Xie Lian knew this must be something Hua Cheng had left behind. He took it in his hand, pondered it for a moment, and wondered, "What is this?"
When Xie Lian was the crown prince, he grew up in the palace of Xianle Kingdom. Xianle Kingdom had always cherished beautiful and precious things, and this pursuit was widespread. The palace was exceptionally opulent, with pillars of gold, steps of jade, and countless rare treasures. Children of royal and noble families often played with various gemstones like marbles, becoming accustomed to the sight of precious objects. Xie Lian looked at this ring, which seemed to be made of polished diamond. However, the ring's shape was so beautiful that even the most skilled craftsman could not have achieved such a natural beauty. Moreover, it was more crystal clear and radiant than any diamond he had ever seen, captivating him. He couldn't quite place what it was.
Even if he couldn't be sure what it was, it was undoubtedly something extremely valuable and important. Furthermore, since it was worn around his neck, it couldn't have been accidentally dropped; it was most likely a token of trust given by Hua Cheng before his departure. Xie Lian was somewhat surprised to receive the token, but with a faint smile, he resolved to keep it safe and ask the young man the meaning of his gift the next time they met. He only had a small, run-down Taoist temple, no place to hide the treasure. After some thought, he decided the safest way was to keep it close to his body, so he put the extremely thin silver chain back on.
After returning from two consecutive trips to Yujun Mountain and Banyue Pass, Xie Lian remained paralyzed at Puqi Monastery for several days. If it weren't for the occasional overly enthusiastic villagers bringing uneaten steamed buns and porridge as offerings, he would have remained paralyzed for the next few days. After recovering, he gradually began to work again. After several days of this, one day, Lingwen suddenly informed him: Ascend to heaven quickly.
From her tone, it seemed like something was seriously wrong. Xie Lian had guessed something and was mentally prepared. He asked, "What's wrong? Is it about the Banyue Pass?"
Ling Wen said: "That's right, come directly to the Shenwu Palace after you return to Xianjing."
Hearing about the Shenwu Hall, Xie Lian was startled, knowing that Jun Wu had returned.
He hadn't seen Jun Wu since his third ascension. As the Supreme Martial God, he spent the entire year, month, and day either in seclusion, out on patrol, or guarding the mountains and seas. Naturally, he wouldn't have the chance to meet him. So, without a few days' rest, Xie Lian ascended to the Immortal Capital again.
Xianjing had a main thoroughfare, Shenwu Avenue. While the mortal world had also built numerous Shenwu Avenues in Jun Wu's memory, as previously mentioned, many things in the mortal world were merely imitations and projections of those in the celestial realm. Therefore, only this one, in the Celestial Xianjing, was the true Shenwu Avenue. Along this broad avenue, Xie Lian made his way toward the Celestial Palace. Within the Celestial Palace, the temples of various immortals and gods were clustered, forming clusters and cities, each showcasing its own unique charm. Here, carved beams and painted buildings stood, there, small bridges and flowing water. Immortal winds drifted in all directions, and clouds filled the air beneath his feet. Along the way, he encountered many hurried priests, but none dared to address him.
In fact, in the past, when Xie Lian walked in the Heavenly Palace, no one paid any attention to him. However, "no one paid any attention" at that time meant that the immortal officials would not come up to walk side by side with him, nor would they take the initiative to chat with him, but they still had the basic courtesy of nodding and saying hello. Now, they really pretended not to see him, as if looking at him any more would bring trouble. Those in front of him walked fast, and those behind him walked slowly, wishing they could stay eight feet away from him. Xie Lian had long been accustomed to it and didn't think it was a big deal. After all, he had just pulled down a hot newcomer, General Pei, and it would be strange if people didn't walk away. Who knew, as he was walking, he suddenly heard someone shouting behind him: "Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
Hearing this, Xie Lian was surprised, thinking that calling him at this moment was truly courageous. But turning back, he saw that the young priest who had called out "Your Highness the Crown Prince" had hurried past him and was running towards another person, saying as he ran, "Oh my, Your Highness the Crown Prince! How could you forget your badge when you went to the Divine Martial Hall to discuss matters? How can you possibly get through!"
Xie Lian finally reacted.
No wonder, this "Your Highness" wasn't referring to him. In the Heavenly Palace, there were already several His Highnesses, so it wasn't surprising that they got mixed up.
However, when he glanced over and saw the other Crown Prince in front of him, he was slightly stunned.
The young man had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a smile on his face. This smile was different from the smiles of the other priests in the Heavenly Court. It was a smile without any ulterior motives, which made his handsome face look childish. If a more harsh priest, such as Mu Qing, were to comment on this, he would probably say that this was silly. He was dressed in military uniform, and he looked extremely handsome. However, the uniform he wore did not exude the murderous aura of a soldier on the battlefield, but rather a bright and open royal nobility.
Xie Lian paused, staring at the young man in front of him. The two men ahead, noticing his pause, also turned to look at him. The young priest's expression changed immediately when he saw him. Xie Lian nodded slightly, smiling at the young man, "Hello, Your Highness."
The Crown Prince was obviously a person who didn't care about anything on weekdays. He didn't recognize his face, but when he saw someone greeting him, he immediately smiled brightly and shouted back, "Hello!"
The young priest beside him quietly pushed him and said, "Let's go, let's go, Your Highness. We still have to go to the Shenwu Hall to discuss matters."
The young man was completely unaware and had no idea why his subordinate was pushing him so hard. He asked curiously, "Why are you pushing me???"
Xie Lian burst out laughing, then quickly straightened his face. The little priest pushed even harder, urging, "The Emperor must have been waiting for you for a long time. Your Highness, please go!" The Crown Prince had no choice but to look back at Xie Lian in confusion as he walked forward.
After they left, Xie Lian remained where he was. Soon, the whispers of several lower-ranking priests drifted into his ears.
"...This is really embarrassing. We meet each other everywhere in life."
"We're all on our way to heaven, so this day will come sooner or later. In my opinion, it would be more interesting to see him face off against General Nanyang and General Xuanzhen."
"Haha, why are you so anxious? Aren't we going to face each other soon? They are all waiting for him in the Shenwu Palace."
Suddenly, someone said, "It's not uncommon for us to meet each other everywhere in life, but it's true that people get pissed off when they compare themselves to each other. This person is really different from everyone else. They're both His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but His Royal Highness Taihua truly has the air of a true noble. If it were him, even if he were down and out, he wouldn't do such a shameful thing."
"Yong'an is stronger than Xianle, so of course the Crown Prince of Yong'an is also stronger than that of Xianle. It's a simple truth that the environment and climate determine the character of the people."
The Martial God who sits in the north is Pei Ming of Mingguang Palace; the Martial God of the West is Quan Yizheng of Qiying Palace; the Martial God of the Southeast is Feng Xin of Nanyang Palace; the Martial God of the Southwest is Mu Qing of Xuanzhen Palace; and the Martial God who sits in the east is Lang Qianqiu of Taihua Palace.
Lang Qianqiu, like Xie Lian, was a Crown Prince in his human life. Furthermore, he was the Crown Prince of the Yong'an Kingdom. Yong'an was the kingdom that replaced the Xianle Kingdom. The founding ancestor of Yong'an was the leader of the rebels who had conquered the Xianle Imperial City.
When Xie Lian was wandering in the mortal world, he had also been to the East. Naturally, he knew that the Crown Prince of Yong'an Kingdom had also ascended. As gods of the same heaven, he had long expected that the two Crown Princes would eventually bump into each other in the Heavenly Palace, so he didn't think it was a big deal. Those little priests who were gossiping said they were whispering, but in fact they were not very quiet. Anyone else might be afraid of being heard, but even if Xie Lian heard them, they probably wouldn't be too scared. It would be more exciting if he heard them. Xie Lian pretended not to hear anything and walked forward. At this time, someone behind him called out, "Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
Xie Lian thought to himself, "No way, are you coming again?" This time, when he turned around, he saw someone calling him. Ling Wen, with dark circles under his eyes and a few scrolls tucked under his hands, walked up and said, "Everyone who has returned should go to the Shenwu Hall to discuss matters. Be careful in the hall later."
Xie Lian naturally knew what was going on and asked, “What happened to General Pei in the end?”
Lingwen said: "Exiled."
Xie Lian thought to himself, "That's actually not that bad, it's not that serious."
Exile was considered a temporary demotion, equivalent to a priest committing a crime. However, it wasn't completely unresolvable; there was still a chance of reinstatement. If one performed well one day, they might even be brought back, perhaps in thirty to fifty years, or even one to two hundred years. However, when he said "not bad," that was naturally based on his own standards; for General Pei, the same couldn't be said.
Xie Lian thought of something else and said, “By the way, Lingwen, how’s the investigation going on with that young man with the human-faced plague on Junshan last time? Any news?”
Ling Wen said, "I'm really sorry, Your Highness, there isn't any for now. We will step up efforts here."
Even for a celestial priest, finding someone in such a vast sea of people wasn't easy. The speed had improved, but only to the extent that what took ten years in the mortal realm would take two years in the celestial realm. Xie Lian said, "Thank you for your hard work." Just then, they reached the end, and a magnificent palace appeared before them.
The palace had shown some wear and tear, yet it remained etched with age, its glazed roof layered with layers of gold, gleaming with a dazzling light. Xie Lian looked up. Beneath the golden roof, the three characters "Shenwu Hall" were written with the same powerful force and force, unchanged from hundreds of years ago. He lowered his head again and stepped inside. Several priests had already gathered in the hall, some standing in groups of two or three, others standing alone, silent.
All who could stand in this hall were priests of the Upper Heavens who had experienced ascension. Each one was a child of destiny, a dominant ruler. Each one was filled with spiritual energy, their gazes dazzled him. At this moment, they all concentrated their energy, not daring to raise their voices. On the throne at the end of the hall sat a war god clad in white armor.
The Martial God had a handsome face, his eyes closed, silent and solemn. Behind him was the magnificent Divine Martial Hall, and beneath him were the peaks of white clouds. When Xie Lian entered the hall, he seemed to sense his presence and opened his eyes.
Those eyes were extremely black and clear, as if they were melted from the snow in a thousand-year-old pond. After opening his eyes, the Martial God smiled faintly and said, "Xianle, you're here."
Xie Lian bowed slightly to him without saying a word.
Jun Wu spoke without much eloquence, but his voice resounded throughout the Divine Martial Hall. The other priests in the hall all focused their attention on him. He knew what was going on.
Apparently, this gathering wasn't intended to discuss General Pei's mistakes at Banyueguan. The real focus seemed to be on him.
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