Chapter 459

Taishang Laojun looked at Chenxiang, feeling a pang of heartache involuntarily.

After all, Chenxiang appeared to have absolutely no relation to Taishang Laojun. But in his bones, in his flesh and blood, flowed nothing but Taishang Laojun's precious Immortal Pills!

Tang An watched the look in Taishang Laojun's eyes as he gazed at Chenxiang, and could not help but feel a bit guilty.

"Since your grand-uncle has asked you to go, then you should go."

She also knew that since Taishang Laojun had spoken, he must have had his own considerations. Chenxiang's body was full of the power of Immortal Pills, and it was indeed most appropriate for Taishang Laojun to teach him how to master that power.

"Chenxiang thanks Grand-uncle." He was so young, truly so young.

No matter where he went, everyone was many generations his senior. Sometimes his mind couldn't react fast enough, and he wouldn't even know how to address people.

"Hmm~" Taishang Laojun stroked his beard with satisfaction, "He is actually more well-behaved than your godmother."

"Grand-uncle." Tang An protested, "Where am I not well-behaved? Didn't I just..."

"Hmm... alright."

Thinking about it carefully, actually, aside from the few times she emptied Taishang Laojun's pill room, aside from drawing down a sky full of Golden Lightning upon him, and aside from tricking him until he didn't even have his belt left, everything else was actually fine... probably.

Well, although there wasn't really anything else, even his Dragon-Coiling Flat Staff was something she would eventually trick him out of in the future.

Taishang Laojun tapped Tang An on the forehead with his Whisk, "You child have always been clever, why have you not yet grasped the logic of the Great Tribulation?"

"Although Chenxiang has already responded to the tribulation, and Yang Chan does not need to be pressed under Huashan, the process of the tribulation must still be manifested in another way."

Tang An suddenly realized, "Oh~ so that means, although the result has been changed, the necessary process must still occur."

If the process did not manifest, I fear other complications would arise in the future.

"Thank you for the reminder, Grand-uncle."

The so-called splitting the mountain to save his mother—although the mother no longer needed saving, and the hundred-year pact had not yet arrived—since the Great Tribulation had appeared, just in case, the mountain still had to be split.

Since it had to be split, Huashan is a mountain, and Lingshan is also a mountain.

"Chenxiang, listen well to your grand-uncle's teachings later, learn the method of circulating your Dharma Power, and fuse the power of the Immortal Pills within you. For this breaking of the formation, your godmother will send you out first."

"Okay!" Chenxiang was high-spirited and vigorous, full of hot-blooded teenage energy.

Tang An smiled and patted his head, then suddenly changed her expression, grabbed his ear, and pulled him to the side.

"Godmother, Godmother, it hurts!"

"Godmother doesn't feel pain, but Godmother's heart aches. It hurts on the child's body, but it hurts even more in the mother's heart."

Chenxiang:??? Does her heart ache? I don't see it at all; her eyes are clearly smiling.

"Godmother, did Chenxiang do something wrong?"

"You little brat, have you forgotten how I taught you?"

"Ah?"

"You cannot play the hero, you cannot think of yourself as a savior; you need to be a salted fish, do you understand what a salted fish is?"

Chenxiang looked at the Opening Heaven Axe in his hand, "A salted fish holding the Opening Heaven Axe?"

"Hey, hey, hey, Godmother, it hurts!"

"Who said you can't be a salted fish while holding the Opening Heaven Axe?" Tang An tightened her grip on his ear, "You listen to me well: if there is danger, you hide behind, and you must never charge forward."

"Even if I and your uncles are in danger, you must not charge forward, do you understand?"

Her tone was suddenly serious, and Chenxiang knew that going there this time would surely have a high probability of encountering a very critical situation.

"Godmother..."

"Chenxiang, listen well, you are different from me. I am forced to bear heavy responsibilities, but you are not."

"I have already paved your path. My only wish is for your family to be reunited and for you to live the happy life I never experienced."

"Do not feel that abandoning me in a critical moment is a psychological burden."

"Because I and your three uncles already have the ability to protect ourselves and turn the tide."

"If you rush out at a critical moment, not only will you fail to save us, but you might be controlled by the opponent and become a threat used to force us to submit, understand?"

Chenxiang pondered for a long while before nodding dejectedly.

He had already planned to show off and have a big fight, but Tang An had dampened his spirit and taught him a forced composure.

Tang An rubbed his head and smiled, "When we fight the Outer Realm Demon Race in the future, will there be a shortage of fights for you?"

Chenxiang's eyes lit up instantly, "Really?"

"Really, when has Godmother ever lied to you?"

Chenxiang thought about it, and Tang An really hadn't lied to him. However, every time she tricked him, the outcome was worse than being lied to.

"Godmother." Recalling those memories, Chenxiang suddenly hugged Tang An. "I know, you want me to be a salted fish to keep me safe, so I won't be as bitter and tired as you and my three uncles."

"I also know that the fundamental purpose of you not letting me rush out is to keep me safe."

"But, Chenxiang will definitely grow up quickly. One day, I will be able to help Godmother and no longer be a burden."

Tang An felt a lump in her throat at the child's words and patted his back. "What are you doing? We are going to settle scores, not saying goodbye forever."

"Hmm." Chenxiang let go of Tang An, "I know, I know everything." He smiled with the corners of his mouth, finished speaking, and ran off to Yang Jian and the others.

However, after running a few steps, Chenxiang stopped and looked back at Tang An.

"Godmother, whether it is this time or every time in the future, if it truly comes to a life-or-death moment, even if Chenxiang becomes a burden, I will rush out without hesitation."

"You can punish me however you want afterward, but I just can't watch you and my uncles fall into danger and remain indifferent."

"Rest assured, Chenxiang was raised by you. When that time comes, I will not become a handle for the enemy to threaten you with, but a blade plunged into the enemy's heart."

He ran off after speaking, afraid that if he ran a moment later, Tang An would grab his ear and lecture him again.

After all, he was a child raised by Tang An, born clever and with high comprehension. How could he not understand the deep meaning of Tang An teaching him the way of the golden mean? And how could he not understand the effort Tang An had put into him?

She wanted him to grow up carefree, and how could he not want Tang An to lay down her burdens and live freely?

"Silly child, I hope you will never understand the saying that being overly emotional is not a benefit."

Tang An looked up and held back her tears; the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals had already arrived. Next, it was her stage.

Crusade Against Lingshan, The Prelude to the Great War Begins

Tang An teleported into mid-air, the Jinbao Sword appeared in her hand, and she pointed the blade toward the west, her momentum like a rainbow.

"All generals, heed my command!"

"Great army, march!"

War drums sounded, and celestial music rang out.

At Tang An's command, Nezha led the charge, and nearly the entire force of five hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals mobilized.

A long-planned, massive crusade had officially begun.