Gods of the Nation: You worship the God of Longevity, I worship the King of Hell!

Chapter 209 Outside the tower, birds sing and dance; inside, the winds of change are blowing! Come, let's conquer the tower!
Seeing that the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King looked solemn, Venus knew that he was about to discuss important matters. He immediately stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and said loudly, "Fellow Daoists, please wait a moment."

"Please, Elder Star."

As Li Jing and Venus approached the side of the hall, Li Jing waved his sleeve, and the Heavenly Restriction suddenly unfolded, firmly shielding the secrets of this place from the outside world, preventing even the slightest sound from escaping.

"Why is the Heavenly King so cautious?" Venus stroked his long beard, a calm and breezy smile on his face.

Li Jing sighed again, bowed and clasped his hands, saying, "To be honest, old star officer, this man is truly someone I cannot befriend."

"Oh?" Venus's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'd like to hear the details."

"Old Star Lord should know that my Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda has been used for tens of thousands of years to suppress countless evil spirits in the Three Realms."

What the old star official didn't know was that more than a hundred years ago, perhaps the evil spirits imprisoned there were too strong, causing the fortune of my Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda to gradually deplete, and its divine power to decline day by day.

The commander was extremely anxious, and thus ordered the Ministry of War to search the Three Realms for the object that could determine destiny.

"Heaven has eyes, for a [Destiny-Stabilizing and Soul-Suppressing Lotus] has actually grown in the mortal realm!"
This item was the core spiritual material used to forge the Linglong Pagoda.

"I was overjoyed, which is why I disregarded the heavenly rules and sent the Four Heavenly Kings to use their supernatural powers to descend to the mortal realm and seize it by force."

"Actually, I had no intention of detaining that mortal boy."

Unexpectedly, while collecting the rare treasure, this boy used cunning means to take the World Core for himself.

Now that his fortune has merged with the extraordinary treasure, releasing him is tantamount to releasing the treasure itself!

"I see." Venus nodded slowly and asked, "Then, is it not possible for the Water Deity to separate the two using the divine power of Ren water?"

"Easier said than done!" Li Jing shook his head: "The boundary pivot is closely connected to this child's soul and fortune. The slightest carelessness will destroy the foundation of the Soul-Suppressing Lotus! I have searched for it for a hundred years, how can I let it all go to waste? If I wait another hundred years, the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda may face even greater changes. If the demons break out of the pagoda then, how can I face the Great Celestial Venerable? Furthermore..."

He changed the subject, glancing at Nezha in the hall, his voice lowering even further: "Besides... does the old star official also know about my entanglement with Nezha? Once the pagoda's divine power falters and fails to contain this evil spirit, then I'm afraid..."

The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King sighed again, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Venus suddenly realized, stroking his beard and saying, "So that's how it is. I underestimated this matter. In your opinion, Heavenly King, how long will it take to refine this lotus?"

“At least... forty-nine days!” Li Jing said in a deep voice.

"One day in heaven is one year on earth. Forty-nine days is forty-nine years on earth." Venus sighed softly, "Even if you release him by then, he will be old and frail, and won't live much longer. Heavenly King, you have committed a great sin!"

Li Tianwang did not deny it, his expression earnest: "I beg the old star official to lend his full assistance! This person must not be released. I believe the Great Heavenly Venerable, knowing the inside story, will understand my predicament—after all, the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda concerns the safety of the Three Realms and cannot be lost!"

“This…” Venus pondered and nodded: “The Linglong Pagoda must not be lost, but mortal beings should not be harmed lightly either. This is the clear instruction of Heaven. Moreover, what this child did was not evil, so the fault does not lie with him.”

“This commander understands perfectly.” A glint of light flashed in Li Jing’s eyes. “Old Star Lord, since the Great Celestial Venerable has sent you here, he must have some instructions. You might as well speak frankly—what is the Great Celestial Venerable’s holy will?”

Venus gently tapped Him with his whisk and smiled, “Very well, I will no longer conceal it. The Great Celestial Venerable has long been aware of this matter and, while furious, also knows that it involves too many people. Fortunately, everyone acted with restraint and did not cause a major disaster, so the Great Celestial Venerable does not want to escalate the situation.”

He paused, then said, word by word, "Your Majesty's intention is exactly what I said earlier—that the Marshal should release the prisoners."

Before Li Jing could refute, Venus added, "But given the circumstances, we should consider this matter further."

“Yes, yes, yes, the old star official is absolutely right!” Li Jing quickly agreed.

"Alright then, I will return now and report the details to the Great Heavenly Venerable, and ask the Jade Emperor for a decision."

Venus flicked his whisk: "Perhaps the Great Celestial Venerable will issue a decree to help the Heavenly King refine this treasure as soon as possible. In that case, fellow Daoists will no longer need to argue about this matter."

Li Jing was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately bowed and clasped his hands in thanks: "Then I will have to trouble you, venerable star officer! I will reward you handsomely once the matter is accomplished!"

"Go away, go away! How could I be a person who pursues profit?" Venus chuckled. "I only hope that this matter can be handled properly and that the Three Realms can be at peace."

The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King repeatedly agreed: "The old star official's integrity and upright character are known throughout the Three Realms. Then—thank you for your trouble!"

After saying this, the two immortals removed the restrictions and returned to the hall.

As Venus walked, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to the assembled immortals and said with a smile, “Fellow Daoists, Li Tianwang just told me about the situation. I need to report back to the Jade Emperor immediately and ask the Great Heavenly Venerable for a decision. Please calm down and do not argue further, otherwise the situation may escalate and become difficult to control.”

The Plague God, the God of Wealth, and others looked at each other in bewilderment.

He knew that the rare treasure was indeed of great importance.

Since Venus has made such a statement.

They didn't say anything more and clasped their hands in greeting: "Then we'll have to trouble you, Elder Star Official."

"Alright, everyone, please wait a moment, I'll be right back!"

Before he finished speaking, Venus transformed into a dazzling white light, bursting through the palace and heading straight for the Hall of Fragrant Breeze.

The atmosphere in the hall became subtle once again.

The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King looked around at everyone, cupped his hands and said, "Rest assured, everyone. Once Taibai Xingjun brings back the Jade Emperor's decree, if the Great Heavenly Venerable orders the release of the people, I will have no objection!"

With this statement, the Plague God and other immortals could no longer press the matter.

"Heavenly King," the God of Wealth said, rising to his feet, "may I first meet my sworn brother?"

Li Jing smiled faintly: "Lord Jun Cai, there's no need to be anxious. Since I said he's alright, he's definitely alright. It's best to wait for good news from Taibai." "...Very well." Lord Jun Cai had no choice but to sit down.

"Gentlemen, you have come from afar and are all distinguished guests. I, the commander, must not be impolite. Men, play the music."

With a wave of his sleeve, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King summoned a fairy maiden who gracefully entered, her dance instantly becoming enchanting.

However, none of the immortals were in the mood to appreciate it.

Only the Emperor of Fengdu watched with great interest, clapping and praising it from time to time.

……

On the other side, inside the Linglong Tower, lies the Three Thousand Weak Water Realm.

“Wow——!!!”

With a deafening roar, waves surged skyward!

A blue dragon burst forth from the water, followed by a young dragon that leaped joyfully, its speed no less than that of the dragon.

On the dragon's head, Lu Chen stood steadily, his hands gripping the dragon's horns tightly.

A protective divine light surrounded him, completely isolating him from the splashing water.

"Lan'er, you're amazing! You actually managed to do it!"

Seeing that he was about to leave the Three Thousand Weak Water Realm, Lu Chen was also extremely excited.

Lan'er sighed, "As expected of the Jiangshui Dragon species, it is said that this lineage has the strongest talent for true dragons, the strongest water escape, and the strongest physical body. You are only a young dragon, yet your escape speed can match mine. It is truly your good fortune! If it were any other dragon, even if it could control the Weak Water, the Three Thousand Weak Water Realms are vast and boundless. It would take at least several days to reach the exit."

"How long will it take us to get there now?"

"Don't worry, I know the nautical chart here very well. This road is the closest to the exit, and at our current speed, it won't be long!"

His tone became serious: "Listen carefully to what I'm about to say! After passing through the Weak Water Realm, the next level is the [Samadhi True Fire Heaven]! However, since you possess the Hearth Fire Seed, this realm will actually be of great benefit to you. You can use this heaven to refine the fire seed. As for whether you can cultivate the Samadhi True Fire, that depends on your fate! But this realm is guarded by Fire Spirit Guards, so be careful."

"Fire Spirit Guards? Are they the Heavenly Soldiers guarding the tower?" Lu Chen asked, pressing for an answer.

"They are not heavenly soldiers. The Fire Spirit Guards are fire spirits born from the Samadhi True Fire Heaven, but do not underestimate them—their strength far surpasses that of ordinary heavenly soldiers, and this place is not suppressed by the Heavenly Dao. These Fire Spirit Guards could easily kill a mortal like you."

You must absorb and refine the Samadhi True Fire with the fire in the stove as soon as possible.

Only in this way can we have the opportunity to enter the next level.

The third level is where the treasure is located!
Even if we can't completely refine the treasure, refining just a portion and controlling a part of it will be enough for us to escape alive!

“Okay! I understand!” Lu Chen nodded emphatically.

“However…” Lan’er changed the subject: “Even if everything goes smoothly, the chances of success are still slim.”

If your master discovers that you are refining a rare treasure, he will likely unleash his wrath and kill you outright.

Furthermore, even if one manages to escape by chance, this place is the Heavenly Court.

Your mortal body will be instantly torn apart by the fierce winds of the heavens the moment you step outside the tower.

"At that time, I will be in dire need of protection myself, and I may not be able to protect you."

His dragon eyes stared intently at Lu Chen: "You... really want to take this risk?"

Lu Chen frowned and said in a deep voice, "Then in your opinion, what is the best solution?"

"The best way, of course, is to completely refine the Soul-Suppressing Lotus of Destiny!"

In this way, you will have the ability to control the Seven Treasures Pagoda!

At that time, you can activate the pagoda and plummet directly to the mortal realm!
Once you enter the mortal realm, the celestial winds will be unable to harm you.

"Then we'll find another opportunity to escape, and we'll be completely safe!"

"Alright, let's refine it until we can control the pagoda."

Faced with this desperate situation, Lu Chen remained remarkably calm: "Let's take it one step at a time. Thinking too much now is pointless and will only cause more trouble."

Lan'er nodded: "Then let's speed up! We must reach the third level before Master notices! Then I'll tell you where the pass to the third level is!"

"it is good!"

At a command, the Azure Dragon and the young dragon accelerated simultaneously, their bodies like two streaks of light, breaking through the raging torrents of the Weak Water and speeding toward the exit of the Weak Water Realm!

After an unknown amount of time, the outline of a small island began to appear faintly on the horizon ahead.

"Look, that's the exit from the first level!"

　I've only written half of the third chapter. I haven't had time to polish these two chapters yet, so I'll stop polishing them for now. After I finish the third chapter, I plan to write the fourth chapter.

　
(End of this chapter)