This Human Immortal Is Too Serious-Chapter 414 - 412 Yun Zhongjun Settles Affairs in Heaven Palace, Fairy Ling Returns to Her Sect in Wedding Garments
"Aphrodisiac? Of course, I know about it. After all, I’m the divine spirit in charge of the proliferation of living beings."
In the large tent of the rear camp, Young Master responded ’calmly’.
"However, I’m not very good at collecting herbs, nor do I cultivate them specifically. If you want some, I could help you look for them throughout the Great Wilderness."
Ling Xiaolan, being extremely astute, immediately saw through Young Master’s embarrassment.
She covered her mouth, laughing softly, and said gently, "I wonder if Brother Wuwang was ever bullied by those Innate Gods during his time in the Heaven Palace."
With that, she lightly shifted the topic.
Young Master, as if granted a pardon, smiled and said, "In the Heaven Palace... he often bullied those Innate Gods, in fact."
"Oh?"
Ling Xiaolan’s eyes lit up. "This is also thanks to your care, elder sister."
"Didn’t we agree not to call each other ’sister’ anymore?"
Young Master looked at the tempting pastries before her but didn’t touch them, trying her best to project an image of dignity, maturity, and reliability.
She smiled and said, "I’m actually a bit puzzled as to why the Heavenly Emperor cares so much about him. The Gold God once schemed against him, leaving him seriously injured. He..."
Ling Xiaolan’s pretty face suddenly turned pale.
"The Gold God schemed against him?"
Er, this... Deep within Young Master, the little figure of her Divine Soul silently slapped her own mouth.
She really wasn’t good at conversation. She had just silently reminded herself to only share good news with Fairy Ling before her and avoid the bad, lest she cause her more worry in the Human Domain.
But this...
"That time, it was my negligence," Young Master said, a hint of guilt in her eyes. "I was out playing with Xiao Ming and, in a moment of inattention, the Gold God’s scheme succeeded. But you don’t need to worry. Lady Xihe has sealed the Gold God and sunk her into her Divine Pool, so she cannot leave at will."
"As one of the Five Elements Gods, why, why..."
Ling Xiaolan bit her lip lightly. "And I thought he was having a smooth sail in the Heaven Palace. I never imagined he would face such danger."
"It definitely won’t happen again," Young Master said softly. "If that Gold God dares to cause trouble again, even if I’m not skilled in Duels, I will contend with her."
Worry filled Ling Xiaolan’s pretty face.
Young Master was at a loss for words.
With a soft SNAP, the little figure of her Divine Soul slapped her mouth again.
It seemed she really didn’t know how to talk to people.
As they chatted, everything she hadn’t meant to say spilled out, and she’d managed to kill the conversation entirely.
"Alas."
Ling Xiaolan’s gaze was distant, her heart heavy, as she said softly, "I spoke of wanting to share his burdens, yet in the end, I can’t help him with anything. I didn’t even know he was seriously injured..."
A determined look instantly appeared in Young Master’s eyes.
She resolved to make up for it!
She was an Innate God who had lived for so many years! Although she had been somewhat reclusive before, preferring the company of plant spirits, she was still the Goddess of Reproduction, an absolute powerhouse outside the sphere of Duels, a responsible Goddess prepared to embrace all spirits!
The little figure of Young Master’s Divine Soul took a deep breath, her eyes twinkling with wisdom, and a sense of conviction to defend the dignity of a Goddess welled up in her heart.
She could do it!
"Ling, you absolutely don’t need to worry about his safety in the Heaven Palace. Trust me," Young Master said earnestly.
"He’s actually engaged in a strategic game with the Heavenly Emperor, aiming to change the Heaven Palace from within. Although the Anti-Spring Alliance includes half of the Innate Gods, the most powerful among them definitely have no intention of targeting him."
Ling Xiaolan’s almond-shaped eyes trembled slightly.
Young Master quickly said, "Eh... My elder brother didn’t use any Divine Power when he fought him!"
Ling Xiaolan involuntarily clenched her delicate hands.
Young Master continued, "Moreover, his strength is increasing rapidly now. Whether it’s against the God of Lightning or Liu Guang, he wins those Duels easily."
Ling Xiaolan bit her lip and stood up, her voice low, "He’s had so many Duels in the Heaven Palace? Why has the Human Emperor Pavilion never mentioned these to me?"
"Maybe... it was to avoid worrying you... probably..."
Resolution filled Young Master’s beautiful eyes.
"Ling," she said softly, "I’ve hidden several substitute puppets near him. Each one can save his life once."
THUD.
Ling Xiaolan sank back onto the soft couch, her almond-shaped eyes slightly red.
So, in the Heaven Palace, he was living on the edge, hated by the gods, used by the Heavenly Emperor. Even with Young Master’s protection, she could only negate the hostility of the Head Manager... The Anti-Spring Alliance comprised half of the Innate Gods. Emperor Shun intended to divide the Human Domain and also planned to use Wu Wang’s name, putting Wu Wang at constant risk of having his reputation ruined. Yet, whenever he appeared before her, he was always smiling, so carefree and fearless, so...
Young Master whispered, "Perhaps we should... talk about aphrodisiacs instead?"
But Ling Xiaolan was already somewhat lost in thought.
「...」
After Wu Wang and the Wood God emerged from the great formation, the Wood God’s expression immediately reverted to the miserable one he wore before.
The old Wood God asked Wu Wang a few questions, inquiring if he could take away these seven Innate Gods.
Wu Wang looked troubled, his answer always being, "This matter requires His Majesty the Human Emperor to decide."
These Divine Spirits had all been captured by Human Domain cultivators after fierce battles. Wu Wang himself had not taken action, only stepping forward to save the lives of these seven Innate Gods as the battle neared its end.
This gave Wu Wang plenty of room to maneuver.
"Forget it, forget it," the Wood God said with a smile. "Since the God of Spring insists, I shall return and report. But, God of Spring, if His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor assigns blame, what then?"
Wu Wang pondered for a moment and said, "I will request Young Master and Xiao Ming to return to the Heaven Palace with you, Senior."
The Wood God visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Wu Wang continued, "You can relay this to His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor: once I have settled matters here, I will return to the Heaven Palace and continue on the path I previously set for myself. Abandoning it halfway is not in my nature. This incident in the Southeastern Region clearly occurred because these lesser gods were at fault first, and the Heaven Palace bears responsibility for insufficient supervision. If the Heaven Palace still lacks Divine Positions for such oversight, it will surely lead to more actions contrary to His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor’s expectations. The gods are unruly, and the Heaven Palace is already critically ill. Without strong medicine, I’m afraid it cannot be cured."
The Wood God gave a wry smile. "Such words, this old god truly dares not convey."
"Senior is one of the Five Elements Gods, one of the strongest beings between Heaven and Earth. How could you not dare to convey them?"
Wu Wang bowed his head in a Daoist salute and said with a smile,
"Thank you for your guidance today, Senior."
The Wood God nodded with a smile, returning the salute, but said no more. He walked away slowly, leaning on his staff, muttering to himself under his breath.
This little sly fox still won’t let this old bag of bones off the hook.
That last salute... really...
The Wood God didn’t inquire further about the ninety-nine boxes of treasures. A dignified Five Elements God wouldn’t really be so petty. If the Heaven Palace pursued the matter, he could simply open one of his own treasuries and hand over some trifles to them.
Young Master and Nu Chou quickly flew in from opposite ends of the main camp.
Xiao Ming was perched on Nu Chou’s shoulder. Learning she was about to return, she reluctantly waved goodbye to the sisters from the Xuan Nu Sect.
Young Master seemed somewhat hesitant to look at Wu Wang. She murmured a few inarticulate words, saying nothing particularly memorable, then reluctantly took her leave of him, leading Xiao Ming and Nu Chou in pursuit of the Wood God.
Wu Wang was still somewhat puzzled, wondering what Young Master and Ling Xiaolan had discussed.
—After entering the great formation, he had completely sealed it to ensure his conversation with the Wood God would not be overheard.
Wu Wang watched them disappear high into the sky, then turned and returned to the camp to convene the Human Domain experts and discuss the Heaven Palace’s possible next moves.
An hour later, Wu Wang went to the rear camp to look for Ling Xiaolan but found she was nowhere to be seen.
Just as he was about to ask the Xuan Nu Sect experts, his necklace vibrated gently; his mother had sent a message.
"Ba’er, the Cloud Dream God suggests we discuss matters together."
Wu Wang immediately agreed and, through voice transmission, asked an elderly Transcendent Realm grandmother from the Xuan Nu Sect. He learned that Ling Xiaolan had apparently used a teleportation formation to return to the Human Domain, having urgent business at the Xuan Nu Sect.
"Urgent business?"
A slight unease crept into Wu Wang’s heart. He requested his mother to observe through the stars. She quickly sent back a message, confirming that Ling Xiaolan had indeed returned to the Xuan Nu Sect, moving hastily, as if she truly had urgent matters.
"That’s good," Wu Wang muttered. "Why did she return without saying a word?"
In the Starry Sky Temple, Cang Xue seemed oblivious to this news, appearing somewhat distracted.
I hope you can have a good talk with the Master and tell him the secrets in your heart.
"Mother... Mother?"
"Ba’er, I’m here."
Hearing Wu Wang’s call in her mind, Cang Xue responded softly, "Let’s enter the Void Hall."
Wu Wang agreed and found a secure corner to conceal his presence and aura, quietly sitting down to meditate.
Shortly after, in the depths of Yun Meng, within an illusory dream realm woven by Divine Skills, three figures sat in the center of an ancient and dignified hall, occupying the three central chairs.
Wu Wang opened his eyes, which seemed to sparkle with a keen light.
Yun Zhongjun, no longer disguised as the Sleep God, maintained his outrageously handsome face. He sent Wu Wang a gentle smile, his ’delicate’ eyebrows dancing amusingly.
"Long time no see."
Wu Wang smiled. "Old brother, that face of yours really isn’t suited for such frivolous expressions."
Cang Xue revealed a faint smile. Dressed in an ice-blue gown, also in her true form, she exuded a slight chill.
"Let’s not dally with small talk," she said. "Emperor Shun might be watching Ba’er right now. The shorter this meeting, the better."
"Then let’s dispense with the pleasantries and get down to business!"
Yun Zhongjun immediately adopted a solemn expression, his gaze fixed on Wu Wang.
"The issue you were worried about before—I’ve thoroughly investigated it through the Dream Realm. It indeed seems there is a force from the Candle Dragon Divine Faction, aside from Lady Ice God, active within Heaven and Earth. But they’re currently lying low. Furthermore, these forces are difficult to identify. After all, many Innate Gods have now realized that Emperor Shun lacks the strength to confront Candle Dragon directly. Under such circumstances, a large number of Innate Gods will waver in their stance."
Wu Wang smiled. "Like the Wood God?"
"That old piece of wood?"
Yun Zhongjun’s lip curled, not bothering to hide the disdain in his eyes. He said indifferently, "He’s merely a creature clinging to life, siding with whoever is stronger and taking care not to offend anyone. He’s not a major concern. However, he’s older than I am and might know some secrets of the Kunlun Ruins. This is something you could try to verify with the Queen Mother of the West."
"The Queen Mother of the West hasn’t fully sided with us yet," Wu Wang said. "This means that winning over the Wood God, or not, makes little difference."
Yun Zhongjun chuckled. "The Wood God represents roughly twenty percent of the Innate Gods."
"Then I roughly understand."
"Ba’er..."
Cang Xue suddenly spoke. Yun Zhongjun and Wu Wang both turned to look at her.
"Mother, what is it?"
"It’s nothing." Cang Xue gently shook her head; her tenderness almost melted her own icy aura. "I suddenly recalled something related to the Wood God. He is quite skilled at forbearance, but his true strength is difficult to fathom."
Wu Wang suddenly thought of something.
Zhong had sought out Mother even earlier.
"Mother."
He said softly, "I am your son. Without your and Father’s nurturing, the ’me’ of today wouldn’t exist. Therefore, your stance directly influences mine. But I hope you can trust me more. The Heavenly Dao will surely prosper."
"Mother knows," Cang Xue nodded gently, her tenderness almost dissolving her inherent icy aura.
Yun Zhongjun muttered, "Confidence is a good thing, but arrogance is not."
Wu Wang asked, "Is this all we’re discussing this time?"
"No, there’s something of great importance."
Yun Zhongjun was extremely serious. "In my dreams, I pondered for a long time and finally devised a way to help you break this deadlock."
Wu Wang was somewhat puzzled. "Break the deadlock?"
"Exactly." Yun Zhongjun’s lips curved into a captivating smile. "Right now, you seem to have a good footing in the Heaven Palace, with the support of Young Master and Wu Ming."
"Xiong Ming," Wu Wang calmly corrected, holding up one finger. "This principle must be upheld."
Yun Zhongjun laughed. "Alright, alright. So, you now have the support of the Dao of Reproduction and the Dao of Death."
"A small addition," Wu Wang interjected seriously. "There’s a significant possibility that the Lifespan Dao is plotting to betray Emperor Shun."
"Can the Head Manager be that resolute?"
Yun Zhongjun shook his head. "Let’s not discuss that for now. Regarding your situation in the Heaven Palace, although you can now stand tall before the most powerful Divine Spirits, your position is far from stable. The Anti-Spring Alliance, though a motley crew, only needs three or four Strong Gods to join for it to quickly consolidate into a formidable coalition to corner you.
"According to my calculations, Emperor Shun will continue to elevate your status in the Heaven Palace. He will provide you with more opportunities to obtain the Power of Order and Divine Power, whether his aim is to pit the Human Domain against Candle Dragon, use you to divide the Human Domain, or to win over both you and Lady Ice God. But Emperor Shun also harbors a malicious intent."
Wu Wang frowned and asked, "What is it?"
"To elevate you, placing you in opposition to the gods of the Heaven Palace, and let you all fight amongst yourselves."
Yun Zhongjun’s mouth twitched slightly. "This Emperor Shun, how does he have so many schemes? He has truly mastered the art of being the Heavenly Emperor. If you can rise swiftly later and become a Power God in the Heaven Palace, you’ll be able to exert pressure on the other gods. Through you, a path will open for Human Domain experts to enter the Heaven Palace in succession. Under such circumstances, as long as the Yan Emperor falls and the Heaven Palace refrains from attacking the Human Domain, instead continuing to show goodwill, a large number of Human Domain experts will inevitably be unable to resist the Heaven Palace’s allure. Such is human nature, not worth delving into, and that is the purpose of elevating you. Thus, the Power of Living Beings will bolster the Heaven Palace, making Candle Dragon’s return more difficult and giving him more room to strategize."
Wu Wang leaned forward, elbows on his knees, fingers interlocked before his mouth and nose, his eyes gleaming intently.
Yun Zhongjun continued, "That’s the scenario if you can rise to become a Power God of the Heaven Palace. If you cannot, you will inevitably be outmaneuvered by Emperor Shun. He only needs to threaten you with Young Master or Xiao Ming, and you will surely be caught in a dilemma. He will make you lose credibility in the Human Domain and power in the Heaven Palace. Then, he will protect you and grant you Divine Power, turning you into a Strong God, but one who gradually withdraws from this battle for divine authority. And as long as you live, you will inevitably prevent Lady Ice God from destroying the Heaven and Earth Seal."
Cang Xue said with dissatisfaction, "How is it that no matter how we discuss it, Emperor Shun always wins?"
"This is a scenario we deduced long ago. I’m merely outlining Emperor Shun’s calculations," Yun Zhongjun calmly explained. "The concept of the Heavenly Dao, as entrusted by our leader, is our Magic Treasure for victory. Emperor Shun doesn’t know that our efforts to win over those Strong Gods one by one will pose a fatal threat to him. The Order Seeds nurtured in the Northern Wilderness are beginning to show promise. These are all our advantages. I was initially calculating how much support we could garner from various experts, and based on that, what our chances of victory would be against Emperor Shun and Xihe. But I suddenly had an epiphany. Looking at the problem from a different angle, I discovered an almost perfect path."
At this, Yun Zhongjun’s eyes blazed with a brilliant Divine Light, his entire demeanor seeming to transform.
It was as if the God of Yun Meng, who once stood robed in white behind the Third God King, had now fully returned!
Wu Wang asked, "What path is that?"
"The Star God! That is the identity you should most prominently establish in the Heaven Palace!" Yun Zhongjun said in a low voice. "You must let the Heaven Palace know that you are the Star God’s heir, the one entrusted with the Great Dao by the Star God, the next Star God. Then, when the time is ripe, you can stand up, raise your arm, look towards the position beside Emperor Shun’s throne, and overtly and righteously declare to Emperor Shun and all the gods...
"I am just here to take back everything that belongs to the Star God!"
"Transform the Star God’s prestige among the gods into the bedrock of your power. By doing so, you can break free from half of Emperor Shun’s constraints, giving you the capital to contend directly with him in the Heaven Palace. The greatest opportunity for the Heavenly Dao to flourish lies here!"
Wu Wang’s eyes couldn’t help but light up.
This old brother... he really has a few tricks up his sleeve.
「Meanwhile.」
In the Human Domain, within the bamboo forest in the rear mountains of the Xuan Nu Sect.
Ling Xiaolan knelt on a soft mat, quietly waiting for the door of the bamboo house to open.
She had been kneeling for a very long time, and the figure inside the bamboo house had remained with its back to her for just as long.
Suddenly, a soft sigh echoed from the forest. Sect Master Jing Yue approached slowly, accompanied by several elderly women. The latter stopped outside the fenced garden, while Jing Yue continued alone.
"Jue Tian, don’t be so obstinate."
The door of the bamboo house slowly opened. Ling Xiaolan’s master gazed at her with a complex expression and said in a low voice, "Master, if this child acts this way, isn’t she demeaning herself? How will Wu Wangzi ever take her seriously in the future?"
Jing Yue said sternly, "Then I will go and demand an explanation from Wu Wangzi! Even His Majesty the Human Emperor doesn’t feel Princess Jingwei has been wronged, yet you’re still complaining about this and that!"
"But this!"
Jue Tian’s expression turned slightly cold. She took out a red sachet from her sleeve and tossed it into Ling Xiaolan’s lap. "Go then, go! Since your mind is made up, what more can I say!"
Ling Xiaolan clutched the sachet tightly, bowing her head low in a kowtow.
Fairy Jue Tian, however, vanished from the bamboo forest, unwilling to say more.
Jing Yue sighed. "She’s just heartbroken for you. Come with me. Since you wish to help Wu Wangzi achieve his goals, take a few of the Xuan Nu Sect’s greatest treasures. That fellow is getting quite a bargain. He truly is the future cornerstone of the Human Domain. Thus, this can also be considered a contribution from our Xuan Nu Sect to the Human Domain."
"Thank you, Sect Master."
"Should we arrange a simple ceremony..."
"Sect Master, there’s no need."
Ling Xiaolan shook her head slightly. Looking at the few sets of bedding and a red dress inside the sachet, she couldn’t help but smile faintly, pressing the sachet to her chest.
