The Purple Light Immortal didn't expect these two who had violated the heavenly rules to be so strong-willed. With a cold snort, he said, "If you don't pass through the guiding heavenly steps to enter the heavenly gate, you will have to endure the pressure of the heavenly realm as you pass through. By the time you reach the Seventh Heaven, you will be slapped back to the human realm. If you don't want to delay any longer, you'd better obediently take the heavenly steps!"
Ranran looked at the heavenly steps, which seemed like a straightforward path leading straight up. However, upon closer inspection, she could see that there were countless fine thorns on the steps.
Moreover, Su Yi Shui had mentioned that those led by the heavenly steps were great evildoers who were going to the heavenly realm for trial. Once they stepped on the heavenly steps, it was actually a path of confession of guilt guided by the heavens. With each step, the fine thorns pierced in would involuntarily make one recall their past sins. The ten thousand steps were like ten thousand tribulations. When reaching the top, one often couldn't help but repent, shedding tears of remorse.
Xue Ranran felt she had done nothing wrong, so why should she go through the ordeal of repentance on the ten thousand heavenly steps? Even if she stood trial in the heavenly realm, she didn't want to end up in tears, begging for mercy on the ground.
Su Yi Shui thought the same way. He calmly said, "Please don't block our path, Immortal.…"
As he spoke, he gave a wave of his sleeve, causing the Purple Light Immortal's figure to sway slightly.
This action made the Purple Light Immortal's face darken with anger. He was one of the Eight High Immortals in the heavenly realm, only beneath the Celestial Sovereign and the three Imperial Emperors, highly esteemed and powerful in his own right.
However, just now, a half-disabled demonic immortal had flicked his sleeve, and the wind from his sleeve actually made him sway slightly.
This unexpected turn of events made the Purple Light Immortal both surprised and furious. While he felt his dignity had been offended, he also harbored doubts — what kind of existence was this demonic immortal? With such an unconventional background, did his divine power surpass that of legitimate High immortals?
Just then, the Vermilion Bird carrying the two had soared all the way to the Fourth Heaven, ascending continuously with a constant long cry.
As the "Tai Xuan" text states, the heavens have nine layers. By the time they reached the Sixth Layer, it was no longer accessible to ordinary beings.
Although the Vermilion Bird was a sacred divine beast, it had not reached the stage of ascension, so when it ascended towards the Seventh Layer, it began to struggled a little…
Su Yi Shui and Xue Ranran obviously noticed this, so when they reached the Seventh Layer, they lightly tapped the Vermilion Bird's feathered back with their toes and leaped up, soaring straight towards the Seventh Heaven.
Although Su Yi Shui only had half of a nascent soul, the other half was within Xue Ranran, so each of them had half a nascent soul of a demonic immortal. They were able to withstand the force of the ascension when reaching the Seventh Heaven.
However, when they reached the Eighth Layer, Ranran felt a tremendous force pressing down from above, as if an invisible giant hand was stopping them from advancing.
Ranran's figure became unstable, and if it weren't for Su Yi Shui pulling her, she would have almost fallen.
Having watched them ascend all the way up, the Purple Light Immortal, who had been wearing a displeased expression all along, now looked slightly relieved. Standing on the Ninth Heaven, he sneered, "Mere mortals, how can you ascend on your own? If that were possible, wouldn't those who ascend to immortality after countless tribulations become a joke? You two should know your limits and climb the heavenly steps step by step! But with the thorns on these steps grow as time passes, since you two have delayed for so long, you'll have to endure more suffering when you finally climb up."
His words were full of mockery, sounding very unpleasant to the ears.
Feeling Xue Ranran's body weakening, Su Yi Shui grabbed her hand in time, and true energy continuously flowed from him, protecting her heart meridians. He also said, "The heavens breathe, just like human respiration. You must find the right rhythm of inhalation and exhalation. When the heavens exhale, you cannot go against it, but when it inhales, you can move forward."
Xue Ranran understood his meaning. The heavens breathe, and when they exhale, it's impossible to move against them, but when they inhale, there's a chance to advance.
Although it sounded simple, in reality, these subtle changes were hard to perceive. It required great insight and perception to notice such nuances.
So the Purple Light Immortal just smiled coldly hearing this, preparing to witness the girl's failure.
After listening to Su Yi Shui's words, Xue Ranran closed her eyes. As a Wood element practitioner, she had been cultivating in the Ice Lotus Pool of Xishan, and every pore of her body had become unusually sensitive due to the constant immersion. She could keenly sense changes in the water vapor and airflow, even as a tree would. When she who had been born from the Rebirth tree, tried to feel the inhalation and exhalation of the heavens, she did so by feeling with every inch of her skin, an experience that could only be sensed but not expressed.
After a few tries, she really felt the subtle changes in airflow. So she stopped wasting her true vitality and tried to relax her body as much as possible, her sleeves fluttering, like a feather, drifting through the Seventh Heaven.
Su Yi Shui did the same. The two of them followed the rhythm of the heavens, ascending step by step, soaring straight up through the Nine Heavens!
Behind the Purple Light Immortal, several other immortals had also arrived. They watched in astonishment as a partially disabled demonic immortal who could never ascend again, and a mere mortal arrived not by the heavenly steps but like feathers ascending to the heavens. Each and everyone of them was left dumbfounded.
Putting aside whether they had violated heavenly rules, even on a rare day like today when the heavenly gate was open, in the thousands of years past, no one had seen a mortal ascend so effortlessly to the heavens!
If everyone knew about this loophole, what would be the point of cultivation? Wouldn't the heavenly realm be overcrowded with high, middle, and low-level immortals?
So when the two from Xishan finally reached the Ninth Heaven by drifting effortlessly, the gazes of the immortals towards them were quite unfriendly.
Even the Jade Lotus Immortal, who had been *"invited" out of their immortal cave by the Medicine Immortal, had a complex expression as she watched them.
*he kicked her out lol
Ignoring the hostile gazes of the immortals, Xue Ranran just looked around, searching for the figure of the Medicine Immortal.
In this realm of the heavens, he was the only familiar person she knew, so finding him would make things easier.
However, as she scanned around, she didn't see the Medicine Immortal anywhere.
The Purple Light Immortal seemed to have guessed who she was looking for, so he coldly said, "The Medicine Immortal, as a lower immortal, acted on his own and intervened in matters of life and death in the mortal realm. Therefore, he has been punished by the Celestial Sovereign and is confined to his immortal cave."
Xue Ranran sighed softly, "So it turns out that there's not much difference between the heavenly realm and the mortal realm. Those who took action made mistakes, but those who don't do anything can hold themselves high and act like saints…"
With this statement, the faces of the immortals tightened. Actually, they had also felt that the Medicine Immortal's punishment was a bit excessive. It was because the Purple Light Immortal had given exaggerated accusations which led to the Celestial Sovereign's punishment of the Medicine Immortal.
Nobody wanted to offend the Purple Light Immortal, so naturally, they didn't speak up. This punishment of Dun Tian was originally the responsibility of the Purple Light Immortal. Although overturning the Four Mountains would cause heavy casualties, subduing the demonic Dun Tian would also be a great achievement.
But unfortunately, this great opportunity had been snatched away by Su Yi Shui, that young girl, and the Medicine Immortal, which made the Purple Light Immortal very displeased.
Moreover, if the Medicine Immortal were to ascend the ranks based on this level of achievement, he would ascend to become a Higher immortal. Unfortunately, there could only be Eight high-level immortals in the Heavenly Court. If he ascended, someone else would have to step down.
So the Purple Light Immortal's accusations were actually quite subtle. The other immortals were also cunning enough to see through it without exposing it, understanding the situation without saying it outright.
The Purple Light Immortal also noticed that this little girl was sharp-tongued and quick-witted. However, now that they were in the heavenly realm, the Celestial Sovereign would have his own judgment on these bold and reckless individuals. It seemed that her chance to talk her way out with her silver tongue was limited.
So he coldly raised his white brows and said, "You've wasted enough time. Please follow me to meet the Celestial Sovereign before the heavenly gate closes!"
With that, he and a group of immortals stepped on colorful clouds and headed forward.
Su Yi Shui and Xue Ranran glanced at each other, then tightly held hands and followed behind him.
The Celestial Sovereign had cultivated for ten thousand years, undergone nine hundred and ninety-nine tribulations to become the beginning of all things. He had long since transcended physical form.
As they progressed forward, they arrived at the realm of emptiness.
Here, mist and water were everywhere, and only a mirror-like body of water appeared before them.
The immortals stood on both sides in an orderly manner, waiting with their hands down for the Celestial Sovereign's instructions.
Just then, the water rippled slightly, and a voice echoed in the void, "Su Yi Shui, Xue Ranran, you two are truly rebellious troublemakers. Despite providing the heavenly steps, you refuse to ascend with it. Do the rules of the heavenly realm mean nothing to you?"
Su Yi Shui replied mildly "Rules are established by consensus and followed by the masses. This is the case with all worldly laws. Only the heavenly rules are the most elusive. Who set these rules, and who agreed to them?"
Upon hearing this, the Purple Light Immortal's face changed drastically, and he sternly reprimanded, "How dare you! You're speaking to the Celestial Sovereign. He is the beginning of all things, and his words naturally set the rules!"
Xue Ranran looked at him strangely and said in a small voice "If ascending to the heavens wasn't so exhausting, I would have doubted whether I had entered the palace of the mortal realm. To find that there are also bootlickers in this remote place outside of creation…"
The Purple Light Immortal's face turned red with anger, but he didn't want to argue with mere mortals, which would lower his status. So he just gave her a cold glare, preparing to see how she would end up in a while.
Upon hearing Su Yi Shui's words, the Celestial Sovereign's tone seemed calm, "You are indeed a rare case of the millennium, a demonic being ascending to immortality, truly of a rebellious nature. Heavenly rules are not established by gods or humans, nor are they my personal whims. They follow the natural order of heaven and earth. Otherwise, chaos would ensue, and both gods and humans would face calamities. You peeked at the Heavenly book, which is a fact. How could you not be punished to set an example and warn those with ill intentions?"
Although the Celestial Sovereign's tone was calm, the mirror-like water surface had begun to ripple, and it seemed like the wrath of thunder was imminent.
Xue Ranran spoke loudly, "May I ask the Celestial Sovereign, there's something I don't understand. The Heavenly book is a forbidden existence in the heavenly realm, inaccessible to most. Why was I able to accidentally glimpse the heavenly mandate twenty years ago, even steal a page of the heavenly book and bring it to the mortal realm?"
The Celestial Sovereign seemed to pause for a moment before speaking, "Xue Ranran… or should I say Mu Qingge. Do you know that Su Yi Shui was originally the Imperial Emperor YuanYang who violated heavenly rules, and reincarnated into the mortal realm to experience tribulations? His fate chart is peculiar, and the reasons for it are not to be mentioned. He was not destined for love, but you forcefully changed his fate for him, thus creating the karmic bond between you two. When the Heavenly book suddenly appeared in the mortal realm and fell into your hands twenty years ago, it was a strange case, and the truth cannot be revealed to heaven's eyes… So I cannot answer how the heavenly book was lost that day."
Hearing these words, the faces of the immortals changed.
Within the heavenly realm, the Celestial Sovereign was the highest authority, followed by three Imperial Emperors managing the rest of the immortals.
Among them, the YuanYang Emperor was the supreme deity of masculinity. All male immortals ascending to heaven had to pay respects to him before joining the ranks of immortals.
However, they hadn't seen this Imperial Emperor for a long time.
For an immortal to descend into the mortal realm to experience tribulations was akin to a high-ranking official being demoted, something none of the immortals wanted to experience. They only knew now that Su Yi Shui was actually the reincarnation of the YuanYang Emperor! Before, they only heard that the YuanYang Emperor had violated some heavenly rule, and was grounded by the Celestial Sovereign, and his cave had been sealed for a long time. These Immortals were unaware of when the YuanYang Emperor had reincarnated into the mortal realm.
But now, a perfectly fine and well-respected Imperial Emperor had become a half-disabled demonic immortal after experiencing mortal tribulations, with no hope of ascending to heaven again. This situation was difficult to reconcile, and the Celestial Sovereign must have been quite troubled by it?
Xue Ranran widened her eyes upon hearing this, then turned to look at Su Yi Shui.
He was once an Imperial Emperor! What kind of unforgivable heavenly rule had he violated back then to be demoted to the mortal realm to endure such a tumultuous fate?
Unfortunately, the Celestial Sovereign seemed unwilling to say more and just coldly said, "Regardless, you have peeked at the heavenly book twice, and cannot escape punishment. According to heavenly rules, you will receive the punishment of the Destruction of Divine Thunder, never to be reborn again! And Su Yi Shui, for destroying your nascent soul and tampering with life and death of another to revive Mu Qingge and disrupted the cycle of reincarnation, you shall also receive this punishment. Do you two have any objections?"
Just then, a divine cloud suddenly appeared in the sky, and a clear female voice spoke, "The heavenly book had been stolen, and the reason was unclear. If this woman accidentally stumbled upon it, human nature cannot resist curiosity, and few glances can be forgiven. Why mete out such a heavy punishment?"
Everyone turned towards the voice and saw a woman with long hair, forehead adorned with a crescent-shaped divine light, flying on a cloud surrounded by several female immortals. Surprisingly, the Medicine Immortal, who should have been grounded, also followed behind her.
Seeing her, all the immortals quickly paid their respects.
Xue Ranran learnt that this woman was the Xuan Tian Holy Mother, who had ascended to the heavens together with the Celestial Sovereign as his immortal companion.
The Celestial Sovereign had cultivated to a formless existence, but it would seem that the Xuan Tian Holy Mother was unwilling to do so, and still maintained her elegant and holy human form.
Upon seeing the Xuan Tian Holy Mother's arrival, the Celestial Sovereign seemed somewhat displeased and asked, "Aren't you supposed to be cultivating on the Western Jade Mountain? Why did you suddenly return?"
The Medicine Immortal didn't want to trouble the Xuan Tian Holy Mother and immediately knelt down to apologize, "As a humble immortal, I dared to act rashly and wanted to plead for leniency for these two young friends from the mortal realm. That's why I have implored the Holy Mother to come, hoping to spare them from death penalties!"
Hearing his words, the Celestial Sovereign coldly said, "You've ascended to immortality but still can't let go of mortal affections. This is a great offense! Originally, I intended to punish you with a three-year confinement, but now it seems it must be increased. Within ten years, you are not allowed to leave your cave! If you disobey again, your immortal status will be removed by Divine Thunder and you can go to the mortal realm to cultivate again!"
The Celestial Sovereign grew angry, and the Medicine Immortal naturally was sincerely fearful and immediately accepted the punishment without protest.
Since the Xuan Tian Holy Mother had spoken, the Celestial Sovereign couldn't directly refute her, so he softened his tone and said, "You've always stayed out of heavenly affairs, so you naturally don't understand the intricacies. These two individuals have acted recklessly, and if they are not punished, it will not appease the grievances. It's better for you not to interfere."
However, the Xuan Tian Holy Mother remained unmoved, her tone icy as she said, "I have stayed out of heavenly affairs, due to the loss of my beloved daughter. When you and I ascended together, I was already pregnant, but ascending required me to abandon this child. I couldn't bear to let her perish, so I brought a Bodhi tree from Yaochi, letting her inhabit it. Originally, a thousand years would have been enough for her to attain physical form and become an immortal of plants and trees. Unfortunately, the tree withered overnight, and the fruit disappeared… This Xue Ranran was also born from the fruit of a tree, and I seem to have an affinity with her. I wish to save her, and I hope the Celestial Sovereign will grant me this favor!"
Xue Ranran widened her eyes in astonishment. She had prepared herself to receive punishment when she ascended to heaven, but she never expected the highly esteemed Xuan Tian Holy Mother to come forward to plead for her.
It seemed that although the Medicine Immortal's status in the immortal realm was not high, his connections were quite powerful!
The Purple Light Immortal hadn't expected the Xuan Tian Holy Mother to personally intervene and plead for this arrogant mortal woman. Thinking that the Medicine Immortal was causing trouble behind the scenes, the Purple Light Immortal frowned again: the Medicine Immortal was indeed overstepping his bounds, showing a lack of etiquette!
So he spoke, "Holy Mother may not know, that Su Yi Shui is the reincarnation of the YuanYang Emperor, originally destined to rejoin the ranks of immortals after tribulations. However, due to this woman's peeping into the heavenly mandate and altering his fate chart, he cultivated a demonic immortal body, damaged his nascent soul, and they now have a ridiculous karmic bond. Just a few days ago, they got married, and the YuanYang Emperor can never return now. They have also violated heavenly laws together. If they are not punished, how can others be convinced?"
After the Xuan Tian Holy Mother arrived, although she glanced at Xue Ranran several times, she never once looked at Su Yi Shui.
But after hearing the Purple Light Immortal's words, the Xuan Tian Holy Mother's gaze turned to Su Yi Shui. Hmm… her beautiful eyes were beautiful, but they now shine with a fierce light, like a mother wolf protecting her cub.
Xue Ranran couldn't help but use her body to shield Su Yi Shui, not allowing the Holy Mother to glare at her husband!
The Holy Mother looked at Xue Ranran protecting Su Yi Shui like a mother hen, and her gaze actually softened. She moved closer to Xue Ran Ran and comforted her, "Your cultivation foundation is excellent. I've heard from the Medicine Immortal that you have saved countless people, accumulating immense merit. The heavenly principles are clear, and your good deeds will not be forgotten. If you sincerely repent, the Celestial Sovereign may not punish you so severely."
After listening to the Holy Mother's words, Xue Ranran asked earnestly, "If we sincerely repent, can the Celestial Sovereign spare us from the death penalties?"
Perhaps to grant deference to the Holy Mother, the Celestial Sovereign spoke, "Your marital fate was not originally in either of your destinies. If you two are willing to end this karmic entanglement and never meet again, there might be a glimmer of hope. Su Yi Shui's nascent soul is half-destroyed, and his immortal status is ruined now. But he can live hundreds of years in the mortal realm, lead an enjoyable life, and when his lifespan ends, he can re-enter the cycle of reincarnation and cultivate immortal fate again. As for Xue Ranran, you have a profound connection with immortality. You have also saved countless lives, and your blessings are not shallow. If you can overcome this emotional hurdle and separate from Su Yi Shui, you will definitely ascend to immortality and become a high-ranking immortal in the future. Are you both willing to accept this arrangement?"
Xue Ranran and Su Yi Shui looked at each other. They didn't need to channel any secret messages, they understood each other's answer from their eyes.
Xue Ranran turned her head slowly and said aloud, "No need. Since we cannot escape heavenly punishment, we are willing to endure it. I just want to ask, how many times will this punishment come? If we miraculously survive, will the Celestial Sovereign continue to punish us relentlessly?"
The Celestial Sovereign said, "No one has ever survived the Destruction of Divine Thunder. If you can withstand it once, then consider the punishment fulfilled. From then on, the past will be forgotten."
The Celestial Sovereign's meaning was simple: Either die or part ways!
Peeking into the heavenly books was the original sin, but what the heavenly realm seemed more concerned about was the fact that these two individuals, who were not supposed to have a marital fate, had intertwined their fates. So, even if they had to use divine thunder, they would split them apart!
Hearing this, Xue Ranran held Su Yi Shui's hand tightly and said clearly, "In that case, we have decided only death will part us. Please, Celestial Sovereign, deliver the punishment!"
When she said that, the Holy Mother's face became extremely ghastly. She reached out to hold Xue Ranran's hand and said, "If struck by the Destruction of Divine Thunder, your divine soul will be obliterated, and you can never enter the cycle of reincarnation again. Why did you agree so recklessly? Don't tell me…"
The Holy Mother's words stopped halfway, her expression becoming strange, and then she slowly let go of her hand, and stopped trying to persuade her.
Perhaps she felt that Xue Ranran was too head-strong and not worth persuading anymore.
The Celestial Sovereign seemed to have anticipated that these two wouldn't give in easily. Seeing this situation, he only said coldly, "Since that's the case, you two will have no chance to regret your choice."
As soon as he finished speaking, iron chains suddenly appeared and entangled the two. These were the Heavenly Binding Iron Chains, and once bound, they couldn't break free. Once fixed in place, thunderous lightnings appeared above their heads, resembling giant dragons, even more terrifying than the Heavenly Tribulation of Ten Thousand Calamities.
If struck, their divine souls and bodies would immediately be destroyed, never to be reincarnated again!
The Purple Light Immortal watched the Medicine Immortal's anxious expression with a slight cold smile. Then, he clasped his hands towards the sky and said, "The Celestial Sovereign's wisdom will rectify chaos and restore order to the heavenly realm!"
But as soon as he finished speaking, he saw the Xuan Tian Holy Mother glaring at him coldly, with a chilling smile on her lips.
The Purple Light Immortal respectfully lowered his head, but he didn't really care in his heart. The other immortals respected her because she used to be the Celestial Sovereign's companion. But now that the Celestial Sovereign had become formless, their so-called marital relationship was just a name without substance. The Xuan Tian Holy Mother usually lived alone by herself. Even if he offended her, so what?
Xue Ranran and Su Yi Shui were bound together now. Tears glistened in Xue Ranran's eyes as she said, "We just got married, and now we have to part… I'm really reluctant…"
Su Yi Shui lowered his head and kissed away the tears at the corner of her eyes, "Trust me…"
Ranran nodded vigorously and then shouted loudly, "Come on!"
The Celestial Sovereign seemed to sigh, the sound of which was like the helplessness of a stern father facing a stubborn child. Accompanying this sigh, the thunderous Destruction of Divine Thunder, as thick as a wandering dragon, roared towards Xue Ranran's head.
However, as the fearsome blow came down, it exploded just one inch above Xue Ranran's head and abruptly stopped.
Beside them, the Purple Light Immortal looked on, unable to help but exclaim in astonishment, "What's going on? How did she manage to evade the Destruction of Divine Thunder?"
At that moment, the Celestial Sovereign spoke up, asking, "Purple Light Immortal, why is there fetal movement in her body?"
The thunderous heavenly punishment does not harm new life, a basic rule that all immortals are aware of.
Before this, the Purple Light Immortal had reported to the Celestial Sovereign that Xue Ranran was not yet married, and although they had married within a short ten days, it was impossible for them to conceive so quickly.
Could it be that the Purple Light Immortal had neglected his duty and withheld information?