The arrival of Shui Miao and his companions immediately caused a tremendous stir, especially the enormous presence of the Henggu King. Its size surpassed even that of the Immortal City, forcing Shui Miao—who had originally intended to keep a low profile—to radiate an imposing aura and an extravagant display of power. With the support of Goddess Nuwa and the Queen of the Nine Heavens, the entire atmosphere quickly shifted in Shui Miao’s favor.
It felt as if Shui Miao were truly the sovereign of the Three Realms and the ruler of all immortals.
At the highest point of the Immortal City stood a magnificent palace, where the Jade Emperor, the Queen Mother, and a group of ancient immortals resided.
This Jade Emperor was not the puppet from before, but the true ruler himself, accompanied by the genuine Queen Mother.
“Who is this person? Why did he bring along such a monster?” the Queen Mother frowned and whispered to the Jade Emperor.
The only reason she hadn’t already flown into a rage and ordered General Li Jing to capture him was out of respect for Goddess Nuwa and the Queen of the Nine Heavens.
Upon hearing Nuwa’s words, Laozi, the Supreme Elder, didn’t wait for the Jade Emperor to speak. He stroked his beard and immediately declared loudly, “This is Shui Miao, the Saint King of Yin and Yang Forging, protected by the Purple Auspicious Qi. Originally a mere mortal immortal, he seized a rare opportunity to comprehend the Dao of Feng Shui and the Dao of Nature. He also delved deeply into the art of forging divine artifacts, eventually attaining his current level of cultivation. His moral character is exceptional, which is why Emperor Wenchang, Lord Tianyi, and Holy Mother Shuitianyi have all chosen to follow him. Moreover, his contributions to the Immortal Realm are immense. Alone, he gravely wounded the Demon Emperor Wuyezhi, eliminated hidden demon puppets within Heaven, and convinced Xuankong’er to abandon evil and return to the path of righteousness. It is precisely for these reasons that Goddess Nuwa and the Queen of the Nine Heavens hold him in such high regard.”
Seeing Shui Miao return with such strength, Laozi seemed transformed—his spirit rejuvenated, and his voice suddenly filled with vigor and authority.
Upon hearing Laozi’s glowing praise of Shui Miao, many ancient immortals who had previously misunderstood him began to soften their views.
“Old Master, you seem unusually familiar with him!” the Queen Mother was visibly upset. She had been whispering with the Jade Emperor when Laozi suddenly interrupted and loudly proclaimed Shui Miao’s virtues, leaving her feeling publicly humiliated.
“I wouldn’t say I’m particularly familiar with him. This is common knowledge in Heaven. It’s just that the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother have been so preoccupied with their celestial travels that they’ve neglected the affairs of the Three Realms,” Laozi replied with a faint smile, his tone no longer reverent but subtly sarcastic, criticizing the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother’s indulgent lifestyle and their disregard for the world.
Was Laozi staging a rebellion?
The ancient immortals were all shocked by his words.
The Queen Mother, furious, abruptly stood up and rebuked, “Old Master, what exactly are you implying?”
Laozi remained unyielding, shaking his head coldly. “Just speaking a few truths. What else could I possibly mean?”
Three years ago, during the Dao-Buddhist conflict, Laozi had already known that the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother had abandoned the people of the Three Realms, using the excuse of visiting sages to indulge in celestial travels. Precisely because of this, Laozi had painstakingly orchestrated the Dao-Buddhist conflict, inviting Goddess Nuwa and the Queen of the Nine Heavens to take control of Heaven’s affairs.
Laozi was a wise man who could no longer tolerate corruption and extravagance.
Originally, Shui Miao had been just a pawn, but now he had grown incredibly powerful, possessing formidable strength. This undoubtedly added weight to Laozi’s plans for reforming Heaven. Thus, seeing Shui Miao’s triumphant return, Laozi felt even more confident.
“Unbelievable!”
The Queen Mother angrily turned to the Jade Emperor.
But the Jade Emperor ignored her and instead rose with a smile, addressing the assembly joyfully, “Esteemed immortals, let us all welcome Goddess Nuwa together!”
It was rare for the Jade Emperor himself to personally greet a guest.
Remaining calm and composed, the Jade Emperor’s demeanor left everyone speculating.
In truth, the reason Goddess Nuwa and the Queen of the Nine Heavens had not immediately sought out the Jade Emperor upon arrival was to gauge his attitude.
After all, Goddess Nuwa’s status was far superior to the Jade Emperor’s, and her prestige was much greater. It was only fitting that the Jade Emperor come to greet her.
In recent years, had it not been for Goddess Nuwa’s disinterest in the trivialities of Heaven, it would have been she who ruled over the celestial realm.
As the Jade Emperor approached, after exchanging polite greetings with everyone, he stepped forward and warmly clasped Shui Miao’s hand, his face beaming with a kind smile. “Ah, Shui Miao! You have done countless good deeds for the people of the Three Realms. As for the matter of you forging destructive artifacts and harming many immortals in the past, let’s simply let bygones be bygones. From now on, you must behave yourself, strive to do good, and bring blessings to the people of the Three Realms.”
This unexpected statement from the Jade Emperor shocked everyone present.
What a deceptively venomous remark!
It placed Shui Miao in a dilemma—whether to respond or not, he would be at a disadvantage.
Indeed, the Jade Emperor lived up to his title. With just this remark, he had instantly shaped the atmosphere in his favor.
So, he’s trying to catch me off guard!
Shui Miao’s expression shifted slightly, but he refused to yield. Tightening his grip, he channeled his spiritual energy to suppress the Jade Emperor while maintaining a smile. In a loud, cheerful voice, he replied, “Haha! Your Majesty flatters me. As a lowly mortal immortal, it’s only right that I do good deeds and ease Heaven’s burdens. If none of us stepped up to do the tasks you, Your Majesty, are meant to handle, how could you possibly travel carefree and enjoy yourself without a care for the people of the Three Realms, right?”
Shui Miao paused briefly before continuing, “Oh, by the way, Your Majesty, during your travels, did you perhaps secretly conspire with the Demon Emperor Wuyezhi? Otherwise, how could Wuyezhi have replaced the rulers of the Immortal Realm with his puppets? Many of us are confused by this matter and eagerly await an explanation from Your Majesty.”
Still smiling, Shui Miao’s words were sharp and confrontational, even overshadowing the Jade Emperor’s.
Such boldness was unheard of.
Today, Shui Miao had voiced what many had long wanted to say, bringing a secret thrill and satisfaction to the hearts of many.
“…”
The Jade Emperor maintained a smile on his face but was secretly locked in a fierce contest of spiritual energy with Shui Miao.
Shui Miao had assumed his power was sufficient to overpower the Jade Emperor.
But unexpectedly, the Jade Emperor suddenly counterattacked, his spiritual energy even stronger than Shui Miao’s.
So powerful!
Shui Miao was taken aback and, in a desperate situation, prepared to unleash his Soul Devouring Force to fight back.
“Shui Miao, you shouldn’t be so direct. Perhaps the Jade Emperor had his own difficulties,” suddenly Goddess Nuwa lightly patted Shui Miao’s shoulder with a gentle hand, channeling an immense surge of spiritual energy into his body, helping him forcefully repel the Jade Emperor’s pressure.
The Jade Emperor glanced at Goddess Nuwa, his heart suddenly gripped by alarm.
“Your Majesty, please don’t take offense at a child’s words. We have greater matters to attend to, and there’s no need for them to know everything,” seeing the situation, the Queen Mother quickly grabbed the Jade Emperor’s arm and channeled a powerful surge of spiritual energy to assist him in counterattacking.
With her other hand hidden behind her back, she secretly signaled the ancient immortals, urging them to channel their spiritual energy.
Seeing this, the ancient immortals quickly joined hands, transferring wave after wave of spiritual energy into the Jade Emperor.
On Shui Miao’s side, the Queen of the Nine Heavens immediately rallied everyone to channel their energy into Shui Miao.
Thus, the two factions began a direct clash of spiritual power.
“Namo Amitabha…”
Suddenly, golden light blazed in the distance. A massive golden portal of light opened, and countless golden-bodied Buddhas appeared… The Tathagata Buddha of the Western Paradise had arrived!
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