Delivery

"We have descended to the mortal realm by imperial decree, but how are we to capture the rebels of Kunlun, Dongyue, and Fengdu?" The newly appointed High God Tianji was not well versed in the official affairs of the Heavenly Dao world, so he inquired, "And then there is that rebel, Xu Ying. The immortal writ says he is skilled at stirring up trouble. We ought to capture him first, lest he continue to sow chaos." The moment he spoke, the other heavenly gods broke into laughter. Tianji was baffled. High God Tianli chuckled. "If you finish the business right away, what excuse do we have left to remain in the mortal realm?" High God Tianji froze in a daze. "Little brother, you're new here, so you don't know the rules," High God Tiantiao said, patting him on the shoulder. "When the higher-ups send us down on official business, if we finish it right away, we have to return and report our duty done. We usually attend to business while indulging ourselves. If the superiors push hard, then we do actual work; if they aren't pushing, we enjoy ourselves first, and only get down to business when the pressure mounts. In any case, stall if you can stall. When you really can't stall any longer, go do it—and even then, don't wrap it up in one go. Take your sweet time." High God Tianji pondered this, then asked, "Then shall we go to the Yuanshou world?" The other heavenly gods burst into uproarious laughter once more. High God Tianji flushed crimson, not daring to speak further. To spare him further embarrassment, High God Tiangang smiled and said, "If we all crowd into the Yuanshou world, how could we properly enjoy ourselves? With so many worlds across the heavens, which one can't we lord over and run wild in? Besides, we have our pretext: we'll simply say that the rebels of Dongyue, Kunlun, and Fengdu have fled the Netherworld and Yuanshou, and that we have gone to other worlds to track down their whereabouts. That way, we appear diligent while slacking off." The various heavenly gods promptly began selecting worlds across the heavens, vying for those rich in resources. To descend to the mortal realm, one required an immortal descent talisman—a jade token inscribed with the names of the realms in Immortal Dao runes. Only by holding such a treasure could they pierce through the barrier between heaven and the mortal world and descend in their true forms. In the future, leaving the mortal world and returning to the Heavenly Dao world would likewise rely on this very talisman. High God Tianji was a newcomer and dared not compete with the others for descent talismans. Remembering something else, he asked High God Tiangang, "What if we go to other worlds and genuinely run into the rebels of Fengdu, Dongyue, or Kunlun?" "Run, of course!" Tiangang shot him a sideways glance. "Are you stubborn enough to actually charge up and fight? What terrifying monsters those rebels are! If they catch you, they'll skin you alive and swallow you whole!" High God Tianji's heart pounded. He asked, "Then what about that rebel Xu Ying who stirs up trouble? Is his strength formidable?" The gathering of heavenly gods sneered with contempt. "Formidable my foot!" "If I were to descend, I could capture the brat in a single move!" "Nothing more than a Qi Refiner who's managed to stay alive a bit longer." Among them, several heavenly gods who had suffered at the hands of Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang during the battle of Kunlun—such as High God Tianli—hesitated and kept their mouths shut, unwilling to lose face. Once the gods had each chosen the world they wished to descend upon, they set out for the ferry in the Heavenly Dao world that led down to the mortal realm. There, they activated their respective immortal descent talismans. That ferry was the Tongtian River. The immortal descent talismans blazed with radiant light, enveloping the heavenly gods as they plunged into the waters. In the next instant, the talismans carried them through the barrier between the Heavenly Dao world and the mortal realm, transforming into streaks of light that hurtled like colossal stars toward different worlds throughout the heavens! High God Tianji was deeply calculating. Seeing that no one had chosen the descent talisman for the Yuanshou world, he thought to himself, *These fellow Daoists actually forgot about the immense credit to be won from Xu Ying. What a bargain for me!* Elated, he snatched up the descent talisman for the Yuanshou world, made his way to the Tongtian River, and activated the talisman. The waters reflected scenes from across the myriad heavens. One of the worlds came to a halt and expanded rapidly before his eyes—the Yuanshou world. In that world, someone was offering sacrifices to heaven, their prayers reaching the celestial ears. High God Tianji intercepted this wisp of incense smoke qi. It originated from the Kongming cave-heaven of the Yuanshou world, where a white-haired elder and a woman in red were burning incense and submitting a report. They claimed that multiple bizarre incidents had unfolded at their incense altar and that the offender Xu Ying was attempting to break free of his suppression, expressing their hopes that a high god would deal with the matter without delay. High God Tianji was new, after all; the previous High God Tianji had spoken out of turn and been eliminated, leaving the newcomer with little knowledge of Xu Ying's true circumstances. Hearing this report, he was overjoyed. "With so many rays of ascension light in this cave-heaven, it is clearly exceedingly prosperous! Moreover, after the great purge three thousand years ago, all top experts in this world were wiped out. Choosing the Yuanshou world was truly the right decision!" Without hesitation, he manifested an avatar of divine power and descended into the Kongming cave-heaven, announcing, "I am High God Tianji. In consideration of your sincerity, I shall descend in my true body. Prepare an altar at once!" Within the Kongming cave-heaven, Beichenzi and Fairy Yutang were both shocked and overjoyed. They had never anticipated that their usual prayers and incense burning to the celestial realm would actually receive a response! Weeping tears of joy, the two embraced tightly. Beichenzi wailed loudly, "In years past, we burned incense and pleaded to heaven and earth, but which heavenly god ever bothered to pay us any heed? To think that today a heavenly god has actually answered and agreed to descend!" Fairy Yutang tilted her face toward the sky, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Heaven has eyes! Our luck has finally turned! Beichen, stop crying, hurry and prepare the altar!" Beichenzi hurriedly wiped away his tears and helped her erect the altar. As the two bustled about, they recalled the hardships and torment they had endured over the years, unable to hold back the mixed tides of grief and joy, tears and snot flowing freely. Just in the course of constructing a single altar, they broke down in tears four or five times. Once the altar was ready, they dried their tears and burned incense that reached up into the Heavenly Dao world, using the incense smoke as a beacon. High God Tianji immediately followed the wisp of incense smoke qi, activating his immortal descent talisman to cross the Heavenly River and pierce the heavenly-mortal barrier, descending straight toward the Kongming cave-heaven in the Yuanshou world! "Yuanshou world, here I come!" Meanwhile, the world High God Tianshu chose to descend upon was the Taichu World. This realm was barren. For unknown reasons, its worldly spiritual essence had been completely drained away; the people here could not practice Qi Refinement and were forced to pursue martial arts to strengthen their bodies. The last time Tianshu had tormented Xu Ying, he had cast Xu Ying into the Taichu World and arranged a new identity for him. However, things had gone awry, enabling Xu Ying to enter the Innate Martial Dao stage, shatter the shackles of martial arts, and forge an unconventional path of cultivation. When Tianshu sent a stone statue to hunt him down, it had been pulverized by a band of barbarians whose brains were pure muscle, dealing the god a bitter defeat. "I care nothing for the worldly spiritual essence of the Taichu World, nor do I care if there are treasures here. I am here solely for vengeance!" Like a brilliant, dazzling star, High God Tianshu streaked toward the Taichu World. Gazing at the realm from afar, murder flared in his heart. "Every barbarian in this world will be bathed in blood! I won't rush to kill them all at once; first I'll sacrifice all those mortals to heaven, then slowly slaughter the rest! Eh?" As he neared the Taichu World, his spirits suddenly soared. From a distance, he sensed a wondrous worldly spiritual essence wafting from this barren realm! That essence shone with five-colored light and possessed an extraordinarily high grade, far surpassing the spiritual essence of other worlds! "In just a few short years, the Taichu World has actually become so rich!" Tianshu was astonished and delighted, laughing heartily. "Good fortune shines upon me! Could it be that I am not Heavenly Reckoning, but Heavenly Luck? If this realm falls into my hands, it will multiply my strength four- or fivefold, enough to contest with immortals!" He swept down with a howl. In the next moment, the myriad living beings of the Taichu World raised their heads one after another, only to see a crimson spot the size of the sun abruptly emerge in the sky. The red spot was a slab of flesh and blood. That flesh grew at a terrifying pace, spreading in every direction until it swallowed half the sky, while blood-red tentacles crept across the firmament. The heavens turned a gruesome scarlet, gradually paved over by squirming meat that blocked out the sun like thick clouds. *Pop! Pop! Pop!* Gigantic spheres of flesh dangled from the sky, their surfaces parting left and right to reveal glaring eyes. A vast and mighty majesty of the Heavenly Dao descended from above, instantly engulfing the entire Taichu World in a suffocating pressure. Those whose wills were slightly weaker lost their senses, falling into madness with bloodshot eyes! A majestic voice echoed from within the mass of flesh: "Living beings, you are guilty. I am the heavenly god Tianshu, and I come to bring calamity upon you. Yet heaven cherishes life; on the first day, a tenth of you shall perish. On the second day, another tenth shall die, and on the third, another tenth—unless you worship me." As High God Tianshu spoke, he suddenly noticed a mountain unlike any other in the Taichu World. It was a five-colored mountain radiating quintuple hues, adorned with gold, jade, and glossy ganoderma. Upon that mountain stood a white-haired elder whose face seemed familiar. Beside the old man were several others, all martial experts who had turned their brains into muscle. Witnessing them, rage surged in Tianshu's heart. "I'll make them die one by one each day, until not a single one remains!" Just as the thought crossed his mind, he noticed a burly man in commoner's clothing on the mountain. The man's spirit and willpower were immensely tough and mighty, manifesting a vision of martial heavens around him. *This person looks familiar too.* Tianshu suddenly remembered: back on Mount Kunlun above the Jade Capital, this ruthless man in plain cloth had stood alone against the Immortal Seal. Commoner Martial Emperor Shen Luo turned to Wu Tianzun, Zhai Wuxian, and the others, saying, "I have a move called the Other Shore. Today, I impart it to you all." Standing upon the Five-Colored Immortal Mountain, his essence, qi, and spirit merged into unity. Primordial Spirit, martial dao, blood and qi, physical body, and raw power unified as one, and he punched upward! "With you as the sacrifice—the Other Shore of the Martial Dao!" As the punch was unleashed, an ultimate world of martial arts surfaced behind him. Around the Five-Colored Immortal Mountain, the Great Daos of heaven and earth resonated in harmony. Radiant light erupted from the divine peaks of the Taichu World, and sentient rivers drifted through the air! With that single fist, the entire Taichu World seemed to pulse with a heartbeat! In the next instant, the sky tore open. The canopy of flesh and blood blanketing the Taichu World was demolished by the surging martial strike. With merely one punch, the Heavenly Dao governed by High God Tianshu was blasted to smithereens! The boundless martial dao and its pulverizing will erased every trace of the Heavenly Dao completely! "This is the Other Shore of the Martial Dao." Commoner Martial Emperor Shen Luo withdrew his fist, speaking to the group with a touch of melancholy. "Alas, though I opened this Other Shore of the Martial Dao, I have never been able to open it fully. My martial arts have reached the absolute peak of what I can attain. Going forward, there is no road left." He sighed dejectedly. "I remain one step inferior to the existence who opened the six great other shores." Zhai Wuxian stepped forward and said, "What if we too break through to the realm of martial ascension? If one Commoner Martial Emperor cannot do it, what about ten?" Martial Emperor Shen smiled, his chest swelling with lofty ambitions. "Good! I refuse to believe that all of us martial experts combined will still fall short of that existence who opened the six great other shores!" Wu Tianzun's white hair fluttered as he roared with laughter. "When everyone unites with one heart, their sharpness can sever metal!" Yet despite his soaring spirit, a shadow lingered in Martial Emperor Shen's heart. He had once crossed the six great other shores alone, examining them thoroughly, and had discovered the traces left behind by that figure. Only then had he realized with shock that the person who opened all six other shores was the very same individual! To this day, he still found it difficult to reach that height. *Can combining the strength of all us martial experts allow us to stand shoulder to shoulder with that person?* he mused inwardly. *** In the Zhenghe world. High God Tianxiao descended silently into this realm like an expanse of sky. Unlike Tianshu, he was not rash; instead, he first walked the realm to investigate whether any experts capable of threatening him dwelt in seclusion here. After searching and finding no powerful figures in hiding, he chuckled. "'Tianxiao' means the firmament. I am High God Tianxiao; I shall first shroud this world's sky, blocking out the sun, moon, and stars, so the mortals of this realm learn what it means to revere the divine!" Acting upon the thought, he immediately veiled the firmament of the Zhenghe world, shutting out the sun, moon, and stars! The world fell into pitch-black darkness. Panic swept through the populace, throwing the world into chaos. Just as High God Tianxiao was reveling in his work, a three-legged golden crow suddenly flew out from the eclipsed sun, extending sharp talons to seize his head and spewing roaring flames that set him ablaze! It was a female bird, ferocious beyond measure, with chains wrapped around its body. High God Tianxiao struggled desperately, only to discover in horror that the three-legged golden crow was actually dragging the sun behind it! *I seem to have provoked someone I shouldn't have...* Before the thought could finish, the golden crow caught him in its beak, craned its neck, and swallowed him whole! Within the sun, Dongyue's silhouette emerged, his expression dark as he murmured, "Has the Immortal Realm discovered my trail so quickly? To send a false god to kill me—they truly look down on me." He let out a cold snort, an aura of ferocity bursting forth. "Have I been dead for over sixty thousand years only to be slighted to such an extent?" *** In the Jianyuan world. High God Tianyun descended here, spotting the towering divine peak of Kunlun from afar. "Not good!" Just as he moved to flee, a rainbow of radiant light swept forth, wrapping around him and dragging him straight into Mount Kunlun! The Queen Mother of the West swatted Tianyun to death, refined his cloud-qi to adorn Mount Kunlun, and said to Yuan Weiyang, "This place has already been discovered by heavenly gods. I must ask for the fairy's assistance in traveling to other worlds to take refuge." *** In the Netherworld, Xu Ying stepped out of the Nether Sea and looked up, watching the stars still drifting about in disarray across the sky. Those anglers were still refusing to give up, scouring the heavens above the Nether Sea for his whereabouts. *Though Great Emperor Beiyin is not at his peak, sending me to the shore beneath their noses was still well within his power.* Xu Ying hurried away from the Nether Sea toward the Nai River. When he reached the Nai River Bridge, he bowed respectfully from a distance toward Granny Meng on the bridge. Granny Meng's cheek twitched, and she pretended not to see him. Right at that moment, a woman in court dress stepped out from the mist at the head of the Nai River Bridge, smiling as she asked, "Are you Xu Ying? Did you write this talisman?" She waved the talisman in her hand. Xu Ying focused his gaze; it was precisely the rune he had drawn for Ah Fu the fool. Just as he was about to speak, another young woman's voice rang out, crisp as a fresh radish. "Xu Ying? Are you Xu Ying? I've been searching for you for so long!" Xu Ying followed the sound. On the surface of the Nai River, another woman in court dress stood at the bow of a boat, looking at him with delicate charm. Xu Ying halted and asked, "Ladies, who might you be?"