Chapter 590

In the imperial palace of Jingcheng, the young emperor awoke from sleep, feeling dazed.

The eunuch noticed this at once.

“Your Majesty, what’s wrong?”

“Last night… I had a dream…”

“What dream?”

“I dreamed of Emperor Taizu…”

The emperor’s expression was distant, unable to distinguish dream from reality.

“It’s a good omen, Your Majesty, that you dreamed of Emperor Taizu!” the eunuch said at once. “You ascended the throne at such a young age, eradicated the powerful maternal relatives, and quelled the border wars. Rumor has it that Emperor Taizu once traveled with Master Lin to Xianshan to cultivate in seclusion and attain eternal life. For years, he frequently appeared in dreams to Emperor Gaozong, instructing him to prepare clothes and old belongings—but after that, he rarely visited his descendants. Now that he has come to you in a dream, it must be an affirmation of your achievements!”

“There is affirmation… yes…”

The emperor shook his head.

Seeing this, the eunuch grew instantly anxious, then ventured cautiously:

“What’s wrong…?”

The young emperor sighed sadly:

“Emperor Taizu told me that though the mortal realm lies beneath the Nine Heavens, the Nine Heavens themselves originated from the mortal realm. Though the gods are virtuous, they are forged from mortal incense and offerings—both sides were once equal…”

“Though mortal emperors had shorter lifespans than the Heavenly Lords, their status and authority during their reign were never vastly inferior.”

“The Heavenly Emperor governed wind and rain; the mortal emperor oversaw harvests and plowing. Calamities and blessings were shared equally—gods managed half, mortals managed half, working in concert. The Heavenly Emperor could influence the mortal realm; the mortal emperor could elevate or demote gods. Even in the final years of the previous dynasty, the mortal emperor was no weaker than the Heavenly Lord.”

“But now, the Purple Emperor is tyrannical, the Purple Celestial Palace dominant. The mortal court always obeys divine edicts, and emperors have become puppets of the Purple Emperor and the Nine Heavens.”

The eunuch froze in shock, bowing his head in silence.

“Is it true?”

The emperor asked him, sorrowful.

“Your servant does not know…”

“We have grown up together, know each other deeply—what is there to fear in speaking?”

“This…” The eunuch paused, thinking. “If Emperor Taizu said so, he must have a plan.”

“This…” the eunuch pondered, “the founding emperor said so, he must have a plan.”

The young emperor smiled faintly.

In the dream, Emperor Taizu had told him to act boldly while his authority still stood, not to waste it idly.

Having purged the maternal relatives and quelled border unrest, he now held authority—he must issue an edict to honor a gentler or more upright Heavenly Emperor: the Southern Jade Mirror Emperor or the Heavenly Inspector and Demon Subduing Great Emperor.

Since he has already purged the maternal relatives and quelled border unrest, now is the time of his authority—he must issue an edict to honor a gentler or more upright Heavenly Emperor, namely the Jade Mirror Emperor of the South and the Great Emperor Who Monitors Heaven and Subdues Demons.

“I wonder,” the emperor said, looking at the eunuch, “was this truly Emperor Taizu’s dream, or did I invent it myself? What do you think?”

“Your servant does not know. To your servant, it matters little. What matters is what Your Majesty believes.”

“You truly are clever.”

The emperor said this, dressed himself, then looked up at the sky:

“In the dream, Emperor Taizu said that when I awake, there will be an omen of heaven and earth.”

“Ice three feet thick does not form in a day. The imbalance of power between the mortal realm and the Nine Heavens has lasted too long. The Heavenly Emperor’s authority is deeply rooted. With my own authority, resisting the Nine Heavens and the Purple Emperor will be difficult. Only when heaven and earth manifest an omen—when another god stands against the Purple Emperor—can I issue my edict and reclaim the mortal emperor’s authority from the Purple Emperor.”

The eunuch, hearing this, also turned his gaze outward.

Upon hearing this, the eunuch could not help but look outside.

In the frigid northeast, snow fell heavily, blurring vision—yet shadows flickered atop the rooftiles.

Xian Zhu wore a simple gray-and-white robe, thin against the cold. She held a long sword, her form vanishing into the wind one moment, reappearing atop the roof of another house ahead.

Xian Zhu wore a plain gray-and-white robe, appearing exceedingly frail among the locals; she clutched a long sword, her figure sometimes dissolving into a clear breeze and vanishing, sometimes reappearing atop the tiled roof of another house ahead.

Just as her master had said—

The Purple Emperor’s tyranny was absolute; all demons, driven to desperation, refused to wait for death.

Some demons had united, plotting defenses while he was occupied in the south; others seized the chance to roam and wreak havoc, feeding on blood to strengthen their cultivation and bolster their will to survive.

The monstrous tiger below was one such demon.

“A mere rabbit! How dare you hunt the Mountain Lord!”

“Mountain Lord? Only the virtuous are Mountain Lords. The wicked are merely evil tigers,” said the sword-bearing woman atop the roof, calm. “If you fear me not, why flee?”

“Mountain Lord? Only the virtuous may be called Mountain Lord; the wicked are merely evil tigers,” said the sword-clutching woman on the roof, calm and detached. “If you’re not afraid of me, why are you running?”

The tiger transformed into its true form, sprinting down the street, leaving massive paw prints, then turning its head—eyes glowing red—to fixate on the figure atop the roof:

The evil tiger abruptly reverted to its true form, sprinting down the street and leaving behind a trail of massive paw prints, then twisted its head to fix its glowing red eyes on the figure atop the roof.

In a single breath, it crossed half the street.

Xian Zhu vanished from the roof, reappearing half a street away, carried by the howling north wind—still holding her sword, standing atop a rooftop.

“Why should I tell you where I’m from?”

“You’re a demon! Why torment me?”

“It’s simply good versus evil.”

“Good and evil? The Heavenly Emperor now commands the eradication of all demons and spirits—good or evil, no distinction. Does he care for good or evil? I once cultivated peacefully in the mountains. Had the gods’ war drums not struck my head, had I not barely escaped with my life, would I be here risking everything?”

The tiger below halted, eyes blazing crimson, staring up at the rabbit demon woman:

“You think you’re a righteous hero? Slaying demons, punishing evil, upholding good? The True Lord of this city has seen you. Do you think he’ll spare you because you slay demons? Will he reward your virtue?”

“Do you think you’re upholding justice, slaying demons, punishing evil, and promoting good? The true deities of this city have noticed you—do you believe they’ll deem you virtuous simply because you slay demons, and spare you?”

The sword-bearing woman smiled faintly:

“I won’t spare you, regardless.”

With a roar, the tiger lunged forward—its claws shattered white walls and wooden pillars, sending stone dust and wood splinters flying—and in an instant, it leapt onto the roof.

Roof tiles shattered with clattering crashes.

A hiss!

A brilliant longsword flashed silver—every flying tile, every falling snowflake, cleaved cleanly in two.

A gleaming long sword drew, its silver light flashing—before it, the scattered flying tiles and even falling snowflakes were cleaved cleanly in two.

The claws snapped cleanly off; the swordswoman was blasted backward, vanishing midair.

“Pah! Rabbits are rabbits! How dare you clash with the Mountain Lord?” The tiger shook its paw—new claws grew instantly.

“Pah! A rabbit is still a rabbit! How dare you clash with a Mountain Lord?” The tiger swung its paw, and its claws extended.

The woman reappeared atop another pavilion, standing on the upturned eaves, smiling as the tiger leapt straight at her across ten zhang.

The woman reappeared atop another pavilion, standing on the upturned eave, smiling faintly as she watched the ferocious tiger leap straight at her across more than ten zhang, then raised her sword and pointed.

“Mountain crushes the crown!”

With a thunderous crash, the tiger plummeted from midair.

Amid silent snow, it crushed stone paving and bricks—the impact echoed far. Many townsfolk awoke, but dared not step outside.

Xian Zhu exhaled—spiritual flames filled the sky, dispelling the bitter cold.

“Hahahaha! I can’t beat you—but you’re finished!” The dying tiger saw a glimmer in the sky. “This is Dacheng—ahead lies the True Lord’s temple. You dared fight me here? Ha! Zhenyao True Lord has descended in person—you’ll die with me!”

Yet the rabbit demon’s expression did not change.

She stood atop the pavilion’s eaves, gazing upward—calm, as if this were exactly what she desired.

“Hm?”

The tiger’s final thought was shock.

“What demon is fighting here?”

The True Lord’s voice came from the clouds above.

Xian Zhu remained calm.

She knew her master was in the south, clashing with the Purple Emperor. If the battle grew fierce, the Purple Emperor would summon troops from other Imperial Lords. Time would pass—and the True Lord here might be sent south. If one was tied down here, her master and his peers would face one less enemy.

The cunning rabbit has three burrows—often escaping lions, tigers, wolves, and leopards.

She had cultivated the Five Elements Spirit Art, specializing in Five Elements spells, with techniques of severing and regrowing, scattering and reassembling, the Golden Cicada’s Shell Escape—how could she not escape a True Lord?

Besides, this was her path to becoming a True Immortal.

…

At this moment, above the Nine Heavens, gods clashed.

“Absurd! Eradicating demons without distinguishing good from evil, without regard to merit or fault—this is already excessive correction. Now you dare target True Immortals who have done great good for the mortal realm? How is this different from becoming a demon yourself?”

“How dare you rebuke me?!”

The Heavenly Emperor, in his jade hall, roared in fury: “Do you think yourself the Heavenly Inspector?”

“Gods value virtue above all. You, as Heavenly Emperor, set no example. Your actions are absurd and reckless. Even mortal children may spit at you—why may I not rebuke you?”

“What right do you have? I was born in the north, spent my life slaying countless demons. In ancient times, the north teemed with demons. Before I ascended, great demons bred humans, carved out kingdoms—how peaceful is it now? Even across the entire mortal realm, demon chaos in my dynasty rivals that of the last! My merits far surpass yours a thousandfold, ten thousandfold—what right do you have to rebuke me?”

“Your eradication of demons is your merit—that is why you are Heavenly Emperor. But since you took the Nine Heavens, you have ruled tyrannically, oppressed the mortal realm, acted capriciously, slaughtered demons at whim—all from your own selfish desires. That is your fault! Merit is merit, fault is fault—how can you confuse them?”

The two Imperial Lords clashed. Around them, other gods dared not intervene.

One was the reigning Heavenly Emperor—high in status, tyrannical in nature, not to be trifled with.

The other was the Heavenly Inspector and Demon Subduing Imperial Lord of this dynasty. Though his rank was lower, he was deeply revered by officials and commoners alike, his incense burners overflowed, his status immense, upright and stern, even daring to rebuke the Heavenly Emperor—men both revered and feared him, and dared not provoke him.

Moreover, by now, many gods held their own sense of right and wrong—and none dared oppose the Heavenly Inspector.

Moreover, by now, many deities already held their own notions of right and wrong, and would be even less likely to challenge the Great Emperor Who Monitors Heaven and Subdues Demons.

Suddenly, the Great Dao shifted—Heaven and Earth manifested an omen.

Suddenly, the Great Dao shifted, and strange phenomena appeared in heaven and earth.

……

Fengshan Hongye Guan, Zi Yun was watering the immortal tree in the back courtyard with her newly accepted disciple.

She had inherited her master’s diligence; even after taking a disciple, she could not bear to let the disciple do the work, nor could she bear to hand over such a beloved task, so she had the disciple stand by and watch, while she used her spirit-control method to draw water again and again, carefully irrigating the tree’s roots.

It was precisely the time when the immortal fruit was ripening.

Zi Yun’s heart was sweet with delight.

But suddenly, a gentle breeze blew, and the immortal tree before her withered instantly, leaves falling in sheets, immortal fruits crashing to the ground—in an instant, all the grass and trees on the mountain lost their vitality.

“Master!”

The disciple could not help crying out in shock.

Zi Yun also stepped back, step by step, not knowing why.

Yet in the next moment, the immortal trees sprang back to life, sprouting new leaves.

All the grass and trees on the mountain immediately regained their vitality.

As if nothing had just happened.

……

On the streets of Jingcheng, someone was painting on a white wall to earn a reward.

Today the sun shone brightly, the painter was in good spirits, and with a clear mind, he surpassed himself—painting a landscape of lofty mountains and clear waters so lifelike that even the white crane flying above the white clouds seemed to move with spirit.

As the onlookers cheered and the painter basked in pride, no one noticed until someone suddenly cried out: the white clouds in the painting had shifted slightly, and the white crane had flapped its wings.

When that person shouted, the crowd thought it was just a prank.

But within a few breaths, the white clouds in the painting began drifting naturally, and the white crane truly started flying from left to right.

Everyone was stunned.

The wall seemed to have become a window, and the scene within the painting seemed to have transformed

into a mountain right before their eyes.

At first, people thought it was a trick—but even the painter himself was astonished.

One bold man stepped forward—and stepped right into the painting.

But the painting’s world was shallow; he could not walk far before reaching a cliff’s edge, and had to return, stepping back out from the wall’s painted surface.

……

In Yangzhou of the Jiangnan region, an old man died and came back to life.

……

On a northern imperial road, several warriors rode their horses, unaware that the scenery beside them had changed—suddenly, a great city appeared before them; only when they snapped back to awareness did they realize they had reached the gates of Jingcheng.

……

Inside the imperial palace of Jingcheng, the Emperor and the eunuch both looked up at once.

Outside the window, the sky was filled with clouds and rosy light, gradually turning into dreamlike hues.

……

In the far northeastern frozen lands, a delicate woman faced the True Lord, drew her sword, and pointed it—his bronze ancient ge transformed instantly into a golden, shimmering dragon, writhing free from his grasp and turning away.

The True Lord flew into a rage.

The woman was about to leave.

But suddenly, both paused, turning to look toward the distant sky.

Radiant auroras appeared in the heavens.

“Has another great being attained enlightenment?”

The True Lord could not help exclaiming, momentarily forgetting the demon below.

“Master…”

Xian Zhu also murmured softly.

In Yangzhou of Jiangnan, someone had just achieved true enlightenment, drawing dawn and dusk hues and five-colored auspicious clouds—but these were instantly drowned out by the celestial phenomenon.

……

Across the mortal lands, though not numerous, such strange events had arisen in various places—different in form, yet mostly tied to life, death, reincarnation, or the fabric of space. They were both disturbances and marvels.

Above the Nine Heavens, the immortals were in turmoil.

“What is happening?”

“Who has attained great enlightenment again?”

“Is it human or demon?”

“Is it an immortal secluded in deep mountains, or a deity fueled by mortal worship?”

“What great divine art is this?”

The Heavenly Emperor, who had been arguing with the so-called “Supervisor of Heaven and Subduer of Demons,” sat upright, frowning deeply; he lowered his gaze slightly, and his eyes pierced through the clouds, fixing on Huizhou below.

“Hmph! Send the Supervisor of Heaven back!”

Zi Di waved his hand—he valued mortals, eradicated demons and monsters, yet revered deities and oppressed mortals; he had no particular grudge against this deity lord.

Without hesitation, he summoned his attendant:

“Carry my order: summon Fuchi to come and suppress this mortal great being!”

……