Shui Miao carefully sensed their presence and discovered that these two creatures were as strong as wrestlers, bare-chested and pot-bellied, with wings on their backs, three eyes on their foreheads, faces resembling red monkeys, and feet like eagles. One held a wedge in its left hand and a cone in its right; the other carried several drums on its body, with another drum under its feet. They were hovering in the clouds, scanning downward as if monitoring something.
Could they be the Thunder Lords?
Upon sensing their appearance, Shui Miao was certain they must be the Thunder Lords.
Startled, Shui Miao quickly withdrew his spiritual awareness, stopped circulating his immortal energy, and dared not provoke any further trouble, lest he attract a swarm of immortals from the Yu Xu Sect and bring disaster upon himself.
After a while, Shui Miao quietly summoned Bai Feng with his mind and asked softly, “Bai Jie, how much do you know about the Thunder Division of the Immortal Realm? Could you tell me something about it?”
“No problem; coincidentally, I know quite a bit,” Bai Feng replied. Assuming Shui Miao was simply bored and wanted to learn more about the Immortal Realm, and since she herself had nothing better to do, she began explaining in a hushed tone. “The Thunder Division of the Immortal Realm is a vast and complex system. Ordinary people think it only consists of the Thunder Lord and Lightning Lady, but this is a mistaken belief. There is a supreme Dharma Lord in the Immortal Realm who controls the blessings and calamities of heaven, holds the authority over all things, and governs both mortals and immortals, determining life and death. He resides in the Divine Thunder Jade Mansion, which oversees thirty-six divisions, the Eastern and Western Hua Tai Pavilions, the Xuan Hall and Miao Pavilion, the Four Mansions, the Six Academies, and various departments, each with its own administrative divisions. It is said that the Four Mansions include the Nine Heavens Jade Clarity Mansion, the Eastern Extreme Green Mystery Mansion, the Nine Skies Response Primordial Mansion, and the Abyssal Depth Jade Mansion. The Six Academies include the Great Unity Inner Academy, the Jade Pivot Academy, the Five Thunder Academy, the Dipper Pivot Academy, the Di Yang Academy, and the Immortal Capital Fire Thunder Academy. The various departments include the Heavenly Administration Department, the Penglai Capital Water Department, the Great Unity Thunder Department, the Northern Emperor Thunder Department, the Northern Dipper Expedition Department, the Northern Dipper Defense Department, the Jade Mansion Thunder Nine Departments, and many other bureaus and offices. Each of these institutions is staffed with Jade Mansion Left and Right Xuan officials, Golden Gate Attendants, Chancellors, Prime Ministers, True Immortals, True Lords, Ministers, Attendants, Immortal Pages, Jade Pages, Jade Boys, and Jade Girls, who command the Thunder Deities, officials, and generals of all divisions. They are known as the Nine Heavens Thunder General, the Eight Directions Cloud Thunder General, the Five Directions Barbarian Thunder Envoy, and the Thunder Division Chief Envoy.”
Bai Feng spoke in great detail, having already decided to follow Shui Miao, and thus held nothing back.
Shui Miao sighed, realizing how narrow-minded he had been, underestimating the Immortal Realm. It was far more vast and complex than he had imagined, filled with countless powerful immortals, far beyond the reach of a mere mortal like himself. At the same time, he felt immense relief, grateful that he had been sent to the Shui Long Ridge in the Miao region by the millennium-old ghost Bai Niang, otherwise he would never have encountered the Yin Spirit or received the help and protection of the middle-aged scholar, the master of the Yin Spirit.
After a pause, Shui Miao asked again, “Bai Jie, I was fortunate enough to visit the Nine Heavens and saw the Twelve Palaces of the Thunder Division. Could you explain what they are?”
“The Thirty-Six Divisions are divided into Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, each consisting of twelve palaces, each governed by different Thunder Lords and Immortals. The Heaven Thunder Twelve Palaces are ruled by the Divine Thunder Thunder Lord, the Five Directions Thunder Lord, the Wind Thunder Lord, the Rain Thunder Lord, the Cloud Thunder Lord, the Blessing Thunder Lord, the Ice Thunder Lord, the Sky Thunder Lord, the Sand Thunder Lord, the Harvest Thunder Lord, the Demon Subduing Thunder Lord, and the Ghost Devouring Thunder Lord. The Earth Thunder Twelve Palaces are governed by the Virtue Thunder Lord, the Evil Punishing Thunder Lord, the Village Guardian Thunder Lord, the Rice Sprouting Thunder Lord, the Seasonal Thunder Lord, the Disaster Repelling Thunder Lord, the Poison Eliminating Thunder Lord, the Crisis Supporting Thunder Lord, the Disease Healing Thunder Lord, the Great Ascension Thunder Lord, the Heaven Patrolling Thunder Lord, and the Earth Investigating Thunder Lord. The Humanity Thunder Twelve Palaces are governed by the Pestilence Eliminating Thunder Lord, the Poison Capturing Thunder Lord, the Disaster Avoiding Thunder Lord, the Calamity Removing Thunder Lord, the Disaster Destroying Thunder Lord, the Temple Destroying Thunder Lord, the Mountain Sealing Thunder Lord, the Tiger Subduing Thunder Lord, the Tiger Striking Thunder Lord, the Corpse Annihilating Thunder Lord, the Obstacle Breaking Thunder Lord, the Soul Managing Thunder Lord, and the Monster Eliminating Thunder Lord. These Thirty-Six Thunder Lords also oversee the Thirty-Six Heavenly Laws, strictly following the orders of the Dharma Lord of Thunder to carry out divine punishment. It is said that their commands are executed as swiftly as wind and fire, never delayed. Where blessings are bestowed, there are contradictions; where thunderclaps are heard, there is a precise number. Drought and rain are determined by the divine decree. It is also rumored that they control the Five Thunders, the Ten Thunders, and the Thirty-Six Thunderforms, though whether this is true remains uncertain. The Five Thunders include Heaven Thunder, Earth Thunder, Water Thunder, Spirit Thunder, and Village Thunder. The Ten Thunders include the Jade Pivot Thunder, the Divine Thunder, the Great Cave Thunder, the Immortal Capital Thunder, the Northern Pole Thunder, the Great Unity Thunder, the Purple Mansion Thunder, the Jade Morning Thunder, the Great Sky Thunder, and the Tai Chi Thunder.”
Though Bai Feng had once been a noble lady, she was also an exceptionally intelligent and perceptive woman with an extraordinary memory. In her youth, it wasn’t that she couldn’t find a husband, but rather that she considered herself too refined and superior to the common men, even looking down upon the sons of noble families, thus preserving her purity.
The Thunder Division alone had so many Thunder Lords, a truly inconceivable situation. After hearing all this, Shui Miao was astonished. On one hand, he marveled at the vastness and complexity of the Immortal Realm; on the other, he was amazed at Bai Feng’s remarkable intellect, capable of memorizing so many names effortlessly and reciting them fluently in one breath—an ability beyond ordinary people.
The matter was now clear: the Thunder Lords patrolling the clouds earlier must have belonged to the Heaven-Patrolling Thunder Division, stationed throughout the realms.
Seeing Shui Miao lost in thought, Bai Feng’s heart stirred, and she said, “Shui Miao, did you sense the Thunder Lords in the sky? They patrol the mortal world for demons and evildoers. We neither defy heaven nor disrupt the order of the Three Realms, so they won’t interfere with us. Of course, there are many cultivators and ghosts in the world who, unaware of the Three Realms’ order, act recklessly and are targeted by the Heaven-Patrolling Thunder Lords, eventually suffering divine punishment. Thunderstorms are often the Thunder Lords punishing these malevolent beings. Also, mortals like you who cultivate to a certain level will also attract the attention of the Heaven-Patrolling Thunder Lords, who will then determine your Three Tribulations and Nine Ordeals based on your cultivation and the merits you have accumulated in the world.”
“…”
Upon hearing this, Shui Miao immediately broke into a cold sweat. If this were truly the case, and every action was being watched by the Heaven-Patrolling Thunder Lords, then absorbing the immortal energy from the Yu Xu Sect cultivator must have been a grave offense! What else could those Thunder Lords in the clouds have been watching if not him?
Seeing Shui Miao’s fear and panic, Bai Feng quickly comforted him, “Don’t worry, Shui Miao. You must be worried about that immortal who came to cause trouble earlier, right? I checked, and he isn’t an official immortal from the Immortal Realm but just a wandering immortal from a minor sect. His conflicts with mortals are none of the Thunder Lords’ concern.”
Shui Miao was amazed that Bai Feng had seen through his thoughts, but what he really wanted to know was the identity of the immortal whose energy he had absorbed. “How can you be so sure he isn’t an official immortal of the Immortal Realm?”
“Hmph, that’s simple. The Immortal Realm has strict rules. Which true deity would have time to descend to the mortal world and waste time killing minor demons? Besides, when he was slaying the small demon, he didn’t even bother to distinguish right from wrong, killing indiscriminately. That’s not the way of true immortals. Therefore, I’m certain he’s nothing more than a minor immortal from a small sect in the Nine Heavens, inexperienced and overly proud, who has never descended to the mortal world before.”
Bai Feng’s analysis was logical and thorough. Having cultivated for centuries, she naturally knew a great deal.
“Oh, I see…”
Shui Miao exhaled deeply in relief, his heart finally settling back into place.
“Bai Jie, you’re really smart. You know so much,” Shui Miao said with admiration, scratching his head with a smile, wanting to thank Bai Feng but having nothing tangible to offer.
Noticing Shui Miao’s shyness, Bai Feng smiled slightly and raised her eyebrows, asking, “Would you like to hear about the Three Calamities and Nine Ordeals? It might be helpful for your future cultivation. Many cultivators go astray because they don’t understand them, ultimately ruining their cultivation.”
“Bai Feng Jie, I actually know a little about the Three Calamities and Nine Ordeals. I think they refer to Thunder Calamity, Wind Calamity, and Fire Calamity. The Nine Ordeals are said to be related to worldly disasters, wealth, beauty, power, mindset, and one’s actions. Not sure if I’m right.”
“More or less. What you’re describing is the common legend of the Three Calamities and Nine Ordeals among mortals. I’m referring to the Great Three Calamities, the Middle Three Calamities, and the Small Three Calamities. Combined, these make up the true Nine Ordeals. There are also the Heaven, Earth, and Humanity Calamities. The legendary Nine Ordeals are actually a set of beliefs imposed by cultivators to help them focus their cultivation, helping them discard distractions and concentrate on their Dao, thus making it easier to advance. In reality, both the Immortal Realm and the mortal world are filled with emotions, desires, love, and hate—mortals have them, and so do immortals. However, it’s undeniable that adhering to the Nine Ordeals and controlling one’s nature does help cultivation. The Small Three Calamities, the Middle Three Calamities, and the Great Three Calamities—before ascending to immortality, cultivators mainly face the Small Three Calamities, which occur every thirty-three years, either Thunder, Wind, or Fire. Surviving all three means they are free from the Small Three Calamities forever. Generally, cultivators who survive the Small Three Calamities will choose to ascend to the Immortal Realm, as the mortal world lacks sufficient spiritual energy for further advancement. However, some extremely powerful individuals choose to transcend the Three Realms, though the success rate is nearly zero—perhaps only one in a million cultivators might succeed. Of course, those who can transcend the Three Realms have no trouble surviving the Middle and Great Three Calamities, so very few cultivators choose to directly transcend the Three Realms. After ascending to immortality, the Middle Three Calamities occur every hundred years. These calamities are extremely terrifying. If one survives three cycles, they achieve the status of a Golden Immortal. If not, all their efforts will be in vain, and they must start anew in the cycle of reincarnation. After surviving the Middle Three Calamities, the Great Three Calamities occur every five hundred years. Surviving them ensures one becomes a major power in the Immortal Realm.”
“Wow! Transcending the Three Realms is that difficult!”
Shui Miao was stunned. He had once dreamed of transcending the Three Realms, but now it seemed like a foolish fantasy!
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