The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 229 Return to the Aperture
"In a few days, I, Old Sun, will go to the Jade Pool to find you and play, so that your colleagues will know that you have a 'Keeper of the Heavenly Horses' friend." The stone monkey said smugly.

The Seven Fairies refused to say any more.

“You can come to the Imperial Stables to find me when you have time,” the stone monkey thought for a moment. “Hmm, you are on duty at the Jade Pool, so you probably don’t have a choice. In that case, I will go to find you. I think the Queen Mother will give me this face.”

The Seven Fairy Maidens' eyelids twitched violently. Anyone who heard this would think it was boastful, but the Seven Fairy Maidens knew that the Stone Monkey wasn't lying; he genuinely believed it.

"Let's go out first," said the Seventh Fairy, feeling utterly exhausted.

Suddenly, the passageway brightened up, and before we knew it, we had reached the end.

"Where was your original form?" the stone monkey asked.

"Go to the Peach Garden, the third heaven, the Peach Garden," said the Seventh Fairy, bowing her head. Beneath her feet, layers of clouds overlapped.

My thoughts suddenly drifted away.

She stayed in the heavens for a day, and the five fairies then lived in the Peach Garden in her image for a year.

What must the situation be like there now?
“I, Old Sun, will take you there and first send your primordial spirit back to its rightful place.”

The stone monkey chuckled and suddenly reached out and grabbed the seven fairies. He leaped up and somersaulted in the air. In an instant, it seemed as if heaven and earth had turned upside down. The seven fairies opened their eyes wide, and the next moment, the vermilion plaque of "Peach Garden" came into view.

"Hurry up, I, Old Sun, can travel 108,000 li in one somersault," the stone monkey boasted. "Next time, I'll take you to the Milky Way to herd horses. You've been living in the deep palace all year round, so you've probably never had such an experience..."

“Next time,” the Seventh Fairy said, “a day in the heavens is a year in this world. Let’s send my soul back to its rightful place first.”

"One year..." The stone monkey's rambling stopped abruptly, and he stammered, "Then your physical body? I don't know..."

The stone monkey was unaware of the time difference between the inner and outer realms of the Heavenly Secret Realm. If it were only a day, it would be fine, but a year is too long—long enough for too many things to happen. Perhaps the Seven Fairies' physical bodies would already be...

"It's alright," the Seventh Fairy said, her composure infecting the stone monkey.

The stone monkey remained worried but said no more. She closed her eyes and sensed the surroundings. Soon, she detected the physical aura in the garden that shared the same origin as the souls of the Seven Fairies, and a look of joy appeared on her face.

"Found it!" the stone monkey exclaimed with delight.

The seven fairies remained completely calm; if something unexpected were to happen, that would be a real surprise.

"I will send your soul back to its rightful place right now," said the stone monkey. He mobilized his magic power, placing one hand on the forehead of the seven fairies, while the other hand reached out in front of him, making a grasping motion.

……

At the edge of the pool, the Fifth Fairy had just finished handing over the water to Ding Lin when her expression suddenly changed drastically. She felt her soul tremble and become unstable. She gripped the jade pendant at her waist, about to crush it, when she sensed the approaching aura of the Seventh Fairy's soul. So she released the jade pendant, cooperating to soothe her soul. Finally, she glanced in the direction of the jade house and let the magic power pull her primordial spirit out.

……

"Go!" the stone monkey hissed.

The five fairies felt dizzy and disoriented. When their vision returned, they were already outside the Peach Garden, with that wretched monkey right beside them.

"Bi Ma Wen, how dare you cause trouble in the Peach Garden!" A clear shout rang out. The Fifth Fairy was still a little dizzy. Hearing this, she looked up and saw Hong Gu in her palace attire, glaring angrily at the stone monkey with a frosty expression.

Peaches?

The stone monkey didn't want to involve the seven fairies. His eyes darted around, and suddenly a brilliant idea flashed into his mind.

"Can't we pick the peaches here?" the stone monkey asked innocently. "Oh, please, please. I, Old Sun, came here and smelled the fragrance of peaches. I got a craving and thought I'd pick a couple to try. Why can't we just eat the peaches here?"

"This is a forbidden area of ​​the Imperial Garden. You have dared to tamper with the restrictions, which is a violation of the Heavenly Law. Not only do you not repent, but you also dare to speak so eloquently here!" Hong Gu rebuked sharply.

"Peaches are for eating, why bring up some heavenly law? If you don't allow me to eat them, I, Old Sun, will just not eat them. It's true what they say, it's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings. Stingy, so stingy!"

The stone monkey didn't care at all. His eyes darted around, and he was actually a little guilty. Suddenly, he leaped up and disappeared in a somersault.

"Old Sun is off!" "Monkey!"

Hong Gu cursed, but when she looked at the Fifth Fairy again, her tightly furrowed brows relaxed and a smile appeared on her face as she descended from the sky.

"It's been a long time. How has my granddaughter been these days?" Hong Gu asked.

"Auntie Hong."

The Fifth Fairy called out, and she glanced at Hong Gu. She exchanged pleasantries with Hong Gu and then pretended to ask about Ding Lin's recent situation. Seeing that Hong Gu seemed genuinely unaware of anything, she gradually relaxed, said a few more words, and then took her leave.

"Aunt Hong, I have to go report to Grandmother, so I won't chat with you any longer."

……

came back.

The seven fairies swayed, their spirits entered their bodies, and in an instant, even the world seemed to become more vibrant.

When their souls were inside the bodies of the five fairies, although they were sisters and their bodies were of the same origin, and they could barely control them after adapting, there was always a sense of separation, and it didn't feel real.

The magic flowed.

I am experiencing this long-lost feeling.

A faint smile appeared on the face of the Seven Fairies, which then disappeared and they returned to their usual expressions.

She looked up and gazed at her jade house.

……

In the Jade House.

Ding Lin sat cross-legged, his consciousness soaring to infinite heights. Before him was a concrete manifestation of a torrent of magical power, flowing like a river, high above the clouds.

Suddenly the torrent exploded.

Thousands of water droplets scattered.

The rivers suddenly seemed tiny.

In the darkness, a hazy, ethereal lake was created.

Ding Linzhou's aura suddenly changed, becoming increasingly clear and lofty, though still somewhat unstable.

Gao Ju's consciousness sensed the key. Within his body, demonic energy flowed rapidly and surgingly through the pathways of the "Celestial Immortal Technique," continuously pouring into the lake. With the support of nine thousand years of cultivation and magical power, the energy was incredibly potent, flowing seamlessly without the slightest pause.

It felt like a fleeting moment, yet also like an eternity, as the lake slowly solidified.

Ding Lin's breathing stabilized.

"The eighth advancement?"

A voice sounded in his ear, and Ding Lin opened his eyes to see the Seven Fairies. The latter looked surprised, astonished by Ding Lin's rapid progress in cultivation. She suspected that she might have been gone for a year, not just a day.

With just one glance, Ding Lin was certain that although the body in front of him was exactly the same, the soul inside had changed. The aloofness in his eyes was no longer a deliberate imitation, but came from his true self.

It might be hard for outsiders to tell the difference, but Ding Lin had spent a year with the Fifth Fairy, and he immediately felt that the sense of familiarity was gone.

The Seven Fairies have returned.

(End of this chapter)