Chapter 2: Everyone

「Chen Xing.」

「What’s up?」

「Are you testing the sharpness of my divine sword?」 Xiang Xuanqing glanced at Chen Xing Shenjun with an expressionless face.

"Do you mean to sacrifice a succubus to consecrate your sword? Isn't that a bit of a waste?" Chen Xing Shangzun clicked his tongue, wearing a look of lingering satisfaction.

「Actually, succubi taste quite good.」

「They can transform into whatever you desire. I truly wonder which daoist created such beings—it’s a real test of one’s dao heart, and it’s left me utterly baffled, unable to decide which one is better.」

Qing!

As a blade of light flashed, a massive head flew upward.

「What a fine sword!」

The flying head uttered words of admiration.

The body, severed from its head, clapped for Xiang Xuanqing where it stood.

Not a single drop of blood fell; instead, the severed neck of Chen Xing Shangzun gushed a clear spring, within which countless cheerful little fish could be seen blowing bubbles.

Plop~

One small fish leapt from the water, transforming into a brand-new head.

Chen Xing Shangzun reached up to adjust his new head, then swept his sleeve to recall the severed head that had flown away.

He held his old head in his palm, squinting with a smile: 「I’ve said it before—the beauty of the Dao of Desire is not something everyone can appreciate.」

"Hey hey hey! You guy, I barely got out once..."

As Chen Xing Shangzun calmly stuffed the snarling, furious old head into his sleeve, he apologized to the others:

「Sorry for the disturbance.」

Shangzun Taiyang and the others reluctantly withdrew their gazes.

Didn’t even fight—what a pity.

Shangzun Jing Yao even muttered inwardly: 「If you’re not going to fight, why provoke him? You’re just bored.」

Sitting across from Xiang Xuanqing, Shangzun Tai Bai wore a thoughtful expression. These two daoists were holding back too much—there was no way to gauge their true strength.

After helping Chen Xing Shangzun complete the achievement 「Split Head Operation,」 Xiang Xuanqing casually dropped a remark:

「You asked which daoist created the succubi? I can tell you definitively—it was Luo Hou.」

「…Him, huh~」

After a moment of silence, Chen Xing Shangzun spoke, lowering his head slightly with a troubled expression: 「That might be tricky.」

With a flash of his form, Chen Xing Shangzun returned to his seat.

「Huh? Did I miss something?」 Just as Chen Xing Shangzun sat down, a figure appeared at the seat representing 【Mu Yao Sui Xing】.

Sui Xing Shangzun had a handsome face, a beard as sharp as a blade, and deep eyes that seemed to perceive all mysteries of the world.

He scanned the surroundings, his gaze lingering on the four vacant seats—【Yin Yao Luo Hou】, 【Xu Yao Yue Bo】, 【Tu Yao Zhen Xing】, and 【Huo Yao Ying Huo】—before tilting his head upward toward the Yue Bo star in the heavens.

「Is Xu Yao daoist not coming?」

On the seat of 【Yue Yao Tai Yin】, Wang Shu glanced at Sui Xing Shangzun with mild surprise. 「Indeed.」

「You all know Xu Yao daoist is a bit different from us—he… possesses an extraordinary spirit of adventure.」 Wang Shu carefully chose her words.

Hearing this, the assembled 「fishing elders」 fell into a long silence.

Finally, Xiang Xuanqing sighed softly: 「Did he step into another big pit and can’t get out?」

「Not exactly.」 Wang Shu shook her head gently.

The gods exhaled in relief.

「He died.」

「…」

A barely perceptible smile curled at Wang Shu’s lips.

She continued: 「Before his death, Xu Yao daoist said he encountered some troublesome things, became heavily contaminated, and decided to cleanse his negative influences by dying once.」

「It happened suddenly, so he couldn’t make it to this meeting.」

Upon hearing this, several glances immediately exchanged among the gods in Tai Wei Yuan.

Xiang Xuanqing’s eyes asked: 「Who dug that pit?」

「Not me this time.」

「I don’t trap my own kind.」

「Whoever wants to fish such a stupid fish can have it.」

「Let’s figure out how to pull him back.」「I’m a mushroom that won’t speak.」

???

Shhh shhh shhh—Xiang Xuanqing and the others all glared furiously at the one who just ruined the formation.

【Tu Yao Zhen Xing Shangzun】—Zhen Yuanzi.

He had just arrived, yet was met with the full gaze of the gods—but he remained calm, conveying his intent through his eyes alone:

「I’m a mushroom that won’t speak.」

Several of them stared blankly at each other.

「Last meeting, wasn’t he the noisy green bamboo?」

「The one before that was the blunt piece of earth.」 Shangzun Taiyang pinched the bridge of his nose, as if the memory pained him.

「The one before that claimed he was an echoing valley and just repeated everything we said.」 Xiang Xuanqing looked at Zhen Xing Shangzun with a strange expression—he had his suspicions about this daoist’s origins.

But every time he saw such an absurdly fresh and unconventional behavior, Xiang Xuanqing briefly doubted whether he’d guessed wrong.

「Could it be that later legends got it wrong—that the ‘zhuang’ in Wuzhuangguan isn’t ‘solemn,’ but ‘costume’?」

Xiang Xuanqing mused inwardly—could this be the first god of performance art?

Shangzun Jin Yao, however, wholeheartedly approved. He nodded in admiration: 「To enter all forms, to break all forms—that is true great freedom. I believe Zhen Yao daoist has truly comprehended the true meaning of the Dao.」

No matter how others viewed Zhen Xing Shangzun, he remained utterly composed, fully devoted to playing the role of a mushroom—even the clouds behind him transformed into the shape of a giant mushroom.

Wang Shu sat at the head of the table, observing the expressions of all present: 「Aside from Yin Yao and Xu Yao, who are absent due to circumstances, Huo Yao daoist also cannot attend this time. After the meeting, I’ll send them a record of the proceedings.」

Wang Shu lightly struck the jade chime to her right: 「Now, the 972nd meeting of this session of Tai Wei Yuan is officially in session.」

As her voice faded, the stars shimmered, and all the gods turned their attention.

Silver moonlight flowed through the void, and countless primordial dao characters, brimming with infinite power, appeared.

「「Persist in Upholding the Spirit of Mutual Assistance, and Continue Deeply Exploring the Honghuang Heavens and Earth」」

Wang Shu announced the agenda for this meeting—a style established by Xiang Xuanqing during the first Tai Wei Yuan Assembly, which everyone had since continued.

Similar agendas had been raised many times before.

The Honghuang is vast beyond imagination—within a single flower or leaf lies heaven and earth; within a grain of sand or stone, the entire cosmos is contained.

In this first age of creation, the Age of Gods, there are countless things worth exploring, experimenting with, and encountering…

Originally, the Eleven Gods of Tai Wei Yuan gathered together because Xiang Xuanqing started a group chat; secondly, everyone felt such a platform for exchange was far more convenient—and far more interesting—than exploring the Honghuang alone.

Wang Shu crossed her hands on the table, her gaze toward the others carrying a hint of anticipation: 「Daoists, share your latest major discoveries.」

「I’ll go first.」 Shangzun Taiyang swept his right hand across the table; rolling clouds surged upward, then a gentle breeze blew, parting the clouds like a painted scroll to reveal a scene.

Majestic mountains, boundless seas of clouds, and a crimson serpent coiled through ancient greenery. It resembled the veins of heaven and earth, rippling with the passage of time, vanishing into the deep mountains.

Shangzun Taiyang spoke slowly: 「There is a god on Zhong Mountain—human face, serpent body, crimson in hue. His eyes open, it is day; his eyes close, it is night. His breath is winter; his exhalation, summer; his respiration, wind.」

「This daoist seems to govern the power of time—difficult to communicate with. I tried to make contact twice, and then He took Zhong Mountain and vanished. Now, His whereabouts are unknown.」

「Vanished?」 The others exchanged glances, guessing how Shangzun Taiyang had attempted to communicate with the god of Zhong Mountain.

They knew His appearance, abilities, and the Dao He embodied—surely they’d fought, no one would believe otherwise.

「Has anyone been to Gui Xu recently?」 Chen Xing Shangzun smoothly took over, winking at Xiang Xuanqing.

Xiang Xuanqing’s face darkened. Are we doing this again?

Sure enough, Chen Xing Shangzun continued: 「Lately, many succubi have appeared around Gui Xu—or rather, many different kinds of demons have taken root there, bizarre and varied. I wonder what purpose Yin Yao daoist had in creating them?」

「So you’re planning to drag me into this mess, right?」

Chen Xing didn’t deny it—he indeed had that idea.

「But succubi taste really good. If I thought they could enter Tai Wei Yuan, I’d have brought you some.」

Xiang Xuanqing rolled his eyes: 「Thanks a lot.」

Chen Xing Shangzun smiled: 「You’re welcome.」

He turned to the others and sent each of them a coordinate.

「If you’re interested, feel free to investigate.」

「Thanks again!」 The others instantly erased the coordinates from their memories.

Chen Xing felt deeply saddened.

Jing Yao expressed sympathy: 「You damn lightning-strike target, go face Luo Hou yourself!」

The author’s previous novel inherited some of these concepts—it’s 2 million words long, with a uniquely odd tone. Friends interested can check it out.

(End of Chapter)