Heavenly Court, Palace of the Polestar
Emperor Hao Tian looked at the Old Dragon King below with a bit of a headache.
The Four Seas had been under the Dragon Clan's control for years, outwardly loyal but secretly rebellious.
When something happens, they come to me. When there's nothing, they act as if I don't exist.
But this matter couldn't be ignored. If something happens to one of your subordinates and you don't intervene, what kind of leader does that make you? Who would follow you in the future?
However, this incident involved a disciple of a Saint. Could he really apprehend them to make amends for Ao Bing's death? After some thought, Hao Tian decided to procrastinate.
The Divine Enthronement hadn't even officially started yet. The Heavenly Court was little more than a makeshift band, with only a few hundred immortals in total. Emperor Hao Tian issued an order through the Immortal of Colossal Spirit, saying with great authority, "There is a demon causing trouble in the East Sea, unlawfully killing the Third Prince Ao Bing of the Dragon Clan. I hereby appoint the Immortal of Colossal Spirit as the Demon Extermination Grand Marshal. You must capture this demon as soon as possible to uphold the majesty of Heaven."
The Immortal of Colossal Spirit was merely at the level of Heavenly Immortal cultivation. Even the Dragon King couldn't find the culprit, so how could he? He was no match for Ao Bing! If he did manage to find them, it would only result in his own demise!
But being an old hand in such matters, he noted that no specific timeline had been given. "This minister accepts the edict!"
Hao Tian dismissed the two of them. "I've sent people to help you look," he said, though how long it would take and whether they'd find anything remained unclear.
And thus, the matter was closed.
...
A hill outside Chentang Pass
Nezha used his mana to carve the words "Granny's Tomb" onto a wooden plaque, firmly staking it into the small grave mound before him.
This event deeply moved Nezha's heart. No wonder so many great figures chose to temper their minds amidst the mortal world. Some things can never be fully understood unless you've experienced them yourself.
This place wasn't some imagined world of the previous life; it was as real as it got. And he wasn't just a player in some game — he was truly living here, capable of joy, anger, sadness, and happiness.
After restoring his composure, Nezha set off toward Lishan.
The fifteenth day of the third month was approaching, the day of Lady Nuwa's birthday celebration. As her disciple, he had to attend. Moreover, something significant was going to happen this time.
Although it was called Lady Nuwa's birthday, it wasn't actually her date of birth. When she was born, there was no concept of calendars or birthdays! This day was actually the anniversary of the creation of the Human Clan, but over time the idea morphed into Lady Nuwa's birthday celebration.
Lady Nuwa didn't deny it, though, because this gave her a rightful reason to head to Fire Cloud Cave to visit her brother Fu Xi. The two had been inseparable since birth and shared a profound bond that didn't need explaining.
Fu Xi normally stayed in Fire Cloud Cave, safeguarding the Human Clan's Qi fortune. Without serious matters at hand, not even Hong Jun or the Six Saints could approach. Meeting her brother was no easy feat.
As soon as Nezha returned to Lishan, he was sent to Nuwa Palace by his mother, only to be caught by Sister Xiaoqing for a complete makeover.
His originally pristine white Daoist robe was swapped for a bright red festive outfit, and his tied-back hair was styled into two adorable buns.
Sitting still and serving as her doll, Nezha complained, "Sister Xiaoqing, aren't you done yet?"
Qingluan pulled out a beautiful golden ring, held it up to Nezha's neck to compare, and, while rifling through a treasure chest, replied, "You little fool, you're basking in blessings without even realizing it! This entire outfit of yours is made of low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. Many immortals at the Profound Immortal level don't even have a single piece like this."
Nezha instantly exclaimed, "Sister Xiaoqing, go ahead and give it your all. I can handle it!"
Nuwa's Qiankun Cauldron could reverse the innate state of treasures. Although these were the lowest quality Innate Spiritual Treasures with little Dao Qi, Nezha wasn't one to complain.
The final result made Nezha look even more festive than a New Year's poster child. Even Nuwa beamed with satisfaction at the sight.
On the day of the birthday celebration, golden light illuminated Taisu Heaven, and a seven-colored rainbow weaved through the Chaos, eventually connecting to Fire Cloud Cave.
The resonant cries of luanniao echoed throughout the Chaos as Qingluan, in her bird form, pulled a brilliantly radiant, jewel-encrusted carriage with glazed jade decorations. Sitting in front of the carriage was a rosy-cheeked, jubilant child. The carriage glided along the rainbow, emanating beams of dazzling light as it headed for Fire Cloud Cave.
Celebrations began among the common folk as well.
Inside Fire Cloud Cave, the feast had long been prepared. The number one "sister's protector" of the Primordial Era, Fu Xi, stood alongside Emperor Yan and the Yellow Emperor at the cave entrance, awaiting Lady Nuwa's arrival. As they saw the luanniao approach from the distant sky, Fu Xi's smile couldn't be contained.
The carriage arrived, and Nezha immediately got up, lifted the curtain, and conjured a magnificent seven-colored auspicious cloud beneath it with his spell.
Lady Nuwa elegantly stepped onto the cloud and descended. The Three Emperors came forward and bowed simultaneously. "Greetings, Lady Nuwa, the Saint!"
Lady Nuwa nodded gracefully and, with Nezha by her side, followed Fu Xi into Fire Cloud Cave.
Qingluan transformed back into her human form and put away the carriage.
Inside Fire Cloud Cave, everyone's previously formal expressions relaxed. Nezha, ever perceptive, greeted them promptly, "Li Nezha greets Master Uncle and the two Human Emperors."
Fu Xi, fond of him due to his admiration for Nuwa and his own likeable nature, showered Nezha with praise before eventually presenting him with a book.
The Yan Emperor and the Yellow Emperor followed suit, each gifting him a Heavenly Book.
Nezha: "?"
Was this like holiday relatives giving kids assignments and wishing them academic success? Still, Nezha cherished the gifts deeply. Even the slightest thing leaked from the hands of great experts was enough to sustain him for years, let alone these treasures from evidently favoring hands.
The so-called Fire Cloud Cave was a "cave" in name but actually an entire great world.
After a round of eating and drinking at the feast, the crowd considerately left the space to Fu Xi and Nuwa for a sibling reunion.
Nezha, meanwhile, ventured off to find Emperor Xuanyuan, the inventor he had long admired in the Primordial Era. The Primordial Yellow Emperor was akin to the Lu Xun of Nezha's past life's literary world.
If you didn't know who said a certain quote, it was definitely Lu Xun.
Similarly, if you discovered something bizarre in the Primordial Era and didn't know who invented it, it was definitely the Yellow Emperor's doing.
In his past life, Nezha had toyed with the idea of writing novels at home and even joined a beginner authors' group to learn from others. To his surprise, everyone in the group was exceptionally talented — beyond writing novels, they seemed capable of everything else as well.
The group files included texts like "Fundamentals of Novel Writing," "Methods of Murder and Body Disposal," "The Complete Works of Wang Yangming," and "The Evolution of Daoist Magic," as well as some of the more abstract ones like "Intro to Building and Mastering Nuclear Bombs" and "Quick Body Shaping for Crossdressing Males."
Out of curiosity, Nezha had skimmed through some of them, and with the terrifying memory enhancement of the Creation Jade Scroll, those vague readings came back to him vividly. This was one reason for the entertaining conversation he had with the Yellow Emperor.
The Yellow Emperor, with his carefree demeanor and humorous words, quickly bonded with Nezha over their shared interests in invention and women, calling each other brothers not long after they met.
The Yellow Emperor draped an arm around Nezha's shoulders, the two sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, whispering as if discussing some profound truth. Before them floated a pair of black long socks that Nezha had conjured with his mana, patterns shifting across the surface as spiritual light shimmered.
Tap, tap!
With a smack, Nezha dispersed the spiritual power. The two immediately sprang apart, pretending to be serious.
Stroking his beard, the Yellow Emperor feigned gravity. "Nezha, you should take some time to study the Scripture of the Hidden Talisman that I wrote. It contains a comprehensive collection of spells, enough to support you all the way to Profound Immortal."
Nezha, with a face full of reverence, nodded repeatedly and promised to start reading it as soon as he got back.
Lei Mother entered carrying a fruit platter, smiling gently as though she had seen nothing. She sat beside Nezha and began to chat warmly. Perhaps the fondness for chubby kids is just an innate trait for women.
Nezha, lacking the Yellow Emperor's thick skin, couldn't handle it and hastily excused himself.
After Nezha left, Lei Mother pinched a spot of soft flesh on the Yellow Emperor's side. "You sly old rascal, if Lady Nuwa finds out, she'll definitely teach you a lesson!"
The Yellow Emperor, full of conciliatory smiles, wrapped an arm around Lei Mother in response. "What are you saying? I was merely giving younger generations a bit of guidance."
"Heh. By the way, I've had a new idea. Care to help me, dear wife?"
As he spoke, he conjured another pair of black, patterned long socks.
Lei Mother rolled her eyes and tightened her grip.
"Ow, ow, ow!"