“Clang——”
The long-drawn, sonorous bell rang with solemn majesty, filling every corner of the imperial plaza. The myriad sounds of the crowd quickly fell silent.
A large arena stood in the center, with three decorated pavilions positioned on three sides of the platform. Facing the arena directly sat the royal family, on the left were the civil and military officials attending the birthday celebration, while the right side housed the various “immortals” gathered for this grand assembly of immortals.
An old eunuch walked onto the stage and strained his falsetto voice to announce loudly, “The assembly of immortals to celebrate the birthday begins!”
“The Mystic Lady from Zifu Mountain greets the Emperor of Aolai!” The Mystic Lady stepped forward first, gracefully floating into the air. While showing goodwill toward the earthly emperor, she naturally displayed the lofty and revered status of the Zifu Immortal Mountain.
The descent of an immortal from Zifu was a rare event, occurring only once every hundred years. The elderly empress was delighted, her face breaking into a broad smile, while the emperor hurriedly stood to return the greeting.
After the Mystic Lady, various sects of earthly cultivators also stepped forward to offer their blessings. However, the Dragon Mother remained seated, her divine countenance serene and composed, merely nodding slightly toward the royal pavilion.
“Heh, heh…” Suddenly, a casual laugh rang out across the square. “Lady Dragon Mother, I’ve burned incense for you before—will you bless me?”
The Dragon Mother slightly lifted her round, bright eyes and saw the audacious figure approaching on clouds.
The bold words of San Da instantly reminded the ruler of the four seas of the scene at the Dragon Mother Temple. More than a year had passed, but the memory of her voluptuous waist and hips still sent a strange, fiery sensation through her body. Her dragon heart flared with fury, and a ruthless killing intent surged toward the idle rogue.
“San Da, if you dare to pull any tricks today, this palace will ensure you never reincarnate again!”
“Ha, ha…Sister Dragon Mother, why get so angry? Be careful not to harm your immortal body!” A silvery, bell-like laughter rang clear and simple, yet in the ears of the crowd, the sound lingered endlessly. With every shift in tone, a strange daze seeped into the hearts of both mortals and cultivators.
“Hmph! Jade Fan, you are not worthy to call me sister!”
The Dragon Mother lightly flared her tall, proud nostrils, and instantly the masses snapped out of their trance. As they focused, they saw two new figures—man and woman—had appeared out of thin air atop the stage.
The civil and military officials couldn’t help but gasp in unison. Though they had already known the notorious demon would appear, the moment the rogue’s figure came into view, the deep-rooted fear in their hearts flared up again.
“Your Majesty, I hope you’ve been well. San Da has come to wish you a long life. Heh, heh… Let’s forget about the past, what do you say?”
Qiao San always treated the supreme imperial authority with indifference. He casually glanced at the emperor, then fixed his gaze slightly when his eyes landed on the emperor’s concubines.
“Ah!” Among the royal women, a series of soft moans instantly arose. Though the rogue had only cast a subtle glance, a searing heat had already begun to stir between their thighs.
The other concubines were somewhat composed, but the Empress Dowager was overwhelmed with emotions—first, bitter hatred; then, deep humiliation; finally, a faint, shameful itch. Unable to pass this inner test, the royal beauty’s face flushed red and pale alternately, her eyes flickering between cold and warm.
Princess Zhen sat beside the empress. Perhaps because she was about to elope, or perhaps because of the motherly bond ingrained in her bones, Bei Gong Zhen noticed her mother’s strange expression and instinctively leaned in to whisper with concern, “Mother…Mother, are you…sick?”
“N-no…nothing!” The daughter’s care warmed the empress’s heart, but also threw her into chaos. She quickly suppressed her inner turmoil, fearing her daughter would discover the truth.
How clever Bei Gong Zhen was. Following the empress’s subtle glance, her eyes instantly fell upon Qiao San.
“What?! How could it be him? Could he have done something to my mother?” Knowing Qiao San’s reputation, Princess Zhen immediately grew uneasy. If the situation weren’t so unusual, she would have rushed forward, grabbed Qiao San by the collar, and forced him to reveal the truth.
On the arena stage, the duel had not yet begun, but to everyone’s surprise, San Da unexpectedly presented half of a sheepskin map. “Esteemed cultivators, this is the half map. Whoever emerges victorious shall claim it.”
He paused slightly, then, with a suddenly solemn expression, provocatively gazed at the Mystic Lady and said, “Holy Maiden, you should hand your half of the sheepskin over to the emperor for safekeeping. Heh, heh… I hope that won’t be a problem?”
The Mystic Lady and the Dragon Mother instinctively exchanged glances, astonished that the rogue had actually been so straightforward. Could it be that he was truly afraid and planning to surrender?!
The Zifu Holy Maiden’s beautiful eyes, deep as a lake, calmly met Qiao San’s gaze. Then, with a graceful motion, she floated toward the enigmatic rogue and tossed her half of the sheepskin into the air. The two halves, regarded as treasures by the cultivators, joined together as if possessed of a spirit, and drifted into the emperor’s hands.
Whispers and murmurs rippled like waves across the crowd. Young cultivators from various sects, whose cultivation was still shallow, began to breathe heavily. Some even lost control of their legs, countless eyes fixed on the floating sheepskin.
As the unity of the sects seemed on the verge of crumbling under greed, a disdainful smile curled the rogue’s lips. He saw the so-called righteous sects all too clearly.
“Esteemed cultivators, please prepare yourselves. Only the victor shall claim this treasure map!”
At this critical moment, the Mystic Lady spun lightly on her bare foot mid-air. Her flowing black robes traced mysterious patterns in the void, and instantly, her serene aura dispelled the cultivators’ restless agitation.
The grand assembly of immortals finally returned to order. Observing quietly, the Dragon Mother sighed inwardly. No wonder, despite the countless cultivators in the world, the number of those who attained immortality over thousands of years remained so few!
Sigh… Emotions and desires, worldly illusions—truly difficult for mortals to transcend!
“San Da, you have also entered the competition. Please take your seat!” Bei Gong Ping, representing both the righteous sects and the imperial court, stepped forward at the appropriate moment, pointing discontentedly toward the area where the young cultivators sat.
Qiao San glanced sideways and immediately saw countless hostile faces, especially a scholar dressed in Confucian robes, whose sharp eyes flashed with electric light, fanning himself ceaselessly with a folding fan—truly exuding a touch of elegance.
“Thanks, but I’d rather sit there.” Qiao San had no time to waste. He glanced up at the sky, then walked with Princess Jade toward the officials’ pavilion, joking as he went, “Everyone, mind if I share your seats?”
Before the rogue could approach, the civil and military officials scattered like a tide to one side. Despite the large pavilion and numerous officials, they all squeezed into a tiny corner, leaving Qiao San deeply impressed by their “remarkable talent.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage