A Formidable Father and Son

"Rebellious son, repent!" Even as Xu Jing quietly took two Ginseng Dao fruits from Xu Ying's hand, he berated him, "Today I am not your father! I am Celestial Venerable Xu of the Dou Department! If you continue this perverse defiance, even I will show you no mercy!" Xu Ying acted meek and subservient, saying, "Your son is currently bearing a mantle of guilt, filled with dread and trepidation, fearful only of failing my father's expectations and betraying His Majesty's deep favor." Xu Jing's expression softened slightly. "Since you have the heart to repent, you are not beyond redemption. In this rebellion by the Heavenly Venerable, you assisted the Dou Department's troops in capturing him, which counts as a meritorious deed. But do not grow conceited!" His tone turned stern as he scolded, "You remain a fugitive of the Immortal Court, your name still hanging on the wanted list! The crimes you committed could hardly be washed clean even by death by a thousand cuts! However..." His voice softened again. "Your actions are understandable. After all, you rebelled against the Immortal Court back then because you were considered a remnant of Kunlun. Yet the Kunlun massacre was actually a crime orchestrated by that old scoundrel, the Heavenly Venerable, who framed Kunlun for it! Now, the old scoundrel could no longer hold back and revealed his cloven hoof—it turns out he was the traitor all along!" He looked up to the heavens, two trails of clear tears streaming down his cheeks as he choked back a sob. "Fortunately, His Majesty was wise and discerned the old scoundrel's conspiracy, finally bringing the fiend to justice! My Kunlun has always been loyal to His Majesty, and now we finally see the dawn of our deep grievance being cleared! The name of rebel on your shoulders may also finally be washed clean!" The Dou Department's Two Perfected, Seven Primes, Six Offices, and the rest all exchanged glances. How did the Kunlun rebel turn into a paragon of loyalty in the blink of an eye? Huo Changge quietly gave Si Chuanzhao a thumbs-up. Si Chuanzhao nodded slightly, filled with utmost admiration, thinking to himself, *This Elder Celestial Venerable Xu truly is the father of Junior Celestial Venerable Xu—he can talk the dead back to life and turn a rebel into a loyal subject!* "My Xu family is a household of loyalty and righteousness, slandered as rebels by that old scoundrel the Heavenly Venerable! Fortunately, His Majesty is discerning, and the day has finally come for our wrongful name to be cleared!" Xu Jing looked at Xu Ying with a stern gaze and barked, "Yet you must not grow arrogant because of this! You must remain humble, carry yourself with self-respect, and treat others with kindness. Do you understand?" Xu Ying nodded meekly. Xu Jing barked, "Rebellious son, in view of your meritorious service, my Dou Department will spare your life today. Begone!" Xu Ying bowed deeply to the soldiers of the Dou Department. Everyone in the Dou Department hastily returned the courtesy, chiming in, "Celestial Venerable Xu, please don't do this!" "You shame us!" "When we serve in the same court in the future, we might even be under your command, Celestial Venerable!" Xu Jing dropped his official airs and turned back to rejoin the ranks of the Dou Department. He said to the crowd, "That rebellious son offended you all back then. Today I have reprimanded him on your behalf. I hope you will all be generous enough to forgive him." Everyone replied one after another, "We wouldn't dare. Back then, if Junior Celestial Venerable Xu hadn't fought his way out of the Dou Department, our Dou Department might have faced a purge as well. Who knows how many would have died?" Xu Jing sighed. "That rebellious son bore the infamy of a rebel for nearly fifty thousand years. In that time, he suffered untold hardship—and all of it was hardship endured for the Immortal Court!" Everyone nodded in agreement. Huo Changge said, "Back then, Junior Celestial Venerable Xu was branded a remnant of Kunlun before turning against the Immortal Court, so it was truly understandable. Who could have known that the Kunlun massacre was an unjust frame-up orchestrated entirely by that traitor the Heavenly Venerable? Celestial Venerable, do not grieve. His Majesty is wise and will surely return justice to Kunlun." Si Chuanzhao said, "Junior Celestial Venerable Xu will surely be heavily favored and appointed by the Immortal Court once again. When that time comes, Elder and Junior Celestial Venerable Xu serving in the same court will be a brilliant legend and delightful tale." The immortal officials of the Dou Department all chuckled. Xu Jing also laughed heartily and said, "Everyone here shares credit for eradicating the traitor Yuan Daohai today! I will certainly petition His Majesty to reward your deeds!" Amid cheerful laughter and joyful voices, the Dou Department escorted Xu Jing back to the Immortal Court. The shock that the Heavenly Venerable's death sent through the Immortal Court was immense, and for a time, both court officials and commoners buzzed with discussion. The Heavenly Venerable was originally an existence second only to the Immortal Emperor Supreme, occupying the pinnacle of ministerial rank, so his fall naturally provoked endless debate. As for the events that transpired, people recounted them with relish. In particular, the tale of Elder and Junior Celestial Venerable Xu avenging themselves through the Dou Department was told with vivid embellishment, captivating listeners as if they had witnessed it themselves—a scene of sheer excitement. Later, people hurled curses at the villainous traitor, tallying every evil deed the Heavenly Venerable had supposedly committed. Regardless of whether he had actually done them, piling them all onto him was guaranteed not to go wrong. Not long after, the Immortal Emperor Supreme overturned the verdict on Kunlun, proclaiming that Kunlun had been loyal for generations and that the Heavenly Venerable had framed and murdered Kunlun for his own selfish desires, while praising the loyalty of the Xu family. Many people also unearthed Xu Ying's past tales, claiming that he had lain low in the Immortal Court to seek revenge, matching wits and strength against the Heavenly Venerable's faction, only to fall short at the final hurdle, struck down to the mortal realm by the Heavenly Venerable to endure forty-eight thousand years of suffering. Others claimed that Xu Jing took up Xu Ying's ambition, entered the Immortal Court anew, assumed the seat of Elder Celestial Venerable Xu, and toppled the Heavenly Venerable—all spun with colorful detail and convincing flair. The story of father and son joining forces to bravely vanquish the Heavenly Venerable instantly became a celebrated tale. Yet none of this concerned Xu Ying. He had already returned to the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court to see the Ancestral God. When the Ancestral God saw him, He sighed, knowing the Heavenly Venerable was no more, yet He did not say much. He had once held great expectations for that disciple, but those hopes had ultimately turned to disappointment. Still, the Heavenly Venerable's death cast a shadow of sorrow over Him. "If the heavens had feelings, even heaven would grow old. No wonder you have aged too, Ancestral God," the Big Dragon said. "This Tide of the Three Realms is coming with ferocious momentum. In my view, it is likely not a tide confined solely to the Earth Immortal Realm—something far greater may be brewing. Ancestral God, you stand high above; what say you?" The Ancestral God said, "What do I have to say?" The Big Dragon sneered, "There is plenty to say! If this is a Tide of the Three Realms spanning the Mortal Realm, Earth Immortal Realm, and Heavenly Immortal Realm, and the territories of the Three Realms are restored to wholeness, your cultivation can return to its peak! This offers immense benefits to you—I refuse to believe you don't care in the slightest!" The Ancestral God sighed and said, "If the territory of the Three Realms truly returns to wholeness during this Tide of the Three Realms, I would naturally be overjoyed. The Dao injuries that have plagued me for six hundred thousand years could heal completely. But what I wonder is: will the Tide of the Three Realms truly be a good thing? Will the return of the Mortal Realm and Heavenly Immortal Realm truly benefit us, and benefit all living beings?" Hearing this, the Big Dragon grew suspicious and unsettled. "Have you discovered something?" The Ancestral God shook His head. "The destruction of the Mortal Realm and the disappearance of the Heavenly Immortal Realm have always been an unsolved mystery; no one investigates the truth anymore. How would I know? I only have a strange premonition that this Tide of the Three Realms in the Earth Immortal Realm might not be limited to the Earth Immortal Realm. I sense that the Heavenly Immortal Realm is drawing near, and the Mortal Realm seems to be reviving as well." He stood up, gazed toward the sky, and said, "Look over there. Are stars flickering?" Xu Ying and the Dragon Bell looked up at the firmament together. The myriad heavens and realms and the starry cosmos all lay spread across the canopy of the Ancestral Court in magnificent splendor. In particular, the merging of the myriad heavens and realms projected onto the sky was breathtaking and awe-inspiring. The Immortal Realm was also drawing near the myriad realms, about to fuse and become one with the mortal realm! Even more remarkable, the Netherworld surfaced on the sky as well. The living world and the Netherworld converged and intertwined, creating a splendid spectacle where mortals, immortals, and ghosts shared a single realm! This Netherworld was not only that of the myriad heavens and realms, but also encompassed the Ancestral Court's Netherworld. Xu Ying could even see the towering, colossal ox horns of the ancient Netherworld. The two Netherworlds seemed to be converging as well! The scale of this Tide of the Three Realms was extraordinary! Yet in that sky, there was a patch of black, pitch-dark and devoid of light. In that pure darkness, however, a few scattered glimmers of light shone through! Such a thing had never occurred before! Looking at those faint points of light, Xu Ying murmured, "Is that... the Mortal Realm?" The Big Dragon said, "The catastrophe that destroyed the Dragon Court back then was also linked to the Tide of the Three Realms. Fellow Daoist, you know it too! If not for that sudden tide, who could have destroyed the Dragon Court? Much less the demons—with their paltry handful of nobodies, they never would have had a chance to usurp us! That old rascal the Demon Ancestor was only fit to serve as my toothpick!" Back then, trapped in the Abyss Sea and unable to descend to the mortal dust, the dragon did not know the detailed course of the Dragon Court's downfall. In this world, the only one who likely knew the fall of the Dragon Court and the shattering of the Three Realms was the Ancestral God. The Ancestral God hesitated, then said, "In my view, aside from the Tide of the Three Realms, that incident back then must also be connected to the Emerald Rock and the Dao weeping. It is just that the Emerald Rock has now vanished..." Over all these years, He had continually pondered this matter, yet never found the truth. "To unravel the mystery behind the Dragon Court's fall, one might need to make a journey to the other shore." The Ancestral God dropped the topic and turned to Xu Ying. "The Primordial Ancestor of the dragon race is an old friend of mine. Since he came asking me to help repair the fractured indestructible spiritual light in his primordial spirit, I will naturally lend a hand. But as for you, I may not be willing to help. You just beat my prized pupil to death..." Xu Ying said, "That was done by my rebellious father and has nothing to do with this disciple. I was utterly helpless against my rebellious father's actions! It is infuriating how fast he ran; otherwise, this disciple would certainly have captured him and brought him before the Ancestral God for judgment!" The Ancestral God waved His hand. "I know full well what you father and son are up to; say no more. If you wish to undergo the Three Realms Heavenly Tribulation, I will not help you." Xu Ying quickly said, "Ancestral God, Yuan Daohai was your pupil, but am I not your pupil as well? I am far better behaved than he was! I've emptied your chamber pot—did he ever do that?" The Ancestral God said, "Though he never emptied it, when I suffered grievous wounds back then, he sacrificed himself to heal me, his body turning to stone." Xu Ying said, "After turning to stone, he used that as an excuse to break free, fled the Ancestral Court to become a rebel, and overthrew the ancient Immortal Court! It might even be that he betrayed you in the first place, leading to your severe injuries!" The Ancestral God snapped angrily, "I simply will not teach you! Words are useless. Get out, and go back to your mortal world to face your tribulation!" Xu Ying turned to Senior Brother Tian. "Senior Brother, put in a good word for me before the Master, will you?" Senior Brother Tian said, "Ancestral God, Junior Brother Xu seems loyal on the outside but is treacherous at heart; we must guard against him! He is bound to become another Yuan Daohai in the future!" Xu Ying glared at him. That night, Xu Ying resumed his old trade, attending to the Ancestral God during His nocturnal calls of nature and emptying the chamber pot in the morning. After three days of this, seeing how filial he was, the Ancestral God could not bear it any longer and said, "I told you before to return to the mortal world to undergo your tribulation—why are you such a wooden head? When I said the mortal world, I meant the Mortal Realm, not the Earth Immortal Realm!" Xu Ying blinked, stunned. "Teacher, I lived in the myriad heavens and realms and always thought that was the mortal realm. If I go to the Mortal Realm to cross the tribulation, will that be crossing the Three Realms Heavenly Tribulation?" The Ancestral God smiled. "Most likely. The Earth Immortal Realm at least possesses immortal spiritual energy; crossing tribulation in the Earth Immortal Realm is ultimately not the mortal world, and the Heavenly Daos are not entirely identical or connected. If you go to the Mortal Realm to face tribulation, you may well fulfill your wish." Xu Ying looked toward the firmament. "How can I get to the Mortal Realm?" The Ancestral God said, "All connection between the Mortal Realm and the Earth Immortal Realm has been severed. In the past, there was an ascension passage allowing one to ascend from the Mortal Realm to the Earth Immortal Realm. There was also a ferry crossing in the Heavenly Sea with a bridge of indestructible spiritual light, built using the old dragon's true form, which allowed one to cross, though that bridge was likely destroyed. Nowadays, both the ascension passage and the dragon bridge are probably unusable. However, I still have a bit of magic power; perhaps I can send you to the place where light shines in the Mortal Realm." He hesitated, then added, "My divine power can only encompass lit regions of the cosmic starry sky. If an area is dark, I cannot reach into it. The Mortal Realm is draped in darkness; I can only deliver you to that illuminated spot. Whether you can ascend back will depend on yourself." Xu Ying's eyes brightened. "If I can ascend back, then it is worth a try! Ancestral God, please send me to the Mortal Realm to face the tribulation!" The Ancestral God was still somewhat hesitant. "The old dragon must remain behind for me to heal his primordial spirit's injuries. Setting out alone might be dangerous for you..." Xu Ying felt touched: *The Ancestral God truly regards me as His disciple, looking out for me with all His heart. I have been so obstinate and repeatedly offended Him; thinking about it, I really am a beast.* "Ancestral God, do not worry. I'm no child anymore—I am thirty-four, nearly thirty-five, and have some ability to protect myself," Xu Ying smiled. "I dare not make wild claims, but ordinary Immortal Monarchs cannot dream of harming me, and I have zero fear of ordinary Heavenly Monarchs. Only the few Heavenly Venerables still possess the power to hurt me." The Ancestral God said, "Since your mind is set, I shall send you to where the light shines in the Mortal Realm." He was a mass of innate indestructible spiritual light in the universe. Revealing His true form at this moment, He truly enveloped the cosmos. With a point of His finger, spiritual light became a bridge, bearing Xu Ying as he shot toward the heavens and hurtled toward the darkness in the firmament! Seeing this, the Dragon Bell hurriedly flew over, saying urgently, "Ancestral God, why did you send him off to the Mortal Realm?" The Big Dragon was fraught with anxiety, yelling, "How perilous is that Mortal Realm? Now that you've sent him there, what if something goes wrong?" The Ancestral God said, "He said he has the ability to protect himself..." "Protect himself my ass!" The Big Dragon fumed in panic, "A Qi Refiner in the Ascension stage, running off to a world with a different Heavenly Dao—he might not even be able to tap into his cultivation! Hurry up and fish him back!" The Ancestral God's expression changed. "I... I might not be able to fish him back..." The Big Dragon said in a panic, "Then how is he supposed to come back?" The Ancestral God smiled sheepishly. "As long as he undergoes tribulation and ascends, won't he be able to ascend back to the Earth Immortal Realm?" "You've gone senile!" The Big Dragon berated Him, "If he ascends with glowing rosy clouds in the Mortal Realm, he will definitely ascend to the Heavenly Immortal Realm! The Heavenly Immortal Realm was destroyed and vanished long ago—how can he come back?!" The Ancestral God argued defensively, "Isn't that how ascension works—first ascending to the Earth Immortal Realm, and then ascending to the Heavenly Immortal Realm? I recall that was the rule in the era of your Dragon Court." The Big Dragon snapped exasperatedly, "That was the rule in the Dragon Court era, but he has already fully mastered the Heavenly Dao of the Earth Immortal Realm! He doesn't need to ascend to the Earth Immortal Realm anymore!" The Ancestral God and the Big Dragon looked up, staring blankly toward the sky. "He can't come back?" "Nope." "The wicked don't live long, do they?" "Nope."