Chapter 41: The only way to build something new is to break down the old.
After the five thunderbolts dissipated, the radiant Dharma form took shape.
With a graceful and beautiful appearance, she stood tall and imposing.
Looking down with downcast eyes, it was as if a deity was looking down upon all living beings with compassion.
He held the sword with both hands, and with the tip of the sword pointing upwards, the golden crow on his robe broke free from its restraints and transformed into a giant bird that soared into the sky.
His flapping wings brought forth a shower of golden spirits that rained down on the clouds. Those separated by the silvery net felt as if their eyes had been pierced by his overwhelming golden energy.
With thunderous force, it was unstoppable.
When the dazzling golden light almost dyed the entire world gold, the golden crow finally let out a clear cry and circled back behind the bright light.
Then it spread its wings, which blot out the sky, and stood proudly with its neck raised, surrounded by bright light.
The clear chirping of birds, carrying a sound that clears the mind and dispels illusions, resounded throughout the heavens, causing everyone who heard it to become solemn.
Mingguang Faxiang brought his sword-wielding hands to a stop, crossed the two swords in front of him, and then stepped forward in a bow stance to deliver a move—Golden Thunder Sword and Shield!
In an instant, the golden spirit burned across the clouds like a raging fire, and the boiling clouds surged like a raging tide. The golden dragon of lightning, transformed from the golden spirit, roared out from the clouds, and the sword cloud that condensed into a giant crossed sword in mid-air pushed out with overwhelming force.
This move, clearly a defensive stance with both swords, somehow resembled an offensive attack, and was absolutely earth-shattering.
It was as if his powerful and sharp sword strikes could cleave the entire world in two.
"—It's a Xuanxian Upper Stage!" The supporters on the Silver River Net, bathed in bright light, shouted excitedly.
The power of the bright light had been accumulating for a long time, and the boiling over the Milky Way was no less than the clouds that were still trembling like the raging torrents of the Golden Spirit.
Bitao looked away; she knew that trick too.
However, since she is a wood spirit, this move will not be accompanied by such a vast and powerful wind and thunder.
Instead, gentle breezes and fine rains, enveloping heaven and earth, encompassing all things, bring flowers to withered trees.
But she didn't have time to care about that now. Taking advantage of the chaos, she shouted towards the highest point of the Six Imperial Platforms of Chongxiao, "Immortal Venerable Yingying!"
The sound was so faint that it was almost negligible among the jubilant immortals on the Six Imperial Platforms of Chongxiao, who were now celebrating Mingguang's return and successful ascension to the upper rank of Xuanxian.
But to the extraordinary sensitivity of the Eastern King, the sound was deafening.
The Eastern King Duke's entire body... no, his entire head suddenly froze.
He slowly turned his head toward the direction from which the sound came; if he had a neck, it would have been cracking loudly by now.
Yingying... was the mortal name of the Eastern King before his ascension, and it was also his childhood name.
The original meaning of 莹莹 is bright and sparkling.
However, the name "Yingying" is usually used in the nicknames of bright and beautiful girls.
The reason why Dongwanggong has this name is because he was born into a very wealthy and noble family, and was pampered and spoiled from the moment he was born.
His mother and father, I don't know which crooked Taoist priest they believed in, told them that his four pillars of destiny were all Yang, he was full of energy and immune to all diseases.
However, once someone with this kind of birth chart falls ill, it's like a mountain collapsing. Although they may have a long lifespan, they may face the calamity of being reduced to dust.
To avoid this calamity, it would be best to give him a girl's nickname, which might make the ordeal less tragic.
Thus, the Eastern King Duke came to have this nickname.
Originally, people only called him that when his parents and elders were alive. Later, he entered the Daoist path, possessed Penglai, and eventually ascended to heaven. No one in the world should have known his childhood name anymore.
However, despite their outwardly amicable relationship, he and the Queen Mother of the West were fierce rivals behind the scenes, each eager to expose the other's shameful deeds to the world.
The Queen Mother of the West somehow learned of this and had it widely publicized. As a result, for a thousand or two thousand years, everyone in the celestial realm knew that the King Duke of the East had a childhood name: Yingying.
At that time, almost everyone in the celestial realm was of the same rank as him, and they couldn't help but tease him whenever they saw him.
But that was tens of thousands of years ago.
In the celestial realm today, the positions and duties of immortals have changed many times, and all old friends and acquaintances have passed away.
No one will call Dongwanggong by his childhood name anymore.
Upon suddenly hearing the title "Immortal Venerable Yingying," Dongwanggong turned around, his expression as if he had seen a ghost!
After meeting Bitao's gaze, there was a hint of gritted teeth in his eyes.
Fortunately, he probably thought the name was too...unwanted to be known by others.
It flew down from the high platform very quickly and arrived at Bitao's side.
Before Dongwanggong could scold Bitao for "not shouting nonsense," Bitao said directly, "Zhu Mingxiandu was taken away by the people of the ancient immortal clan. They took him to see the Shangyuan Shenzhen of Shangqing Realm, saying that Zhu Mingxiandu's merits and immortal position are in doubt."
"What?"
The Eastern King's expression turned serious. "Who from the ancient immortal clan? Which faction? How dare they send someone from Penglai to the Shangqing Realm for interrogation without prior notification?!"
Perhaps it's because he usually acts too gently, making these kids think he's easy to talk to.
Dongwanggong said to Bitao, "I understand. You go to Youtian and wait there. I will go to Shangqing Realm myself to take a look."
Bitao was about to tell Dongwanggong that the people who took away Zhu Mingxiandu were two celestial beings from the Doubu Department.
Suddenly, a golden light flashed across the sky, like a shooting star with a trail, and landed in front of the two of them in an instant.
After landing, the golden light transformed into a human form, which was none other than Mingguang, who had just passed through the Five Thunder Formation on the Silver River Net.
"Yingying Fairy... Ugh!"
As soon as Mingguang's form solidified, Dongwanggong immediately materialized and covered Bitao's mouth with his hand.
When Dongwanggong was alive, he was a head taller than Bitao and about the same height as Mingguang.
He was afraid that Bitao would reveal his childhood name, so in his haste he pulled Bitao close and almost held her in his arms.
After landing, Mingguang intended to raise his hand in greeting, but upon seeing the Eastern King's gesture, before he could even process what he was doing, he had already extended his hand.
In his understanding, the Eastern King Duke's cultivation was far too high; he could seriously injure Little Peach Branch with just a flick of his finger.
Mingguang grabbed Dongwanggong's wrist, which was covering Bitao's mouth.
Having just advanced, and before he could even fuse with the power of the Xuanxian, the power exploded from his body, causing the unsuspecting Dongwanggong to stumble.
In doing so, he shook Bitao out of his arms.
Dong Wanggong: "..." These little brats are getting bolder and bolder, aren't they?
Bitao: "..."
Mingguang: "..."
The onlookers: "..."
Even the Heavenly Official, Earthly Official, and Water Official craned their necks to look this way.
The Heavenly Official spoke somewhat uneasily, "Are all the little immortals this arrogant these days?"
"Having just been promoted to the rank of immortal yesterday, he fearlessly fought against General Kunyi Zuo."
"A newly appointed Xuanxian dares to compete with the Eastern King Duke for attention?"
It should be understood that the difference between a deity and a celestial being, and a deity who has already reached the rank of Grand Immortal, is no less than that between a three-year-old child with a tree branch trying to challenge a fully armored, invincible general.
The water official next to her, whose hand was supporting him on the table, couldn't hold his twisted neck. His arm swayed, and his head almost hit the table. He quickly sat up straight.
But it was a little hard to suppress the corners of my mouth.
After all, it had been a long time since the Nine Heavens had been this lively.
However, the much-anticipated "fight for it" did not occur. After realizing what had happened, Mingguang immediately bowed and clasped his hands in apology to the Eastern King.
"In a moment of panic, I offended the Immortal Venerable. Please forgive me."
The Eastern King rolled his eyes so fast that he flipped his head over with them.
But he wouldn't really hold a grudge against the son of General Kunyi.
After all, he couldn't beat Kunyi...
Fortunately, Mingguang apologized humbly enough and quickly explained his purpose.
"I am competing in the lower realms, correcting the shifted natal chart."
"That Star Emperor Ziwei Star Lord attempted to sacrifice the people of an entire nation to ascend to the celestial realm and gain immortal status through merit. This was solely because he obtained a strange stone that recorded the method of ascension from a thousand years ago."
“The past carved on the stone points to the immortal Zhu Ming of Penglai.”
At this point in Mingguang's speech, both Dongwanggong and Bitao looked rather displeased.
So, he's only just been promoted to immortality, and he's already come here to interrogate Zhu Ming, the Immortal Supervisor?
Mingguang said, "The inscription on that stone is all nonsense. Someone must have descended to the mortal realm beforehand, moved the star chart, and disturbed the peace of the star realm in an attempt to frame us."
"Such a long-term plan will certainly not be easily abandoned."
"Immortal Venerable, after I returned to the Heavenly Realm, I intended to join forces with Immortal Supervisor Zhu Ming to quickly identify the disqualified immortals who attacked the Star Realm, so as to prevent endless troubles."
"However, we have searched the entire Nine Heavens but have not found Immortal Supervisor Zhu Ming. Does the Immortal Venerable know where Immortal Supervisor Zhu Ming has gone? Has he descended to the mortal realm to assume his post?"
Oh, so they've come to arrest the troublemakers.
The Eastern King's complexion improved considerably. He examined Mingguang for a moment and said, "Someone from the Ancient Immortal Clan bypassed me and took Zhu Ming to the Shangqing Realm without my permission. They met with the Shangyuan God and wanted to investigate his past merits and ascension."
Upon hearing this, Mingguang frowned, his face turning frosty: "Does the Immortal Venerable know which volume it is?"
Bitao continued, "The Dou Department, the Dou Department's White Feather Celestial, and the Green Text Celestial."
Upon hearing this, Mingguang seemed to subconsciously want to turn around and look at Bitao, but he only slightly tilted his head and then fixed his neck at a half-turned angle.
Dongwanggong looked at Mingguang and said, "I was just about to go to Shangqing Realm to see who gave these two Doubu Celestials the audacity to dare to harass the people of Penglai."
"Although you have not received a formal celestial position, you have handled many public duties in the Nine Heavens."
"If you are now willing to rectify the imbalances and remedies the problems, why don't you come with me to Shangqing Realm?"
In fact, the Eastern King Duke looked down on Mingguang and the six ancient immortal clans that protected him.
Regardless of whether this Immortal Emperor's youngest son is qualified to ascend to the position of Immortal Emperor, the conduct of his subordinates from the ancient immortal clans is truly displeasing.
The ancient immortals, thousands or tens of thousands of years ago, would never harm immortals in their struggle for power.
Everyone performs their duties, helps each other, lives to serve the people, and even when they are tired of living, they die to offer their pure spirit to the people.
Unlike the celestial realm now, which is practically comparable to the mortal realm where several princes are vying for the throne, creating chaos and disorder, it's like a rotten crab in a basket.
The immortals, though residing in the Nine Heavens, were afflicted with the intense five afflictions that only mortals possess.
The Immortal Emperor, Kunyi, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Pole Qinghua, and the Emperor of Luofeng Mountain in the Underworld went to the Shangqing Realm and discussed solutions with the True Lords several times.
Finally, they decided to hold a competition to select celestial positions.
The only hope is that through this competition, these little brats who will one day control all realms will understand the true meaning of being a god or an immortal.
It can also filter out disqualified immortals and purify the nine heavens.
However, just as the immortal leaders had predicted, there were still some who coveted power and wealth and disregarded their immortal status.
They did not hesitate to deceive their superiors and harm the common people in order to seize power and consolidate their position.
As the future Immortal Emperor recognized and followed by these stubborn ancient immortals, is Mingguang truly impartial and enforces the law rigorously, willing to turn the blade against his own people?
Or was he also trying to feign compliance while secretly protecting the person behind the Ancient Immortal Clan's attack?
But whether he is truly willing to go to Shangqing Realm with me to bring back Zhu Ming will tell.
Upon hearing this, Mingguang immediately replied, "I am willing to go with the Immortal Venerable."
The Eastern King nodded in satisfaction, then transformed into a spirit and departed, with Mingguang following closely behind. From beginning to end, he never turned his head to look at Bitao again.
Bitao was finally relieved to see that the two of them had gone to Shangqing Realm to rescue the person.
Bitao may not know what kind of person Dongwanggong is, but she knows Mingguang best.
Although Mingguang was rigid and strictly adhered to rules, he was also the most upright and incorruptible, hating evil as if it were his enemy.
Even if he were to use a scheme to achieve his goal, he would do so openly, just like when he changed the competition rules. He would never stoop to such underhanded and unethical methods of framing and slandering.
Bitao plans to go to Youtian first. Now that this incident has occurred among the ancient immortal clans, the relationship between them and the merit immortal positions of Youtian will probably become even more irreconcilable.
Even Zhu Ming was caught off guard and taken away, so Bi Tao must tell the people of You Tian to take precautions.
As she turned to leave, she suddenly felt a lightness all over her body, followed by a warm spring pouring down on her head.
Bitao shuddered and turned around to see the Heavenly Official Goddess, who was in charge of bestowing blessings, standing smilingly beside the high platform of the Six Imperial Platforms of Chongxiao, just withdrawing her slender finger that had been pointing at Bitao.
She inexplicably bestowed a blessing upon Bitao.
Although Bitao was puzzled, she knew that those who received blessings from the Heavenly Official must have everything go smoothly and be blessed with good fortune.
Bitao immediately bowed and respectfully greeted the Heavenly Official and Goddess on the high platform.
"Thank you for the blessing from the Heavenly Official and Goddess."
The Heavenly Official Goddess had already turned around and returned to her position.
After Bitao left, the water official beside her said, "Do you intend to take her into your own palace?"
The Water Official and the Heavenly Official Goddess have the same face. They were originally twin lotus flowers born from the Jade Pool, one body and two souls.
Whether male or female, they are all adorned with flowing hair and misty tresses, like jade trees and precious stones.
The water official said, "If you like her, I can also help her get rid of her bad luck."
The Heavenly Official Goddess smiled without saying a word. As she was in charge of the fortunes and misfortunes of all realms, she could naturally see things that others could not.
For example... this Fairy of the Peach Blossom and the future candidate for the Celestial Emperor are intertwined in fortune and misfortune.
Moreover, the Fairy of the Peach Blossom is the one who controls fortune and misfortune.
The Heavenly Official Goddess wasn't trying to curry favor with her future superior; she was simply very curious about how things would develop between the two of them, given their obvious entanglement of fortune and misfortune.
Since the gods in the celestial realm have no storybooks to amuse themselves, they can only follow the real people.
The Water Official and the Heavenly Official were of one mind, and naturally they quickly understood each other's meaning.
They looked at each other and smiled.
The local official sat diagonally opposite them for several days without uttering a word.
He rolled his silver-gray eyes and said in a sinister tone, "If she becomes one of your servants, I may be able to give her a lighter sentence if she commits a crime in the future."
The local official pardoned the crime.
He is in charge of the prisons of all realms, upholding justice and guiding the teachings.
The Earth Official was once an ascension to the throne of a ruthless official who enforced the law with unwavering resolve. It is said that during his tenure, he was known for his strict and severe punishments.
Because he thoroughly eradicated evil and eliminated all evil, his merits were perfected, and he ascended to the upper realm.
The Heavenly Prison Palace is managed by his countless generations of servants, including the Jade Peak Spirit Immortal.
In fact, immortals rarely commit crimes, but if they really reach the point where they need the Earth Official's pardon, they probably won't even have the chance to be reincarnated in the mortal world.
Because of his duties as an earth official, he had almost no good celestial positions in the heavens.
He tried every day to integrate himself into the company of his two fellow immortals, but they were twins in one body with a shared understanding. No matter the situation, he always seemed out of place when he spoke.
His skin was deathly pale, even his eyes and lips were light-colored, and his long, silver-gray hair reached past his waist. His words and actions also carried an inexplicable, overwhelming sense of gloom.
He had long limbs, and no matter how good-looking he was, he had no clear and intelligent air about him. He had a swan-like face and a dove-like shape, and he was eerily ghostly.
It's like a hanged ghost quietly slumped in a corner.
Even the Heavenly Official was a little afraid of him, and would bestow blessings upon himself every time he glanced at him.
As soon as he spoke, Shui Guan immediately flipped his hands over, formed a mudra, placed them on his knees, and closed his eyes, pretending to meditate.
The water official sensed his sister's fear, glanced at the earth official, and smiled politely.
Then pretend to go see the Silver River.
Just now, another immortal rank returned to its place on the Silver River Net... No, wait!
"Is this a meritorious immortal position for ascending from the lower realm?"
"No one has ascended to the Immortal Rank in recent years. This young man is quite handsome, hehehe... I wonder what good deeds he did to ascend to this rank."
Above the clouds, the Five Thunder Formation dissipated, and the newly ascended person, who only held the rank of Supreme Immortal, could not reveal himself.
However, the handsome immortal lord, who stood somewhat helplessly in front of Lei Jiang and seemed unaware that he had already ascended to immortality, attracted the attention of many people.
"Wait, I just tracked it down, and this person ascended from the Competition Star Realm. Could it be that some immortal appointed him as a general?"
"I have only seen the term 'General' in some ancient books. Ancient immortals traveled in the star realm and often influenced the fate of mortals wherever they went because of their pure aura."
"Therefore, when one returns to the heavenly realm, there is a saying that when one attains enlightenment, even one's chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."
"Those who are chosen as 'generals' in the celestial realm will directly become attendants of that celestial position."
"Who's so powerful? How could they possibly appoint generals within the competition's astral plane, where the star chart has shifted?"
"I bet it's... um, Yun Chuan Zhen... no, it's Yun Chuan Tian Xian!"
“I have been watching him fight bravely in the mortal realm, leading many mortal lieutenants. When he returned to the celestial realm, these people were already capable of fighting independently, each with outstanding military achievements that would be recorded in history!”
"Wow, is the Celestial Realm about to have another God of War?"
Am I the only one who noticed that his actions were a bit strange? What did he mean by touching his chin?
"The people on the Silver River Gull had guessed all the high-ranking immortals in the lower realms."
...
However, Bitao, who was on her way to Youtian, was completely unaware of the lively scene on the Milky Way.
She transformed into a spirit and arrived at the Water Bamboo Bridge. However, since it was impossible to transform into a spirit and fly across the Rainbow Bridge that connected to the nine heavens, Bitao transformed into human form and landed on the ground.
Just as they were about to cross the bridge, they were suddenly stopped by two little fairies.
"We have met the Fairy of the Peach Blossom." The two said in unison.
Bitao looked at them in confusion. One of them said, "The 'general' chosen by the fairy Bitao has ascended to the heavenly realm. Please follow us to receive him."
"What?"
What kind of sauce?
Bitao had heard of the saying that immortals descended to the mortal realm to appoint generals, but that was only recorded in ancient books about immortal ranks, and she had never even seen it.
Therefore, Bitao was unable to react for a while.
What kind of sauce is this?
My first reaction was that the Ancient Immortal Clan had captured Zhu Ming and now they were going to target her as well.
Because these two celestial beings were wearing the uniforms of the Heavenly Medical Department.
Among the six departments, the Medical Department has always been associated with being uncontested. Has it finally entered the fray this time?
Bitao's mind was in turmoil.
The ancient immortal clan's taking away Zhu Ming, the Immortal Supervisor, was just a pretext. Was their real purpose to seize all the merits and immortal positions in You Tian?
"Step aside," Bitao said, adopting the airs of a celestial being. "We'll talk about it when I return from the Netherworld."
The two fairies were taken aback, but did not stop Bitao.
They stepped aside to let Zhang Bitao pass, and respectfully said, "Then we will wait here for the Immortal Bitao."
Bitao crossed the Water Bamboo Bridge and headed straight for Youtian, landing in front of the Hongfu Hall, where the immortals held their positions.
Upon landing, he saw a group of people congratulating the deceased "brothers".
Bitao walked over and succinctly explained the current situation, and then inquired whether Youtian and the Ancient Immortal Clan had made any unusual moves.
They were relieved only after receiving a negative answer.
If they didn't attack You Tian's people, does that mean they were only targeting her and Zhu Ming?
Bitao thought of the two little fairies from the medical department who were still waiting for her on the Water Bamboo Bridge, and turned to leave.
Bitao wasn't afraid at all. She always acted with "measures" in mind, and everything she did was done in accordance with the rules of heaven. No one could find fault with her.
Bitao was more worried about Zhu Ming and You Tian's merit-based immortal positions, since ascending to immortality through merit required doing all sorts of good deeds.
However, good has its bad side. As the saying goes, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. When you think about it carefully, some things are always hard to explain.
No ancient immortals are born in the heavens, pure and clear from the inside out, truly "clean".
Hopefully they won't resort to such foolish tactics as framing others again, otherwise Bitao will really show no mercy in the next competition.
Cang Ling and the others had been with Bi Tao for a long time, and they could tell from her expression that something was wrong.
He caught up and asked Bitao, "Is something wrong? Brothers..."
Cang Ling paused, realizing that after returning to the Heavenly Realm, they would no longer dare to take advantage of Bi Tao so recklessly.
After all, although they all rose to the celestial rank, none of them had a higher rank than Bitao.
Moreover... when Bitao's immortal rank was low, they couldn't "bully" her either.
Cang Ling scratched his head and smiled, then said, "We'll go with you, so that we can help each other no matter what happens."
Bitao looked at the group and, knowing they meant well, did not refuse.
Instead, he said, "Then I'll have to trouble you brothers."
Bitao emphasized the words "brothers," clearly taking the opportunity to tease them; she hadn't forgotten about that incident.
I'll hold a grudge against them.
So the group, in a grand and imposing manner, followed the two apprehensive little immortals from the Medical Department to the entrance of the Immortal Realm.
Along the way, several meritorious immortals following Bitao questioned two minor immortals from the medical department: "Is it really going to the entrance to the Heavenly Realm? Who do you say you'll be guiding us?"
"The general chosen by the Fairy of the Peach Blossom..."
"What did you order? Did you bring anything from the lower realm up?"
"I've heard that it's possible to take things down to the mortal realm with you when you return to heaven, but they must be inanimate objects... They must be guaranteed to withstand the Five Thunderbolts, and they must first be examined by the Receiving Immortal Official before they can be taken. It's very troublesome..."
Another person chimed in, "What's so stubborn about him? Who's so stubborn about their posthumous immortal status that they insist on having Bitao personally bring him back?"
...
Most of those who attained the rank of immortal through merit had not specifically read the records of ancient immortal ranks, and therefore most were unaware of the matter of appointing generals.
Fortunately, the entrance to the Heavenly Realm wasn't far, and the group arrived after a few words.
Then everyone saw a thunder general who was supposed to be guiding the immortals being talked to by a handsome immortal lord.
While answering, he looked around anxiously.
Finally spotting Bitao, Lei Jiang felt as if he had been saved and immediately shouted in her direction, "Bitao Immortal, the general you summoned has arrived!"
Hurry up and take it away.
This immortal lord talks too much, is curious about everything, and knows nothing about the celestial realm.
He keeps asking himself why, why, why.
Lei Jiang's mind is now filled with these three words.
Why!
Bitao walked over, and she and the other immortals of Youtian's merits all saw that immortal lord.
But they quickly turned their heads to look at each other, staring at each other in bewilderment.
Who is this person? What's going on?
The immortal lord was utterly shocked when he saw the peach blossom.
He opened his mouth wide and unconsciously ran his hand over his chin.
I realized my current situation only after not touching anything.
Then he said to Bitao, "No wonder, no wonder... so you're a deity!"
No wonder this Fairy Bitao managed to completely overturn the entire cult in just three years.
"Who are you……"
"Me! Me! You can't even recognize yourself?!"
The immortal walked up to Bitao, stared into her eyes, and saw his own reflection in them.
He was so frightened that he took several steps back.
He stroked his chin, still looking surprised and uncertain, and quickly reached out to touch his face.
The wrinkles and creases etched by time have completely disappeared, leaving the skin smooth and delicate, like the finest white jade...
"This...this..." he exclaimed in shock, "I thought it was just that my beard was gone, but it turns out I've become young again?!"
"My God, being a god is so different, hahaha..."
Lei, who was in charge of setting up the formation, sent the person away silently.
A group of meritorious immortals looked puzzled. Bitao stared at the immortal lord's overly bright eyes and his familiar words and actions, and soon she also looked surprised.
"Martial arts... physician?"
"Ah! It is indeed this old man!"
Bitao quickly pieced together the cause and effect, and finally understood what the two little fairies from the medical department meant by "selecting generals".
It turned out that she had descended to the mortal realm and influenced Doctor Wu's destiny. Because the two were so deeply entangled in karma, she "brought" him to heaven!
Bitao finally felt a huge weight lifted from her shoulders.
This is certainly a joyous occasion.
"How was it? I was quite handsome when I was young, wasn't I?"
Doctor Wu slapped his face, making a loud "slap slap" sound because he was so excited.
Bitao looked him up and down, then smiled and nodded, saying, "Indeed, exceptionally handsome!"
Heavenly rules forbid describing deformities. When Bitao saw the ugly statue of Emperor Qinghua in the mortal realm during late winter, she said that being fat was also a kind of defect.
In fact, in the celestial realm, old age is also a form of imperfection.
The ancient immortals are born with beautiful appearances, their looks remaining at their peak.
Those who ascend from the lower realms, regardless of their age or appearance, will remain at their peak after ascending to the celestial realm.
Moreover, after transcending the mortal realm, the five aggregates—form, feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness—will all reach their peak as the immortal spirit enters the body.
Furthermore, it becomes even more acute and superior as its immortal rank increases.
Bitao led Physician Wu back to her palace, retrieved two bags of celestial spirits, and thanked the two little immortals from the Medical Department who had informed her of their arrival.
She then introduced Physician Wu to her friends who are still in her palace.
Although Doctor Wu called himself an old man, he never held outdated ideas, nor did he feel out of place with young people just because he was old.
Besides, he has now become young again.
He quickly became friends with these little fairies, and even started taking their pulses, returning to his old profession of treating illnesses on the spot.
Humans eat grains and suffer from a hundred diseases, while immortals also eat heavenly food. Although they are not susceptible to mortal diseases, they are not without some minor ailments.
For example, the meridians may be sluggish or blocked.
Physician Wu soon discovered that he used to diagnose illnesses by examining the pulse.
Now, when examining a person's pulse, one can see all the meridians in their body with eyes closed.
"You have two meridians that are knotted here."
A moment later, the martial arts doctor opened his eyes, pointed to a fairy's arm and said, "Your heart meridian is blocked, which is probably why you sometimes have shortness of breath when you practice."
Bitao thought to herself, "No wonder he was guided by the medical department. It seems he ascended to heaven by accumulating merit through his medical skills."
However, according to the original destiny chart of Doctor Wu, although he practiced medicine and helped the world throughout his life, he was far from being able to ascend to the upper realm with his merits.
He was originally destined to be born into a wealthy and noble family after his reincarnation, and would enjoy a life of luxury and honor based on the merits he accumulated in this life.
However, he met Bitao, and the two worked together for many years to provide relief to countless disaster victims.
He accumulated several times more merit than was originally destined in his destiny chart. Moreover, after Bitao ascended to heaven, he, despite his advanced age, took on all the affairs left behind by Bitao, along with his young disciple.
Four more years passed, and before anyone knew it, their merits were complete.
Originally, I was only saddened by the passing of Bitao, who never returned, and the sudden deaths of the young and strong around me, such as those who had attained the rank of immortal through merit.
Finally, even Princess Mingzhu, the wife of Prince Rong'an, suddenly disappeared.
Now that they have ascended to the upper realm, the martial arts physician knows that their souls have merely left the mortal world and returned to their immortal positions.
By this time, Xiao Xian and Wu Yishi had become very familiar with each other and told him that the reason he ascended to heaven was because the competition among the immortals in the mortal realm had affected his destiny.
He is now Bitao's waiter.
Someone summoned the Silver Han Net for him to see, and said that after one ascends to immortality through merit, the spiritual silk will naturally be woven into the Silver Han Net. They also taught the martial arts physician how to summon the Silver Han Net.
The current discussion on Yinhan Gu is heated because of the ascension of Physician Wu.
"I've found out... the person who selected the general is the Fairy of the Peach Blossom."
"...I really never expected this."
"How is that possible... When she descended to the mortal realm, she was just a minor spirit immortal. Those high-ranking immortals didn't appoint generals, so how could she have appointed one herself?"
"What's wrong? Are you angry? Our Fairy Bitao not only appointed a general, but the generals she appointed all ascended to the Heavenly Realm before all the other contestants!"
...
This is indeed a bit too sarcastic, especially since another one has returned to the Silver River.
She was one of the candidates who had been hotly debated by the group of fairies earlier and was considered a worthy "general".
Bitao glanced at the Dharma image above the clouds, clad in silver armor and wielding a long spear.
A silver moon slowly rose behind him, its light illuminating the clouds and turning them into a silver sea of undulating waves.
With a single move—the Earth Serpent Spear Style—he wielded his spear, and instantly, countless silver waves surged up, transforming into a raging torrent.
Lightning bolts spun out from the gun like snakes, quickly forming an evil-slaying array above the clouds!
The tiger roared, and the wind howled; lightning flashed, and the clouds pierced through.
In the next instant, pure energy soared into the sky, and silver spirits surged and overturned, demonstrating that the master of the Dharma form had already ascended to the position of a celestial being.
The middle-level Celestial Immortal is quite good.
Bitao knew that he was assisting Mingguang in rectifying the star chart and was leading troops to protect the palace and ancestral temple in front of the Flying Dragon Hall.
The merits accumulated are also substantial.
Bitao clicked her tongue. Binglun's Dharma form was indeed quite majestic and imposing.
Unfortunately, the timing of his death was not very opportune. Not only was he overshadowed by Bi Tao's selection of generals, but his ranking was also not very good.
There were several ancient immortals ahead of him who had returned to their positions. He was ranked twenty-sixth, and he wasn't even on the first page of the list.
He must have been following Mingguang's orders to do the "clean-up" work in the mortal realm.
His ranking this time is probably far off from his own estimate.
Let's see how he'll "soar like an eagle" this time, raising his proud little chin as soon as we meet.
Bitao smiled, sitting and drinking tea amidst the noisy crowd, while sighing.
Before the cup of tea was finished, several celestial spirits descended at the door.
Before I could even see who it was, the person's voice rang out: "What's going on? How come your palace is even more magnificent than mine?"
"As expected of the attendant of the Great Emperor Qinghua of the Eastern Pole, he is indeed different."
Upon hearing the voice, Bitao was immediately delighted and quickly went to the door to greet them.
Then they saw Zhu Ming standing with his hands behind his back, looking at Bitao's magnificent and ornate palace with a dissatisfied expression.
"Are you a spy among the Imperial Household Officials?"
The Eastern King, with a human head hanging behind him, openly said, "This used to be my palace."
Bitao laughed. Seeing that Zhu Ming's posture was relaxed and he didn't look like he had been "exposed", she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He deliberately pretended not to see the tall figure behind the two, revealing half of his head while keeping his eyes downcast and staring at the ground.
Just as Bitao was about to explain where the palace came from, Dongwanggong immediately materialized his entire body and pointed at Bitao's mouth.
Bitao was immediately rendered speechless and silenced.
Dongwanggong was afraid that she would call out "Immortal Venerable Yingying" again.
We had no choice but to strike first.
Bitao raised an eyebrow and simply pointed to her own palace, indicating that they should go in and see for themselves.
Although the exterior was magnificent, Dong Wanggong knew all too well that the interior had been smashed.
Zhu Ming swaggered in, but Dong Wanggong, finding it uninteresting, pointed twice with his finger in the air, warning Bi Tao. The head quickly vanished.
With the two men gone, the figure standing behind them was naturally exposed.
The Eastern King Duke transformed into a spirit and flew to the sky. A beam of spiritual light shone down, and the silence spell on the Peach Blossom was lifted.
She was still smiling, looking at the person standing not far in front of her, staring down at the ground as if being punished.
Mingguang...Xuanxian.
The canopy of the giant peach tree covers an area of three thousand miles. At this moment, the shadows cast through the gaps in its branches are dappled and swaying, yet they just happen to enclose the two of them.
Square and upright.
It's like carving out a private space exclusively for the two of them.
Bitao took a step toward Mingguang, and Mingguang, who was standing with his head down, was visibly tense.
He guessed he was waiting for her explanation or apology.
Bitao knew that even if Mingguang harbored a thousand grievances and was deeply hurt, he would never truly sever ties with Xiaotaozhi.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have discovered the ancient immortal clan's conspiracy in the lower realm. He had just returned to heaven when he immediately followed the Eastern King Duke to the Shangqing Realm, a place he had never been before.
Bring Zhu Ming back in time.
This is certainly partly due to his upright, fair, and selfless character.
But the fact that he's standing here without leaving is a signal that he wants to make peace after his awkward attempt to "show goodwill."
This was actually a bit unexpected for Bitao.
She thought that after he passed away, he would avoid her like the plague and would not even want to see her.
In fact, if Mingguang had followed her to the afterlife, they would indeed have become irreconcilable enemies.
It was probably because of her sword strike that he learned of Emperor Huiwei Liang Yingwei's conspiracy.
This would prevent him from being caught off guard and suffering casualties when he confronted Liang Yingwei later.
Or perhaps due to unforeseen circumstances, he ultimately failed to ascend to the position of Crown Prince, and in order to rectify the celestial chart of the lower realm, he lingered in the human world for more than four years.
Despite being seriously ill, he supported the new emperor to the throne and made arrangements for all his subordinates before passing away peacefully. He had long since recovered from the anger he felt when he was "pierced through the heart by a sword".
These four years in the human world have clearly softened his proud and hardened heart.
Bitao seemed to be able to see through his heart and mind, and from a distance, she weighed his deepest longing.
Bitao knew that all she had to do now was apologize to Mingguang, even if it was just to say that she didn't mean it.
They can return to their former position as "best friends".
Maybe we can have a meal together, watch the sea of clouds, discuss martial arts techniques, or help each other when we enter the next round of the competition.
Even if Bitao were to intentionally "offend" him in the future, kissing or hugging him as before, he would probably just avoid her.
I will no longer release the divine energy to injure her in an unacceptable way.
But he would never reciprocate her passionate advances; he had more rules to follow than divine law, and the heavy responsibilities he bore suppressed all his human desires.
We can only build something new by destroying something old.
Moreover, Bitao no longer wanted any "close friends".
Her palace is now filled with guests, and her friends are as numerous as clouds.
Besides, she was never a close friend of Mingguang from the very beginning.
At first, she wanted to eat him because the process of condensing spirit was long and arduous, and she had finally found a piece of "divine flesh".
Later, unable to digest it, he discovered that the cultivation method he practiced was exquisite, so he began to cultivate with him.
Later, a wild immortal spirit, born of heaven and earth and devoid of any relatives, and a newly born soul, with relatives but essentially none, naturally clung to each other like two fledglings, protecting and supporting one another.
His memories were sealed by the Thunder Pattern Curse.
Because of the compassion of the heavens, the peach blossoms were transformed from yin energy into human form.
Even though his memories were sealed, he still instinctively came to cultivate under the big peach tree, which shows that deep down he was unconsciously longing for the years when he had someone by his side.
Bitao watched him grow up from afar, and saw him quickly shed his childlike body and transform into a celestial being, as if made of ice and snow, or a jade mountain collapsing.
Her greed and possessiveness, during the hundred years she gazed at him from afar, transformed into another kind of emotional desire.
I don't want to claim we're close friends; I just want to strip off the robes he always wears that are folded up to his throat.
Imagine him being consumed by passion, "ascending to the summit," and what kind of shameful, indignant, and soul-stirring expression would appear on his handsome face, which was so proud and unforgettable in front of all the immortals.
Therefore, the moment Mingguang finally raised his eyes to meet her gaze, Bitao turned on her toes and went straight into the house.
There's no rain clearing, no clouds dissipating, no fog dissipating, no ice melting here.
The pleasures of love, like the clouds and rain of Wushan, are certainly something to consider.
I'm afraid even if Bitao dares to speak, Mingguang wouldn't dare to respond.
Mingguang watched helplessly as Bitao turned and left. The aching from clenching his fists for so long seemed to spread throughout his body instantly.
Then it evolved into another kind of burning heat.
Filled with unspeakable shame and loss, it burned through every vein in his body, finally settling at the base of his ears.
Piled up together, their magnificent colors blend seamlessly with the distant coastline, where crimson clouds and rosy hues become indistinguishable.
"Whoosh—"
Jinling soared into the sky and disappeared into the distance, like a falling meteor that had been carrying too many wishes and could no longer bear the burden.
Bitao, hiding behind the window, watched Mingguang flee in disarray and laughed with smug satisfaction.
"So heartless!"
Zhu Ming asked curiously, "He took the initiative to come to you, aren't you deeply in love? Why are you ignoring him?"
Bitao didn't even turn her head: "Oh, you don't understand."
An old bachelor keeps asking questions.
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