Chapter 45 The Jade Vaulted Tai Chi Hall of All Living Beings

When Bitao followed the celestial official from the Ministry of Justice to the entrance of the Heavenly Realm, she immediately spotted the giant eye in the clouds—Cuiwei!

Bitao had already guessed this on the way here, but when she actually saw Cuiwei ascend, she was overjoyed beyond words.

This unfortunate little girl was sold twice by her own parents, yet she still managed to uphold the goodness of humanity and accumulated such profound merit throughout her life. She did countless good deeds with the power of a mortal, and she deserves to ascend to immortality.

However, above the clouds, besides Cuiwei, there is another immortal seat that has passed away, namely Bingjing, who has never returned from the Thunder Department.

As the thunder subsided, Cuiwei, who had just ascended, had no Dharma form, but the Dharma form of Bingjing appeared above the clouds.

Her merits were also very profound. Bitao knew that she was the founder of a women's school in the lower realm, and when she was tracking Xuanjia, she saw that Emperor Enrong had promoted many female officials.

These female officials came from the girls' school founded by Bingjing, which was indeed a great deed with immeasurable merit and lasting benefits.

Her Dharma form held a book in one hand and a blade in the other, the blade-wielding hand pointing straight to the sky. Five-colored lightning bolts wound down along her blade, transforming into protective armor that caused the clouds to tremble incessantly.

The scroll in his hand was swiftly turned by the wind and thunder—countless women in flowing robes and scholar's caps moved among the pages, some sitting and lying down, some serving as officials in the court, some fighting on the battlefield, some becoming renowned talented women, and others becoming great Confucian scholars whose names are remembered for eternity. A mortal's life is fleeting, and women's circumstances are difficult, but once they step out of the inner quarters, each one is exceptionally talented and unparalleled.

Bitao smiled as she looked up at the Ice Mirror Dharma Image above the clouds, a being with both the talent of willow catkins and the courage of a heroine. Seeing that she had successfully crossed the ranks of immortals and entered the middle stage of true immortals, she was genuinely happy for her.

However... because of the time she beat up Binglun in the lower realm, it's likely that now that Bingjing has passed away, it will be difficult for them to be on good terms again.

Soon, Bingjing and Cuiwei descended from the clouds together. The moment Cuiwei saw Bitao, she burst into tears.

She had long believed that Fairy Bitao was a goddess descended from heaven, and the thunder general who had just guided her to heaven and set up the formation for her had already told her her future identity.

She knew that Bitao was the deity who had enlightened and guided her, so after landing, she knelt down and performed a deep bow to Bitao.

Her voice trembled as she finally managed to deliver a weighty promise and express her gratitude to the benefactor who had twice saved her from the jaws of death in the mortal realm, a promise that resonated throughout the heavens: "Attendant Cuiwei, for thousands of years, I am willing to die for the Fairy Bitao!"

Now, she has ascended to the heavens and become the attendant of the Fairy of the Peach Blossom, finally able to repay the kindness of being saved and enlightened decades ago.

Bitao quickly stepped forward and pulled her up: "Why are you kneeling? We are all immortals now, and I am not much higher than you. Get up quickly."

"Don't cry, this is such a happy thing!"

Cuiwei cried so hard her tears fell like raindrops, and Bitao held her tightly, wiping away her tears.

Bitao looked over Cuiwei's shoulder at Bingjing. After their eyes met, Bingjing hesitated and a conflicted look appeared on her face.

After all, back in the mortal realm, Bitao beat her brother so badly in order to win that he was bedridden for more than half a year.

But Bingjing has the air of a hermit, how could he be such an unreasonable and stubborn person?

Therefore, Bingjing hesitated only slightly before quickly walking towards Bitao.

He reached out and punched Bitao on the shoulder, looking at her with a mixture of nostalgia and deep emotion, before quickly laughing and saying, "What exactly happened between you and my brother!"

Bitao laughed and pulled her into her arms.

He said, "It wasn't anything serious, we just didn't like each other and got into a fight."

"You know I'm strong; your brother can't beat me at all, so how can you blame me?"

Bingjing punched Bitao again, then looked past Bitao and saw Binglun Tianxian who had come to guide her.

"elder brother!"

Bingjing pushed Bitao aside and buried herself in Binglun's arms.

Binglun stroked her hair, whispering words of comfort to her younger sister, while looking at Bitao with a complicated expression.

Binglun, of course, heard what Bitao said. Bitao had been gone for a long time, but she never told anyone that he had thrown a piece of Binglun's mark at her.

Now that she hasn't told Bingjing, Binglun feels like someone has his lifeline in someone's hands. Although he had already thought of a hundred explanations for that matter, now that Bitao deliberately concealed it, it has become a sword hanging over his head.

The arrogant words spoken by Bitao were also heard by the group of thunder generals behind Binglun.

The expressions on everyone's faces varied, but no one would deny it anymore.

After all, in terms of skill alone, Binglun was no match for Bitao Immortal, as they could clearly see from the Silver River Net at the time.

Although Ice Wheel Celestial Immortal might still be able to suppress Peach Blossom Celestial Immortal by virtue of her Celestial Rank after returning to the Celestial Realm, she might be beaten half to death if they meet in a competition in the mortal realm.

Moreover, given how quickly this Fairy of the Peach Blossom has progressed, it remains to be seen where she will ultimately stand.

Of the more than ten thousand immortals in the mortal realm, less than half have returned to heaven. Yet, only the Fairy of the Peach Blossom has chosen two generals to ascend to heaven. Among the immortals of the Nine Heavens, the one they least want to provoke right now is the Fairy of the Peach Blossom.

As a result, the atmosphere was so harmonious that it seemed as if everyone had always been close friends.

As the two groups parted, Bitao even heard the general of the Thunder Department bow politely to her and greet her, "Fairy Bitao."

Bitao raised her eyebrows, turned her head, and winked at Lei Jiang—meaning, "You're being so polite to me in front of Binglun Tianxian, are you not planning to work under him?"

Lei Jiang clearly didn't understand Bi Tao's meaning, but was made to blush by her flirtatious wink.

Then I remembered that this Fairy of the Peach Blossom had a terrible reputation. It was said that she would harass handsome male immortals, and she relentlessly pursued the Immortal of Bright Light...

Bitao led the big-eyed Cuiwei back to her palace and bestowed upon the two junior immortal officials who were receiving her a thick layer of immortal spirit.

"Once Fairy Cuiwei is familiar with the celestial realm, I will write a recommendation letter to recommend her for a position at the Nine Heavens Academy."

"Please tell the 'Great God of the Nine Heavens' that I thank the Ministry of Education for guiding my attendant to ascension, and I will definitely express my gratitude with generous gifts in the future."

The two little fairies took the pure immortal spirits suitable for their cultivation and left happily, feeling that this trip was really worthwhile.

This Fairy of the Peach Blossom is indeed as easy to talk to as the rumors say!

Moreover, their department is currently short-staffed, so having another colleague would really lighten their burden considerably!

Doctor Wu had already become familiar with Bi Tao, and Bi Tao only learned now that his real name was Wu Wentao.

However, he was already used to being called Doctor Wu, and even jokingly asked Bitao, the main immortal, to give him a name as well.

Bitao didn't do it, but Doctor Wu, though young and handsome, acted like an old man.

Bitao really couldn't think of any other name suitable for him besides Doctor Wu.

Moreover, Doctor Wu is ultimately different from Cuiwei and even Taiji. The other two were unfortunate abandoned children, but Doctor Wu's name embodies his parents' beautiful wish that he would be proficient in both literary and martial arts.

And their child, just as they had prayed, spent his life using his medical skills and everything he could to "fight for justice," never failing to live up to his name.

What reason would Bitao have to change it for him?

Therefore, Bitao continued to call him Doctor Wu.

When Doctor Wu saw Cuiwei ascend to heaven, he happily stroked his chin several times.

He's gone now, but he still has the habit of touching his chin, which makes him look strangely sleazy, like an old man in a young man's skin.

“Not bad, not bad,” he said, circling Cuiwei once. “I never thought we would meet again in the Heavenly Realm.”

"I wonder if my little apprentice is alright now?"

Cuiwei replied, "It's not just that they're doing well, they're practically famous throughout the world."

"After Physician Wu died, Taiji worked as a coroner for several years, solving many strange cases. Later, he created a method of disembowelment, which was able to snatch women in difficult childbirth and fetuses destined to die from the hands of the King of Hell."

"At one point, he was scorned by the world, regarded as an inhuman executioner, and was even captured by the imperial court and sent to the border to serve as a military doctor for several years."

"But because of his exceptional medical skills, he was captured by a severely wounded enemy general and taken to the enemy country."

"The general was cut in the waist and abdomen, his intestines spilling out. It is said that when he was on the verge of death, Taiji, as a last resort, boldly opened the man's stomach and restored his internal organs."

"And it really did save the person's life, and Tai Chi became famous from then on."

"Later, he founded the renowned Knife Medicine Hall, saving countless lives and completely clearing his name. Not only in Qingliao Kingdom, but also in the surrounding regions, people were eager to recruit his disciple."

"However, I only met him once thirty years ago when I went to the Temple of the Great Emperor Qinghua in the Eastern Pole to offer incense. I don't know how he is now."

It is now the afternoon of the sixth day of the competition. After today, it will be a full seven days.

Seventy is a major milestone in the lifespan of an ordinary person, and those contestants who did not pass away will probably never return.

Little Tai Chi should be nearly seventy years old by now.

Bitao then inquired about Cuiwei's affairs in the mortal realm, learning that she had run a herbal medicine hall for Xuanjia, taking in orphans and teaching them to read, write, and identify herbs.

It was by chance that she followed the path that Mingguang had carefully analyzed and predicted for Bitao. Her life was smooth sailing, she had students all over the world, her virtue was known far and wide, and she died peacefully without illness.

Throughout her life, she took in countless orphans. During the years when Xuanjia deliberately lingered in the human world and suspended the growth of faith power, the "Herbal Medicine Hall" always bore the name of Cuiwei.

After his death, due to his profound merits and the wide number of believers, he was guided to the upper realm by the prison authorities.

Bitao then introduced Cuiwei to her other friends in the palace, and then went to Zhu Ming's place.

Something's not right. Something's not right.

Doctor Wu did good deeds throughout his life, so it's understandable that his destiny was affected by her and he ascended to a higher level.

Bitao never expected that Cuiwei would also be chosen by her!

Zhu Ming saw that Bi Tao had come several times in one day, and he lifted his eyelids, looking impatient.

"You've really made a name for yourself now. The entire Silver River is filled with discussions about the generals you selected ascending to immortality. Just how many people did you name when you descended to the mortal realm?"

"Don't you know that as a celestial being, bestowing names upon people at will is tantamount to enlightenment?"

"If they ascend to heaven, that's fine. But if they fail to ascend and end up in the underworld, with your celestial position interfering in their fate, what are you going to do with the people in the underworld?"

Bitao: "...Wasn't I out of my mind back then? How could I possibly remember this heavenly rule, especially since there were only two of us..."

"That martial arts physician, Wu Wentao, had accumulated great merit. He had no relatives, wife, children, or friends in his life. I simply increased his merit unintentionally, and he ascended to heaven on his own."

"As for the other one, he probably won't ascend to immortality."

Bitao said, "After tonight he will be over seventy years old. I heard from Cuiwei that he has suffered a lot of hardship in his life..."

It's still unknown whether he'll live to be seventy.

It's estimated that ascension will be very difficult.

"The selection of generals for the ancient immortal ranks was insufficient. The Eastern King Duke and the Western Queen Mother had not yet ascended from the Kunlun and Penglai realms to the heavens, intermarried with the ancient immortal clans, and given birth to immortal beings before that."

"I have been in the Heavenly Realm for over a thousand years. Every immortal who holds a position in the mortal world is afraid of getting entangled in worldly karma. They are always cautious when walking in the mortal world and will never shake the fate of a mortal."

"Mingguang Xuanxian coordinated the various departments and assisted Ziwei Star in its proper position, yet none of this affected the mortals' fate charts."

"You think you're so capable, giving people random names."

Zhu Ming curled his lip, "If that kid doesn't ascend, you'll be in trouble when the underworld comes after you."

"Although the underworld is under the jurisdiction of the celestial realm, it has been independent for many years and has not cooperated with the celestial realm for tens of thousands of years."

"Now is the time for the Luo Feng Mountain Emperor to be replaced every three thousand years. The Heavenly and Underworld realms are cooperating to select celestial positions. Because those celestial positions in the lower realms are those who act recklessly in the mortal world, the Underworld's Reincarnation Department has accumulated countless mortals whose fate plates have been tampered with. The ghost officials in the Underworld have long been complaining."

"If Emperor Luofeng Mountain and his attendants hadn't been busy being drawn up by the Shangqing Realm and hadn't crossed the Nether River from the Northern Xuantian Wangchuan to the Heavenly Realm to supervise the examination, these immortal positions in the Heavenly Realm would have been ridiculed to an unknown degree."

"Now we just need to wait for the first competition to be completely over before we send up those immortals who failed to ascend to heaven to prove their positions, to give the heavens a 'show'."

Zhu Ming was afraid that Bi Tao's fate, which had failed to be activated due to her mortal destiny, would be negatively affected and cause trouble for the underworld again.

Bitao propped her head up with her hand and didn't retaliate even when mocked.

Subconsciously fiddling with the jade pendant at her waist, she was genuinely worried that because she had given Taiji a name, his life of great merit would be wasted, and he would be reborn as a wealthy and idle person to enjoy the consequences of his karma.

Instead, one should linger in the underworld. It should be understood that, apart from those in the underworld, other souls will have their luck and merits depleted if they linger there.

Seeing Bitao's distress, Zhu Ming couldn't bear it and said, "But you don't need to worry too much. If it weren't for you, that boy might not have lived to seventy. If his next life is truly affected, that's his fate. How can you blame your savior?"

Bitao couldn't help but smile when Zhu Ming comforted her.

Although Bitao was worried, she didn't blame herself too much for this.

It will affect the horoscopes of mortals in the lower realms; this is something that the competing astrological realms cannot avoid.

Whatever compensation the underworld wants, we'll do our best to cooperate.

"Your Highness, if you had been this gentle and considerate when you were in the mortal realm, you wouldn't have ended up alone all your life, would you?"

"Get out of here."

Zhu Ming really wanted to punch Bi Tao.

How can anyone be so rude!

So what if he's lonely!

So what if he's lonely?!

"Can I borrow the Jade Bone to help Cuiwei regulate her meridians? That way, I can send her to the Ministry of Supervision. She's only recently become an immortal and isn't quite adept at using her immortal spirit yet. She's also a wood spirit, born with the wood element."

"Don't even think about it!" A natal immortal artifact isn't something you can just lend out casually.

Bitao didn't insist. She slipped away as fast as she could, singing all the while, "Croak croak croak croak croak, all alone, all alone... I'm a happy little frog..."

Zhu Ming threw the jade bone at the back of her head. Bi Tao cried out "Ouch!" and pretended to be hit, falling down at the entrance of the Jade Bone Palace.

He picked up Zhu Ming's natal immortal artifact and put it into his pocket.

She actually has this thing too. When she ascends to the celestial realm and the lightning enters her body, she will find a natal celestial artifact for her celestial position.

However, the peach branch she pulled from her arm had very subtle healing properties.

The attributes of a celestial artifact are just like the image of its master.

Bitao lacked Zhu Ming's unwavering love for protecting all living beings, even if he were trampled into mincemeat. Naturally, her magical artifacts followed her lead, becoming highly aggressive.

Having gained an advantage, Bitao shouted to Zhu Ming, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will definitely keep your true immortal artifact close to my body, so you won't be alone..."

Unable to bear it any longer, Zhu Ming leaped out, grabbed Bi Tao by the back of the neck, and was about to snatch the magic weapon back.

While the two were struggling, Mingguang, accompanied by his attendant, came to Youtian to collect the list of participants for a competition to obtain a place in the Immortal Realm.

As a result, he saw Xiao Taozhi, who had confessed her feelings to him not long ago and wanted to descend to the mortal realm as a human if he didn't accept her, being held in Zhu Mingxiandu's arms, her face as pink as peach blossoms, struggling and playing.

Mingguang himself couldn't see his face at the time, but the servants beside him felt as if their internal organs were frozen by the coldness emanating from him.

The position of Xuanxian, seemingly only a step away from Tianxian, is actually a world apart.

The oppressive aura emanating from it was beyond the capacity of low-ranking immortals like them to withstand.

Zhu Ming is also a Xuanxian (a type of immortal). Strictly speaking, he is still Mingguang's superior, since Mingguang handles the official duties of the Nine Heavens but has not received any immortal position.

Seeing Mingguang like this, he didn't stand on ceremony.

It released spiritual pressure to counteract the bright light and dissolve the rapidly descending chill from the surroundings.

Thinking of how Bitao mocked him for being lonely, he wanted to make sure she suffered too.

Knowing that she cherished Mingguang deeply and that he had schemed and plotted but still failed to win her heart, he lowered his head and said gently, "My darling, you go first, I'll come to find you tonight."

As he spoke, he tidied up the stray hairs by her temples.

Bitao: "..." She got goosebumps.

I really want to punch His Highness the Crown Prince in the stomach.

Mingguang had already suppressed the spiritual pressure he had unconsciously released. He wasn't there to cause trouble; he was just there to get the list of participants.

But seeing this scene now, I felt a stifling sensation, as if a mouthful of fishy sweetness was rising in my throat, about to burst out.

My darling?

Little Peach Branch is truly capable; in the blink of an eye, she became the Immortal Overseer's darling.

If Mingguang had witnessed this scene yesterday, Bitao might have offered some explanation.

But everything that needed to be said has been said under the big peach tree today, and Zhu Ming's addition of firewood is just right.

Therefore, Bitao smiled and said, "Then I'll go back and wait for you."

Without even glancing at Mingguang, and without even exchanging a polite greeting as one would when meeting someone of the immortal rank, he transformed into a spirit and flew straight towards the Water Bamboo Bridge.

Mingguang's gaze followed her departing figure until she disappeared from sight, then he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

He said to Zhu Ming, "Immortal Supervisor, I've come to retrieve the roster for the You Tianxia competition."

"You come here to get the roster, and you immediately unleash your divine power to suppress me?" Zhu Ming's tone was mocking. "Immortal Mingguang certainly has quite the grand air these days."

"Your golden crow form has grown up. It seems that the wings of the Celestial Immortal Mingguang have truly hardened."

Even though Mingguang had millions of troops ready to go, and a murderous aura that seemed to want to kill everything without leaving a trace, he had to suppress his emotions and restrain himself in front of Zhu Ming. After all, it would be impolite of him to release his spiritual pressure as soon as they met.

"Immortal Supervisor, please forgive me. I have only recently been promoted to the rank of Xuanxian. These past few days I have been busy collecting rosters in the Nine Heavens and have not yet had time to properly refine the immortal spirit that has entered my body. It was truly inappropriate of me to offend you, Immortal Supervisor."

"Hmph." Seeing that he was willing to lower his head and show weakness, Zhu Ming stopped arguing with him.

Say to him, "Come in."

Bitao was unaware of the subsequent conversation between the two. After using the jade bone to heal Cuiwei's meridians, she discovered that Guanghan Zhenxian, who had traveled with Zhankui to the Boundless Sea, was also with her.

The Moon Goddess has now risen one rank, yet she is extremely polite to Bitao.

He still possessed that same air of refined elegance and captivating charm, except now his words were undeniably pleasant to hear.

"Congratulations to Fairy Bitao for advancing four ranks and taking the lead."

"This palace is magnificent and grand, perfectly complementing the many distinguished guests at the Peach Blossom Fairy Temple. I wonder if it has been named?"

Seeing Zhan Kui leaning against Guang Han with a look of "springtime passion," Bi Tao noticed that the two white cheeks he had painted on had disappeared. Looking at her fish-headed, big eyes, Bi Tao couldn't even imagine how those white cheeks had vanished...

With such a "heartfelt and touching love" from the Moon Goddess, at least Bitao didn't push this dissolute immortal, whose neckline was plunging to his pubic bone, out of the picture.

He shook his head and said, "Never."

"However, now that you mention it, I have an idea. People come and go here all over the world, so let's call it 'Cang Sheng' (meaning 'the common people')."

She hoped that whether she descended to the mortal realm or returned to the palace, she would always take the common people as a warning and not lose her original intention as an immortal, like some ancient immortals.

As soon as she finished speaking, the blank plaque in the main hall of her palace spontaneously generated three characters in bold, powerful strokes: "Palace of All Living Beings".

"The Palace of the Common People is truly wonderful."

That night, Zhu Ming actually came to Bi Tao's place.

Moreover, after discussing official duties with Mingguang for an afternoon, they crossed the Shuichun Bridge together, their destination clearly in the direction of Bitao and Dushuo Mountain.

“I specifically observed Mingguang’s reaction,” Zhu Ming said. “Seeing that you and I were somewhat intimate, he wasn’t entirely unmoved. Unfortunately, given his stubborn nature, even if you found someone to act out a passionate love story with, he might not be able to understand love.”

“If you keep trying to pry him for another seven or eight hundred years, he might finally give in. But those servants behind him represent not only the protection of the future Immortal Emperor, but also the armor that holds him back.”

"He must not reveal his personal desires, nor do anything that is 'prohibited or transgressed'."

Zhu Ming said, "In my opinion, you haven't swayed him yet. After the second competition, he will probably advance another level and become a Grand Immortal, then he can take over the position of Emperor of Luofeng Mountain and officially learn how to be an emperor."

"At that time, it will be time to arrange a marriage."

Zhu Ming looked at Bi Tao and said, "The ancient immortal clan will select one of the main immortal positions in the Three Departments of Thunder Fighter and the Nine Heavens who can assist him in becoming his empress."

Zhu Ming asked, "What will you do then?"

Bitao regulated Cuiwei's meridians and returned the jade bones to Zhu Ming.

He said confidently, "Then you don't need to worry, I have my own way."

"I just admire your overconfident attitude."

"Let's see how you manage to make him bow down and fall in love with you."

Zhu Ming said, "The next two days are the final deadline for those who have passed away and are about to be confirmed. Those who cannot return will never return."

"The list of participants for the second round of the Nine Heavens competition will be finalized after the first competition ends."

"At the latest, the rules for the second round of competition, as well as which star realm will be chosen, will be announced on the Silver River Net the day after tomorrow."

"I can tell you a little bit."

Zhu Ming tapped the table with his jade bone and said, "This is not a secret in the Nine Heavens now. The next star realm for the competition will be the Xuanxing Realm. Your immortal power will be suppressed and then released into the competition."

Bitao nodded: "I already guessed it."

Zhu Ming looked at her meaningfully with that bewildered expression that Bi Tao had given him.

"The first round of competition has ended, and those who have successfully advanced in rank have now begun to take up their respective celestial positions."

"This time, the competition in the mortal realm is for the main general positions of the Thunder Fighting Army. The number of participants has dropped sharply, and now the number of registered participants in the entire Nine Heavens is less than three thousand."

"All the immortals weighed their options carefully, fearing that if they lost the competition, their immortal spirits would be confiscated, and they would not even be able to be reborn as humans."

"Even your 'brothers' from You Tian's group only have a few participants. Have you thought this through?"

Bitao replied matter-of-factly, "Of course I'll continue competing. What else can I do? Join Kunlun and become a sword cultivator?"

"You can't go to Kunlun now. The Queen Mother of the West hasn't contacted you yet. It's probably because the King Father of the East ruined the whole thing."

Zhu Ming said with a hint of helplessness, "The Eastern King Duke has a crush on you, but he and the Western Queen Mother are sworn enemies."

"He gave you the palace he used, without even cleaning out the storerooms inside. Consider it a gift for your passing. He would never allow the Queen Mother of the West to invite you to Kunlun."

"But you don't need to be afraid. Even if you fail in the second round of the competition, with your current immortal rank, you can still stay in the Heavenly Realm."

"When the time comes, come to my Penglai and start from scratch with me."

Bitao laughed freely: "Then I'll thank His Highness the Crown Prince in advance for covering for me and planning my escape route. He's so thoughtful and considerate; I have no way to repay him."

"If I truly enter Penglai, I will serve His Highness the Crown Prince faithfully and be willing to give my life for him."

Zhu Ming was pleased by a few words of praise for the Crown Prince and left in a good mood.

On the seventh day after the start of the Heavenly Competition, very few immortals had returned to heaven.

The focus of the discussion on the Silver River has shifted from speculating who will return to heaven to assume their celestial position and how many ranks they will be promoted to the fact that so-and-so has already taken up a certain celestial post after their return.

Before the competition began, the Nine Heavens announced a number of vacant positions for immortals, with all six departments listing quite a few.

Now, apart from the "ghost position" in the Underworld Department, which no one is willing to take, all other immortal ranks below the gods will be filled in all five departments.

Bitao, relying on her connections and influence in the Nine Heavens, bypassed many celestial ranks when they entered the office. She brought good things she had gathered from the Eastern King Duke's treasury as a generous gift and managed to get Cuiwei into the Supervisory Department. Most of the great gods in charge of the Supervisory Department in the Nine Heavens were followers of the Southeast Good Life and Salvation Heavenly Venerable. They were well-known for their virtue in the Nine Heavens and were very easy to talk to. It didn't take much effort on her.

It wasn't easy to get Doctor Wu into the medical department, but Bitao used the fact that she had a nude photo of the immortal Lingze as leverage to get him settled in, and made the immortal Lingze promise not to mistreat him.

Fortunately, the Eastern King Duke's treasury hadn't been cleared out. Otherwise, despite Bitao's many years in the Heavenly Realm, where she was known for her generosity, wide circle of friends, and casual use of celestial spirits, and despite her diligence, she hadn't accumulated anything of noteworthy value.

It's thanks to the fact that these two productions are always short-staffed and have a rather "non-competitive" attitude that she can get things done.

The Department of Medicine is responsible for healing, but most celestial beings do not suffer from mortal illnesses. Those in charge of the Department of Medicine are all incarnations of gods who travel to the mortal realm to help people, distribute medicine in the mountains and fields, and have nothing to do with governing the Nine Heavens.

The Supervisory Department is in charge of the reproduction of all living beings in the human world and the birth of children. It has little to do with the secret struggle between the ancient immortals in the celestial realm and the merit-based immortal positions.

That way, it'll be easier to squeeze people in.

Although they all started from very minor celestial positions, at least they were able to settle down in the Heavenly Realm and have official positions, so they wouldn't be bullied when the Peach Blossom Competition was not held in the Heavenly Realm.

Besides, she started from the level of a minor immortal, so there's nothing wrong with that.

On the seventh night of the selection competition for immortals, no one on the Milky Way had returned to heaven.

All the celestial beings sent spiritual threads into the Milky Way, and upon tracking them down, they discovered that all the remaining contestants in the mortal realm had perished, thus officially declaring the first round of the competition over.

On the morning of the eighth day of the competition, Bitao and the other participating immortals were gathered again by the "Gathering Immortal Order" on the Chongxiao Six Imperial Platform under the Yin-Yang Sundial of the Star River.

Those immortals who lost the competition were sent back to the celestial realm, densely packed in the clouds, awaiting the celestial rules to settle accounts with the immortals and determine their next destination.

Bitao saw the Emperor of Fengdu and his attendants appear in the Heavenly Realm for the first time.

Above the clouds, a murky, ghostly aura, the complete opposite of the pure air, once enveloped the immortals who had been sent back to the heavens, turning the clouds into a rolling, inky black sea.

The Nine Heavens and Five Thunders were angered, and muffled thunder rumbled and lightning flashed incessantly.

However, not a single bolt of lightning struck the Emperor of Fengdu.

He did not reveal his true form in the clouds, and his appearance differed greatly from what was recorded in the mortal world. He did not hide his face in mystery or conceal his identity with ghostly energy.

He was even beautiful, with a face as radiant as the morning glow, yet his power was like a nightmare.

Her beauty was unparalleled, yet her ghostly aura soared to the heavens.

He was already awe-inspiring and his ghostly flames raged as he simply stood there.

The guards surrounding him were all ghost kings of Luofeng Mountain, earthly demons, whose malevolent aura soared to the heavens, causing the yin winds to howl in fury.

For a moment, those immortals who had been trembling in the underworld for decades, knowing that they were about to face the reckoning of heavenly rules and have their immortal spirits stripped to atone for their failure in the competition, some couldn't help but howl out loud, and some even shed tears in the clouds.

The wailing and howling of ghosts are insufficient to describe this spectacular yet poignant scene.

Bitao could even imagine that the immortals who could remain in the celestial realm after this judgment would definitely work diligently from then on.

The fact that so many more are unable to attain immortality, or even reincarnation, serves as a wake-up call to the heavens, reminding them of the lessons learned from their mistakes.

They will also be able to learn from past mistakes and be clear about their responsibilities in their future celestial duties.

However, when the Five Thunder Formation of the Initiation truly soared into the sky, the immortals on the Silver River who had not participated, as well as the winners on the Six Imperial Platforms of the High Heaven, could not help but feel sorrow for their kind.

Seeing the immortal bones of his former fellow immortals shattered and cast beneath the clouds, and seeing his former fellow immortals scattered and their souls scattered due to the exhaustion of their immortal spirits, all the immortals fell silent.

The powerful five elements extracted by the Five Thunder Array converged into a stream, like a colorful rainbow bridge spanning the sky, pouring into the celestial sphere and the yin-yang sundial.

The Great Emperor of Fengdu and his attendants, the Ghost Kings of Luofeng Mountain, also appeared on the Six Imperial Platforms of Chongxiao, sitting in rows beside the Immortal Emperor and the Great Emperor of the Eastern Pole Qinghua.

This is the momentum to monitor the second round of the competition.

The spirit-removing array in the clouds continued until sunset and had not yet ceased.

The wailing above the clouds had ceased, leaving only a few immortal positions in the celestial realm that could still be held because their immortal rank was high enough to extract immortal spirits.

They are enduring the onslaught of the Five Thunderbolts Formation, gritting their teeth and persevering.

Bitao didn't want to watch anymore, but with all the Celestial Venerables of the Nine Heavens present, no one was allowed to leave, and no one dared to depart.

This, like the public sentencing of Doubu Fenglian and the other immortals, is actually a warning and stern rebuke from the Nine Heavens Immortal Master to all the immortals.

Nature does not allow people to avoid it like the plague, nor to flee at the mere sight of it.

However, for some reason, Bitao always felt that there was a chilling wind coming from the direction where the Emperor of Luofeng Mountain was sitting.

It's as if she's being watched closely by some ghost king from Mount Luofeng?

Bitao looked back several times, making eye contact with one of them... no, with both ghost kings. Their expressions were strange, their eyes were bloodshot, and they seemed to be suppressing something, as if they wanted to devour her alive.

However, Bitao recalled her years of wandering in the mortal realm and her experience in this competition, and did not feel that she had offended the Earthly Fiend King in any way.

These two are probably here to cause trouble for her because she moved the Tai Chi Destiny Chart, and since she hasn't been able to manifest herself yet, they're making things difficult for her.

Just as Bitao was struggling with her doubts, the Five Thunder Array above the clouds actually reassembled just as it was about to dissipate.

Above the clouds, a figure enveloped in golden light of merit suddenly appeared, and the Five Thunder Array descended upon him.

The crowd was in an uproar.

Someone exclaimed in surprise, "Which immortal has ascended to heaven and attained their rank? Wasn't the competition in the lower realms already closed?"

"This is not a celestial being who has returned to heaven, but a meritorious immortal who has ascended to heaven!"

"How come it's yet another immortal position attained through meritorious deeds?"

"Could it be that the 'general' was chosen by that Fairy Bitao again?!"

It really is!!!

Bitao stared wide-eyed at the "unfamiliar adult man" above the clouds, whose appearance was still undeniable even though he was surrounded by lightning.

Bitao had never seen what Taiji looked like when it grew up.

But she recognized Tai Chi's unique yin-yang eyes!