Immortal Court.
Xu Jing sought out the Immortal Emperor Supreme. Observing proper etiquette, he performed the customary bows before rising to state his business. "The Dou Department is one of the Six Departments and Your Majesty's most loyal subordinate. I have heard that the other five departments have all received ginseng Dao fruits, while only the Dou Department received none. I must plead for justice on behalf of the Dou Department! The other five departments harbor divided loyalties, yet the Dou Department harbors none. If they all receive ginseng Dao fruits this time while the Dou Department gets nothing, wouldn't that cause grief to our allies and bring joy to our foes?"
The Immortal Emperor Supreme gave him a side glance and said, "Worthy Son-in-Law, you have already consumed a ginseng Dao fruit. Consuming a second will do you no good."
Xu Jing replied, "I am only acting in the interest of fairness. My fruit was a gift from the Worthy Princess. The princess showed care to her humble servant and thus secretly gifted one to me. But I am also the Celestial Venerable of the Dou Bureau. If Your Majesty bestows them upon the other five departments and withholds one solely from the Dou Department, what will the soldiers and commanders think? Having just assumed leadership, I fear I will struggle to win their allegiance. Please, Your Majesty, see clearly into this!"
The Immortal Emperor Supreme said, "I understand your reasoning, but you have already run here more than a dozen times lately, harping on this very matter over and over."
Xu Jing said, "The Dou Department has been loyal and upright for generations."
"Enough!"
The Immortal Emperor Supreme was so exasperated that he laughed. He barked, "The last person in the Dou Department to rebel was your own son! Where does this 'loyal for generations' come from? The Imperial Monarch and Heavenly Venerables may harbor divided loyalties, but at least they haven't openly rebelled. Your son rebelled forty-eight thousand years ago!"
Xu Jing said, "I share an irreconcilable enmity with that rebellious son of mine! If Your Majesty gives the word, I will lead the Dou Department's armies down to the lower realm and bring the traitor Xu Ying to justice!"
The Immortal Emperor Supreme cast him a sidelong glance, then suddenly chuckled. "Xu Jing, Ying'er is also my grandson. How could I deny him a chance to mend his ways? Rest assured, there will come a day when father and son reunite. When the two of you serve together as Celestial Venerables of the Dou Bureau, it will no longer be the Dou Department's shame, but a celebrated story."
Xu Jing hurriedly asked, "Then what about the ginseng Dao fruit?"
The Immortal Emperor Supreme felt a headache coming on.
Striking while the iron was hot, Xu Jing added, "Your Majesty, one must hold the bowl steady and treat all equally."
The Immortal Emperor Supreme waved his hand. Xu Jing immediately backed away to leave, saying, "Your Majesty, I shall return another day."
"Get back here!" barked the Immortal Emperor Supreme.
Xu Jing stepped forward, lowering his brow in meek obedience.
After a moment's hesitation, the Immortal Emperor Supreme said, "I will grant your Dou Department one ginseng Dao fruit. Do not spread word of this."
Both surprised and delighted, Xu Jing hurriedly bowed in gratitude. Inwardly, he thought, *The ancient books were right: when one casts aside shame and skin, one is invincible under heaven. Truly, the ancients did not deceive me!*
He had previously received a ginseng Dao fruit from Lan Suying and had already refined it. However, he was merely an Immortal Monarch. He had only just formed a Dao tree and had not yet cultivated Dao flowers, yet a Dao fruit now hung upon his tree.
Xu Jing felt his cultivation and Dao attainment rise like a rising tide, but he was well aware that this realm, elevated through a ginseng Dao fruit, was an illusory one. It merely granted him entry into the realm of a pseudo–Golden Immortal of Great Luo; he remained far from truly attaining that state.
Moreover, the Dao fruit cultivated via the ginseng Dao fruit was a fruit born without a flower—a pseudo Dao fruit, which was not his true aspiration.
What he truly wished to attain was the Supreme Realm.
*A turbulent age approaches. The Immortal Realm has enjoyed peace for far too long, and in the face of this chaos, raw strength is the supreme path. Without strength, empty talk of foundations remains just that—empty talk.*
He put away the Dao fruit bestowed by the Immortal Emperor Supreme, his mind entirely calm, untroubled by gains and losses.
Standing in the Immortal Realm, he looked down, and the myriad heavens and worlds unfolded before his eyes.
The Immortal Realm and the mortal realm had drawn very, very close.
Under the influence of the tides, worlds were continuously merging into one another, triggering even greater spacetime tides.
As the tides grew ever more violent, countless ancient ruins buried deep within the myriad heavens and worlds began to emerge. Though none were as astounding as Wuzhuang Temple, they were still extraordinary, drawing many immortals and Qi Practitioners to explore them.
Immortals and mortals had already begun living in the same world.
Yet only when the Immortal Realm fused entirely with the myriad heavens and worlds to become the Earth Immortal Realm would the barrier between immortal and mortal truly vanish.
*In this chaotic age, who will seize the chance to rise?*
In the Ancestral Court, within the Ruyi Great Luo Heaven, the big bell seized every moment to refine the Dao fruit Xu Ying had gifted it while continuing to suppress the strange Heavenly River flower. Incapable of "eating" the Dao fruit, it simply treated it like a spiritual elixir to refine and absorb.
The energy within the Dao fruit flowed continuously into its bodhimanda. Feeling its Dao attainment rise in tandem, the big bell was overjoyed, knowing it had chosen the right path.
By the time Xu Ying refined the origin of the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler and emerged from within it, the big bell had already refined nearly half of the fruit. Beneath the bell's rim now hung a dainty Dao fruit—cyan, with a rough exterior, traced with flowing Dao patterns like a dragon's egg.
This Dao fruit was extraordinary. The interior of the bell was its bodhimanda, so hanging beneath the rim placed it squarely within its bodhimanda.
*It's just that the hanging position looks rather indecorous.*
The big bell quietly shifted the Dao fruit, hanging it atop the bell—which looked like a dragon egg resting on its head. It then moved the fruit to the back, which looked as though a dragon egg had sprouted behind it.
Furthermore, the most suitable place for a Dao fruit was still within the bodhimanda.
*Forget it, better to keep it inside my body.*
The big bell felt a touch of regret. Being unable to display its Dao fruit felt like walking through the night in embroidered robes—what a waste of a Dao fruit!
Little Celestial Venerable was still pondering the ten Dao wonders within Xu Ying's Great Luo Heaven. But after a dozen days, he gave up on life and death, Dao power, the void, and primal chaos, turning instead to study the other six.
Achieving insight into those four Dao wonders had been exceptionally arduous for Xu Ying. Little Celestial Venerable had no hope of mastering them in a single bound unless his natural talent far exceeded Xu Ying's.
Focusing on the remaining six sceneries of Great Luo proved far more familiar territory. The roots of these six Dao wonders also originated from the Xu family's Six Secret Ancestral Methods, which Little Celestial Venerable had also studied. Cultivating them was more than enough to make up for the deficiencies in his bodhimanda.
Xu Ying came to inspect his progress, instructing him to manifest his bodhimanda once more.
Little Celestial Venerable's eyes gleamed with high fighting spirit. "Please instruct me, Master!"
He activated his bodhimanda. As Xu Ying's Great Luo Bodhimanda pressed down, Little Celestial Venerable managed to maintain its operation. His confidence surged. Channeling his mysterious art, his physical body completed eight revolutions, becoming immensely formidable as he charged straight at Xu Ying!
Xu Ying allowed him to close the distance and traded several blows with him. Feeling the boy's incomparably powerful physical body, he inwardly praised the wonder of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art.
"Not bad, not bad. Aside from a few issues with the eighth revolution, there are no major flaws," Xu Ying commended.
With his confidence soaring, Little Celestial Venerable beamed. "Master, why not give me some guidance?"
Xu Ying sighed. Everything about this disciple of his was fine, except for his occasional tendency to become swollen with pride—one wondered who he had learned that from.
With a slight stir of Xu Ying's mind, a Chaos Golden Lotus surfaced upon the Chaos Sea among the Ten Sceneries of Luo Heaven, radiating profound Dao resonance.
Little Celestial Venerable grunted as his bodhimanda was suddenly pressed down, feeling as though one hundred and eight thousand Immortal Kings were suppressing it, grinding its operation to a halt.
He could still move, but in the next instant, from the second scenery, the Xuanhuang Two Vapors, a Xuanhuang Dao flower bloomed from the clear and turbid qi. Rooted between heaven and earth, it drew upon the world's Dao power.
The moment this flower appeared, Little Celestial Venerable felt as if one hundred and eight thousand Immortal Kings were riding upon his back, rendering him utterly immobile.
Immediately after, a glazed flower blossomed in the third scenery, the Glazed Pure Sky, looking as though it were crafted from colored glaze. Next, in the fourth scenery, an indestructible celestial sprout grew within the Indestructible Spiritual Light, formed entirely of clustered spiritual light.
In the fifth scenery, the Jade Capital Immortal City, twin stalks of yin and yang sprouted; in the sixth scenery, the Taiji Immortal City, a curious black-and-white flower emerged; in the seventh scenery, a flower of life and death blossomed on the water beneath the God Bridge; in the eighth scenery, a golden lotus of Dao power grew from the Indeterminate Long River; and in the ninth scenery, a void flower arose from the Void Flames.
As these nine sceneries' Dao flowers emerged, Little Celestial Venerable was thoroughly suppressed—not only were his cultivation and magic power frozen, but even his very consciousness was rendered unable to move.
Beyond these nine Dao flowers, there was a tenth: the Dao flower of the tenth scenery, the Taiyi Cave Abyss. However, this flower was hazy, situated deep within the Taiyi Cave Abyss.
The Taiyi Cave Abyss remained distant from the present world, and this flower was still unable to manifest in reality.
Xu Ying withdrew his Dao flowers and smiled. "You have done very well. To endure the suppression of even one of my Dao flowers is quite remarkable. Could this be the fruit of opening the Other Shore of the Martial Dao?"
Little Celestial Venerable felt both deflated and somewhat pleased.
He and Martial Emperor Shen Luo had joined forces to open the Other Shore of the Martial Dao. That other shore was now growing steadily, and his accomplishments were advancing alongside it.
The big bell whispered, "Ah Ying, why do I feel something isn't quite right? Shouldn't your Dao flowers carry the cultivation of the Heavenly Monarch realm? Could a single Heavenly Monarch Dao flower truly fail to suppress Xu Ergou?"
With a darkened face, Xu Ying transmitted his voice, "Master Bell, he is my disciple, not my enemy. I had to leave him some confidence rather than snuffing it out in one go. Besides, his name is Little Celestial Venerable. Stop calling him Xu Ergou."
In the past, Xu Ying had occasionally called Little Celestial Venerable "Xu Ergou," but he had eventually realized the implication. If Little Celestial Venerable was Ergou, then who were Dagou and Laogou?
Wasn't it glaringly obvious, as plain as a bald spot on a head?
Moreover, ever since the divide between immortal and mortal had grown less rigid, Xu Ying had encountered quite a few immortals who referred to him behind his back as Old Dog Xu.
As a result, hearing Little Celestial Venerable's nickname gave Xu Ying a pang of shared misery, stirring a prick of discomfort.
"Little Celestial Venerable, there is a major flaw in the eighth revolution of your mysterious art. You might manage against ordinary Immortal Monarchs, but against true experts, they would likely break your eight revolutions with ease."
Xu Ying continued, "Advancement in the Immortal Realm is difficult; without a backing, one cannot rise. Thus, most Immortal Monarchs in the Immortal Realm are far from ordinary. If you encounter them, you will certainly suffer. I have a plan: why not search for the tomb of the creator of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art? We might just find the complete art there."
Little Celestial Venerable had found the remnant manual of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art while traveling together with the first-life Xu Ying. In this lifetime, Xu Ying had relied on his own foundation to help him patch it up to the eighth revolution. However, the eighth revolution still contained substantial flaws. Since Xu Ying's attainments in the martial dao and the physical body were no higher than Little Celestial Venerable's, he was unable to complete the technique further.
Just as Little Celestial Venerable was about to speak, an immortal from the Ancestral Court hurried over and reported, "Reporting to the Celestial Venerable, we have found traces of Daoist Wukong!"
Xu Ying's spirits lifted. Little Celestial Venerable hurriedly asked, "Where did Senior go?"
The Ancestral Court immortal replied, "He went to the Boundless Sea of Fire!"
Xu Ying was startled. The Boundless Sea of Fire? Wasn't that where True Lord Erlang's tomb was located? Furthermore, rumors held that the Grand Pure Dao Ancestor's Eight Trigrams Pill Furnace had fallen into the mortal realm, giving rise to that very sea of fire.
*What is Daoist Wukong doing there?*
Xu Ying could not help letting his thoughts wander. *Could he also know that the master of the Ruyi Great Luo Heaven isn't entirely dead, and plans to take the Dao Ancestor's Eight Trigrams Pill Furnace as an apology gift? How could I accept that?*
He grew strangely excited, feeling no actual embarrassment whatsoever.
The Ancestral Court immortal continued, "Recently, the Boundless Sea of Fire has erupted with fierce flames repeatedly. Some suspect that the entity suppressed beneath True Lord Erlang's tomb is stirring up trouble. It seems the creature might be about to break free."
Little Celestial Venerable inquired, "Master, did Daoist Wukong go there for this matter?"
Xu Ying had also heard that a formidable entity was suppressed beneath True Lord Erlang's tomb—undying and indestructible. Before passing away, True Lord Erlang had suppressed it within the sea of fire formed by the Eight Trigrams Pill Furnace, hoping to use the power of that Great Luo immortal artifact to burn it to ashes!
Yet judging by present circumstances, even a Great Luo immortal artifact had failed to incinerate it. Whatever was trapped within that sea of fire had to be truly inconceivable.
"Back then, the remnant manual of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art that we obtained came from True Lord Erlang's tomb. Now that disturbances have arisen beneath the tomb once more, it is time for us, master and disciple, to repay our debt of gratitude,"
Xu Ying said to Little Celestial Venerable. "Having benefited from True Lord Erlang, you naturally ought to devote your utmost efforts to help suppress the demon in the fire sea. This time, master and disciple shall make the journey in person."
Overjoyed, Little Celestial Venerable hurriedly agreed.
Back when he was still an inexperienced youth, he had constantly followed the Xu Ying of that era, scurrying from tomb to mausoleum and scouring every corner for the truth behind the Ancestral Court's decline, hounded and targeted by everyone.
Those had truly been tender, unforgettable years.
Xu Ying summoned his imperial carriage. Seeing how magnificent it was, Little Celestial Venerable hesitated to board. Xu Ying said with earnest gravity, "It is not that your master is extravagant or wasteful, but that I have too many enemies. One careless moment and someone might do me in. I must take precautions."
Hearing this, Little Celestial Venerable had no choice but to board alongside him.
Sitting in the carriage without a canopy above for protection, Xu Ying was constantly worried that a giant hand might suddenly drop from above to crush him inside, or that a flying celestial sword might abruptly pierce his skull.
*What a pity I couldn't borrow an imperial canopy from Emperor Ai,* he thought with quiet regret.
As the leader of the Ancestral Court, Little Celestial Venerable summoned several primeval behemoths—two Heavenly Pengs—to draw the imperial carriage. Flapping their wings, they took flight, soaring toward the Boundless Sea of Fire.
Seated within the carriage, Xu Ying had a cluster of pure qi above his head, floating like a cloud. Atop the cloud sat three miniature Xu Yings clad in green, yellow, and white, each standing merely three to four inches tall. One kept watch on the sky above while the others looked left and right, wary of any sudden ambush.
"Master, how many people have you offended on this trip?" Little Celestial Venerable ventured tentatively.
"Not many. Most are already dead."
Xu Ying remained somewhat tense, adding, "But the ones who survived are all formidable figures."
Emperor Changsheng in particular made his heart pound with apprehension.
Emperor Changsheng certainly knew that the one who had slain his avatar and seized the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler was Xu Ying. Even if Xu Ying turned to the Last Lord of Ziwei to fence the stolen goods, Emperor Changsheng would still track him down.
With Emperor Changsheng's abilities, killing him and reclaiming the ruler would be as easy as turning over his hand!
Immortal Realm, Changsheng Palace.
Looking across the realms, Emperor Changsheng took in Xu Ying's every move. He murmured, "Why is this boy acting so furtively, looking all around? One glance shows he's up to no good. The moment he activates the Heaven-Measuring Ruler, I'll knock him senseless and take it back... Huh, where are they heading?"
His heart pounded twice in succession. Ahead of the imperial carriage, the Boundless Sea of Fire came into view. The sea of flames was surging violently, as though some colossal monstrosity was churning within!
*The tides of the Three Realms have altered geography on a vast scale. The merging of the myriad heavens and worlds into the Earth Immortal Realm has significantly weakened the seal on True Lord Erlang's tomb!*
A sharp light flashed in Emperor Changsheng's eyes. *The formidable entity suppressed down there is seizing this chance to break free! In that case, the Grand Pure Dao Ancestor's Eight Trigrams Pill Furnace might also emerge! Is this Xu Ying boy a treasure-hunting rat? Wherever there are treasures, he turns up! He was practically born to sniff them out!*
Heat surged through his heart, stirring the urge to descend in person.
*In any case, there are no top experts around this boy. Isn't he completely at my mercy?*
Chapter 529