Chapter 373: The Two Sides Argue Without Consensus; Taibai Jinxing Comes to Escort Them to Heaven

The sunlight was brilliant,

shining upon the waters of the Longyuan River, in clusters and clumps, spreading left and right, as if fire were born upon the water, or like a gathering of fireflies, the floating light leaping like gold.

"Heavenly Grandson? Heh!"

The peace in Fang Longye's eyes gradually faded, a smear of gloom emerging, carrying a fierce and malevolent color.

In the end, it was just painting a cake to satisfy hunger!

Not to mention that both he and Yang Chan were at the Taiyi Realm; compared to mortals and ordinary Divine Immortals, the issue of procreation was not that easy~

After all, with the blessings of the Heavenly Marriage, this problem of difficulty in conceiving due to the high life-levels of both husband and wife could not trouble him~ Nor would I mention when this old Jade Emperor fellow would abdicate, or be forced to abdicate~

Just waiting for their offspring to grow to the point of being able to shoulder the position of Heavenly Emperor would likely be a matter of who knows how many Yuanhui eras later~

Perhaps it would have to wait until the next epoch~

Furthermore,

if one wanted all this to develop step-by-step as Taibai Jinxing described~ this offspring enfeoffed as Heavenly Grandson would still need to have outstanding origins, extraordinary aptitude, a clear mind, and the potential to grow to the point of being capable of serving as Heavenly Emperor.

With all these conditions stacked together, the probability of everything being satisfactory and exactly as envisioned was far too low~

Even someone as powerful as Di Jun and Taiyi couldn't cultivate a nephew capable of taking on the heavy responsibility~ What virtue or ability does he, Fang, have that any child he happens to sire would have the aptitude of a Heavenly Emperor? That's just nonsense! To put it bluntly, how is this any different from saying Mile Fo will ascend to the position of Buddha in the future? It's all just empty talk! If one really had to wait until he, as the father, could easily boost his son to the position of Heavenly Emperor, then whether or not the title of "Heavenly Grandson" existed wouldn't even matter~ No wonder they say the old Jade Emperor is good at scheming!

Using a future so distant that one doesn't even know if it exists, speaking empty words and painting a cake, to exchange for a complete easing of relations with the siblings Yang Chan and Yang Jian.

Very crafty~

If the old Jade Emperor had gone to such painstaking lengths out of his own personal feelings, wanting to completely ease relations with the Yang siblings, that would be one thing~ But as a political creature, how could he possibly act solely out of emotion?

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that for the old Jade Emperor to go to such painstaking lengths, even promising the position of Heavenly Grandson, he must be doing it for greater benefits.

Regarding this, Fang Longye had his own conjectures.

This Jade Emperor Great Heavenly Venerable acting in such a way, in all likelihood, wanted to pull Yang Jian and even him, Fang, onto the boat of the Heavenly Court.

At the very least, he wanted to link them closely so they could watch over and help each other during the Calamity of the epoch, all to seize the fortune of ascending to the supreme position in the great world to come~

A chicken-rib-like position of Heavenly Grandson, an empty promise that one didn't even know when it could be cashed in, in exchange for his and Yang Jian's assistance in this epoch?

"Heh!"

Fang Longye spread his large sleeves and turned to walk inside. Truly a fine scheme; if it were someone else, they really would have been manipulated. After all, "when parents love their children, they plan far ahead for them." If it were others, they would likely walk straight into the trap even knowing it was a trick~ But he was not others; in his eyes, children were not as important as others imagined.

Planning far ahead for them?

I, myself, am still hoping to have a big shot as a father so I can live off him! Go dig for your own food!...

A short while later,

Fang Longye returned to his Cave Abode and went of his own accord to a viewing platform.

Above it was a pavilion, the pillars all carved with the image of a five-clawed Yuanlong, adorned with all kinds of treasures to decorate the columns. The sunlight slanted, accumulating thick golden waves on the area in front.

In the pavilion hung gauze pouches filled with a hundred fragrances, swaying to and fro, the scent soaking into one's spirit and bones.

Fang Longye sat down on the gold and jade couch and waved his hand, signaling Yang Chan, who had hurried over, to use a bronze vessel to pour wine and hand it to him, drinking by himself.

Seeing that he had interrupted her questioning and kept drinking by himself, appearing to avoid the topic, Yang Chan pursed her lips in displeasure.

Immediately, she leaned in front of him and began to act coquettishly:

"What exactly are you thinking! If you have any plans, stop keeping me in suspense~"

Fang Longye was shaken by her holding his arm, nearly spilling the wine. He quickly steadied himself, drained the cup in one gulp, let out a breath, and said, "The position of Heavenly Grandson is not so easy to hold~"

He paused, then continued, "You should know better than I do what kind of place the Heavenly Court is—heavy with karma, tangled and unending, impossible to cut through, and chaotic. It is not a good place to go."

Whether from the myths and legends of his past life or from everything seen in this life, the Heavenly Court had always been a strange place in the whole world that one could not bypass.

There were the famous Heavenly Palace Treasure Hall, Lingxiao Treasure Hall, Doushuai Gong, Moon Palace, Yaochi, Flat Peach Garden,... and so on and so forth.

There were the familiar Divine Immortals: the Four Royals, Five Elders, Six Offices, Seven Primordials, Eight Extremes, Nine Luminaries, Ten Capitals, Wangmu, Chang'e, the Seven Fairies, the Four Great Heavenly Masters, the Nine Heavens Fairies, thousands of true ones and ten thousand saints,... and so on and so forth.

But these were not all.

The waters of the Heavenly Court were very deep; there were ancient immortals, disciples of the Profound Gate, virtuous ones of the Brahma gate, natives of the Heavenly Realm, the Dragon Clan, the Witch Clan, the Demon Clan, beings who had ascended from the Zhou Tian Myriad Worlds,... and so on and so forth.

All sorts of people, with roots and branches intertwined.

It could be said that this place where all immortals and gods gathered had never been a monolith; the complexity of human hearts and the depth of karma exceeded what ordinary people could imagine~

Why did the old Jade Emperor go to such painstaking lengths, even promising some nonsense title of Heavenly Grandson? Besides preparing for the great world of the epoch by pulling in more helpers, it was not impossible that he wanted to attract a few strong reinforcements to help him stabilize his rule in the Heavenly Court.

The "strong reinforcements" here did not just refer to their individual strength, but more to the forces and backgrounds behind them.

Look at the backgrounds of the Yang siblings and him, Fang Longye; which one didn't make the old Jade Emperor covet them, wishing he could gather them all under his command?

Yang Jian, the chief third-generation disciple of the Profound Gate, the pillar of the second generation of the Chan Sect, and a possessor of Great Divine Ability—let alone in the Chan Sect, even in the entire Profound Gate, his words carried more weight than most disciples of Saints~ Yang Chan, a member of the Wa Palace, having grown up in the Wa Palace since she was small, she was not a Saint's disciple but was better than one; she could even take the Map of Mountains and Rivers to play with—who would dare say she wasn't the apple of Nuwa's eye?

And he, Fang Longye, went without saying.

As a figure recognized as having obtained the legacy of Xihuang, the shadows of a large group of those with Great Divine Ability and even Hunyuan Saints behind him were almost connected to everything~ Oh, and there was that brother-in-law, Yang Jiao, whose name he had heard but whom he had yet to meet; his status was not weak either, as he was a direct disciple of Houtu Niangniang.

Perhaps their strength varied; except for Yang Jian, the others were not yet in the Jade Emperor's eyes.

But with their status and background here, sometimes saying one word was more effective than the old Jade Emperor~

After all,

"The Heavenly Court is not the Heavenly Court of the Jade Emperor alone, but the Heavenly Court of all forces in the Zhou Tian"~ In short,

even the old Jade Emperor, backed by the Ancestor Hongjun, could not fully master the hearts of the Heavenly Court; how could his and Yang Chan's future offspring have the virtue or ability to do so? And if one couldn't do that, what was so rare about being a Heavenly Grandson or a Heavenly Emperor? Although there were all sorts of benefits, it was heart-consuming and laborious, and thankless to boot...

It was better to be a free and easy person!

Of course, the main reason was,

he, as the father, was not willing to work hard and rack his brains for a little rabbit who didn't even know where he was yet~

Unfortunately, it was clear that Yang Chan, as the mother, did not think so; not yet a mother, she already had the "consciousness" of being one.

"The Heavenly Court is heavy with karma, the human hearts are complex, and all kinds of entanglements are difficult to resolve, but isn't that what we, as parents and elders, are here for!"

Yang Chan did not give up her original idea.

"Besides,"

She paused, then added:

"We are now in a great era of the epoch, and the structure of the heavens and myriad worlds is settled. As the seat that governs the Honghuang, the Heavenly Court will inevitably be a place of great authority and the core location in the new structure of heaven and earth. Heavenly Luck is surging, and good fortune arises one after another; there is much that can be accomplished!"

Fang Longye acknowledged that what Yang Chan said was correct.

But the key was that anyone with a discerning eye could see this, and if that were the case, who wouldn't want to get a piece of the action? Just as the higher the waves, the more expensive the fish, likewise, the more expensive the fish, the higher the waves. In the future, the Heavenly Court would inevitably be filled with the glint of blades and the shadow of swords, and open and secret struggles~

Even the old Jade Emperor might not necessarily be able to keep his seat. What did the position of a Heavenly Grandson even count for? Otherwise, why would he be so generous? It was a pity,

At this moment, how could Yang Chan listen? Fang Longye sighed inwardly, pulled Yang Chan into his embrace, and said: "Let's wait until the Ning day to see the Second Brother and ask for his opinion before deciding!"

That was what he said, but in fact, he already had a plan in his heart; this matter was likely eight or nine parts certain. There was no other reason,

Yang Jian was a sister-complex; what request from his sister Yang Chan would he not satisfy?

So be it, Fang Longye thought to himself, if the position of Heavenly Grandson is to be taken, then so be it. At worst, he would just meddle less in the affairs of the Heavenly Court in the future~

……

Sure enough,

A year later, the Ning day arrived.

After spending three years of sweet and wonderful newlywed life with his three brides, Fang Longye took the cloud chariots in turn and began the return visit to their maiden homes.

Contrary to the wedding procession, Fang Longye first returned to the Nether Blood Sea with Iron Fan Princess, brought generous gifts to visit the elders, and after the banquet, the two naturally returned to Cangmang Mountain.

Immediately after, he set off again without stopping, returning to the Dongting Dragon Palace with Long Xuan, followed by a round of visits and another grand banquet.

Finally, returning once more, he then drove with Yang Chan to Guanjiangkou to visit Yang Jian.

And the result was naturally the same as what Fang Longye had anticipated before.

After hearing Yang Chan's thoughts, the second brother-in-law, Yang Jian, naturally nodded and agreed, consenting to his future nephew taking on the position of Heavenly Grandson~ So be it,

Seeing Yang Jian's strong support for his sister's idea, Fang Longye could only accept it.

The two siblings, for the sake of the future prospects of "Fang Chenxiang"—who hadn't even been conceived yet—were not even planning to dwell on past grudges anymore.

If he, the father, were still to be hesitant and cautious, it would be too unreasonable~

Although Fang Longye had been reluctant before, making it seem as if the position of Heavenly Grandson was worthless.

But if it were truly all harm and no benefit, Yang Chan would not be tempted, Yang Jian would not have agreed, and the Jade Emperor would not have used this to dangle a carrot.

Just as Yang Chan said,

In the future great era of the epoch, the Heavenly Court would be a crucial place. As the seat of authority for the Honghuang, it would inevitably have surging Heavenly Luck and rising good fortune.

If the son he would have with Yang Chan in the future were to be enfeoffed as the Heavenly Grandson, it could be considered as having a hand in the Heavenly Court, which could be called a great opportunity.

It could only be said that there were both advantages and disadvantages.

What kind of good fortune could be brought and what kind of benefits could be seized would depend entirely on means and strength~

Because Yang Chan insisted, Fang Longye changed his attitude. Afterward, he no longer hesitated, took out the token given by Taibai Jinxing, and sent the message.

Not long after, a cloud chariot and treasure carriage descended from the sky, with a high canopy raised, decorated with pearls, jade, gemstones, emeralds, coral, silver shells, and floral patterns made of stamens, with a rainbow of treasure aura.

On both sides, maidservants held incense and scattered flowers, their skirts fluttering, and behind them were carefully selected Heavenly Soldiers and warriors, tall and fierce, with bright armor and high spirits.

As for the very front, it was particularly conspicuous: it was a tall divine general like the Giant Spirit God, holding the Tianfu Divine Tablet and the Jade Emperor Immortal Flag, clearing the way in front.

The group was vast and mighty, with unparalleled momentum.

It was Taibai Jinxing who had come to receive them~

There was nothing more to say; after some pleasantries, Fang Longye and Yang Chan boarded the carriage and, surrounded by the reception team led by Taibai Jinxing, headed toward the Heavenly Realm~

……

The carriage wheels rumbled as they flew upward, passing through the nine heavens of gale winds, and arrived at where the Heavenly Realm was located.

As soon as they entered,

A fragrant scent wafted toward their brows.

"The Heavenly Realm~"

Fang Longye sat in the cloud chariot and looked around, sensing the spiritual energy filling the space above, below, and all around, which had already manifested into purple and green, naturally forming flowers and rising like lamps.

The lamps and flowers swayed, producing a fragrance; even just from this corner, one could see the difference from the Earth Immortal Realm.

Being placed within it, one felt intoxicated as if by wine.

One must know that this wasn't even the Heavenly Court yet! The Heavenly Realm was vast and extraordinary; it didn't just have the Heavenly Court, but also Cave Heaven Blessed Lands opened by the Dao and Brahma schools, many hidden realms,... and so on and so forth.

Otherwise, how could the Heavenly Realm, together with the Earth Immortal Realm and the Nether Realm, be collectively called the Three Realms?

The Heavenly Court and the Heavenly Realm were never the same concept.

The Heavenly Court was merely an institution established in the Heavenly Realm, while the Heavenly Realm was a vast, great world.

It was just that as the institution governing the Honghuang, the Heavenly Court naturally possessed the right to rule the Heavenly Realm and had indeed developed it into its own foundation.

In other words,

The places he was observing along the way were just the most ordinary corners of the Heavenly Realm~ This was the reason for Fang Longye's sigh.

If one were to truly discuss spiritual energy, although what he saw along the way was rare in the world, it was still far inferior to his Cangmang Mountain.

But what kind of place was Cangmang Mountain? That was a Daoist site and treasure land he had carefully cultivated in the Earth Immortal Realm.

How could the two be compared together? In the cloud chariot, Yang Chan, leaning on Fang Longye's shoulder, heard his sigh, smiled, and said:

"The Heavenly Realm is close to Chaos, and with the Zhou Tian Star Array set up by the Heavenly Court, it can continuously decompose the power of Chaos into innate spiritual energy~"

"Perhaps with each operation, the amount decomposed is not much, but over a long period of time, it is very considerable. The Heavenly Realm is close to the water and gets the moonlight first, so it is naturally far superior to the Earth Immortal Realm~"

"However,"

She raised her head, smoothed her scattered hair, looked at the thoughtful Fang Longye, and smiled:

"The Earth Immortal Realm is not without its advantages; that is its thick virtue that can carry all things, and it can have infinite possibilities. The Heavenly Realm is insufficient in this regard~"

"Lacking both thickness and sufficient agility, if one were to truly compare them, the two have their own strengths and weaknesses!"

"Anyway, compared to the Heavenly Realm that is the same year after year, I prefer the ever-changing Earth Immortal Realm~"

Fang Longye shook his head and laughed:

"I was merely surprised for a moment!"

He gazed at the scenery outside the carriage and said: "If we really want to talk about it, the predecessor of the Earth Immortal Realm was the entire Honghuang land! At that time, the Heavenly Realm was likely far inferior to the Honghuang land~"

Yang Chan nodded and said: "Indeed, back then there was no such structure as the Three Realms; the Honghuang land was the most important of all. Whether it was the Heavenly Realm or Youming, they really didn't amount to much~"

That the Heavenly Realm can have such an important status today, besides the diligent governance of the Heavenly Emperors through the ages, is also inseparable from the influence of the vicissitudes of time~

Hmm, since the opening of Honghuang, the world has experienced countless great wars, and the one most severely affected was the Honghuang land~

Conversely, the Heavenly Realm where the Heavenly Court is located, because it resides high above the sky, was not greatly affected.

The two chatted all the way, listening to the rumbling of the carriage wheels, surrounded by the fragrance of maidservants and the music of immortal officials, as they sped along.

Very soon, they arrived outside the South Heaven Gate~

(End of this chapter)