Chapter 83

As the purple light enveloped them, two imperial stars also appeared on Gouchen and Ziwēi, slowly rising to respond to the radiance of the Heavenly Court.

Soul stars? They are truly born star deities, Feng Ye raised an eyebrow. This is the difference between a genuine heavenly-granted divine position and one bestowed by the Heavenly Emperor. A genuine heavenly-granted divine position, like the ancient witch ancestors, cannot be taken away unless the person dies or loses their way in the universe. Otherwise, the divine position will never decline.

However, a position bestowed by the Heavenly Emperor is different. Although the Heavenly Emperor is said to govern the heavenly principles, he is merely an executor. It is not as solid and stable as a heavenly-granted position. If the Heavenly Emperor truly wishes, he can instantly revoke the divine positions he has bestowed.

Now, these two are bestowed by Fuxi, who is only temporarily exercising the power of the Heavenly Emperor, and thus is not as powerful as a true Heavenly Emperor. If Huatian returns in the future, he can naturally revoke the divine positions bestowed by the previous Heavenly Emperor one by one.

However, strictly speaking, Gouchen and Ziwēi are the soul deities of the Gouchen and Ziwēi stars, just like Wangshu to the Moon Star and Di Jun to the Sun Star. They have a natural control over their soul stars. As long as these stars do not encounter any accidents, their divine positions should be safe.

Even if Huatian returns in the future, at most, the divine positions bestowed by Fuxi, such as the rulers of the ten thousand thunder and stars and the sixteen heavens in the northwest, will be revoked. The fundamental star deity positions will not be shaken. After all, these innate great deities control the fundamental elements of the universe, far surpassing those deities bestowed later. This is the foundation of these great deities. If the heavenly principles are the top bosses of these innate great deities, then the Heavenly Emperor is the leader of those bestowed by him.

The systems are different. These innate great deities, at most, will give the Heavenly Emperor, as the executor of the heavenly principles, a bit of respect. But that's all. Otherwise, Di Jun wouldn't have been so tragically killed.

Thinking about it, if Gouchen and Ziwēi were not so useless and put in more effort, after establishing great achievements, they could naturally, with the power of the heavenly grant, directly rank among the Four Great Deities, thus standing on equal footing with Huatian, which would be quite glorious, Feng Ye secretly pondered.

The purple light dissipated, and Gouchen and Ziwēi revealed their figures, looking at each other. "Thank Your Majesty. If there's nothing else, we will go to fulfill our divine duties and operate the celestial stars!"

"Um!" Fuxi nodded. "Thank you for your efforts!"

After Fuxi bestowed the divine positions to the star deities, Gouchen and Ziwēi led all the star deities away to operate the stars in the void. This left Fuxi and Feng Ye alone in the Lingxiao Hall.

Feng Ye recounted his journey to the Underworld to Fuxi. Fuxi nodded in satisfaction. "Empress Houtu, who governs the cycle of reincarnation, is highly revered, even by the sages. Building a good relationship with her is a wise move."

Then, Fuxi looked around. "Since there's nothing else, let's go and shape the souls! I remember the Spirit Pool should be in the third heaven—"

Before Fuxi could finish, a burst of firelight shot up. Fire Crows again? Feng Ye cursed inwardly at Di Jun, the troublemaker, for leaving such a big problem.

"Another issue? But the Heavenly Court doesn't have many people—" Fuxi frowned, looking apologetically at Feng Ye.

After being together for so long, Fuxi's thoughts were clear to Feng Ye.

Feng Ye rubbed his forehead and said to Fuxi, "Forget it, forget it! I'll deal with the three thousand Fire Crows, Your Majesty needn't worry!" He then turned to leave.

Fuxi nodded. Just as Feng Ye was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and pulled Feng Ye back. "Wait!" He then led Feng Ye to the Heavenly Emperor's treasure vault.

The guardian of the Heavenly Emperor's treasure vault was also an avatar of Fuxi, so he didn't check anything when he saw the original, saving a lot of trouble.

Fuxi and Feng Ye searched the treasure vault for a while and finally handed three treasures to Feng Ye.

"What is this?" Feng Ye frowned at the three spirit pearls.

Feng Ye picked up one of the pearls and asked Fuxi, "Your Majesty, why are you giving me this Dust-Repelling Pearl? We are all Great Beings, dust doesn't stick to us, why do I need this pearl?"

"Still, take it! After all, the world of Hongmang is not as pure as the Heavenly Realm. There are many dust and microorganisms that can be avoided with this. Besides, didn't your water and immortal robe get damaged when you went to find the Jianmu? Compared to the water palace's magical clothing, this Dust-Repelling Pearl is more effective, and you won't need to always prepare dust-repelling talismans." Fuxi flipped the collar of Feng Ye's immortal robe and indeed found a dust-repelling talisman carved inside to eliminate dust within three feet of his body.

The dust and microorganisms that Fuxi and Feng Ye were concerned about were not just ordinary dust. They also referred to microorganisms, what we now call bacteria.

These immortals and deities had extremely good eyesight, and things that ordinary people couldn't see were also visible to them. Imagine walking on a road that ordinary people see as clean and smooth, but to these cultivators, it was teeming with life, microorganisms, and bacteria. And a human, in the eyes of these immortals and deities, was not just a person but a collection of bacteria, with so many bacteria on their body. In Daoism and Buddhism, there are also concepts like the Hongmang Worm and the Dragon Elephant Worm.

In fact, one reason why these immortals and deities prefer to stay in their own domains and avoid the mundane world is to avoid the dust and dirt. Besides fearing the entanglements of the mundane world, the dirt is also a significant reason.

After all, the bacteria and microorganisms in the mundane world are numerous, invisible to ordinary people, but not to these cultivators. Who would want to roll around in the mundane world, covered in bacteria? And how could they interact with people, who are full of bacteria?

A deity with a bit of a cleanliness obsession would never descend to the mundane world!

Of course, in the Three Realms, especially in the human and earthly realms, this is the scene. In the Heavenly Realm and the domains of immortals and deities, many spells and magical treasures are prepared to keep microorganisms away. In the Heavenly Realm, there are dedicated cleaning personnel, many fairies and children, who are not just for picking up trash but for cleaning these microorganisms. The Heavenly Realm is spotless, which is why these immortals and deities are willing to come here. Compared to the human realm, which is full of dust, the Heavenly Realm is clean and full of spiritual energy.

Feng Ye was also disgusted when he first saw these things. The microorganisms were constantly moving, and since Feng Ye was originally a human, he vomited when he first saw this scene. For someone with a fear of density, this would be unbearable. To cultivate, one needs an extremely strong nerve.

In the past, when Feng Ye traveled, he would always prepare dust-repelling talismans to disperse the dust within three feet of his body. This is also what great beings generally do. Especially Nüwa, who would use divine light to repel everything.

Speaking of which, Feng Ye wondered if the daughters of the Jade Emperor were all nearsighted or if the Heavenly Realm was too clean for them, making them dislike it, so they all went to the mundane world?

However, casting spells is troublesome. After Yuan Kui made Feng Ye an immortal robe, it came with a dust-repelling spell. But the quality of those immortal robes was not up to par, and they didn't fare well against the Fire Crows, turning to ashes.

Moreover, in Fuxi's view, Feng Ye would often have to travel and work in the world of Hongmang. Given Feng Ye's reclusive nature, he would surely complain about the dust and dirt. Knowing his nature, he would use the excuse of not wanting to get dirty. Giving him this pearl would prevent him from being lazy.

It's impossible for Fuxi not to know Feng Ye's habits and flaws after living together for so long. Just as Feng Ye understands Fuxi, Fuxi also understands Feng Ye.

Fuxi forcefully gave Feng Ye the Dust-Repelling Pearl and then picked up the second pearl. "This is the Sun God Pearl, a lower-grade innate spiritual treasure. From the aura it carries, it should be Di Jun's. With this, you can contact and find the three thousand Fire Crows. Although the world of Hongmang is much smaller than before after several great battles, it would still take years or even decades to travel the entire world!"

The world of Hongmang is vast, but this vastness refers to the ancient world of Hongmang. After several floods and changes, much of the land has sunk into the sea.

After all, when Pangu opened the heavens and the earth, there were no seas. Even the rivers formed from his blood and the seas gathered from them, the land-to-sea ratio in the world of Hongmang was seven to three. However, after the fall of the Heavenly Emperor and the collapse of the nine heavens, the world of Hongmang was once submerged by the sea. If not for the emergence of the ancient Earth Emperor, who lifted the world of Hongmang, the main characters in the universe would not be the human race on the continent but the aquatic races in the sea.

However, the Earth Emperor was not as powerful as Pangu. Although he lifted most of the continent, there were still losses. Since then, the land-to-sea ratio has been one to one, and this is the total land area. Some land has become overseas islands or overseas continents.

The current world of Hongmang is at most half of what it was when Pangu first created it.

Moreover, the world of Hongmang is divided into five directions: east, south, west, north, and center, as determined by the Nine-Headed Human Emperor. If we consider the entire journey, Feng Ye has mainly been active in the eastern region, with only a slight involvement in the central region. The Western Continent, where the Western Teachings are located, and the extreme north, where the demon race is now, are far away. Given Feng Ye's reclusive nature, he wouldn't bother to go there.

Even if one can break through the spatial barriers after becoming a Golden Immortal, instantaneous teleportation is still very troublesome.

With this Sun God Pearl, tracking the Fire Crows will be much easier, at least avoiding the need to travel all over the world.

"What about the third one?" Feng Ye picked up the third pearl and looked at it. "Clear Feather Pearl? Is this for flying?"

"Um, after all, although instantaneous teleportation is convenient, it cannot be sustained for long. Often, flying through the air is more practical!"

Flying, the world of Hongmang is different from later planets or small worlds. The world of Hongmang, in terms of gravity, mass, and density, is far beyond what later worlds can compare to.

In later times, a Golden Core cultivator can fly a thousand miles, and a Spirit Master can travel the entire world in a day. But in the world of Hongmang, this is impossible. In the world of Hongmang, even a Spirit Master can barely fly, and a Celestial Immortal can travel ten thousand miles a day. After all, the mainstream in the world of Hongmang are the immortals and deities, with Golden Immortals as common as dogs and Celestial Immortals everywhere. A Spirit Master is not even considered part of the mainstream.

Speaking of which, although the human race is said to be physically weak, relatively speaking, how weak can they be? After all, natural selection is at play, and being able to walk and jump in the world of Hongmang is not easy. Compared to the human race of later times, these ancestors are much stronger.

"In short, to make me work hard, Your Majesty has used every method!" Feng Ye shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"Let's not talk about that!" Fuxi changed the subject. "What will you do with the Fire Crows in the future? Where will you put the three thousand Fire Crows? Will you entrust them to the Golden Crows?"

"Your Majesty needn't worry about that. I already have a plan. I will seal them in a magical artifact, which will also serve as a powerful weapon in the future!"

"That's good, but is your magical artifact ready? Do you need to look for something in the treasure vault?"

"No need, but if it's possible, how about giving me a few more spiritual treasures? I don't have high requirements, at least two high-grade innate spiritual treasures?"

Fuxi rolled his eyes. "Using public resources for personal gain!" He then took two items from the treasure vault and threw them to Feng Ye. "I don't have innate spiritual treasures, but this should help you!"

"Heavenly Net?" Feng Ye subconsciously took it and looked at it. It was quite famous in the Heavenly Court. "The Fire Crows are made of Di Jun's divine fire essence. Can this net really catch them? If I need it, I might as well borrow Your Majesty's Golden Net, which is more practical!"

Fuxi's Golden Net is a merit object, good at capturing all living things, far better than the Heavenly Net!

"The Golden Net is in the Fire Cloud Cave. If you want to use it, you can go back and get it."

"Alright, I was planning to go to the Fire Cloud Cave anyway to get the magical artifact I prepared to seal the Fire Crows." He then put the Heavenly Net in his pocket.

Fuxi's mouth twitched, but he didn't say anything, letting Feng Ye take it. After all, it wasn't his own, so he didn't feel bad. It's better to take it himself than to leave it in the Heavenly Court for Huatian to benefit from. Thinking of this, Fuxi's eyes lit up as he looked at the treasure vault. After all, he was the one who managed the Heavenly Court's treasure vault, and it's only natural to have some oversight. And he should get some compensation for his hard work!

"By the way, my Golden Net is in my private vault. I'll tell you the opening incantation."

"Oh, no need, I already know it." Feng Ye put away the net and said casually.

Feng Ye then paused and quickly added, "But to catch the Fire Crows, the Fog and Dew Net from the Dragon Palace is the best! After all, water overcomes fire! The elemental advantage will prevent the Fire Crows from escaping!"

"The Fog and Dew Net was forged by the Ancestor Dragon and is a treasure of the Dragon Empress. But now the Dragon Empress is dead, and the Dragon Palace has submitted to the Heavenly Court. If you like it, I can help you get it in the future!" Fuxi thought.

"Then, I'll take my leave!" Feng Ye immediately left before Fuxi could react.

Fuxi's private vault was not far from Feng Ye's. He first went to Fuxi's private vault, opened it, and took out the Golden Net. As for the incantation, Fuxi himself had no protective awareness, just using the Eight Trigrams technique, which Feng Ye was very familiar with and had seen Fuxi use before, so he remembered it.

With the Golden Net, Feng Ye went to his own private vault to find the sealing artifact.

"Strange, I remember I put it here." After searching for a while, Feng Ye finally found a clay pot in a corner.

This clay pot was originally used by the Sui Ren tribe to carry the tribal fire, a sacred pot for the tribal holy fire.

After the great flood by Gonggong, this item was left in the Sui Ren tribe's ruins and later taken back by Feng Zhong. Feng Ye casually threw it into his private vault.

Since this clay pot was used to store the Sui fire, it naturally carried a bit of destiny and spirituality, making it suitable for storing fire.

However, since this clay pot was a mundane object, it needed to be refined. Fortunately, Empress Houtu had sent a piece of Xirang.

Feng Ye took out the Xirang, pinched off a small piece, and placed it at the bottom of the clay pot. Then he took out the Flowing Fragrance Jade Pen and drew talismans and Daoist symbols on the clay pot.

Finally, he used the Sui fire as the refining flame to remake the clay pot.

After three hours, the originally plain and unremarkable clay pot looked much better.

Picking up the Sun God Pearl, Feng Ye used his magic to crush it. Since it was only a lower-grade innate spiritual treasure, Feng Ye could damage it with his full power.

He collected the aura of Di Jun and sealed it in a blank talisman. Then he poured the sun essence into the clay pot. The fragments of the Sun God Pearl were used to decorate the clay pot, forming a magical array to gather energy.

It was a half-finished product, but it would do. It currently had the ability to gather energy and seal things. Once the three thousand Fire Crows were sealed inside, it could be further refined. Thinking of this, Feng Ye transferred the dozen or so Fire Crows sealed in the Sui lamp into the clay pot.

Fire Crow Pot, hmm, or Sun Pot or Ten Thousand Crow Pot sounds better!

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Bookworm's Tea Room:

This chapter is quite verbose because someone in the book review section raised a question, so I explained it in this chapter.

The content of the book review is not repeated here. It's pinned, and you can check it out.

Short Scene (Unrelated to the main text! The characters should not be taken seriously!):

Feng Ye originally wanted to get a few bottles of nectar from the treasure vault. When he reached the door, he saw Fuxi pacing in front of his private vault.

Feng Ye walked over. "Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

Fuxi rubbed his head. "Aye, I forgot the password to my private vault. Do you remember the incantation?"

Feng Ye replied casually, "Oh, isn't it 324658201?"

Fuxi: "Oh, thank you."

Then, Fuxi realized, "Wait, how do you know my password? Have you been sneaking in?"

Feng Ye denied it. "Nonsense, I've never been in. Besides, there are only a few empty stands in there, and the items inside don't even add up to a few.