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

Chapter 1201 Deposing the Heavenly Court's True Gods
The deaths of the River God and the Dragon King of the Ji River indeed shocked the gods of the Three Realms and frightened the gods of the Central Plains.

Ye Jiutian, Qiu Mingzi, and three hundred other "demons" flew in a grand procession towards the Huai River, inspiring fear in everyone and even gods along the way.

Before they even arrived at the Huai River, the Huai River Dragon Mother changed into plain clothes, removed her weapons, opened the gates of the Dragon Palace, and led her dragon sons and grandsons, clam spirits and crab generals, to line up on the Huai River to welcome them.

Ye Jiutian couldn't find any reason to lose his temper.

They sent people into the Dragon Palace to search it, but they couldn't find any Celestial Masters who had defected to the Qin Dynasty.

However, he had clearly received a mission from Grand Tutor Yu: he must find the wanted criminals, including "Zhong Yuangong".

Having failed to complete his mission and finding no one to vent his anger on, he went to the Dragon King Temple by the river and shouted several times at the Dragon King statue, "Dragon King of the Huai River, by the power of the law, hurry back!"

As a Golden Immortal of the Xuanmen sect, Ye Jiutian must possess the minor Taoist supernatural power of "summoning generals with flying talismans".

As long as you know the name of the god and understand his divine duties, you can summon the god to your side.

A powerful immortal can even forcibly summon the true form of a god.

If an ordinary Taoist priest succeeds in casting a spell, he can at least summon a physical but soulless projection.

When Ye Jiutian stood before the Dragon King statue and used a flying talisman to summon his magic, the Dragon King must have sensed it. He simply refused to respond.

Unable to even see the Dragon King of the Huai River, Ye Jiutian had no choice but to report the news to Grand Tutor Yu and ask her for instructions on the next course of action.

“Build an altar in front of the Dragon King Temple to offer sacrifices to Heaven and report the situation here to the Heavenly Emperor.” Grand Tutor Yu came to the Huai River in person, pointed to the front courtyard of the Dragon King Temple, and said, “Tell us that some of you betrayed the Great Qin because you were bewitched by the Dragon Kings of the Four Rivers.”

That must be true, right?

Ye Jiutian glanced at Qiu Mingzi, "I didn't get involved in their affairs. Fellow Daoist Qiu Mingzi must know everything."

Xiaoyu beckoned Qiu Mingzi over, "Before you defected to Xianyang, did you meet the Four Dragon Kings and receive any promises from them?"

Qiu Mingzi hesitated for a moment before nodding and saying, "Not only the Four Rivers Dragon Kings, but we also met the Five Sacred Mountains Emperors, as well as all the great immortals and gods we could meet."

In short, try to find outside help.

For this reason, I even went to the Heavenly Court to see Taibai Xingjun.

Taibai Xingjun believes we have betrayed our heavenly oath and committed grave sins, and does not wish for the Heavenly Court to have anything to do with us.

Xiao Yu said, "I'm only asking the Four Rivers Dragon Kings now. The Huai River Dragon King is nowhere to be found. Is he fleeing to avoid punishment?"
I need to write a memorial later and send it to the Heavenly Court to report this matter to the Heavenly Emperor.

After all, the Four Dragon Kings are righteous gods of the Heavenly Court.

Qiu Mingzi immediately understood what Grand Tutor Yu wanted to know and what she should say.

"We fear the Grand Tutor's authority, so before we defect to Xianyang, we must find a way out for ourselves and try to find as many helpers as possible."

The River God is one of our greatest protectors.

He greatly appreciated our righteous act and encouraged us not to worry about the sin of breaking our oath.

To allay our concerns, he also secretly revealed a shocking secret—the owner of the aura of the emperor in the southeast is Jingju of Dang County, who has royal blood from the Chu Kingdom.

He has already married the daughter of the deceased dragon girl from the mainland to Jingju, and is also willing to introduce us to Jingju.

As long as Jingju achieves great success, he will surely hold an altar to worship Heaven, proclaim to Heaven and Earth, and use the dynasty's fortune to absolve us of all our sins.

He wanted me to deliver the Phoenix Cry Black Mountain Cauldron to Dang County.

When the River God learned that I intended to seek refuge with Chen Sheng in Dazexiang, he was furious.

Therefore, Zhong Yuangong and I parted ways. He took the True Form Map to find the River God, while I took the Divine Cauldron and joined Chen Sheng.

Then, Qiu Mingzi recounted in detail the affair between Zhong Yuangong and the River God.

He was the organizer of the "Celestial Master's Rebellion Against Qin," and he knew all too well the inside story of the defection.

Xiao Yu sighed, "The River God deserved to die; he was too deeply entangled in the calamity."

Qiu Mingzi, please list out the details of the 'mass defection' orchestrated by the Four Dragon Kings in order.

Ye Jiutian, based on Qiu Mingzi's confession, write a memorial to the Heavenly Emperor—the Dragon King of the Huai River is deeply involved in the treason case. Now the evidence is conclusive, yet he remains at large.

Please let the Heavenly Court arrest him and punish him according to the law.

If the Heavenly Court deems him innocent, it will urge the Dragon King of the Huai River to return to the Huai River within half a day.

I will listen to his defense and make a fair judgment. The judgment will be reported to the Heavenly Emperor.

In short, as long as the Dragon King of Huai River returns, he will definitely not be wronged.

If the Dragon King of the Huai River does not return within half a day, it can only be concluded that he has fled to avoid punishment, and is a wanted criminal with a clear criminal record.

Ye Jiutian hesitated and said, "I have already been identified as a 'sinful immortal' by the Heavenly Court. If I come to offer sacrifices and write a petition, I'm afraid the Heavenly Court will ignore me."

— It's best to ignore it. If Heaven ignores it, it's tantamount to acknowledging the contents of the petition and approving my next actions.

Xiao Yu said, "Although you are a sinful immortal, you are currently on official business. Even if the Heavenly Emperor ignores you, the gods of the Heavenly Court will not neglect their duties."

As expected, Ye Jiutian sent the petition to the Heavenly Court, but never received a response.

Half a day passed in the blink of an eye, and Grand Tutor Yu sighed, "Even the Heavenly Court cannot command the Dragon King of the Huai River to return."

It seems he truly has committed heinous crimes and is beyond redemption.

However, the Huai River is the foundation of the Central Plains civilization and cannot be without its master for even a day.

We must not allow the sinful dragon to continue to occupy this glorious and noble divine position.

Ye Jiutian, shout "Evil Dragon Ao Dong" one last time.

Tell him that if he does not immediately confess and submit to the law, this Grand Tutor will, in the name of humanity, depose him from his position as the Dragon King of the Huai River.

Upon hearing this, Ye Jiutian and Qiu Mingzi were filled with doubt and suspicion. However, their expressions clearly showed more doubt than shock.

Ye Jiutian hesitated and said, "The Dragon Lord of Huai River is a righteous god of the Heavenly Court, not a ghost or god of the Underworld."

The Investiture of the Gods, created by Qin Shi Huang, could only bestow titles upon ghosts and gods, not upon or depose the celestial gods.

"When the Heavenly Court conferred titles upon the gods, was a list of deities required?" Grand Tutor Yu asked.

Ye Jiutian shook his head and said, "The Jade Emperor represents the will of Heaven, is the master of the divine path, and holds the highest divine power."

He truly embodies divine authority; a single word from Him can bestow divine status.

Grand Tutor Yu said, "If that's the case, why would I need the Investiture of the Gods if I were to depose Ao Dong?"

—Can you represent God? Do you hold divine power?

Ye Jiutian was filled with doubt and suspicion, but he did not press for details.

After he arranged the sacrificial ceremony, Grand Tutor Yu ascended the high platform in front of the Dragon King Temple. He first paid homage to the four directions of heaven and earth, then to the Dao Ancestor and the Heavenly Emperor. Finally, in a clear and resounding voice, he recounted Ao Dong's crimes and his plan to depose the gods.

No unusual phenomena occurred, either in the heavens or on the earth.

She sat cross-legged on the high platform, her palms facing upwards, her eyes slightly closed, as if she had entered a meditative state.

A muffled thud suddenly came from the depths of the earth. Then a beam of red light pierced through the ground, flew into the air, and transformed into a giant crimson cauldron three zhang tall.

"The Crimson Dragon Cauldron!" the Qin criminals nearby exclaimed in unison.

"This is an illusion, not a physical entity; it is not the real Great Yu Divine Cauldron!"

Ye Jiutian, being the most powerful cultivator and having also practiced the Ancestral Dragon Secret Technique, quickly sensed that this seemingly real giant cauldron was actually a fusion of Earthly Fiend Qi and a special spiritual will.

He quickly recalled that on the day Grand Tutor Yu rode the dragon to conquer the heavens, he had summoned a long-lost "Xuzhou Cauldron".

That Xuzhou cauldron was like a real phantom.

With a loud clang, another beam of golden light flew out from the ground, transforming once again into a giant cauldron three zhang tall, which floated around Grand Tutor Yu together with the previous Crimson Dragon Cauldron.

"Clang, clang~~~" Then seven large cauldrons emerged from the ground in succession, completing the nine cauldrons.

"Buzz buzz buzz~~" The Nine Cauldrons slowly rotated around Grand Tutor Yu, and wisps of "yellow mist" gathered from all directions, forming a phantom image of a five-clawed golden dragon above Grand Tutor Yu's head.

Now, not only the Qin criminals present, but even the gods and immortals hiding in the shadows couldn't help but exclaim in shock, "Heavens! This aura, could it be the legendary human destiny? The human destiny has even manifested into a physical form?"

"Yu Fengxian can indeed use the 'Ancestral Dragon Secret Method' to influence the fortune of the entire human realm."

She didn't even use the 'Nine Cauldrons Controlling the Dragon' this time; the nine cauldrons were all illusory projections.

"That's not right. Chen Sheng has already occupied Chen County and intends to make it the capital. He will openly declare himself king soon."

"The State of Chu has been resurrected, how can she still summon the destiny of humanity?"

"Boom~~"

Before the shock of the crowd had subsided, the earth began to tremble slightly again, and the Huai River beside it slowly stopped flowing.

The power of water, the authority of rivers, the power of the earth, the authority of the Huai River region, and the fortune of humanity—all converged and coalesced into a gigantic hand with slender fingers above Grand Tutor Yu's head.

It was exactly the same as Grand Tutor Yu's own palm, only a hundred times larger.

He gently grasped the statue of the deity in the Dragon King Temple with his palm.

"Crack!" A crack appeared between the eyebrows of the Huai River Dragon King statue, and a little bit of golden light flew out from it.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!" A golden light formed a line and landed in the palm of the giant hand.

This process lasted for about half a cup of tea's time.

The golden threads that flew out, when added together, were over ten thousand miles long.

"Crack, crack~~" All the golden threads returned to the giant palm, and the Dragon King statue seemed to have suffered internal injuries, with cracks crawling all over its body.

Finally, with a deafening roar, the statue shattered into pieces and collapsed completely.

"What does the destruction of the statue signify? Has the Dragon King of the Huai River fallen?"

"Ao Dong has long since fled, and is now thousands of miles away. No matter how powerful Grand Tutor Yu is, can he really kill someone from tens of thousands of miles away? The statue is destroyed... Hey, look at that 'giant hand' in the palm."

There was a golden light, radiating a supreme and sacred divine aura; could it be a divine talisman?

"What level of divine talisman could possess such a powerful aura?"

"Ah, Grand Tutor Yu said earlier that she would depose the Dragon King of the Huai River. She wasn't exaggerating. That golden light is the Dragon King of the Huai River's divine position!"

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!" One after another, the phantom images of the nine cauldrons sank into the earth. The human destiny dissipated, and the rights to water, land, water, and earth all returned to the Huai River and the earth.

Only a ball of golden light remained suspended in mid-air, beating rhythmically like a heart. With each beat, a ring of golden divine power rippled outwards.

Those struck by the divine power ripples, even mortals, experienced the illusion that the Huai River was roaring at them.

"It truly is the divine position of the Huai River!" The Qin criminals and the surrounding onlookers confirmed their earlier guesses. They were even more shocked, and their gazes towards Grand Tutor Yu became even more reverent.

If she were to strip the City God of his position, everyone would remain calm and unperturbed, taking it all for granted.

If she were to hold down the Four Rivers Dragon Lords and extract their divine positions from their souls, they would marvel at her audacity and be in awe of her unparalleled supernatural powers and astonishing methods.

Now, from an unknown distance, she has stripped the Huai River Dragon King of his divine position, a position that is now hidden somewhere.

It was completely beyond their understanding.

Grand Tutor Yu stood up, toying with the Huai River shrine in his hand, and said calmly, "Ye Jiutian, bring over the Dragon Granny, Dragon Prince, and Dragon Princess from the Huai River Dragon Palace."

Ye Jiutian accepted the order and, together with a group of Qin criminals, escorted more than thirty men and women to the Dragon King Temple.

"Grand Master, spare my life! Master Ye had not yet arrived at the Huai River when I led my children out to greet him. I did not resist the heavenly soldiers at all!" Granny Long was a dignified woman in her thirties, beautiful, graceful, and exuding an air of nobility.

Their strength is also considerable, equivalent to that of an ordinary celestial being.

Grand Master Yu faced the people outside the temple and said loudly, "Grandma Long, you don't need to beg for mercy. The Great Qin has changed its emperor and its laws."

Even if your man commits a heinous crime and flees to escape punishment, his entire family will not be implicated.

"Grand Master, you have great mercy!" Luang Phor breathed a sigh of relief.

“Only three clans will be implicated,” Grand Tutor Yu added immediately.

The old woman's expression froze, and fear and panic quickly filled her eyes.

"Don't be afraid, we don't want your heads. Those within the three clans of Ao Dong, stay. Those outside the three clans, you are free to leave."

"Grand Tutor Yu, Little Dragon Ao Nan is the nephew of Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea. He's several generations removed from his cousin Ao Dong!" A young man in fine clothes immediately exclaimed with delight.

Xiao Yu did a quick calculation and angrily said, "You scoundrel, didn't you come to the Huai River to marry the Third Princess of the Dragon Palace? You are Ao Dong's son-in-law, aren't you one of the three clans?"

Ao Nan hurriedly said, "Grand Tutor, you are wise. The young dragon and the third princess are not yet married. I am now willing to dissolve the engagement with her."

"Don't you know what crime your father-in-law committed? He instigated the Great Qin Celestial Master to betray the Heavenly Oath!"
"Now, I, the Grand Tutor, hate those who break their oaths the most. Your crime is compounded." Grand Tutor Yu said.

Ao Nan wanted to shout again, but Yu Taishi's eyes flashed with a dark light, and the "Demon Eye Technique" was used to strike him with a foreign object into his mind, knocking him to the ground with a single move. He was sweating profusely, and his dragon face was pale and twitching.

The dragon princes and grandsons were horrified.

Grand Master Yu said slowly, “Grandma Long, your man has committed a heinous crime and fled to escape punishment.”

Now, I, the Grand Tutor, hereby sentence you to perform corvée labor at the Great Wall.

You were originally dragons, but now you've been transformed into horses or oxen to transport provisions for the Great Wall army.

The dragon woman and her dragon sons and daughters were filled with shame and indignation, wanting to scream but daring not to.

"Grand Master, how long will you have to serve corvée labor?" Luang Po asked with a bitter expression, suppressing her hatred.

"I won't make things difficult for you. Once you return to your original form, pull a load of grain ten thousand times your own weight, no matter how heavy you are."

You can move it using magic, or you can pull it with your bare hands, it's up to you.

Ao Nan broke his engagement, and his crime was compounded by being forced to pull grain fodder ten thousand times his own weight.

"There is no time limit. You are free whenever the mission is completed," said Grand Tutor Yu.

(End of this chapter)