Above the Nine Heavens, Titans

Liu Ruyi coughed up blood, unsure whether it was from Xu Ying's kick or from the fury induced by his parting words. However, Xu Ying had already departed far into the distance, beyond her reach. She had no choice but to return resentfully to the immortal cloud, telling the Son of Heaven of Zhou, "Senior Brother, you must avenge me in the future!" She had even shortened her address to an affectionate, intimate endearment. Hearing this, the Son of Heaven of Zhou felt his heart flutter, but immediately grew wary. *Ji Man, oh Ji Man, this tender paradise is a hero's grave. You must never let down your guard over a matter of three inches.* Chen Chaosheng smiled and said, "Sect Master Yan, you have rendered tremendous meritorious service this time. Come with me Above the Nine Heavens in the Immortal Realm. Perhaps after today, you and I will be fellow disciple brothers." Yan Kongcheng bowed in assent, nodded courteously toward the Son of Heaven of Zhou, Zulong, and the "Immortal Master of Tianlei City," and departed alongside Chen Chaosheng. Wei Xu followed Zulong, and the two likewise returned to the Immortal Realm. Liu Ruyi carried the Son of Heaven of Zhou away on an immortal cloud, leaving behind only the "Immortal Master of Tianlei City." "If I hoard the Far Ancestor's Primordial Spirit fragments instead of handing them over to Daoist Taiyuan, and cultivate in secret under this identity, once I refine all the fragments I obtained, my achievements might not be inferior to Daoist Taiyuan's at all." The Immortal Master of Tianlei City was naturally the Master of Mud Pill Palace. He schemed in his heart, *However, Daoist Taiyuan will inevitably trace it back to me. In all the vast world, there would be nowhere for me to hide. Barely able to stay alive, how could I ever have the chance to refine the Far Ancestor's Primordial Spirit fragments?* With this thought, he headed toward the Immortal Realm. Arriving in the Immortal Realm, he found the cave dwelling where he had obtained the Heart Sutra of the Turning Dao all those years ago. Kowtowing before the Heart Sutra of the Turning Dao, he chanted in a low voice: "Your disciple, Xing Daoyuan, addresses Master, Daoist Taiyuan: On my expedition to the Dragon Court, I brought disgrace upon our sect and ruined the wondrous treasure Master bestowed upon me. Fortunately, I obtained fragments of the dragon race's Far Ancestor's Primordial Spirit to offer up to Master. Yet your disciple is foolish and lacks a path to seek audience with Master. I beg Master for enlightenment." He bowed and kowtowed in this manner. Before long, a childish voice came from outside the cave dwelling, laughing, "Is Senior Brother Xing present? I am Tian Hexi, ordered by Daoist Taiyuan to welcome Senior Brother Above the Nine Heavens." The Master of Mud Pill Palace shed the skin of the Immortal Master of Tianlei City, restored his true form, and stepped out of the cave dwelling. He said, "Senior Brother, my humble body is tainted with grime, and I fear offending Master. Please grant me a moment to bathe and change." Outside the cave stood a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old youth with delicate features and a natural air of the Dao. Calling himself Tian Hexi, he smiled and said, "Hexi is merely a Dao child in the Master's service; I dare not accept being called Senior Brother. Senior Brother Xing is the Master's direct disciple and holds an exalted status. If you do not mind, simply call me Hexi." The Master of Mud Pill Palace accordingly addressed him as Hexi, invited him to rest for a moment, and went to bathe and change into fresh clothes. Once washed clean and properly dressed, the Master of Mud Pill Palace set off with him toward the Great Luo Heaven Above the Nine Heavens. *Whether I become a dragon or a worm will be decided by this single venture,* he thought quietly. At the same time, the Son of Heaven of Zhou also arrived Above the Nine Heavens, following Liu Ruyi and the other maidens into the Great Luo Heaven belonging to Dao Lord Jiugong. Liu Ruyi courteously guided him along the way to a towering Dao tree, beneath which sat an upright white-robed Daoist. Though he did not appear old, his gaze carried ancient vicissitudes, and his expression was benevolent. The Son of Heaven of Zhou bowed low and said, "Disciple Ji Man pays respects to Master." The white-robed Daoist was none other than Dao Lord Jiugong. He raised a hand and spoke gently, "Rise and speak. Your ancestor Ji Wuyi was originally my disciple, cultivating under my tutelage and serving as an official in the Immortal Court. Alas, he was later ambushed and met an untimely death. I grieved deeply for him. Today, seeing his descendant return to our sect brings me great comfort." Hearing this, the Son of Heaven of Zhou choked back tears and said, "Returning to the sect is a conviction passed down through generations of my Ji family. Countless ancestors fought for it their entire lives, and in my generation, that dream has finally been fulfilled!" Dao Lord Jiugong was also quite moved and said, "With a disciple like you, how could my Jiugong lineage fail to prosper? Release the Primordial Spirit fragments from your sea of consciousness; I wish to inspect them." The Son of Heaven of Zhou assented and opened his sea of consciousness. Chen Chaosheng brought Yan Kongcheng Above the Nine Heavens as well, entering Saint Luo's Great Luo bodhimanda. Just as they stepped inside, they spotted a white-haired elder in the distance. Yan Kongcheng was stunned. He hastily retrieved portraits of past patriarchal masters from his Realm of Xiyi, comparing them one by one. Overwhelmed with excitement, he rushed forward, embraced the white-haired elder, and shouted between tears and laughter, "Supreme Grandmaster!" The white-haired elder hastily struggled free of his grasp and asked, "Who are you?" "This disciple is the current sect master of Emei, Yan Kongcheng!" Yan Kongcheng wiped his tears, beaming with joy. "Grandmaster, you truly are here! Grandmaster Chen didn't lie to me!" The white-haired elder glanced at Chen Chaosheng, quickly pulled Yan Kongcheng aside, and grumbled, "Why did you come Above the Nine Heavens? Is this a place you should come to? After ascending, you would've been better off staying in the Immortal Court, where you could at least scrape by as some minor official. Once you're in the Great Luo Heaven, all you can do is wash dishes and sweep the floor! I've been in the Great Luo Heaven for sixty thousand years, and I'm still sweeping floors!" Yan Kongcheng had no idea his grandmaster lived such a miserable existence in the Great Luo Heaven, and hastily said, "Supreme Grandmaster, Grandmaster Chen said Saint Luo wants to accept me as a disciple." The white-haired elder froze in shock. Chen Chaosheng walked over and chuckled. "Senior Brother Guan, Kongcheng has performed a great service, so Master intends to accept him as a disciple. From now on, the two of you will be disciple brothers. Kongcheng, follow me. I will take you to meet Master." Watching them walk away, the white-haired elder muttered to himself, "Just like that, he becomes my junior brother? I've toiled for tens of thousands of years, yet it doesn't match his few days of effort?" The Immortal Court, the Imperial Palace. Zulong stood respectfully with bowed head. The Far Ancestor's Primordial Spirit fragments from his sea of consciousness had already been presented to the Immortal Emperor Supreme. After examining them for a long while, the Immortal Emperor Supreme remarked, seemingly offhand, "You didn't hold anything back?" Wei Xu immediately grew tense, unable to help worrying for this nephew disciple. Zulong answered, "I did. Disciple concealed some dragon souls within my sea of consciousness, intending to obtain the Far Ancestor's heritage from their memories." Cold sweat broke out on Wei Xu's forehead. After spending this period together, he had come to appreciate his young nephew disciple more and more, and worried the Immortal Emperor might slap him to death on the spot. The Immortal Emperor Supreme glanced at Zulong and laughed. "You have done well, and you are very honest with Master. Those dragon souls are merely the souls of dragon immortals possessed by the dragon race's Far Ancestor, not the true soul of the Far Ancestor himself; they contain none of the Far Ancestor's memories. Still, to be chosen for possession by the Far Ancestor, each must have had unique strengths. You may keep these dragon souls." "Disciple thanks Master." Zulong bowed. Wei Xu was astonished. Sneaking a look, he thought, *Could this nephew disciple of mine also be a divine reckoner, having calculated that Senior Brother wouldn't kill him if he answered honestly? No, he clearly never cultivated divine reckoning... It's sheer shrewdness!* He suddenly realized: *His shrewdness might run even deeper than Senior Brother's, which is why it gives the impression of uncanny foresight!* The Immortal Emperor Supreme observed the Far Ancestor's Primordial Spirit fragments. Beams of spiritual light like dragons weaved slowly through the Imperial Palace, radiating boundless, terrifying might. "Can there truly be a realm above the Supreme realm? Yet, having reached the Supreme realm myself, why do I only feel I have reached the end of cultivation, with no road left ahead?" A look of perplexity crossed his face as he murmured, "If there is no realm beyond, why was the Far Ancestor's strength so formidable?" Just then, an immortal official entered to report, "Your Majesty, the Emperor Lord requests an audience." "Send him in." The Immortal Emperor Supreme waved his hand to Wei Xu and Zulong, signaling them to withdraw. Zulong bowed and left the Imperial Palace alongside Wei Xu. No sooner had they left than the Emperor Lord arrived. "Greetings, Your Majesty." The Emperor Lord bowed, sneaking a glance upward. He saw dragon qi soaring through the Imperial Palace, wave after wave radiating monstrous aura. The dragon qi even caused his sinews and bones to tingle, and his skin itched as if dragon scales were about to sprout. "Rise." Without looking at him, the Immortal Emperor Supreme continued watching the dragon qi. "The Heavenly Venerable committed rebellion and misled the masses with demonic lies, spreading rumors under the pretext of the Dragon Court's emergence and causing the deaths of countless immortals. He grieves me deeply. Such a dignified man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, yet even he betrayed the Immortal Court!" He showed deep heartache, his eyes rimmed in red, but his tone gradually hardened. "We did not treat him shabbily! He came from scoundrel origins and pledged allegiance to Us; We bestowed upon him the title of Heavenly Venerable and placed him beneath only one person! Yet his greed knew no bounds. Scheming to usurp Our throne, he even joined hands with the dragon race remnants in an attempt to overthrow Us and upend the realm of this Immortal Realm!" The Emperor Lord felt a chill in his heart, bowing low and not daring to speak. Exhaling a breath of turbid air, the Immortal Emperor Supreme gradually composed himself. "The Heavenly Venerable has committed crimes, and his guilt is equal to that of a commoner. Go, strip him of his venerable title, reclaim his cave abyss, and deal with him." The Emperor Lord bowed. "Your Majesty, the Heavenly Venerable has backing above. This petty official worries..." The Immortal Emperor Supreme turned his head and shot him a glance, his gaze sharp as a sword. A shudder ran through the Emperor Lord, and he bent even lower. The Immortal Emperor Supreme was expressionless. "For all of you ministers, the only one above you can be Us, and none other! Zhou Wu, could it be that you have someone else above you?" "I dare not!" the Emperor Lord said. "This petty official was merely concerned that while dealing with the Heavenly Venerable, interference might come from Above the Nine Heavens." The Immortal Emperor Supreme smiled. "With Us here, no one will interfere with you." The Emperor Lord smiled. "This petty official will certainly not fail Your Majesty's expectations!" The Immortal Emperor Supreme waved his hand. The Emperor Lord stepped backward out of the Imperial Palace, only turning to stride away once he had fully exited. *Yuan Daohai, oh Yuan Daohai, at a juncture like this, no one dares make a move. Any move at all is a blunder. Why couldn't you understand?* Once far from the Imperial Palace, the Emperor Lord exhaled a breath of relief and murmured, *The temptation of the Dragon Court was too great for you, causing you to take a wrong step. And with that single step, you lost the entire game.* Xu Ying walked out of the Heavenly Sea's surface, returning once again to the Yuanshou world. Without realizing it, he found himself back on Mount Jiuyi in Yongzhou. The sky hung low, the Immortal Realm so close it seemed within reach of a hand. Xu Ying went before the desolate grave under the parasol tree, clearing away the overgrown weeds, lighting several sticks of incense, and burning yellow paper for his old friend before resting there. "Divine Mother, Gushe, Mr. Yuan, shroud heavenly secrets for me and disrupt all intrusion from divine reckoning," Xu Ying said suddenly. Hearing this, the Divine Mother felt a surge of tension and hurriedly prepared with Fairy Gushe and Yuan Tiangang. Just as they completed their preparations, Yingzhou shook violently, the earth quaking and mountains trembling, the spiritual energy and power of heaven and earth turning wildly turbulent all at once! The immortals residing within Yingzhou raised their heads one after another, only to behold an immense colossus rapidly approaching in the sky—the Taiyi cave abyss! This colossal cave abyss drew closer and closer to the mortal dust, but because Yingzhou was present, it could not descend onto the mortal earth directly and could only descend upon Yingzhou. Fortunately, Yingzhou was also part of the Earth Immortal Realm, so the cave abyss could still be considered to have descended into the mortal world! Yet this cave abyss was simply too massive. Even in its cave abyss form, it resembled a colossal star looming in Yingzhou's sky, blocking out more than half of the heavens! The term *cave abyss* contained the word "cave," meaning there was a profound space concealed within—a cave heaven and blessed land, an immortal mountain within a cavern. The actual "cave" opening of a cave abyss was not particularly large. Even for a Heavenly Monarch-grade cave abyss like the Yingzhou cave abyss, its mouth covered only a few dozen mu, yet the internal space stretched for tens of thousands of li, replete with immortal peaks and blessed grounds, veins of immortal gold everywhere, spiritual springs and waterfalls naturally generating immortal spiritual energy, and even caves within caves! However, the mouth of the Taiyi cave abyss alone occupied more than half of Yingzhou's sky, larger than half of Yingzhou itself! The interior of this cave abyss was vast beyond imagination! "The descent of the Taiyi cave abyss means the Immortal Master's cultivation realm has already advanced to the Ascension stage," the Divine Mother said suddenly. "The Immortal Master is not far from becoming an immortal." Outside the Yingzhou cave abyss, Xu Ying let out a fierce shout, surging all his essence, qi, and spirit to bolster his Primordial Spirit. Driving his cultivation to the limit, his Primordial Spirit crossed the Third Heavenly Pass, soared over the God Bridge, and planted one foot into the Jade Capital! In the Yuanshou world, the Great Dao of heaven and earth churned violently, and the Heavenly Dao world trembled alongside it. The gods of the heavens turned pale with dread. The Four Great God Kings hurriedly braced themselves against the walls, looking down toward the lower realm in shock. "Who is breaking through to the Ascension stage and triggering a heavenly tribulation?" The gods were scared out of their wits, peering down with trepidation. "Don't gawk! Don't look!" Several newly promoted god kings hurriedly snapped at them, warning, "The one undergoing tribulation is so ferocious—be careful not to lose your lives!" Just then, the tribulation suddenly dispersed. Only then did the crowd of gods heave a sigh of relief, secretly celebrating their good fortune. Xu Ying's true body descended onto Yingzhou, and he asked the Divine Mother, "Is the seal ready?" The Divine Mother said proudly, "With the seal laid down by the three of us, even the Immortal Emperor Supreme couldn't dream of deducing what is inside!" Xu Ying flew into the Taiyi cave abyss, his voice carrying back: "Good! Once I enter the Taiyi cave abyss, reinforce the exterior with another layer of seals for me!" The Divine Mother, Fairy Gushe, and Yuan Tiangang hurriedly sealed the Taiyi cave abyss as instructed. Filled with doubt and wonder, Yuan Tiangang asked, "Teacher, why is the Immortal Master worried that events inside the Taiyi cave abyss might be deduced? By all accounts, not even divine reckoners should be able to deduce the situation inside a Supreme-grade cave abyss, right?" The Divine Mother's eyes flickered. "I cannot deduce it either. There is a power on the Immortal Master resisting my calculations. However, I can hazard a guess: there should be an important figure hiding on the Immortal Master's person, possibly... but how could that be possible?" Gushe and Yuan Tiangang stared intently at her. Seeing this, the Divine Mother hastily snapped, "What are you prying for? The more you know, the faster you die—don't you understand that? Get back to work!" The two departed gloomily. Floating inside the Taiyi cave abyss, Xu Ying immediately sensed the thick Great Dao of Taiyi and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, but he had no leisure to pay attention to them. In a deep voice, he said, "Master Dragon, come out!" The moment his words fell, waves surged within his sea of consciousness, and the Great Dragon's consciousness flew out. The Great Dragon looked utterly crestfallen and depressed; even the sight of Xu Ying's Taiyi cave abyss failed to draw a spark of surprise from him. Xu Ying consoled him, "Master Dragon, you didn't die, so why be so downcast? Surviving a catastrophe is something to be happy about. Come on, give us a smile!" Behind the Great Dragon, the colossally massive head of the Far Ancestor's Primordial Spirit slowly rose up and forced a stiff smile at him. The horrifying aura surging from it stirred up terrible tempests across the Taiyi cave abyss. Of the Far Ancestor's Primordial Spirit, only this gigantic head remained. The big bell emerged from Xu Ying's bodhimanda, looked over the massive head, and said, "Master Dragon is a dragon head, and I am a dragon head too. We should swear brotherhood as brothers of different fathers, different mothers, different species, and different races! Jie-jie-jie!" Corrupted by dragon qi and ferocious malice, the bell had sprouted dragon scales and dragon horns, appearing like a bizarre bell forged from a dragon's head. Two dragon heads, one huge and one small, formed an amusing contrast.