The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 347 Take action
"Sister Iron Fan, I understand."

Princess Jade Face said, her eyes filled with complex emotions. Princess Iron Fan's words were sincere, but her worries were never about Ding Lin's seclusion, but about the sudden accident. Of course, she couldn't tell Princess Iron Fan about these things.

"That's good then." Princess Iron Fan nodded, stopping there. Cultivation is a personal matter, and offering a word or two of advice already showed how close their friendship was.

Just then, more people entered the area.

Further ahead lies the foot of the Five Elements Mountain, the true territory of Buddhism. Only the Bodhisattvas of the West reside here. The celestial immortals of the Heavenly Court would at most stay in this area. Including the Arhats, there are dozens of peak Golden Immortals and even two or three Taiyi Immortals residing in this area.

Those who have made it this far are at least at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm.

Princess Iron Fan and Princess Jade Face couldn't help but look over. They saw two people standing together, surrounded by starlight. They must be two star lords, but the starlight was extremely dim and weak, constantly diminishing. Yet, the aura emanating from these two people was terrifyingly solid, profound, and powerful, making them seem extremely strange.

"Don't look," Princess Iron Fan glanced at them and quickly looked away, while reminding them, "Don't cause any trouble. Be careful, these are two Venerable Ones."

Princess Jade Face quickly looked away as well.

The two approached each other.

Just then, not far away, a line of red flames suddenly ignited in the thatched hut where Wang E was, and a wisp of fire magic fluctuation emanated from it. After thirty years in this place, he had finally comprehended a law and his cultivation had entered the late stage of Golden Immortal.

"Ok?"

The two stopped and looked at Wang E with great interest. Their gaze encompassed Ding Lin's and Princess Iron Fan's thatched huts as well. Although the three huts were built at some distance to ensure their privacy, outsiders would not know this and would only see them as one.

Wang E clearly sensed being spied on. He stepped out of the thatched hut, and the next moment his gaze met the two men, his eyes revealing respect.

"Wang E?" The one on the left, with a slender, shadowy face, spoke, her voice ringing directly in Wang E's ears.

"Greetings to the two... Venerable Ones." Wang E's body trembled. He already felt that the two were familiar, and now, upon hearing their voices and seeing the faint starlight surrounding them, he had no doubt that the newcomers were none other than the Star Lords of the Southern and Northern Dippers.
In the battle of Heaven, Emperor Ziwei was not completely defeated, but he lost all his authority over the stars and could only retreat to protect one side. He only retained control of one star in the heavens. As his generals, the Southern Dipper and Northern Dipper Star Lords also went to the Eastern Continent with Emperor Ziwei. Although their divine official positions remained unchanged, their authority over the Southern Dipper and Northern Dipper Star Lords was now just a nominal title. The starlight surrounding their bodies was naturally dim, but their strength remained, and their aura was solid and powerful. This is why they looked so strange. These were two genuine Taiyi.

"It's rare that you're still willing to address us as Venerable Ones," said the burly figure on the right, who was none other than the Big Dipper Star Lord.

“Your Excellency is too kind. Although some changes have occurred, times have changed, and we are still serving as ministers in the same palace. Naturally, I must show you both respect,” Wang E said.

"You're still as slippery as ever," said the Southern Dipper Star Lord. "Several eons have passed, and with the help of this favorable wind, you've advanced to the late stage of the Golden Immortal realm. I haven't even had a chance to congratulate you yet."

“Before Your Excellency, my meager cultivation is nothing but a laughingstock,” Wang E said.

“You do have some self-awareness,” Beidou suddenly interjected. He had been silent since the beginning. He sensed an aura in Ding Lin’s thatched hut that was somewhat familiar, but the level of the aura did not match his memory. If he hadn’t stopped and repeatedly examined it because of Wang E, he would not have been able to be sure at all. “With your cultivation level, you shouldn’t be here.”

The Big Dipper looks towards the thatched cottage.

Wang felt a sudden tightness in his chest; he certainly knew about the fierce battle between Beidou and Ding Lin at Yaochi.

“It was this fellow Daoist who brought you in. I sense a familiar aura, but I can’t quite place it. I wonder who’s in this thatched hut?” Beidou said, seemingly asking Wang E, but his eyes never left Ding Lin’s thatched hut.

“Your Excellency…” Wang E’s eyes remained unchanged, but he had a premonition of something bad.

"Who is in this thatched hut?" Beidou asked.

“He is a deity from the Heavenly Court,” Wang E replied.

"I ask you, who is it?" Beidou asked again, revealing a slight trace of Taiyi aura. Wang E's expression changed drastically, and his body swayed involuntarily.

“Venerable One, once you enter this Five Elements Realm, your identity outside will be completely disregarded,” Wang E insisted.

"I ask you, who is in this thatched hut?" Beidou repeated.

Wang Eshi withstood the pressure and remained silent.

"Alright, we've all been colleagues, so there's some kinship between us. Besides, he's right, let's not break the rules," the Southern Dipper Star Lord finally spoke.

The Big Dipper turned its head and glared angrily at the Southern Dipper, but its aura did not relax in the slightest.

“You’re right about the rules,” Nan Dou Xingjun said softly. He turned his gaze to Princess Iron Fan and Princess Jade Face. “I didn’t know when monsters were allowed to enter this realm, let alone venture so deep into such an area.”

Beidou's momentum eased.

Wang E was panting heavily.

"Your Excellencies, this is not a demon, but an attendant of the Divine Lord." Wang E felt increasingly uneasy, but with his absolute power, he could do nothing more than offer this most useless explanation.

"Attendants?" said the Southern Dipper Star Lord, his voice not loud, but deafening. "These two demons have neither divine rank nor slave mark, nor even the aura of celestial registration. You call them attendants? Since when have the attendants of my Heavenly Court become so casual?"

“Your Excellency, this Five Elements Realm is not the Heavenly Court, so there are no requirements…” Wang E tried to argue, forcing himself to speak.

“Why bother telling him all this?” said the Big Dipper Star Lord.

The Southern Dipper Star Lord gave the Northern Dipper Star Lord a look that said, "Take it easy."

"Reason cannot be clarified without debate. Since this spirit official wants to debate, I will naturally convince him." As Nan Dou Xing Jun spoke, his eyes fell on Ding Lin's thatched hut. His exhausting efforts were essentially a test, and Ding Lin's prolonged absence only strengthened his resolve.

The three gods spoke discreetly, only occasionally glancing at each other. From beginning to end, they never paid any attention to Princess Iron Fan and Princess Jade Face, who were the focus of their discussion. They were merely used as tools for testing each other and were not important in themselves.

Princess Iron Fan had a vague sense of foreboding.

"You first told me about the rules, and then said this isn't the Heavenly Court. So what are the rules here? Did you set them?" asked the Southern Dipper Star Lord.

"..."

Wang E opened his mouth, not having exhausted his arguments, and couldn't help but turn to look at Ding Lin's thatched hut. He understood that this was not a matter of verbal sparring, but a tacitly agreed-upon rule: if someone's strength was overwhelming, as long as it wasn't excessive and the bottom line wasn't crossed, it wouldn't provoke a backlash.

Ultimately, this world is all about strength and skill.

At this point, if we want to truly resolve this matter, Ding Lin has no choice but to step in.

This is all I can do.

Wang felt disgusted and thought to himself.

"Since there are demons hiding in this realm, it is only natural for me, as a righteous god of the Heavenly Court, to capture these two demons." The Southern Dipper Star Lord concluded. He suddenly raised his hand, and a point of emerald green swirled, full of vitality, yet it swelled in the wind and transformed into a large net, covering Princess Iron Fan and Princess Jade Face.

Sometimes, life is also death.

The surrounding immortals and gods sensed the fluctuations in magical power and couldn't help but look over. The casual strike from the Southern Dipper Star Lord revealed the aura of the Taiyi Realm.

Upon seeing the targets, they discovered that they were merely two monsters.

They then all looked away.

Like I said, it's not worth it.

"Venerable One!" Wang E shouted, it was unclear whether he was calling for Nan Dou or Ding Lin, and his face changed drastically.

Princess Iron Fan took a deep breath, looking at the huge net coming towards her. She shielded Princess Jade Face behind her, gave a soft shout, and a flame rose around her, growing longer in the wind. It was the Samadhi True Fire.

She had mastered the Banana Leaf Fan for many years. Although the Bull Demon King had tricked her out of the fan with sweet words, she had not gained nothing. Although she had not yet comprehended the Samadhi Divine Wind, she had been immersed in the Samadhi True Fire for a long time. However, when the True Fire burned out like wildfire, it could not be as indestructible as before. The fire burned on the net without any change, and could not even be delayed for a moment.

The Southern Dipper Star Lord took a few steps forward, as if strolling leisurely, about to capture Princess Iron Fan and Princess Jade Face in one fell swoop.

A sense of helplessness flashed in Princess Iron Fan's eyes.

Princess Jade Face couldn't help but look towards Ding Lin's thatched cottage.

"Crack!"

The Samadhi Fire roared, but the flames were suppressed by the grid, dimming to an extreme point and about to go out.

Princess Iron Fan felt that, even though they were so close, her connection with the Samadhi True Fire was suddenly severed.

at this time--

Whoosh!

Suddenly a gust of wind blew.

The flames suddenly shot upwards.

raging!

"Crack!"

The Samadhi Fire blazed and crackled, and the part of the giant net facing the flames was instantly vaporized, burning out a hollow hole.

The giant net came up empty.

The Samadhi Fire did not subside, its flames scorching and protecting Princess Iron Fan and Princess Jade Face within it.

"Sir!"

Wang Edao, however, was not referring to Nandou.

The simple wooden door of Dinglin Thatched Cottage was pushed open at some point, and a slight fluctuation of magical power emanated through the barrier. Then, the barrier dissipated, and a figure emerged from the mist.

"It really is you!" Beidou Xingjun's expression changed again and again, somewhat incredulous. In just a few years, the boy from back then has actually become Taiyi. Although he had expected it beforehand, seeing it with his own eyes was a completely different feeling.

"Why did you two venerable ones attack my servants without explanation?" Ding Lin's gaze, visible through the mist, was sharp and menacing.

Beidou Xingjun waved his hand, and a long black whip appeared in his palm.

"Stop!" the Southern Dipper Star Lord shouted. This was the Five Finger Mountain Realm, where the rules were tacitly agreed upon by the immortals and Buddhas, representing a silent understanding. The Heavenly Realm and the Western high command had jointly permitted it. If they acted recklessly, even with the protection of the Purple Star Emperor, they would not fare well afterward. Moreover, as fellow Taiyi cultivators, Ding Lin's display of skill just now was enough to illustrate the point. Even if they actually fought, they might not gain any advantage. It would be nothing more than a battle where the opponent would retreat, which would be completely meaningless.

Beidou Xingjun naturally understood this principle, but he was unwilling to accept it, which led to his actions. He was dissuaded by Nandou Yi, his eyes flashed, and he gave a heavy snort before retracting his long whip.

"Yellow River Water Lord, you're climbing quite fast." The Big Dipper Star Lord bluntly exposed Ding Lin's identity without any hesitation. "This is not the place to fight. After we leave, I want to see how much you've improved over the years, daring to act like this!"

"Star Lord, this is utterly unreasonable. It was the Southern Dipper Star Lord who attacked my attendant without explanation, yet in your Northern Dipper Star Lord's mouth, it's said that I was putting on an act?" Ding Lin retorted without hesitation. They could only exchange insults like this. Firstly, his injuries had not yet healed, and he had only gained the upper hand by taking them by surprise. If they were to actually fight, he would most likely be defeated. Secondly, there were too many people around, and the large net of rules bound them, making it impossible to actually fight. He also didn't hold back and revealed the identities of the two men.

"Please forgive us, Water Lord. We had no ulterior motives. We simply saw that these two demons had probably infiltrated using your name, so we wanted to capture them." The Southern Dipper Star Lord wasn't angry. He waved his hand and retracted the large net. "Now that you, Water Lord, have intervened and vouched for us, as long as these two demons don't cause any trouble, we naturally won't do anything more."

These words are like a knife hidden in a velvet glove.

"The Southern Dipper Star Lord's silver tongue is truly indescribable," Ding Lin mocked. Seeing that the Southern Dipper had withdrawn its supernatural power, he also waved his hand, and the newly comprehended Samadhi True Fire coiled like a snake, flowing along his wrist and entering his red robe.

“You…” Beidou Xingjun was furious again.

“We have all come here for cultivation. Since it was all a misunderstanding, if the Water Lord has any complaints, I will apologize to him here. There is no need to speak like this.” The Southern Dipper Star Lord calmly gave both sides a way out. “The Northern Dipper Star Lord, let us also find a place to cultivate.”

"Hmph!" Beidou Xingjun snorted coldly.

They said they were looking for a place.

Beidou and Nandou did not go far. Less than three miles from Dinglin, they cut down trees and built two thatched huts like the other immortals and gods there.

Ding Lin observed coldly, knowing that the matter was not over; it could only be said to have temporarily come to an end.

Nan Dou and Bei Dou haven't completely given up yet. Once they leave the Five Elements Mountain territory and reach a place where they can fight, the two sides might have to fight again. They built their thatched huts nearby so that they could keep an eye on things at all times.

Ding Lin couldn't understand it. Even now, with his injuries still in full swing, once he left this realm, the two of them combined could only suppress him at most.

If you can't kill him, why be so persistent?

"Your Majesty."

Before anyone knew it, Princess Jade Face and Princess Iron Fan appeared before him. Princess Jade Face seemed to have been greatly frightened. Her eyes looked at Ding Lin with lingering fear, but even more so with deep dependence.

Ding Lin gave her a completely different feeling from the Bull Demon King; no matter the situation, he was always reliable.

(End of this chapter)