Chapter 34 034 What Crime Have I Committed in Desiring Dreams?
"Goddess, you desire dreams! Do you know your sin?"
The Heavenly Court's Execution Platform is a place that every celestial being terrifies, because only those who have committed the most irreparable and heinous crimes can be sent here.
At this moment, on the God-Slaying Lotus Platform, stood a female celestial being with a cold expression. Her divine robes and crown had been stripped off, leaving her only wearing a thin white celestial garment, and her hands and feet were bound by chains.
Surrounding the God-Slaying Lotus Platform were thousands of tiered thrones, where almost all the gods of the celestial realm had gathered. They were filled with righteous indignation, and almost without exception, they glared fiercely at the woman on the God-Slaying Lotus Platform, as if they wished they could devour her alive.
"Goddess, do you know your sin when you dream of such things?"
The one who asked the question was none other than the Heavenly Venerable Yuan Si, who sat at the head of all the gods. He looked to be only a mortal in his thirties, with a majestic appearance, but in reality, he had ruled the Heavenly Realm for tens of thousands of years. His expression was gloomy. Seeing that Yu Meng did not speak, he asked the same question again. At the same time, he unleashed a bolt of lightning, which struck Yu Meng.
Yu Meng was controlled by the Binding God Chains and had almost no divine power. She was struck by a divine lightning bolt from the Heavenly Venerable, which burned her internal organs. She knelt on the ground and vomited a mouthful of blood.
But she quickly raised her head again, a mocking sneer playing on her lips.
"Heh, what crime have I committed?"
Before Heavenly Venerable Yuan Si could even speak, other celestial beings rushed out of the province, angrily shouting, "You shameless Yu Meng, still unwilling to confess your sins? Speak! Did you damage the Heavenly Pillar in order to steal spiritual power to revive the mortal you were having an affair with?"
Yu Meng said, "I have said it many times. When I entered the Tongtian Palace, the Heavenly Pillar was already broken. It has nothing to do with me. Moreover, I have no personal relationship with that mortal."
"Haha, no personal feelings? If there were no personal feelings, would you have taken off your cloak and covered him with it?"
Yu Meng remained expressionless. "He was a general about to die in battle, a pitiful mortal about to be left to rot in the wilderness, and all I did was drape a cloak over his shoulders. As a god, can't I even do this for a mortal? I did not violate any heavenly laws or interfere with his life or death."
"But he didn't die in the end!"
"That's his fate, it has nothing to do with me."
Yuan Si remained silent, lost in thought. The other gods said indignantly, "Heavenly Venerable, there's no need to listen to her sophistry. Let's hear the testimonies of the other colleagues who are in charge of guarding the Heavenly Pillar!"
"Alright. Xuan Lin, go inside."
There are seven gods in the heavens who are responsible for guarding the Heavenly Pillars. The goddess Yu Meng is one of them. The other six are Lin Shen, Kenian, Mo Bei, Yu Li, Fu Luo, and Gong Xin.
As the son of the Celestial Venerable and the future ruler of the Celestial Realm, Lin Shen's testimony was obviously the most weighty, so he was the first to be summoned.
"Lord Lin Shen, please tell us again what happened on the night the Heavenly Pillar broke, and where Yu Meng was at that time?" The heavenly god who asked the question changed his harsh tone when he questioned Yu Meng earlier, and was now polite to the point of being obsequious.
Lin Shen's face was somewhat pale. He glanced at Yu Meng on the lotus platform, a hint of reluctance in his eyes.
"I believe in the Goddess of Desire and Dreams. Even if she was the one who broke the Heavenly Pillar, it was by no means intentional. I hope the Goddess will be lenient in her punishment, considering that she has diligently guarded the Heavenly Pillar for thousands of years."
Yu Meng sneered, her bright eyes fixed on Lin Shen, her gaze sharp as a knife. "Lin Shen, they only asked you to give testimony, not to deliver a verdict. What, have you been waiting for the throne for too long and are already impatient to replace the God-Emperor?"
Lin Shen's expression turned even uglier. Without him even having to speak, many of the gods had already launched a group attack.
"Yu Meng! Don't make false accusations!"
"Yes, the God of Lin Shen kindly pleaded for you, but you turned around and bit back. You are truly wicked and unworthy to be a god!"
"Heh, someone who would break the pillar of heaven upon which we gods depend for survival just for her own selfish desires, is capable of anything!"
"Tch, why be so subtle? At a time like this, why should we save face for her? You're just being selfish, clearly it's all for men and women!"
"Yes, she was attracted to that general's looks and was blinded by lust!"
The area around the God-Slaying Lotus Platform was filled with noise and commotion, which was only managed to be quelled by a cough from Heavenly Venerable Yuan Si.
"Lin Shen, just tell me what you saw that night, there's no need to say anything more."
Lin Shen became cautious this time, and respectfully bowed to Yuan Si, "Yes, Heavenly Venerable. On the night the Heavenly Pillar broke, I handed over to the Desire Dream God Venerable. When I left, the Heavenly Pillar was still in perfect condition."
Yuan Si: "Are you sure?"
Lin Shen: "Confirmed."
Yuan Si then asked Yu Meng, "Yu Meng, when you and Lin Shen had sex, was Tianzhu intact?"
Yu Meng glanced at Lin Shen and sneered, "It just looks intact."
"Oh? So you think that when you two were exchanging blows, the Heavenly Pillar had actually broken, but you just concealed it with magic?" Yuan Si asked.
He seemed hesitant to speak, as if he was considering something, and ultimately chose to remain silent.
Yuan Si gestured for Lin Shen to step back, then summoned Mo Bei to come forward.
Mo Bei was the youngest and least experienced of the seven Heavenly Pillar Guardians. He had clearly never seen such a frightening scene before, and he looked like a panicked little rabbit, not knowing where to look.
“Mo Bei, during the handover of the Heavenly Pillar guards, two people must check it. That night at Lin Shen, you and Yu Li should have been responsible for checking it. Did you confirm that the Heavenly Pillar was undamaged at that time?”
Mo Bei's voice trembled, "Reporting to the Heavenly Venerable... this subordinate... this subordinate did not know!"
"Oh? You don't know?"
Mo Bei knelt down with a thud. "At that time, I didn't check it because the Heavenly Pillar had never had a problem in all these years. The God of Fu Luo invited me to go to the mortal realm for a drink, and he was urging me on. I took a chance and told Yu Li, so I... I didn't check it..."
Mo Bei has a good personality and is lively and sociable, so he is very popular in the Heavenly Realm. Immediately, a celestial being spoke on his behalf, saying, "Heavenly Venerable, Mo Bei is still a child at heart and is just occasionally playful. We hope you will be lenient with him."
Yuan Si's face was ashen, but his voice was flat, "Abandoning one's post without authorization is punishable. Take him away to await further instructions."
Mo Bei was taken away by the divine soldiers and generals, and the next person summoned was the God of Fu Luo.
Yuan Si asked Fu Luo, "Fu Luo, when you made the appointment with Mo Bei, did you know that it was his inspection time? Could it have been done on purpose?"
Fu Luo exclaimed in panic, "Your Majesty, I know, but I never expected that God Mo Bei would be so playful as to neglect his duties!"
Yuan Si: "According to Mo Bei's testimony, you made an appointment with him that night and urged him to hurry up."
Fu Luo said, "That's unfair to me. I didn't urge Mo Bei God Venerable at the time; I was just waiting outside."
"You mean, you didn't urge him?"
"Absolutely true!"
"Do you have any evidence?"
"When we were waiting outside the Heavenly Gate, we encountered Lord Kenian! We even chatted with Lord Kenian for a while, and I didn't urge Lord Mobei at all!"
Yuan Si then summoned Kenian, who confirmed Fu Luo's testimony, explaining that Mo Bei Shen Zun lied to lessen his own guilt.
Ke Nian: "Heavenly Venerable, I believe that when the Desire Dream God Venerable succeeded the Deep Abyss God Venerable, the Heavenly Pillar had already broken."
These words caused an uproar. Ke Nian was known throughout the Heavenly Realm for his uprightness and integrity, and he never lied.
Yuan Si sat up straight and said, "Oh? What's your basis for judgment?"
Ke Nian: "Before the handover of guards by the Desire Dream God, I passed by the vicinity of the Heavenly Pillar and sensed a change in spiritual power."
The Heavenly Pillar is connected to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. The existence of the celestial realm also depends on the Heavenly Pillar. If the Heavenly Pillar is broken, the surrounding spiritual energy will inevitably change.
Although Kenian offended many people because of his inflexibility, people still believed what he said. As a result, even the gods who previously thought that having desires was a sin began to waver.
"Could it be that the Heavenly Pillar really wasn't damaged by the Desire Dream God?"
"If it's not the Desire Dream God, then who could it be? Could it be..."
No one dared to say what happened next. The day the Heavenly Pillar broke happened to be the day when Lin Shen and Yu Meng came together. If the Heavenly Pillar was not broken by Yu Meng, then it could only have been Lin Shen.
But Lin Shen is the son of the Heavenly Venerable, so who would dare to pin such a serious crime on him?
After Kenian stepped down, all the gods in the judgment seat fell silent in unison.
Yuan Si Tianzun's expression remained unreadable as he continued to summon the next Heavenly Pillar Guardian Deity.
The person who came this time was Yu Li, who was actually in charge of the inspection, and her testimony was crucial.
Among the seven celestial deities, only Yu Li and the goddess Yu Mengshi are present. However, compared to Yu Mengshi's flamboyant and unrestrained nature, Yu Li has always been like a shadow, easily overlooked.
Now standing in the spotlight, she appeared extremely nervous. Her head was hunched over, and her already slightly hunched back looked even more timid and listless, as if she wished she could find a crack in the ground to hide in.
"Lord Yuli, when you met with Yumeng at the depths that day, did you examine the Heavenly Pillar?"
"yes."
"So, was the Heavenly Pillar intact at that time?"
This time, Yu Li remained silent for a long time until Tianzun Yuan Si became somewhat impatient, at which point she responded softly, "Yes."
Yu Meng kept her eyes closed and ignored everything while her colleagues testified, until Yu Li answered "yes". She suddenly opened her eyes and stared at Yu Li.
Her eyes were devoid of emotion; her usually bright and lively gaze was now as still as stagnant water.
Yu Li dared not meet Yu Meng's gaze, her head bowed so low it almost touched her chest.
Yuan Si then asked, "Lord Yu Li, are you sure the Heavenly Pillar was still intact when you inspected it?"
“Lord Yuli, you must think carefully before you answer. This concerns Yumeng’s innocence.”
"Yes, we absolutely cannot make a mistake!"
"Yes, I'm sure!" Yu Li was pushed to her limit and raised her head to answer loudly. This sentence seemed to have exhausted her great strength, and she actually fainted.
Yuan Si ordered the man to be helped down, rested his chin on his hand to think, and then summoned the last Tianzhu Guardian, Gong Xin.
But after waiting for a long time, no one came in.
"Where is Gong Xin? Why hasn't he arrived yet?" Yuan Si asked the attendants around him.
"Reporting to the Heavenly Venerable, the Divine Venerable Gongxin... is asleep outside, and we can't wake him up no matter how we call him."
"..."
After waiting for about half an incense stick's time, Gong Xin finally arrived, his eyes still looking dazed.
The gods knew this man was unreliable and had no intention of getting any useful testimony from him.
As expected, no matter what Yuan Si asked, he knew nothing and his answers were incoherent. Many gods muttered to themselves, wondering how this ancestor had become a god-king.
Is it just because he got lucky and happened to take charge of all agricultural affairs in the world?
But who can replace him in that position?
Celestial Venerable Yuan Si seemed to be at his wit's end as well, a hint of impatience showing on his usually expressionless face. "Gong Xin, you have worked with the other six Divine Venerables for many years. Could it be that you know absolutely nothing about them? How exactly did you become their colleague?"
Towards the end, a hint of anger appeared in his voice.
Gong Xin finally came to his senses, his eyes, which were usually half-open and barely slits, suddenly widened. "Your Majesty, I know quite a bit about the preferences of some of my colleagues. May I ask?"
Yuan Si rubbed his temples with one hand and closed his eyes: "Speak."
Gong Xin immediately began to list them off on his fingers as if they were his own treasures: "The God of Lin Shen loves osmanthus cake the most, the God of Yu Meng likes peach blossoms, the God of Mo Bei likes irises, the God of Yu Li likes collecting umbrellas, the God of Fu Luo likes raising birds, the God of Kenian..."
At this point, Gong Xin hesitated, seemingly unable to recall what Ke Nian liked for a long time.
But this is not surprising. It's hard to imagine that a rigid and boring guy like Ke Nian would have any hobbies.
Gong Xin thought for a long time, but Yuan Si didn't even have the patience to listen anymore and was ready to tell him to get lost.
"Oh, I see!" Gong Xin suddenly exclaimed excitedly, as if struck by a thunderbolt, "Kenian God, Aimu Desire Dream God!"
This statement is tantamount to condemning Yu Meng, because if Kenian truly loved Yu Meng, then his testimony regarding the changes in the spiritual energy of Tianzhu would no longer be credible.
Faced with testimony that was unfavorable to her, Yu Meng did not react at all. She neither defended herself nor looked at Gong Xin, as if she had given up and was willing to accept whatever fate had to offer.
After a discussion among the gods, Yuan Si finally announced the verdict—
The Deity of Desire is suspected of damaging the Heavenly Pillar. Due to insufficient evidence, he has been temporarily ordered into permanent slumber. He will be awakened again once the truth is revealed for final judgment.
Everyone felt that this was a very appropriate way of handling things; Yuan Si Tianzun was upholding justice and clearly distinguishing between rewards and punishments.
Only Yu Meng, with his head held high, looked down upon the gods despite being a prisoner. His blood-stained lips curled up slightly, first revealing a mocking smile, then bursting into loud laughter.
The laughter was so manic and demonic that it terrified the gods.
Yuan Si said in a deep voice, "What, Yu Meng, do you disagree with this verdict?"
The other gods quickly advised, "Yu Meng, the Heavenly Venerable has already been more than merciful to you. He only sentenced you to eternal slumber. He neither banished you to the mortal realm nor removed your divine bones. What more could you possibly want?"
Yu Meng laughed even louder.
"How ridiculous! I'm an innocent person, inexplicably sentenced to permanent slumber, and you expect me to be grateful? That's absurd!"
In the blink of an eye, almost unexpectedly, the binding ropes on Yu Meng's body suddenly snapped, and a vajra suddenly flew out from her white sleeve, rapidly expanding and striking the gods with overwhelming force.
The gods were terrified.
What does it mean that Yu Meng was able to break free of the Binding God Rope?
This means that her divine rank has broken through again, and even a Heavenly Venerable would probably only be able to fight her to a draw!
As expected, Yuan Si struck Yu Meng with a palm, but Yu Meng neither dodged nor evaded, and instead struck back with her own palm, taking the blow head-on.
Yuan Si's face paled, and he subconsciously covered his chest.
Yu Meng did not linger in battle. After a single strike, she broke through the encirclement while the gods were still stunned and fled swiftly towards the Tongtian Palace.
A sudden sense of foreboding washed over Yuan Si, and he shouted, "Stop her! She's heading for Tianzhu!"
With red eyes, Yu Meng fought relentlessly, killing gods and Buddhas alike. Her martial prowess was already among the best in the Heavenly Court, and now, fighting like a cornered beast, she was even more invincible.
The eyes of her former colleagues were filled with fear, but only she knew that she was at her last gasp and wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.
She risked expending her divine energy to break free of the Binding God Rope, all to seek justice for herself.
Didn't they say that she was the one who broke the Heavenly Pillar?
Alright, then let's really destroy that damned Heavenly Pillar and show them! After all, these celestial gods are like maggots clinging to bones, corrupted by the spiritual energy of the Heavenly Pillar, and utterly unworthy of being gods!
Outside the Tongtian Palace, Yu Meng saw a man, holding a long halberd, standing tall and elegant.
"Ke Nian, are you going to stop me?" Yu Meng held the vajra above her palm, looking at Ke Nian with cold eyes.
Ke Nian's gaze silently swept over the bloodstains on the girl's white clothes, finally settling on her bright and proud face.
"You've always been so flamboyant, so... audacious." He wasn't good with words, and after thinking for a long time, he could only come up with such a conventional word, which still didn't quite capture her essence.
Yu Meng chuckled and asked again, "Ke Nian, are you going to stop me?"
Instead of answering, the God of Kenian asked, "Have you thought this through? If you do, there will be no turning back."
Yu Meng's eyes were filled with disgust. Everything and everyone in the Heavenly Realm made her want to vomit. Her gaze suddenly sharpened, and she filled the Vajra Pestle with divine power, flying towards the gate of the Tongtian Palace. She shouted, "If you're not going to fight, then get out of my way!"
Just as the two were about to clash, Ke Nian silently dodged and retreated.
Yu Meng was slightly surprised. She stopped at the entrance of the Tongtian Palace and looked back at Kenian.
Ke Nian maintained his rigid and uninteresting expression. With his back to Yu Meng, he didn't look at her, but simply said in a low voice, "Gods are without compassion, indifferent to the lives of the common people. They are not like gods, but more like ghosts. Yu Meng, go do what you want to do, and I will help you."
Yu Meng's eyelashes trembled slightly, but seeing the pursuers approaching, she had no time to care about anything else and turned to rush into the Tongtian Palace.
The enormous pillar of heaven, like the foundation supporting this world, was filled with spiritual energy, its entire body coiled like a dragon in the clouds. However, in one place, this water-like, dense spiritual energy broke apart. Compared to before, the overflowing spiritual energy leaked out and was no longer connected to heaven and earth. If this continued, it would probably dry up sooner or later.
This is why the gods in the heavens were so furious when they discovered that the pillar of heaven was showing signs of breaking. After all, this pillar of heaven was related to the life and fortune of every god.
If the Heavenly Pillar is damaged and loses its continuous nourishment of spiritual energy, they will have to go to great lengths to collect incense offerings from the mortal world to make a living.
Just imagine how difficult those days must have been!
Yu Meng initially considered severing the Heavenly Pillar simply to vent her anger. However, after hearing Ke Nian's words, she gained a different understanding.
Ke Nian tried to stop them from the outside, but in the end, he was outnumbered and a large number of gods rushed into the palace, attempting to stop Yu Meng.
At this moment, Yu Meng was surprisingly calm. She had poured all her divine power into the vajra, waiting for the gods to attack her. Then, she smiled, flicked her wrist, and the vajra, which had grown hundreds of times larger, burst forth with dazzling golden light.
The golden light transformed into a golden longsword, which crashed down on the pillar of heaven with earth-shattering force!
How could the already damaged Heavenly Pillar withstand such a life-or-death attack from a god of divine power?
All the gods present were dumbfounded. They seemed to have been frozen in place by some kind of spell, and their pupils reflected the scene of the pillar of heaven cracking piece by piece.
No, that won't work...
That's a pillar of heaven! A pillar of heaven that continuously provides them with spiritual power to maintain their divine strength!
Almost all the gods acted simultaneously, pouring their divine power into the pillar in an attempt to control the speed of the cracking.
However, the Heavenly Pillar is the foundation of the celestial realm. Once it is broken, how can it be saved by the meager divine power of an individual god?
The Heavenly Pillar finally cracked open from top to bottom, and the vast and surging spiritual energy instantly overflowed. The gods took out their magical treasures and artifacts, trying their best to collect the spiritual energy that was about to dissipate. However, it was like trying to scoop up the sea with a ladle, and all their efforts were in vain.
Since its formation in the Heavenly Court tens of thousands of years ago, there has never been a time when the spiritual energy was so abundant. However, it only lasted for a moment before the scattered spiritual energy spread to the vast and boundless world, nourishing plants and living beings silently, turning into clouds and rain, and merging into mountains and rivers.
"It's all over, it's all over..."
Some of the gods couldn't bear the shock and collapsed to the ground, weeping as if they had lost their parents.
Yu Meng, separated by a sea of people, met Kenian's gaze for a moment and revealed a delighted smile.
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Author's Note: This chapter marks the start of the second volume of the story!
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