"Hahahahahaha!" This answer made all the Immortals present burst into laughter. Even Taishang Laojun at the front stroked his white beard, revealing a kindly smile.
"The Immortal Elixir refined by the Crown Prince truly has the miraculous effect of bringing joy," Taibai Jinxing extended his hand toward Yun Heng. "Please grant this humble Daoist a few more elixirs, so that I may prolong this happiness."
Yun Heng grabbed another handful of "golden elixirs" from the basket and handed them to him, thoughtfully adding a gentle reminder: "Sister Cai Ying said that mortal children who eat too much sugar will get little bugs on their teeth. Immortals shouldn't eat too much either."
Taibai Jinxing nodded compliantly: "Yes, yes, this humble Daoist will certainly remember the Crown Prince's reminder."
At that moment, the Mystic Capital Grand Master waved his Horsetail Whisk. The appointed time had arrived, and the Eight Scenes Palace Lantern lit up with sky-scorching purple flames. Taishang Laojun immediately began his scripture lecture.
He arranged for Yun Heng to sit on a cushion in the corner, and the little one obediently took his seat.
"There was something formless yet complete, born before Heaven and Earth, silent and boundless, standing alone and unchanging, moving everywhere without exhaustion, it may be considered the mother of Heaven and Earth…"
Yun Heng couldn't understand a single word. He began observing Iron-Crutch Li's walking stick in front of him, sniffed the air, and caught a familiar sweet fragrance. He discovered it was actually made from a branch of the Peach Tree.
"I do not know its name, so I call it the Dao. Forced to give it a name, I call it Great.
Great means passing away, passing away means far-reaching. Far-reaching means returning…"
Yun Heng then looked at the octagonal palace lantern. The flame inside was actually purple—something he had never seen before.
"Therefore, the Dao is great, Heaven is great, Earth is great, and the King is also great.
Within the realm, there are four greats, and the King occupies one among them.
Humans follow Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature."
Taishang Laojun held the scripture in his hands, sitting behind the desk, half-squinting his eyes, swaying his head as he chanted the scripture. His tone, pitch, and swaying head all maintained the same rhythm.
As Yun Heng watched, the scene before his eyes gradually blurred, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier… the sounds in his ears drifted farther and farther away. Before long, the little one had fallen asleep on the cushion.
The little one was relatively quiet today—no whimpering or sleep-talking. It was just that his sleeping posture wasn't very good. Starting from lying on his side on the cushion, he gradually rolled over onto his stomach.
He slept so soundly that even after the scripture lecture ended, he still hadn't woken up.
Seeing that it was almost dark, the Jade Emperor personally came to the Tushita Palace to pick up the child. In the Eight Scenes Hall, all of Taishang Laojun's disciples had already left, leaving only Yun Heng still fast asleep on the cushion.
The Jade Emperor waved his wide sleeve, and the little one fell into his arms. Unaware of the change in location, he slept even more deeply.
"Lao Jun, Heng'er has disturbed you."
Taishang Laojun waved his hand with a smile: "It's no trouble. The Crown Prince's childlike innocence has added a bit of joy to this old Daoist's Tushita Palace."
When Yun Heng woke up, he had already returned to the Jasper Pool. As soon as the little one opened his eyes, he remembered the Immortal Elixir he had refined and began searching everywhere: "Where's my basket? Where's my basket?"
"What basket?" Ziyuan entered from outside the hall and saw him anxiously rolling back and forth on the bed. She quickly scooped him up. "What is the Crown Prince looking for?"
Yun Heng said: "My basket, the one Hundred Flower Fairy wove from kapok flowers."
"Kapok flowers?"
"Ah, no, no…" Yun Heng usually only liked Rare Birds and Strange Beasts and rarely paid attention to flowers and trees. "It's… crabapple flowers, crabapple flowers."
Ziyuan said, "When Her Majesty sent the Crown Prince back to the Jasper Pool, there was indeed a basket, but it wasn't kapok or begonia—it was hibiscus."
"Yes, yes, yes, it was hibiscus!" Yun Heng bounced up and down on the bed, nearly pulling down the canopy overhead. "Give it to me, give it to me!"
"You little rascal," Ziyuan tapped his nose and handed him the flower basket from beside her. "Look, is this the one?"
Yun Heng lunged forward and hugged the basket tightly. "This is it!"
"It's just a basket, why so…" Before Ziyuan could finish, Yun Heng stuffed a small pill into her mouth. "Crown Prince, what did you just give me?"
The little one said proudly, "This is the Immortal Elixir I refined!"
"Immortal Elixir?" Ziyuan looked puzzled. "Isn't this just candy?"
Yun Heng grabbed the basket and ran to find the Queen Mother of the West, presenting his refined Immortal Elixir to her as if offering a treasure. He insisted on watching her eat it and even demanded she have two more.
The little one propped his chin in his hands, his eyes brimming with anticipation. "Mother, how is it?"
The Queen Mother savored it carefully. "So sweet, just like you."
"This is the Immortal Elixir I refined, using Lao Jun's alchemy furnace."
"Oh~" The Queen Mother couldn't help but laugh. "Heng'er is so amazing, already learning alchemy."
Yun Heng lifted his chin proudly. "My Immortal Elixir can make everyone happy after taking it. Mother, are you happy?"
"Of course I am!" The Queen Mother kissed his forehead. "Seeing my little sweetheart makes me happy."
The little one then distributed his Immortal Elixir to all the Fairy Maidens in the Jasper Pool—the Seven Fairies, the Weaving Maiden, Cai Ying… not a single one was missed.
The Queen Mother quickly picked him up and ordered a Fairy Maiden to bring a large bowl of Hundred-Flower Nectar. "Look at you, running around and sweating so much. Drink some flower nectar to quench your thirst."
After drinking the nectar, Yun Heng wiped his mouth. "Lao Jun is really stingy."
This was the first time the Queen Mother had heard anyone call Taishang Laojun stingy, and it piqued her interest. "Why do you say that?"
"Little Gold and Little Silver said that only high-ranking Immortals can take Lao Jun's Immortal Elixir, and those with lower ranks can't."
"Wait?" The Queen Mother grew even more puzzled. "Who are Little Gold and Little Silver?"
Yun Heng replied, "They're the two boys who fan the furnace." He added, "I'm different. Good things should be shared with everyone. I want every Immortal to taste the Immortal Elixir I refine and make them all happy."
"You're the sweetest." The Queen Mother explained to him, "Lao Jun's Immortal Elixirs are very precious. Taking them can greatly increase an Immortal's spiritual power. But if one's cultivation isn't sufficient, taking them will only backfire."
Ziyuan, standing nearby, added, "A long time ago, a young boy stole Lao Jun's Immortal Elixir. Because his Spiritual Cultivation wasn't enough, after taking it, he lost control, his spiritual power was completely wasted, and he fell into demonic ways."
Yun Heng tilted his head. "What are demonic ways?"
"It's…"
This wasn't easy to explain. The Queen Mother plucked a grape, peeled it, and brought it to her son's lips. "Open your mouth."
Yun Heng obediently ate it. "Mother, I want more."
"I'll peel more for you."
Early the next morning, the first thing Yun Heng did after waking up was clamor to go to the Tushita Palace to refine more elixirs.
He first went to Cai Ying to prepare the materials needed for alchemy, hopping and skipping with a basket in hand. But before he could even leave Jasper Pool, several Immortal Children from the Tushita Palace came towards him, carrying an alchemy furnace.
Yun Heng looked closely: "Ah, this is the furnace I used yesterday."
The Immortal Children bowed to him: "Prince, Lao Jun said that the Prince is deeply passionate about the art of alchemy, so he gifted this furnace to the Prince, hoping that the Prince can diligently practice at Jasper Pool and progress swiftly."
This delighted the Queen Mother immensely, thinking inwardly: "Well, you Taishang Laojun, disliking my son's mischief in the Tushita Palace, simply moved the furnace to Jasper Pool."
Yun Heng, thrilled to receive the alchemy furnace from Lao Jun, quickly ordered a side hall to be cleaned out and moved the furnace inside.
Within a few days, it spread throughout the Heavenly Court that the Prince was obsessed with alchemy, the furnace fire in Jasper Pool's side hall never extinguished day or night, and even the clouds woven by the weaving maidens had turned grayish lately. The pristine immortal cranes were also covered in grime, migrating en masse, preparing to abandon Jasper Pool and seek another habitat.
After refining the Immortal Elixir, aside from Father Emperor and Mother Empress, and the Fairy Maidens of Jasper Pool, the first person Yun Heng naturally wanted to share it with was his Nezha brother.
Learning that Nezha was guarding Southern Heavenly Gate today, the little one carried his basket and went over.
"Nezha brother, Nezha brother!" Arriving at Southern Heavenly Gate, the little one rushed straight towards Nezha, hugging his leg tightly.
Nezha lifted him up: "Prince, you sneaked out again."
Yun Heng shook the basket in his hand: "I came to give you Immortal Elixir."
"What Immortal Elixir?"
"Elixir that makes people happy."
Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Following Ear beside them asked: "Is it only for the Third Prince or do other Heavenly Soldiers and Generals also have it?"
Yun Heng grabbed a large handful and handed it over: "Everyone has it, everyone has it!"
Nezha said: "Mine is sesame flavored."
Thousand-Mile Eye: "Mine is walnut flavored."
Wind-Following Ear: "Mine is…"
Before he finished speaking, suddenly, three people hurriedly walked up from the long street below Southern Heavenly Gate.
Nezha heard the sound and looked, frowned upon seeing the arrivals, as if encountering an enemy: "Why did this old mudfish come to the Heavenly Court today?"
Yun Heng in his arms also craned his neck to look down, but bypassing the "old mudfish" he mentioned, he spotted the person walking behind at first glance.
This delighted the little one immensely, waving his hand while shouting loudly: "Ao Bing brother, Ao Bing brother!"
The three heard his shouts and all looked up. Ao Bing, seeing his enthusiasm, also wanted to wave back, but a cold voice beside him whispered a warning: "This is the Heavenly Court, do not lose propriety."
Thus, Ao Bing only smiled gently at Yun Heng.
When the three ascended Southern Heavenly Gate, Yun Heng eagerly extended his hand: "Ao Bing brother, hug~"
However, upon closer look, the face before him was icy cold. Yun Heng quickly withdrew his hand: "Ao Bing… Ao… second brother…"
Ao Yi's eyebrows twitched, respectfully bowed with clasped hands, and said "Prince."
Yun Heng hurriedly turned his face away, calling out pitifully to Ao Bing: "Ao Bing brother…"
Ao Bing reached out to take him, Nezha originally unwilling to hand him over. But Yun Heng, this little brat, was too proactive, his small body already lunging forward.
Nezha reluctantly released his grip. He then turned to the Dragon King of the East Sea, deliberately blocking the path of the three, preventing them from advancing a single step, and asked from a commanding position, "What is the matter?"
The Dragon King of the East Sea's face still bore traces of lingering anger: "I am here to lodge a complaint to the emperor."
Nezha asked, "Against whom?"
"Huaguo Mountain, Water Curtain Cave, the demon immortal Sun Wukong."