Chapter 600: This Is True Greatness

It was hard to say whether it was two people and a fox, or one person and two foxes—but with one step forward, they were already in the Nine Heavens.

Same rolling white clouds, golden palaces of the divine.

Yet unlike before, countless True Lords, Spirit Officials, Heavenly Soldiers, and Immortals of all paths now gathered here, noise filling the air.

“The Purple Emperor has not returned!”

“The Southern Jade Mirror Emperor has acted—he blocked the Western Miao Ming Emperor!”

“What? How dare he?”

“Of course he’s vying for the Throne of Heaven again.”

“Then why hasn’t the Eastern Qing Hua Emperor come?”

“I did not see Qing Hua Emperor, only his divine attendants. He said that since Jade Mirror Emperor has acted, this is no longer the Nine Heavens’ campaign to purge demons and monsters, but a struggle over the rightful divine incense— they will wait until Jade Mirror Emperor and the Emperor of Heaven settle their victory before aiding in subduing Yao Hua.”

“This…”

But silence soon fell over the place.

For the Nine-Tailed Yao Hua Lady, the Daoist-robed Lin Zhen, and the eight-tailed white fox had appeared atop the white clouds.

“Demon Daoist! Where is the Emperor of Heaven?”

Immediately, a martial deity clad in golden armor, wielding twin hammers, stepped forward and shouted—courageous indeed.

Behind him stood many martial deities, tall and robust, clad in differing armors and wielding varied weapons, all glaring at Lin Jue.

“Lin Zhen? Where is the Purple Emperor?”

A senior deity in official robes also stepped forward to ask.

Lin Jue glanced at them, then looked further back, spotting the Southern Heavenly Master—the Monitor of Heaven and Subduer of Demons.

A few spirits stood with him, but not many.

This was normal—

The Southern Heavenly Master was upright and just; in the Nine Heavens, where virtue was prized, virtuous spirits naturally admired him and wished to associate with him. But this was still the Purple Emperor’s domain, and the most esteemed spirits were mostly those he brought from the north—he had openly defied the Purple Emperor many times, so naturally he was disliked by the Purple Emperor’s retinue.

Lin Jue thought for a moment, then said:

“The Purple Emperor and I debated the Dao. We did not reach agreement, nor did he convince me, so he remains as my guest for a while before returning.”

“Bold demon Daoist! You dare imprison the Emperor of Heaven!”

The golden-armored martial deity erupted in fury, clashing his twin hammers together to unleash ten-thousand-jun thunder, gritting his teeth and fixing his gaze on Lin Jue, ready to fight to the death.

These northern spirits truly had bold courage.

Yet none of the Purple Emperor’s famed generals could match him, not even the Purple Emperor himself could overcome him—how could these Heavenly Guardian Deities hope to stand against him?

“The Purple Emperor is unharmed. Please remain calm,” Lin Jue said calmly. “As spirits, consider how to maintain the normal operation of the Nine Heavens and prevent chaos from spilling into the mortal realm. Otherwise, even if the Purple Emperor returns, he may rebuke you.”

But Yao Hua Lady did not wait for him, nor did she heed the countless Heavenly Soldiers and spirits—while he spoke, she floated away leisurely.

After speaking those words, Lin Jue glanced at the Southern Heavenly Master, then directly rode the clouds away.

Unexpectedly, the Southern Heavenly Master actively chased after him.

Lin Jue slowed his pace, waiting for him amid the white clouds.

“Lin Zhen! Where is the Purple Emperor?” The Southern Heavenly Master flew up and asked the same question.

“The Purple Emperor fought Yao Hua Lady; both exhausted their divine power. I seized the opportunity to force Yao Hua to sever her tail, and used one of my avatars to keep the Purple Emperor trapped in an otherworldly cave realm,” Lin Jue said, his mind flashing to the avatar’s image—seated opposite the Purple Emperor, both silent. “Otherwise, when the Purple Emperor emerges, chaos will reign again—and I alone cannot contain him.”

“How dare you! Though the Purple Emperor is stubborn, foolish, and tyrannical, he is still the Emperor of Heaven! How could you imprison him in secret?” The Southern Heavenly Master was frantic. “Even if you defeated him, you could petition the Celestial Venerable to punish him, sever his worship, or help another Emperor replace him—but how could you imprison him in secret? Even if a new Emperor rises, you will not earn a good reputation—they will not let you off.”

“The Purple Emperor’s obsession runs too deep. If he remains ruler of the Nine Heavens, it will bring no good to the Nine Heavens, the mortal realm, or my Fuyao.”

Lin Jue remained unmoved, only turning to the Southern.

Just then he continued:

“I agree with you, Lord Nan: we could help another Emperor replace the Purple Emperor. But in my view, if the Nine Heavens must choose a new Emperor, it must be a spirit of upright integrity.”

“The Nine Heavens have no shortage of upright spirits.”

“The Nine Heavens have no shortage of upright spirits, but such spirits are often detached and desireless—hardly fit to become Emperor,” Lin Jue said. “And if we release him now, not only might chaos reign again, but even if I defeat him again, it will only benefit the Southern Jade Mirror Emperor.”

“Do you think Jade Mirror Emperor lacks integrity?”

“I do not know,” Lin Jue said, looking at the Southern Heavenly Master. “But I know a spirit better suited than him.”

Was the Southern Heavenly Master the type to dawdle?

He immediately raised an eyebrow and said:

“You mean me?”

“Who else?”

“How could I become Emperor?”

The Southern Heavenly Master frowned deeply.

“Why not?” Lin Jue said. “Have you never been disgusted by the Nine Heavens’ spirits acting without restraint? Have you never met anyone more upright and just than yourself? Have you never wished to purify the moral climate of the Nine Heavens, so that spirits truly deserve the name ‘spirit,’ and prevent the past chaos caused by corrupt deities? We’ve known each other for two hundred years—I refuse to believe you’ve never thought of it.”

“This…”

The Southern Heavenly Master fell silent.

“Again, we’ve known each other two hundred years—from mortal to immortal. Why be so hesitant?” Lin Jue said. “The reverence the mortal people, officials, and even the Emperor and ministers show you—don’t you know how much incense you receive daily?”

“But I’ve only just ascended to the Nine Heavens. My foundation is shallow, my influence weak—how can I even claim the throne, let alone hold it? How can I compete with the Purple Emperor or the Southern Jade Mirror Emperor?”

“So that’s your concern…”

Lin Jue shook his head, sneering:

“Tsk. The Nine Heavens’ spirits all claim the throne belongs to the virtuous—but in truth, they still care about factions and power…”

“It’s always been this way.”

“Don’t you have allies? I and my younger sister are your old friends, and we both admire your virtue. More importantly, I have four disciples—except the youngest, who is somewhat dull, the other three all have the potential to attain true immortality. If you uphold virtue, I will have them serve as your celestial officials for a hundred years.”

Lin Jue paused:

“Besides, whether in the mortal realm or the Nine Heavens, those who follow the Dao gain support, while those who lose it are abandoned. You have virtue—spirits will naturally stand with you. As long as you remain upright and just, you need not fear lacking followers in the Nine Heavens. Even if they don’t follow you, they will follow those who are upright and just.”

The Southern Heavenly Master halted, his expression thoughtful.

After a long while, he spoke—but still said:

“Still, imprisoning the Emperor of Heaven is wrong. Release him at once!”

“Hahaha! Even old friends aren’t spared when you scold!” Lin Jue laughed. “Too bad I’m not a spirit, hold no office—you may scold me all you like! I take my leave!”

Lin Jue bowed to him with a smile.

The fox turned its head, waved at him.

The Southern Heavenly Master opened his mouth to say more—but the thundercloud already carried the Daoist and the fox away.

…

Piercing through layers of clouds, descending straight to the mortal realm.

The fires of Yishan had already died down. The True Lords and spirits were gone; the Heavenly Soldiers had withdrawn. Only a few Immortals remained within Yishan, waiting for the Daoist’s return.

“Brother! You’re finally back!” A five-colored auspicious cloud flew to greet him, upon which stood a female Daoist, frowning. “Didn’t you say you’d hold back Fuchi Spirit Lord while Yao Hua Lady dealt with the Purple Emperor? Why did you show up when the Purple Emperor appeared?”

“To be safe.”

Lin Jue glanced at Fuyao, saying nothing more.

Now he recalled: the “Yao Hua Lady’s cave” in Qingyan County likely held one of Yao Hua’s tails.

When Lin Jue asked her then, she replied: “A thousand-year fox becomes a beauty; a thousand-year snake regrows its severed tail; a hundred-year rat can divine.” Since Lin Jue had come to divine, nine out of ten would assume the cave held a “hundred-year rat”—she told no lie, yet deliberately misled.

At this moment, others gathered around Lin Jue.

“Greetings, True Master!” Daoist Tao and Qu Ren bowed to Lin Jue.

“No need for such formalities,” Lin Jue said, looking at them. “Where are Daoist Tao’s disciple and Daoist Jia Qiaozi?”

“They died in battle against the Heavenly Soldiers,” Daoist Tao replied.

“My disciple died for the True Master—it was a worthy death.”

“Are their bodies or souls still intact?”

“They are.”

“Don’t grieve. There’s no such thing as dying worthily or unworthily,” Lin Jue said. “I understand life and death, creation and transformation—I can restore the dead to life.”

“This…”

“Quickly bring me their souls or bodies.”

“Other Daoists in Yishan also perished.”

“Bring them all.”

“Yes…”

The two immediately departed.

“How is younger brother?” the eldest brother asked.

“Unharmed.”

“It’s always the youngest brother—while we fought for half a year, the outcome rested in your hands.”

“How are the three elders?”

“Huh? Why didn’t you answer me?”

“Too lazy to bother with you.”

At this moment, Master Xuanming, Daoist Bai Luan, and Master Moyu also approached and bowed to him:

“Thank you, Lin Daoist.”

“No, thank you, three elders.”

Lin Jue immediately returned their bows.

“Just now, I heard Lin Dao’s sixth senior brother say that it’s not just us here—there’s also aid from Divine Lord Yi Li and Yuan Jun Yue Zhao, assistance from the spirits of Mount Tian, support from the Southern Heavenly Master of the Nine Heavens and the newly appointed Divine Physician, and even Lin Dao’s protectors and disciples are exerting themselves elsewhere...”

"Our mountain’s immortal fruits are about to ripen again; in a few days, I’ll invite them all over for a proper gathering."

"That’s excellent!"

Lin Jue then stepped past them and turned toward the mountain, bowing respectfully:

"May I ask how the Mountain Spirit fares?"

Master Xuan Ming immediately answered beside him:

"The Mountain Spirit is not well. Unlike us, the Mountain Spirit cannot be healed by Lin Zhenren’s fifth senior brother, the Divine Physician. When we’re wounded, calling his name restores us instantly—but he cannot heal the Mountain Spirit. Moreover, the entire conflict, from start to finish, has taken place within the mountain, and the mountain’s spiritual essence is bound to the Mountain Spirit. He has likely suffered devastating losses."

After a moment, a voice finally came from within the mountain:

"I am not greatly harmed... I appreciate your concern. But the Heavenly Emperor, as sovereign of the Nine Heavens, must still attend to other Divine Lords and the Heavenly Venerables."

"Rest assured, Mountain Spirit," Lin Jue said. "The Jade Mirror Divine Lord has long sought to rule the Nine Heavens. With the Purple Emperor now weakened, this is his chance. Other Divine Lords will deal with him. As for the Heavenly Venerables, from what I know, they rarely interfere in worldly affairs. To us, this war seems earth-shattering—but to them, it’s but a blink, a tiny ripple on the ocean. Moreover, the Purple Emperor is the Heavenly Emperor. Since they have not sided with him, they have, in effect, sided with us."

The Mountain Spirit remained silent for a long while.

Moments later, the entire mountain began to tremble.

Lianhuafeng had resettled into its original place. Tiandoufeng lay shattered, yet amid the quaking earth, countless stones rose from nowhere and fell back onto the mountain—repairing its cracks and fissures, returning every fallen pebble to its exact former position.

Not only Lianhuafeng and Tiandoufeng, but farther across the mountain, the collapsed peaks and stone spires of the Western Sea Canyon rose again; the Golden Rooster and Stone Monkey that had tumbled into the valley returned to their places; the Dreambrush Blooming Flowers reappeared; the shattered Immortal Bridge reformed; the collapsed stone pavilion was rebuilt exactly as before.

This weary, weakened Mountain Spirit was summoning every ounce of his power to restore the entire mountain to its original form.

At the same time, the bodies of Tao Daochang’s disciples, Jia Qiaozi’s corpse, and the corpses of many Daoists within the mountain were gathered. Those whose bones were gone had their souls summoned and stood in neat rows.

The power to govern life and death—right now, for these many dead—was a greater miracle than any supreme art of reversing heaven and earth, overturning yin and yang, or turning back time.

This is true greatness.