Chapter 160 What Cannot Be Said, What Dares Not Be Said
The two were so in sync that Bitao paused for a moment, then her eyes crinkled into a smile.
With the beauty undressing before her eyes, even though it was all for the sake of cutting the Silver River Net, Bitao couldn't help but admire her from head to toe.
Then, with a smile, she said, "You go first."
Mingguang did not refuse and said directly, "There is something wrong with this group of mortals who built the pool for Elder Qingwen. Logically speaking, construction work is all physical labor and has a certain degree of danger. It is already strange that they brought children to work, let alone so many of them."
"Some people aren't even raising their own children."
Mingguang said, "I repaired a wooden toy car for a little kid."
“The child was only nine years old. I found white hair on his head and his eyes were cloudy, unlike those of a child. After observing him for a while, I found that he was showing signs of the signs of decay.”
"What?" Bitao was not surprised that Mingguang found an abnormally large number of children among that group of mortals.
But she never expected that Mingguang could see the signs of decay in a child.
“When a cultivator’s cultivation level drops and their lifespan is nearing its end, they will fall into the Five Signs of Decay. How can a mortal child experience the Five Signs of Decay? Are you mistaken?” Bitao asked.
“There’s no mistake.” Mingguang was certain. “I spent more than twenty years in the mortal realm during the second competition, and my aversion to the five signs of decay of celestial beings is deeply ingrained in my heart.”
That memory was like a bone-deep affliction for Mingguang, who was born with the power to command the wind and rain, a pure body and soul, and boundless energy. Even after returning to the heavens and attaining immortality, he could still seem to smell the scent of sweat on his body.
It was precisely because of this that Mingguang's obsession with cleanliness became even more severe later on.
“I was shocked to see the signs of decay in that little child, but I learned from him that this was the third time he had come to Elder Qingwen’s palace with others to help his parents make money.”
Mingguang said, “I went to the river to wash my handkerchief and chatted with a few mortals. I found out that each batch of mortals who came to Elder Qingwen to build the palace were different. He refused to use the same adult mortal twice, but allowed children to work in his palace for the same hours as adults, and they would still be paid a generous salary afterward.”
"So every time he built a palace, the spirit boats that transported mortals were filled with children."
Mingguang concluded: "I suspect that Elder Qingwen's construction of the palace is just a pretext. He is probably using the excuse of building the palace to plunder the lifespan and vitality of mortals."
"As you've seen along the way, the lifespan of mortals in this star realm is generally short. Haven't we calculated that this is related to the barrier array between the mortal realm and the immortal realm?"
Mingguang couldn't help but react to Bitao's gaze, and shyly cupped Bitao's face to prevent her from looking down.
He said seriously, "If it is as we speculated, then in this mortal realm where cultivation is impossible, the immortals of the entire realm are probably absorbing the lifespan and vitality of mortals to sustain their spiritual energy and life."
"According to this speculation, the reason why Elder Qingwen did not want ordinary people to come to his palace repeatedly was because he was afraid that repeatedly taking too much of the life force of ordinary people would lead to a large number of deaths. This would directly taint him with karma and cause panic among ordinary people."
“Children live longer and have more vitality, so you can visit their palace repeatedly, and even if you do nothing, you can still provide them with abundant vitality.”
"As for why children who haven't cultivated themselves exhibit the signs of the five signs of decay in celestial beings..."
Mingguang looked at Bitao and said, "Then we should go to Elder Qingwen's palace to find out what's going on."
Bitao initially only sensed something was wrong, but because of what Bingjing had said earlier, she was distracted and hadn't thought about the matter this deeply.
But with Mingguang saying that, the matter was practically a done deal.
Bitao grabbed Mingguang's arm and agreed, "Yes. Anyway, there are still two days until the Ascension Ceremony, and Elder Qingwen's palace is not far from the Nine Heavens Palace. Since we've already run into him, let's go and see what kind of monster Elder Qingwen really is."
Mingguang smiled, his gaze lingering tenderly on Bitao.
He's not in charge of the team now; he's still pretending to be suffering from the backlash of cause and effect. But he knows that if he speaks out, Xiao Taozhi will definitely not sit idly by.
Their thoughts are always aligned, requiring no further words, and they always move in the same correct direction.
Bitao squeezed Mingguang's strong arm and said, "It's settled then. Let me tell you, I... um."
Bitao was about to speak about the conspiracy that was about to overthrow the Nine Heavens, and her speculations about this world.
But Mingguang squeezed her face into a chicken beak shape with his hands.
Mingguang lowered his head and pecked at her lips several times like a chick pecking at rice.
It shut her up before she could say what she was about to say.
Mingguang was clearly excited and happy.
So much so that Xie Lu's youthful voice broke with joy as he continued, "There's one more thing! On Elder Qingwen's spirit boat, aren't there several furnaces? One of them was sent by the ancient immortal clan to contact me."
Mingguang said, "When I was by the river, I spoke with a mortal. He came over, knelt down and kowtowed to me to express his loyalty."
"Little Peach Branch, haven't we been luring them in? Here they come!"
"He told me about the ancient immortal clan, who had been entrenched in this realm for hundreds of years. Those immortals who were punished during those hundreds of years had all been screened and cleansed by them."
"They told me that this competition is a contest of believers and sacrifices among immortals. The only way to ascend in this world is for five people to willingly sacrifice their immortal pearls and bodies to send one person back to heaven to assume their position. For so many years, they have used this method to eliminate dissidents and tame the immortals."
Because Bitao's face was distorted, Mingguang did not notice her sudden change in expression.
Mingguang kissed her a few more times, then hugged her tightly in his arms, as if he couldn't get enough of her. He had so much energy to spare that Bitao was choking with pain.
"Little Peach Branch, they said they would use the five elemental immortal positions from the ancient immortal clan to send me back to heaven to confirm my position during the ascension ceremony. That way, I could win the third round."
“I refused at the time, but they will definitely come again.”
Mingguang smiled broadly and lowered his head, saying to Bitao, "At the ascension ceremony, you will consume the Immortal Pearl, transform into my likeness, and ascend first using their sacrificial array. Once you leave this world, I will have nothing to fear."
Bitao pressed herself against Mingguang's chest, listening to him devise a plan to trick the ancient immortal clan, intending to send her back to heaven to secure her position and eliminate any future worries.
Bitao felt a chill run through her body because of Mingguang's words.
A chill seeped into her bones. To prevent herself from showing any abnormality, Bitao clung tightly to Mingguang's waist and pressed her head against his smooth chest.
Not letting Mingguang see her expression or eyes, she said in a muffled voice, "But didn't you say that we would compete fairly in this world... based on our own abilities? You send me to my death first, then who will win?"
Mingguang laughed, the vibrations of his chest, accompanied by his slightly arrogant tone, reaching Bitao's ears.
"It's just a competition, Little Peach Branch. Do you really think that even if you attain the position of Supreme Immortal, you can become an Emperor before me?"
"Regardless of the fact that my father is still young and vigorous, since ancient times, if an Immortal Emperor has not committed any major mistakes that cause chaos in the myriad realms, he will not step down for tens of thousands of years. Even if the Immortal Emperor is to be replaced, the next Emperor should be the Great Emperor of Luofeng Mountain who has ruled the Underworld for tens of thousands of years."
"Of course, this time the Great Emperor of Luofeng Mountain will be transferred to the Shangqing Realm. You have attained the status of Taixian, so you can take over the position of Great Emperor of Luofeng Mountain before me. This is to prepare for becoming the future emperor and ruling the Nine Heavens."
"Then at least three thousand years before the change of the throne of the Great Emperor of Luofeng Mountain, before you are promoted to the rank of Upper Immortal, the position of Emperor will not be within the reach of you and me."
The position of Immortal Emperor is not something that just anyone can achieve. This position is even different from that of a human emperor, where one can fight their way to the throne as long as they have enough troops.
Since ancient times, those who become immortal emperors must undergo numerous promotions and trials in their immortal positions. First, they must command armies, then realms, and finally become familiar with the cycle of life and death and the alternation of cause and effect in all realms. It takes thousands or tens of thousands of years to finally gain the qualification to be promoted to emperor and rule over all realms.
After obtaining that qualification, one must also pass the test of the will of Heaven, requiring one to be of noble character and integrity, to be consistent in word and deed, to be upright and unyielding, and to be exceptionally accomplished.
Whether or not one can successfully ascend the throne ultimately depends on the guardians of the Nine Heavens. If the Immortal Emperor cannot command the respect of the immortals, how can he rule the Nine Heavens and then the myriad realms and all beings?
Even if one truly ascends to the highest position in the Nine Heavens, one will still be subject to the constant supervision of all immortals, myriad realms, and even the Shangqing Realm.
Even the Azure Nether Emperor, who was born into an ancient immortal clan that inherited the bloodline of the ancient Golden Crow, had to endure more than ten thousand years of hardship. It was only because the previous emperor used a gnomon to quell the chaos of the ancient myriad worlds' star gnomons that the Azure Nether Emperor ascended to the position of emperor from the Great Emperor of Luofeng Mountain.
Mingguang gently pinched the back of Bitao's neck with his large hand, and said with a smile as he lowered his head above her head, "If you want to compete with me, the two of us will have to compete for at least tens of thousands of years."
"However, you have ascended to the position of Emperor of Mount Luofeng before me, so do not be arrogant. I can return to heaven to become the Thunder Emperor and travel through the myriad realms with my mother, just like you, knowing the cycle of life and death, and the cycle of cause and effect. The previous emperor was the predecessor of the Heavenly Dao of the myriad realms."
Mingguang found it hilarious and amusing that Xiaotaozhi would be arguing with him for tens of thousands of years.
He laughed and said, "Moreover... attaining the position of Taixian is not as easy as you imagine."
"None of the official documents from the myriad realms or the ancient books we've read together explain how to ascend to the rank of Grand Immortal, but I can tell you secretly."
Mingguang leaned close to Bitao's cool ear and said to her, "There is no tribulation to ascend to the rank of Taixian. Taixian is already another world. After Taixian, the world seen by the immortals is the true appearance of the world itself."
"By then, the Five Thunder Formation will no longer be able to restrain you. You will need to establish your resolve. Just like... well, those cultivators in the Xuanxing Realm, find a Dao heart and adhere to it faithfully from then on."
"You also need to debate with all the immortals in the Nine Heavens who have established their beliefs, so that they, and the consciousness of the Heavenly Dao, may be convinced and recognize your beliefs. Only then can you attain the position of Supreme Immortal."
"Just as the Heavenly Official establishes a heart to bestow blessings upon all living beings, the Earthly Official establishes a heart to pardon the sins of all living beings, and the Water Official establishes a heart to relieve the calamities of all living beings, once a heart is established for the people, one only needs to uphold the heart established to enter the realm of the Supreme Immortal and see the truth of the world."
I really don't know anything about this peach blossom.
But she couldn't feel any novelty at all. She didn't even lift her head from Mingguang's embrace, only sighing dryly, "This is so hard..."
“Yes, it is difficult. But you have the heart to help all living beings, and you are determined to do good for all living beings.” Mingguang hugged Bitao and gently nibbled on the top of her head. “Don’t be afraid, little peach branch. I’m with you in all the heavens and the world.”
"You only went to heaven a little bit before me."
"If you go to heaven first, all their schemes and plots against you will fall through."
"After I've dealt with all those disqualified immortals who dared to exploit the loopholes in the Yin-Yang gnomon of the Star River to steal the life force of the people, eliminate dissidents, and occupy this realm, I'll come find you."
Bitao almost burst into tears on the spot.
Bitao, fighting back tears, asked Mingguang, "Did they only tell you about the ascension method in this world? Didn't they tell you anything else?"
"What else?" Mingguang asked.
Didn't they tell you how to escape the backlash of cause and effect?
The joy on Mingguang's face, which was initially evident in the thought of sending the little peach branch back to the heavens, instantly froze on his face.
He gently pushed Bitao away and looked down at her for a moment.
He quickly realized, "You mean... they knew I wasn't affected by the karmic retribution!" That's why they directly told him the method of ascension.
“Little Peach Branch…” Mingguang looked at Bitao, and just like in her eyes, a dark undercurrent surged.
In other words, what they said and did after cutting off Yin Han Gu was being constantly monitored and listened to!
Mingguang seemed to realize something, and a surge of rage rose in his eyes.
Bitao hugged Mingguang tightly again, concealing her expression once more.
A chill ran down my spine.
She dared not say anything more about what she had wanted to tell Mingguang.
They are constantly being monitored and listened to; this astral plane has long become a hunting ground for those behind the scenes.
She dared not tell Mingguang that this Star Realm had been plotting this scheme for at least four thousand years.
Bitao dared not tell Mingguang that the ancient immortal clan did not need him; they did not want to send him to ascension, but rather to send this future emperor to his death ahead of time.
They played their open schemes so cleverly that they even revealed the truth about their occupation of this realm and their purge of immortals to eliminate dissidents, all in an attempt to lure Mingguang to his death.
If Mingguang knows of their evil deeds and still "colludes" with them, even if he survives his "ascension," all the Mingguang believers watching the competition from the Milky Way above will abandon him.
They can destroy Mingguang no matter what they do, and the person who controls everything behind the scenes hasn't even shown a trace of their true colors yet.
Even if all the people in the entire Star Realm and the Immortal Realm were to perish, and all the immortals in the Immortal Realm were to be sacrificed, it would still be difficult to establish any causal relationship with the person behind it all.
Once Bitao and Mingguang tell the truth, it will be like forcing the person behind it to take desperate measures.
There is still room for maneuver and countermeasures in open schemes. But once the chessboard is overturned, they will spare no expense to exterminate the Golden Crow clan in the lower realm.
Mingguang's brother, Dongjun, is also in this realm. Wouldn't it be perfect to capture them all in one fell swoop?
While the Supreme God's Eye of All Laws is indeed powerful, he needs to see people in person to see through their thoughts, and he cannot see the future or know their next plans.
Moreover, people with exceptional talents often become overly reliant on their talents.
Shangyuan Shenzhen's movements are unpredictable and he is clearly an expert at stealth. If Bitao is not mistaken, Shangyuan Shenzhen is not good at close combat.
Even an ancient immortal like Ji Chunjun is trapped here, living a muddled and aimless life.
Who knows what other powerful tricks those people have up their sleeves?
Moreover, Bitao had planned to discuss it with Mingguang because she felt that he was as rational and intelligent as she was.
But Bitao forgot that Mingguang was in a state of unprecedented intensity of the five yin elements in this realm.
For her safety, they even went so far as to take advantage of the five sacrifices of the ancient immortal clan to send her back to heaven to prove her status as a supreme immortal.
If Bitao told him that those people were actually targeting him...
Bitao recalled the scheme in Luofan City where Mingguang publicly killed a celestial being in order to "lure out" the person who wanted to harm her, using his own "karmic backlash" as a pretext.
If Bitao and this blazing light of the five aggregates were to reveal the truth, he would spare no effort, even using himself as a target, to ensure Bitao's safety.
Then, without the other side even lifting a finger, they will become each other's Achilles' heel, their Achilles' heel, their weak spot.
How can we then play with those bastards who have occupied this world for thousands of years?
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