao, and then closed his eyes in deep thought.

The carriage curtains moved without wind, and the androgynous voice finally lost its earlier mockery, replaced by an almost solemn seriousness.

"Whether Daozi accepts this imperial decree or not, now that I have arrived, I shall naturally proclaim the Emperor's edict."

As soon as he finished speaking, a simple, white scroll rose slowly from the carriage, its surface shimmering with starlight.

The scroll slowly unfurled, and the surrounding spiritual energy fell silent. Even the phantom of the colorful phoenix folded its wings and lowered its head, not daring to move.

The voice changed drastically again, as if divine decree had been bestowed:

"The Imperial Decree of the Purple Tenuity Enclosure proclaims: Su Yao, the Qixia Daozi, has completed his cultivation in the Purple Mansion over nine years, attaining true enlightenment amidst Rainbow Clouds. The Emperor, residing in the Ziwei and overseeing the celestial sphere, is greatly pleased upon hearing this. Considering that your Dao Path is newly opened and your physical body newly formed, you should enter the Purple Palace for pure cultivation to solidify your foundation and comprehend the Great Dao. You are hereby ordered to proceed to the Ziwei upon receiving this decree, without delay or refusal."

Before Su Yao could speak, an aged voice came from afar, unhurried and deliberate:

"Wait! There's an imperial decree from the Hall of Complete Illumination!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Yao smiled. Zhi Nu opened his eyes, a hint of regret flashing in them, and silently took half a step back.

Daozheng yellow light swept down from the depths of the Great Void, transforming into an old man dressed in white, holding a whisk in his hand. He carried an ochre-yellow scroll in his right hand, his hair and beard as white as snow, yet his face was ruddy like a child's. Upon landing, he smiled warmly at Su Yao, his tone as friendly as if he were chatting with a family member:

"This old man first offers his congratulations to the Daoist. Nine years in the Purple Mansion have marked the beginning of your ascension to immortality. It is a foregone conclusion that you will one day succeed as the abbot of Qixia Temple and be inscribed in the Jade Register of Jade Pure One Purity. This old man has come here for two reasons: first, to offer his congratulations, and second, to convey his decree."

Then he glanced at the carriage procession, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, and said indifferently:

"The Emperor issued an edict for quiet cultivation, which is not inherently wrong. However, since this edict has not passed through the Heavenly Palace and has not been communicated to the Emperor, neither the Grand Heavenly Venerable nor the Celestial Master knows about it. Therefore, it can only be considered a private edict within the Heavenly Court. As a private edict, it cannot be widely distributed in the name of the angels, much less be issued by force. The Purple Tenuity Enclosure should understand this rule better than anyone else, so there is no need for me to emphasize it again."