Chapter 189 A tacit understanding is no substitute for… she should just rebel!

In order to understand the current situation, Bitao patiently and quickly traced back the events that had occurred in the mortal realm over the years.

His facial expressions were unpredictable—Tai Chi had castrated himself!

After Mingguang enthroned the first new emperor, Taiji castrated himself and entered the palace.

While Mingguang was leading troops in battle, Taiji, to prevent "his achievements from overshadowing the emperor's, and his talents from being wasted," developed his power right next to the emperor's bedside. He once held great power in the inner court, becoming the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, whom even the emperor had to be wary of.

Bitao knew that Taiji was both clever and ruthless, and that he would surely amount to something extraordinary in the future.

However, Bitao had no idea that Taiji was so ruthless; he castrated himself without the slightest hesitation.

Bitao hinted to Taiji that she was taking care of Mingguang, hoping that Taiji would not become estranged from Mingguang after she was "gone".

Unexpectedly, Tai Chi really took very good care of Mingguang.

She is truly a virtuous and capable wife.

For many years, Taiji has been in charge of all military supplies for Mingguang. Moreover, while assisting Mingguang, Taiji can also use the influence of the former Immortal Alliance, which is spread throughout the new dynasty, to control the people's opinions.

They continuously create various proverbs that are truly beneficial to them, coinciding with the descent of the Purple Star.

Bitao then traced the other friends and discovered that everyone had their own duties. Binglun Bingjing returned to Mingguang's side, and Jichunjun and Hanshang were also taken under Mingguang's command to help him orderly restore order to the human world and support the truly virtuous and talented Ziwei Star to ascend the throne.

Even the last time it was traced back, it was just a heartless magical artifact called Guanghan that "eats money". Now it has become the national advisor twice.

He no longer needed to consume immortal pearls to prolong his life, but he still lacked the five senses and seven emotions, and even his memories. However, he could at least distinguish who was "one of his own." He was manipulated by Mingguang like a well-behaved and clean marionette.

Guanghan often directed the direction of Mingguang's marches and controlled the overall situation of the expansion of the new country's territory.

During his thirty years in the mortal realm, Mingguang personally supported three emperors of both virtue and talent. He then divided the fifteen states that had been forcibly united by banished immortals in the third competition into three powerful kingdoms with comparable terrain, customs, and even military strength.

The Shenhong Kingdom, which he was facing, had already suffered a crushing defeat several years ago.

The reason they have managed to hold out until now is only because the King of Shenhong later created some people with "divine abilities". When the two armies are facing each other, they frequently come up with sinister schemes, which prevents Mingguang from launching a strong attack and forces them to slowly maneuver against them.

Now that all the divine troops of the Divine Hong Kingdom, including the mortal soldiers, have abandoned darkness and turned to light, Ming Guang finally led his army into the city.

After entering the city, Mingguang kept his brows furrowed.

Because this city is filled with the remnants of battle formations that have plundered life. The once prosperous capital of fifteen states, which had flourished for hundreds of years, is now deserted, with rotting corpses everywhere, ghostly shadows lurking all around, and a desolate and gloomy atmosphere.

Mingguang led his men to the palace and first broke the crumbling formation that used human lives as the "spiritual objects" to activate it.

They then marched straight in, forcing their way into the Divine Martial Hall where Emperor Shenhong was located.

There were hardly any living people in the entire palace. Even those who were alive had dark circles under their eyes, their vitality was fading, and they looked like they were on the verge of death.

Mingguang and his companions provided assistance along the way.

But now, after thirty years in the mortal realm, he has exhausted all the immortal beads he could use, and he is powerless to save these mortals from death.

It's just to prevent them from being overly terrified before they die, so that they can die more peacefully.

Upon arriving at the Divine Martial Hall, the doors were wide open, and the hall was brightly lit inside.

However, the hall was covered in dust. The incense burner, the display shelves, and even the screen all looked as if they had been smashed and were overturned in the empty hall.

Even the gemstones inlaid in the eyes of the real dragon on the dragon pillar have been pried off.

Inside the main hall, on the only dragon throne that remained high above, sturdy and unshakable, sat the King of Shenhong, clad in a dragon robe and veiled by the twelfth tassel of an imperial crown.

His kingdom was destroyed, his palace was ruined, and the entire palace, from palace servants to concubines, was filled with the dead and disappeared without a trace.

Not to mention that all the soldiers and generals who could wield spears and swords in battle had long since abandoned him.

But he remained impeccably dressed and dignified.

Looking down at the soldiers and generals who rushed into the Divine Martial Hall, his eyes still held an air of arrogance and disdain for everything.

Mingguang, sword in hand, still stood tall and imposing like a pine tree, his movements powerful and unstoppable.

He stopped below the steps of the Divine Martial Hall, raised his head slightly, and looked at the white marble steps and the Sumeru pedestal that symbolized the emperor's position as one of the "Three Platforms".

I can't help but feel a pang of sadness. Throughout history, there have been far too many people who have sat in these high positions and lost their true selves because they held the power of life and death.

Even a mortal's life of a hundred years cannot control their delusions and fantasies. So it seems not so difficult to understand why an immortal who has been banished to this world for many years would develop obsessions and desires to return to the heavenly realm and regain the pinnacle above all beings, thereby losing his reason and committing mad evil.

Mingguang drew his sword and walked along the steps into the Divine Martial Hall.

Today, he intends to slaughter not the emperors of the mortal realm, but the star gods of this world who have colluded with celestial positions and brought calamity upon the people.

Mingguang stood in the center of the Divine Martial Hall, facing the eyes of the Divine Hong Kingdom's King Twelve Jade Emperor, whose gaze was dark and gloomy yet sharp as ever.

Mingguang spoke in a resounding voice: "Do you intend to wear this human skin until the very end?"

“King of Shenhong Kingdom, or I should call you Lord of Jiuxiao Palace—Xu Li.”

Mingguang's voice echoed throughout the hall, like the tolling of an ancient temple's demon-suppressing bell, sending shivers down one's spine.

As soon as Mingguang finished speaking, his subordinates, Yunchuan, Binglun, and Taiji all showed expressions of disbelief.

Xu Li, the master of Jiuxiao Palace, has disappeared from the mortal world since Bitao ascended to heaven.

In order to protect Mingguang, Dongjun wanted to kill Xu Li before returning to Shangqing Realm, but he could not find any trace of Xu Li.

When they first started destroying the spirit-gathering array that blocked the Immortal Realm, there were always Immortals gathering together, rushing out to oppose them when they made their move.

It was as if their actions were foreseen, making them fight a bitter battle every day.

The people in the group had long suspected that Xu Li, the Palace Master of Jiuxiao Palace, was directing things from behind, but even after all the banished immortals were killed, they never saw Xu Li again.

Now, Mingguang Xuanxian is actually saying... that the ruler of Shenhong Kingdom is Xu Li?!

Bitao, who was watching this scene from behind the silver screen, was also shocked.

Her ascension was too chaotic. After returning to heaven, she was constantly revolving in the illusion of the debate. Although she guessed that Xu Li's identity was extraordinary, she never thought that he was actually the Ziwei Star God of this place.

The crown of the Divine Hong Kingdom, seated above, swayed slightly, but only slightly, without revealing any shock.

Clearly, he had known all along that Mingguang had seen through his identity. He had been fighting against Mingguang, the "Prince of Heaven" whom he had once scorned and never taken seriously, for many years.

Xu Li couldn't accept or believe that a fledgling member of the Golden Crow clan, whose feathers hadn't even fully grown, could have forced him into this predicament.

When Mingguang first broke through the barrier array of the Immortal Realm, Xu Li sent people to stop him, but in fact he didn't care that the array was damaged.

The life force of the inhabitants of this realm could not be extracted any further, and with the immortals watching over them from above the Silver River Net, Mingguang would find a way to destroy the great formation even if he didn't take action himself.

Mingguang was essentially working for him for free, and was still being attacked and opposed by his people.

At that time, Xu Li, wearing a human skin, stood across fifteen states in the human world, gazing at this ridiculous golden crow that was "flying" around the human world, claiming to be busy for the common people and willing to turn himself into a mortal so that he could not ascend. It was truly laughable.

Later, Mingguang led the Immortals of the Immortal Alliance to rebel, which was within Xu Li's expectations. He did not regret the rebellion of those Immortals. After all, the Immortals who had lost their immortal spirits and immortal pearls had lingered in this cruel place of abandonment for so many years. They were probably not as strong as a mortal soldier in his prime.

Xu Li was curious at that time: how could Ming Guang, having gathered such a rabble and randomly selected someone from some obscure corner to support as king, possibly break his rule over fifteen states?

He then lost six states in succession.

However, Xu Li was not in a hurry. After all, those six states were far from the capital of Shenhong Kingdom, with poor mountains and rivers and scarce resources. Even if they were not taken away, he did not care much.

After Mingguang seized his six prefectures and installed a new ruler, news soon spread that he was at odds with the ruler who had once served as a local official.

Throughout history, countless virtuous generals have been feared and discarded after their usefulness is over. As Xu Li had predicted, Mingguang devoted himself wholeheartedly to the cause, his achievements overshadowing his lord, and he was nearly killed.

When he broke with the king of Anping and led a group of subordinates to support a new king, Xu Li watched from afar, receiving news from all over the country that the "new king" of Mingguang was not as good as the previous king of Anping.

The previous ruler was at least a local official who guarded his territory, but this time he's just a nobody. Xu Li couldn't help but chuckle.

But he only laughed once, and then he couldn't laugh anymore.

Mingguang once again helped that outcast remove the title of king and establish a new dynasty.

When Xu Li belatedly realized that his powerful army was no match for the troops that Ming Guang had casually assembled, it was too late. He had just led a hastily assembled "commoners' army" that had annexed two of his states.

Xu Li is skilled in intrigue and manipulation, but after spending too much time in the shadows, even his eyesight has begun to deteriorate like a rat's.

He couldn't escape Mingguang's numerous schemes, and his reputation was damaged by the endless stream of "shocking maxims" emerging from various states, yet he couldn't clear his name of the scandals.

These proverbs range from his harming the people and his practice of Taoist cultivation with human sacrifices to his adultery with his brother's wife and his usurping the wife of his minister. In reality, he was a cruel, tyrannical, and twisted eunuch.

These "proverbs" were initially insignificant, until one day, Xu Li consumed several immortal pearls that were still well-preserved in the human body, wanting to use the laws of heaven and earth to see what Mingguang was doing.

It turned out that he could see the laws of heaven and earth, but he couldn't invoke them at all.

He is gradually losing the power of the Star God.

He was unable to contact the Celestial Venerable, and no one came to him to help him.

He was abandoned by the Celestial Venerable.

Later, he frantically used every method he knew to create soldiers and generals with "supernatural abilities" in an attempt to save the collapsing empire.

However, because he was connected to the immortal lineage and became an "immortal" for hundreds of years, he could manipulate the power of heaven and earth with a flick of his finger, which made him forget how to be a "human" and how to be a true monarch who could rule the world and maneuver freely.

Under Mingguang's multi-pronged approach, he suffered repeated defeats until the state was crumbling and the country was destroyed.

Even today—when he sits on the dragon throne, he is only putting on a brave face.

His body has developed serious problems. At first, he was only unable to invoke the laws of heaven and earth, but now he can't even use his own limbs.

He climbed onto the dragon throne before Mingguang lifted the palace restrictions.

Beneath his heavy imperial robes lay a body rotting to the bone, the backlash from the massacre of civilians, and...retribution.

Mingguang asked him, "Are you going to die wearing this human skin?"

Xu Li didn't know how to answer him, because his current state was his true self.

He no longer has the ability to transform into any other form.

But it doesn't matter, he can perish together with Mingguang Jade!

Looking at the people who had wasted so many years in this star realm, whose temples were now gray and who seemed to have no hope of ever returning to heaven, Xu Li felt extremely pleased.

Mingguang seemed to realize that Xu Li was already at his limit. He wanted to step forward, but stopped not far from him.

Mingguang frowned slightly, smelling the stench emanating from Xu Li.

He refused to move an inch further, finding it too dirty.

Bitao saw this scene through the silver net and burst out laughing.

No matter how times change, Mingguang's obsession with cleanliness will never change; it will always remain so vibrant and endearing.

Xu Li, however, thought that Mingguang's frown meant he had noticed his scheme and realized he had been tricked.

"Hahahaha...hahahahahaha..."

Xu Li suddenly burst into wild laughter, a chilling wind gathered in the hall, and blood-red light shot into the sky.

The twelve tassels of the emperor's crown correspond to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, and the cycle of the sun and moon. They symbolize the emperor's absolute authority as the ruler of Heaven and Earth.

This was also used to restrain the emperor's behavior, to encourage him to be cautious and self-disciplined.

But at this moment, Xu Limian's tassels jingled wildly, and he slumped on the dragon throne, laughing so hard he was almost limp. Gone was his imperial majesty; he gripped the white jade ring on his finger and spun it wildly.

"Hahaha, I, Xu Li, have benefited from everything in my life, whether rich or poor. If I can have the Crown Prince of the Nine Heavens buried with me when I die, I can die in peace without regret!"

"You probably don't know this, but this realm is the ancient realm of abandoned immortals. From ancient times to the present, no one has been able to ascend to immortality in this realm without my support."

"Though you have won, you have lost. No matter how much you struggle, you are nothing but a bunch of turtles in a jar, your efforts are in vain!"

"Why not obediently accept death and be buried with me!" This will help him ascend to immortality once more and escape this world!

As soon as Xu Li finished speaking, a cold wind howled and turbid waves surged into the sky.

The main hall suddenly trembled, the beams and pillars tilted, the ground cracked, and a scarlet talisman light suddenly rose and merged into the sky!

"What kind of evil formation is this?" Taiji and the others gripped their weapons tightly, gathered together warily, and all looked at Mingguang.

They never expected that even at this point, with Xu Liren rotting on the dragon throne, he would still have the ability to resist!

Mingguang held his breath, turning his face red from holding it in.

However, when he looked around at the magic array, there was no sign of panic on his face.

He stepped back a little, away from the source of the stench.

In the center of the main hall, a dozen steps away from Xu Li, Ming Guang raised his hand, pointing his sword towards the sky.

Looking at Xu Li, the judge delivered his verdict: "You have received the radiance of the Purple Palace, yet you have failed to fulfill your duties as a ruler, neglected the hopes of the people, secretly colluded with rebellious immortals, and privately continued the Cloud Book. You have usurped the throne of the Human Emperor, stolen the path of the Mysterious Gate, driven banished immortals to kill each other, and robbed life force to prolong your life. You have defied the laws of Heaven above and oppressed the common people below; your ten evils are countless, and your five punishments are too numerous to record."

"By the decree of the Nine Heavens, I hereby sentence you to the punishment of having your soul torn apart. Your star-like spirit will scatter into the vast void, and your consciousness will be extinguished in the flames of calamity. You will be forever barred from the ranks of immortals and forever depart from the mortal realm."

The moment Mingguang finished speaking, a bolt of punitive lightning streaked across the sky and struck directly above the Divine Martial Hall.

Just before the sinister formation closed, it collided with the omnipresent malevolent energy.

With a loud "boom," lightning exploded above everyone's heads.

Outside the Divine Martial Hall, a blinding light tore through the gloom, and the lingering echoes of thunder illuminated the hundred-zhang-wide royal court as bright as day.

Mingguang and the others stood against the bright light, their faces grim. Xu Licai was clearly the one sitting on the high dragon throne, but at this moment, he felt that Mingguang and the others were upright and divinely appointed.

The soul-refining array he set up using the souls of his last relatives and loyal servants was thus annihilated underground by the power of heavenly thunder.

“Impossible…” Xu Li finally showed fear in his eyes, but even stronger than fear was anger.

His bloodshot eyes glared at Mingguang with resentment, as if he wanted to devour Mingguang alive with his gaze.

"Your Immortal Pearl is clearly gone, gone ten years ago! It was all used to save your foolish subordinates, so how can you still summon the Five Thunders?!"

Xu Li quickly realized something and sneered, "So this is the privilege of being the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Realm?"

"As expected, your so-called immortal selection competition is completely unfair!"

"The immortals in Heaven are watching! Your privileges have been exposed to the public, and your followers will surely abandon you! You're finished, you're finished, hahahaha!"

Mingguang's face was flushed, and the veins on his temples were prominent.

Xu Li thought that he had been exposed and forced to reveal himself, which was why his veins were bulging.

Only those who had followed Mingguang for decades, and those who had seen Mingguang's peach blossoms through the silver net, knew that the reason Mingguang was about to faint from suffocation was because Xu Li smelled too bad.

Mingguang suppressed the churning sensation in his stomach and didn't want to say another word.

But after all these years, he has been waiting for today's "revenge". How could he let Xu Li die without knowing why?

He still harbors resentment towards Xu Li for attempting to use the formation, which nearly caused his little peach branch to be destroyed.

Fortunately, Taiji noticed Mingguang's abnormality and came forward in time. Holding a silver needle in his hand, he quickly pricked Mingguang's sense of smell twice, and Mingguang finally "came back to life".

He took a deep breath, but still felt nauseous.

Although he couldn't smell it, he felt the air here was dirty.

Suppressing his urge to turn and run, Mingguang said to Xu Li, who was laughing maniacally on the verge of death, "I have no special privileges. I am a celestial being from the Nine Heavens. Even if I have fallen to this world and become a mortal, I am still a celestial being from the Nine Heavens."

“All immortals have the power to judge and punish sinful immortals on behalf of Heaven. Moreover, as a star deity, you have secretly entered the Xuanmen, harmed the common people, and assisted the rebellious immortals in stealing the life force of the common people. Everyone has the right to kill you.”

"Even if it's not me, if anyone behind me utters words of judgment against you, the Five Thunderbolts will still fall."

After Mingguang finished speaking, he gestured to Taiji to summon the Five Thunders again.

Taiji was unsure of himself, but having followed Mingguang for so many years, he knew that Mingguang never made wild claims.

Immediately, he formed a lightning finger and chanted an incantation: "Five Thunder Gods, heed my command! Eastern wood thunder shatters the dark spring, southern fire burns away evil spirits..."①

After reciting the incantation, Tai Chi changed his sword fingers and pointed them skyward: "Hurry, hurry, as the law commands!"

"Click—"

A bolt of lightning struck from the sky.

A loud "BOOM!" resounded overhead.

The lightning pierced through the beams of the Divine Martial Hall and struck Xu Li directly.

Taiji barely managed to suppress his shocked expression and retreated behind Mingguang.

Xu Li's body was already rotting, and when he was struck by the punishing lightning, he should have been reduced to ashes on the spot.

Unfortunately... these immortals have now truly become mortals, and even though they can still judge on behalf of Heaven, the Five Thunder Gods will not offer their full assistance.

Therefore, Xu Li was still alive after being struck by two bolts of lightning.

He spat out charred blood clots, slumped on the dragon throne, and the imperial crown on his head fell to the ground, shattering the beaded curtain.

Although Mingguang couldn't smell it anymore, he still subconsciously covered his nose.

Burnt, rotten meat certainly doesn't smell good.

Xu Li was still filled with disbelief. Although he was about to die, the angry, unrepentant flame in his eyes kept him conscious.

However, his eyes, uncontrollably darting around like the scattered beads after the crown's tassels and curtains shattered, could not focus.

He still has things he doesn't understand, and he still has bargaining chips he can use in exchange!

He clearly still had a glimmer of hope.

Yet, Mingguang has yet to ask who is behind him.

If the person behind this truly cared about Xu Li even slightly, they would have taken him away long ago. Leaving him in this realm to await Ming Guang's slaughter was simply because everything Xu Li knew was utterly worthless.

Mingguang didn't ask Xu Li what his story was, nor did he care who helped him enter the Xuanmen.

Mingguang wouldn't believe a single word Xu Li said, whether it was true or false.

It simply says: "You have been abandoned, abandoned by the Heavenly Dao, abandoned by the people who believe in you, and abandoned by the rebellious immortals you serve."

"Betrayed by all and abandoned by all, your life has been in vain. You will be reduced to ashes and forever extinct in the world. That will be your final fate."

Another mouthful of blood gushed from Xu Li's mouth, splashing down beneath the wheelchair, along with some of his internal organs.

Mingguang took a half step back, but forced himself not to look away.

This is Xu Li's retribution. He'll have to watch closely.

"You said this world was once a place where immortals were abandoned."

Mingguang looked up at the sky, which had been struck by lightning and had a huge hole in it. He then looked at Xu Li with a cold expression and said, "But Heaven never abandons the common people, let alone those who hold immortal positions?"

"Here, life flourishes, flocks of birds fly about, and the harvest is plentiful with few disasters."

Even if someone has been punished in this world, Heaven only considers that their sins do not warrant death and gives them a chance to start over.

If there were no powerful array in this world that plunders the lives of ordinary people, it would be very simple for a sinful immortal to ascend to heaven after falling into this world.

Mingguang looked one last time at Xu Li's scattered, unfocused eyes, which had begun to look blank as he lay dying.

He was telling this to him, and also to the immortals who had followed him for decades.

"If you want to regain your immortal status, you should first learn to be a good human being."

It was only when Dongjun was worshipped by the people and grew his heavenly feathers that Mingguang realized this realm was never a dead end.

Those who were initially sentenced to this realm as immortals, if they can calmly accept being "human" when they discover that their immortal spirit has dissipated and their power has been lost.

If they hadn't defied their immortal nature and frantically stolen life force to solidify their immortal spirits, if they had been content to live as mortals for a lifetime, carrying the memories of their immortality while plotting their ascension, this realm would have been ridiculously simple.

Heaven not only didn't abandon them, it practically gave these immortals a "clean break".

However, in their pursuit of power and position, they lost their immortal hearts and their immortal dignity, ultimately ending up just like Xu Li.

The white jade thumb ring shattered on the ground, and Xu Li's breath died silently.

He never repented until the very end.

No matter how powerful Xu Li once was, how many immortals protected him, and how arrogantly he named his palace the Nine Heavens Palace, what difference did it make?

Those who abandon and trample upon the immortals will ultimately be abandoned and trampled upon themselves.

He was destined never to reach the highest heavens.

As soon as Xu Li died, Ming Guang covered his mouth and ran to the outside of the Divine Martial Hall with lightning speed.

He ran down the long steps of the palace in one breath, almost reaching the entrance of the palace where the officials entered, before he began to breathe heavily and then leaned against the palace gate to retch.

She vomited until her eyes were filled with tears and her face was flushed.

The other immortals also came out and laughed at Mingguang from afar.

Leaning against the railings under the eaves, I waited for the sunlight to finish shining.

As Bitao gazed at Mingguang from afar, her heart pounded with excitement and trembling, surpassing even the surging tides of the Boundless Sea after nightfall, utterly engulfing her.

Especially when Mingguang uttered the words, "If you wish to regain your immortal status, first be a good human being," Bitao understood more clearly than ever before what it meant to "Though our bodies lack the wings of a phoenix to fly together, our hearts are connected by a single thread of understanding." ②

Even though they are separated by heaven and earth and live in two different worlds, they can still... reach the same destination by different paths.

Looking back over the years, Mingguang has not only been busy leading troops to fight and establishing a new dynasty, but he has also been planning meritorious deeds for everyone around him, paving the way for their ascension from beginning to end.

When they first fell into this state, they unknowingly plundered the lives of ordinary people, becoming entangled in karma. They have no chance of ascending to immortality.

Xu Li is able to wield the "power" of ascension, but only by relying on his ascension formation to wash away the karma of the banished immortals.

It's just about washing away karma; even the bright light can wash it away.

"When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out," meaning all merits and demerits are wiped out by heaven and earth. The karmic consequences and sins that cannot be escaped while alive are taken to the underworld for reckoning, according to the rules of heaven and earth.

Therefore, during his years of war, Mingguang would periodically select a prepared subordinate and have him "die" once.

In the first ten years, all of Mingguang's subordinates, including himself, died naturally while the army was fighting or busy with the people.

Those with eyes that can see directly into the laws of heaven and earth and into the spiritual energy of yin and yang will not lose their souls after death.

With the miraculous healing power of Tai Chi, capable of snatching lives from the jaws of death, and supplemented by the Immortal Pearl to restore the body's vitality, the departed soul can be summoned back to the body, bringing the dead back to life.

The immortals of this realm are "accidentally created outsiders," who do not enter the netherworld of this realm and are not subject to reincarnation.

And precisely because there is no reincarnation in this world, those who die and are reborn will have their merits and demerits re-accumulated, even if they are reincarnated again.

The twenty years following the "reincarnation" of everyone were the twenty years in which Mingguang calculated merits for everyone to ascend to immortality.

With her current cultivation level, Bitao is able to directly penetrate the Silver Han Net and see the merits on everyone's bodies.

At least among the dozens of people she traced back, all of them were profound and perfect, only one step away from ascension. They had done different things over the years and held different positions in the new dynasty, but their merits were almost the same.

Even Bitao couldn't help but admire Mingguang; he was truly... a master strategist.

Bitao could already imagine the day when Mingguang would lead the immortals to ascend to heaven, a magnificent scene that would never be repeated.

And it wasn't just Bitao who admired the power of the light. Above the Silver River Net, due to the great upheaval in the celestial realm, some of the immortals, who had been silent for a long time, finally couldn't hold back any longer and began to speak.

"Ahhhhhh, Mingguang Xuanxian is so amazing, so incredibly amazing!"

After this comment appeared, other comments sprang up one after another like mushrooms after rain.

"This is amazing! I've never felt so proud of those words before: 'I am a celestial being from the Nine Heavens'!"

"Immortal Mingguang will teach you how to slay the Star Gods...Immortal Bitao will teach you how to slay the Heavenly Dao!"

"I declare that Immortal Bitao and Immortal Mingguang are the perfect match! They can even think in unison under completely different circumstances. To become an immortal, one must first be a good human! That's right! If the immortals who were initially punished in this realm could have lived peacefully as humans, they would have already ascended and attained their positions long ago."

"Perhaps the immortals experiencing the 'human tribulation' was simply the inevitable trend? All things in the world have always risen to their peak and then declined, and declined to their peak and then rose again. The celestial realm has held on for hundreds of thousands of years, and the power of the immortal positions has been passed down from generation to generation, perhaps because it has been at odds with the true wishes of the common people for too long."

"Nonsense! Bitao is clearly using the pretext of debate to sow discord among the Nine Heavens Immortals. Her only aim is to turn all the immortal positions into 'merit immortal positions' for those who ascend from the mortal realm, so they can all run off to become her dogs! The Great Emperor of Fengdu thinks so highly of her as his successor. Fellow immortals, think it over carefully. The tribulations of the mortal realm are subject to reincarnation. Once Bitao the Great Immortal succeeds as the Emperor of Fengdu, the Nine Heavens Immortal positions will all be mere puppets in her hands!"

"The Heavenly Rules were changed by the Azure Nether Emperor and the Heavenly Dao of the Myriad Realms. Why don't you point fingers at the two immortals and yell at them? Tsk tsk tsk, you ancient immortal donkey, you can no longer blindfold yourself and shirk your duties. You must have been scared to death!"

"I am from an ancient immortal clan, and to be honest... I really wanted to go down to the mortal realm to take a look. I even considered participating in the competition before, but I was too timid and afraid of losing and being punished to go down to the mortal realm, so I didn't participate. I should have participated! Since I was going to go down to the mortal realm anyway, I might as well try my luck in the competition and even advance my immortal rank!"

"Don't even mention it, just thinking about it makes me regret it..."

"Seriously, now that Immortal Bitao has taken over as the Emperor of Fengdu, doesn't that mean we'll all have to go through her hands in the future?"

"It's more than that. She now has the authority to send immortals down to the mortal realm. I advise fellow immortals not to provoke the Jade Peach Immortal. If she takes a liking to someone, she can fabricate a crime and send you down to the mortal realm to undergo tribulation, and you'll have to endure it. Who knows, by the time you've finally overcome all the hardships and are ready to be reincarnated, she might have already become the Emperor of Fengdu, and then fabricate another crime against you and kick you into the River of Oblivion, and you won't even have time to complain..."

...

Bitao was looking at Mingguang, who didn't vomit anything. He leaned against the palace gate, closed his eyes to calm himself, his silver armor was cold and hard, but his expression was very "fragile".

He almost went crazy from the stench.

As Bitao gazed at him, she found his aged appearance quite charming. Her thoughts inevitably wandered, tracing the curve of his silver armor's chest to the bottom, imagining that one day she would make him look like that and have a good intimate time with him, to make up for the thirty years she had missed.

Bitao sensed the celestial energy stirring above the Silver River Net. She glanced at it and saw comments on the net about her succeeding as the Great Emperor of Fengdu.

Bitao's eyelids twitched suddenly.

In an instant, as if a thunderclap pierced the night, everything hidden in the undercurrents was revealed in its entirety!

Why did the Heavenly Dao of Myriad Realms raise a debate topic about slaying gods?

It's because she knows who's behind it all, but like Bitao in Raibu Ichibun's illusion, she can't act rashly!

Was the Azure Emperor truly persuaded by Bi Tao to change the heavenly rules?

He was insightful and had long ago seen through Bitao's thoughts; he simply induced her to speak out and then took the opportunity to change the heavenly rules.

The Heavenly Dao of Myriad Realms and the Azure Nether Emperor, including the Great Emperor of Fengdu, are all "building momentum" for her.

First, she was shown in an illusion that she could slay gods, then the heavenly rules were established according to her will, and finally, power was given to her, allowing her to stand in a high position that even the ancient immortals of the Nine Heavens dared not provoke.

At this time, Da Ju acted as if the position of Emperor of Fengdu was irreplaceable.

If this trend continues, when all the immortals descend to the mortal realm to experience the "human tribulation," they will all have to travel through the Netherworld.

Bitao's succession as the Emperor of Fengdu allows her to eliminate dissidents and purge those who defy her from their positions.

—Isn't this the same spot where Xu Li used his "pointing and ascending" skill in the third competition?

Bitao closed her eyes, sat cross-legged with her hands in the self-guarding mudra. Her thoughts raced and intertwined.

She suddenly opened her eyes a moment later—were the immortals going to use her to fight against the person behind them?

Yes. After Bitao's thoughts became clear, she realized that she had indeed become a sharp knife capable of tearing open the curtain of the heavens.

Bitao suddenly smiled.

Regardless of whether the person behind it aims to refine the immortals like Kunyi in the illusion, or to replace Qingming and become the emperor of Taiqing Realm, they must first seize power in Taiqing Realm.

Mingguang once said that when the Heavenly Emperors change, the rank of immortals is secondary; the final round is about the believers of the immortals and the protection and support of the Six Ministries.

The Azure Emperor's demise, caused by a malfunction in the yin-yang sundial of the celestial realm, has led to his banishment as an immortal and may render him unfit to rule. They have imprisoned the Azure Emperor in the Upper Clarity Realm to hold him accountable; their next step will undoubtedly be to transfer him from the myriad realms of Heavenly Dao.

When the celestial realm is leaderless, he can then ascend to the throne as emperor by virtue of being "protected by the immortals".

Qingming and Kunyi, upholding righteousness and integrity as immortals, are building momentum for Bitao, intending for her to act as a spearhead, leading the immortals in a rebellious act to prevent the person behind the scenes from ascending to the throne.

After all, the new Heavenly Rules have been issued, and Bitao, like Xu Li, the former master of the Nine Heavens Palace, holds the power of "ascension," so naturally all the immortals are in awe of her.

She was also naturally wild and rebellious. If anyone tried to change the world, even if Bitao couldn't understand anything, she would never compromise easily if she had power in her hands.

As for how the person behind the scenes will be dealt with after they appear, Qingming Emperor and Kunyi have no idea.

Kunyi feared that Bitao would be targeted as a "sharp knife," so she took advantage of the Thunder Department's illusion to place a thunder pattern curse mark in Bitao's mind.

With the second competition ahead, this lightning-patterned seal can not only seal away past events, but also withstand a fatal blow.

It was like three competitions where the immortals, though setting up difficulties for them, always secretly looked after these younger ones.

A warm current flowed through Bitao's heart, and she couldn't help but marvel once again at the mercy of Heaven.

Indeed, "mother" will always be mother.

But just making sharp knives isn't enough.

She simply couldn't wait any longer.

She missed Mingguang terribly. Besides, Mingguang and the others were already at a critical juncture in their lives. If they were delayed by some kind of conspiracy or trickery by that group, or were passively tainted by karma, wouldn't all their thirty years of planning be in vain?

Bitao rolled her eyes.

She came up with a way to make the person behind her completely shift their attention from Mingguang to her!

Since things have already gotten this far, why not... just start a rebellion!

Before those people make a move, go and "pick the peaches" first!

She coerced and manipulated the immortals to protect her as she ascended to the throne of the emperor!

If the person behind it all discovers that their thousands of years of scheming have been used to benefit someone else, they will be furious.

By then, even a turtle that has lived for ten thousand years will have to show its face and will no longer be able to hide.