Chapter 230 Though the weeds may not be cut, the roots must be removed.
Golden leaves fluttered and golden butterflies danced, the heavenly gates opened wide, and all spirits rejoiced! Gods from all directions, immortals from all realms, and leaders from all domains arrived one after another, some riding clouds and mist, others riding cranes and beasts!
Qi Men, who was waiting at the Heavenly Gate to greet everyone, was dressed in a light white robe with a sky-blue belt around his waist. His gray hair was tied up on top of his head with a wooden hairpin, making him look like an immortal!
"Lord Qimen! Oh no... Immortal Lord Qimen! Congratulations! This is my invitation!"
"Congratulations, congratulations!" Qi Men returned the greeting with a smile, accepted the golden leaf, and stepped aside, "Please come in..."
Above the azure sky, a giant golden flower bud slowly descended outside the Heavenly Gate. The bud parted slightly, and from between the petals emerged a fairy in flowing robes, with a graceful figure and a celestial bun atop her head. The fairy walked gracefully to Qimen, curtsied, and said with a smile, "Lord Qimen, how have you been?"
Qi Men looked at the fairy before him, who seemed both familiar and unfamiliar. He studied her features and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly clasped his hands in return, "Fairy Feihua! How... are you?"
Fei Hua laughed, "This immortal was in seclusion at the Ice Wheel Palace recuperating from illness, and has now fully recovered. I heard that the Queen Mother Yao is going to hold a conferment ceremony today, so I came to join in the fun!"
"Oh...I see..." Qi Men stroked his beard and laughed, "The number of seats for the enfeoffment ceremony is limited. One invitation corresponds to one seat. If you don't have an invitation, even if you enter the Heavenly Palace, you won't be able to enter the Taiji Hall. This excitement...hehe, I'm afraid you won't be able to join in." After saying that, he clasped his hands and bowed deeply to Fei Hua.
The immortals who came to participate in the enfeoffment ceremony were very surprised to see that Fei Hua was stopped outside the palace gate. They all slowed down and listened carefully.
Feihua showed no dissatisfaction or embarrassment at Qimen's obstruction. Instead, she smiled gently and said softly, "Yao'er is already the Empress Yao, but I didn't expect her to still be so jealous!"
Qi Men's eyes sharpened. He clasped his hands towards the sky and said solemnly, "As the Mother of All Ages, the Goddess Yao is concerned with the peace of the world, the natural cycle, and the growth of all things. She assists the Emperor in governing the Heavenly Palace and operating the Limitless Dao." Then, Qi Men placed his hands in front of him, straightened his posture, glanced at Fei Hua, and smiled meaningfully, "The various troubles of mortals can no longer shake the thoughts of the Goddess Yao. How can there be any talk of jealousy? Fairy, you are truly overthinking it!"
Feihua slowly raised her head, her eyes crinkling as she looked at Qimen and said, "Then please help me inform them that... we're catching up with old friends!"
Qi Men's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Today is the enfeoffment ceremony. I'm sure the Emperor and Empress Yao don't have time to catch up with you, Fairy. Why don't you go back first and come again another day!"
Feihua clenched her sleeves, glared fiercely at Qimen, and sneered, "Lord Qimen truly lives up to his reputation as a confidant of the Queen Mother of Yao. He guards the gate so well! He is worthy of the Queen Mother of Yao's status as the leader of the wolf clan!"
The moment the words left her lips, the lively atmosphere instantly turned to ice. Everyone knew Su Yuyao's background. Although she was born a mortal, through her trials with the wolf clan, Su Yuyao's abilities had already won over most of the gods and immortals. Now, this origin had been openly mocked by Feihua. Although everyone felt it was inappropriate, they didn't want to cause any more trouble, so they all looked towards Qimen.
Qi Men smiled politely, "Fairy Fei Hua, I have been ordered to come here again to welcome the distinguished guests attending the conferment ceremony. Once all the guests have arrived, I have fulfilled my duty. If you feel that I have done something inappropriate, please come again in a few days!" After saying that, Qi Men turned around and continued to receive the golden leaf invitations and welcome the guests into the Heavenly Palace, leaving Fei Hua standing aside.
Feihua did not argue with Qimen anymore, but silently stepped aside. With a light flick of her fingers, a small golden flower bud appeared on her fingertip and vanished in an instant!
Qi Men glanced at the gold dust on Fei Hua's fingertips out of the corner of his eye, stroked his beard, and subtly suppressed the slight upturn of his lips...
Seeing that Fei Hua had backed down, the families who had presented the golden leaf invitations lost interest in joining the fun and walked towards the Taiji Hall in twos and threes.
Jade paved the road, and clouds formed the path; as far as the eye could see, celestial mist swirled. Through the thin veil of clouds, renovated palaces were faintly visible: the golden palaces were majestic and magnificent, the green courtyards were small and exquisite, the white buildings were luxurious and refined, and the gray ancient houses were simple and rustic.
Everyone was amazed when they saw the brand-new Heavenly Palace. This was no ordinary Heavenly Palace; it was clearly a world beyond the heavens!
The swirling mist rippled gently with each step, revealing crystal-clear ice bricks beneath which sealed the Myriad Flower Garden, the mother's most beloved treasure. The mist gradually dissipated, revealing the frost-covered flowers, as if nailed to a pillar of shame, displayed at their feet. Seeing this blatant and pointed revelation, a chill ran through everyone. The former favoritism was no longer mentioned; all that remained was that this place had a new name—the Myriad Flower Weir!
As the group slowly walked along the Wanhua Weir, a sudden burst of fluorescent light appeared in the air. The tiny lights bounced and hovered above their heads, and they realized that the fluorescent light above them was actually a swarm of fireflies!
The fireflies scattered in the air, gathered into several bees, landed in front of everyone, and swayed their rear ends as they flew in the air in the shape of an "8".
"Oh? Is this to guide us?" a deity asked with a smile.
Fireflies fluttered about, nodding in acknowledgment, and the group followed them into the mist. As the mist thickened, they could no longer see each other except for the faint glow in their eyes.
Before long, the fluorescent light suddenly dissipated, the mist vanished abruptly, and a blinding beam of light opened the door to the Taiji Hall!
"Ah?! This...this is the Taiji Hall..."
"Such a scene exists within the Heavenly Palace?!"
The mist we just passed through turned out to be Xuan Water shooting straight to the sky. Eight pillars of Xuan Water encircled a huge octagonal space, with the mirror-like Jade Pool as the ground, the empty blue sky as the canopy, and the golden light as the illumination. The eight pillars of Xuan Water were arranged in eight directions as gates, dividing the Jade Pool into eight parts: Qian, Dui, Li, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen, and Kun. Each part of the Jade Pool contained eight pure trigrams composed of Yin and Yang lines. The eight pure trigrams surrounded the center of the Jade Pool, which was a clearly visible Tai Chi diagram!
The gods and immortals who were just strolling together at Wanhua Weir suddenly appeared at different Xuanmen, and the distance between them in such a short time was so great that it sent chills down one's spine!
The guiding fireflies slowly gathered above the Tai Chi diagram. As more and more guests arrived, the fluorescent lights above grew larger and brighter, until in the blink of an eye, the entire sky was covered in fluorescent light.
Suddenly, the fluorescent light spun rapidly, revealing a deep, azure space. Before anyone could see it clearly, the azure space plummeted downwards, and a powerful gust of qi suddenly arose, causing everyone to cover their faces and dodge.
With a loud "boom," the Qi wind finally stopped.
When everyone opened their eyes again, they saw a beam of light descending directly onto the Taiji diagram from the azure sky! Within the light, Xuanfeng wore a dragon-head hair ornament, a white robe with gold trim and embroidered with golden dragons, and a coiled dragon belt around his waist. He landed on the Taiji diagram as lightly as a dragonfly skimming the water, stepping on golden Qi flames!
As the light faded, ripples appeared, and a thin halo spread out, with the hexagrams in the Jade Pool slightly emerging from the water's surface along with the halo.
Everyone quickly clasped their hands and bowed deeply, saying, "Greetings, Emperor Xuan Yi!"
"Everyone!" Xuanfeng said solemnly, stretching out his arms to the gods and immortals around him, "No need to be polite, please take a seat!"
Everyone bowed their heads, gazing at the mirror-like Jade Pool, their hearts filled with unease. The Jade Pool was still, but eerily still; apart from the black crystal hexagrams visible above the water, nothing else was discernible, not even a reflection!
Someone secretly released their Qi field to probe the Jade Pool, only to discover to their horror that what appeared to be a surface of water was actually... nothingness!
A sense of foreboding crept into the crowd, and they couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. This seemed ominous; the enfeoffment ceremony appeared to be nothing more than a trap to lure them into a snare!
Xuanfeng looked at the hesitant crowd and did not urge them, but quietly observed everyone's expressions.
"Your Majesty!" An elderly immortal bowed with clasped hands. "I am too old to bear any heavy responsibilities and am not suitable to participate in this enfeoffment ceremony! I take my leave!" After saying this, he turned back to the path he had come from, only to be shocked to find that the Xuan Shui Pillar was solid water and unfathomably deep!
"Huh?! This?!"
"Where did the fog go?!"
"Could it be... that the mist itself is Xuan Water?!"
The bizarre situation startled everyone!
"Chirp chirp—" A clear and bright chirping sound came from the air!
Everyone looked up and followed the sound. They saw four magnificent golden phoenixes with long tails and high plumage carrying a glittering golden chariot, which slowly landed at the Yin position of the Tai Chi symbol!
Xuanfeng strode towards the phoenix carriage, gently lifting the pearl-embroidered curtain. Her white cloud-feather skirt was embroidered with lively golden phoenix feathers, and her wide sleeves fluttered around her. Her kingfisher-feather and pure gold armor made her fingers appear even whiter and longer. A golden waist sash was embroidered with auspicious clouds that rose to her neckline, complementing her graceful demeanor. She had an oval face, vermilion lips, a pointed nose, almond-shaped eyes, and dark eyebrows. A crimson flame pattern adorned her forehead, and she wore a nine-tailed phoenix crown with flowing tassels...
“Your Majesty,” Su Yuyao slowly raised her almond-shaped eyes to look at Xuanfeng, her eyes sparkling, and said softly, “If I remember correctly, you should be handling affairs at Fuguang Palace.”
Xuanfeng gazed intently into Su Yuyao's eyes with his deep gaze and said in a low voice, "If I remember correctly, I should have told you that you can't keep me locked up!"
Su Yuyao looked back at herself reflected in Zhanlan's eyes and smiled slightly, "How do you know that I didn't deliberately let you out?"
Xuanfeng smiled indulgently, then took Su Yuyao's hand, held it in his palm, and said earnestly, "Girl, I'm here! No matter what happens later, don't bear it all by yourself!"
Su Yuyao did not respond, but smiled gently and slowly stepped down from the phoenix carriage, supported by Xuanfeng's hand.
Her presence was as imposing as a mountain peak, her aura as cold as frost. The moment Su Yuyao appeared, the air instantly condensed into fine frost and snow, and even the Xuan Water was covered with a thin layer of ice flowers.
Everyone gasped, clasped their hands in respect, and bowed, saying, "Greetings—Goddess Yao!"
Su Yuyao's expression was calm, a half-smile playing on her lips. Her peaceful yet fierce eyes swept over the kneeling crowd as she leisurely asked, "I've heard that someone wishes to retire and return to their hometown?"
Xuanfeng glanced coldly at the old immortal who had just decided to leave, and said loudly, "Although I haven't had much contact with various sects before, I remember everyone I've met. If I'm not mistaken, the one who wants to retire and return to his hometown should be the Earthworm Immortal who governs the fertile lands of the West!"
"Oh? Earth Immortal?" Su Yuyao followed Xuanfeng's gaze and saw an old man in a brown robe kneeling on the ground, trembling.
“Earth Immortal,” Su Yuyao said slowly, “the fertile western soil under your jurisdiction is rich in nutrients, which not only nourishes the vegetation to grow strong and lush, but also makes the creatures living on the soil full of vitality. Moreover, the heavy metal objects hidden deep in the soil are all rare treasures in the world!”
Qiu Boxian pressed his forehead against the cold ice block, looking at the flower petals beneath it, their vitality robbed of their life by the frost. He swallowed hard, shivering. "Yes..."
"It's a pity that this time, the fertile soil is gone, the living beings are gone, and those heavy metal objects have all been exposed to the elements and could not be preserved." Su Yuyao curled the corners of her mouth and said casually, "The lair of the Heavenly Lord Ruixin... is gone."
Everyone's hearts skipped a beat! They all looked up at the others who had come to participate in the enfeoffment ceremony, and suddenly realized that the immortals invited this time were all protectors of the lair of their respective attendants, and that the protectors of each family had been scattered throughout the Bagua! Qiu Boxian also looked around and found that his colleagues who had come with him were also scattered in other Xuanmen!
Looking at the group of people who seemed to have just experienced a nightmare, Su Yuyao smiled slightly and said, "Everyone, you protect your respective husbands and servants, supporting them and benefiting from them. Now that they are trapped by nature, if you simply leave, wouldn't you break their hearts?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the sky darkened abruptly, and the chaotic top of the sky revealed the tides being devoured by the desert, the crimson flames being pressed down by the snow-capped mountains, and the Ruixin energy field collapsing.
Su Yuyao smiled wickedly and said, "If you leave, these newly appointed Heavenly Lords will have no hope at all!"
Everyone looked at their god in horror, pondering the hidden meaning in Su Yuyao's words, and broke out in a cold sweat.
Not only were the kneeling crowd trembling with fear, but even Xuanfeng was slightly startled. He looked at Chiyan, buried deep within the ice and snow, and Niu Tou, his heart devoured by frost, and silently swallowed. "That brat, she really went all out!"
Su Yuyao glanced at Xuanfeng out of the corner of her eye and said softly, "Your Majesty, it's my fault for being careless about the Crimson Flame Heavenly Lord's matter. Back then, the Crimson Flame Heavenly Lord and the Ox-Headed Executioner went to the snow mountain to track down a fugitive. They happened to be there during the opening ceremony of Mount Chengma, so I invited them to drink and celebrate with me. Who would have thought that they would lose their way after drinking and, on their way down the mountain, accidentally entered a snow-covered canyon—the Valley of Ten Thousand Abyss. The snow collapsed, triggering an avalanche, and the two of them fell into the bottomless abyss! By the time the wolf clan found them, the rocks and snow on both sides of the cliff had already filled the Valley of Ten Thousand Abyss... There was no way to save them."
After saying that, Su Yuyao winked at Xuan Feng and said coquettishly, "Emperor Xuan Yi, you won't blame me, will you?"
Xuanfeng looked at Su Yuyao with a half-smile. He knew Su Yuyao's way of speaking perfectly! What sacrifice? What singing and dancing? It was clearly this brat who set a trap for the two of them! Although that snow slope didn't have a solid foundation, it was definitely a passable route. Moreover, this place was designated as the only way to connect the snow mountain with Sangong City. How could this brat be willing to... unless... this place was no longer a necessary route!
“You’ve changed your course,” Xuanfeng said in a low voice.
Su Yuyao blinked and smiled, saying, "I always do things prudently, so I will naturally follow the route you provided and personally visit the site. If there are any inappropriate parts, I can correct them in time! The fate of the Crimson Flame Heavenly Lord is a warning!"
Xuanfeng's heart skipped a beat. "You brat! Still warning me?! It's clearly you who's trying to cripple Yi's mother's right-hand woman!"
“Mother Yao,” Xuanfeng said meaningfully, maintaining a dignified expression, “you’ve thought of everything so thoroughly!”
Su Yuyao knew what Xuanfeng was thinking, but she did not argue, because Xuanfeng was right. She bowed slightly and replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty!" After she finished speaking, the black mist above her head gradually dissipated, and the azure sky returned.
Su Yuyao turned to look at the anxious crowd lying on the ground and asked with feigned confusion, "A few days ago, some gods and immortals came, so why aren't they here today?" With that, she flicked her sleeve, and a wave of energy spread out, striking the Eight Mysterious Gates!
The crypt hummed, and the previously silvery ribbon-like water curtain gradually became transparent, revealing eight enormous spheres reaching to the heavens! The spheres faintly shimmered with an eerie light, and upon closer inspection, the crowd was horrified to discover that within each sphere were countless intertwined black pythons! The pythons writhed incessantly, their scarlet eyes flashing intermittently, their blood-red tongues appearing and disappearing intermittently. Suddenly, the python spheres swelled violently, connecting with each other to form a bizarre spectacle that sent shivers down the spine and made everyone's blood boil!
The swollen black python gradually became transparent, and a weary, almost desperate shadow slowly emerged from its patterned skin. More and more transparent black pythons appeared, and so did the number of trapped figures.
"Oh dear!" Su Yuyao looked at the figures and covered her mouth with a laugh. "I actually forgot to send fireflies to pick them up. Otherwise, they would have entered the Taiji Palace safely just like you all! I wonder if you all ran into these old acquaintances when you passed through the python cave just now?"
Su Yuyao's words were like a thunderbolt striking everyone's heads, making everyone tremble with shock!
The sight was so chilling and disgusting that it was unbelievable to walk out of there...
"Ugh—!" Finally, someone couldn't hold back and vomited.
Su Yuyao curled her lips, glanced at Qiu Boxian, and asked with a cold smile, "Qiu Boxian, are you... still leaving?"
Startled, Qiu Boxian immediately banged his forehead on the ground, sweat dripping from his nose onto the ice bricks. "I...I won't go any further..."
"Is anyone else leaving?" Su Yuyao looked around and, seeing no one answer, relaxed her brow and smiled contentedly, "Since no one's leaving, please take a seat!"
As soon as the words were spoken, ripples suddenly appeared on the Jade Pool. The ripples collided with each other, splashing up golden water droplets. The water droplets stood in the air and slowly fell down, transforming into hundreds of palace maids carrying food and holding prayer mats.
The palace maids placed the prayer cushions and food on each hexagram in an orderly and methodical manner, then returned to the center of the ripples, transforming into golden water droplets that melted back into the Jade Pool.
Everyone present was terrified, trembling with fear, and utterly helpless.
Xuanfeng gritted his teeth, staring at the figure being held captive by Su Yuyao, and at the slowly returning Yaochi Lake to calm. "You brat! You actually kept this from me?"
“Emperor Xuan Yi!” Su Yuyao said softly, “Please take a seat! If you don’t sit, how dare they sit?”
Xuanfeng looked in the direction Su Yuyao pointed to towards the Yin-Yang position. A golden couch and a golden table had already been placed on the white crystal, and a golden dragon-patterned wine vessel was placed on the table.
Xuanfeng frowned, reluctantly walked to the Yin-Yang position, and sat down. He looked at the solitary wine vessel on the table, filled with clear liquid, and sighed softly. Is this the victory I wanted? He looked up at the gods and immortals stumbling and struggling to find their places. Is this the right they fought so fiercely for? He then turned his gaze to Su Yuyao, who was slowly taking her seat. Is this the life I wanted to give her?
Su Yuyao lowered her eyes, listening to Xuan Feng's bittersweet words while seemingly casually fiddling with her armor. "Wasn't it you who forced me onto this path? Do you think there's any other way to go now?"
Xuanfeng's heart clenched, and for the first time in front of everyone, tears welled up in his eyes. He gripped the wine cup tightly, steadied his aura, and said loudly, "Heaven has shown its mercy! I and the Goddess Yao are blessed by Heaven, nourished by the Earth Mother, and honored by the trust of all things and spirits in the world. We are entrusted with the Heavenly Palace, connected with the Limitless, govern all things, and bring peace to all directions!"
"Chengtian Palace, Connecting to the Limitless, Moving All Things, Pacifying the Eight Directions..." The giant pythons in the Xuanshui Water all raised their heads to look at Su Yuyao on the Taiji Diagram, flicking their tongues and responding with yin and yang in harmony.
The sight of a herd of pythons reaching the sky was already enough to send chills down one's spine, but seeing countless snake heads flicking their red tongues emerging from their writhing bodies made it even more unsettling. Add to that the unpredictable sounds, and it was enough to give everyone a headache!
"Everyone!" Su Yuyao said slowly, "Overthrowing the world is an inevitable trend. If anyone's fields are damaged or water sources are destroyed, please do not blame us! Today, we are holding the conferment ceremony here to re-confer divine positions and immortal ranks to everyone present, to redefine the domains, and to re-establish rules and regulations!"
After speaking, Su Yuyao raised her wine cup to greet Xuanfeng, and everyone else quickly raised their wine cups to greet Xuanfeng and Su Yuyao as well.
Xuanfeng, with a solemn expression, picked up the wine cup, brought it to his lips, and drank the cool wine in one gulp!
Seeing Xuan Feng drink, Su Yuyao smiled and drank her own cup, then showed the empty cup to everyone. Seeing this, the others realized they couldn't escape this predicament and reluctantly drank the inky black wine from their cups…
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