"This talk would have my master puffing his beard and glowering again."
Huo Ling'er walked over with a grin, sitting next to him hovering in the air.
As her skirt swayed, Yu Yuan caught a glimpse of two long, straight jade legs fleeting before his eyes.
"Is your master capable of doing anything other than puffing his beard and glowering?"
Yu Yuan couldn't help but get annoyed whenever Huo Ling'er's master was mentioned.
"Do you think he has cultivated himself into madness? I heard that Uncle Master Lv Yue from Nine Dragons Island is not only adept at Plague Technique but also very proficient in Qihuang Skill. Maybe you should invite him over to take a look at your master sometime."
"Don't talk ill of my master!"
Huo Ling'er glared at Yu Yuan, then her tone softened.
"I know you're upset, but it's not my master's fault after all. He is the chief disciple of Jie Sect, and he had to give an explanation when Lv Yue took the issue to Penglai Island."
"What nonsense are you talking about, what should I be upset about?"
Yu Yuan chuckled, "I would prefer a heavy punishment, even better if they kick me out, so it would be more convenient to seek refuge with my uncle in Kunlun."
Huo Ling'er, without any hesitation, slapped Yu Yuan on the shoulder with her slender, white-jade-like hand, making a crisp sound.
"All you know is to talk nonsense!"
Huo Ling'er gritted her teeth: "If you run off to Kunlun, I will chase after you and bite you, to take back the bites you gave me when we were children!"
"That was a thousand years ago, and you still remember?"
"Of course!"
Huo Ling'er said irritably: "Since my transformation, I've never been so wronged. If I hadn't been unable to beat you, I would have bitten you back for sure!"
"Alright, then I'll let you bite me twice now."
Yu Yuan said as he lifted his arm and offered it to Huo Ling'er.
"Dirty, who would bite you!"
Huo Ling'er disdainfully pushed his arm, stained with dark green medicine, aside and changed the subject, "By the way, I saw your junior disciple brother when I came. With so many peaks on the island, why did Uncle Master choose to place him near the Tian Yuan Palace?"
Yu Yuan had also noticed this before, but wasn't surprised; he smiled, "Maybe he wants the junior disciple to be close to me so he can learn from my merits."
"Heh, merits…"
Huo Ling'er chuckled, "Can you specify what merits you have?"
"I have plenty," Yu Yuan blurted out, "like being tall and handsome, strong and fit, full of vigor and vitality..."
"Shut your mouth!"
Huo Ling'er, unable to endure anymore, slapped him on the back quite unceremoniously.
Yu Yuan took it as a massage, not minding at all.
"Be serious."
Huo Ling'er brushed a lock of hair that had fallen and said solemnly: "Today I heard something quite interesting. It seems that something unusual has happened in the Northern Continent..."
Not waiting for her to finish, Yu Yuan interrupted with a lack of interest.
"Isn't the Northern Continent a place of exile for Witch Demons? What unusual things could happen there? Besides, if the sky falls, there are tall people to bear it, what does it have to do with us?"
"We don't know yet whether it's good or bad."
"If it's a good thing, it has even less to do with us."
Yu Yuan spread his hands and laughed, "You see, in the Three Realms, Daluo is everywhere, Golden Immortals are worthless as dogs, whenever there's good news, isn't it always a crowd rushing forward?"
"You are not even as good as a dog!"
Already a Golden Immortal Body, Huo Ling'er was so annoyed she regretted not biting him earlier.
Realizing his faux pas, Yu Yuan laughed, "My mistake, friendly fire. Other Golden Immortals may be as innumerable as dogs, but senior sister, you are definitely better than a dog. Is that better?"
Before the words finished, Huo Ling'er had a large hammer in her hand, surrounded by swirling Chaotic Qi, glaring fiercely at him.
In the face of violence, Yu Yuan chose to shut up, gesturing with both hands: Please continue!
Huo Ling'er's anger subsided, she put away the Primordial Hammer, and after recalling what she wanted to say, she continued, "This matter starts with the Witch Demon Calamity. You know about it, right?"
Yu Yuan blinked, indicating his awareness.
Huo Ling'er went on, "After the Witch Demon Calamity, the Primordial Continent was shattered into the Four Great Continents; the Northern Continent was originally the most barren part of the Western Continent. It was stained by the grievance of the North Sea Xuan Turtle, almost turning into a wasteland, scarcely visited by humans, plagued by poisonous miasmas, thus it became a land of exile for the Witch Demon tribes."
Hearing this, a keen light flashed in Yu Yuan's eyes.
He urgently needed some new herbs, it looked like it was time to visit the Northern Continent.
Unaware of his change in expression, Huo Ling'er continued, "Due to the special environment of the Northern Continent, it has rarely drawn people's attention over the years. It was only recently, with the reestabl...
"Yes. Is there any problem?"
Huo Ling'er strangely said: "If the Heavenly Emperor wanted to borrow the force of our Jie Sect, he should've personally come to ask for it. Even if he did not come in person, he should at least send a Daluo Golden Immortal, right? Yet, he only sent a mere True Immortal, which shows his contempt for our Jie Sect. My master's disposal of the matter was indeed to uphold the prestige of our Saintly Sect."
"Hehe~"
Yu Yuan sneered twice, looking at Huo Ling'er: "Is it possible that the Heavenly Court is really short-staffed to the point they can't find anyone more capable?"
Huo Ling'er was startled, "That shouldn't be... Right? That's the Heavenly Court we're talking about. Even if it has just been re-established, it shouldn't be so lacking as to not even have a Daluo Golden Immortal, right?"
"Hehe~"
Yu Yuan still sneered, "If the Heavenly Emperor had a Daluo Golden Immortal at his command, do you think he would need to send someone to ask for help from us Jie Sect disciples just to investigate something as trivial as the Northern Continent?"
"This..."
Huo Ling'er was lost for words.
Pausing for a moment, she suddenly stood up, ready to leave.
"What are you going to do?" Yu Yuan asked, puzzled.
Huo Ling'er stopped in her steps, seriously saying: "I am going to find my master and tell him about this situation."
"You this..."
Yu Yuan somewhat didn't know what to say.
But Huo Ling'er seemed to have figured it out on her own.
"My master's understanding of creation runs deep, he knows the Yin Yang, nothing in heaven and earth is unknown to him... so he couldn't possibly be unaware, right?"
Yu Yuan nodded, smiling, "It seems you are not too foolish after all."
Huo Ling'er glared at him, still wearing a face of confusion, "If the master already knew, why then did he send the True Immortal from the Heavenly Court away?"
Yu Yuan shrugged, "Who knows?"
"No, I still have to go ask the master!"
Huo Ling'er said and waved her hand, the door of the hall opened on its own, and she transformed into a ray of rosy light, soaring into the sky, disappearing into the night.
After she left, Yu Yuan lay back in the dark green medicinal bath, with only his head floating above the water.
In his memory, the newly appointed Heavenly Emperor barely had any capable followers, resembling a few kittens and puppies; utterly useless in any serious matters.
Thus, when he wanted something done, he had to beg the Chan Sect or Jie Sect for help.
And sending his subordinates was not enough; he, the Heavenly Emperor himself, had to personally go and beg for assistance.
"Supreme of the Three Realms!"
"Ah, the Saintly Sect..."
Forget it, best not to think about these messed-up matters.
Wen Zhong had just become a disciple; he should at least give him a welcoming gift.
Maybe catch him a mount by tomorrow morning?
Right, what was his mount again?
...
Heavenly Court.
The center of the Three Realms, where immortals reside.
But looking out, all that could be seen was ruins and debris everywhere.
Those Tao Palaces and Treasure Halls that once glowed with golden light and red rainbows had collapsed; the Medicine Gardens and orchards that emitted auspicious purple mist had become barren; those graceful and enchanting Immortal maidens had fled; the flock of precious and auspicious creatures had all vanished...
Li Changgeng rode a white cloud all the way from the East Sea, looking at the state of the Heavenly Court, he could not help but shake his head and sigh.
The Heavenly Court has suffered terribly!
Just like a land of lush grass and prized Feng Shui if ravaged by too many animals, it would definitely turn into a total mess, muddy and unbearable.
The Heavenly Court was ravaged during the Witch Demon Great War, directly reduced to ruins.
Since that war, through the passage of time and changing eras, the Heavenly Court had finally been re-established, with the Heavenly Emperor taking the throne to rule over the Three Realms.
However, restoring this ruination to its former glory in a short time was not something even an Emperor alone could achieve.
Especially since remnants of Witch and Demon clans still tested the waters in secret, yearning to restore their former glory.
Hence, the Heavenly Emperor also needed help, and a large amount of it!
Li Changgeng was the one now seeking help for the Heavenly Emperor.
This time going to Penglai to seek the aid of the Jie Sect was also a task he volunteered for.
Unfortunately, he went with enthusiasm and returned disheartened.
Not to mention seeing a Saint, he didn't even catch sight of Penglai Island, and was sent back from Golden Turtle Island, the so-called "stronghold of Jie Sect".
Now, he did not know how to explain this to the Emperor of Heaven.
He was just a minor True Immortal, insignificant and undervalued, he knew this.
Thus, before going to Golden Turtle Island, he had specifically requested a Heavenly Emperor's Decree from the Heavenly Emperor, always holding it in his hand, clarifying that he was under the orders of the Heavenly Emperor to seek an audience with the Sect Hierarch and Saint, but those Jie Sect disciples sent him away without even a glance.
What Heavenly Emperor's Decree, in those Jie Sect disciples' eyes, it was completely worthless.
Truly deserving of the title Saintly Sect, quite a grand presence!
...