The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 185 Yaochi
“My child, you’ve suffered so much these past few days…” the golden-robed fairy said, her voice choking with emotion. “Don’t worry, your mother already knows the whole story. She will stand up for you. That ox,” she looked at the Golden Ox Star Lord with disgust, “will definitely be skinned alive and thrown into the eighteenth level of hell. He will get back at you a thousand times over for what he did to you!”

As the golden-clad fairy spoke, she clenched her fist, and the golden hairpin in her palm emitted light, tightening the band of light along the Milky Way. She wanted Taurus Star Lord to suffer first.

"Princess, I have said that the matter will be settled before the Emperor. I am still a Star Lord of the Heavenly Court. What, you want to settle this with me privately?" Taurus's expression was indifferent. He did not make any move. A beam of starlight surrounded him, and no matter how the Milky Way entangled itself, it could not get close to him.

"Fine, you're very good. I'll see how long you can keep up this stubbornness before we go back to the beginning!"

The Five Fairy Maidens said, waving their hands. The next moment, a black light screen enveloped Ding Lin and Que Xian, and the Five Fairy Maidens' voices could be heard in their ears.

“Brother Jin, since I do not serve in the Heavenly Court and my celestial rank is not yet sixth grade, my five senses will be clouded when I ascend to heaven, preventing me from sensing my surroundings. But don’t worry, my aunt has already arrived, so there’s no problem.”

Ding Lin's eyes flickered, but he did not resist.

……

When he regained his senses, he found himself in a side hall, where an unfamiliar silver-armored celestial general stood before him. Ding Lin glanced outside the hall and saw celestial soldiers guarding and patrolling, indicating that they had likely reached the heavens. The surrounding area was filled with celestial energy, so abundant that it was almost tangible.

"You two stay here. We may be informed later," the heavenly general said, his expression still quite gentle. "If you have any requests, you can tell me. As long as they are not too unreasonable, I will try my best to fulfill them. Please accept these two golden pills. After taking them, your injuries should be healed." As he spoke, the heavenly general handed over two jade bottles.

"Thank you, God." Judging from the heavenly general's attitude, Ding Lin understood that the five fairies must have given instructions. He and the Magpie Fairy accepted the jade bottle.

"No need to thank me, I'm just passing it on." Tianjiang nodded to Ding Lin, then turned and left the main hall.

"Mountain Lord..."

The magpie fairy beside him was a little uneasy and called out softly.

“There’s no need to call me that in heaven. We’ve been through thick and thin together. My name is Jin Lin, so just call me Brother Jin,” Ding Lin said. “Don’t be impatient. Things have come to this point, so all we need to do now is wait.”

Magpie Fairy nodded. She naturally understood the situation. Just now, she had been in a completely different environment and, being a demon, she naturally had some fear of the Heavenly Court, which made her feel somewhat lost. But she had adjusted herself by now.

Inside Ding Lin's body, the demon core had been completely digested. The lotus leaf in his dantian trembled slightly, sending a cool sensation into his meridians, which was still helping his injuries to heal. In the short time it took, his magical power had recovered to 30-40%.

Magpie Fairy's condition was much worse. Her avatar was 90% damaged, her aura was weak, and she could no longer maintain her primordial spirit realm, falling into the dan realm.

This place is rich in spiritual energy, and with a golden core in hand, it is naturally the priority to heal one's injuries.

Ding Lin uncorked the bottle, and an unprecedentedly rich fragrance filled his nostrils. He poured out the pill, a golden one with a cloud pattern swirling around its surface, seemingly moving at all times, giving the pill a kind of spirituality, somewhere between a living being and an inanimate object. He had never seen such a magical technique before, and couldn't help but take a few more glances at it, pondering it carefully for a while. But ultimately, his perspective was too limited, and he did nothing of substance, unable to understand its meaning.

He simply tilted his head back and swallowed the pill whole, then closed his eyes to begin refining it, feeling a sense of anticipation.

Nearby, Que Xian, after realizing her current situation, felt relieved. She immediately felt that she couldn't withstand the injury any longer, so she swallowed a pill even earlier than Ding Lin and closed her eyes to heal.

……

Thirty-third heaven.

A drop of sweet spring water emerges from nothingness and flows down, its clear, tinkling sound filling the air. Amidst the rising steam, a green lotus stands tall, its reflection shimmering in the eternal blue sky.

Yaochi. Countless palaces are situated around Yaochi, standing side by side. In the winding corridors, groups of palace maids and armored soldiers come and go, their footsteps light and silent.

At the very top, it's another world altogether.

A cloud platform is raised high, obscuring the sun and moon, which are hidden from view and become light.

A figure is perched high on the platform.

The sun and moon are at her feet.

On the lower corridor, a figure was going against the current upstream. He was wearing a white robe, holding a whisk, with completely white hair and a tall crown on his head, but his face looked extremely young.

Take another step, step out of the corridor, and the cloud ladder rises beneath your feet.

The man in white climbed the steps one by one, stopping at the platform before the highest step. He bowed his head respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, the eldest princess has returned."

The figure on the platform fiddled with his fingernails.

"Yes."

The man in white understood and agreed. He turned around, and in that instant, he straightened his back, revealing a handsome face with a clean chin. The voice he had just spoken was neither male nor female. He waved the whisk in his hand, and immediately the sun and moon began to revolve.

A golden portal opened.

As the golden-clad fairy stepped in, one end of the Milky Way was in her hand, while the other end was bound to the Golden Bull Star Lord. The Five Fairies and the Weaver Girl followed behind, their faces showing some unease.

The Weaver Girl's two children did not appear; they were probably temporarily placed somewhere, just like the two demons, Ding and Lin.

"Mother," the golden-clad fairy called out, "Your subject has captured the golden ox and has come to report back." She bowed and presented the golden hairpin with both hands. Its radiance flowed, as if an invisible hand had descended. The next moment, the golden hairpin naturally flew up and disappeared into the cloud platform.

"I've met my empress!"

"Greetings, Grandmother..."

Behind the golden-robed fairy, the Golden Bull Star Lord and his two granddaughters paid their respects. The Fifth Fairy and the Weaver Girl were at the very back. After exchanging a glance, they obediently knelt down. The Golden Bull Star Lord, like the golden-robed fairy, simply bowed. Although he was bound by the Milky Way, his tone was neither humble nor arrogant, revealing no hint of guilt.

"You audacious Taurus, a criminal at heart, how dare you be so presumptuous before the Empress!" shouted the white-robed celestial official.

"What do you mean by this, Lord Tiannu? Jinniu is a third-rank star official, a one-star official. Except for a grand court assembly, even when meeting His Majesty, there is no need to kneel. Moreover, Jinniu does not understand what you mean by 'being guilty'. If Jinniu remembers correctly, according to the Heavenly Rules, Jinniu has not yet been questioned by the authorities, and the Empress on the Cloud Platform has not yet spoken. For Lord Tiannu to make a conclusion is a bit too hasty."

Taurus Star Lord said, looking at the white-robed celestial official. Although he was in a lower position, his eyes were full of disdain and contempt.

"But it's not my fault, sir. After all, you're just a mere eunuch servant. How could you possibly know the laws of the Heavenly Court? It's only natural that you're a bit narrow-minded!"

(End of this chapter)