## Volume 4: Phoenix Crying in the Ninth Heaven

The tranquility of the Shogun's residence was shattered by the convoy of tribute envoys from four countries.

The newly revealed eternal number formula on jar number 7 was interpreted as "a colorful auspicious sign will appear in Donghuang Kingdom within three months." As a result, Beidi carved a giant rainbow from ice overnight as a tribute, and Xiling embroidered a dynamic calculus cloud map with gold thread.

> Lingbao gnawed his fingers blankly, while the pickle jar beneath him was refreshing the "Auspicious Probability Decay Curve" in real time.

>Chen Bao’s abacus urgently dispelled the rumor, Er Bao’s pacifier became an “auspicious detector”, and San Bao’s cloud boat was busy evacuating the tribute camels that were blocking the door.

"This system promulgates the 'Auspicious Forecast Management Law,'" the venomous system engraved on the rim of the jar. "Article One: Lingbao's graffiti will be treated as a cosmic secret. Violators will be punished by having all the pickle jars knit sweaters!"

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The bank run at the Pacifier Gold Bank gradually subsided under the starlight of "virtual sugar coins," giving the General's Mansion a brief respite. Chen Bao's abacus spun night after night, silently guarding Er Bao's financial empire built on data. Within the mansion, everyone held a heightened reverence for the "Eternal Number." Ling Bao's diapers were buried fifty feet deep, his hands and feet tightly bound. Even his used bibs were stored in a lead box by Luo, a procedure comparable to nuclear weapons control.

Yet, everyone overlooked a silent, yet deeply ingrained, "old problem" in Lingbao's rules: the MVP-awarded pickle jar in the backyard, number 7. On its surface, the ceramic walls that once reflected star maps and carried the fluctuations of eternal numbers, like a dry riverbed, quietly emerged in unnoticed corners, a few new, extremely subtle white-gold streaks of light. These were the "graffiti" left by Lingbao's little hand on the rim when he unconsciously turned over during his nap: a few differential equations describing the sensitivity of chaotic systems to initial conditions, mixed with a spectral analysis of the cradle's rocking frequency.

These light patterns are nothing more than blurry glaze flaws in the eyes of ordinary people, but in the eyes of some monks who possess special observation instruments or have studied the mysteries of mathematics and physics, this jar is no different from a prophetic crystal ball that reveals the secrets of heaven!

**Section 1: Misreading and Tribute Frenzy**

Inside the secret chamber of the "Heavenly Secret Pavilion," the largest underground black market in the royal city, an old monk with white hair and beard, known as the "Old Man of Divine Secrets," was trembling with excitement as he used a verdigris-covered "Sky-Viewing Mirror" to examine a rubbing of a pottery fragment from a jar with the number "C" (Bingzi 7) that he had purchased at great expense (supposedly obtained by a eunuch scraping the jar).

In the mirror, those subtle streaks of light were infinitely magnified, analyzed, and deduced under the influence of mana. Elder Shen Ji's withered fingers frantically traced the air, muttering to himself, "...Chaos begins to open, the energy draws... The seven colors converge, auspicious signs manifest... March... Donghuang... The land where the dragon rises... Great fortune! Great fortune!"

He slapped his thigh suddenly, tears streaming down his face (excitedly). "Heaven's secret! This is a divine secret! Jar number seven, number Bing, indicates: Within three months, a stunning, auspicious, seven-colored event will occur within the borders of Donghuang! This is a sign of national prosperity and destiny!"

This "divine secret" was like wings, instantly igniting the nerves of the entire royal city and even the top leaders of the four countries! Especially after the Lord of Donghuang ecstatically announced that he would personally visit the General's Mansion to "thank the source of the auspicious sign," panic and comparisons spread like a plague!

**The Northern Di Royal Court:** "A seven-colored auspicious sign? Donghuang has it, so why shouldn't we, the Northern Di?!" The Northern Di delegation mobilized the entire nation, expending countless manpower and resources to collect ten-thousand-year-old black ice from the Far North Abyss. Hundreds of shamans prayed and blessed them day and night, and they quickly crafted a three-meter-tall, translucent sculpture, its interior imitating a flowing, rainbow-colored glow using special pigments and fluorescent insects—the "Northern Di Mysterious Ice Rainbow"! The ice sculpture, pulled by sixteen giant white camels, was transported to the General's Mansion in a grand procession. Along the way, icy mist and shimmering lights filled the air, creating a spectacular spectacle... but it also caused severe congestion on the official roads, leading to widespread complaints from the caravans.

**Xiling Dynasty:** "How can auspiciousness be superficial? It must manifest the light of wisdom!" The Xiling royal family summoned the nation's top embroiderers and mathematicians. Using gold thread and silver threads, they embroidered a dynamic "Calculus Cloud Chart" across a hundred-meter-long stretch of black brocade, using the most exquisite needlework. The chart's chorus shifted with the angle of light. Function curves swirled, differential symbols danced, and integral regions flickered—a pinnacle fusion of mathematics and art! The brocade scroll required a hundred people to carry, slowing progress and blocking another official route.

**Southern Xinjiang Witch Temple:** "Auspicious signs must be accompanied by spirits! The seven colors must coexist!" Southern Xinjiang presents the "Seven-Colored Gu Nest of All Spirits"—a vast honeycomb-shaped container carved from colorful crystals. Within it, imprisoned are tens of thousands of "resonating Gu insects" soaked in a special liquid, each tinged with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. The Gu insects wriggle within the nest, emitting humming sounds of varying frequencies that blend into an eerie, unpredictable "colorful harmony." Carried by elephants, the Gu nest terrifies beasts wherever it passes and causes tinnitus in passersby's ears.

**Donghuang Empire:** As the true prophet of the "Auspicious Prophecy," Donghuang's tribute was an outrageous display of extravagance. Ninety-nine young boys and girls, holding colorful glass lanterns, led the way, followed by a "Colorful Mountain and River Carriage" crafted from pure gold and inlaid with a variety of gemstones. The carriage was piled high with rare treasures such as Ganoderma lucidum, chalcedony, and star sand, each one designed to evoke the "Colorful Auspiciousness." The convoy stretched for miles, completely blocking the final thoroughfare leading to the General's residence.

The tribute convoys of the four nations, like four bloated beasts, swarmed toward the General's Mansion from different directions, converged, and finally collided with a bang on the narrow street in front of the palace gate! Ice sculptures, brocade, bee nests, golden carriages... all kinds of "colorful auspicious signs" huddled together! The icy fog of the Northern Di met the frost on the brocade of the Xiling Mountains; the harmonious sounds of the poisonous insects from the Southern Border caused the glass lamps of the Donghuang Mountains to flicker; the white camels, strong men, and elephants pulling the carriages jostled and neighed at each other; the tribute envoys jumped and cursed on the roofs of the carriages, accusing each other of blocking the auspicious path...

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