Great Emperor Cangwu stood before the corpse of Perfected Jade Pot, reflecting on their shared past, his heart flooded with emotion.
He raised a hand, and an abyss opened, swallowing the two halves of Perfected Jade Pot's corpse into its depths before closing shut, burying him. After all, they had once shared a deep friendship. The broad-shouldered, graying Perfected Jade Pot had long forgotten it, but Great Emperor Cangwu had not.
Returning to the mouth of the River Nai, Cangwu was relieved to find that Xu Ying had already brought Chu Xiangxiang back from the brink. No one in the world understood Perfected Jade Pot's Dao methods and divine powers better than Xu Ying; refining away her Dao injuries and restoring her to life had been effortless for him.
Even if Xu Ying could not have saved her, Dongyue, the Northern Emperor, and the Samsara Female Emperor—who held sway over yin spirits, yin gods, and reincarnation—were standing right there. Even if she had perished, they could have escorted her back from the Netherworld to the land of the living.
Great Emperor Cangwu thanked Xu Ying, saying, "If not for Fellow Daoist Xu's timely arrival in the Netherworld, we four old bones would likely have taken another fall."
Xu Ying returned the courtesy with a smile. "I merely happened to run into my worthy niece gathering heavenly water at the Heavenly River, which was how I learned of Perfected Jade Pot's challenge to you all. Fortunately, I knew how cunning he was; if he dared issue a challenge, he was bound to have prepared every conceivable countermeasure. That was why I hurried down. Where is he now?"
"He has been buried," Great Emperor Cangwu replied.
Xu Ying breathed a sigh of relief. "That man was despicable. Calling him a friend only tarnished your name, Brother Cangwu. An unwise choice of friend brings lifelong regret."
Cangwu fell silent for a moment before saying, "He wasn't always like this. In the mortal world, he was sincere, keen to learn, and full of drive. When we grew close and formed our bond, I saw that he possessed great ambition; he was no common hack."
Chu Xiangxiang muttered petulantly, "Father God, he brought you to this state, yet you still defend him!"
"He wasn't like this back then," Great Emperor Cangwu said. "Only after ascending to the Immortal Realm did he gradually become what he was."
He lapsed into silence, a deep sorrow settling in his heart.
From the moment Perfected Jade Pot ascended, he had steadily died. His corpse was only just laid to rest today.
Great Emperor Dongyue stepped forward with a smile. "Fellow Daoist Xu, these skills of yours are growing more splendid by the day. If not for your timely arrival, the consequences would have been unthinkable. Many thanks for lending a hand!"
Xu Ying chuckled. "Not only are my skills splendid, but my looks are growing handsomer by the day as well."
Dongyue burst into hearty laughter, declining to engage the boast. "Come now, Fellow Daoist, don't tease."
Great Emperor Beiyin stepped forward and said, "We have forged another bond of goodwill with Fellow Daoist Xu."
Xu Ying smiled. "As fellow daoists, helping one another is only right. You gentlemen keep yourselves at too much of a distance. Right now, mending the heavens in the Ancestral Court is in full swing, and the Ancestral Court also has an ancient Nether Sea. Everyone is preparing for the arrival of the Three Realms Tide, so why not reach out to our peers in the Ancestral Court? There is no need to fight alone."
The Samsara Female Emperor approached and said softly, "Fellow Daoist Xu speaks the truth. We four in the Netherworld have indeed been stuck in our ways. This time, the Primordial Monarch of the Immortal Realm dispatched merely a tiny fraction of her forces, yet it nearly wiped us out entirely. Never mind the full might of the Immortal Realm; even if the Primordial Monarch alone set her heart on killing us, it would be more than we could bear. Though we have a competitive relationship with the ancient Nether Sea, we mind our own business and have no conflict of interest with the Ancestral Court. Why not join forces?"
Cangwu looked toward the Northern Emperor and Dongyue, whose eyes met his; the three Netherworld emperors nodded in accord.
The Samsara Female Emperor said, "I once saved the Little Celestial Venerable, and he is Fellow Daoist Xu's disciple, so our ties run deep. I must trouble Fellow Daoist Xu to make the introduction."
"That will be simple enough," Xu Ying replied with a smile.
The group set out at once.
Xu Ying summoned the Third Heavenly Pass, using it to ferry them toward the Ancestral Court. The Netherworld did not extend into the Ancestral Court, preventing the four emperors from traveling there via its paths. Without Xu Ying's Third Heavenly Pass, they would have had to make the journey on foot.
However, when the Third Heavenly Pass opened and they stepped through its gateway into the Ancestral Court, all of them marveled in admiration.
"Fellow Daoist Xu, this treasure of yours is truly remarkable," the Northern Emperor inquired humbly. "How was it forged?"
Xu Ying smiled. "Simple. Cultivate to the Immortal Monarch realm, attain the Dao attainment of a Heavenly Monarch, get beaten to death by someone, and refine it using the realm of the Third Heavenly Pass stage."
Unaccustomed to such jokes, the Northern Emperor fell silent.
As the group headed toward the Ziwei Remnant Realm, the Golden Crow perched on Dongyue's shoulder broke the silence with a light laugh. "Fellow Daoist Xu, how is my son doing these days?"
Xu Ying chuckled. "Jin Buyi is doing splendidly now. He's serving as the Demon Emperor in the Demon Ancestral Court, having mastered formidable arts that make him even fiercer than me!"
The Golden Crow was Jin Buyi's mother, and upon hearing this, worry crept into her voice. "If he's the Demon Emperor, won't he be in even greater danger?"
Xu Ying smiled. "On the contrary, this is an opportunity for you to connect with the demon race."
Dongyue nodded gently. "Fellow Daoist speaks wisely. After meeting the Little Celestial Venerable, we shall make a trip to the Demon Ancestral Court. With Jin Buyi as a connection, we will have an extra measure of security in the days to come."
The Samsara Female Emperor walked up beside Xu Ying and whispered, "Young Master Xu, your Dao attainment is profound, rivaling a Heavenly Monarch, and your strength is astonishing. Why haven't you unraveled the seal the Imperial Monarch placed upon you?"
Xu Ying sighed and shook his head. "There are still five characters of the seal on me that I have never been able to break."
"Mm," the Samsara Female Emperor murmured. "The other characters could all be undone, so why would these five be impossible? Is it that you cannot break them, or that you are unwilling to?"
Xu Ying looked at her deeply, feeling that this maiden of reincarnation seemed to know a great deal, as if she could see straight into his heart.
"What doubts trouble you, Fellow Daoist Xu? You may speak freely," she said.
Xu Ying hesitated for a moment, then said, "Once I undo the seal of my first life, will I still be me?"
The Samsara Female Emperor froze.
As though speaking to her, or perhaps merely to himself, Xu Ying continued, "I've met so many people. Some were enemies, others friends, but whether foe or friend, every last one admired the me of that first life. Even those with blood debts against him would give a thumbs-up and offer praise at the mention of his name. His life reads like a legend, an epic, commanding reverence and respect. He weathered deep vengeance, rose from hopeless desolation, fought his way up from the mud to become the leader of millions in the Ancestral Court, ascended to the Immortal Realm all on his own, and endured humiliation to bear great burdens. The halo around him is simply too dazzling."
He fell into a daze, then added after a pause, "And what of me? I'm just a snake catcher who sprouted from his Undying True Spirit, a byproduct. I tread the path he laid out, inheriting his legacy. Everything I strive for is weighed against him. No matter how hard I try, no matter how much effort I pour in, people will always say: I am not his equal."
He walked ahead alone, his silhouette solitary and bleak. Looking back at the Samsara Female Emperor, he asked, "If I undo those five characters left by the Imperial Monarch, will I still be me? Or will I become him?"
The Samsara Female Emperor frowned slightly.
Even as a deity formed by the wishes and incense of all living beings, she had no certain answer to such a complicated question.
Seeing that she did not reply, Xu Ying let out a sigh.
Those five characters of the seal remained untouched.
The Ancestral Court was vast. Xu Ying and the others traveled for over ten days, coated in dust from the road, before finally arriving at the Ziwei Remnant Realm.
Along the way, they saw all manner of Heaven-Mending Divine Artifacts floating in the sky, restoring the natural Daos of heaven and earth across the Ancestral Court. One by one, divine artifacts were descending from the firmament, gathered up by the local Qi Refiners.
Now that the Great Daos of heaven and earth had been repaired, keeping the artifacts aloft served little purpose. These artifacts possessed immense power, capable of channeling worldly might to anchor the destiny of the Ancestral Court. Thus, they were typically stored within local sects to guard against unforeseen disasters.
Passing through these lands, Xu Ying saw that the Ancestral Court was steadily kindling a prairie fire. Shaking off his melancholy thoughts, he felt genuinely delighted for the Little Celestial Venerable.
'Back then, I abandoned the Ancestral Court and ascended to the Immortal Realm. Others grew dejected, but the Little Celestial Venerable alone inherited my ambitions and continued down this road. Now, he has finally achieved something grand.'
Along the way, he spotted many elders of the generation that had once followed him—figures like Daoist Wuliu, Xuan Yazi, Demon God Pan, and the Four Evils of the Ling Family—bustling about, helping the Little Celestial Venerable rebuild the Ancestral Court.
Such a thriving state of affairs had never existed before.
Suddenly, Xu Ying recalled what he had witnessed on the Heavenly River, and his heart sank.
The Three Realms Tide was growing fiercer by the day, and the Immortal Realm loomed like dark clouds overhead, pressing down toward the myriad heavens and worlds.
The Ancestral Court would not even have the chance to fully develop before being crushed by the descending Immortal Realm!
Steeling his resolve, he arrived at the Hunyuan Palace within the Ziwei Remnant Realm. Half of the palace had originally been burned down by Zhu Chanchan, but it was now restored, though the colors on either side differed.
When Xu Ying stepped inside, the Little Celestial Venerable happened to be there as well. Master and disciple were reunited, and Xu Ying introduced Cangwu, the Northern Emperor, and Dongyue to him, saying, "These fellow daoists are your master's seniors. Treat them with proper hospitality."
The Little Celestial Venerable offered the courtesies of a junior, bowing before Cangwu and the others. As for the Samsara Female Emperor, back when he died and nearly had his facial skin flayed by Xu Ying to forge a Nuo master treasure, she had been the one to save him, so they were naturally well-acquainted.
During his time in the cycle of reincarnation, he had even shared a romantic bond with her.
Cangwu smiled and said, "There is no need for such formality, Little Celestial Venerable. As the noble leader of the Ancestral Court, how could you address us as seniors? Let us address one another as fellow daoists."
The Little Celestial Venerable replied, "You are my venerable master's fellow daoists, so you are naturally my seniors. How could I dare disrupt the proper seniority?"
Dongyue roared with laughter. "His friendships are his, and yours are yours; one doesn't interfere with the other. You are the esteemed leader of the Ancestral Court; if you call us seniors, some of our peers here will feel slighted, thinking themselves inferior to us. No more protests."
The Little Celestial Venerable looked toward Xu Ying, who nodded gently and said, "Matters of etiquette are of little consequence. We face a grave situation now. Not long ago, I ventured deep into the Heavenly River and saw the Three Realms Tide dragging the Immortal Realm directly above the Realm of the Great Void. The Immortal Realm is descending—that is the true crisis."
A chill ran through everyone present.
The Little Celestial Venerable said, "Senior Sister Xiyue mentioned this to me as well. I have racked my brains, yet I cannot find a solution. Master, do you have any ideas?"
He looked up with hopeful eyes, just like the child who used to trail behind Xu Ying, wiping a runny nose, always looking to Xu Ying whenever danger struck.
Back then, his face had worn that very same expression of trust and anticipation.
In his eyes, Xu Ying had always been so tall, so mighty, capable of anything.
Meeting his gaze, Xu Ying hesitated for an instant, then smiled. "The Immortal Realm's arrival will still take about three to four years, so there's no need to panic. The Ancestral Court is hardly defenseless. We have Kunlun's Queen Mother of the West, the Four Saints of the North Pole, seniors like the Ancestral God and Demon Ancestor, transcendent masters like Daoist Taiqing and Daoist Yuxu, as well as the Ten Yama Kings... Oh, and the Wangxiang Platform! All of them can aid us against the Immortal Court! Furthermore, there is Daoist Wukong, whose power is unfathomable, rivaling a Supreme!"
He laughed heartily. "Looking at it this way, the Ancestral Court isn't weak at all; we have the strength to fight! What's more, with three to four years before the Immortal Realm arrives, much can change in the interim."
He patted the Little Celestial Venerable on the shoulder and smiled. "You must redouble your cultivation and not let mundane affairs weigh you down. Now that the Great Daos of heaven and earth in the Ancestral Court are complete, can one undergo tribulation and become an immortal?"
The Little Celestial Venerable seemed somewhat relieved and quickly said, "Though the Great Daos of heaven and earth have been restored, there are still places left incomplete. For instance, behind my Hunyuan Palace, amidst the purple qi, lies the Ziwei Ancestral Court, where the Heavenly Daos remain shattered. Not long ago, a visitor from the Ziwei Ancestral Court named Nan Ziyan came looking for me, saying that Master had promised to visit them as a guest but never showed up."
Xu Ying flushed slightly and laughed awkwardly. "Ah, Fellow Daoist Nan Ziyan... Well, er, I suppose I did promise him something of the sort, but that was ages ago! I assumed he had forgotten."
Reading Xu Ying's expression, the Little Celestial Venerable knew at once that he was lying. "Nan Ziyan has come here multiple times, pestering me like a resentful maiden about when Master would return. Since you're here now, why not make the trip? It's right there in the purple qi behind the Hunyuan Palace anyway."
Xu Ying thought of Daoist Yuan still waiting in Tushita Palace, and a pang of guilt gripped his heart. 'If I go straight to the Ziwei Ancestral Court instead of the Shangqing Ancestral Court, wouldn't I be breaking my word...?'
Just then, Nan Ziyan's voice drifted in from outside, brimming with grievance. "Little Celestial Venerable, I'm here again! When will your honored master return?"
Xu Ying was just about to slip away when the Little Celestial Venerable grabbed his arm and called out loudly, "Brother Ziyan, you've arrived right on time! Master has returned!"
A commotion erupted outside as Nan Ziyan, piloting his boat in wild excitement, crashed the celestial vessel into a huabiao pillar. The pillar had been newly forged by Zhu Chanchan and was exceptionally sturdy, yet his impact snapped it clean in two.
Nan Ziyan rushed into the Hunyuan Palace like a gust of wind, crying excitedly, "Where is Young Master Xu?"
Xu Ying glared at the Little Celestial Venerable, who hastily let go and smiled sheepishly. "Master, you can't just let him keep bothering me, can you? You just told me to focus on my cultivation, but how am I supposed to practice when he bugs me every other day? Besides, the Great Daos of heaven and earth in the Ziwei Ancestral Court are incomplete, which leaves the Heavenly Dao imperfect."
Just as he finished speaking, Nan Ziyan's voice rang out: "The Ziwei Ancestral Court is where the destiny of the human race converges, where the destiny of all races is anchored! Ziwei was the Immortal Court of old, the Immortal Realm of old! If Ziwei is not restored, who can become an immortal, and who can become a Buddha?"
A breeze swept through as Nan Ziyan, clad in yellow robes, stepped into the palace and stood before Xu Ying.
The youth carried an air of nobility and grace. Upon seeing Xu Ying, he bowed deeply to the floor and said, "Nan Ziyan implores Young Master Xu to grace the Ziwei Ancestral Court with his presence! Not for any selfish cause, but for the Heavenly Dao of the Ancestral Court, for the myriad living beings of the Ancestral Court, and for the path to immortality!"
His words struck a chord deep within Xu Ying.
If a trip to the Ziwei Ancestral Court could make the Ancestral Court's Heavenly Dao whole and allow people to attain immortality, the Ancestral Court could produce a vast host of immortals before the Immortal Realm arrived!
Over the past forty-eight thousand years, countless experts in the Ancestral Court had been stuck at the half-immortal realm, with half a foot already stepping into Yujing yet unable to cross the threshold!
Xu Ying raised his head, two streams of tears trickling down his cheeks, his voice trembling with emotion. "Daoist Yuan, I have failed you... Very well, I shall go with you to the Ziwei Ancestral Court!"
Overjoyed, Nan Ziyan quickly turned toward the exit and beamed. "Our Ziwei Ancestral Court is right behind the Hunyuan Palace. Young Master Xu, please board the ship!"
Xu Ying followed him, his heart twisting with guilt whenever he thought of Daoist Yuan waiting in Tushita Palace. He muttered silently, 'Daoist Yuan will surely forgive me. He will definitely understand my plight...'
He stepped onto the celestial vessel, letting a few stray tears scatter into the wind.
Nan Ziyan set sail at once. The celestial vessel took flight, sweeping over the Hunyuan Palace and soaring toward the colossal waterfall of purple qi that hung between heaven and earth.
The Ziwei Ancestral Court was hidden within that very veil of purple qi!
Chapter 493