Volume 1 (Human World): Chapter 9

The two great powers of Jingyou Mountain and Cold Spring Palace had stood guard outside Ziyue Mountain for an entire day without seeing Tianqi. However, the precious treasures they brought were all taken by Lord Zihan of Ziyue Mountain.

Zihan delivered Tianqi’s decree: The True God is in seclusion for training. No one may enter Ziyue Mountain without reason. Matters of the demon world shall be handled according to the decree of Hong Yi, the Demon Emperor.

This meant that the position of Demon Emperor would still be decided by a martial competition at Chongzi Hall ten years later. Changmei and Zhanyu wondered why a True God like Tianqi would need to go into seclusion, but they were relieved to know he wouldn’t interfere with the selection of the Demon Emperor.

They left Ziyue Mountain in peace.

In the main hall of Ziyue Mountain, the Soul Suppressing Tower stood half a zhang high, its interior ablaze with green fire. Tianqi held a small soul in his palm as he stood beneath the tower.

(T/N:zhang, an old Chinese measure of length equal to 10 chi, or 3.58 meters (11 feet, 9 inches).

Zihan, still in his young dragon form, entered the hall carrying a large piece of wood taller than himself. He was panting heavily, looking diligent and hardworking.

Tianqi glanced at him and gave a light snort.

Zihan immediately felt his limbs lighten, and, holding the ancient divine wood from the god realm, he ran up to Tianqi, offering it eagerly.

“Lord God, I have brought you the ancient divine wood you wanted!”

Tianqi took it without a word of praise.

The little chubby dragon pouted, then licked his face ingratiatingly as he asked, “Lord God, are you going to use the divine wood to refine the body of God Yue Mi?”

Tianqi gave him a sidelong glance and said blandly, “Her divine body cannot be refined with mere divine wood.”

Zihan’s eyes widened in shock. From what Lord God said, did he intend to use the power of the demon god to refine Yue Mi’s divine body? Using divine energy to refine another supreme god’s body would cost even a True God half of his demon god power. Zihan looked at Tianqi carefully, not daring to say more.

“Then, Lord God, what is the divine wood for…?”

“When I refine Yue Mi’s divine body, my divine breath will be completely sealed. Before the refinement is complete, the soul fire in the Soul Suppressing Tower must not be extinguished. This piece of ancient divine wood will carry half of my divine power to protect the Ziyue Hall.”

Hearing this, Zihan felt deeply aggrieved and exclaimed, “With me here in Ziyue Hall, who would dare to disturb your refinement of Yue Mi’s divine body?”

Tianqi gave him an indifferent glance. “If I recall correctly, you go off gallivanting across the three realms every first and fifteenth day of the month?”

Dragons love gold and silver. As an old dragon, Zihan felt uncomfortable if his lair didn’t see an increase in treasure every ten days or so.

Zihan was momentarily silenced, blinking with a guilty look. Then he thought having the divine wood imbued with Lord God’s power would be good; it would protect Ziyue Mountain’s peace while he occasionally roamed.

“Lord God, when you seal your divine sense, will it be for several thousand years?”

“Three years will suffice,” Tianqi said calmly, and with a wave of his hand, the ancient divine wood split into eight pieces, arranged around the Soul Suppressing Tower in a formation to protect it.

Three years! Zihan gasped. The chubby dragon stopped pretending and transformed into a young man, blocking Tianqi’s way to the Soul Suppressing Tower, urgently saying, “Lord God! This is too dangerous!”

Tianqi gave him a warning look, his purple eyes cold.

The words stuck in Zihan’s throat. He moved aside, dejectedly stepping behind Tianqi.

Refining a supreme god’s body typically took a thousand years. To do it in three years, the refiner had to enter the Soul Suppressing Tower and sacrifice half of their divine energy essence to the soul fire. This meant Lord God would not only give up half his demon god power and divine energy essence but also remain in the tower until Yue Mi’s body was completely refined. If the refinement failed, Lord God’s consciousness would be trapped in the tower, suffering the torment of soul fire for millennia.

Tianqi waved his hand, and divine energy surged into the tower. The previously quiet soul fire flared up several meters high, emitting a dense soul force.

Purple demon god power emanated from his forehead, channeling into the eight pieces of divine wood protecting the Soul Suppressing Tower. Once everything was in place, he held Yue Mi’s tranquil consciousness and stepped toward the Soul Suppressing Tower.

“Lord God!” At the moment Tianqi stepped into the Soul Suppressing Tower, Zihan couldn’t hold back any longer and called out to him.
“Why go to such lengths? In a thousand years, God Yue Mi will be reborn anyway,” Zihan said in a hoarse voice, looking at Tianqi’s back.

He had been by Tianqi’s side for a hundred thousand years, through all hardships and calamities, and couldn’t bear to see Tianqi destroy half his divine energy and essence for just a short thousand years. A True God’s lifespan is boundless, but losing half of his divine energy essence could prevent him from ever returning to his current state, losing his qualification for eternal life.

Tianqi paused, gazing at Yue Mi’s divine consciousness in his palm for a long time.
“Ah Han, even that fool Yuanqi knows that a thousand years is too long,” he said with a slight smile that Zihan couldn’t see.
“Besides, those three carts of wine in my palace have long been due to be opened.”

Tianqi continued into the Soul Suppressing Tower, leaving behind a blue silhouette. From this day on, Ziyue Mountain returned to its usual tranquility, with only the little (old) chubby dragon guarding the mountain gate, waiting for the three years to pass and the Soul Suppressing Tower to open.

Three years passed in a flash. During this time, Bai Shuo sneaked out of the general’s mansion countless times, only to be found by her old general father in various remote mountain corners.If it weren’t for the young master of the Prime Minister’s residence accompanying her each time, Bai Shuo’s butt would have long been beaten open.

Both families were troubled by Bai Shuo and Chong Zhao’s insistence on seeking immortality, but since they were the youngest in their families and still young, they were allowed some leeway, only receiving light reprimands. However, Bai Xi had an unshakable worry in her eyes when she looked at her sister.

Days passed in this routine of mischief. In two days, the three-year period of Tianqi’s seclusion in the Soul Suppressing Tower would be over. Zihan carefully inspected the eight divine woods and, seeing that the demon god’s power was still strong and capable of protecting the Soul Suppressing Tower, went down the mountain to seek treasure. This time, he was going to the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea in the Immortal Realm, a distant relative. The dragon clan had many treasures, so it wouldn’t be a wasted trip. The journey would take a day and a half, and he would be back just in time for Tianqi to exit the tower.

With Zihan away, the divine wood quietly protected the Soul Suppressing Tower, maintaining peace.

Outside the tranquil Ziyue Mountain, a white figure swiftly flew past on an immortal sword, followed by a massive-toothed immortal sword slicing through the sky. Just as the white figure was about to break through Ziyue Mountain’s barrier, the massive-toothed sword transformed into a large net, descending upon the white figure.

In the moment the immortal net trapped the white figure, a red demonic energy struck from above, breaking the net and transforming it back into an immortal sword falling down. A golden figure appeared in mid-air, catching the falling massive-toothed sword. Wearing a Zijing crown and stepping on colorful, auspicious clouds, it was Lord Jinyao.

(T/N: Cercis chinensis, the Chinese redbud (pinyin: Zǐjīng) is a plant in the legume the family Fabaceae. It is endemic to China, where it grows in southern and north-central China and Manchuria)

He should now be called Jinyao God.

Jinyao was once the leader of the immortals under Heavenly Emperor Huanghun, and after Feng Ran ascended to the position of Heavenly Emperor, he retired to the Immortal Realm for dedicated cultivation.

Hundreds of years ago, when Feng Ran ascended, Jinyao successfully transformed into a demigod during his tribulation. Feng Ran specially invited him to oversee the immortal realm. Under his rule, the Immortal Realm had flourished for the past century. Now, his usually gentle eyes were filled with anger as he looked at the red and white figures not far away.

“Fuling, come back! Return to the Immortal Realm with me!” Lord Jinyao’s gaze swept coldly over the red-clad person and softened slightly when it fell on the white-clad goddess.

The white-clad woman shook her head, carrying a quiver of demon-infused arrows on her back, her delicate face showing no hesitation. “Father, my mind is made up. I will go to Cold Spring Palace with Lord Yan Yu.”

The red-clad youth beside her had a stern brow yet an air of nonchalance. He shrugged and raised an eyebrow at Lord Jinyao, looking smug.

Who could have imagined that the mysterious and powerful master of Cold Spring Palace in the demon world was actually a carefree, red-clad youth?

“Bastard!” Jinyao was furious. “You are of the immortal clan, my daughter! Why go to the demon world!?”

“Immortal clan?” Fuling’s lips curled into a self-deprecating smile.

“As the daughter of a demigod, after five thousand years of cultivation, I’m still just a lower-tier immortal. Father, who doesn’t mock me as a half-immortal, half-demon freak behind your back?”

Lord Jinyao’s expression froze, his grip on the giant sword trembling.

The red-clad youth continued watching the drama unfold with his arms crossed, clicking his tongue in amusement.

He had long heard that Lord Jinyao, the ruler of the Heavenly Palace, had a daughter. This daughter was not born to Jinyao’s deceased immortal consort, but to a demon. Recently, this daughter came to him alone. Yan Yu discovered that she possessed abundant demonic energy, forcibly suppressed by immortal energy. In five thousand years, she had only achieved the rank of a lower-tier immortal. In Cold Spring Palace, Yan Yu welcomed any demon lord with potential, regardless of their background. Although Fuling’s origins were unusual, her potential was limitless. Moreover, accepting her into Cold Spring Palace would be a significant blow to the faces of both the immortals and Jinyao. This was an opportunity that Yan Yu would not pass up.

Jinyao was silent for a moment before he looked at his daughter.

“Fuling, stay with me in the Heavenly Palace. I will accompany you in your cultivation every day…”

“No need! Why stay in the Heavenly Palace? To see my mother’s killer every day and still have to call him uncle?” Fuling coldly interrupted Jinyao, her eyes filled with hatred.

Fuling’s mother was a Blood Mist Demon Flower, also known as Chaohui Nujun. Thousands of years ago, Jinyao descended to the mortal realm for his tribulation and was captivated by Chaohui Nujun. Her demonic energy was weak, and she did not see through Jinyao’s true identity, leading to a romance and the birth of Fuling. After completing his tribulation, Jinyao returned to the Heavenly Palace, recalling his mortal life. Only then did he realize he had not only fallen in love with a demon but also fathered a daughter.

At that time, Jinyao’s immortal consort had already passed away, so there were no moral constraints. However, the immortal and demon clans were long-time adversaries. Jinyao faced immense pressure as he reported his mortal affair to Emperor Huanghun, willing to give up his position in the Heavenly Palace to bring Chaohui Nujun and their daughter back. But Chaohui was a proud demon. Her kin had been slaughtered by immortals, so she refused to go with Jinyao to the Immortal Realm and did not allow him to see their daughter again. Jinyao returned to the Heavenly Palace in despair.

A decade later, a fierce battle erupted at the border between the immortal and demon realms, with heavy casualties on both sides. Chaohui Nujun perished at the hands of the immortals during the chaos. After her death, Jinyao ventured into the demon realm to find their young daughter among the Blood Mist Demon Flowers. By then, Fuling was old enough to understand her mother’s death. She fainted upon hearing the news, and Jinyao found her and brought her back to the Immortal Realm, making her his daughter.

Many immortals knew of this but respected Jinyao’s high moral standing and power. Additionally, Fuling’s low immortal energy and youth made the immortals turn a blind eye, allowing her to live in the Heavenly Palace. Years ago, Fuling lived in seclusion with Jinyao. Eight hundred years ago, when Jinyao returned to the Heavenly Palace, Fuling reappeared among the immortals. During the battle that killed her mother, prominent immortals such as Yufeng and Yanhuo were involved. Feeling guilty, they treated Fuling kindly, but this kindness only fueled the jealousy and contempt of the younger immortals. As a half-demon with weak immortal energy, Fuling suffered numerous secret humiliations.

Jinyao, busy managing his realm, neglected his youngest daughter until she could no longer endure it and fled to the demon realm’s Cold Spring Palace.

“Do you think I left the Heavenly Palace for nothing?” Fuling was coldly questioned when Jinyao remained silent. “I don’t care about the mockery and humiliation as a half-demon, half-immortal. You know what truly matters to me! If you want me back in the Heavenly Palace, fine. I will return if you slay Yufeng and the other three to avenge my mother.”

Jinyao’s voice was filled with sorrow. “Fuling, in the battles between immortals and demons, deaths are inevitable on both sides. Many immortals also died at the hands of demons. I cannot blame Yufeng and the others for the tragic consequences of that war.”

“Hypocrite! You couldn’t avenge my mother when you were just an upper immortal, fine. I endured in the Immortal Realm for so many years to seek revenge for my mother! Now you are a demigod, wielding the power of life and death in the Heavenly Palace, yet you let her killers roam free. I don’t need a father like you! If you don’t kill them, I’ll strip away my immortal bone and core, becoming a pure Blood Mist Flower Demon!”