Chapter 254 Unbridled
Qing Guanzi looked at the beautiful Ming Yao in the stage, and a string of saliva dripped from his mouth, landing on Ji Rong's colorful feathers.
Ji Rong felt disgusted. She shook her feathers and took two steps to the side. Looking at Qing Guanzi, who was drooling with longing, she thought to herself that she had to distract him.
Ji Rong's eyes darted around, and as she pulled Qing Guanzi back, she asked, "Senior brother, why did Bu Lingyu's Azure Dragon shrink away when it saw you? Do you have any stories to tell?"
"Which one?" Upon hearing this, Qing Guanzi looked around. The dragons that met his scrutinizing gaze all turned away and walked away.
After taking in all the real dragons in the hall, Qing Guanzi raised his head, swayed his tail, and said to Ji Rong in a low voice with a smug look, "Ah, junior sister, you don't know this, when I was young, I was a dragon and caught the eye of my master. I was first raised in the Jade Void Palace and later taken in as a disciple by my master. I was quite eye-catching."
But so what? My master loves beings like me who are outwardly ordinary but inwardly resilient.
Back then, all the dragons of my generation were envious of my good fortune.
Seeing Qing Guanzi's suddenly smug look, Ji Rong said respectfully, "Master has a discerning eye and made the right choice. Look at Senior Brother's extraordinary cultivation; how many dragons can achieve that?"
Hearing his junior sister praise him, Qing Guanzi became even more proud. He said, "Junior sister is wrong. I am not particularly talented, so I cultivate my body and enter the Dao through battle."
My ability to cultivate to sainthood was due to my master personally correcting my methods and using miraculous elixirs and ingredients.
Outside the Jade Pavilion, the night gradually deepened, while inside, the interplay of light and shadow made the darkness appear even brighter.
At this moment, the Golden Mother Goddess sat on her divine throne and was carried back to the Golden Cauldron Palace by Wang Yue and Qing Luan.
There are still eight days until the Jade Pool Feast.
The next day, the Golden Cauldron Goddess was no longer seated in the main seat; only the divine attendant Wang Yue, along with two other divine attendants, presided over the small banquet before the main banquet.
Qingpingzi also changed his previous low-key style and started to travel around with Qingguanzi and Ji Rong.
With the grand banquet of the Golden Mother Goddess approaching, many reclusive old fellows have arrived one after another. Ji Rong followed Qing Pingzi to pay her respects to them and received quite a few gifts, which piled up to fill her left wing, almost overflowing.
So when she saw her senior sister Qing Baizi, she was very happy and said, "Senior sister, quickly give me a storage device."
Qing Baizi, who was already standing upright and chewing on Lingzhen, paused upon hearing these words. His twenty legs, which were protruding in the air, also paused.
She glanced around, then pulled Ji Rong to an open space and whispered, "Junior sister, we are attending a banquet outside, so we can't steal food from the host."
My senior sister learned her lesson the hard way, and ever since then, I've never brought storage artifacts to banquets again.
Upon hearing this, Ji Rong could only continue carrying the gifts on her back. She had considered asking her senior brother Qing Guanzi to put them away for her, but that would make it inconvenient for her to access them.
Ji Rong, who considered herself to have become rich again, could only look forward to the arrival of the jade pendant so that she could pick and choose with Ji Zhuang and Gu Qingqing and share it.
She longed for it day and night, and even the simplest food, like soup and meat, lost its appeal.
Jiao Jue arrived at Yu Lou at sunset the day before the banquet.
As always, Jiao Jue kept a low profile, only bringing Ji Zhuang and Gu Qingqing with him, without even a carriage.
But He has much power; He rides a cloud wrapped in blue silk, with a golden fan hanging high behind him, water swords pouring rain as a curtain in front of him, and a fireball as a crown on his head—he certainly has quite a grand display.
No sooner had Jiao Jue arrived than Si Yuan, whose figure was even more discreet, followed. He came alone, without any attendants, only a ceramic cat sitting on his shoulder.
Seeing that Jiaojue was ahead, Siyuan quickened his pace and caught up with him, then looked back at Jiaojue.
Perhaps Si Yuan used too much force, because the clay cat on his shoulder fell off as he turned around. Then the clay cat walked to Gu Qingqing with a limp, turned its head blankly, and scratched its leg at Gu Qingqing.
"Crack!" With the powerful movement of the clay cat, the clay neck and legs broke off. Si Yuan looked at the cracked clay cat, a look of regret on his mouthless face, and then turned and left.
Seeing Si Yuan turn away without looking back, Gu Qingqing quickly retrieved the leather doll named Feng Qing from her storage ring and rolled up the cracked ceramic cat.
As soon as Jiao Jue entered the Jade Pavilion, Ji Rong, who had been craning her neck to wait, spotted him. She happily said to Qing Pingzi, "Senior brother, my brother has arrived. May I go and talk to him?"
Qingpingzi nodded, and Ji Rong, accompanied by Qingguanzi, went to pay her respects to Jiaojue.
After exchanging only three pleasantries, Ji Rong instructed Ji Zhuang and Gu Qingqing to hide under Qing Guanzi and Jiao Jue's bellies. The three of them then divided the treasures among themselves and began to talk.
As she finished speaking, Gu Qingqing carefully unfolded Feng Qing's leather puppet. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Long Jun approaching.
Ji Rong immediately picked up the ceramic cat and threw it into the puppet's mouth, then rolled it up and placed it under its wings. She stuck her head out and said to Qing Guanzi, "Senior brother, Jue Jun has something to do. Let's go find Senior Sister Qing Zhizi."
Qing Guanzi saw Long Jun, nodded, and left.
Long Jun bowed respectfully to Jiao Jue and said, "Thank you for your kindness these past few days. I have nothing to repay you with, so I humbly request that you take good care of Qing Tiao and my young son."
Then, he spat out three boxes, giving the two smaller ones to Gu Qingqing and Ji Zhuang, and handing the larger one to Gu Qingqing, saying, "Please have the Fox God give this box to Qingshao."
Jiao Jue nodded and said, "Elder Jun, please go with peace of mind."
Long Jun nodded to Jiao Jue, then left the Jade Pavilion and headed towards the Golden Cauldron Palace.
Night fell as usual.
Inside the main hall of the Golden Cauldron Palace, the objects had been cleared out, replaced by one complex array after another. On the main seat, a huge coffin stood, with spirit crystal pillars carved into the shape of hollow bamboo, constantly pouring source energy into the coffin.
Above the coffin was a large seal, on which the sun, moon, plants, insects, fish, birds and beasts were vividly colored, as if they were alive.
The towering Golden Mother silently gazed at the seal, as Qingluan and Wangyue removed the layers of brocade from her body, revealing a form pieced together from the myriad races.
The body was covered in scales, claws, feathers, and fur... and in the center of that body was a girl's face. She seemed to have just woken up, and with her eyes closed, she asked timidly, "Bluebird, when can I go home?"
This time, Qingluan didn't cover her with the dizzying golden armor. She replied in a low voice, "Soon."
Qingluan and Wangyue, one on each side, helped the Golden Mother Goddess immerse herself in the golden source of the coffin.
Once the ancient deity had fully entered, one could see that the seals hanging above the coffin, along with the mouths of insects, fish, birds, and beasts, and the roots of flowers, grasses, and trees, all stretched out.
Streams of energy emanated from their mouths and roots, connecting them to the body of the Golden Mother Goddess.
Within the coffin, the golden source flowed through the body of the Golden Mother Goddess and into these insects, beasts, plants, and trees, gradually enabling them to move their claws, shake their heads, and shift their roots.
As night deepened, in the delicacy room, the woman handed a blood token to Tu Li, saying, "From now on, this is all yours."
Tu Li was overjoyed. He sincerely bowed to the woman offering the wine cup and then took his leave.
Shang Nu took a deep breath as she looked at the jade tablet that Qing Luan had personally delivered.
Then, she transformed into a phoenix and smashed all the puppet beasts in the room. She pulled out two blood-red broadswords from the broken wall and dozens of blood arrows from the phoenix tail outside. She attached them to her wings and claws and arranged the blood arrows among her tail feathers before rushing towards the Golden Cauldron Palace.
On the way, she encountered Zigao, who was still in charge of the medicine garden, and Yuannu, who had long since retired from the Academy of Regulations. They stopped, smiled at each other, and headed to the Golden Cauldron Palace together.
After a night of immersion, the Golden Mother Goddess radiated beauty. She felt an unprecedented harmony within her body, as if all things were imprinted upon her head, like an emperor's crown.
He got up, chose a plain linen robe to wear, and then tied his hair up, adorning it with two ornate hairpins.
Outside the palace, the imperial carriage was already prepared. Qingluan, Wangyue, Longjun, Shangnu, Zigao, and Yuannu stood beside the carriage and called out in unison, "We respectfully invite Your Majesty to board the carriage."
Looking at these former servants, Madam Jin smiled and said, "Is everything arranged? Shangnu, do you still have any complaints?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Nu suddenly looked up and stared at the Golden Mother Goddess, saying, "Your Majesty, you slaughtered the Phoenix lineage to the point of near extinction. It would be a lie to say I don't resent you, but I've served you as your divine servant for most of my life, and I'm used to it."
The Golden Mother nodded to her and said, "In that case, come with me and join the fun."
Then Long Jun put the rope at the front of the carriage around his neck, followed closely by Qingluan, Shangnu, Yuannu, and Zigao. Wangyue spread her nine fluffy tails and lay down on the carriage to cushion Jinmu.
The Golden Mother Goddess abandoned her usual dignified sitting posture, holding the reins with one claw and letting the dragon drift in the wind with the other. She said, "Dragon Jun, depart from my grand banquet."
Upon hearing this, the old dragon immediately roared into the sky, and its five claws quickly condensed into clouds and mist, flying towards the Jade Pool.
The Queen Mother leaned forward, gripping the reins, and laughed heartily, "Long Jun, faster!"
Upon hearing this, Long Jun and the four cultivators behind him immediately transformed into their Dharma bodies, discarding the clouds beneath their claws and rushing forward at top speed.
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