Chapter 81
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Eastern Heaven and the Northern Wall ascended simultaneously.
The ancient gods transformed from heaven and earth do not reside in the heavenly realm. Most of them roam the void, appearing in the blink of an eye, never to be seen again. Only the immortal gods who ascend from mortal life will stay in the heavenly realm for a long time. Among them, those willing to be worshipped by mortals naturally bless their followers, which is beneficial for their cultivation. There are also those who are unwilling to be worshipped and spend their time in seclusion, contemplating their cultivation, hoping to return to the void as soon as possible.
At that time, there were several powerful predecessors in the heavenly realm who had ascended as immortal gods. They had mostly passed the stage of enjoying the incense offerings from mortals and belonged to the latter category. However, newly ascended gods more or less had some mortal followers. Therefore, Eastern Heaven was responsible for managing the abundant spiritual energy in the mortal world, ensuring protection from disasters, while Northern Wall was responsible for maintaining peace and order among mortals.
Contrary to the myths and legends of mortals, the gods in the heavenly realm actually do not distinguish between high and low status after ascending – they are all gods, each pursuing their own cultivation path and seeking their own Dao. They rarely meet each other for hundreds of years, and any form of control or interference is out of the question.
However, Gong Wei was very worried about Ying Kai’s obstacles on the path to enlightenment, so he often visited Northern Wall in the heavenly realm to discuss and drink with Ying Kai.
Ying Kai, perhaps feeling melancholic in his heart after a long time in the Cangyang Sect and having nothing else to do, unexpectedly learned how to brew his own wine. Since there were peach blossoms planted all over the heavenly realm, he used peaches to make wine, which was very sweet. Gong Wei often fell asleep halfway through their discussions, waking up to find himself in Eastern Heaven’s divine hall, lying on a cloud-like soft couch, with Xu Shuangce sitting upright next to him, holding ancient scrolls in his hands, his posture straight, and his expression focused.
Gong Wei wagged his tail and said, “Xu Bai, Xu Bai, why do you keep turning me into a little fox?” Then, he skillfully climbed onto Xu Shuangce’s knee, leaned his head out from the edge of the table, and propped his two front paws on the table, reading together with him.
Xu Shuangce’s voice came from above, “Is the peach wine delicious?”
Gong Wei didn’t hesitate, “Delicious!”
After a while, when Gong Wei went to discuss matters with Ying Kai again, he found only tea on the table, but no wine. Ying Kai looked confused and said, “Shuangce said the peach blossoms were blooming just right and he wanted to learn how to make wine. He borrowed my brewing tools for several days and hasn’t returned them. He said he didn’t need my help and would invite me for a drink once he learned, but I really don’t know when he’ll learn…”
The two looked at each other in silence, and the air became quiet for a while.
Gong Wei made a decision, “Let’s go, let’s go find Xu Bai for a discussion.”
The two of them flew to Eastern Heaven’s divine hall together. Xu Shuangce gladly agreed to the discussion, so they took out the peach blossom wine he had just brewed and drank with him. They also found a plate of spicy chicken from somewhere in the mortal world. But when Gong Wei saw the chicken, he forgot about everything and indulged in eating, alternating between sweet and spicy, unable to stop his happy mouth. He listened to Xu Shuangce and Ying Kai chatting while feeling a bit tipsy. After a while discussing mortal affairs, Ying Kai suddenly fell silent for no reason and said, “I have a question that often troubles me.”
Xu Shuangce asked, “Please, speak freely.”
Ying Kai said, “If I hadn’t gone to control the flood back then, and simply let the people downstream be flooded by the waters, would the wars have stopped by now, and would there be peace and harmony in the world, with no more need for anyone to die in battle?”
Xu Shuangce was stunned.
Gong Wei was reclining on the soft couch, hugging Xu Shuangce’s pillow. He was already half-drunk and smiled as he snuggled the pillow, saying, “Not necessarily.”
Ying Kai asked, “What do you mean?”
“If you hadn’t controlled the flood, and the people died but the wars stopped, it would be one of the karmic laws of the world. If you controlled the flood and saved the people, but the wars didn’t stop and thousands died, it would be another karmic law of the world. Everything has its cause and effect, its own karma. Therefore, you don’t really need to blame yourself for the prolonged wars now. You must understand that the cycle of cause and effect in the world will eventually repay everything. When you decided to control the flood, it was just one part of the great karmic cycle of this world.”
Ying Kai listened quietly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
“By the way,” Gong Wei suddenly realized something, “Where did you come up with these thoughts? Did someone say something to you?”
“….” Ying Kai averted his gaze, unable to detect any hint of concealment in his words. “No, I came up with them myself.”
Gong Wei comforted him, “The world’s situation is constantly changing. It’s really unnecessary to think too much about these things.”
Ying Kai nodded silently, saying nothing more.
That day, they drank and talked until very late. Gong Wei had already fallen into a deep sleep, so soft that he couldn’t be roused. Xu Shuangce got up to see Ying Kai off, both of them slightly tipsy. Ying Kai looked at the distant moon in reality, suddenly stopped, and whispered, “If everyone in this world were satisfied and all their wishes were fulfilled, wouldn’t there be no more noise?”
Xu Shuangce didn’t hear clearly, “What noise?”
Ying Kai said, “Crying.”
“Where is the crying coming from?”
The surroundings were clearly silent and desolate, and Xu Shuangce thought he might have missed something, but he saw Ying Kai remain silent for a while before saying, “It’s nothing. I must have misheard.”
Xu Shuangce furrowed his brows, feeling a sudden unease for some reason. However, before he could ask further, Ying Kai shook his head and laughed, “Shuangce, your wine is too strong. Can’t you let me give you a few pointers myself? At this rate, when will you return my brewing tools to me?”
Xu Shuangce immediately waved his sleeve and put his hands behind him, saying calmly, “No. Brewing wine is like seeking the Dao, everyone’s path is different. How can I casually receive pointers?”
“…” Ying Kai rubbed his forehead and muttered, “I see. Then I guess I won’t be getting my belongings back in this lifetime.”
After seeing off Ying Kai and returning to the divine hall, Xu Shuangce saw Gong Wei lying there, deeply intoxicated in the familiar scent of sandalwood, unconsciously transforming into a form related to it – a little fox.
The warm and soft little fox laid on the cloud couch, its fur smooth and long, its two pointed ears drooping softly, and its fluffy tail hanging down to the white jade floor tiles. It looked as soft as a puddle of water, and Xu Shuangce stood by the couch for a while, his breathing slightly quickened. He reached out and transformed the little fox back into Gong Wei.
The youth was as fair as moonlight, his lips slightly parted unconsciously, the overturned wine cup staining his robes, and the aroma of wine and peach blossoms permeating his wrist.
Perhaps because of the quiet night, Xu Shuangce looked at him, and his heart beat heavily in his chest. Countless suppressed thoughts suddenly rushed out like a torrent.
Why did he always run to Northern Wall?
Why did he always enjoy wandering in the real world?
Why did everyone and everything in this world occupy his thoughts and time?
Why… why was he no longer just my little fox?
Once these thoughts arose, they grew rapidly like towering vines, tightly entwining Xu Shuangce’s mind. He leaned down and stared at the sleeping Gong Wei, his gaze falling on those red lips that were slightly parted. After hesitating for a moment, he finally leaned down and placed a kiss on them.
Their breaths intertwined, their lips touched, and their souls erupted with intense tremors.
Emotions surged from the depths of his heart, dragging the Heavenly God into an abyss.
With a loud bang, Xu Shuangce stumbled back, knocking over the table and chairs and wine cups. But he didn’t feel anything, because the turbulent waves in his mind swallowed everything, his divine consciousness collapsed, and he felt dizzy and disoriented. At the same time, a strong force erupted, shaking the entire Eastern Heaven, causing the clouds to thunder.
“Xu Bai? Xu Bai, what’s wrong with you?” In a daze, he heard Gong Wei seeming to be awakened, stumbling over in drunkenness. “Have you lost control of your powers? What happened?”
Xu Shuangce looked at the surprised face of the youth before him, and he had never felt such a strong desire to possess him, to hurt him, to make him feel the same heart-wrenching pain as himself. He also wanted to protect him tightly, shielding him from any wind and rain, and offering all the precious and beautiful things in the world along with his own heart to him.
A mixture of immense joy and sadness collided in his heart at the same time, conflicting emotions tore at his soul, filled with jealousy’s acidic bitterness. Xu Shuangce opened his mouth, but couldn’t hear what he said in the chaos. The last bit of his sanity made him escape from the divine hall, and his divine consciousness rushed into the boundless void.
That was the first time the Heavenly God Eastern Heaven fell into qi deviation.
He began to seclude himself in meditation, even afraid to think of Gong Wei’s face in his mind. However, the emotional obstacle became like a demonic seed planted within him.
He had forever lost that cold-hearted Dao Heart.
At that time, Gong Wei didn’t understand what had happened, nor did he have time to pester Xu Bai for answers. Because after that night, a major event occurred—
Ying Kai returned to Northern Wall and issued a divine oracle to reality, using the world soldier cast golden statues, forcibly stopping the wars and extinguishing the flames of battle.
The Three Realms trembled.
It had never happened before.
Never has any deity issued such a strong and absolute divine oracle to reality before; Ying Kai was the first since the dawn of time.
Not only Gong Wei, but even other deities also had a premonition of the impending disaster.
But Ying Kai was the god in charge of human order and peace, and no other deity could easily interfere with his decisions. Only Xu Shuangce, upon hearing the news, despite not having resolved his emotional obstacle, forcefully emerged from seclusion and immediately flew to Northern Wall with his sword. Ying Kai looked at him helplessly and asked slowly, “Are you here to force me to retract my decree?”
Xu Shuangce let go of his sword and said in a deep voice, “No, I’m here to discuss Dao with you.”
Ying Kai reached out across the table, saying, “Please.”
Although there was no distinction of seniority among the deities, if there were disagreements among them, they could use Dao discussion to resolve the issues. If your Dao convinces my Dao, then naturally, I will have doubts about my Dao, and I will need to contemplate and meditate to understand the confusion. The disagreement will then no longer exist.
The Dao discussion between Eastern Heaven and Northern Wall lasted for seven days and seven nights, with debates, magical illusions, and no clear winner. The attention of the entire heavenly realm was focused on the closed doors of Northern Wall’s divine hall. No one knew that on the eighth day, as the dawn broke, Northern Wall God asked a question to the Eastern Heaven God in the deep hall:
“If in this world, karma should take its natural course, then shouldn’t love and hate, gathering and parting, also follow their natural course?”
Eastern Heaven God replied, “Yes.”
“When you had not ascended yet, you were inseparable from the young fox, intimate to the point of life and death, which was ‘gathering.’ But now, after ascending, the Mirror Immortal loves all things in the world, considers all beings in the Three Realms, and no longer belongs solely to you, which is ‘parting’—shouldn’t you accept this situation calmly and not make any demands?”
Eastern Heaven suddenly froze in place.
Northern Wall pressed on relentlessly, and every word felt like scorching needles piercing into the soul: “If in the future, someone in reality is found to have the fate of ascension, the Mirror Immortal will accompany them just like you in the past, accompany the newcomers in the human realm intimately without leaving, will you be able to accept this situation calmly?!”
With a bang, Xu Shuangce stood up abruptly, “Stop! Gong Wei—he is not just—”
He is not just my little fox.
Xu Shuangce’s words stopped abruptly, the pain of the heart piercing through his chest, causing a roaring in his mind.
“Shuangce,” Ying Kai’s compassionate voice seemed both near and far in the chaos, he said, “Your words of not insisting even fail to convince yourself, do you think you can convince me?”
Xu Shuangce’s blood boiled, unable to restrain it anymore, he suddenly spurted out a mouthful of blood!
After seven days and nights of Dao discussion between Eastern Heaven and Northern Wall, the demons of their hearts grew rampant, and they both retreated in defeat.
From then on, no one could stop Northern Wall’s obsession with universal unity. His absolute divine decree completely suppressed reality, forcibly maintaining decades of peace.
However, what Ying Kai did not expect was that—people would not be grateful forever.
Soon, with disaster came the resurgence of warfare, the people’s clamor for battle rose, and they even resented Ying Kai, who had originally stopped the wars and floods. They overturned his shrines and toppled his statues.
The Ghost Crown Prince finally made his appearance.
“Among all living beings in the world, only humans repay kindness with enmity, only humans harm their own kind, only humans resort to cannibalism, and only humans engage in wanton slaughter for the sake of pleasure.”
“In this world, flowers, leaves, grass, birds, and beasts are all valuable, but only humans. Humans are not worthy.”
Representing the demon of slaughter, peach blossoms bloomed overnight throughout the heavenly realm. Northern Wall God summoned giant soldiers, starting the War of Annihilation.
Ying Kai wanted to eradicate all evil in the world, and among all the evils in the world, there were only humans.
Gong Wei finally understood what had happened that night hundreds of years ago. The “extremely pure and ultimate morality” bestowed upon Ying Kai by the Ghost Crown Prince was not a gift at all, but a poisonous seed.
But at this moment, it was too late for regrets.
The Mirror Immortal, who had always been gentle and close to people, for the first time summoned his evil aspect out of anger, fought fiercely with the Ghost Crown Prince, and descended into the underworld, overturning the entire Yellow Springs. Meanwhile, the Eastern Heaven God attempted to descend into the human realm to kill the world ending soldier puppet but was blocked by the Northern Wall God. The two deities erupted into a bloody battle, almost flattening the heavenly realm.
Even the vast sky was stained with the blood of the gods, and the tragic and magnificent battle could be described as an epic. In the end, neither Eastern Heaven nor Northern Wall won, so they had to make a bet on a godhead. The crucial part of the bet fell on the final battlefield of reality—the Heavenly Gate.
Iron Sect Master Xuan Jinghe died together with the world ending soldier at the Heavenly Gate, and he ascended, becoming a god on the spot.
Northern Wall, who lost the bet, was furious and unleashed a great catastrophe on Xuan Jinghe. However, at the critical moment, Gong Wei arrived and personally protected him, driving back the thousands of thunderbolts and carrying Xuan Jinghe to ascend to the heavenly realm.
From then on, the War of Annihilation finally came to an end.
The Ghost Crown Prince was imprisoned in the depths of the Yellow Springs, Northern Wall God was expelled from the heavenly realm, and the newly ascended Xuan Jinghe was titled the Western Boundary God.
As the clear light shone across the vast sky, the entire Three Realms admired and looked up to the new god. Only Xu Shuangce saw the mirror carried by Xuan Jinghe, covered in scars and cracks all over. At the same time, he heard a ghostly voice ringing in his ear, saying, “See that? That’s the true form of Gong Wei.”
Xu Shuangce stood on the clouds, asking, “So what?”
The Ghost Crown Prince, confined to the depths of the chaos in the Yellow Springs, seemed unconcerned about the dark and hopeless prison: “Have you forgotten what mirrors like to do the most?—Imitate. Whatever you show it, the mirror will reflect it back to you. If you offer it the most humble and sincere love, the mirror will reflect this love back to you.”
“…”
“People come and go, but the mirror always stands in its place. At this moment, it reflects you, and in the future, it will equally reflect others.” The voice of the Ghost Prince was deep, almost demonic, as he smiled, “Do you understand now, Eastern Heaven? This is the greatest no way out* you’ll face in this life.”
* used no way out because same as sword and based off of previous translator title of story but better translation probs helpness in this case
Xu Shuangce abruptly closed his eyes, a mighty surge of divine power erupting from his body, dispersing the voice of the Ghost Prince in an instant!
No one could see his hand tightly gripping No Way Out sword, the veins on the back of his hand bulging slightly, trembling faintly.
After the War of Annihilation, how to deal with the guilt-ridden Northern Wall became the biggest challenge in the celestial realm at that time.
Gong Wei had sworn an oath when Ying Kai ascended, that if Ying Kai fell to his killing barrier, he must be immediately executed. But now, when it came time to fulfill the oath, Gong Wei was filled with hesitation and conflict. So he invited all the gods of the celestial realm at that time, gods who hadn’t gathered in centuries, to come together and discuss repeatedly, but they still couldn’t find a solution that satisfied everyone.
Finally, Xuan Jinghe tentatively made a proposal: “Since the oath was originally made to deal with the killing barrier, why not start from there? If Northern Wall can fully atone for his sins of destroying the world and completely resolve his killing barrier, wouldn’t the oath naturally be resolved as well?”
Xuan Jinghe’s soul was severely damaged during his ascension and has not fully recovered to this day. During this time, Gong Wei has been using his divine power to help repair his soul, so they have been inseparable. Hearing this, Gong Wei said with distress, “But how can such a deep-seated killing barrier be resolved?”
All the immortals shook their heads in ignorance.
Gong Wei turned his head expectantly and asked, “Xu Bai?”
“…”
Previously, spending years as a little fox had made Gong Wei develop a liking for snuggling with people. At this moment, he was squeezed together with Xuan Jinghe on a seat. Fortunately, Gong Wei was small in stature, and Xuan Jinghe was thin, so they barely fit. Even so, Xuan Jinghe almost got pushed to the ground by Gong Wei’s cramped posture.
Xu Shuangce lowered his eyelashes, concealing his cold and heavy pupils, and said, “I don’t know.”
Gong Wei felt extremely disappointed. “Even Xu Bai doesn’t know,” he sighed, holding his cheek in his hand. “Let’s hope that everyone here will think harder tonight, and we’ll discuss it again tomorrow.”
As the smoke cleared in reality, the moon in the heavenly realm seemed exceptionally bright, illuminating the cloud sea with clarity.
That night, Xu Shuangce meditated for a long time, feeling restless with his inner demons. He got up and left the Eastern Heaven Temple, strolling in the cloud sea for a while, only to find himself habitually standing in front of a vast palace illuminated by moonlight—Gong Wei’s residence in the heavenly realm.
Gong Wei loved the human realm and spent all year round wandering there in human form. This place was usually deserted.
Xu Shuangce stood quietly for a moment, about to turn around and leave as usual, but suddenly heard Xuan Jinghe’s gentle voice carried by the breeze, “And then? Is Eastern Heaven God angry?”
Xu Shuangce abruptly stopped in his tracks.
Gong Wei chuckled and said, “How could he be! Xu Bai never truly gets angry with me. He once cut off a big clump of my tail fur as punishment, then brought ice cubes for me to suck on. I had to suck on half a bowl of ice before I felt better—those spicy saliva chickens were really too spicy! Xu Bai never let me eat them again after that!”
The night pearl illuminated the palace brightly, with the Mirror Immortal and the God of the Western Border sitting on opposite sides, the fragrance of tea wafting through the air. Xuan Jinghe couldn’t help but laugh after a moment of contemplation, smiling, “I never expected the Eastern Heaven God, who is usually so noble, to be so petty sometimes.”
Gong Wei blinked and smiled, “Of course, Xu Bai has many thoughts. He even once told me that when I grow up, I mustn’t go find my mother fox, because indulging in love will hinder my cultivation and keep me as a fox for the rest of my life.”
Xuan Jinghe almost sprayed tea everywhere.
Gong Wei shook his head and laughed, a youthful playfulness flashing in his eyes. After a while, the smile faded.
“Now that I think about it, that should have been the happiest time,” he sighed softly, saying, “If I had known the outcome today, I would have never ascended and stayed in the human realm forever.”
Outside the palace, under the moonlit night and gentle breeze, Xu Shuangce’s pupils widened slightly as he stood still.
“…” Xuan Jinghe seemed to ponder for a long time, then suddenly stood up and bowed deeply, saying, “Regarding the matter of Northern Wall’s killing intent, I have a solution.”
Gong Wei was about to get up to support him, but he was surprised by his words and asked, “What solution?”
Xuan Jinghe said, “According to my fate and destiny, I have a special affinity with overcoming malevolent energies. I’m willing to exchange destinies with Northern Wall, to reincarnate and endure until his killing barrier is exhausted. This way, the impasse can be resolved. What do you think?”
Not only Xu Shuangce outside the hall, but even Gong Wei was momentarily stunned.
“No, absolutely not.” Gong Wei reacted quickly and waved his hand, “Ying Kai’s killing barrier won’t be exhausted for thousands of years. Your soul hasn’t fully recovered, so it’s too dangerous to reincarnate.”
Xuan Jinghe said earnestly, “I understand, but this is the safest and most reliable method to dissolve the killing barrier. Otherwise, you’ll have no choice but to completely exterminate Northern Wall. But doesn’t that align with the Ghost Crown Prince’s intentions? He planted a seed in the hearts of ascending cultivators; we can’t uproot the seed, so we can only kill the cultivators. Is that truly the only response from the heavens to good and evil?”
“…” Gong Wei remained silent, his beautiful eyebrows furrowed in thought.
“I am the best candidate to overcome the killing barrier. If you’re still worried, you can visit me in the mortal realm in every lifetime.” Xuan Jinghe paused, then reassured, “You can transform into a little fox and pass by the door where I reincarnate in every life. That way, every time I’m born, I’ll remember our agreement. Isn’t it good that after thousands of years, when the killing barrier is exhausted, we’ll meet again at the gate of heaven?”
The moon shone brightly, casting a serene glow on Gong Wei’s composed face.
Outside the hall at this moment, Xu Shuangce stood in the wind, as if even his breath had stopped.
“…No, I am the best candidate.” After a long time, Gong Wei finally spoke slowly.
Xuan Jinghe couldn’t understand. “But—”
“It’s because I didn’t fulfill my duty properly, leaving an opportunity for the Ghost Crown Prince. I failed to protect the ascendants, resulting in the current catastrophe of the Xuanmen. I should be the one to bear the suffering of reincarnation for thousands of years.”
Xuan Jinghe’s voice became unusually stern. “How can you think like this! It was I who proposed this method, and it is also most suitable for my fate. How can you choose to sacrifice yourself instead?”
Gong Wei smiled. There was a kind of youthful innocence about him. “Because I don’t want to turn into a little fox and go see you in the human realm.”
Xuan Jinghe didn’t expect this answer and was momentarily stunned.
“Because I’m only Xu Bai’s fox.” Gong Wei innocently held his cheek, his bright eyes seeming to sparkle. “If I turn into a little fox again to see you, it would violate our original promise, and Xu Bai would be angry with me.”
Under the moonlit night of the vast heavens, as the clear breeze blew, Xu Shuangce, the Eastern Heaven God, stood with his hair and robe fluttering in the wind.
For a long time, Xu Shuangce tightly closed his eyes.
The next morning, as dawn broke, the gods gathered again in the heavenly realm, still at a loss regarding the matter of resolving Northern Wall’s karma.
However, the usually taciturn Eastern Heaven God suddenly stepped forward, speaking resolutely and without doubt, publicly requesting to descend and exchange fates with Northern Wall, to endure the suffering of reincarnation for thousands of years to resolve the world-ending karma.
This was the first time since the dawn of time that the heavenly realm had been shaken once again.
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Uff, the ‘reminder’ chapters reading finished, now unknown before me! Very excited, can’t wait~! 《《o(≧◇≦)o》》
Thank You for the chapter ❤٩(•౪•٩)