By the time everyone realized what had happened, their doubts quickly turned into anger.
Several nearby disciples approached, casting an unfriendly glance at Lin Jin before turning to Lu Qi and asking, “Senior Brother Lu, did they just say something? We heard you mention Lian Zun?”
The others also gathered around, glaring at them menacingly.
Lin Jin felt cold sweat trickling down his back. He couldn’t afford to blame Shen Ying and quickly said, “Senior brothers, it’s a misunderstanding… We are such insignificant people, how could we have such courage?”
Honestly, Lin Jin couldn’t remember the last time he had to act so humbly and ingratiatingly.
He wasn’t particularly talented, at least not as much as his direct junior disciples Feng Yunqing and Yun Lian, but he had managed to progress smoothly enough. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stumbled his way to the Void Return stage. In the Canghai Realm, he was a formidable figure. If it weren’t for Sect Leader Yan Hang descending to select him early, he might have ascended to Earth Immortal on his own merit in another thousand years or so.
He was quite a character, and within just one day of arriving in the Divine Realm, he had already adjusted his mindset and positioned himself correctly. He sincerely explained to Lu Qi, “Senior Brother, we are new to the Divine Realm and don’t understand many rules. Buzhou Mountain is where the Xianzun resides, so we dare not be careless. If we make a mistake, wouldn’t it be our fault for not reporting it?”
Lu Qi’s anger subsided slightly upon hearing this. He didn’t want to escalate the situation, so he dispersed the restless junior brothers and sisters, forbidding them from causing trouble.
Once most of the people had left, he coldly looked at the two of them and said, “I may be insignificant, but I never agreed with the Sect Leader bringing people like you up here. Not only are you lacking in ability, but you also don’t know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth, always causing trouble. I can tolerate everything else, as I’m used to cleaning up messes, but there’s one thing—”
“The Xianzun of Buzhou Mountain hasn’t accepted the Wanyi Sect’s inheritance, but because the Immortal Mansion is nearby, she has always protected the Wanyi Sect without asking for offerings. Not to mention the relationship with the Sect Leader, she is actually the most revered of the Wanyi Sect. If you offend the Sect Leader with your words, he might not care, but if you dare to disrespect Lian Zun…”
Since its founding, the Wanyi Sect has held a place in the vast Divine Realm, mainly because there is an Xianzun in the sect. Over the years, it has remained peaceful. Even when conflicts arise with other sects, they have the confidence to hold their ground.
However, even immortals don’t easily live as long as the heavens. The founding ancestor, Yu Qi Xianzun, exhausted his lifespan a thousand years ago and ascended at Banchi Peak. Immediately after, the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon War broke out, directly costing the sect several Jade Immortals. The remaining elders, except for a few who were not much younger than Yu Qi Xianzun, were left with Yan Hang, the designated successor, who was still in the Spirit Light stage. At that time, the sect’s foundation was shaky, surrounded by wolves.
But fate was not to be denied. The Supreme Heavenly Palace, which never meddled in worldly disputes or participated in sect conflicts, saw Yuan Lian Xianzun establish her own sect and move her Immortal Residence to Buzhou Mountain during the Wanyi Sect’s most turbulent times.
Yan Hang, struggling to support the Wanyi Sect, was at his wit’s end. Fortunately, he was quite flexible with his bottom line—though somewhat thick-skinned. He had served as an attendant outside the Heavenly Palace and had met Yuan Lian a few times, so he dared to claim to be a disciple of the Supreme Heavenly Palace, calling himself a junior of Yuan Lian Xianzun, and brazenly approached her to build a connection.
This turned out to be a stroke of luck. Yuan Lian, surrounded by reserved people since childhood, had never encountered someone so straightforward and unpretentious. Over time, she became interested and accepted Yan Hang’s respectful address as “Master.” Seeing his difficult situation, she helped him a few times, which led to their current relationship.
However, the disciples of the Wanyi Sect didn’t care how this connection was maintained through Yan Hang’s persistence. They only knew that once their Sect Leader established a connection with Yuan Lian Xianzun, their situation improved dramatically. No one dared to attack disciples outside the mountain gate, and no one dared to openly seize spiritual veins. The Wanyi Sect gradually regained its footing, and the days of uncertainty were gone for good.
How could this not make the Wanyi Sect grateful from top to bottom?
“We wouldn’t dare,” Lin Jin immediately declared, glancing at Shen Ying.
Shen Ying wasn’t foolish and quickly lowered her head to apologize, “Senior Brother, I spoke without thinking. It wasn’t intentional…”
Lu Qi snorted coldly but didn’t say anything more.
At that moment, a voice sounded from behind him, “Then who was the girl we encountered?”
Lu Qi frowned, his anger rising again, but before he could express it, Kuang Yuming scratched his head and asked, “Who else lives in Buzhou Mountain? Besides the Xianzun, are there any maids or companions in the Immortal Mansion?”
Lu Qi was taken aback, then collected himself and said seriously, “Yes, there are quite a few… If you hadn’t started talking about demons and monsters, I might have thought of it… There are thousands of immortal servants in Buzhou Immortal Mansion. You might have encountered one of them…”
He warned, “You must not be rash. Those who serve Lian Zun in Buzhou Immortal Mansion were carefully selected by the Supreme Heavenly Palace hundreds of years ago. Each one has an extraordinary background and is not someone you or I can easily provoke.”
Hearing that the person had nothing to do with Yun Lian, Shen Ying unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, while Kuang Yuming felt a bit disappointed. He no longer believed that any heart demons could cause trouble in Buzhou Mountain, so he secretly held onto a glimmer of hope.
—If even that murderous demoness could somehow survive, could it be possible that Senior Sister Yun Lian…
But if it was an immortal servant from the Xianzun’s residence… then it must have nothing to do with Yun Lian.
Lu Qi said, “With the Hundred Sect Assembly approaching, you should focus on your cultivation. Don’t think about irrelevant things. The Sect Leader brought you to the Divine Realm because he saw something extraordinary in you. If you strive to excel and bring glory to the sect, you might catch the attention of the esteemed elders and be accepted as personal disciples.”
They had only been in the Divine Realm for less than a day and had hurriedly read a few jade slips, learning only the most basic knowledge. Everything about the Divine Realm was still very unfamiliar to them. Seeing that Lu Qi was willing to talk to them, Kuang Yuming took the opportunity to ask, “Senior Brother, Ancestor Yan Hang told us that Yuan Lian Xianzun lives in Buzhou Mountain, but you also mentioned that Buzhou Mountain is the pillar of the Divine Realm. Why don’t the supreme beings set up their Dao fields here?”
“Who said they didn’t?” Lu Qi retorted, “Don’t you know? Buzhou Immortal Mansion is the shared Dao field of Lian Zun and Cang Hai Shenwang. Moreover, the Supreme Heavenly Palace is suspended at the top of Buzhou Mountain, where the most revered of the God Kings, Dao Ji Shenwang, resides.”
The place where Yuan Lian resides doesn’t have a specific name. Because it’s located on Buzhou Mountain, people refer to it as “Buzhou Immortal Mansion.”
Though called a mansion, it’s actually a palace complex surrounding the entire Buzhou Mountain. Half of it is nestled in the cliffs, while the other half floats in mid-air. It’s grand and magnificent, towering and unreachable. The treasures and divine artifacts within are abundant, and even the bricks and tiles have extraordinary origins.
Unfortunately, Yuan Lian herself doesn’t like to move around much. She always resides in the main hall, and for hundreds of years, she hasn’t even set foot in the side halls next door since the day she moved in.
Buzhou Immortal Mansion is usually very quiet. Once the two masters go into seclusion, it’s so silent that you can hear a pin drop. However, if you say the Immortal Mansion is sparsely populated, you’d be gravely mistaken.
From the moment Yuan Lian awoke from her slumber, the Immortal Mansion seemed to come alive. Even the flow of spiritual energy became lively. Immortal servants and children came and went, serving tea and delivering items, ensuring the entire palace was full of vitality without disturbing the masters.
It’s said that immortals are omnipotent and don’t need servants, which might be true. But just because they can do something doesn’t mean they need to. Yuan Lian is naturally quiet and aloof, and her father, out of deep love for his daughter, always wanted her life to be perfect. He thought that having some people serve her closely might make her less lonely.
When Yuan Lian awoke, the simple and hard cloud bed beneath her had already transformed on its own. The silky and smooth heavenly silk wrapped around soft cloud cotton spread out on the bed. She leaned on Cang Hai’s leg, and as she opened her eyes, he noticed.
Cang Hai supported her waist and helped her sit up, pressing her down when she tried to get up.
“Senior Brother?” The usually cold and ethereal beauty tilted her head slightly, looking at him with confusion and bewilderment.
Cang Hai studied her for a moment, then cast a spell to pin up Yuan Lian’s long hair. He conjured a crimson, multi-petaled flower, vibrant and full of life, though it wasn’t any plant found in the world. It was a creation of Cang Hai’s imagination. He placed it in his junior sister’s hair.
Yuan Lian was already accustomed to her senior brother’s habit of dressing her up like a doll. This might have been inherited from her father. She didn’t have any particular preferences, so she sat obediently, letting them do as they pleased.
At this moment, a young child, looking about ten years old, ran over with a tray, “Xianzun, your nectar.”
Yuan Lian leaned against the cushion, took the intricately carved Nine Dragon Cup, and took a sip. The sweet taste hit her heart, seemingly dispelling much of the displeasure from her failed advancement.
She often drank this beverage before, but over time, she found the taste to be just so-so. She didn’t actually need to drink or eat, but the immortal servants in the hall always brought various things tirelessly. She was too lazy to refuse and often drank it as if it were plain water.
But this time, it felt significantly different.
Yuan Lian was quite surprised and glanced at the little immortal child, “This is good. Did you change the recipe?”
The child was stunned, then his eyes, as big as grapes, burst with intense joy. He couldn’t help but puff out his chest and loudly said, “No! Xianzun, Dong Dong made it the same way as before. Do you like it?!”
The child was cute and delicate, with two little pigtails on top of his head swaying back and forth. However, his features were neither male nor female, and he was indeed neither male nor female. He wasn’t human but was created by Dao Ji from a wisp of winter’s spiritual energy, specifically to accompany Yuan Lian. The name was casually given by Yuan Lian herself, and she had nonchalantly named him “Dong Dong.”
She looked at Dong Dong’s proud little appearance, watching his little pigtails sway back and forth, and couldn’t help but reach out to touch them. Then she noticed the child’s big eyes filling with tears, staring at her without blinking.
Yuan Lian withdrew her hand, puzzled, “Why are you crying?”
Dong Dong wiped his tears and sniffled, “Xianzun, you talked to Dong Dong and even touched Dong Dong’s head…”
Yuan Lian was a bit surprised, finding it inexplicable, “This… what’s there to cry about?”
Although Yuan Lian’s words were questioning, Dong Dong still heard an unprecedented gentleness in her tone, and he couldn’t help but feel even more moved, tears welling up in his eyes.
…It’s not that Yuan Lian was particularly harsh or cruel before, but her actions were always extremely cold and aloof. Because of her esteemed status, people considered it a sign of being above worldly matters. If it were someone else, they might have been labeled as arrogant and self-important.
But today was remarkably different!
Dong Dong, full of spiritual energy and particularly sensitive to people’s emotions, clearly sensed Yuan Lian’s difference today.
He couldn’t help but nuzzle Yuan Lian’s palm, moved, “This is also the first time you’ve praised Dong Dong…”
Yuan Lian’s hand paused, then hesitated before continuing to pat his little head. Seeing Dong Dong’s expression of being on the verge of tears, she couldn’t help but look at Cang Hai.
Her senior brother, however, was leaning on his cheek, smiling at the scene without commenting.
Fortunately, the sound of the Soul Calming Bell rang again, interrupting Yuan Lian’s thoughts. She instinctively looked up and once again sensed a gentle divine sense brushing across her face, like a loving caress.
Cang Hai said, “You should go see Master. Otherwise, he won’t say anything to you, but he’ll blame me for keeping you.”
Yuan Lian didn’t think much of it, just nodded slightly, and her entire being turned into smoke and dust, disappearing into the air.
“Leaving just like that…” Cang Hai leaned back, his posture not particularly proper. However, he had always been quite casual in his actions, and now, at his current status, he no longer cared about etiquette or rules, except when he was with Yuan Lian, where he was always particularly attentive.
As soon as Dong Dong left the hall, he was immediately surrounded by his companions, all eager to touch his little hair bun, full of envy and jealousy.
Since Buzhou Mountain is known as the Pillar of Heaven, its height is naturally immeasurable. Ordinary people find it difficult to even approach its base, let alone reach its summit. People like Feng Yunqing, if not led by Yan Hang, might not reach the edge of Buzhou Mountain even after a thousand years.
However, nothing in the world can truly compare to the heavens. No matter how high a mountain is, it has an end. It’s just that its end, in the eyes of ordinary people, is as unattainable as the Heavenly Dao.
The summit of Buzhou Mountain is sharp and towering, piercing through the clouds. At its end lies the Supreme Heavenly Palace, a place both admired and feared by all.
In the Three Thousand Worlds, plus the Divine Realm, there are only four supreme beings. Among them, Dao Ji Shenwang, the foremost, has set his Dao field here. The Supreme Heavenly Palace is Dao Ji Shenwang’s place of seclusion.
Unlike the spiritual energy-rich Buzhou Immortal Mansion, the Supreme Heavenly Palace has thin spiritual energy, even less than the Middle Thousand World. This is because the immense true essence accumulated by the God King since ancient times forces the spiritual energy to descend to Buzhou Immortal Mansion.
This heavenly palace is far less luxurious than Buzhou Immortal Mansion. It’s entirely white and stands alone in the clouds, making it appear particularly lonely and desolate.
Outside the hall is a vast white platform, with a giant banyan tree rooted in the center. Its massive, lush canopy covers most of the sky above the platform.
Yuan Lian’s figure first appeared outside the hall door, then she walked straight in without stopping.
Two young children, seemingly carved from the same mold as Dong Dong, stood guard by the door. They weren’t surprised to see Yuan Lian and bowed, “Greetings, Lian Zun.”
“Mm.”
Yuan Lian walked straight into the hall. Since she moved out, nothing inside had changed. From the entrance to the cloud bed in the center of the palace, everything was a stark white, with no tables, no immortal servants, and no decorations, completely different from the imagined grandeur of the Supreme Heavenly Palace.
The only thing that seemed unusual was that the Immortal Palace appeared to be shrouded in something. The short distance was hazy and unclear, but Yuan Lian, who had lived here for hundreds of years since birth, was as familiar with it as her own limbs. She walked to the steps, knelt on one knee, and saluted:
“Father.”