Xu Ying hurriedly said, "Many thanks, Dao Brother!"
Great Emperor Cangwu replied with deep meaning, "We are all one family, so what need is there for thanks?"
Xu Ying was bewildered, having no idea why he would say such a thing.
He reached out his hand, and with a hum, that Nuo ancestor cave-heaven spun and shifted behind him. Shaped like a Taiji diagram, this cave-heaven was linked to the Jade Capital secret depository among the six secret depositories.
At the end of the cave-heaven stood a cluster of palace-like immortal structures, somewhat resembling the Jade Capital of Ascension-stage Qi Refiners, which was why it was called the Jade Capital other shore. However, this Jade Capital differed slightly from both the Jade Capital of a Qi Refiner and the Jade Capital of Kunlun.
The Yin-Yang cave-heaven could refine the immortal herbs of the Jade Capital other shore, turning them into yin and yang qi.
Xu Ying had questioned Commoner Emperor Wu Shen Luo before. The martial emperor had stated that upon pioneering the Other Shore of the Martial Dao, his physical body, strength, divine consciousness, primordial qi, and soul had all grown immensely; only his yin and yang qi had fallen short of Qi Refiners who cultivated both Nuo and qi simultaneously, which was why he had failed to survive the heavenly tribulation.
His Martial Dao could not refine yin and yang qi, and thus he fell short of success at the final hurdle.
As Xu Ying activated this cave-heaven, his yin and yang qi surged wildly at once. Before long, the Jade Capital immortal herbs accumulated within his body were completely refined away! The yin and yang qi in his body was absorbed by the Twelve-Storied Mansions and gradually refined into his Golden Core.
This Golden Core hovered on the brink of mutation, liable at any moment to break from its cocoon like a butterfly and transform into a Primordial Spirit! Xu Ying, however, suppressed the Golden Core's transformation, thinking to himself, *I am still missing two Nuo ancestor cave-heavens. If I can obtain the Yellow Court and the Jade Pool, and refine the immortal herbs of divine consciousness and primordial qi to bolster my Golden Core, it will undergo a perfect transformation into a Primordial Spirit.*
Cultivating the twelve proofs of the Primordial Spirit was one of his goals. When in his Master Ying state, he had achieved the twelve proofs of the Primordial Spirit as well. If he could not measure up to Master Ying, then no matter how powerful he grew in this life, he would never be able to defeat his adversaries.
Proof and testament—the twelve proofs of the Primordial Spirit were in truth twelve testaments, branding one's Primordial Spirit onto the Twelve-Storied Mansions to attest that one's accomplishments had reached the ultimate peak!
To achieve this was exceedingly difficult.
If Xu Ying could not find the other two Nuo ancestor cave-heavens, he could still cultivate step by step, refining more and more immortal herbs of divine consciousness and primordial qi to deepen his cultivation until he reached the point of imprinting his Primordial Spirit. It would simply be far slower that way.
Great Emperor Cangwu was very pleased to see his cultivation grow increasingly profound, thinking to himself, *Having such a son-in-law would hardly disgrace Xiangxiang.*
Chu Xiangxiang also rushed over upon hearing the news, her heart overflowing with joy at seeing Cangwu revived.
Deeply moved, Great Emperor Cangwu took his daughter by the hand, led her to a secluded spot, and said with slightly reddened eyes, "Xiangxiang, you have suffered these past days."
"I haven't suffered at all," Chu Xiangxiang smiled. "I don't know when I've ever been happier than these past few days."
Great Emperor Cangwu stammered, "That's good, that's good... Sometimes a twisted melon turns out sweet after all..."
Seeing his expression, Chu Xiangxiang realized he had misunderstood and hurriedly explained, "Imperial Father, it's not the kind of happiness you're thinking! Ah Ying and I get along very well. He treated me with utmost courtesy, without overstepping in the slightest. He's very easy to talk to—you misunderstood him. When he saved you, he didn't make any unreasonable demands; he simply brought you back to life with the Jade Pool immortal water."
Great Emperor Cangwu was surprised. "He truly made no unreasonable demands? What about reasonable ones?"
Blushing with embarrassment, Chu Xiangxiang chided in mild exasperation, "Not even reasonable ones!"
Great Emperor Cangwu was perplexed. "A young man and woman all alone together, and nothing happened between you two?"
Chu Xiangxiang shook her head. Remembering how she had nearly kissed Xu Ying, her heart fluttered wildly, like several unruly little rabbits thumping inside her chest.
Great Emperor Cangwu pondered, "Strange. Could it be he didn't extort the Northern Emperor? If he didn't extort the Northern Emperor, why would the Northern Emperor do so much for him?" He was thoroughly baffled. The Northern Emperor clearly valued his dignity and would never swallow his pride to run errands for Xu Ying. Had the Northern Emperor undergone a change of heart?
Chu Xiangxiang smiled. "Imperial Father, couldn't it simply be that the Northern Emperor admires Ah Ying and thus helped him so much?"
Hearing this, Great Emperor Cangwu looked her up and down, understanding dawning on him. He chuckled, "Xiangxiang, even though he didn't make any excessive demands, he has captured your heart instead. When a goddess falls in love, ripples stir upon the Xiang River. Mind that your Xiang River doesn't flood and endanger the common folk along its banks."
Chu Xiangxiang was flustered and embarrassed. "It's not flooding at all! Imperial Father, you're teasing me again!" With that, she turned and fled toward Feilai Peak to watch Zhu Chanchan forge treasures. Great Emperor Cangwu burst into hearty laughter.
The Son of Heaven of Zhou walked up to Xu Ying, surveyed the four Nuo ancestor cave-heavens behind him, and asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Xu, you invited us here; may I ask what matter this concerns?"
Xu Ying channeled the four Nuo ancestor cave-heavens and circulated his magic power. He felt that when mobilizing these four cave-heavens, apart from the Mud Pill Palace cave-heaven, the other three operated with slight disharmony.
Before remembering the ancestral method, he hadn't noticed this. But now that he recalled the Mud Pill Palace ancestral method, he could clearly sense the sluggish resistance when operating the cave-heavens that lacked their ancestral methods.
"I invited everyone here, naturally, to take control of the Heavenly Dao and help you cross your tribulations to become mortal immortals," Xu Ying smiled. "While in Kunlun I had little certainty, but here, I am seventy to eighty percent confident that I can guide you safely through the heavenly tribulation."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou's hand trembled involuntarily, his heart surging with excitement. Grand Preceptor Jiang could hardly suppress his own excitement either. He spoke up: "Fellow Daoist Xu..."
His voice was hoarse. Realizing his throat was parched from agitation, he hurriedly coughed twice to steady his emotions, then asked, "Could Fellow Daoist Xu truly take control of the Heavenly Dao?"
He had witnessed Xu Ying activate the Tianzhu Sword before and naturally knew how formidable Xu Ying was.
Yet taking control of the Heavenly Dao was simply too shocking; even though he had seen Xu Ying deploy Heavenly Dao divine powers, it remained hard to believe.
Xu Ying smiled faintly and raised his palm. Gorgeous Heavenly Dao runes immediately materialized in midair!
Behind him, an imposing Heavenly Dao avatar slowly rose, and a tempestuous aura of the Heavenly Dao flooded the surroundings at once, like a majestic god king!
The Heavenly Dao aura emanating from this avatar was so potent it even affected the minds of the Son of Heaven of Zhou and Grand Preceptor Jiang!
The two were forced to focus their minds, and behind the Son of Heaven of Zhou, the Yellow Court cave-heaven manifested to bolster his divine consciousness, contending against this Heavenly Dao aura.
The Son of Heaven of Zhou was utterly shocked. Back on Mount Kunlun, Xu Ying still needed the aid of the twenty-four Bright Moon Mountains and Rivers Beads to lay out a Heavenly Dao domain and manifest a Heavenly Dao avatar within it.
Due to the backlash of the Heavenly Dao, the Bright Moon Mountains and Rivers Beads could not hold out for long before becoming covered in cracks. Back then, the Son of Heaven of Zhou could still contend on equal terms with Xu Ying.
Now, Xu Ying required no magic treasures whatsoever to project a Heavenly Dao domain, and the Heavenly Dao avatar he manifested was far more powerful than before! At present, he could no longer hold a candle to Xu Ying.
*The Nuo ancestor cave-heavens are truly extraordinary; the boost is simply immense,* the Son of Heaven of Zhou secretly envied.
Xu Ying dispersed the Heavenly Dao avatar and smiled. "The Heavenly Dao runes I know are not particularly numerous either. However, none of the gods of the Heavenly Dao world know more Heavenly Dao runes than I do."
Grand Preceptor Jiang could not hide the shock in his heart, murmuring, "Can a mortal truly take control of the Heavenly Dao?"
The Son of Heaven of Zhou laughed. "After witnessing Xu Fu's tribulation, I harbored no illusions about ascending through tribulation. But if Fellow Daoist Xu can master the Heavenly Dao and allow us to become mortal immortals, then what does it matter whether we ascend or not?"
Recalling Xu Fu's tribulation had filled his heart with despair, but Xu Ying taking control of the Heavenly Dao brought him fresh hope.
Xu Ying said, "My memories are sealed. I must see the Heavenly Dao runes first before I can recall their meanings. There are also some Heavenly Dao runes that even my past lives never comprehended, which I must grasp from scratch. Over these years, the Heavenly Dao runes I have encountered number only six hundred and twenty-one, which is likely still far from taking control of heavenly tribulations."
Grand Preceptor Jiang pondered for a moment before saying, "If we wish for heavenly gods to appear, it requires either sacrificing to heaven or crossing a tribulation. Our Great Zhou can offer sacrifices to heavenly gods to make them descend to the mortal realm. With Great Zhou's current strength, capturing them upon their descent should pose no difficulty."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou nodded gently. "Capturing heavenly gods is one path, but if we capture too many, it will be noticed, and they will not descend lightly. They might even send down tribulations upon the Yuanshou world."
Jiang Qi's eyes flickered. "Hence the need for the second path: crossing tribulations. During the tribulation, heavenly gods sometimes appear to administer punishment on behalf of the heavenly tribulation."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou frowned. "Administering punishment on behalf of the heavenly tribulation is usually reserved for the most heinous sinners. Furthermore, the one crossing the tribulation will surely die."
Grand Preceptor Jiang said, "Slaughtering the populace of a city or a state is enough to draw down heavenly gods to administer punishment during a tribulation. Many among our court officials fit this description. This subject is willing to go and persuade them to undergo tribulation."
Anger flared in the Son of Heaven of Zhou's heart. "Do you mean for Us to order them to their deaths? They are meritorious officials! Even if they slaughtered cities and destroyed states, it was done under Our instructions! If We order them to undergo tribulation, how can We maintain the trust of the world?"
Grand Preceptor Jiang bowed deeply. "For an enterprise that will endure for millennia, they must be sacrificed."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou said coldly, "It is not you being sacrificed, so of course you say it lightly!"
Grand Preceptor Jiang's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "Their sins pale in comparison to mine. For Your Majesty's grand enterprise, I extinguished the living beings of an entire heaven, committing heinous sins. After they cross their tribulations, I will undergo tribulation as well, which should draw down even more heavenly gods."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou was choked with fury. "You... you..."
Grand Preceptor Jiang said, "The Heavenly Dao is heartless, and only a heartless person can contend against heaven. Only by severing sentiment can a wise man attain ultimate wisdom; even oneself is merely a chess piece."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou hesitated.
At this moment, Great Emperor Cangwu walked over and chuckled, "Heavenly gods have already descended to the lower realms. Why must you undergo tribulations to lure them down? Just go straight to the various worlds and look for them."
Xu Ying, the Son of Heaven of Zhou, and Jiang Qi stirred inwardly, all turning to look at him.
Great Emperor Cangwu smiled. "Though this old man was dead all these years, I did not decay, and the movements across the heavens and myriad worlds could not escape my eyes and ears. Not long ago, many heavenly gods descended to the lower realms, landing across various worlds and wreaking immense havoc. If you seek heavenly gods, you need neither cross tribulations nor make sacrifices—simply go to those worlds and find them."
Xu Ying asked in surprise, "Why did these heavenly gods suddenly descend to the lower realms on such a massive scale?"
He suddenly remembered High God Tianji, who had come forward on behalf of Beichenzi and Yu Tang. Tianji had also descended abruptly, only to be slain by him.
Great Emperor Cangwu shook his head. "I do not know either." He was thoroughly perplexed. The descent of heavenly gods from the Heavenly Dao world was no trivial matter; it signaled that a major event had occurred in the lower realms, forcing these gods to descend.
Yet after descending, these gods had scattered into different heavens, behaving as though they had no proper business to attend to whatsoever, leaving him utterly baffled.
What they did not know was that on that day, when Great Emperor Beiyin used the Stone of Three Lives to help Xu Ying unravel his memory seal and traced back to Chaoge City, the ancient entity of the Immortal Realm who had placed the seal detected it. He had then ordered the Thunder and Fire Ministry of Works and its subordinate heavenly gods to descend to the lower realms to capture Xu Ying.
Yet who could have anticipated that the immortal officials of the Thunder and Fire Ministry of Works had long since fled, leaving no one in charge? As a result, the heavenly gods were freed from restraint, descending to the mortal realm and wreaking havoc everywhere.
Scattering in all directions, they ironically granted Xu Ying and his companions the opportunity to defeat them one by one.
"These heavenly gods have fled to different worlds, so tracking them down is rather simple," Great Emperor Cangwu said. "You can travel to different worlds through the Cangwu Abyss, and I will guide the way for you."
He hesitated for a moment before adding, "However, I cannot remain here for long either. The matter of my resurrection will likely soon alarm the upper realm, and before long, experts from above will arrive to investigate. I must relocate the Cangwu Abyss as soon as possible and hide this cosmic rift."
If Great Emperor Cangwu concealed the Cangwu Abyss, traveling between the heavens and myriad worlds would likely become rather laborious.
Xu Ying looked at the Son of Heaven of Zhou.
The Son of Heaven of Zhou said resolutely, "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Xu. The soldiers of Great Zhou will locate these heavenly gods as quickly as possible."
Xu Ying nodded gently.
The Son of Heaven of Zhou immediately left the Cangwu Secret Realm and returned to Haojing. He gathered his civil and military officials and assembled three thousand soldiers, who entered the Cangwu Abyss in a grand, imposing procession. Great Emperor Cangwu guided their way, sending these soldiers into different heavens.
"Dao Brother Cangwu, do you recognize what this medallion is?" Xu Ying took out the jade medallion inscribed with the characters "Yuanshou" and inquired.
This medallion was something he had retrieved from the corpse of High God Tianji after slaying him; thinking that Great Emperor Cangwu was well-traveled and experienced, he figured Cangwu might recognize it.
Great Emperor Cangwu took it in hand and examined it repeatedly, yet did not recognize it either, shaking his head. "I have never seen it before."
He returned the immortal descent talisman to Xu Ying, looked toward Chu Xiangxiang, who was helping Zhu Chanchan forge treasures atop Feilai Peak, and asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Xu, what do you think of my daughter?"
Xu Ying was startled. This was the second time Cangwu had asked him what he thought of Chu Xiangxiang. He thought to himself, *The words I learned from Seventh Master are basically all used up. If he keeps probing, he'll realize that I'm completely uncultured as well. What will I do then?*
Though he had lived for ages, he had squandered most of that time either herding cattle and sheep or acting as a merchant's son, never once becoming an educated man.
This time, upon recovering his memories, he had tried hard to learn from Yuan Qi, but what he had picked up was limited after all, and he could not pose as a scholar.
Fortunately, Great Emperor Cangwu did not press further, saying, "Over seventy thousand years ago, I was an orthodox god in charge of the transit between the realms of yin and yang, highly regarded by the Immortal Realm. One day, I received an invitation from an old friend in the Immortal Realm, so I departed to attend the gathering in the Immortal Realm. But when I returned to the Cangwu Abyss, I was ambushed. In that battle, I fought with great difficulty, and only after repelling the formidable foes did I discover that corpses littered the entire Xiang River region."
He fell into a daze.
After a moment, Great Emperor Cangwu continued, "Only then did I realize that I had committed a terrible mistake while fighting the enemy. Countless commoners throughout the Xiang River region had died because of me. I drifted there, sinking countless corpses into the abyss to bury them. Among the corpses, I found a female infant still in swaddling clothes who had miraculously survived the battle of gods."
Xu Ying was slightly taken aback. "That female infant was Xiangxiang?"
Great Emperor Cangwu nodded. "I gave her the surname Chu and named her after the Xiang River, calling her Chu Xiangxiang, and took her as my daughter. Keeping Xiangxiang by my side, I entered the dreams of living beings across the heavens and myriad worlds, bidding them to sacrifice to the Maiden of the Abyss, the God of the Xiang River. Eventually, Xiangxiang attained sacred godhood in the flesh. Later, she gained divine powers, governed the Xiang River, and earned the love of the people, growing ever stronger in cultivation."
Xu Ying stirred inwardly. Chu Xiangxiang's attainment of godhood in the flesh bore similarities to the demon gods of the demon race. Demon gods also received the incense and sacrifices of the common people while still alive, gradually cultivating into deities.
Yet Chu Xiangxiang had received incense starting from when she was an ordinary mortal, step by step becoming a deity endowed with Heavenly Dao runes!
"She has never known that I was the foe who brought ruin upon her family. All along, she believed I was her imperial father," Great Emperor Cangwu said. "Over seventy thousand years ago, the people who ambushed me in the Cangwu Abyss were very peculiar."
Xu Ying said, "Isn't the person who invited you as a guest to the Immortal Realm even more peculiar?"
Great Emperor Cangwu shuddered. He turned to look at Xu Ying, and after a moment, said, "Xiangxiang is the pearl of my palm. Fellow Daoist Xu, you must treat her well."
Xu Ying agreed, yet felt that something was not quite right.
At that moment, the Son of Heaven of Zhou rushed over in haste, calling out, "Brother Xu, we have discovered the whereabouts of High God Tiande in the Chuyuan world!"
Chapter 290