If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1121 Souvenirs

"What? The four characters on this plaque are 'Lingxiao Palace'?" Marquis Hunhai exclaimed in disbelief.

"It really does resemble the 'Lingxiao Palace.' In terms of magnificence and grandeur, only the Lingxiao Palace in the Heavenly Court seems worthy of it. But why is the plaque of the Lingxiao Palace in Yu Fengxian's hands?"

The other illiterate people were shocked and discussed it amongst themselves.

Xiaoyu was pleased to see everyone looking shocked and terrified.

She looked at the Third Holy Mother and said, "This plaque is so big, it's a struggle for me to carry it, weighing a full 79,000 jin! Tell me, how do you plan to 'steal' it quietly?"

Then, with a smug look on her face, she looked around and said loudly, "Just as I said, this is a local specialty of the Heavenly Court!"

If you wish to refute this, then tell me, can we find anything like this anywhere else in the Three Realms?

This was quite a show of bravado. Everyone was too shocked by the loss of the plaque at the Lingxiao Palace to feel any respect or reverence for Grand Tutor Yu.

Even those who came to their senses only thought she was crazy and didn't admire her.

Honestly, stealing the plaque from the Lingxiao Palace is not something a normal person would do.

It is not a normal way to gain respect and recognition.

"Since it wasn't stolen, it couldn't have been a gift from the Jade Emperor, could it?" Master Guan looked apprehensive, glancing around at the sky. "Master Yu, is the crisis truly over? Is the case truly closed?"
Could it be that 365 star lords will descend to the mortal realm, forming the Great Celestial Array, and refine you, the Imperial Observatory, and the entire city of Xianyang into nothingness?

Upon hearing this, everyone else's expressions changed drastically, and they looked up at the sky in alarm.

Some of the more timid ones even quietly moved their feet and retreated towards the base of the wall.

He planned to use his escape technique to run away as soon as he sensed something was wrong.

Xiaoyu smiled and said, "I told you it was a local specialty I brought back from my trip."

Since it's a local specialty, its origin is naturally legitimate.

Although the Heavenly Emperor did not explicitly say that he would give me a plaque, he promised me that I could take a local specialty from the Lingxiao Palace when I returned.

I took a walk around and found that, just as the Holy Mother of the Three Kingdoms had said, the Lingxiao Palace was not barren in terms of resources, with many rare flowers and herbs, but it had nothing particularly special about it.

Left with no other choice, I reluctantly took down the plaque and huffed and puffed as I carried it back to the human world.

It's very heavy!

"How could this happen? Why did Uncle allow you to move the plaque of the Lingxiao Palace? Other things aside, this plaque belongs to the Heavenly Court and represents its reputation!" The Third Holy Mother was completely distraught.

The others are not as good as her.

Guowei Liao murmured, "The Jade Emperor asked you to fetch local specialties. You could bring back a heavenly horse or ask for a Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, either would be fine."

"Besides getting the Heavenly Court to take the plaque back, what use is it?"

Even a fool would know that Grand Tutor Yu taking away this plaque was tantamount to slapping the Heavenly Court in front of all living beings in the Three Realms, which would surely embarrass and enrage the Heavenly Emperor and all the gods, filling them with boundless hatred.

What is the picture?
—Sigh, do you really think the Jade Emperor would willingly give me local specialties? If I could choose the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, I would definitely choose the Golden Elixir.

Even if it's a celestial horse... a celestial horse won't do. A celestial horse is worthless and not worthy of being exchanged for this plaque.

Xiaoyu's knowledge and experience are now vastly different from what they used to be.

Years ago, she had a somewhat mythical view of the celestial horses raised by Sun Wukong. Now she knows the details: without exception, all the celestial horses in the sky are precious steeds selected from the mortal realm.

They're just like the gods in heaven.

Are the gods in heaven a "specialty" of heaven? Obviously not.

All the gods came from the human world.

All celestial horses were selected from among mortals.

Guan Huchen's red steed had already surpassed the standard of a heavenly horse, but it was never seen by "弼马温" (a low-ranking official in charge of horses).

“A plaque is naturally meant to be hung up,” Xiao Yu said with a smile. “Lord Grand Commandant, you are highly respected. How about I give you this plaque to hang in your home?”

Guowei Liao rolled his eyes and said, "Give it to Prime Minister Li! His mansion is the most luxurious in Xianyang City and is the most worthy of this plaque."

"If you kill him sooner, no one in the court will object to you becoming the 'Grand Tutor Gu'."

Li Si also wanted to roll his eyes.

He held back and said in a deep voice, "In the world today, there is no one, and no palace, that can bear the weight of this plaque."

For the good of Fairy Yu herself, for the good of Xianyang, for the good of Great Qin, and for the good of the people of China, this plaque should be returned to the Heavenly Court as soon as possible to appease the Heavenly Emperor's wrath and avert a great calamity.

The Third Holy Mother nodded repeatedly, "The majesty of the Heavenly Emperor cannot be profaned!"

Xiao Yu tucked her hands into her sleeves, put away the plaque of the Lingxiao Palace, and said, "You all underestimate the Great Heavenly Venerable's integrity."

He is the ruler of the three realms, and his words are law; once he utters a word, it cannot be changed.

He explicitly instructed that He would send me local specialties, and I obeyed your orders. But to send them back would be to question the authority of the Heavenly Emperor.

The majesty of the Heavenly Emperor is not to be profaned; you must know how to revere it!

The Holy Mother and Li Si felt like they were about to vomit three liters of blood.

"What exactly did you do in the Heavenly Court? What gave you the right to do it?" Marquis Lieyang asked with a complicated expression.

Xiao Yu smiled and said, "As I said before, all the gods in the Heavenly Court are good people. They warmly received me and spoke to me gently. Of course, the might of Heaven is overwhelming, and the Heavenly Emperor and the gods are awe-inspiring and unapproachable."

Not everyone is qualified to receive the Heavenly Emperor's gentle words and caring smile.

If you can be like me, carrying the Ancestral Dragon and the Nine Cauldrons, and stimulating the fortune of humanity.

Hehe, believe me, you too can experience the feeling of being at home in Heaven.

You will also find that the Heavenly Emperor is so gentle, and the smiles of the Heavenly Gods are so sincere.

The crowd was speechless and disgusted, yet also gained some insight.

They did not see the red glow of humanity's fortune.

But Xiaoyu transformed into a black dragon, merged with the ancestral dragon, and inlaid the nine cauldrons, becoming a 100,000-foot-long ancestral dragon. He rampaged through the "100,000" heavenly soldiers and generals, cutting melons and vegetables as if they were vegetables, with no one able to stop him.

They witnessed it vividly, were deeply moved, and will never forget it.

Zhao Gao's eyes flickered slightly, and he asked respectfully and gently, "Grand Tutor Yu, where are the Nine Cauldrons now? Why were you able to extract the Qinling Ancestral Dragon and make it so majestic and sacred?"

Li Si glanced at him with a gloomy look.

—This old eunuch actually called her "Grand Tutor" in public!
It was just a glance, but it quickly turned into an expectant look that lingered on Grand Tutor Yu's face and lips.

The others didn't even glance at Zhao Gao; they all perked up, pricked up their ears, and opened their eyes wide.

Some people's expressions were purely out of curiosity, such as the "Three Holy Mothers" and other onlookers.

Some people, like Li Si, harbored the same anticipation and nervousness in their eyes.

Some people could barely conceal their greed and desire. Xiaoyu took in everyone's expressions and said with a faint smile, "The Nine Cauldrons are public assets, and public assets cannot be used for private purposes."

After use, it should naturally be returned to the Qinling Dragon Vein, resealed, and used to continue suppressing the human destiny of the Divine Land.

As for drawing upon the corpse of the Qinling Ancestral Dragon to transform it into a flying divine dragon, that is a relatively simple method of the Celestial Masters sect.

My unique Taoist method of Celestial Masters.

The principle can be simply summarized as the unity of heaven, earth, and humanity.

I am a 'human being', and the Ancestral Dragon is the essence of the earth's veins, naturally representing the 'earth'.

The Nine Cauldrons are sacred artifacts of humanity, capable of suppressing national destiny, protecting the mandate of heaven, and serving as the 'heaven' of the dynasty.

"And then?" Lu Jin Gong couldn't help but ask, with a mixture of eagerness and anticipation.

Xiaoyu said, "Then there's the paid content. If you want to learn it, you have to exchange it with me using Taoist techniques."

Lu Jin Gong was momentarily speechless, but many Qi Refiners almost blurted out, "I'll trade with you!"

They didn't suppress their desires; instead, they came to their senses and recognized reality: they hadn't even obtained the Nine Cauldrons yet. What use would exchanging them for the Ancestral Dragon Secret Technique be, other than exposing their intentions and arousing Yu Fengxian's suspicion?

Guan Zhenren sensed that the atmosphere at the scene had become somewhat strange.

He stepped forward and declared loudly: "The case of the Underworld has been resolved, and the misunderstanding between the Great Qin and the Heavenly Court has been cleared up. This is truly a joyous occasion for all."

However, it is already late, and what needed to be said has already been said.

Dear guests, please go back now.

What the court's next steps are will be discussed between the civil and military officials and Grand Tutor Yu.

It's only afternoon now, more than an hour before evening, so it's not late at all.

However, there's really nothing more to say at this point.

The remaining details will need to be inquired about in the Heavenly Court.

Only by combining the accounts of both the Heavenly Court and Yu Fengxian can most of the truth be revealed.

But Xiaoyu was full of energy and didn't want to rest.

She said, "Those who are not important may leave. I wonder if all the extraordinary individuals who wish to compete with me for the position of Grand Tutor of Qin have arrived? If everyone has arrived, let's discuss the rules and prepare for the Grand Tutor selection!"

Yang Li said, "At this point, who would dare to compete with you for the position of Grand Tutor? You are the Grand Tutor of Qin!"

Xiao Yu glanced at Li Si, Zhao Gao, and Marquis Lieyang. Although they were somewhat conflicted, they did not directly object.

"Alas, although I have made great contributions, I am also aware of my own limitations. The reason I am treated with respect by the Heavenly Emperor in the Heavenly Court is not because of my own strength, but because of the Nine Cauldrons and the fortune of the Great Qin Dynasty."

Perhaps there are fellow practitioners whose cultivation surpasses mine and who can do even better than me!

The selection of the Grand Tutor was a major event that the imperial court had already decided upon and publicly announced.

At least go through the motions and let the world know of the Qin Dynasty's credibility.

The selection of the Grand Tutor was never a threat to her position from the beginning, but rather a scheme she deliberately orchestrated. You could call it an open conspiracy!
At the beginning of this year, when the selection of the Grand Tutor was first decided, she did not yet have a strong desire to turn it into a public conspiracy.

Now that she has decided to change the destiny of Qin's demise in three years and to make a difference in this great calamity, she naturally needs to strengthen the Imperial Observatory and the Qin forces.

At this moment, not a single Qi cultivator who came to participate in the Grand Tutor selection could escape.

They all have to stay behind to serve as "line-filling babies - reserves"!
How many extraordinary people died on the side of Yin Shang during the Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods?
This great calamity will surely kill immortals and extraordinary people. Will it be her loyal underlings in the Imperial Observatory who die, or these outsiders who are here to die?
The answer is self-evident.

Xiaoyu only regrets that there aren't enough contestants and will never disband the selection competition prematurely.

"Fairy Yu has a good temperament and is trustworthy!" Lu Jin Gong did not understand her sinister intentions. Looking at her calm expression, he said, "I left the East Sea and chose to come to Shenzhou at this time. My original purpose was to study the True Form Map of the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Rivers."

Now that I have witnessed the heroic figure of Fairy Yu wielding the Nine Cauldrons to fight against the gods, I can't help but become interested in the Nine Cauldrons.

At this moment, I had no doubt about Fairy Yu's abilities and even admired her greatly.

But I'm still willing to give it a try.

"Yes, we are willing to compete fairly with Fairy Yu." Many others echoed in agreement.

"Listen to me, everyone!" Marquis Lieyang shouted, "If you still decide to hold the Grand Tutor selection, you will have to wait two more days. It won't happen today."

Lu Jin Gong asked in confusion, "We've already come all this way, and Fairy Yu isn't tired, so what are we waiting for?"

Marquis Lieyang glanced at Xiaoyu and said, "Wait for definite news from the Heavenly Court!"

Lu Jin Gong frowned and said, "You don't believe Fairy Yu's words? She definitely didn't lie, there's no need to."

Marquis Lieyang said, “It has nothing to do with trust. Long before today, the ministers of Great Qin had already decided on the national policy at the court meeting—to wait for Yu Fengxian to return and confirm the news from the Heavenly Court before Great Qin would select a ‘second emperor’.”

In any case, the selection of the Grand Tutor could not be more important than the selection of the emperor.

"Once the Second Emperor ascends the throne, having him preside over the Grand Tutor's contest of magic would be absolutely fair and just, and would also be in accordance with the established rites."

Then he looked at Xiaoyu, hesitated for a moment, and then solemnly said, "Master Yu, a grand court assembly will be held in two days to determine the 'Second Emperor'."

Do not leave Xianyang in the next few days.

You will be notified once the specific time is confirmed. Please be prepared and attend on time.

Although Li Si, Zhao Gao, Feng Qiji, and others had different expressions, none of them raised any objections.

"Then let's do as Marquis Lieyang said, wait a few days until the Second Emperor ascends the throne, and then hold the Grand Tutor selection." Xiaoyu had no reason to object.

The bigwigs have made their decisions, and no one else has the right to speak up, even if they have other ideas.

Soon the Imperial Observatory was empty again, with only the original Celestial Master and Taoist priests remaining.

Once the last guest left, Yang Li, impatient, immediately asked, "Grand Tutor Yu, now that the outsiders are gone, tell us what exactly you did?"

Xiao Yu sighed, "If I really did a lot of things, all the gods in Heaven would know, so why would I need to hide it?"

"You can't expect the Heavenly Emperor to immediately treat you with 'pleasant smiles' once you go to the Heavenly Court, can you?" Grey Crane Master asked doubtfully.

Xiaoyu sighed helplessly, "That's really how it is. As soon as I crossed the South Heavenly Gate and arrived at the entrance of the Lingxiao Palace, the Jade Emperor immediately became 'amiable'."

Seeing that they still had doubts, Xiaoyu didn't want to waste her breath. "If you have any doubts, you can summon the Divine Mace Protector. He witnessed the whole process."

She looked around, found her two attendants, and called out, "Little Linzi, what happened in Xianyang while I was in the Heavenly Court? Come inside and tell me in detail."

She had previously replaced Xiao Linzi in greeting guests at the main gate of the Imperial Observatory.

Later, when she transformed into the Ancestral Dragon, she needed to maintain her peak condition, so she withdrew her spiritual body.

She was planning to find a secluded spot and quickly banish the Kunpeng spirit body back to the edge of the dream world!
Previously, when the Ancestral Dragon deceived the heavens, many powerful beings from the Three Realms were watching.

It's unclear whether the Demon Master Kunpeng was a mere bystander, but it's certain that the "Kunpeng Digital Gang" was keeping an eye on the Imperial Observatory at that moment, watching her closely!
The spirit of Kunpeng should be banished as soon as possible; delaying it too long may arouse their suspicion.

(End of this chapter)