Golden Immortal City was encircled by Yuan City, Wu City, Fa City, and Hou City, and belonged to the Metal element. It was extremely solid and sturdy.
Golden Immortal City was indeed the true imperial palace.
Inside the city, there were no soldiers or weapons, only six young Taoist apprentices responsible for serving the Heavenly Emperor.
Because the Heavenly Emperor had been in seclusion for a long time, the apprentices had nothing to do and spent their days napping outside. Eventually, they even lost the interest to nap.
Although Golden Immortal City appeared deserted, it contained powerful formations.
However, due to the peace in the Immortal Realm, these formations had not been activated.
Shui Miao arrived at Golden Immortal City and headed directly to the palace where the false Heavenly Emperor, Xuan Chizi, was supposedly in retreat.
When they reached the palace entrance, the six young apprentices saw the Tianji Zunzhe returning and hurriedly came out to greet him.
These little apprentices were truly pitiful, Shui Miao thought as he looked at them, finding them cute and innocent. He squatted down and asked, “Now, I’ll give you a chance. Tell me where you most want to go?”
“To the mortal realm! I want to go to the mortal realm!”
“I also want to go to the mortal realm…”
“Me, me, me, I also want to…”
The six innocent apprentices rushed to answer.
Shui Miao was puzzled, “Why? Don’t you know that the mortal realm is full of hardships? Being a mortal is very tiring, especially being a good one, which is even more exhausting.”
“But mortals seem to live comfortably, right? We heard that mortals spend their days sun-drying nets, fishing, being loving to their spouses, and composing poetry…”
“Can’t mortals also possess magical powers?”
“Why would mortals be tired?”
The six young apprentices knew nothing, as if they lived in a fairy tale world.
Sighing deeply, Shui Miao said, “That was a long, long time ago. Now, in the mortal realm, the first thing you drink after birth is toxic milk powder. Drinking breast milk filled with silicone is even worse. Then, at a very young age, you are forced under great pressure to study knowledge, subjected to endless brainwashing education. After studying, you face endless work to earn money—lots and lots of money. Without money, no one will respect you. When you finally have money, you’re already old. Because of a lifetime of unhealthy food, various cancers and diseases come knocking, and the money you earned will be spent on medical treatments. Moreover, due to the terrible environment, you won’t even be able to breathe in spiritual energy for cultivation throughout your life. Finally, when you die, your children will have to spend a fortune on your burial…”
…
Hearing Shui Miao’s description, the innocent young apprentices were instantly stunned and terrified.
The Golden Immortal City is surrounded by the Source City, Enlightenment City, Punishment City, and Benevolence City. Its attribute is metal, making it exceptionally sturdy.
The Golden Immortal City is the true Golden Hall of the Emperor.
Inside the Golden City, there are no soldiers or weapons, only six young disciples tasked with serving the Heavenly Emperor.
Since the Heavenly Emperor has been in seclusion for a long time, the young disciples have nothing to do and spend their days dozing off outside. Over time, they’ve even lost interest in napping.
Though the Golden City is empty, its formations are formidable.
However, since the celestial realm is undisturbed, these formations have not been activated.
Shui Miao arrived at the Golden City and headed straight for the palace where the false Heavenly Emperor, Xuan Chizi, was in seclusion.
As he approached the palace, the six young disciples, seeing the return of the Heavenly Strategist, hurried out to greet him.
These young disciples are truly pitiful! Shui Miao looked at them, finding them cute and pure-hearted. He crouched down and asked, “Now, I’ll give you an opportunity. Tell me, where would you most like to go?”
“To the mortal world! I want to go to the mortal world!”
“Me too, I want to go to the mortal world…”
“Me, me, me, I also want to go…”
The six innocent disciples eagerly answered.
Shui Miao was puzzled. “Why? Don’t you know the hardships of the mortal world? Being a mortal is exhausting, especially being a good one—it’s even more tiring.”
“Isn’t life comfortable for mortals? We’ve heard that mortals spend their days fishing, enjoying marital bliss, and composing poetry…”
“Can’t mortals also possess magical powers?”
“Why is being a mortal so exhausting?”
The six disciples, knowing nothing, seemed to live in a fairy-tale world.
“Ah!”
Shui Miao sighed deeply. “That was the mortal world of a long, long time ago. In the current mortal world, the first thing you’d drink as a baby is poisoned milk powder, and if you drink silicone-laced breast milk, it’s even worse. Then, before you’re even a few years old, you’re forced to study, subjected to endless brainwashing education. After finishing your studies, you’re faced with endless work to earn money—lots and lots of it. Without money, you’ll never be respected. By the time you have money, you’re already old. And because you’ve spent your life eating unhealthy food, you’ll be plagued by various cancers and diseases. The money you’ve earned will be spent on medical bills. And because the environment is so poor, you’ll never breathe in spiritual energy to cultivate. Finally, when you die, your children will have to spend a fortune to buy you a burial plot…”
“…”
Hearing Shui Miao’s description, the naive disciples were utterly shocked and terrified.
Seeing the stunned expressions on their faces, Shui Miao sighed again. “Stay in the celestial realm, live well. If you really want to leave, try being a wandering immortal in the Nine Heavens for a few days. Now, leave this place. If you want to return, go to my Heavenly Strategy Mansion. It’s lively there, so you won’t be bored to death every day.”
“Go, go, first go to the Heavenly Strategy Mansion and register with Deputy City Lord Shui Tianyi.”
The Heavenly Strategist’s puppet also spoke.
The six disciples, hearing this, quickly obeyed and hurried off to the Punishment City.
Now, the Golden City was empty, with only the false Heavenly Emperor, Xuan Chizi, remaining.
Shui Miao first went to the core of the Golden City’s formation, directly dispersing Xuan Chizi’s spirit, taking control of the Golden City, and activating its defensive formations.
Then, Shui Miao and the Heavenly Strategist’s puppet went to the Quiet Palace, using their magic to open the palace doors and see the false Heavenly Emperor, Xuan Chizi, sitting inside.
Xuan Chizi, in the form of the Heavenly Emperor, sat steadily, his body like a jade-carved statue.
Seeing the false Heavenly Emperor, Xuan Chizi, Shui Miao did not act rashly. Instead, he activated his protective treasures and then fully unleashed his Dream Demon technique to sense Xuan Chizi…
“Ah…”
After sensing for a moment, Shui Miao’s heart was shaken.
This Xuan Chizi was actually a fake—he was merely a puppet substitute for Xuan Chizi.
Shui Miao’s mind moved, gathering all his strength, and in an instant, he extracted the mirror substitute from within the puppet’s body, using his magic to force out the trace of Xuan Chizi’s spirit left inside.
This Xuan Chizi is truly a formidable opponent!
Originally, Shui Miao was in the shadows while Xuan Chizi was in the light. Now, the situation had reversed—Xuan Chizi was in the shadows, and Shui Miao was in the light.
No!
He had to find a way to lure Xuan Chizi out and then eliminate him with thunderous force.
Shui Miao’s thoughts raced, and he came up with two plans.
First, he would turn the Golden City into a self-destructing trap to kill Xuan Chizi.
Second, he would accelerate the reform of the celestial court, which would surely draw Xuan Chizi out. His purpose in posing as the Heavenly Emperor was to control the development of the celestial realm. If reforms were enacted, he would undoubtedly come out to cause trouble.
Thus, Shui Miao immediately set to work.
First, he modified the puppet of the false Xuan Chizi, turning it into his own puppet and installing five self-destructing holy artifacts within it, then allowing it to continue its seclusion.
Next, within the core formation of the Golden City, Shui Miao placed five more holy artifacts. If Xuan Chizi returned to reclaim the Golden City, it would self-destruct, ensuring his demise.
Half an hour later, Shui Miao and the Heavenly Strategist’s puppet left the Golden City.
Without stopping, Shui Miao immediately headed to the Punishment City’s main hall to discuss reform matters with the Punishment Heavenly Lord and the Thunder Lord.
The Punishment Heavenly Lord was highly efficient. He first found the Thunder Lord, Chong Yuanzi, explained the situation, and then separately invited the three city lords of the Source City, Enlightenment City, and Benevolence City.
When Shui Miao arrived, the Punishment Heavenly Lord was explaining the Heavenly Strategist’s intentions for reform to everyone.
Chong Yuanzi had long been dissatisfied with the current system of the celestial court and had no objections to reform.
However, Chong Yuanzi was somewhat surprised, feeling that the Heavenly Strategist wasn’t the type to act this way, and that this behavior was very unusual.
The other three city lords shared similar doubts.
The Source City Lord, Water Sage, was an elderly Confucian scholar who governed the waters of the three realms and the vitality of all things.
The Enlightenment City Lord, Literary Emperor, was a highly learned scholar in black robes, responsible for the development of various formations and celestial texts.
The Benevolence City Lord, Heavenly Virtue Lord, appeared extremely honest and amiable, overseeing all matters not managed by the other three cities.
As the Punishment Heavenly Lord was speaking, the Heavenly Strategist’s puppet arrived with Shui Miao and Shui Tianyi, the Holy Mother.
“Ah, Heavenly Strategist, you’ve come…”
“Heavenly Strategist…”
“…”
As the Heavenly Strategist arrived, everyone stood up to welcome him.
“Let’s continue the discussion. I’ll first listen to everyone’s opinions. By the way, these two are my deputy city lords of the Punishment City. Please get to know them.”
The Heavenly Strategist took the main seat.
Shui Miao and Shui Tianyi exchanged greetings with everyone and, without further ado, sat on either side of the Heavenly Strategist.
The Punishment Heavenly Lord was very efficient, and the seating had already been arranged, so they could take their seats directly.
However, the seating was arranged according to hierarchy, and Shui Miao and Shui Tianyi were clearly placed above everyone else, which made the others somewhat displeased. They were all puzzled as to why the Heavenly Strategist would appoint two relatively inexperienced individuals to such high positions, which seemed to go against the rules.
Once everyone was seated, no one spoke.
The hall was very quiet, with everyone looking down, deep in thought.
Seeing that no one was speaking, Shui Miao stood up and said, “Reform is a monumental task, as it concerns the welfare of all beings in the three realms. I hope everyone can set aside all trivial thoughts and innovate, prioritizing the welfare of all beings in the three realms. We must ensure that the three realms are revitalized, thriving, and improving day by day.”
After speaking, Shui Miao sat back down.
The Heavenly Strategist’s puppet immediately followed up, “Today, I have a celestial secret to reveal to everyone…”
“A celestial secret!”
Hearing this, everyone perked up.
The Heavenly Strategist’s puppet nodded and recounted the ancient immortals’ battle in the celestial and demon realms, where the demon realm emerged victorious. To control the celestial court, the demon realm had done many things to influence the development of the celestial realm, and so on. He then stated that the celestial and demon realms had suffered great calamities, making this the perfect opportunity for the celestial realm to reform and rise.
The Heavenly Strategist’s words left everyone with mixed emotions.
“Reform, I agree. Our current system indeed has many problems. If the Heavenly Strategist trusts me, I’m willing to present a perfect reform plan within three days. However, I need to know the Heavenly Strategist’s limits for reform,” the Enlightenment City Lord, Literary Emperor, was the first to step forward.
The Heavenly Strategist looked at Shui Miao, who stood up and said, “Two plans. First, no limits—as long as it benefits the three realms and strengthens the celestial court, freeing it from the demon realm’s oppression, we can do anything. Second, your ideal plan, Literary Emperor. Now, I’ll create a Time Tower for you. Once you have it, reverse the time within the tower and fully develop both plans.”
After speaking, Shui Miao closed his eyes. In just a few breaths, he brought forth a newly forged Time Tower and activated it… After a burst of radiant light, Shui Miao presented the newly forged Time Tower to the Literary Emperor. “Not bad, I’ve obtained a supreme holy artifact.”
“A supreme holy artifact, the Time Tower! Is this for me?”
Everyone present was moved.
The Literary Emperor was also stunned. A supreme holy artifact—such a treasure was only fit for the Heavenly Emperor, and now Shui Miao was giving it to him?
But what shocked everyone even more was that Shui Miao had forged a supreme holy artifact in such a short time—this was truly terrifying!
“Yes, it’s for you. The first step in celestial reform is to reward merit and punish faults. For those who contribute, we will not be stingy in the slightest,” Shui Miao handed the Time Tower to the Literary Emperor, storing enough crystals within it.
The Literary Emperor, excited, clasped his fists and, without a word, entered the Time Tower.
“Heavenly Strategist, I’m curious about Deputy City Lord Shui Miao’s origins,” to Shui Miao’s surprise, the Source City Lord, Water Sage, suddenly stood up and spoke in a somewhat hostile tone. “The celestial court has its rules. Appointing deputy city lords is a matter for the Heavenly Emperor to decide, isn’t it?”
“Go, go. First, go to Tianji Mansion and register with Vice City Lord Shui Tianyi.”
The Tianji Zunzhe puppet also spoke.
Upon hearing this, the six apprentices hurriedly obeyed and headed to Fa City.
Now, Golden Immortal City was completely empty, with only the false Heavenly Emperor, Xuan Chizi.
Shui Miao first went to the core formation of Golden Immortal City, directly dispersing Xuan Chizi’s soul, taking control of the city, and activating the defensive formation.
Then, Shui Miao and the Tianji Zunzhe puppet arrived at the meditation palace, directly using their magical powers to open the palace door and saw Xuan Chizi sitting cross-legged inside.
At this moment, Xuan Chizi appeared in the form of the Heavenly Emperor, sitting steadily, his body resembling a jade sculpture.
Seeing the false Heavenly Emperor Xuan Chizi, Shui Miao did not act rashly. Instead, he activated his magical treasures for defense and then used the Dream Demon Heart Method to sense Xuan Chizi…
“Uh…”
After sensing for a while, Shui Miao was greatly shocked.
This Xuan Chizi was actually fake—he was merely a puppet substitute of Xuan Chizi.
Shui Miao’s mind shifted, summoning all his strength to instantly extract the Substitute Mirror from the puppet’s body. He then used his magical powers to suppress the puppet, forcibly dispersing the faint soul left behind by Xuan Chizi.
This Xuan Chizi was indeed a formidable opponent!
Originally, Shui Miao had been in the shadows while Xuan Chizi was in the open. Now, the situation had reversed—Xuan Chizi was in the shadows, and Shui Miao was exposed.
No good!
He must find a way to lure Xuan Chizi out and then eliminate him with swift and decisive measures.
Shui Miao’s mind raced, coming up with two plans.
First, he would transform Golden Immortal City into a self-destructing prison, a trap to kill Xuan Chizi.
Second, he would accelerate the reform of the heavenly court, which would definitely draw Xuan Chizi out. His goal in pretending to be the Heavenly Emperor was to control the development of the Immortal Realm. If reforms were implemented, he would surely come out to cause trouble.
Thus, Shui Miao immediately took action.
First, he transformed the puppet of the false Xuan Chizi into his own puppet, placing five self-destructing holy artifacts inside it, and then letting it continue its retreat.
Second, in this Golden Immortal City itself, Shui Miao placed five more holy artifacts of destruction at the core formation. When Xuan Chizi returned to retrieve the city, it would self-destruct, killing him as well.
Half an hour later, Shui Miao and the Tianji Zunzhe puppet left Golden Immortal City.
Without delay, Shui Miao hurriedly went to Fa City’s grand hall to discuss the reform matters with Xingtian Fazun and Leibu Fazun.
Xingtian Fazun was highly efficient. He first sought out Leibu Fazun, Chong Yuanzi, explained the situation to him, and then they separately invited the three city lords of Yuan City, Wu City, and Hou City.
When Shui Miao arrived, Xingtian Fazun was just explaining Tianji Zunzhe’s intention to reform.
Chong Yuanzi had long been dissatisfied with the current system of the heavenly court and had no objections to the reform.
However, Chong Yuanzi was somewhat surprised, feeling that Tianji Zunzhe was not the type of person to act this way. His behavior this time was very strange.
The other three city lords also shared Chong Yuanzi’s doubts.
The city lord of Yuan City, Shui Shengzunzhe, was an elderly Confucian scholar who controlled the water sources of the three realms and the vitality and transformation of all living things.
Wu City managed various formation developments and Tianji books, among other scholarly matters. Its city lord, Wenchang Dijun, was a highly learned scholar dressed in black.
The city lord of Hou City, Tianyi Dejun, appeared to be an extremely honest and approachable person, managing all the affairs that the other three cities did not handle.
As Xingtian Fazun was speaking, the Tianji Zunzhe puppet arrived with Shui Miao and the holy mother Shui Tianyi.
“Hehe, Brother Tianji has arrived…”
“Tianji City Lord…”
“…”
As soon as Tianji Zunzhe arrived, everyone stood up to greet him.
“Hehe, everyone, please continue discussing. I’ll first listen to your opinions. Oh, these two are my vice city lords of Fa City. You all should get to know each other.”
Tianji Zunzhe directly took the main seat.
Shui Miao and Shui Tianyi simply nodded to everyone and sat down on either side of Tianji Zunzhe without much conversation.
Xingtian Fazun was very efficient in arrangements, and the seats had already been prepared, so they could sit down directly.
However, these seats were arranged according to rank and status. Shui Miao and Shui Tianyi were clearly seated ahead of everyone else, which immediately caused some discontent among the others. Everyone was puzzled as to why Tianji Zunzhe had appointed two people with relatively little experience to such high-ranking vice city lord positions, which seemed somewhat against protocol.
After everyone was seated, no one spoke.
The grand hall was very quiet, with everyone lowering their heads, deep in thought.
Seeing that no one was speaking, Shui Miao stood up directly and said, “Reform is a matter of utmost importance, one that affects the well-being of all beings in the three realms. I hope everyone here can discard all irrelevant thoughts and innovate, placing the well-being of all beings in the three realms as the top priority. We must strive to bring about a fresh new look for the three realms, making them flourish and improve continuously.”
After Shui Miao finished speaking, he sat back down.
The Tianji Zunzhe puppet then followed up, saying, “Today, I have a heavenly secret to reveal to all of you…”
“A heavenly secret!”
Hearing this, everyone’s spirits were instantly lifted.
The Golden Immortal City is surrounded by the Source City, Enlightenment City, Punishment City, and Thick City, embodying the attribute of metal, making it exceptionally sturdy.
The Golden Immortal City is the true Golden Throne Hall.
Within the Golden City, there are no soldiers or armor, only six young disciples responsible for serving the Heavenly Emperor.
Since the Heavenly Emperor has been in seclusion for a long time, the young disciples have nothing to do and spend their days dozing off outside. Over time, they even lost interest in dozing.
Although the Golden City is empty, its formations are formidable.
However, because the celestial realm is undisturbed, those formations have not been activated.
Shui Miao arrived at the Golden City and headed straight to the palace where the false Heavenly Emperor, Xuan Chizi, was in seclusion.
Upon reaching the palace, the six young disciples saw that the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign had returned and hurried out to greet him.
These young disciples are so pitiful! Shui Miao looked at them, finding them adorable and pure-hearted, and crouched down to ask, “Now I’ll give you a chance. Tell me, where would you most like to go?”
“To the mortal world, I want to go to the mortal world!”
“I also want to go to the mortal world…”
“Me too, me too…”
The six innocent young disciples eagerly answered.
Shui Miao was puzzled, “Why? Don’t you know the hardships of the mortal world? Being a mortal is exhausting, especially being a good one—it’s even more tiring.”
“Aren’t mortals supposed to live comfortably? We’ve heard that mortals spend their days fishing, loving their spouses, composing poetry…”
“Can’t mortals also possess magical powers?”
“Why would mortals be tired?”
The six young disciples, knowing nothing, seemed to live in a fairy tale world.
“Ah!”
Shui Miao sighed deeply, “That was the mortal world of a long, long time ago. In today’s mortal world, the first thing you’d drink as a baby is poisoned milk powder, and if you drink silicone-laced breast milk, it’s even worse. Then, before you’re even a few years old, you’re forced to study endlessly, subjected to relentless brainwashing education. After finishing your studies, you’re faced with endless work to earn money—lots and lots of it. Without money, you’ll never be respected. By the time you have money, you’re already old, and because you’ve spent your life eating unhealthy food, various cancers and diseases will come. The money you’ve earned will be spent on medical bills, and because the environment is so poor, you’ll never breathe in spiritual energy to cultivate. Finally, when you die, your children will have to spend a fortune to buy you a burial plot…”
“…”
Hearing Shui Miao’s description, the naive young disciples were utterly shocked and terrified.
Seeing the stunned expressions on their faces, Shui Miao sighed again, “Stay in the celestial realm, live well. If you really want to leave, try being a wandering immortal in the Nine Heavens for a few days. Now, leave this place. If you want to return, go to my Celestial Mechanism Mansion. It’s lively there, so you won’t be bored to death every day.”
“Go, go, first go to the Celestial Mechanism Mansion and register with Vice City Lord Shui Tianyi.”
The Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s puppet also spoke.
Upon hearing this, the six young disciples quickly obeyed and hurried off to the Punishment City.
Now, the Golden City was empty, with only the false Heavenly Emperor, Xuan Chizi, remaining.
Shui Miao first went to the core of the Golden City’s grand formation, directly dispersing Xuan Chizi’s primordial spirit, taking control of the Golden City, and activating its defensive formations.
Then, Shui Miao and the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s puppet went to the Quiet Palace, using their powers to open the palace doors and see the false Heavenly Emperor, Xuan Chizi, sitting inside.
Xuan Chizi, in the form of the Heavenly Emperor, sat steadily, his body like a jade-carved statue.
Seeing the false Heavenly Emperor, Xuan Chizi, Shui Miao did not act rashly. Instead, he activated his protective treasures and fully unleashed the Dream Demon Heart Technique to sense Xuan Chizi…
“Uh…”
After sensing for a moment, Shui Miao was greatly shaken.
This Xuan Chizi was actually a fake—a puppet substitute of the real Xuan Chizi.
With a thought, Shui Miao gathered all his strength and instantly extracted the substitute mirror from within the puppet, using his power to force out the trace of primordial spirit Xuan Chizi had left inside.
This Xuan Chizi is truly a formidable opponent!
Originally, Shui Miao was in the shadows, and Xuan Chizi was in the light. Now, the tables had turned—Xuan Chizi was in the shadows, and Shui Miao was in the light.
No!
He must find a way to lure Xuan Chizi out and eliminate him with thunderous force.
Shui Miao’s thoughts raced, and he came up with two plans.
First, he would turn the Golden City into a self-destructing trap to kill Xuan Chizi.
Second, he would accelerate the reforms of the celestial court, which would surely draw Xuan Chizi out. His purpose in posing as the Heavenly Emperor was to control the development of the celestial realm. If reforms were enacted, he would undoubtedly come out to cause trouble.
Thus, Shui Miao immediately set to work.
First, he modified the false Xuan Chizi puppet, turning it into his own puppet and placing five self-destructing holy artifacts inside, then allowing it to continue its seclusion.
Next, within the core formation of the Golden City, Shui Miao placed another five self-destructing holy artifacts. If Xuan Chizi returned to claim the Golden City, it would self-destruct, killing him in the process.
Half an hour later, Shui Miao and the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s puppet left the Golden City.
Without stopping, Shui Miao immediately went to the Punishment City’s grand hall to discuss reform matters with the Punishment Heavenly Sovereign, the Thunder Sovereign, and others.
The Punishment Heavenly Sovereign was highly efficient. He first found the Thunder Sovereign, Chong Yuanzi, explained the situation, and then separately invited the three city lords of the Source City, Enlightenment City, and Thick City.
When Shui Miao arrived, the Punishment Heavenly Sovereign was explaining the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s intentions for reform.
Chong Yuanzi had long been dissatisfied with the current celestial court system and had no objections to reform.
However, Chong Yuanzi was somewhat surprised, as he felt the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign was not the type to act this way, and this behavior was very unusual.
The other three city lords shared similar concerns.
The Source City’s lord, the Water Sage Sovereign, was an elderly Confucian scholar in charge of the three realms’ water sources and the creation of all living things.
The Enlightenment City was responsible for the development of various formations, celestial mechanism books, and other scholarly matters. Its lord, the Literary Emperor, was a highly learned black-robed scholar.
The Thick City’s lord, the Heavenly Virtue Sovereign, appeared to be an extremely honest and amiable person, overseeing all matters not managed by the other three cities.
As the Punishment Heavenly Sovereign was speaking, the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s puppet arrived with Shui Miao and the Holy Mother Shui Tianyi.
“Haha, Brother Celestial Mechanism has arrived…”
“City Lord Celestial Mechanism…”
“…”
As the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign arrived, everyone stood up to greet him.
“Haha, everyone, continue the discussion. I’ll listen to your opinions first. By the way, these two are my vice city lords of the Punishment City. Please get to know them.”
The Celestial Mechanism Sovereign took the main seat.
Shui Miao and Shui Tianyi exchanged greetings with everyone and, without much to say, sat on either side of the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign.
The Punishment Heavenly Sovereign was very efficient, and the seats had already been arranged, so they could sit directly.
However, these seats were arranged according to hierarchy, and Shui Miao and Shui Tianyi were clearly placed above everyone else, which made the others somewhat displeased. They were all puzzled as to why the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign would appoint two relatively inexperienced individuals as vice city lords, which seemed somewhat irregular.
Once everyone was seated, no one spoke.
The grand hall was very quiet, with everyone looking down, seemingly deep in thought.
Seeing that no one was speaking, Shui Miao stood up and said, “Reform is a monumental task, as it concerns the welfare of all beings in the three realms. I hope everyone can set aside all unnecessary thoughts and innovate, prioritizing the welfare of all beings in the three realms. We must ensure that the three realms are revitalized, thriving, and improving day by day.”
After speaking, Shui Miao sat back down.
The Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s puppet immediately followed, “Today, I have a celestial secret to reveal to everyone…”
“A celestial secret!”
Hearing this, everyone perked up.
The Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s puppet nodded and recounted the ancient immortals’ battle in the celestial and demon realms, where the demon realm emerged victorious. To control the celestial court, the demon realm had done many things to influence the development of the celestial realm, and so on. He stated that the celestial and demon realms had suffered great calamities, and now was the best time for the celestial realm to reform and rise.
The Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s words left everyone with mixed feelings.
“Reform, I agree. Our current system indeed has significant issues. If Brother Celestial Mechanism trusts me, I am willing to present a perfect reform plan within three days. However, I need to know the extent of Brother Celestial Mechanism’s limits for reform,” the Enlightenment City’s lord, the Literary Emperor, was the first to stand up.
The Celestial Mechanism Sovereign looked at Shui Miao, who stood up and said, “Two plans. First, no limits—as long as it benefits the three realms and strengthens the celestial court, freeing it from the demon realm’s suppression, we can do anything. Second, the Literary Emperor’s ideal plan. Now, I will create a Time Tower for you, Your Majesty. Once you have the Time Tower, reverse the time within it and fully develop these two complete plans.”
After speaking, Shui Miao closed his eyes. In just a few breaths, he took out a newly forged Time Tower and activated it… After a burst of radiance, Shui Miao presented the newly forged Time Tower to the Literary Emperor, “Not bad, I’ve obtained a supreme holy artifact.”
“A supreme holy artifact, the Time Tower! Is this for me?”
Everyone present was moved.
The Literary Emperor was also stunned. A supreme holy artifact—this was something only the Heavenly Emperor was worthy of possessing, and now Shui Miao had given it to him?
However, in the eyes of others, what was even more shocking was that Shui Miao could forge a supreme holy artifact in such a short time—this was truly terrifying!
“Yes, it’s for you. The first step in celestial court reform is to reward merit and punish faults. For those who have contributed, we will not be the slightest bit stingy,” Shui Miao handed the Time Tower to the Literary Emperor and stored enough crystals within it.
The Literary Emperor, excited, clasped his fists and, without a word, entered the Time Tower.
“Brother Celestial Mechanism, I’m interested to know the origins of Vice City Lord Shui Miao,” to Shui Miao’s surprise, the Source City’s lord, the Water Sage Sovereign, suddenly stood up and spoke in a somewhat hostile tone, “The celestial court has its rules. Appointing a vice city lord is a matter that only the Heavenly Emperor can decide, isn’t it?”
The Tianji Zunzhe puppet’s words immediately stirred complex emotions among everyone.
“I support the reform. Our current system indeed has serious problems. If Brother Tianji trusts me, I am willing to come up with a perfect reform plan within three days. However, I need to know the bottom line of Brother Tianji regarding the reform,” said Wenchang Dijun, the city lord of Wu City, stepping forward first.
The Golden Immortal City is surrounded by the Source City, the Enlightenment City, the Punishment City, and the Benevolence City. Its attribute is metal, making it exceptionally sturdy.
The Golden Immortal City is the true Golden Throne Hall.
Within the Golden City, there are no soldiers or weapons, only six young Daoist novices who serve the Heavenly Emperor.
Since the Heavenly Emperor has been in seclusion for a long time, the novices have nothing to do and spend their days dozing off outside. Over time, they’ve even lost interest in napping.
Although the Golden City is empty, its defensive formations are formidable.
However, since the celestial realm is undisturbed, these formations have not been activated.
Shui Miao arrived at the Golden City and headed straight to the palace where the false Heavenly Emperor, Xuan Chizi, was in seclusion.
As he approached the palace, the six novices, seeing the return of the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign, hurried out to greet him.
These novices are truly pitiful! Shui Miao looked at them, finding them adorable and pure-hearted. He crouched down and asked, “Now, I’ll give you a chance. Tell me, where would you most like to go?”
“To the mortal world! I want to go to the mortal world!”
“Me too, I want to go to the mortal world…”
“Me, me, me, I also want to…”
The six innocent novices eagerly answered.
Shui Miao was puzzled, “Why? Don’t you know the hardships of the mortal world? Being a mortal is exhausting, especially if you want to be a good one—it’s even more tiring.”
“But aren’t mortals living comfortably? We’ve heard that mortals spend their days fishing, loving their spouses, composing poetry…”
“Can’t mortals also possess magical powers?”
“Why are mortals so tired?”
The six novices, knowing nothing, seemed to live in a fairy-tale world.
“Ah!”
Shui Miao sighed deeply, “That was the mortal world of a long, long time ago. In today’s mortal world, the first thing you’ll drink as a baby is poisoned milk powder, and if you drink silicone-laced breast milk, it’s even worse. Then, before you’re even a few years old, you’ll be forced to study endlessly, subjected to relentless brainwashing education. After that, it’s an endless cycle of work to earn money—lots and lots of money. Without money, you’ll never be respected. By the time you have money, you’ll be old, and because you’ve spent your life eating unhealthy food, all sorts of cancers and diseases will come. The money you’ve earned will be spent on medical bills, and because the environment is so poor, you’ll never breathe in spiritual energy to cultivate. Finally, when you die, your children will have to spend a fortune to buy you a burial plot…”
“…”
Hearing Shui Miao’s description, the naive novices were utterly shocked and terrified.
Seeing the stunned expressions on their faces, Shui Miao sighed again, “Stay in the celestial realm, live well. If you really want to leave, try being a wandering immortal in the Nine Heavens for a few days. Now, leave this place. If you want to return, go to my Celestial Mechanism Mansion. It’s lively there, so you won’t be bored to death every day.”
“Go, go, first go to the Celestial Mechanism Mansion and register with Deputy City Lord Shui Tianyi.”
The Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s puppet also spoke.
The six novices, hearing this, quickly obeyed and hurried off to the Punishment City.
Now, the Golden City was empty, with only the false Heavenly Emperor, Xuan Chizi, remaining.
Shui Miao first went to the core of the Golden City’s grand formation, directly dispersing Xuan Chizi’s primordial spirit, taking control of the city, and activating its defensive formations.
Then, Shui Miao and the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s puppet arrived at the Quiet Palace. Using their magical power, they opened the palace doors and saw the false Heavenly Emperor, Xuan Chizi, sitting in meditation inside.
Xuan Chizi, in the form of the Heavenly Emperor, sat steadily, his body like a jade-carved statue.
Seeing the false Heavenly Emperor, Shui Miao did not act rashly. Instead, he activated his protective treasures and fully unleashed his Dream Demon technique to sense Xuan Chizi…
“Ah…”
After sensing for a moment, Shui Miao’s heart was shaken.
This Xuan Chizi was actually a fake—he was merely a puppet substitute for Xuan Chizi.
With a thought, Shui Miao gathered all his power and instantly extracted the substitute mirror from within the puppet’s body. Using his magical power, he forced out the trace of primordial spirit that Xuan Chizi had left within.
This Xuan Chizi is truly a formidable opponent!
Originally, Shui Miao was in the shadows while Xuan Chizi was in the light. But now, the tables had turned—Xuan Chizi was in the shadows, and Shui Miao was exposed.
No!
He had to find a way to lure Xuan Chizi out and then eliminate him with thunderous force.
Shui Miao’s thoughts raced, and he came up with two plans.
First, he would turn the Golden City into a self-destructing trap to kill Xuan Chizi.
Second, he would accelerate the reform of the celestial court, which would surely draw Xuan Chizi out. After all, his purpose in posing as the Heavenly Emperor was to control the development of the celestial realm. If reforms were implemented, he would undoubtedly interfere.
Thus, Shui Miao immediately took action.
First, he modified the puppet of the false Xuan Chizi, turning it into his own puppet and embedding five self-destructing divine artifacts within it, then left it to continue its seclusion.
Next, within the core formation of the Golden City, he placed five more divine artifacts. If Xuan Chizi returned to reclaim the city, it would self-destruct, ensuring his demise.
Half an hour later, Shui Miao and the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s puppet left the Golden City.
Without delay, Shui Miao hurried to the Punishment City’s main hall to discuss reform matters with the Punishment Heavenly Sovereign and the Thunder Sovereign.
The Punishment Heavenly Sovereign was highly efficient. He first found the Thunder Sovereign, Chong Yuanzi, explained the situation, and then separately invited the three city lords of the Source City, the Enlightenment City, and the Benevolence City.
When Shui Miao arrived, the Punishment Heavenly Sovereign was explaining the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s intentions for reform.
Chong Yuanzi had long been dissatisfied with the current celestial system and had no objections to reform.
However, Chong Yuanzi was somewhat surprised, feeling that the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign wasn’t the type to act this way, and found this behavior quite unusual.
The other three city lords shared similar doubts.
The Source City’s lord, the Water Sage Sovereign, was an elderly Confucian scholar who governed the waters of the three realms and the vitality of all living things.
The Enlightenment City was responsible for the development of various formations, celestial books, and matters related to scholarship. Its lord, the Literary Emperor, was a highly learned scholar dressed in black.
The Benevolence City’s lord, the Heavenly Virtue Sovereign, appeared to be an extremely kind and approachable person, overseeing all matters not managed by the other three cities.
As the Punishment Heavenly Sovereign was speaking, the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s puppet arrived with Shui Miao and the Holy Mother, Shui Tianyi.
“Haha, Brother Celestial Mechanism has arrived…”
“Celestial Mechanism City Lord…”
“…”
As the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign entered, everyone stood up to greet him.
“Haha, let’s continue the discussion. I’ll listen to everyone’s opinions first. By the way, these two are my deputy city lords of the Punishment City. Please get to know them.”
The Celestial Mechanism Sovereign took the main seat.
Shui Miao and Shui Tianyi exchanged polite nods with everyone and sat down on either side of the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign without further ado.
The Punishment Heavenly Sovereign was very efficient, and the seating had already been arranged, so everyone could take their seats directly.
However, the seating was arranged according to hierarchy, and Shui Miao and Shui Tianyi were clearly placed above the others, which immediately caused some discomfort. Everyone was puzzled as to why the Celestial Mechanism Sovereign would appoint two relatively inexperienced individuals as deputy city lords, which seemed somewhat irregular.
Once everyone was seated, no one spoke.
The hall was extremely quiet, with everyone deep in thought, heads bowed.
Seeing that no one was speaking, Shui Miao stood up and said, “Reform is a monumental task that concerns the welfare of all beings in the three realms. I hope everyone can set aside all trivial thoughts and innovate, prioritizing the welfare of all beings in the three realms. We must ensure that the three realms are revitalized, thriving, and improving day by day.”
After speaking, Shui Miao sat back down.
The Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s puppet immediately followed up, “Today, I have a celestial secret to reveal to everyone…”
“A celestial secret!”
Hearing this, everyone perked up.
The Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s puppet nodded and recounted the ancient immortals’ battle in the celestial and demon realms, where the demon realm emerged victorious. To control the celestial court, the demon realm had done many things to influence the development of the celestial realm, and so on. He also mentioned that the celestial and demon realms had suffered great calamities, making this the perfect time for the celestial realm to reform and rise.
The Celestial Mechanism Sovereign’s words left everyone with mixed emotions.
“I agree with reform. Our current system has significant issues. If Brother Celestial Mechanism trusts me, I’m willing to present a perfect reform plan within three days. However, I need to know the extent of your limits for reform,” said the Literary Emperor, the lord of the Enlightenment City, stepping forward first.
The Celestial Mechanism Sovereign looked at Shui Miao, who stood up and said, “Two plans. First, no limits—as long as it benefits the three realms and strengthens the celestial court, freeing it from the demon realm’s oppression, we can do anything. Second, your ideal plan, Literary Emperor. Now, I’ll create a Time Tower for you. Once you have it, reverse the time within the tower and fully develop both plans.”
After speaking, Shui Miao closed his eyes. In just a few breaths, he had forged a new Time Tower and activated it… After a burst of radiant light, Shui Miao presented the newly forged Time Tower to the Literary Emperor, “Not bad, I’ve obtained a supreme divine artifact.”
“A supreme divine artifact, the Time Tower! Is this for me?”
Everyone present was moved.
The Literary Emperor was also stunned. A supreme divine artifact—this was something only the Heavenly Emperor was worthy of possessing, and now Shui Miao was giving it to him?
But what shocked everyone even more was that Shui Miao had forged a supreme divine artifact in such a short time—this was truly terrifying!
“Yes, it’s for you. The first step in celestial reform is to reward merit and punish faults. For those who contribute, we will never be stingy,” Shui Miao said, handing the Time Tower to the Literary Emperor and storing a sufficient amount of crystals within it.
The Literary Emperor, overwhelmed with emotion, clasped his fists and without a word, entered the Time Tower.
“Brother Celestial Mechanism, I’m curious about the origins of Deputy City Lord Shui Miao,” said the Water Sage Sovereign, the lord of the Source City, standing up unexpectedly with a somewhat hostile tone. “The celestial court has its rules. Appointing deputy city lords is a matter for the Heavenly Emperor to decide, isn’t it?”
After speaking, Shui Miao closed his eyes. In just a dozen breaths, he produced a newly forged Time Tower and activated it. After a burst of radiant light, Shui Miao presented the newly forged Time Tower to Wenchang Dijun, saying, “Not bad, you’ve obtained a supreme-grade holy artifact.”
“A supreme-grade holy artifact Time Tower! This is for me?”
Everyone present was astonished.
Wenchang Dijun was also somewhat stunned. A supreme-grade holy artifact was a treasure that only the Heavenly Emperor was entitled to possess. Now, Shui Miao had given it to him?
But in the eyes of others, what was even more shocking was that Shui Miao had managed to forge a supreme-grade holy artifact in such a short time. It was simply terrifying!
“Yes, it’s for you. The first step of the heavenly court’s reform is to reward merit and punish offenses. We will never be stingy with those who have contributed,” Shui Miao handed the Time Tower to Wenchang Dijun and also stored enough crystals inside it.
Wenchang Dijun was so moved that he bowed and without a word, immediately entered the Time Tower.
“Brother Tianji, I’m curious to know about this Vice City Lord Shui Miao’s background,” to Shui Miao’s surprise, Shui Shengzunzhe, the city lord of Yuan City, suddenly stood up and spoke in a rather unfriendly tone, “There are rules in the heavenly court. The appointment of a vice city lord is a major matter that should be decided by the Heavenly Emperor, shouldn’t it?”
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