Chapter 56

Xuandu arrived outside the Eight Scenic Palaces, where he saw the Primordial Heavenly Venerable riding a creature that resembled nothing, accompanied by the Jade Void Golden Immortal Guangchengzi on a purple auspicious cloud. After a while, the Grand Master Tongtian arrived riding a Qiu Niu, with his favored disciple Duobao Daoist by his side, also accompanied by a red light, and entered the Eight Scenic Palaces.

The two sages exchanged glances, greeted each other, and then headed towards the palace gate of the Eight Scenic Palaces.

Seeing the two sages, Xuandu stepped forward and bowed: "Greetings to the two senior masters. My teacher has ordered me to welcome your holy presence."

The Primordial Heavenly Venerable nodded: "Thank you, my junior disciple. Please lead the way!" As he spoke, he handed the creature that resembled nothing to Guangchengzi to lead to the back of the palace, to the Hundred Beasts Garden. The Grand Master Tongtian did the same, entrusting his mount to Duobao, and then followed the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and Xuandu into the Eight Scenic Palaces.

As soon as they sat down, the Grand Master Tongtian could not wait to ask: "Elder Brother! Now that Nüwa has descended to the mortal world herself, won't our plans be foiled!"

The Primordial Heavenly Venerable frowned and looked at the Grand Supreme Elder: "Elder Brother, what my junior brother said is true. With the Empress taking action, we cannot easily send our disciples to recruit more. The backlash of fate would be too much for our disciples to bear!"

The Grand Supreme Elder sighed: "We have indeed been too forceful, leaving no room for those two to save face, which naturally led to the Empress's retaliation!"

A moment of silence followed, and then the Grand Supreme Elder continued: "However, I have said that each of my two junior brothers will have a disciple serve as an imperial advisor, which is not an empty promise. Even if we cannot obtain the Three Sovereigns, we still have the Five Emperors in the future. The Five Dragon Imperial Aura on the Kōngtóng Seal can assist in the enthronement of the Five Emperors. Even if the Empress takes the lead in this round, we can still control the fate of the human race with the Five Emperors in the future!"

The Three Pure Ones had no real defense against Nüwa's move and could not think of a way to counter it. However, they dared not directly confront Nüwa, as that would be a direct affront to the Sage Empress.

Indeed, Nüwa is considered the weakest among the sages in terms of combat power, but her ability to transcend the chaos and become the only female sage speaks to her unique qualities. In ancient times, she was revered as the Empress of the World, standing alongside the Eastern Emperor and the Western Emperor. How could she be considered weak?

The Three Pure Ones dare not underestimate Nüwa because of her gender. Nüwa attained enlightenment before the Three Pure Ones, and who knows what means she possesses. The only advantage the Three Pure Ones have is a good teacher and each possesses a primordial treasure.

Primordial treasures are the foundation and support of the sages. The Grand Master Tongtian does not look highly on the two Western sages, but the Four Swords of Extermination give him great confidence. The difference between a sage with a primordial treasure and one without is significant.

However, even the Three Pure Ones do not think that Nüwa lacks a primordial treasure. As long as Nüwa's virtue remains, the Three Pure Ones dare not easily confront her.

Engaging in a conflict with a sage of virtue would result in a backlash of fate, which even the sages cannot easily bear.

Sealing Nüwa would require more than just one sage, and ordinary spells might not be enough to seal a sage. At least a primordial treasure would be needed. Who would provide this treasure? Who would guard it? And during the period of guarding, one must be extremely cautious, as sealing someone is a matter of life and death. If Nüwa were to escape, the consequences would be dire.

Moreover, if the Three Pure Ones were to seal Nüwa, would the two Western sages sit idly by? If the Three Pure Ones were to seal Nüwa, the next to be sealed would likely be the two Western sages. For their own safety, the two Western sages would not allow Nüwa to be harmed.

If the Three Pure Ones and Nüwa were to form a three-on-three deadlock, the two Western sages would inevitably interfere in the fate of the Eastern land, a situation that neither Nüwa nor the Three Pure Ones would want to see.

Therefore, the conflict between Nüwa and the Three Pure Ones remains hidden, maintaining a facade of harmony to avoid making a spectacle for the Western sages.

Moreover, this is under the assumption that Nüwa can be sealed smoothly. In reality, Nüwa's virtue is deep, and she is favored by the Heavenly Dao. Without a significant loss of virtue, it is impossible to seal her.

Furthermore, the tactic of trading one's life for another is available to all. If Nüwa were driven to madness and began to destroy the world like Gonggong, everyone would suffer. If it came to a point where everyone dies, Nüwa, with her deep virtue, would not fear the backlash of karma, but the Three Pure Ones would surely suffer.

Even if Nüwa were more rational, by sacrificing her virtue and using a curse to convert it into karma, she could directly demote a sage. Who would be willing to take such a risk?

In the next round, they could win again. As sages, they have the magnanimity to do so. As the three strongest sages, they must have the confidence to win.

Thus, under the inaction of the Three Pure Ones, Nüwa grew up safely. Like her brother, she was born with great intelligence and early wisdom. The unusual phenomena at her birth confirmed her identity as a reincarnation of a deity, earning her the respect of her clan. Fuxi, through a dream, warned the clan leader of Nüwa's identity, ensuring that she was treated with utmost respect.

Ten years passed quickly, and Nüwa grew into an adult, working alongside her clan to promote the development of the human race.

On the river outside the Huaxu tribe, Yuan Kui and Gui Xiang concealed their forms and observed Nüwa's location.

Yuan Kui saw Nüwa leading the young women of the tribe to cut grass in the fields, displaying a certain authority. He turned to Gui Xiang and said, "I am about to attend the Longchuan Conference. The safety of the Empress will be your responsibility. If anything happens to her, it will ruin our plans, and even I cannot save you! Do you understand?"

Although the Three Pure Ones would not directly act, if any unexpected events occurred, they would not hesitate to take advantage of the situation.

Feeling Yuan Kui's pressure, Gui Xiang trembled: "I accept the order and will ensure the Empress's safety, helping her achieve her goals!" As a turtle, he was naturally timid and, given the importance of the task, he dared not be negligent.

Yuan Kui's expression softened: "It was the Empress who recommended and planned for you to carry the Luo Book, awakening your past life's knowledge through virtue. You must repay her well!" With that, he waved his sleeve and rode the water-repelling carriage towards the Eastern Sea.

The Longchuan Conference was held because the Dragon Palace's master, Ao Yu, had recently emerged from seclusion, greatly advancing in cultivation and reaching the level of a Quasi-Sage. He invited many water deities and dragon deities to the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace to celebrate.

As the Yellow River River God, Yuan Kui was naturally invited. Riding the treasure carriage driven by the water-repelling rhinoceros, he traveled along the Yellow River. Halfway through, he heard someone calling from behind and turned to look.

It was the Wei River Water God, who was responding. The Wei River originates from the Yellow River and is part of the Yellow River system, making him a subordinate of Yuan Kui. Seeing this, Yuan Kui stopped his carriage and waited for the Wei River Water God to approach.

"I, Wei Qi, greet the High Lord!" the Wei River Water God bowed.

"Enough, stand up! Are you also heading to the Longchuan Conference?" Yuan Kui looked at Wei Qi, who, like himself, was dressed in formal divine robes, a tradition set by the Eastern Emperor in ancient times and continued to this day.

"Yes, but my foundation is shallow, and I have no carriage or special abilities. Could the High Lord take me along?"

Yuan Kui glanced at Wei Qi, not committing to anything. A deity at the Heavenly God level, could he really not reach the Eastern Sea? Impossible. This was just an opportunity for Wei Qi to show his loyalty.

Yuan Kui pointed to the carriage, and a new seat appeared on his right: "Come aboard!"

Wei Qi was delighted, knowing that Yuan Kui had recognized him. He directly boarded Yuan Kui's carriage but, out of respect, refused to sit next to Yuan Kui and stood beside him.

After all, as the Wei River Water God, Wei Qi knew a bit about Yuan Kui's background. Yuan Kui was a nine-headed deity and a member of the divine lords, far surpassing Wei Qi, a Heavenly Immortal. Given their hierarchical relationship, Wei Qi dared not overstep. Moreover, behind Yuan Kui were Fuxi and Nüwa, whom he dared not disrespect.

Following this deity also meant a promising future. At least, he might achieve the status of a divine lord.

Yuan Kui, with the Wei River Water God, headed towards the Eastern Sea. They did not encounter any other Yellow River deities on the way, which displeased Yuan Kui. Originally, he did not think much of it, but with Wei Qi's presence, he began to compare and think about his other subordinates. They did not report to him before the Longchuan Conference and did not wait for him, which Yuan Kui noted.

The two deities arrived at the Eastern Sea, where the scenery was much better than when Feng Ye had visited.

The Eastern Sea Dragon Palace, illuminated by divine light, was lifted from the depths of the sea to the surface, fixed there, unaffected by waves and tides. Hundreds of divine lights shone above, each containing a faint image of a river or a dragon. These were the divine lights of deities, each at least a Heavenly God level, and many were not inferior to Yuan Kui, with at least twenty to thirty divine lords. A few were even Great Luo Venerables.

Yuan Kui and Wei Qi approached, releasing their own divine light to shine alongside the others. The banquet had not yet started, and the deities gathered in small groups, chatting with each other.

Since taking charge of the Yellow River, Yuan Kui had not interacted much with other deities, except for the great deities like the Purple Light Lady and Nüwa, or when guarding the reincarnations of Fuxi and Nüwa in the Huaxu tribe. He rarely visited the mountain deities around, making him quite unfamiliar with the water deity circle, recognizing only a few of his subordinates.

Fortunately, Wei Qi was by his side. Although a minor deity, he knew some names and thus explained the situations of the deities to Yuan Kui.

At this moment, they saw a few water deities discussing nearby, who were from the Yellow River. Wei Qi suggested inviting them over, as they would have to pay respects to their superior deity anyway.

Yuan Kui nodded and was about to have Wei Qi summon them. However, he noticed that the deities were glancing at him and then quickly left, pretending not to see him.

Yuan Kui's expression changed, and he pulled Wei Qi to a corner, activating the River Map to deduce the situation. Although they were not his true subordinates, the rivers they governed were part of the Yellow River system, and he had natural control over them. If he altered the course of the Yellow River, they would suffer.

The River Map Yuan Kui held was not the true version held by Fuxi but a medium-grade spiritual treasure created by the Empress, with thirty-eight restrictions. After Feng Ye received it, he took charge of the Luo Book and gave the River Map to Yuan Kui to refine, hoping for the great virtue to come. Regardless, the River Map had the power to enhance divination and deduction.

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Bookworm's Tea Room:

This morning, I woke up to find myself on the new author list, although I was the last one. Soon after, I was knocked off, but at least I made it! I'm quite happy today. So, there might be a double update today? I'll see. I'll start writing now and will post around 1 AM. If it doesn't come, everyone should go to bed early! Of course, this update counts towards the weekly nine updates, not an extra one!

Also, I'm asking for favorites, recommendations, and reviews! Thank you!

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