The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 204 North Sea
"I managed to seize the opportunity."

The hall was deserted and empty, and after the Big Dipper and the Southern Dipper had disappeared, it seemed even more desolate.

Emperor Ziwei raised his hand, and as he spoke, a shadow emerged from beneath his dark gold robes.

The candles in the hall burned silently, their dim light eroding and extinguishing one by one until the entire hall was plunged into complete darkness.

Emperor Ziwei looked up and saw beams of light shining down from the high dome, which was a star map with thousands of stars arranged in it.

Between the absolute opposition of light and darkness, a seemingly ordinary parchment scroll flew out from the palm of the Ziwei Emperor.

The Purple Star Emperor sat silently.

The parchment scroll spun and grew larger, beginning to draw starlight once more.

Emperor Ziwei recalled this grand court assembly.

The body double sitting upright on the dragon throne was so lifelike, it was as if it were a real living being.

It is born from a single breath.

"Haotian, I never imagined that you had truly mastered the One Qi Transformation into Three Pure Ones technique," said the Ziwei Emperor.

Back then, he had only just begun to grasp the basics of this supernatural power, yet the Jade Emperor was able to fight him to a draw despite being of a lower realm and having less magical power.

Now that the Jade Emperor's magical power has caught up, with this amplification of his perfected divine abilities, how powerful will he become?
The Purple Star Emperor's eyes were dark and unfathomable.

The Big Dipper and the Southern Dipper, unaware of the situation, thought that the Queen Mother had run out of tricks and had even resorted to such a foolish tactic as using a substitute.

Emperor Ziwei was certain that this must be the Jade Emperor's intention.

Perhaps even the Queen Mother was not fully aware that the substitute, who shared the same origin as the Jade Emperor, was indeed incredibly lifelike, but inside was ultimately just a newly created, illusory soul. How could it truly pass for the real thing? Anyone with a discerning eye could easily see through it.

Only the Ziwei Emperor himself knew that the appearance of this substitute was not for any purpose of concealing anything.

This was a warning from the Jade Emperor to him.

Perhaps his behavior at Yaochi earlier made the Jade Emperor, who was in seclusion, sense something was amiss.

As for why the Jade Emperor did not emerge from seclusion after having already achieved great supernatural powers, the reason remains unknown.

caveat?

Starlight shimmered in the eyes of the Ziwei Emperor, sparking countless fireworks. His gaze remained unchanged, but the aura he exuded transformed in an instant.

……

"Sigh!" Beidou Xingjun left the main hall. At the entrance, his eyes flickered, and he finally couldn't help but sigh again, stomping his foot heavily.

"Beidou, calm down," said Nandou Xingjun, as if he had seen something, or as if he was trying to comfort him helplessly. "The Emperor has his reasons for doing this. We should just obey. That day will come eventually."

The Big Dipper Star Lord straightened his posture and glanced at the Southern Dipper Star Lord with a slight smile: "Just now in the hall, I almost thought you were a man of courage. But it turns out that you are still the same coward who is afraid of death. Of course, you don't want to fight. If you don't fight, you won't encounter any danger. After enjoying the wealth and glory of heaven for so long, how many people can still remember their original intentions?"

"Beidou, be careful what you say!" Nandou Xingjun solemnly said.

The Big Dipper Star Lord merely gave a mocking smile, then tossed aside his scarlet cloak and strode away without looking back.

... North Sea.

The vast expanse of water, bathed in sunlight, stretches as far as the eye can see, a deep blue-green. Clouds and mist swirl around the surface, shimmering with iridescent colors, creating a strange and beautiful scene.

Beautiful, yet deadly.

Because that azure blue is a highly poisonous color—seawater is poisonous.

Naturally, the seven colors of the clouds on the sea are also a disguise. Beneath this beauty are layers of poisonous barriers that unknowingly seep into the body, destroying marrow and corroding bones, leaving the spirit and soul unable to travel more than a hundred miles.

It's truly a terrible place.

But there are also creatures that roam this place.

In the very center of this azure expanse, a single point of golden light shone brightly. Upon closer inspection, one could see that it was an extremely magnificent and colossal palace, ancient and majestic, stretching for thousands of miles.

There was nothing fancy about it; it was just a collection of towering boulders, stacked together, fitting together perfectly.

The base is made of stone that is the same color as seawater, which seems to be more resistant to corrosion, but the constant erosion over the years is inevitable. Between the deep and shallow holes, countless fine and irregular lines are interwoven.

The golden light originated from a bright pearl on the roof of the palace. Its radiance fell and cast an invisible barrier, isolating the outside miasma and creating a pure land.

It is both a sanctuary and a cage.

Inside, it was a completely different scene. The area had been redefined, with cities standing in rows, and within these cities, there were pavilions, alleys, and vendors...

An old man dressed in clothes, revealing a sheep's head; a "beauty" with a long tail but a human head on her head, her eyebrows painted red, her face powdered, her hair styled in a bun and adorned with gold hairpins; a strange bird with four wings, two heads, and jet-black feathers...

This is not just a palace; surrounded by giant rocks, it is clearly a vast demon kingdom!

At the very center of these cities, a stone pillar supports a magnificent palace built "in the sky." Unlike the simple and rudimentary transition below, this palace is extremely luxurious, constructed of jade, with carved beams and painted rafters, pavilions and towers, all displaying exquisite craftsmanship.

The main hall at the very center is especially vast, occupying almost half of the palace. Tables and chairs are arranged in layers. At the very top are five jade thrones that are thousands of feet wide. Below them, the first row has ten seats that are a hundred feet wide. Further down, the seats are only ten feet wide. If you count carefully, there are exactly three hundred and sixty-five seats.

The main hall was empty except for an old man with white hair and beard, who sat hunched over at the very end of the head seat, lying on his back as if in a daze. The enormous jade throne made his body appear even smaller. The cold light of the jade reflected his extremely old face, which was unrecognizable. His skin was wrinkled and spiky, and he looked as if he might breathe his last at any moment.

"Master, did you call me?" A voice sounded from outside the hall.

"It's Xiaoyi, come in quickly." The old man opened his eyes, his pupils cloudy and brownish-yellow.

"Master." A woman in green walked in, with sharp and androgynous features. She waved her hand to remove her disguise, revealing her true appearance as a woman. She was indeed Qingyi.

The old man looked at the man in green, and a look of satisfaction slowly appeared in his eyes. He stroked his beard and smiled, "Not bad, you have already become a Golden Immortal. You are now qualified to take a seat in this 'Heavenly Court.' This seat, number 361, is yours from now on. Quickly, sit down and let your master take a good look at you..."

The woman in green sat down as instructed.

The old man stroked his beard again, his gaze fixed on the man in blue. The jade shone brightly, and although there was one more person in the hall, it still felt empty and desolate.

"When will this heavenly court be filled again..." the old man sighed.

The woman in green remained silent, simply waiting quietly. She knew a little about the situation; the old man must have summoned her for some purpose.

(End of this chapter)