Chapter 159

After the destruction of the East Sea Crystal Palace, you had nothing left to do, for Di Jun knew that with your temperament you could not manage affairs; letting you intervene would only make things worse……

So, for the normal development of all beings in heaven and earth, and to let your mind be more at peace, Di Jun voluntarily took charge of all affairs; after moving the capital to Mount Buzhou, he would no longer let you touch anything.

You can no longer go to various places in the wilderness to uphold justice, and there is no longer any major matter in the world that requires your personal intervention; thus, after being busy for hundreds of great cycles, you have finally retired completely….

You have obtained the long‑sought‑after true freedom; anyway, everything is handled by the younger generation, so you can naturally enjoy this hard‑earned leisurely life.

The only regret is that, after you dealt with the Azure Dragon Four Brothers, Old Daoist Hongjun left Jade Capital Mountain again, unknown where he went, making it impossible for you to seek him out to discuss the Dao.

Ancestor Phoenix had not gone missing, but after the Heavenly Court took over the South Wasteland, she moved back to her homeland, the Great Volcano Mountain; as she said: living on Jade Capital Mountain had become tiresome, whereas the Great Volcano Mountain at home was better, for she could bathe in the underground fire, unlike Jade Capital Mountain, which only had a cold, icy stone……

Thus, your two close friends are no longer on Jade Capital Mountain, while Xihe, Di Jun, and Taiyi the three siblings have also moved to Mount Buzhou, the new capital of the Heavenly Court; even the eight hundred second‑generation phoenix lineages that originally resided at the foot of Jade Capital Mountain have gone to Mount Buzhou as the Heavenly Court's core members.

The whole mountain now has only you, a solitary lone figure, like an empty‑nest old bird……

Fortunately, having previously captured the juvenile son of the Ancestor Dragon, Huang Long, the bored you took him as a junior‑generation youngster, earnestly teaching him immortal arts, hoping to end your enmity with the dragon clan through him.

……

Eastern Wasteland, on Jade Capital Mountain.

Although the Heavenly Court has already moved its capital to the foot of Mount Buzhou in Central Land, as the birthplace of the Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Emperor still attaches great importance to Jade Capital Mountain; since the relocation, he has forbidden all demons from approaching this mountain.

Anyone with clear eyes can see that the Heavenly Emperor is doing this to provide a quiet retreat for his adoptive father, so as to avoid unrelated personnel disturbing the mountain's immortal realm……

At this moment, the Heavenly Emperor stands upon this tranquil immortal mountain, gazing with a complex expression at the old tree's spiritual root.

Memories of the past gradually surge forth:

Daily life, warmth, cultivation, squabbles, admonitions……

Past events rise like smoke to his heart, causing the Heavenly Emperor who reigns over the wilderness to feel a sudden, deep nostalgia.

Of course, the tranquil days on the mountain are nostalgic, but people must grow; now, as the Heavenly Emperor, governing the state from the foot of Mount Buzhou is far more satisfying.

Power‑wielding beings only truly grow once they have come into contact with power.

Di Jun has already grown up; though he feels nostalgic, he would certainly not be willing to return to that way of life……

However, although he does not wish to return to his former lifestyle, he also does not want others to seize that past life that belonged to him.

What I don't want, you're not allowed to take!

So, when he saw his adoptive father sitting under the tree, teaching the yellow‑clad youngster just as he himself had been taught in the past, Di Jun felt an itch in his teeth:

Damned dragon‑clan remnant, do you intend to snatch away my childhood?!

"Adoptive father!"

Di Jun, his face grim, could not bear it any longer and blurted out.

The red‑robed man had still been criticizing the yellow‑clad youngster; upon hearing Di Jun's shout, he turned his head in surprise.

"Ah Jun? You're not attending to affairs in the Heavenly Court—what are you doing here?"

Di Jun: ……

"Just because I have nothing to do, does that mean I can't come back to see you?!"

"This is also my home!"

Di Jun, feeling wronged,

"Nothing much, just came to see my adoptive father……"

Jiaoming immediately raised his eyebrows and criticized:

"Nonsense! You now bear the burden of countless billions of beings in the wilderness; the fortune and misfortune of all life rests on you alone. With such a heavy responsibility, how can you gallivant about at will? Hurry back!"

Di Jun: ……

"Fine, fine, fine!"

With a sigh, Di Jun had no choice but to retreat; just before leaving, he furtively glanced at a certain yellow‑clad youngster, making the lad break out in a sweat……

After Di Jun departed, the yellow‑clad youngster finally let out a breath of relief:

He is no fool; the Heavenly Emperor's purpose in coming this time is certainly not merely to take a casual look.

If his guess is correct, the reason must lie with him himself; after all, he is a remnant of the Ancestor Dragon, and the Heavenly Emperor's return this time likely means he seeks an opportunity to personally dispose of him!

(Di Jun: "A naturally evil little dragon demon, I'll personally……")

Seeing the yellow‑clad youngster sigh, Jiaoming furrowed his brows and looked at him:

"What nonsense are you thinking about now? Go on and explain the immortal arts to me again from the start; if you still can't get it right……"

Huang Long gazed blankly at Jiaoming.

He truly cannot fathom what this Daoist is thinking; clearly they share a deep hatred, yet instead of eradicating the root, they want to teach him some immortal arts.

This is sheer nonsense; could it be that you really intend to use this method to dispel the hatred?

Huang Long almost wanted to laugh; although he is young and ignorant, being a divine being born from the Ancestor Dragon's essence, he is no mere child, and his mind is sound.

Theoretically, the only difference between him and an adult dragon lies in experience and worldview; everything else is the same.

Therefore, he naturally knows what his family has endured, and he also knows exactly how vicious the seemingly benevolent red‑robed person before him truly is, as well as the true extent of the enmity between them.

He personally killed his father and three elder brothers, sent his eldest brother to prison, and razed his family's home to ruins; the great clan, too, saw each member sentenced.

Such a mortal enemy, who shares no heaven with him, actually wants to resolve their hatred……

To be frank, even the young and ignorant Huang Long now feels a bit resentful, thinking that this enemy's mind is less mature than his own.

But…… despite the fact that his entire clan is either dead or imprisoned, he himself happens to be able to come to Jade Capital Mountain, this safe zone, and continue living peacefully.

Regarding this, Huang Long feels quite fortunate:

At least he has survived……

He feels no affection for the father he has never met, and the notion of avenging his father's death means nothing to Huang Long.

His four brothers he sees often, but they likewise do not care for him, as if he were merely an optional extra; his existence serves only to fulfill his father's stamp‑collecting wish……

Consequently, Huang Long harbors not the slightest desire for revenge.

A bunch of so‑called relatives who care nothing for him—is it worth risking his life to take revenge on them?

Don't joke around, I'm not a stupid kid!

Huang Long's current mindset is:

Just live well, that's enough; nothing else is my business!

Whoever wants revenge can go ahead; anyway, just don't drag me into it…

Of course, that's what they say, but whenever I think of the tragic scene at my home, Huang Long feels vexed and uneasy.

So he hesitated for a moment, then asked:

"Senior, should my father and brothers all die?"

Jiao Ming heard his words and stared at him:

"They should!"

Hearing Jiao Ming's answer, Huang Long asked weakly:

"I want to know where they went wrong…"

Where did they go wrong?

Jiao Ming's gaze gradually drifted…

After a long while, he slowly said:

"I'll tell you a story; after you hear it, you'll understand everything."

A story?

Huang Long felt a bit bewildered and curious; although he didn't know why his question would prompt this person to tell a story, he really wanted to hear what kind of story could condemn his father and brothers.

"It's the story of an ordinary firebird with no parents, when it first came to this world…"

……

【Your story, in fact, is everything you've experienced across your three lifetimes; in your slow and vivid narration, using an ordinary small firebird as perspective, it gradually outlines the savagery and sacrifice of the three tribes era…】

【Since you didn't hide your three-lifetime reincarnation, Huang Long was dumbfounded at that moment!】

【Huang Long: …… (CPU no response)】

【He stared in shock at you, the storyteller, and his first reaction was that you were talking nonsense!】

【Not to mention that resetting time itself is a bewildering thing; just saying that using the three ancestors' slaughter in the story to condemn the real three ancestors is already laughable.】

【First, you say my father slaughtered countless, but in reality, he never slaughtered anything; all your claims are mere speculation!】

【Second, you say the three ancestors treat all beings as worthless, so why did you only kill my father and the ancestral qilin?】

【You should also try killing the ancestral phoenix!】

【Of course, Huang Long only dared to mutter inwardly, not daring to say anything else…】

【But as your narration becomes more and more true, especially after Huang Long speculated a bit, he couldn't help but admit: if you hadn't made all those subtle manipulations in this life, the future would indeed unfold this way.】

【His perception of his father comes entirely from bloodline inheritance and his brothers' accounts; although those sources couldn't contain negative depictions of his father, from their words and deeds one can indeed see a glimpse: his father is absolutely not a good person!】

【Sacrificing myriad spirits to attain the Dao—he truly did it; and his brothers stirred up hatred and spread rumors, intending to use the myriad spirits of the Eastern Sea as cannon fodder shields, which Huang Long also witnessed firsthand.】

【Thus, his already scant hatred gradually faded: if his father and brothers were truly innocent and died unjustly, he would certainly not be able to let it go.】

【But if they were indeed deserving of death, he would not only feel no hatred, but would swiftly sever ties with his family…】

【After all, a bunch of nobles inexplicably demanding that one bear hatred and abandon one's bright prospects—one would certainly not be willing.】

【Sever! Sever it hard!】

【Dragon clan? What dragon clan? I've long been a person of Jade Capital Mountain; I've already transformed into human form!】

……

(End of chapter)