Chapter 227 There's always something beyond the heavens.
Is there something beyond the heavens?!
Su Yuyao's Qi Sea trembled slightly! Her brain began to spin rapidly...
Heavens, isn't this the celestial realm I'm standing on?! This is the heaven of the origin of the Wuji Dao, and also the heaven of this world... No!
Su Yuyao suddenly raised her head and looked up at the thick white mist above her! The white mist instantly dissipated, and a dazzling beam of light shone directly onto Su Yuyao's fair face.
We have our own sky too!
Su Yuyao stared at the orange-yellow sun, her chest heaving violently. Could it be that we... are also from another world's Shiyuan?!
"You're right." Granny Zhong smiled and withdrew her aura, the thick white mist once again obscuring the sunlight. "You are other people's heaven, just as there are others who are your heaven!"
Su Yuyao took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, gradually adjusting her slightly shocked emotions and calming her somewhat flustered energy field.
Over the years, she had endured so much: pain, sorrow, fear, helplessness… To live, she could only nimbly search for hope on the brink of death. Finally, she survived, possessing unimaginable power and supreme power, but she lost the ability to feel love, becoming cold, ruthless, and arrogant… And now, the phrase "There are always higher heavens beyond the heavens" shattered Su Yuyao's illusory pride!
What am I being so proud of?
Su Yuyao smiled bitterly and lowered her head, looking at Granny Zhong, this phantom without a real body or even a physical body. Suddenly, she had an epiphany!
“Grandma Zhong, your true form is this ball of Qi, isn’t it?” Su Yuyao asked softly.
Grandma Zhong smiled gently and said slowly, "Aren't you the same? The essence of all things is this Qi."
Su Yuyao's heart shattered bit by bit, breaking into small pieces, each piece breaking again into tiny fragments, each fragment turning into powder, and the powder continuing to break, dissolving into nothingness...
The emptiness and heartbreak didn't cause Su Yuyao any pain; instead, it brought a sense of complete relief, as if without a heart, there was no pain, or perhaps, her heart had become infinitely large, capable of holding everything...
"Who exactly are you?" Su Yuyao asked again.
“My name is Zhong Qingtan!” Granny Zhong said, enunciating each word clearly. “My father was Zhong Tianbai, the Chief Supervisor of the Imperial Palace who oversaw the rebirth of the deceased on the path to the afterlife!”
Su Yuyao frowned slightly. Zhong Qingtan? The Path to Rebirth? Zhong Tianbai?
"Since you are a person on the path to rebirth, why are you here?" Su Yuyao quickly sorted out her thoughts and asked, "Could it be that there is a crisis on the path to rebirth?"
“That’s right!” Granny Zhong nodded solemnly. “No matter which dimension the world is in, the spirits of living beings must pass through the path of reincarnation before they can be reborn into a new world! But recently, we have discovered that the number of spirits on the path of reincarnation has decreased!”
"The number of spirits has decreased?" Su Yuyao frowned. "How much less?"
"A lot!" Grandma Zhong stepped forward. "The whole world!"
The whole world?! Su Yuyao's pupils spun rapidly, her red eyes rolling back...
Grandma Zhong looked at the calm, collected, and clear-headed Su Yuyao with satisfaction. It seemed that she had not chosen the wrong person!
*Poof!* Her crimson eyes ignited, then instantly extinguished! The Qi flames dissipated, revealing Su Yuyao's peaceful gaze.
“Grandma Zhong, I understand what you mean.” Su Yuyao’s expression was solemn and her voice was low. “Please take good care of Bai Er for me, and I will investigate this matter for you.”
Grandma Zhong nodded. Although she was a little unsure about Su Yuyao's intentions, she had absolute faith in Su Yuyao's abilities.
"Oh, right," Su Yuyao suddenly remembered something and asked, "How is Yuqing doing in Jiujiao Mountain?"
Granny Zhong thought for a moment and said, "Yuqing doesn't usually interact with outsiders and has always been dutifully guarding the mountain god's tomb. After she became pregnant, I visited her a few times, and apart from some worries, she seemed fine. After returning from the snow mountain, she felt much more relaxed, her delivery went smoothly, and with the White Tiger Mother's care, she should be doing quite well."
Su Yuyao nodded slightly, then turned and leaped into the air, disappearing into the thick white mist amidst flashing golden Qi flames...
...
Outside the Heavenly Gate, jade-like bricks and stones replaced the sand and soil, forming a wide jade road that winds around the top of the eternal mountains. Dense clouds, like giant koi carp, swim between the jade road, while thin wisps of mist float quietly on it.
The White Tiger, clad in silver-white armor and with a long sword at his waist, hurried along the jade path, riding the winds of qi. He broke through one dense cloud after another, traversing countless twists and turns, until the Heavenly Gate behind him completely disappeared before he stopped.
He quickly straightened his clothes and bowed loudly towards a small patch of clouds in the distance, saying, "Mother! Your son has arrived!"
The clouds slowly dissipated, revealing a huge golden flower bud. The petals unfolded one by one, finally revealing a tender yellow stamen. In the very center of the stamen sat two women. One was Baihu Niang, dressed as a peasant woman; the other was a plump woman with a neatly styled bun, wearing a purple ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and a light purple overcoat, holding a swaddled infant—this was Yu Qing!
White Tiger Mother looked at her son, clad in armor, with a mixture of surprise and joy, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears. She tugged at her sleeve and wiped her eyes before standing up to greet White Tiger and gently helping him up.
"As expected of my son! Even more impressive than your father! By the way, what kind of job are you doing here?"
The White Tiger chuckled and replied, "I'm in charge of all the errands within the Heavenly Palace, and I'm highly valued by Sister Yao'er!" He then tugged at his mother's arm, glanced at Yu Qing, and whispered, "Mother, why did you really come? Lady Qingyue is inside! Aren't you just making things difficult for Sister Yao'er?!"
White Tiger Mother looked troubled and said, "Son, I know your difficulties. But Yuqing said that it's not a long-term solution for Lord Langzhi to be trapped on the Immortal Mountain. It would be better to take advantage of the change of ruler in the Heavenly Palace to seek a pardon! I was worried about the two of them, so I came along!"
Baihu frowned and said, "Begging for a pardon? Why not now of all times?"
"White Tiger!" Yu Qing spoke up, "When can Miss Yao'er see me?"
Baihu bowed slightly to Yuqing with some difficulty and replied, "Sister Yao'er is very busy right now. If you have anything important to say, I can pass it on to you!"
"No! I want to see Miss Yao'er in person!" Yu Qing suddenly raised her head, her eyes flashing, and shouted, "I want... to fight for a proper status for my child!"
"What?!" The white tiger's eyes widened.
"My God!" White Tiger Mother shuddered in shock. "Yu Qing! What are you saying?! You didn't say that back then!"
"That was then!" Yu Qing hugged the swaddled baby tightly, stood up abruptly, and shouted, "Now, I'm going to fight for a legitimate status for my child!"
As the echo faded, the dense clouds continued to drift slowly, and the gentle breeze, like flowing water, seeped into the golden petals, gradually rising to the flower stamens and lifting the purple skirts.
Baihu shielded his mother behind him, gripping his sword hilt and watching Yuqing's every move. Yuqing, however, trembled slightly, clutching the swaddled baby, and made no further move. Baihu's mother looked at the baby in Yuqing's arms with worried eyes and softly advised, "Yuqing, Qian'er is still asleep. Why don't we... wait until Qian'er wakes up before making any plans?"
A gentle breeze rose up on Yu Qing's back, and she shivered slightly. She looked down at the child in her arms, took a few deep breaths, but still couldn't hold back her tears.
"Qian'er, I'm sorry, Mother had no other choice..."
*Poof!* Yu Qing swelled up a thick tail from its lower back, gently rolled up the swaddled baby, coiled it around its back, and then rushed into the thick clouds without looking back!
The White Tiger quickly channeled his Qi and released a paper figure to block Yu Qing's path. Yu Qing suddenly opened her palm, and her fair, jade-like fingers suddenly swelled up, turning into sharp claws covered in down. With a gentle flick of her scimitar-like nails, she sliced the paper figure in two!
"Yu Qing!" White Tiger Mother cried out in alarm, "No..."
White Tiger Mother suddenly fell silent. She watched as Yu Qing gradually transformed into a nine-tailed fox demon with red eyes, long snout, sharp teeth, claws, and a slender waist!
Seeing this, the White Tiger quickly threw out another string of paper figures, making a "clucking" sound at the same time.
Yu Qing curled her lips and swept her eyes around, and the string of paper figures instantly exploded into ashes!
"Trying to play illusions with me?" Yu Qing's voice was alluring yet seductive. "You're still too green!" Before she finished speaking, the fox shadow leaped into the thick fog...
At the Heavenly Gate, the gatekeeper, clad in golden armor and wielding a massive, jet-black mace, surveyed the mountains that appeared and disappeared beneath the clouds.
He easily lifted the spiked club and slammed it heavily on the ground with a "thud!"
A gentle breeze stirred, and the ripples gradually accelerated, carrying the clouds outwards. Before long, several birds were startled and took flight from the mountain peaks below.
The doorman, grinning from ear to ear, weighed his newly acquired treasured weapon in his hand. "Heh! Miss Yao'er's gift is really something!" With that, he flicked his wrist, raised the spiked club to his chest, and made a few gestures towards the distant clouds.
Woo-woo—! Woo-woo—! Woo-woo—!
The Qi wind cleaved the clouds apart, turning them into mist. Within the mist, a darting figure gradually became clear!
"Who goes there?!" the doorman roared, his eyes wide as he strode forward, brandishing his spiked club.
The figure paused slightly, but did not stop because of the door god's warning. Instead, it sped up and rushed towards the Heavenly Gate.
The door god glared angrily, gathering his Qi into his spiked club and slashing at the figure! The figure was cunning, quickly turning and hiding in the clouds to block the Qi wind.
"Bang!" The clouds exploded and turned into water vapor, revealing an amber-colored nine-tailed fox!
"Where did this fox demon come from?! How dare it run wild at the Heavenly Gate?!" The gate god saw Yu Qing's true form but did not know her identity. Thinking she was just another troublesome demon, he swung his spiked club and smashed it down!
Yu Qing hurriedly leaped into the air to dodge, but was still struck by the Qi wind from the spiked club and crashed heavily onto the jade bricks.
The door god strode up to Yu Qing and shouted sternly, "You audacious fox demon, how dare you trespass into the Heavenly Palace! Don't you want to live?!"
“M-My lord…” Yu Qing struggled to sit up and said, “This servant is… Yu Qing from Jiujiao Mountain. Please inform her that this servant wishes to see… Miss Yao’er…”
"Nine Suburbs Mountain?" Upon hearing that someone was from Nine Suburbs Mountain, the door god withdrew his Qi and looked at Yu Qing, asking suspiciously, "How can you prove that you are from Nine Suburbs Mountain?!"
"This humble servant is Lord Langzhi's concubine!" Yu Qing said, raising her head. "Everyone in the Nine Suburbs Mountains knows this!"
"Shut up!" the door god roared, his voice booming, "If you continue to spout nonsense, don't blame me for showing no mercy!" With that, he slammed his spiked club heavily in front of Yu Qing.
Yu Qing was startled and quickly bent down.
"Waaah—! Waaah—!" The faint cries of a baby could be heard. Yu Qing slowly transformed into human form, took Qian'er out of her tail, held her in her arms, and gently soothed her.
"Ah?!" The doorkeeper stared in shock at the delicate and alluring Yu Qing and the baby crying loudly in her swaddling clothes. "This..."
"This is... Lord Langzhi's son!" Yu Qing slowly raised her head, her disheveled hair obscuring her fair face, her moist eyes shimmering, and she said pitifully, "This humble servant has given birth to a son for Lord Langzhi, and has come to the Heavenly Palace to ask Lady Qingyue and Miss Yao'er for a proper title! Please, Your Excellency, have mercy and inform them on my behalf!"
"Huh...what?!" The door god looked at Yu Qing in shock. "Nonsense! Lord Langzhi is devoted to Lady Qingyue, how could he be...become by you..." The door god looked at the pitiful Yu Qing and thought to himself, "Given Langzhi's personality, he really can't escape such beauty!"
"Alas!" The door god sighed deeply, put his spiked club behind his back, and said, "Considering you still have an infant to feed, I will spare you. Now go!"
"This servant will not leave! Please, sir, have mercy..."
"What mercy?!" the door god roared in a low voice. "Leaving aside whether what you said is true or not, just based on what you did..." The door god looked around and lowered his voice, "What if someone with ulterior motives hears this? Wouldn't that just cause trouble for Miss Yao'er? Get out of here!"
Yu Qing held Qian'er and wept, saying, "This servant is deeply in love with Lord Langzhi, and Lord Langzhi has also taken good care of this servant. Our relationship has not bothered anyone else, so why would it cause trouble for Miss Yao'er? Besides, this servant has already given birth to a son for Lord Langzhi. Even if this servant is of lowly status, for the sake of the child, this servant should be given a proper title!"
"A title?" The door god looked at the stubborn Yu Qing and sighed, "Yu Qing, who in the world doesn't know the love between Lord Langzhi and Lady Qingyue? Even if they didn't achieve their goal and you took advantage of the situation, how many gods and immortals will give you a good face? You are just a demon. If you could be law-abiding and focus on cultivation, you would definitely have a chance to become an immortal. But you sought a shortcut, which not only damaged your own reputation but also ruined the reputation of others! Before things get out of hand, hurry back!"
Yu Qing knelt on the ground, holding the child, and pleaded, "Please have mercy, Your Majesty!"
"You ungrateful wretch!" the door god growled, raising his spiked club. "If you refuse to leave, don't blame me..."
"Lord Gatekeeper! Show mercy!" The White Tiger rushed over on a gust of wind, standing in front of Yu Qing and clasping his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Lord Gatekeeper! Aunt Yu Qing... she really... so..."
The door god, holding his spiked club, looked at the white tiger with a troubled expression, then at the white tiger's mother who was running breathlessly in the distance, and then at Yu Qing kneeling on the ground holding her child. He clicked his tongue and said, "This... what should we do..."
"Door God," Su Yuyao's ethereal and gentle voice drifted over, "What happened?"
The door gods hurriedly turned around and saw Su Yuyao with flat eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, a serene face, and a faint yellow aura emanating from her body as she leisurely stepped out of the Heavenly Gate.
"Miss Yao'er!" The door god breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward to greet her, saying, "You've come at just the right time! A fox demon has come here, claiming to be Yu Qing from Jiujiao Mountain, and she's been clamoring to see you!"
"Oh?" Su Yuyao glanced sideways at Yuqing kneeling on the ground, raised an eyebrow and curled the corners of her mouth, asking with a hint of surprise, "Aunt Yuqing, I heard you recently gave birth, have you recovered?"
Yu Qing looked at the elegant Su Yuyao in surprise. Compared to their meeting at the Four Little Peaks, Su Yuyao now had the aura of a Heavenly Mother.
Yu Qing steadied herself and bowed to Su Yuyao, saying, "Thanks to you, Xiao Nu and Qian'er are both doing well."
“Very good.” Su Yuyao slowly walked to Yu Qing’s side, lowered her eyes to look at the swaddled baby in Yu Qing’s arms. Inside the swaddled baby was an infant whose eyebrows and eyes were very similar to Lang Zhi’s.
Su Yuyao's heart trembled slightly. She wasn't happy, angry, or sad; it was just... trembling. She glanced at the slightly nervous White Tiger Girl, then looked at the distant mist, her red eyes sparkling.
“The path to heaven is fraught with peril. Although you have some cultivation, it is truly remarkable that you were able to safely bring your child to the Heavenly Palace during this time of earthquake and tremor,” Su Yuyao said calmly. “If you had used that perseverance and luck to raise your child and cultivate yourself, you might have become an immortal. But you have wasted it.”
A chilling aura slowly enveloped Yu Qing, solidifying into thin ice flowers that clung to her shivering purple dress. Yu Qing clutched the swaddling clothes tightly, steadying her breath as she said, "This humble servant dares not dream of becoming an immortal! This humble servant only wishes to peacefully raise Lord Langzhi's child and continue the family line! That is why I have come here so abruptly, to ask Miss Yao'er for a proper title!"
"A title?" Su Yuyao slightly raised her eyelids and looked at Yu Qing. "What kind of title do you want?"
Yu Qing raised her head, meeting Su Yuyao's flickering eyes with slightly nervous gaze. She took a deep breath and said, "This humble servant is not greedy; I only desire the status of a concubine. But this child is Lord Langzhi's eldest son, and I hope he can have a formal..."
“Yu Qing,” Su Yuyao coldly interrupted Yu Qing, “you only entered into a relationship with my father back then because you wanted someone to rely on, but now you want a formal title?”
“Miss Yao’er! I have not forgotten my original intention, and I am even more grateful for the kindness of Lady Qingyue and you! However, I also need to make plans for the child! How can a child who is not born with a proper name grow up safely?!” Yu Qing said with a little emotion and tears in her eyes.
Su Yuyao smiled and lowered her eyes, "Yuqing, a child born with a legitimate parentage may not grow up peacefully."
Yu Qing was stunned for a moment, then looked at Su Yuyao in horror.
"You think having a title guarantees you security?" Su Yuyao sneered. "How prestigious is the Mother of Infinity? How weighty is she? Yet she still has to step down now. The only person who can truly guarantee your security is yourself!"
Yu Qing stared at Su Yuyao in shock. Ice flowers slowly crept up Yu Qing's messy hair, and a thin layer of cold air emanated from Yu Qing's mouth and nose.
"Waaah—!" Qian'er, still in her swaddling clothes, seemed to sense the cold air and suddenly burst into tears.
Yu Qing lowered her head, looking at the child in her arms, tears streaming down her face. "I am just a fox demon. If it weren't for this child, I could still focus on cultivation and gain power. But now the Heavenly Palace has changed hands, the world has changed drastically, and Lord Langzhi is rarely seen in the Nine Suburbs Mountain. I am not afraid of gossip, but I cannot bear to see my child being talked about. So... I listened to Fairy Feihua's suggestion and came to the Heavenly Palace to ask for a proper status!"
Su Yuyao's eyes widened in shock. Fei Hua?! Fei Hua... So it was her!
A slight breeze stirred, and an undercurrent lurked within the thin mist, slowly moving towards Yu Qing as the mist dissipated. Yu Qing glanced at the swirling mist behind her, then turned her gaze back to stealthily look at Su Yu Yao.
Su Yuyao gazed thoughtfully at the distant mist, then suddenly flicked her finger, stirring up a dense net of qi around Yu Qing. Yu Qing quickly lowered herself, releasing qi to protect Qian'er, and hid within the net.
The swirling energy grew larger, lifting Su Yuyao's heavy skirt and dispersing the thin mist on the jade path. A glimmer of golden light appeared, and Su Yuyao smiled slightly; the energy gust abruptly stopped.
White Tiger Mother trembled as she raised her head and discovered that Yu Qing was already wrapped in a huge white cocoon. She was shocked. "Oh dear! Miss Yao'er! This won't do! This cocoon is airtight; what if they both suffocate?!"
"Aunt Bai, don't worry, I don't want to kill them!" Su Yuyao said calmly. "You've escorted them all this way, you must be tired. Come in with Baihu and rest."
Upon hearing this, Baihu quickly helped his mother up and said to Su Yuyao, "Sister Yao'er, I'll take Mother to rest!"
Su Yuyao smiled and nodded.
White Tiger Mother pondered Su Yuyao's words, then whispered in surprise to White Tiger, "How could I possibly have the ability to escort them? It's Fairy Flying Flower..."
"Mother!" Baihu gently squeezed his mother's arm and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Sister Yao'er knows everything!"
...
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