Chapter 375: Purple-Green Qi Bestowed Once More; Yang Chan and Yaochi Pay Homage to the Queen Mother

"Very well,"

Jade Emperor observed Fang Longye's distraction, but he said nothing, merely waving his hand to instruct Taibai Jinxing, saying: "Zhang Geng, the matters hereafter shall be left to you. Take Water Origin Holy Lord to familiarize himself with the Heavenly Court!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Longye snapped back to his senses and bowed to the Jade Emperor once more in gratitude.

The Jade Emperor smiled, said nothing, and after casting a glance at him, stood up directly and declared: "Court dismissed!"

"Court dismissed—"

"Court dismissed—"

As the voice echoed out, the crowd of divine immortals filed out one after another.

Those who were well-acquainted gathered in groups of three or five, whispering to one another, occasionally looking at Fang Longye, who was chatting and laughing beside Taibai Jinxing.

Another powerful newcomer had arrived in the Heavenly Court! What surprised many was that there was someone else mingling with Fang Longye, chatting and laughing with ease.

One could see this person wearing a Daoist crown, draped in precious robes, with a silk sash at his waist, stepping upon water waves, where ripples gathered and dispersed in circles.

Who else could it be but Water Virtue Star Lord? No,

had this Water Virtue Star Lord not just spoken out in opposition to this Yuanlong being directly appointed as Cave Yin Great Emperor? Logically, Yuanlong should be receiving a cold shoulder.

How was it that, in the blink of an eye, they were chatting and laughing together?

Of course, most of those who were confused were young upstarts, while the old foxes had long since caught on.

This was one playing the villain and the other the hero, putting on a show for them, playing a game of retreating to advance. The Great Heavenly Venerable's target from the start must have been the Water Origin Holy Lord.

However, because the position of Water Origin Holy Lord was also one of high authority, it could not be held by anyone who was not of the Taiyi realm.

Such a position could not be granted casually even by the Jade Emperor Great Heavenly Venerable; it required ability, background, achievements, and seniority.

That was why the position of Cave Yin Great Emperor was dangled, and Water Virtue Star Lord was made to deliberately contradict Taibai Jinxing, inciting debate among everyone.

In the end, the final decision was made, settling for the next best thing, easily achieving his goal and pushing Yuanlong into the position of Water Origin Holy Lord.

Come to think of it, this was a tactic the Great Heavenly Venerable used consistently.

It was just that the mention of appointing a Cave Yin Great Emperor was too eye-catching, and these old foxes had failed to react in the first instance.

Fang Longye was naturally aware of the gazes of the immortals and gods, but he could not spare the time to greet them, merely nodding and smiling at them one by one.

After a long, lively conversation with Water Virtue Star Lord, who had helped smooth things over, he bid the other farewell and followed Taibai Jinxing into a side hall.

"Congratulations—"

After the two stepped into the side hall, Taibai Jinxing waved his hand, and immortal maids who had been waiting there stepped forward, holding wooden trays containing the great seal, robes, crown, imperial edicts, jade pendants, and so on—the tokens of identity for the Water Origin Holy Lord.

He smiled at Fang Longye: "From now on, Dragon Lord is the Water Origin Holy Lord of the Heavenly Court. I fear I shall have to address you as my superior—"

The Cave Profound Disaster-Relieving Water Origin Holy Lord, though not equal to the Cave Yin Great Emperor, was likewise a position of high authority.

This position assisted in managing the River Counts and divine immortals of the Nine Rivers Water Mansion, as well as all water deities and the Immortal Record registers; without the interference of a Cave Yin Great Emperor, its authority was almost identical to that of the Cave Yin Great Emperor.

Under the many long-standing unspoken rules of the Heavenly Court, it was practically equivalent to being a candidate for Cave Yin Great Emperor, or rather, the next Cave Yin Great Emperor.

In short, the position of Water Origin Holy Lord that Fang Longye had been granted was but a step away from the position of Dijing, and it was definitely considered high-level in the Heavenly Court.

"What superior or not—"

Fang Longye accepted the items, his posture as straight as a pine, gentle as a gentleman, and he smiled in return: "Jinxing Laoguan, saying such things is only belittling me. In front of you, Jinxing Laoguan, I would not dare claim the title of superior—"

The Taibai Jinxing before him, though only a Star Lord, was a genuine Daluo existence.

Moreover, he was an innate star god.

Although he held a post in the Heavenly Court, he had long since transcended the ranks of Heavenly Court positions; titles like Heavenly King or Holy Lord were nothing in his eyes.

"Haha, why not? Before long, Water Origin Holy Lord, you will be our Heavenly Court's Cave Yin Great Emperor. As a Dijing, how could you not be a superior?"

Taibai Jinxing said, waving his Whisk.

At present, the position of Cave Yin Great Emperor was naturally vacant; ever since the previous Cave Yin Great Emperor fell in the War of Heaven-Cleaving, this seat had remained empty.

Otherwise, Taibai Jinxing would not have used the Cave Yin Great Emperor position to "open a window" during the court session. This had been agreed upon with Fang Longye: first appoint him as Water Origin Holy Lord, and after a period of transition, promote him to Cave Yin Great Emperor.

Just as he had initially requested of Taibai Jinxing, it was merely a matter of procedure; one could not simply take on the role of a Dijing upon arrival—otherwise, as Water Virtue Star Lord had said, where would the rules of the Heavenly Court be? Where would the hearts of the Heavenly Court be? After the two exchanged pleasantries, Fang Longye changed into the robes and crown of the Water Origin Holy Lord, donned the seal of the Water Origin Holy Lord, and followed Taibai Jinxing out of the side hall.

"Come, Water Origin Holy Lord, let us go see the residence prepared for you. If there is anything you are not satisfied with, point it out and we shall renovate it—"

Taibai Jinxing waved his Whisk and said with a chuckle.

Having said this, he immediately summoned a gold and jade carriage, and after Fang Longye boarded, he followed suit.

A loud "Boom—" was heard,

and thunder and fire acted as wings, soaring into the sky.

"This is the exclusive carriage prepared for you, Water Origin Holy Lord. How does it feel?"

Taibai Jinxing sat on the precious couch inside the carriage, looking at Fang Longye, who was observing it carefully, and said with a smile.

Fang Longye nodded and said: "It is naturally extraordinary—"

There was no need to mention the carriage itself; the Heavenly Court had countless skilled craftsmen, each with superb artistry, and it was naturally meticulously carved and crafted to be magnificent.

The horses pulling the carriage were not ordinary heavenly horses, but famous steeds among them—

The first was Juedi, whose feet did not touch the earth; the second was Fanyu, whose speed surpassed flying birds; the third was Benxiao, flying and fleeing like a rainbow; the fourth was Chaoying, chasing the sun as it traveled; the fifth was Yuhui, its coat shining brilliantly; the sixth was Chaoguang, one form casting ten shadows; the seventh was Tengwu, riding the clouds as it galloped; the eighth was Xieyi, possessing fleshy wings on its body.

Eight horses running in parallel, like sparks and thunder.

"Water Origin Holy Lord, indeed,"

Fang Longye sat upright on the precious couch, his brow relaxed, and he could not help but murmur in his heart.

He closed his eyes slightly, reflecting upon himself.

He could see that,

ever since the Jade Emperor announced his appointment as the 'Cave Profound Disaster-Relieving Water Origin Holy Lord',

above his crown,

there had suddenly appeared a great deal of lush Purple-Green Qi, with a great seal suspended in the center, and imperial edicts like dragons all around, forming a dense web, with hundred-son bells hanging from them, chiming in harmony, ringing in all directions, making one feel invigorated upon hearing them. This was nothing else but the status of the Cave Profound Disaster-Relieving Water Origin Holy Lord as a high-level official of the Heavenly Court, drawing a portion of the Heavenly Court's fortune onto his body day and night.

The Purple-Green Qi descended, blessing his body, a sight to be envied.

From this perspective, if one does not consider the future,

complying with the request of the Jade Emperor to let his future "convenient" son become a Heavenly Grandson, and thus establishing a close relationship with the Jade Emperor, is still quite beneficial~

He believes that if he had not accepted the Jade Emperor's conditions, even if he had become a Heavenly Official through the connections of the Dragon Clan, he would not have obtained a high-status position like Water Origin Holy Lord.

"Name and vessel~"

Fang Longye pondered.

Aside from these vast fortunes of the Heavenly Court, the authority of the Water Origin Holy Lord is also not insignificant; once he is familiar with it later, he can certainly make good use of it.

It is not that he has been dizzied by these sugar-coated bullets fired by the Heavenly Court, nor that he has denied his previous views which were at odds with Yang Chan.

Rather, once a move is made, there is no regret; since he has made the choice, he can only respond actively~

"The dolichos grows long, spreading in the middle of the valley, its leaves luxuriant."

"The yellow birds fly, gathering in the bushes, their singing is harmonious." "The dolichos grows long, spreading in the middle of the valley, its leaves are abundant."

"I cut it and I boil it, making fine cloth and coarse cloth, wearing them without weariness."

"I tell the teacher, I tell him I am returning."

"I lightly wash my private clothes, I lightly wash my robes."

"Shall I wash them or not? I return to Ning and go back."

Time shifts back to before, just when Fang Longye was having an audience with the Jade Emperor, Yang Chan was riding on a colorful boat piloted by the Seven Fairies, flying rapidly and shuttling through layers of space.

She arrived at Yaochi, a realm where clouds and water are widely spread.

The fairies, divine maidens, heavenly maidens, and singing girls of Yaochi welcomed the guest with music, featuring the pride of the eight jades and the mouth organ of Yunhe; the voices were clear and resonant, and the spiritual sounds shook the void.

Crowding around the carriage, they entered Yaochi~ After welcoming Yang Chan off the carriage,

the fairies of Yaochi crowded together, giggling and boldly asking her about her feelings after her new marriage, asking until her cheeks turned crimson.

After some tea and conversation, Yang Chan was just talking about private matters with these female immortals when she heard a burst of laughter from outside the door, saying: "Oh my~ am I late?"

Before the laughter had even faded, a female immortal walked in from outside the door.

This female immortal was dressed in a cyan heavenly robe, adorned with brilliant colorful embroidery, looking like a divine concubine or fairy; her bearing was lofty and solemn, possessing a natural grace.

As soon as she walked in, the female immortals in the hall stood up and bowed in unison, calling out: "Sister Longji."

Longji smiled and returned the greeting.

Yang Chan also stood up in surprise, walked over, grabbed Longji's hand, and called out: "Sister Longji, when did you come out of seclusion?"

Yang Chan was genuinely happy; although Longji was considered her "convenient" cousin, she had always been clear about her likes and dislikes, and only had opinions about her "convenient" uncle.

She never vented her anger on others.

On the contrary, because of the Conferring of Gods, Yang Chan had become good friends with Longji.

Yang Chan looked at her cousin and said:

"Sister Longji, could it be that you have already crossed that step and attained the Great Luo?"

Her cousin had been schemed against in the past and lost in the Conferring of Gods, and it was not until the Hundred Schools of Thought period of the Ji Zhou that she encountered an opportunity and broke through her Love Tribulation.

All these years, she had been like little Nezha, immersed in seclusion to make up for her own shortcomings.

Longji smiled and shook her head, saying: "Great Luo is not that easy; I don't have the talent of Erlang, and I am still one step away~"

Yang Chan noticed the strangeness when Longji said the last sentence and was about to ask carefully.

Longji waved her hand and said:

"Enough about me! What about you—"

She frowned and said: "How could you get married? Men, none of them are good! They are all bastards!"

Yang Chan was about to argue,

but Longji sighed and said: "You really have fallen in love too!"

Yang Chan wanted to say something more, but Longji pulled her directly and said:

"Miaojun, we will talk properly later; now we must go and pay our respects to Mother!"

Hearing this, Yang Chan was no longer in a hurry to say anything; just as mentioned before, she only had opinions about the Jade Emperor, but had nothing against the Queen Mother of the West.

She immediately bid farewell to the group of female immortals and turned to follow Longji toward the sleeping palace of the Queen Mother of the West~

Heavy curtains hang deep in the hall of no worries, lying down in the clear night, the time is long.

Arriving at the sleeping palace where the Queen Mother of the West resided, the hall was quiet and secluded; in a delicate bronze tripod, incense was burning quietly, emitting a pleasant fragrance.

Through the heavy fine jade bead curtains, one could vaguely see a beautiful woman lying horizontally on a couch behind the curtains, one hand supporting her chin, looking graceful and luxurious.

It was none other than the incarnation of the West Flower Supreme Profound Qi, the Yaochi Immortal Realm Great Sage, revered by others as the head of the female immortals, the Queen Mother of the West.

Yang Chan greeted her: "Your Majesty!"

The Queen Mother of the West reached out and beckoned to her, saying:

"Miaojun, come here and let me look at you."

The rows of maids standing on both sides lifted the layers of bead curtains, and Yang Chan walked to the bed of the Queen Mother and bowed again.

The Queen Mother of the West reached out and affectionately smoothed the few strands of black hair that had fallen, smiling: "Your brows are relaxed, you look refreshed, your skin is delicate, and your face is glowing; it seems your married life, little girl, is going quite well..."

Yang Chan had never seen the Queen Mother of the West, as an elder, speak such bold words.

A blush could not help but rise to her face.

The Queen Mother of the West laughed: "You used to be quite bold, why are you so prone to blushing now that you are married~"

After chatting and laughing for a while, the Queen Mother of the West added:

"Although your married life is going well, as an elder, I must still remind you: we women can tie our hearts to a man, but we must never lose ourselves~"

"Otherwise, just like that girl Longji, you will fall into a Love Tribulation, unable to extricate yourself for a long time, wasting countless years and ruining a bright future."

You must know, Longji was conceived and born when she and Haotian first engaged in Dual Cultivation; her origin was so outstanding that it was no less than the most top-tier Xiantian Shengsheng.

Later, Longji even practiced secret Dharma, transforming into a Xiantian Shengsheng.

Not to mention the aptitude for Great Luo, she even had a thirty percent chance of becoming a wielder of Great Divine Ability.

It is a pity,

that back then, that damned Haotian, in order to develop the Heavenly Court, offended several Hunyuan Saints.

Even though she and Haotian had protected Longji in every possible way, she was still dragged into the Conferring of Gods, and in the end, she was schemed against and fell into a Love Tribulation.

Most of her good fortune, destiny, and life-fate were plotted away by petty villains, wasting millions of years.

To this day, she has still not truly emerged from the influence~

Queen Mother of the West let out a breath, and seeing Yang Chan listening attentively, she nodded and continued: "She is still considered fortunate, as she eventually broke free. How many women willingly and gladly sink into it, leaving their entire good fortune to their men and children~"

Yang Chan's expression was unsightly, and she forced a smile: "Niangniang, I understand~"

She naturally heard the subtext in Queen Mother of the West's words; this was using the matter of Longji and her to speak of her own mother's affairs back then.

It could not be considered an exoneration for her cheap uncle, the Jade Emperor, but it sounded awkward no matter how she listened~

Queen Mother of the West sighed, shook her head, and said: "You still do not understand. If you understood, you should turn around and leave,......"

As she spoke, she stopped mid-sentence.

"Very well!"

She sighed again and said:

"Saying anything more to you now is just a waste of breath. I hope you, little girl, will pass your Love Tribulation soon! Do not be like Longji, wasting so much time~"

(End of this chapter)