Chapter 374: The Profound Cave Resolves Calamity: The Water Origin Holy Lord

The cloud carriage gradually slowed down.

Before them, a magnificent gateway came into view, towering into the clouds, flanked by archways hung with gold and colors, shimmering with brilliance.

Vast light poured down from mid-air like water from an inverted pot, spreading out in the surroundings, presenting an arched silhouette, rising and falling, swirling in halos.

Every collision produced the sound of thunder.

"South Tianmen~"

Fang Longye narrowed his eyes, observing carefully.

He suddenly discovered that no matter how he employed his divine abilities, he could not see the scene behind the gateway; he could only sense that it was a jagged intersection of different space-times, bizarre and kaleidoscopic.

This was normal.

This South Tianmen was, after all, the main entrance to the Heavenly Court, possessing its own profound mysteries.

It is said that by relying on this South Tianmen, even the most ordinary Heavenly Soldiers and Generals in the Heavenly Court can travel across the universe, shuttling between various Small Worlds~

In that case, if the Heavenly Court were to collapse one day and this South Tianmen were lost in the void, falling upon some person, it could write a novel about traversing the heavens~

"I Have a South Tianmen," "Rebuilding the Heavenly Court Starting from the South Tianmen," "South Tianmen: I Can Traverse the Myriad Heavens," "I Actually Became the South Tianmen"? For a moment, Fang Longye's thoughts ran wild.

He immediately shook his head and chuckled.

According to what he knew, this South Tianmen was the Gate of Heavenly Dimension birthed by the Heavenly Realm, connected in the void to the entire Heavenly Realm; as long as the Heavenly Realm did not perish, the South Tianmen would not be destroyed~

If the South Tianmen were lost in the void, it would not be as simple as the Heavenly Court collapsing; it would mean the entire Heavenly Realm and even the Honghuang had suffered a great catastrophe~

Dispelling the various strange thoughts that had emerged in his mind, Fang Longye recalled another question:

"It seems I remember that this South Tianmen is guarded in turns by the Four Heavenly Kings?"

Thinking of this, his thoughts could not help but fluctuate; he wondered which Heavenly King it was today~

It was not for any other reason, but he was still somewhat curious about these Four Heavenly Kings.

Clearly having faint connections to the Brahma sect, yet they were able to settle down securely in the Heavenly Court and hold high and powerful positions; they truly had some methods!

Hmm, in the Heavenly Court, the Four Heavenly Kings were indeed worthy of being called high-ranking and powerful. Don't look at them as just gatekeepers; in reality, they were figures with military power.

Guarding the Heavenly Palace and garrisoning the borders, they privately held the authority to mobilize Heavenly Soldiers and controlled the military management of the Heavenly Court; in a mortal dynasty, this would be equivalent to being the commander of the Imperial Guards.

This was also the reason for Fang Longye's curiosity about these Four Heavenly Kings; clearly having significant ties to the Brahma sect, they were still able to gain the favor of the Jade Emperor~ These four brothers truly had some tricks up their sleeves; their schemes and methods were indeed beyond those of ordinary people.

"Perhaps it's because the Four Heavenly Kings happen to have no background? And old man Jade Emperor just values that aspect?"

Just as he was pondering, at this moment, a loud sound of bells and drums rang out, and a Heavenly God emerged from the archway.

He was twenty-four feet tall, with a true body of red gold, a face like a living crab, and a beard like copper wire; his arms held a saber, spear, sword, and halberd, with a sharp blue-edged sword being particularly eye-catching.

"Zengzhang Heavenly King?"

Fang Longye's heart stirred.

"Jinxing Laoguan, you've returned~"

"Haha,"

Taibai Jinxing, outside the cloud carriage, raised the Whisk in his hand and said with a smile:

"When I, this old man, went down to the mortal realm, it was still Guangmu Heavenly King on duty; how did it become your turn, Zengzhang Heavenly King, so quickly?"

It really was Zengzhang Heavenly King, Fang Longye thought to himself in the cloud carriage upon hearing this.

"Haha! My younger brother happened to have something to do, so he swapped shifts with me in advance~" Zengzhang Heavenly King laughed heartily.

Taibai Jinxing looked at him deeply.

The two understood each other without speaking; Zengzhang Heavenly King had come running over eagerly, not because Guangmu Heavenly King had some urgent matter and swapped shifts in advance.

It was because he wanted to become a familiar face in front of Dragon Lord Yuanlong, so it would be easier to deal with him and build a relationship in the future~

As for why he didn't just let Guangmu Heavenly King do this, but insisted on swapping shifts? It wasn't because the four brothers were on bad terms, but because among the Four Heavenly Kings, Zengzhang Heavenly King was the most adept at socializing and the best at networking~ Because of this, all external affairs of the Four Heavenly Kings were represented by Zengzhang Heavenly King, which was also the reason why the Four Heavenly Kings took Zengzhang Heavenly King as their leader.

"Is this the Third Holy Mother and that Young Lord Yuanlong?" Zengzhang Heavenly King asked, knowing the answer.

"Haha~"

Taibai Jinxing stroked his snow-white beard, waved his Whisk, and nodded with a smile.

Yang Chan lifted the carriage curtain and greeted Zengzhang Heavenly King with a smile: "Zengzhang Heavenly King, long time no see, you are still as spirited as ever!"

"The same to you, Third Holy Mother; it seems that after marrying Young Lord Yuanlong, you are in perfect harmony, envied by all as a pair of mandarin ducks rather than immortals!" Zengzhang Heavenly King also spoke pleasantries.

He then looked at Fang Longye beside Yang Chan and couldn't help but praise him inwardly: what a dashing figure! Sensing the gaze of Zengzhang Heavenly King,

Fang Longye also looked toward the nearby Zengzhang Heavenly King and nodded with a smile.

The two sides did not say much more.

After confirming their identities according to the rules, a loud clang was heard from within the South Tianmen, and the gateway swung wide open.

Bidding farewell to Zengzhang Heavenly King, the cloud carriage moved slowly and entered the South Tianmen.

……

"This is the Heavenly Court~"

After passing the South Tianmen, the cloud carriage turned east and traveled slowly.

Everywhere one looked, there was the azure sky and ethereal songs, crimson colors and pale gold, faint colorful clouds obscuring the shadows of jade towers and palaces, feathered canopies casting shade, and gloomy pearl pavilions and terraces.

From time to time, immortal cranes came gracefully, their wings like wheels, unfolding slowly.

Clear and bright profound sounds flickered up and down.

As for further away, even luxury and magnificence were not enough to describe it~ It was truly ten thousand paths of golden light, a thousand streaks of auspicious colors, purple and green mist before the pearl towers and shell palaces, and golden water shining behind the precious halls and deep pavilions; it was a truly heavenly scene.

Strange flowers covered the ground, jade grasses grew everywhere, immortal cranes and spirit deer ran about, and white apes came and went.

Golden-armored divine men, each holding halberds and whips, swords and blades, were majestic and awe-inspiring, filled with murderous intent.

Especially on the buildings, phoenixes were carved and dragons were painted, shining with golden light, possessing a unique majesty that struck one's brow.

Of course, these scenes were not truly unique in the world; in fact, they were not much different from the layout of his own Daoist temple, just more grand and magnificent~

The key was that sense of ancient, unchanging weight, which was something he could never create.

Every flower and every blade of grass, every tree and every stone, appeared plain and ordinary, yet in reality, they were all imbued with a unique Dao essence, possessing a sense of profundity~

This was the foundation settled through the passage of eras and the baptism of time; even if he were to replicate it one-to-one, there would be no way to compare with it.

After the cloud carriage had traveled for some distance, suddenly, wonderful music arose, crisp and pleasant to the ear, and then layers of lotus fragrance wafted out.

Ahead, a colorful boat appeared, with shimmering waves.

Upon the colorful boat,

Seven female immortals of varying postures, each of them a peerless beauty, wearing heavenly garments of different colors, huddled together and smilingly greeted him: "Miaojun, the sisters have come to pick you up~"

These seven female immortals were none other than the Seven Fairies under the Queen Mother of the West, who were, in terms of relationship, the cousins Yang Chan would have to call.

Yang Chan and Fang Longye were not surprised; this had been agreed upon beforehand. Yang Chan would not go to pay respects to the Jade Emperor, only to Yaochi to pay respects to the Queen Mother of the West.

As for the reason, it went without saying.

Fortunately, with the Queen Mother of the West, the head of the female immortals, present, the old Jade Emperor rarely met with female immortals anyway.

Yang Chan coming to the Heavenly Court without seeing this cheap uncle of hers could be considered acceptable in terms of saving face~

"Then husband, I shall go first~"

Yang Chan tidied her attire, then pulled Fang Longye in for a hug, and immediately stepped off the carriage, chatting and laughing with the Seven Fairies as she boarded the colorful boat. Afterward, she waved at Fang Longye,

and the colorful boat immediately rippled with water sounds in mid-air, following the path they had come, and vanished in an instant.

After bidding farewell to Yang Chan,

under the guidance of Taibai Jinxing, Fang Longye soon arrived at the Lingxiao Treasure Hall~ Taibai Jinxing signaled for him to wait outside the hall while he went in to announce him. Fang Longye naturally agreed, without putting on any airs~

There was no other reason; once on someone else's turf, one should be as low-key as one ought to be.

Moreover,

although he privately referred to the Jade Emperor as the "old Jade Emperor," when truly facing such a supreme Great Divine Ability holder, the respect that was due should still be given.

Soon, Taibai Jinxing came out and announced for him to enter and pay respects to the Jade Emperor Great Heavenly Venerable~

He lifted his foot and entered,

only to see the treasure hall towering, with Lotus Treasure Lamps hanging on the walls, their clear, precious light illuminating the surroundings.

The floor was of glazed jade, without a speck of dust.

The constellations of the heavens were reflected within it, above and below, left and right, outlining mysterious traces.

There was rhythm within the stillness, and changes within the Yin and Yang, difficult to describe in words.

And upon the high throne, a majestic figure sat upright.

The crown's tassels hung down, blocking the face, while the aura of merit swirled around the body, layer upon layer, evolving into the image of a golden tower, with the sun, moon, and stars residing within it.

Sacred and majestic, it rushed toward him~

It was none other than

that High Heaven Saint Great Compassionate Benevolent Jade Emperor Great Heavenly Venerable Profound Vault High God, Yang Chan's cheap uncle, and the cheap grand-uncle of his future child.

To be honest, this person was the idol and role model for all the attendants of the Honghuang.

Starting as a mere attendant, marrying a wealthy and beautiful woman, ascending to the position of Heavenly Emperor, and reaching the pinnacle of life—his experience could not be called anything but legendary and inspirational~

Yes, this Haotian Shangdi's background was not comparable to an ordinary attendant; he was the attendant of the Ancestor Hongjun, which could be called the "Number One" among attendants~ But no matter how much he boasted about his background, he was still an attendant by origin. Compared to the Queen Mother of the West, the head of the female immortals, he was practically a loser from the bottom of the social ladder~

Just look at the Queen Mother of the West's first two partners: one was Dongwanggong, the head of the male immortals, and the other was Donghuang Taiyi, known as the one invincible under the Saints.

Each one had a bigger background and greater strength than the last.

It was no wonder that when he first won the heart of this "wealthy and beautiful woman," it was so surprising~ One must know, at that time, he was not yet the Heavenly Emperor!

In Fang Longye's view,

the Jade Emperor of this Honghuang was simply a textbook example of a "soft-rice-eating" protagonist, who had brought the benefits of "a woman three hundred billion years older" into full play.

"Not bad, not bad!"

The Jade Emperor naturally did not know that Fang Longye was criticizing him in his heart below. He sat high on the nine levels, looking at Fang Longye below, and nodded repeatedly, saying:

"Truly a rare and outstanding young man in this world!"

He did not engage in small talk; firstly, he was in a formal setting and it was inconvenient to show too much personal affection, and secondly, there was nothing to talk about with Fang Longye.

He spoke in a businesslike manner:

"Now that there is a newly ascended innate divine spirit, Yuanlong, what position should we bestow upon him, my fellow immortals?"

Fang Longye grumbled in his heart: "Just be direct, why go through all this pretense~"

Just as Yang Chan had agreed beforehand that she would not go to pay respects to her cheap uncle, Fang Longye naturally had his own demands~

Therefore, he already knew clearly what position he would be granted~ As soon as the Jade Emperor's words fell, Taibai Jinxing stepped out from the side and memorialized:

"Innate divine spirits are incomparably noble in the Divine Dao, and since Yuanlong is of the Dragon Clan, this old minister recommends that Yuanlong be appointed as the Water Official Dispelling Calamities Cave Yin Great Emperor!"

Cave Yin Great Emperor,

whose full title was the Lower Origin Third Grade Water Official Dispelling Calamities Cave Yin Great Emperor, who presided over the Water Emperor Tang Valley God King, the River Count gods and immortals of the Nine Rivers Water Mansion, and all the gods and Immortal Records in the waters.

Although it could not be considered a top-tier Dijing, it was definitely a position of high authority~

In terms of status,

it could be mentioned alongside the Upper Origin First Grade Bestowing Blessings Heavenly Official Ziwei Great Emperor and the Middle Origin Second Grade Pardoning Sins Earth Official Qingxu Great Emperor as the Three Origins, Three Grades, Three Officials Great Emperors.

If one were to truly develop in this position, one would definitely be a regional hegemon~

As soon as Taibai Jinxing finished speaking, the Water Virtue Star Lord stepped out to question him, saying: "Yuanlong has just arrived and is not yet a Great Luo, how can he suddenly receive such a high position? Otherwise, where would the rules of the Heavenly Court be, and where would the hearts of the people in the Heavenly Court be?"

The two men's memorials immediately stirred up a discussion among the immortals and gods. For a time, there were many different opinions, with some agreeing with Taibai Jinxing and others supporting the Water Virtue Star Lord.

Each side had its own reasons.

For a moment, the entire Lingxiao Treasure Hall became like a vegetable market, noisy and incessant~ If it weren't for the fact that they were only using their mouths and not their hands, maintaining a certain level of decorum, Fang Longye would have thought he had arrived at the court of the Great Ming Dynasty!

"Silence!"

A Heavenly General attending by the side of the Jade Emperor, seeing the change in the Jade Emperor's expression, immediately spoke out and shouted.

Hearing the shout of the Heavenly General,

the crowd of Divine Immortals and gods finally ceased their argument.

The Jade Emperor, his hand resting on the Jade Ruyi, possessed immense majesty; his gaze was deep and focused as he looked at the gods and said, "Water Virtue Star Lord is correct; the rules of the Heavenly Court cannot be questioned. The position of Emperor of Dongyin is, after all, an important post in the Heavenly Court; how can it be lightly bestowed upon anyone?"

"Of course, Yuanlong is an innate spirit and a person of the Taiyi, so how could he be treated with neglect?"

He feigned a moment of thought and said, "In that case, let him be granted the position of Water Origin Holy Lord of Dongxuan for Resolving Calamities, to assist in managing the Divine Immortals of the Nine Rivers Water Mansion, the River Count, all the gods in the waters, and the registers of the Immortal Record."

"Furthermore, I bestow the title: Nine Heavens Propagator of Dharma and Universal Savior of Living Beings, Master of Yin and Yang, Merit and Fault, and the Great Dao, Yuanlong Miaoyi Feiyuan True Monarch—"

Having spoken, he turned his head to look at Fang Longye and said:

"Yuanlong, is this acceptable?"

This attitude of consultation naturally caused some who were unaware of the inside story to click their tongues in secret; this Yuanlong truly had an extraordinary background to actually make the Jade Emperor adopt such a low posture.

They could not help but look at the Water Virtue Star Lord to the side and secretly sneer; had he run into a tough opponent this time? The Water Virtue Star Lord, however, remained calm and composed, looking completely indifferent—

"Many thanks, Great Heavenly Venerable!"

Fang Longye naturally cupped his hands to express his gratitude—and following his expression of gratitude, as he accepted the Jade Emperor's conferment, in that mysterious place, Fang Longye's name appeared once again on the Godly Golden List.

"Eh?"

This time, whether it was because he was closer, or because there was an active connection, or some other reason.

Fang Longye immediately felt a sensation.

In his eyes, within an unknown space-time, a golden list emerged, edged with dragons and phoenixes, slowly unfurling, and one could see name after name upon it.

And his own divine title and name were prominently listed; the three divine seal characters for 'Yuanlong' were shining brilliantly—"The Godly Golden List, a name inscribed on the Golden List?"

Fang Longye could not help but have his thoughts fluctuate; it was not that he was surprised by the Godly Golden List, but rather surprised by his own name—why was it only being included now? Should it not have been inscribed on the Golden List the moment he achieved the status of an innate spirit? In fact, he naturally knew of the Godly Golden List; he had not spent his time reading various classics in vain—

"Perhaps, it is because of the Golden Finger?"

Fang Longye's eyes flickered as he thought of the reason, or rather, he could only think of this one possibility.

(End of this chapter)