Chapter 84 Why did you have worldly desires?
July 5th, Minor Heat.
The earth dragon overturned, the barrier of the Shangqing Realm was damaged, and all 70,000 living beings in the Shangqing Realm were wiped out. The Nine Heavens held Zhuang Jinfu accountable.
The Heavenly Court pressed, "Your fate is intertwined with that of the Upper Clarity Realm; only by being ruthless in your heart can you protect all living beings."
Why did you develop worldly desires?
Zhuang Jinfu remained silent for a long time, only kneeling down and letting the ninety-nine bolts of heavenly lightning strike him.
The once high and mighty immortal sage knelt on the ruins, her head hanging low in despair, the sword lying beside her, devoid of any spiritual light.
Thunder rumbled in the sky.
Lightning bolts struck her repeatedly. Those who hadn't yet been rescued remained inside the protective sphere, floating on the ground, surrounding her, watching her, and cursing her.
The sounds were harsh, noisy, and jarring; a mixture of human voices and thunderous condemnation filled the air. Zhuang Jinfu felt as if she were inside a furnace that was constantly exploding, making it hard for her to breathe and causing her physical and mental pain.
Ling Shu stood there, stunned.
It turns out that even the most unattainable beauty has someone she loves.
She felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
Possessiveness grew wildly.
What pained her even more was that in an earthquake that even a god couldn't resist, Zhuang Jinfu did his best to save 230,000 people, yet he was still punished. What kind of logic is that?
Gu Wan told her the truth about the "Guardian Immortal Venerable".
Why should Zhuang Jinfu be used as a shield?
The path to immortality that cultivators pursue throughout their lives is actually like this?
Heaven is unjust.
Ling Shu's hand, gripping the sword, trembled. She took a step forward, but Gu Wan grabbed her hand. Gu Wan said, "What do you want to do? Heavenly punishment is forbidden to be disturbed. Anyone who disturbs the executioner will also be punished by Heaven."
Ling Shu forcefully shook off that hand.
She stepped forward, enduring the thousand-year-old demonic magic within her that was about to burn her to ashes. She clenched her fist and grasped the descending heavenly lightning. A bolt of lightning that was about to strike Zhuang Jinfu was drawn away by her and caught in her hand.
Zhuang Jinfu heard the thunder but felt no pain. He didn't look up at the sky but turned around and looked in Ling Shu's direction.
She saw Ling Shu grasp the bolt of lightning and gather it in her hand. Zhuang Jinfu, fearing she couldn't hear him, shouted, "Ling Shu! You can't fight against the heavens!"
She molded the lightning into a ball. With her Heavenly-level Lightning Spirit Root, she gained the ability to control lightning after cultivation. She aimed her Lingju technique at the deity descending lightning from the sky and tossed it into the air like a sandbag. She said, "Whether I can win or not, I'll give it a try!"
The lightning bolt nearly struck Thor, who then withdrew it.
Her eyes widened in anger: "You audacious little demon, how dare you disrupt the lightning punishment!" She quickly struck her two cymbals together, unleashing several bolts of lightning that struck directly above the two men's heads.
Ling Shu jumped to Zhuang Jinfu's side, and a lightning barrier enveloped the two of them. Just before it was completely sealed, people could see Ling Shu's lips opening and closing through the gaps between the lightning bolts, as if she were saying something to the Immortal Venerable. Then it closed completely, and no one could be seen from the outside, only a spherical lightning barrier. The descending heavenly lightning was transformed into this lightning barrier, and the sphere grew larger and larger. After a while, the lower half of the spherical lightning barrier faded away, leaving only an arc-shaped top.
Everyone saw Ling Shu's sword pressing down on Zhuang Jinfu's shoulder, preventing her from getting up. The sword was aimed directly at her neck, and they heard Ling Shu's harsh voice demanding, "Who do you love?"
Zhuang Jinfu lowered his head and remained silent. When he raised his head again, his eyes were red, and he shook his head in panic and astonishment, saying, "No, no, no..."
Suddenly, Cang Luo stood up from the crowd, pointing at Ling Shu and cursing, "It was this vixen who seduced the Immortal Venerable! She damaged the Immortal Venerable's heartless Dao, which led to the Immortal Venerable's inability to save everyone during the earthquake. Ling Shu is the culprit, Ling Shu is the ringleader!"
The crowd's emotions surged, and they shifted their blame from Zhuang Jinfu to Ling Shu. Several mouths spat at Ling Shu and hurled insults at her, while several fingers pointed at her and pelted her with gravel and mud.
"Ling Shu is the culprit, Ling Shu is the mastermind!"
"Witch! It's all that witch's fault!"
As everyone watched, Ling Shu, unable to get any answers, began to expel a pinkish-purple demonic aura from his body, revealing his nine tails. A massive spiritual wind swept over, carrying with it layers of gravel and sand.
She went mad with an almost demonic nature, wantonly bombing ruins and hills, stirring up the moat. The water rose higher than the city walls and surged forward. By the time Gu Wan and Cang Luo repelled the water, Ling Shu had already disappeared.
The sounds of bombing echoed all around, deafeningly loud. The people wanted to flee in all directions, but Gu Wan said, "It is safest to stay by the side of the Immortal Venerable." The people all believed her and still regarded Zhuang Jinfu as their guardian immortal who saved them from suffering. Zhuang Jinfu, however, hung his head and his shoulders shrugged repeatedly.
The Thunder God and the Executioner witnessed everything and quickly reported it to the Heavenly Court. The Heavenly Court soon issued an order to exterminate Ling Shu, this out-of-control half-demon.
The Heavenly Court dispatched the Four Heavenly Masters of Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning to descend to the mortal realm and capture Ling Shu.
The wind trapped Ling Shu, preventing her from riding the wind; the heavy rain made it difficult for her to walk; and the lightning strikes made it impossible for her to dodge left and right. Finally, in front of a cliff, Ling Shu jumped off the cliff. The four celestial masters swooped down, grabbed her limbs, and carried her to the heavenly court.
From the South Heavenly Gate to the Lingxiao Palace, the immortals looked delighted and said, "He was just a minor demon. He was captured by the Celestial Master in no time. Hahaha."
Ling Shu's hands were bound as she followed the Four Celestial Masters toward the Lingxiao Palace. But halfway there, a five-colored light flashed, a white halo illuminated the sky, and the colorful clouds in the sky disappeared, leaving only white.
"A five-colored furnace?!" an immortal exclaimed.
It was refined from the five-colored stones left over from Nuwa's patching of the sky. It can amplify one's magical power. If it were obtained by someone with high magical power, it would be able to destroy the world!
Ling Shu possesses a thousand years of demonic power and has cultivated to the Golden Core realm; she is capable of destroying the heavens and the earth!
Amidst the cries of alarm, a five-colored bolt of lightning struck the top of the Lingxiao Palace, instantly creating a hole from which thick, black smoke billowed.
The magical power spreading from the Five-Colored Furnace is Five-Colored Thunder.
No wonder this half-demon with the Heavenly Thunder Spirit Root was captured so easily. It was clearly her deliberate capture. She wanted to use the Four Heavenly Masters of Wind, Rain, Thunder and Lightning to ascend to the Heavenly Court!
Ling Shu snatched the Heaven-Slaying Sword that had been confiscated by Feng Tianshi, drew it from its sheath, and slashed it straight down at the high threshold of the Lingxiao Palace, cutting off half of the threshold.
Cutting down the threshold is tantamount to slapping the face of the Emperor, and slapping the face of all the gods.
"I'll show you what it means to call me a half-demon!"
Half of the threshold represents the bloodline of a half-human, half-demon. In folk tradition, thresholds have always been associated with the hierarchy of a residence and the protection of spirits and demons. She wants to cut it down, to cut down the insurmountable rules established by these noble deities, and to cut down the prejudices of the world against her.
The stars of the Big Dipper and the stars of the Southern Dipper surrounded her. The Ziwei Star Lord stood with his sword and said, "Nine-tailed fox, you have wreaked havoc on the human world and seduced the guardian immortals, causing natural disasters to strike. She was unable to protect the world and caused a great calamity. You still do not know your crime."
Ling Shu twirled her sword and stood with her hands behind her back: "Bullshit! You can't possibly entrust the lives of all beings in the Shangqing Realm to one person! She's been working tirelessly in the mortal world to save lives and relieve suffering, while you've been sitting idly in the Heavenly Palace, have you ever helped her? Bah! Using one person's life to secure your unwavering faith is utterly hypocritical!"
The Heavenly Lord of Heaven said, "People need faith. If the Heavenly Court loses its faith, how can the people maintain their confidence to live through suffering?"
"She shouldn't be sacrificed alone!"
"People don't necessarily need to believe in you, and faith can't put food on the table!"
Tianfu Star Lord: "But we can't live without faith!"
"Believe in yourself more than in heaven or earth!"
Ling Shu raised his sword.
The celestial officials, unwilling to exchange further words with her, immediately began to fight. After five rounds, Ling Shu was surrounded by the Sixteen Star Lords, who combined their power to bind her body with the power of the stars, immobilizing her in place.
Seeing her sword fall to the ground, the Star Lords withdrew their magical powers and escorted her into the Lingxiao Palace.
The Emperor had a square face, wore a twelve-tassel crown, and was dressed in golden robes and ornaments. He sat on the main deity's throne, looking down at Ling Shu with a displeased expression.
Ling Shu sneered, "You want me to kneel?"
The Emperor asked, "What do you ask for?"
Okay, let's get straight to the point, brilliant.
"I want you to pardon the sins of Immortal Venerable Qingxi and revise the rules for conferring gods in the Upper Pure Realm."
What if I don't want to?
"Then I will sacrifice myself to the Five-Colored Furnace, let the Five-Colored Furnace explode here, unleash its earth-shattering power, and blow your Heavenly Realm to smithereens." As soon as he finished speaking, a bolt of five-colored lightning suddenly descended, striking the roof of the Lingxiao Palace with a deafening roar.
The Emperor picked up a handkerchief, lifted the tassels of his crown to wipe the fine sweat from his forehead, and said, "Good, good, I agree." He then asked, "How do you wish to bestow the title?"
"In the Shangqing Realm, there are many people who died in the line of duty, in the relief of disaster victims, and in the protection of animals. They will be deified, each given a territory to govern. Immortal Venerable Qingxi will be appointed as the head of all immortals in the Shangqing Realm, still in charge of natural disasters. She will be allowed to have mortal desires and to use the power of her cultivation from other paths to save people from natural disasters. The path to ascension will be broadened, not limited to the Path of Heartlessness, and will allow those who have successfully ascended from other paths to join the ranks of immortals."
"And inform the world that even gods and Buddhas cannot save people from natural disasters, and that the Immortal Venerable Qingxi is innocent."
"You pleaded for others, but what about yourself?"
"I want to live forever."
The Emperor smiled and sighed, "Deep affection indeed... Alright, how about this, I'll bestow upon you a title. You are a red fox with nine tails, so I'll confer upon you the title of Red Nine Heavenly Immortal. What do you think? You can guard the Upper Pure Realm together with Qingxi, which will fulfill your wish."
"Whatever."
"Untie her now!" The Emperor ordered his men to untie her and said he would give her a palace so she could live in the Heavenly Realm.
Doesn't Ling Shu know what the Emperor is thinking? He simply wants her to stay in the Heavenly Court, so that by blowing up the Heavenly Court, he can also blow up her home, hoping to control Ling Shu in this way.
Ke Lingshu is a rebellious and arrogant person who is unaware of the immensity of heaven and earth and is not afraid of death. In her eyes, home is where her mother is and where Zhuang Jinfu is. The magnificent palace bestowed by the Emperor is nothing more than a pile of broken stones and smelly tiles in her eyes.
Ling Shu raised her hand, and the Five-Colored Furnace appeared in her hand. It was radiant and crystal clear, with strands of blue lightning wrapped around it.
The immortals gasped in shock upon seeing this.
The Emperor wiped his sweat and said, "I have already promised you, please don't torment this old woman anymore."
"Go to the Investiture of the Gods." Ling Shu gave her a sharp look.
"Hey, Crimson Nine Celestial Immortal, come with me."
The Emperor stood up and slowly walked to a round plate in the shop that reflected the mountains and water. With a wave of his hand, a scroll slowly unfolded before the immortals. The female immortal presented a jade pen with both hands, which the Emperor and Empress took. They carefully reviewed the life stories of each person on the revealed names. They first marked Ling Shu's name. After half a day, they selected eight people. Ling Shu read them and found that they were all great benefactors from the Shangqing Realm. One of them was actually... Li Chang.
After carefully verifying this person's life story, it was found that he was born into the Li family, entered the Shangqing Sect to cultivate at the age of twelve, and became a disciple of Elder An Hong. In his lifetime, he saved 155 cats and dogs and saved 800 people. He died... last night, he died from suffocation caused by an earthquake.
A great virtuous person in ten generations.
Ling Shu felt a sour and astringent sensation in her throat.
In a daze, her body felt even hotter, and her consciousness became somewhat blurred.
Seeing that she was stunned and did not answer, the Emperor asked again, "Red Nine Heavenly Immortal, are these people okay?"
"Mm." Ling Shu nodded.
The Emperor drew out the names of these people, and in the next instant, the souls of the eight people arrived in the Lingxiao Palace, where they were given their titles one by one.
Li Chang has arrived.
She was also wearing an orange dress and a trumpet vine in her hair, looking charming and adorable.
I wonder how desperate she was when she died.
She saw Ling Shu, winked at her, and acted as if nothing had happened.
"Li Chang, appointed as the land deity of Changde, is responsible for guarding the southeast of Shangqing Boundary, including Zimu City, Xiangyang City, and Ling City."
The Li family lives in Zimu City.
After the words of the Investiture of the Gods were recited, Li Chang's body lit up with colorful light, her hair transformed into a flying bun, ribbons wrapped around her arms and over her head, she wore an orange feather robe, a lingxiao flower decoration on her forehead, and a pair of long, white rabbit ears on her head.
The Emperor: "Go."
Li Chang descended to the mortal realm to guard the three cities in the southeast.
The remaining seven were also conferred as gods and descended to the mortal realm. Before leaving, they all looked at Ling Shu with kind and respectful eyes, as if they wanted to remember his face forever.
The most important person hasn't arrived yet.
The Emperor's fingertips slid across the scroll, and the three golden characters "Zhuang Jin Fu" landed in the very center of the scroll. A circle of black mist swirled around her name, a mark of wrongdoing, known as "Blackened Name." Just as the pen was about to fall, the Emperor withdrew his hand.
Ling Shu said warily, "Are you going back on your word?!"
"Not so," the Emperor said with a smile, his face kind but his words laced with sarcasm. "If you hand over the Five-Colored Furnace, I will absolve her of her sins and, as you have said, make her the head of all the immortals in the Pure Realm."
"If I hand it over and you go back on your word, I'll have no recourse. You must absolve her of her sins first, then I'll hand it over."
The rampaging demonic power within her body was relentlessly assaulting her meridians. She felt that if she didn't leave this place soon, people would discover that she wasn't actually that capable of fighting.
"What if you don't hand over the Five-Colored Furnace?"
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