Chapter 86: Fireworks in the Daytime, the people of the Nine Provinces obey my command.
"Stop fooling around, Chen Zhou."
Half-asleep, Hua Deng felt something brushing against his head and instinctively reached out to touch it.
……Um?
Why does it feel fuzzy to the touch?
She turned her head suddenly, and what came into view was a patch of brownish-yellow fur. She unconsciously rubbed it a couple of times, and it actually felt really nice to the touch.
Looking up further, she saw a cat-like face silently staring at her. Its eyes were clear, but its pupils were green.
Hua Deng sat up and noticed two tufts of black fur on its pointed ears and its short tail. She tried to touch it but it dodged her.
It's a lynx. It's tiny, looks only a few months old.
Hua Deng: Why has Chen Zhou mutated when I woke up?
Just as he was thinking of Chen Zhou, he walked in from outside, grabbed the lynx by the scruff of its neck, threw it off the bed, and said to Hua Deng, "Didn't you want to keep a cat? Go ahead and keep one."
Hua Deng: "You call this thing a cat?"
Shen Zhou: "It's a spirit beast, and it lives a long time, so just consider it that way."
The streetlights remained silent.
"Where did you find this?"
"I found it," Shen Zhou said. "It was injured and ran near the Demon King's Palace. I happened to find it and brought it back."
At that time, it seemed to have been injured by a wild beast and could no longer be happy. Shen Zhou hesitated between "sending it to its death" and "taking it back to raise it", but in the end he brought it back.
Only after he pointed it out did Hua Deng realize that they were no longer in the Demon King's Palace, but had arrived at the Broken Cloud Palace on Tianhan Mountain.
No wonder she slept well last night; the Demon King's Palace was too oppressive. It was much more comfortable staying in the Broken Cloud Palace.
The little lynx couldn't understand their language; it only knew that the man in front of it had saved it, so it raised its tail and circled around him, barking "ah ah."
Chen Zhou ignored it, kicked it away with the tip of his shoe, and said, "You little beast."
The little lynx curled up into a ball, looking aggrieved.
Hua Deng quickly jumped off the bed, hugged it tightly, and turned to scold it, "You brought it back, so you should take good care of it. Why are you scolding it?"
Fortunately, there is no animal protection association in the cultivation world, otherwise he would definitely be criticized and denounced.
"You call that an insult?" Shen Zhou said dismissively. "I just kept it for you to play with. If it makes you angry, I'll still kill it."
Hua Deng covered the lynx's ears: "Sweetie, we won't listen."
Shen Zhou: "What did you call it?"
Hua Deng blinked: "It doesn't have a name. Does it even have one?"
Shen Zhou said indifferently, "No, what does a beast need a name for?"
Hua Deng: "Oh, then I'll call it Guai Bao."
Shen Zhou: "...Give it a name."
Hua Deng smiled and said, "I can't figure it out. Please help me."
Shen Zhou said, "Little one."
Hua Deng thought he was joking, but after watching for a while, she realized that he genuinely thought the name was good.
She raised her hand to rub her forehead and said, "Forget it, we're both terrible at naming things. Let Su Yiqing help us come up with a name."
Shen Zhou remained noncommittal; he didn't think the name Su Yi had chosen could sound better than he had imagined.
Hua Deng carried the little lynx out of Duan Yun Palace, put it on the ground, and told it to go play by itself. The lynx ran out happily, showing no shyness at all.
Mount Tianhan has always been sunny and breezy, surrounded by a nine-layered barrier set up by Shen Zhou. Not to mention anyone coming here, even Hua Deng once looked at a map of Kyushu and this place was not shown at all.
This is a world that belongs entirely to the two of them.
Bathed in sunlight, the lanterns illuminated the scene. Taking a deep breath, she felt enveloped in the rich spiritual energy, making her spiritual abode extremely comfortable even before she had begun formal cultivation.
She couldn't help but wonder, "There aren't any ley lines around here, are there? Why is the spiritual energy so abundant?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a bird fluttered its wings and flew over. The barrier only stopped pedestrians, not birds and beasts. The bird landed on the back of Shen Zhou's raised finger, stayed for a moment, and then flew away again.
Shen Zhou smiled and said, "Because this is where I cultivate and comprehend the Dao."
Back then, there was no Duanyun Palace here; the mountaintop was empty and snow fell all year round.
After Chen Xi and Yin Zejing died, he sat alone here for ten years, during which time ice and snow accumulated on his body, and he remained lifeless.
Ten years later, the moment he opened his eyes, the wind and snow suddenly stopped.
The frost melted away.
He reached out and grasped a wisp of breeze. The great principles of this world were thus held in his hands.
After that, he skipped the Nascent Soul stage and entered the Body Integration stage overnight. In less than a hundred years, he broke through to the Tribulation Transcending stage.
He became a renowned demonic cultivator and the leader of the Ziyang Sect.
Listening to him recount these events, Hua Deng found herself quite calm, perhaps because his tone was so casual, like the mountain wind, which would pass and be gone.
The person standing on the mountaintop will not wonder where the wisp of wind goes, nor will he reminisce about anything from the past.
Looking at his expression, Hua Deng felt that Shen Zhou probably didn't remember her experiences during her time travel, which was consistent with what the system said.
She took his hand and asked with a smile, "I'm still very curious, how did you become the leader so quickly?"
Shen Zhou pulled her into his arms, and with a flick of his sleeve, the clouds and mist before them dissipated, and the lanterns could be seen for miles around.
He said, "Want to know?"
The streetlights nestled around him, and he nodded vigorously.
Shen Zhou squeezed her palm, stood still with his eyes closed for a moment, and when he opened them again, a cold, silvery light flashed in his pupils.
And so, after millions of years, familiar sounds resounded once again on this land.
"All people of the Nine Provinces shall obey my commands."
It was noon, the streets and markets were bustling with activity, and the city was teeming with people. Steam rose from the restaurants and eateries, and lively sounds filled the air. No one heard the sound from beyond the heavens.
However, all the cultivators with cultivation sensed the strong call, and they all stopped and stood still, looking up at the sky.
Shen Zhou turned his head and asked her, "What do you want?"
Hua Deng, still confused about what was happening, replied, "Let's watch some fireworks then, from her perspective everything seems normal."
Shen Zhou agreed. The wish was too simple, and there was no need for so many people. He eliminated those with low cultivation levels and kept only the group with high cultivation levels.
She then added, "She said she wanted a fireworks display."
The streetlights are wide open.
The once peaceful sky was suddenly filled with colorful fireworks. The fireworks exploded, and the light fell. Countless brilliant colors were like an oil painting splashed on, or like shooting stars falling from the sky.
Each sound, each note, was dazzling and lingered on.
She actually witnessed a daytime fireworks display.
She hurriedly grabbed Chen Zhou's hand: "Quick, make a wish now."
Although it's just fireworks created by magic, it should still be effective.
Shen Zhou released his hand and said, "You can do it."
Seeing the puzzled look on Hua Deng's face, he said, "My wishes can never be fulfilled, but I can make your wish come true."
Hua Deng paused, clasped her hands together in front of her chest, closed her eyes and made a wish: "I hope that Shen Zhou can fully taste the flavor of sugar, so that I can buy him lots and lots of sugar and let him eat different flavors every day."
She opened her eyes and asked the person in front of her, "Will it come true?"
"Yes," Shen Zhou said without hesitation, "your wishes will all come true."
Everything you hope for will come true, everything you want will be obtained, and the world will become the way you like.
Hua Deng looked into his eyes and understood his unspoken meaning.
“Then I’d like a locust tree too, let’s plant it here.” She pointed to the open space outside the Broken Cloud Palace.
The sound echoed in the still of the day.
The fireworks lasted for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
People all over the world witnessed this extraordinary and sudden fireworks display.
Inside the Ziyang Palace, Jin Ze looked up at the sky, dumbfounded.
He and the Left Protector were unaffected by the puppetry technique, but that didn't stop him from being shocked by it.
"What are they doing? Does flirting and expressing love require such a big fuss?!" he asked, bewildered.
This spell is nothing special; even a Foundation Establishment cultivator can do it. As for who could possibly achieve this scale, it's obvious without even thinking about it.
The Left Protector sighed enviously, "It's just that I don't have that ability. Otherwise, if I let my wife experience it too, maybe I could go home and sleep tonight."
Jinze: "..."
A bunch of lunatics!!
The outside world's disturbances have nothing to do with the city lights.
Another reason she liked Duan Yun Palace was its seclusion from the world. She could go down the mountain whenever she wanted, and no one would ever bother her if she didn't. The day after she mentioned wanting a locust tree, she woke up to find a towering tree standing at her door.
Hua Deng was thinking of finding a small sapling so that she and Shen Zhou could plant and water it together. But when she suddenly saw such a big tree, she was stunned for a while before asking, "Where did you find this?"
Shen Zhou said, "Jin Ze found it."
Hua Deng asked, "Did you move here?"
Shen Zhou said, "Jin Ze Gan."
Hua Deng: "...Remember to pay them their wages!"
Shen Zhou gave an "oh," but it's unclear whether he actually heard it.
Hua Deng shook his head helplessly, carried the little lynx to the tree, took out a wooden table and a rattan chair from his Qiankun Ring, and lay down comfortably.
She also took out an eye mask, a water cup, and a cushion, looking like she was all set up.
Shen Zhou walked over, and she shifted to one side to make room for him. The chair was quite comfortable, and Shen Zhou usually liked it; whenever he couldn't get it from her, he would force it onto her.
This time, however, he did not lie down immediately, contrary to his usual behavior. Instead, he looked around for a while and suddenly said, "I remember now."
As Hua Deng was engrossed in petting the lynx, her dress came undone, the hem trailing on the ground. Hearing this, she looked up and asked, "What?"
Shen Zhou picked up her skirt for her and said, "That's the dog's name."
He thought he had forgotten, but it turns out he still remembered. He had always remembered.
“Call him Wood,” he said.
Because of its brownish-yellow fur and its habit of secretly gnawing on tree bark, it was given the name Wood.
Hua Deng looked down at the lynx in her arms: "Calling it Wood is not bad, do you like it?" She shook the lynx's paw.
Lynx: "...Eek." (Dislikes it.)
Under Shen Zhou's indifferent gaze, the little lynx stiffened for a few moments, then nodded in a perfunctory manner.
Hua Deng said, "Then let's call it Wood?"
At this moment, Shen Zhou spoke up: "No need, just choose a name you like."
Hua Deng pondered seriously: "What do you think of Chen Maomao, the one I like?"
Shen Zhou: "Okay, just don't feed it mice."
Hua Deng: "Really?"
Shen Zhou: "It's fake. If you dare to get up, I'll throw it into the wolf pack."
Hua Deng thought to herself, "I knew it!" She picked up the lynx and examined it for a while. Her eyes lit up and she said, "I've got it! Let's call it Pillow! It's so cute, and it sounds like it's good for sleeping."
She loves sleeping the most.
Shen Zhou stroked the fur on the back of the "pillow," seemingly disliking the feel, and then stroked the top of Hua Deng's head before saying, "Not bad."
Thus, the lynx was forced to have a new name—"pillow".
At night, Hua Deng couldn't put down the pillow and wanted to sleep with it, but before she could say anything, Chen Zhou threw the pillow away.
Hua Deng felt like she had two cats. The big cat was always fighting with the little cat for territory, but there was nothing she could do. She just had to make do with the big cat.
Hua Deng fell asleep in Shen Zhou's arms.
She vaguely sensed that Shen Zhou hadn't slept, but didn't think much of it. He always slept little, and even if he slept more while staying by her side, he still couldn't do as much as she did.
In the dead of night, the palace was silent when the door suddenly opened a crack.
Shen Zhou opened his eyes, got up and stood up, staring expressionlessly at the lynx that walked in.
The lynx is completely different from its daytime appearance; its fur stands on end, its eyes gleam with golden light, and its gaze is terrifyingly cold.
Shen Zhou stared at it for a moment, and there seemed to be an undercurrent in the air. For a moment, neither of them moved.
After a while, Shen Zhou raised his hand and used a barrier to isolate the bed, so as not to wake Hua Deng.
"So it turns out that gods like to possess animals," he said casually.
The lynx opened its mouth. It said, "If you are willing to give me your power, I will leave this world."
Shen Zhou had already guessed His purpose in coming.
It's simply as the system says: their "God" has connected to this world and wants to seize the power of the Heavenly Dao. And now, He wants his power too.
He never expected that he would meet this so-called god at such a time.
Shen Zhou said, "Do gods also crave the power of mortals?"
He said, “You and the Heavenly Way of this world have wielded powers that you should not have. I have been weak for too long and need your help.”
Shen Zhou asked, "How can I help?"
"I will soon be able to seize the power of the Heavenly Dao, and then you will offer your soul to me, so that I can return to my former state," He said. "I will end the calamity of all realms, and you will regain peace. I can also create a new upper realm, where the people of the Nine Provinces can still ascend to immortality, and you can save the people here."
Shen Zhou said, "That sounds good."
He said, "Then—"
Shen Zhou: "But what does this have to do with me?"
He: "..."
Shen Zhou: "I don't want to die, so I won't agree to your request."
He said, "Living causes you pain, so why don't you choose death?"
Shen Zhou: "You don't understand how I feel, and I have no intention of explaining it to you."
He said, “You have no choice but to accept my death. You cannot kill me, but I will kill you sooner or later.”
He was absolutely certain that he could say these words, even if he did not have much power over this person, he would at least not be at a disadvantage.
He created everything, and He can destroy everything.
However, after He finished speaking, the man in front of Him remained unmoved. He even seemed to smile, his drooping eyes gleaming with an indistinct, dim light in the darkness.
“Then let’s see,” he said. “If I don’t die, none of you will survive.”
Having said that, he lost his patience and flicked his finger at the lynx's head. The lynx's eyes dimmed, its body went limp, and it lost consciousness.
He mentioned the lynx, and the sound of streetlights came from behind him.
"What's wrong?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.
"nothing."
Shen Zhou walked over, pulled the blanket up for her, and said casually.
"It suddenly became haunted and talked a bunch of nonsense to me."
Hua Deng: "???"
Is your Broken Cloud Palace really that evil?
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