Chapter 215 The Coup Within the Heavenly Palace
Inside the Never-Night Lodge, Su Yuyao sat cross-legged on a tortoise shell made of golden leaves, her eyes closed. Hai Chao and Xie Ao stood not far away, vigilantly observing Su Yuyao's every move.
Suddenly, golden flames began to rise from the golden tortoise shell. Su Yuyao abruptly opened her eyes and stared at the abrupt mountain peak on the horizon—the mountain peak where the Xuanfeng had blocked the lifeline of the Ten-Headed Peak.
"Boom... Rumble..." Muffled sounds echoed from the horizon. As the sounds grew clearer, wisps of dust rose from the mountain peaks, slowly gathering into a bluish mist in the air. As the mist thickened, the mountain peaks gradually collapsed.
The ground began to tremble slightly, and soon began to shake violently. The tortoise shells arranged in the tea garden were thrown into the air and then slammed heavily to the ground. The sea monsters fell out of their shells and collapsed to the ground.
Hai Chao steadied himself and stared at the billowing smoke rising in the distance, his mouth agape in astonishment, "This...this is..."
Su Yuyao smiled slightly, then leaped up and landed with a thud, a tremendous force of energy piercing through the earth's core. The tremors stopped instantly, and after a brief silence, a surging wave of energy rapidly spread from beneath Su Yuyao's feet. A short while later, black smoke billowed from the collapsed mountaintop in the distance, followed by another deafening roar as billowing black smoke surged down the mountain, engulfing the entire mountainside.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The golden leaves gradually exploded, and the golden Qi slowly converged into a majestic golden phantom—the White Tiger!
"Sister Yao'er!" the phantom of the white tiger called out in a clear voice, "Everything went smoothly!"
Su Yuyao nodded in satisfaction, flicked her sleeve, and a black dried fish leaped out from her sleeve, transforming into a human shape and standing behind her, its hawk-like eyes fixed on the tide.
Hai Chao stared in astonishment, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.
*Flutter!* A white cloud suddenly flapped its wings, transforming into a parrot that swooped down in a twirl. On the parrot's back lay a black and white calico cat. The parrot, carrying the cat, circled a few times before finally landing beside Su Yuyao, transforming into two handsome young men—Feng Zhan and Zang Mao!
"Huh? This?" Hai Chao was so surprised that he forgot to blink.
Xie Ao was also shocked and his eyes widened. He had some impression of Feng Zhan and Zang Mao, after all, they were also responsible for the fins of the thorny fish being cut off!
Su Yuyao glanced behind her, even more satisfied. She put her finger to her lips, and a sharp whistle rang out, followed by a long wolf howl. Then came a series of heart-wrenching, irregular stomping sounds and chilling rustling and squeaking noises, all of which rapidly converged on the Nevernight Lodge from all directions...
“Lord Hai Chao,” Su Yuyao glanced at Hai Chao and said calmly, “You don’t really think I came alone, do you?”
Hai Chao was stunned. He knew he wasn't a good person. He had personally unleashed tsunamis that swallowed mountains and rivers, flooded valleys and hills, and harmed countless innocent lives! But he still couldn't help but tremble in fear in front of Su Yuyao!
This Su Yuyao is no ordinary person!
He steadied himself, glanced sideways at the equally terrified Xie Ao, then looked at the sea monsters kneeling on the ground. To oppose Su Yuyao would only lead to self-destruction; to submit to her, even if Su Yuyao didn't fulfill her promises in the Wuji Dao, at least a bloodline of the South Sea could be preserved…
"Sigh!" Hai Chao sighed deeply and said in a low voice, "Xie Ao, pass down the order: everyone... obey Miss Yao'er's command!"
A hint of expected surprise flashed across Xie Ao's eyes as he bowed and replied, "Yes."
...
Black smoke tightly enveloped the collapsing mountain, and the violently trembling ground gradually spread throughout the entire southwestern branch, extending in all directions.
The earth shifted, rivers changed course, lakes vanished, valleys sank, plains rose into peaks, and deep pits became abysses. The southern water flow was blocked by towering peaks, and the parched embankments were gradually soaked…
A giant eagle suddenly burst out of the black smoke and soared into the sky. A huge green leaf, like a bolt of lightning, tore open a crack in the dark clouds in the sky, and rays of light finally reappeared!
Qimen withdrew the Qi in his palm, stroked the flying eagle's feathers, and looked towards the Heavenly Palace. "Flying Eagle, the time has finally come!"
A cry of an eagle shattered the sky!
As the black smoke dissipated, what appeared before Qi Meng's eyes was a vast plain, without a trace of broken stones or debris!
Qi Meng took a deep, solemn breath, looked up at the equally sorrowful Lao Bai, and laughed, "Lao Bai, we're going to fight again!"
Old Bai stretched his neck and lifted Qi Meng's hand. Qi Meng slightly circulated his Qi and sat on Old Bai's back.
"Meng Yu! Yao'er specifically requested that you lead Tang Xian'er's team, so you must not be careless!" Qi Meng instructed, "You must act according to Yao'er's instructions!"
Meng Yu stared at the gradually dissipating black smoke, his mind heavy.
Does Xiao Shi know? Probably not. If she did, why would she entrust such an important team to me? No! Could it be that she knows, which is why she put me in charge of such a crucial team?!
...
The protective barrier outside the Queen Mother's Palace was shattered by the massive water energy, and even the thick ice layer could not withstand the fierce impact, breaking apart and crashing to the ground.
The sirens smashed open the palace gates, and the shards of ice scattered throughout the courtyard creaked and groaned as they rushed in.
Ze Yuan stepped onto the stone steps with his hands behind his back, gazing at the once solemn and majestic but now devastated Yinmu Palace, a mixture of sorrow and excitement welling up in his heart.
Whoosh—Pfft!
A gust of wind swept by, and the icicles in the courtyard suddenly transformed into sharp swords like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, piercing into the feet of the sea monsters and emerging from their heads in an instant!
Ze Yuan's expression changed slightly. He turned slightly to the side, and the scattered immortals behind him swarmed forward, releasing water energy to attack the ice shards on the ground. However, the ice shards not only remained unmoved but also froze the incoming water energy layer by layer, instantly sealing the pierced sea monster. Seeing this, the scattered immortals quickly withdrew their water energy and retreated to Ze Yuan's side.
Suddenly, the temperature in the Mother Palace plummeted, and the moisture in the air instantly condensed into ice flowers that shot towards Ze Yuan. Ze Yuan, with silver shuttles embedded in his palms, couldn't use his Qi to retaliate; he could only lightly tiptoe to dodge. The scattered immortals protecting Ze Yuan also dared not act rashly, fearing that releasing their Qi would freeze it into weapons and accidentally injure him; they could only endure the blows with their fists and feet.
Just as Ze Yuan was about to be forced out of the Mother's Palace, a sudden wave of heat descended from the sky, piercing through the chilling ice flowers. The ice flowers burst into vapor with a "pop," dissipating back into the air. The heat gradually melted all the icicles in the courtyard. The pierced sea monster corpse, baked by the high temperature and steam, emitted a foul stench.
Bi Fang descended from the sky in a long orange dress, with two flames burning in her outstretched palms, and her waist-length hair swaying behind her in the heat.
Qingyue stared solemnly at Bifang, which was slowly hovering in mid-air, and silently retreated back to her mother's bedroom.
The room was quiet. Qingyue didn't speak, and neither did her mother. Xuanfeng knew what had happened just by looking at Qingyue's face; this was the outcome they had been waiting for, yet it was also the last thing they wanted to see.
Xuanfeng, with his special identity, dared not hope for maternal love, yet now he was doing everything in his power to protect his mother; Zeyuan, his mother's most beloved son, was now at odds with her; Jinyu, his mother's most capable helper, had lost her aura and was no different from an ordinary person; and his youngest sister, Bifang, whose presence was rather low, was now adding fuel to the fire in a time of crisis...
"Hmph!" Xianming leaned against the doorframe, glanced around, and sneered, "This is the precious daughter you've raised with such care!"
Yi's mother glanced at Xianming and rolled her eyes forcefully.
Suddenly, the tea in the teacup on the table swayed slightly, and a glimmer of starlight flashed in Yi's mother's eyes.
Xuanfeng stepped forward eagerly, staring intently at the teacup. Although he was trying to suppress his excitement, his eyes couldn't contain the boundless anticipation and excitement surging within them.
Yi's mother glanced at Xuanfeng, then at the equally excited Qingyue, and, supporting Guiyue's arm, slowly walked towards the door. Pushing aside Xianming's disdainful expression, she said leisurely, "The time has come!"
The door slowly opened, and a wave of heat rushed in, blowing away the stray hairs at Yi's mother's temples.
Yi Mu released Gui Yue's arm, tilted her head back, and stepped into the sweltering heat. Her heavy skirt floated on the stench of the corpses in the steam, while her shoes sank deep into the mud.
Yi Mu glanced at Ze Yuan, who had retreated to the palace gate, and then looked up at Bi Fang, feeling a sharp pain in her heart.
“Zeyuan, Bifang,” Mother Yi said slowly, “Go and invite the gods and immortals to the Tianyi Palace. Firstly, to celebrate that the virtuous Heavenly Lord has a worthy successor, and secondly… I have an important announcement to make!”
Looking at his mother, whom he hadn't seen in so long and whose face now bore the marks of time, Ze Yuan felt a surge of emotion welling up in his eyes. A wisp of dark light flashed across his eyes, and the moisture in them vanished in an instant. He turned slightly to the side and replied softly, "Yes!"
Bifang landed gently, looking at Yimu in surprise, "Mother... Mother?"
With a smile, Yi's mother slowly walked up to Bi Fang, stretched out her wrinkled hands, grasped Bi Fang's palms, and said, "Bi Fang, you've had a hard time these past few days."
A wisp of scorching aroma wafted from Yi Mu's hands, while the heat within the female womb slowly dissipated. Bi Fang stared wide-eyed at Yi Mu, whose expression remained unchanged, "Mother... Mother!"
...
On the way to Tianyi Palace, Yi Mu dragged her heavy skirt across the damp blue bricks. She looked at the once magnificent palace walls, the ethereal Tianchi Lake, and the fragrant flowerbeds, all of which were now covered with layers of dark green and smelled of fish.
"Sigh!" Mother Yi couldn't help but sigh, "It's time to change it!"
Inside the Tianyi Hall, it was already filled with all sorts of unknown wandering immortals. As Yi Mu walked by, her eyes swept over them, and she made her decision.
She calmly sat down and waited for Guiyue to straighten her clothes before looking up at the hall.
In the past, it was Chaoxi, Ruixin, and Chiyan who led the children and people of various races to stand in the hall, but now it is Zeyuan, Jinyu, and Bifang who are leading the coup...
Yi's mother turned to look at Xuanfeng standing behind her, and her heart began to ache again. She gave a bitter smile and looked at Jinyu, whose face was still somewhat pale, "Jinyu, are you feeling any better?"
Jin Yu looked at her mother before her, her eyes red-rimmed, and slightly curtsied, replying softly, "Mother, my health is much better now. Thank you for your concern. However... I am incompetent and cannot assume the position of Mother of Limitless..."
"Jinyu, you've just recovered, don't worry about anything else," Mother Yi interrupted Jinyu indifferently.
Jin Yu lowered her head, fidgeting with her sleeves, then suddenly knelt down and bowed, saying, "Mother! Su Yuyao is planning a coup and threatening to wipe out the Heavenly Palace. Please make plans as soon as possible!"
"Oh? Su Yuyao wants to purge the Heavenly Palace and stage a coup?" Mother Yi sneered a few times, then asked with a stern face, "If that's the case, why were you the ones fighting Xuanfeng in the Heavenly Palace? And why are you the ones questioning me here? Who exactly wants to eliminate them? Who is forcing the palace?"
Jin Yu blinked and glanced at Ze Yuan.
"Mother! Are you blaming us?!" Zeyuan raised his head and argued loudly, "Eldest brother has imprisoned you in the Female Mother's Palace..."
"It was you!" Mother Yi said in a soft yet powerful voice, "It was you who took advantage of my weakness to launch a rebellion in the Heavenly Palace!"
Ze Yuan was stunned for a moment. Although Yi's mother's aura was as usual, her aged face and empty aura had already confirmed one thing—Yi's mother had lost power!
He curled the corners of his mouth and replied smugly, "I am not rebelling, but rather helping Mother eliminate dissidents and consolidate the foundation of the Heavenly Palace!"
Yi Mu suppressed her anger and glared at Ze Yuan, "Eliminating dissidents?! Who do you consider to be a dissident within the Heavenly Palace?"
Ze Yuan glanced disdainfully at Xuan Feng standing beside the throne. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Hong Zhu's voice coming from the palace gate.
"Those who defy the will of Heaven are dissidents!"
Unable to hide her annoyance, Yi's mother glanced at the palace gate, watching as a seductive red figure drifted behind Ze Yuan. "Lord Xuanfeng, isn't your obstruction of Princess Jinyu's ascension to the position of Mother of Wuji a violation of the will of Heaven?"
"What does this have to do with you?" Mother Yi retorted impatiently. "You're just a mere nun. Even if Jin Yu can't take over the position of Mother of Limitless, it's not your turn, you vixen rabbit spirit!"
Ze Yuan was stunned again. Even when Yi's mother was angry, she had never said such vulgar words.
Hongzhu, however, disagreed and smiled slightly, "It's precisely because it has nothing to do with me that I'm speaking objectively, not out of personal motives to frame anyone! Princess Jinyu was originally destined to be the next Mother of Wuji, but she lost all her power after Lord Xuanfeng secretly entered the palace! You have also rarely shown your face since then! Su Yuyao took the opportunity to destroy the four northern cities of Ruixinjun! Now she is leading some strange people from who-knows-where to attack the Heavenly Palace, claiming that she will wipe out the Heavenly Palace! Lord Zeyuan is concerned about the safety of the Empress and the stability of the Heavenly Palace, which is why he had no choice but to take action to fight back!"
"Hmph! What a load of twisted logic!" Mother Yi shouted angrily. "All I know is that Jin Yu's talent is mediocre, and she probably can't handle the responsibilities of the Mother of Wuji. So I secretly summoned Xuan Feng into the palace to protect my daughter and me! I never expected that someone would have such wicked intentions at this time, and you all blindly follow without distinguishing right from wrong! As for Su Yu Yao, given her temperament, if you hadn't provoked her, how could she have dared to offend you?"
Upon hearing this, Hongzhu covered her nose and laughed a few times. She swayed her hips and walked to the center of the main hall, raising her eyelids to glance at Yi Mu. "Besides you, how many people know the whole story of what happens in the Yinmu Palace? Isn't it all up to you to decide what you say? As for Su Yuyao's character, we're not blind!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a chilling aura of water instantly filled the hall, spreading out in layers like a bone-chilling wave.
Xuanfeng teleported in front of Yi Mu and suddenly released his Qi to defend. Ze Yuan was unable to use his hands to circulate Qi, so he directly launched the Qi field from his Qi Sea. The black mud-like water Qi rose into the air and gathered, twisting into a black whip that slashed towards Yi Mu.
Xuanfeng frowned slightly, and a wisp of azure energy quickly unfolded into a shield, rushing straight towards the black whip and shattering it.
Hongzhu glanced at Xuanfeng, who was doing his best to protect Yi's mother, and sneered, "Lord Xuanfeng is truly a filial son who doesn't hold grudges! You only know that Yi's mother sent the cleaner Renshen to protect Su Yuyao, but what you don't know is that Su Yuyao became pregnant not long after Renshen stayed by her side, and not long ago she gave birth to a son... Sa! Yu! Chen!"
Hongzhu looked at Xuanfeng defiantly, "Lord Xuanfeng, are you still going to play the role of a filial son?"
Xuanfeng's eyes flashed as he recalled the words Dandelion had sent back, and a small ripple appeared in his calm Qi field.
"You don't naively believe that Sa Yuchen is the second child of Sa Han and his wife, do you?"
The ripples spread once more!
Seizing the opportunity, Hongzhu suddenly released a ball of fiery red rabbit tail, which, mixed with black qi, coalesced into a qi whip covered with sharp spikes and lashed out at the qi field fluctuating in the Xuanfeng.
Buzz—! Xuanfeng's Qi field trembled slightly.
Ze Yuan stepped forward and leaped up, his Qi Sea spewing out a thick mist that enveloped Xuan Feng and Yi Mu on the throne.
Xuanfeng snapped out of his daze, focusing his energy to form a shield protecting Yi Mu and Gui Yue behind him. He then opened his palm, and the Cicada Feather Sword appeared, humming loudly! Xuanfeng gripped the sword tightly, his eyes wide, and slashed forward…
The water vapor was piercingly cold, and the sword shadows were chilling.
Jin Yu's frail body could not withstand such a great impact. She was thrown over by a wave of energy and slammed hard into Yi Mu's shield!
“Mother…” Jin Yu weakly knelt down, supporting herself on the shield, and advised, “Please take a good look at the current situation! Within this Heavenly Palace, no matter how capable my brother is, how long can he hold out?”
Looking at her once most beloved daughter, who was now acting as someone else's advocate, Yi's mother's eyes immediately reddened. "Jinyu, you are my most cherished daughter, why do you want to be my enemy?"
“Mother! Your daughter has never been your enemy, but…” Jin Yu slowly closed her eyes, two lines of tears streaming down her pale face, dripping onto her wrinkled sleeves, “I had no choice…”
Looking at Jinyu's sorrowful state, Yi's mother had some doubts. "Jinyu, what is it that you have no choice in? Could it be... that you don't want to share the world with your father?"
“Mother…” Jin Yu buried her face in her sleeve and sobbed, “Ze Yuan said that Father sneaked into the Immortal Mountain to launch a sneak attack, but was lured into the Valley of Ten Thousand Plants and exhausted his Qi, unable to return… Only they can help me rescue Father! If I don’t listen to them, they will… they will abandon Father!”
"Are you out of your mind!" Mother Yi scolded with heartache. "The Immortal Mountain is Xuanfeng's territory! Why don't you just talk to Xuanfeng and ask him to spare your father's life instead of being threatened by Zeyuan?!"
A dark mist flashed in Jin Yu's eyes. She wiped away her tears with her sleeve and said, "Mother, the Immortal Mountain has already fallen into Su Yuyao's hands, and I'm afraid my brother can't make a decision either! That's why we thought of suppressing Su Yuyao, so that you..."
"So you want me to hand over all the power to you? Is that it?" After saying this, Mother Yi covered her face and burst into laughter. After laughing for a while, she looked up again at Bifang, "Bifang, is that what you think too?"
Jin Yu raised her sleeve to wipe the corner of her eye, glancing at Bi Fang behind her while concealing her gaze.
Bi Fang looked at Yi's mother, recalling what she had just said to Jin Yu, and slowly said, "Mother, Jin Yu is your most beloved daughter, but what about me? I am also your daughter, yet I live like a dispensable, invisible person by your side... You gave Xuan Feng the Immortal Mountain, you gave Ze Yuan the Wuji Dao, and you gave Jin Yu the position of Wuji Mother, but what have you given me?"
Bi Fang's eyes gradually reddened, and he asked in a choked voice, "Now, can't I have something that belongs to me?"
Yi's mother gradually frowned. In her eyes, Bifang was the most obedient and well-behaved child. It was precisely because Bifang was so easy to take care of that she had neglected her feelings.
She glanced at her two sons, who were wrestling and fighting fiercely in the hall, then at Jinyu, who was kneeling on the ground, her mind wandering. A sudden emptiness filled her heart. She couldn't describe the feeling; there was no inner conflict, no persistence, no desire to protect anyone, and no yearning to be protected. She reflected on her ten thousand years of life, realizing that only the few hundred years she spent as the Fairy Yiguo in the orchard had been truly happy! Back then, Baiyan was still her best friend, and she would always ditch Qingjin, that "little tagalong," and sneak out to play with Baiyan… Heh, perhaps she shouldn't have sneaked out…
Now, everything has changed!
As her mother gradually emerged from her reverie, she said softly, "Stop."
Xuanfeng glanced sideways, then with a flick of his wrist, unleashed a sword aura towards Zeyuan's dantian. Zeyuan quickly leaped up and landed face down. The sword aura did not harm Zeyuan's dantian, but it did shake his hair.
Xuanfeng withdrew his Qi and leaped back onto the throne, standing beside Yi's mother. Zeyuan, with his hair disheveled, stood in the hall. The scattered immortals behind him had already retreated outside the hall, and together with the arriving gods and immortals, the leaders of various realms and domains, and the heads of various palaces, they witnessed the drama of Xuanfeng bullying his younger brother and Yi's mother suffering the backlash for her favoritism!
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