I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

In the chat group, no one noticed that they were still chatting about their experiences in the Dragon Palace, immersed in the joy that their sect had also gained a divine backer.

[Sun Rongrong]: "That's right! Didn't you know? Zhang Tianshi came to bestow blessings upon the Dragon King on behalf of the Jade Emperor. The ceremony was quite grand. We received the ancestral master's blessing and were moved from the outer banquet to the main hall inside!"

[Wu Dajin]: "Hehe, Master Zhang also bestowed upon us elixirs. After taking them, our physical attributes and constitution instantly increased by 10 points, but there are just too few—only one per person!"

[Zhou Tao]: "The patriarch also passed on a talisman to the old Taoist priest. As long as you draw the talisman and pray sincerely, you can summon the Celestial Master to descend. Hahaha, our Zhengyi Sect is doing well!"

Ning Chen couldn't help but secretly complain about the appearance of this Zhang Tianshi in the West Sea Dragon Palace.

I'm afraid they won't acknowledge this daughter!

You still expect him to answer your call and not strike you dead with heavenly lightning? That would be an act of mercy from him, considering that you are from the same lineage.

Fortunately, Zhang Tianshi did not cause trouble on the spot, so there may be room for the matter to be resolved.

After thinking for a while, Ning Chen said in the chat group.

"Be careful these next few days! Especially Qing'er, Rongrong, keep a close eye on her! If anything seems amiss, let me know immediately! Remember that!"

The group members looked puzzled. It was the first time they had seen Ning Chen take this so seriously. What had happened?

........

High above the nine heavens, in the side hall of the Lingxiao Palace, lies the Thunder Department's office.

Cloud patterns swirl around the rosewood table.

Zhang Daoling, dressed in a majestic purple robe, was surrounded by an aura of immortality, yet he could not conceal the deep gloom and struggle between his brows.

Before him lay an unfurled scroll of jade and silk, radiating a chilling golden light, each word carrying a sinister intent.

Looking up at the memorial, one could see several large ancient seal characters.

"Memorial Impeaching Immortals and Mortals for Intermarriage with Demons"

Your subject, Zhang Daoling of the Thunder Commandery, is filled with trepidation and humility. I bow my head twice and risk my life to report this.

It is said that pure air rises to become heaven, turbid air condenses to become humankind, and demons and monsters are born with malevolent energy. The three realms are different, and the moral order is distinct.

Immortals transcend reincarnation and govern creation. Humans are bound by worldly constraints, experiencing birth, aging, sickness, and death. Demons are of different natures and often practice unorthodox methods.

These three beings, with their distinct endowments and conflicting energies, should not be mixed or blended. Observing the mortal realm, one sees many immortals harboring mortal desires, condescending to marry mortals. There are also demons and evil spirits who transform into human form, bewitching sentient beings and forging karmic entanglements.

Such acts that defy morality and disrupt the natural order offend Heaven and disturb human order. At best, they damage the foundation of humanity and harm one's immortal essence; at worst, they give birth to rebellious and monstrous offspring, causing endless harm and shaking the very foundation of the Three Realms!

The ancient tale of Emperor Xin and Daji serves as a stark warning!

In order to purify the world and rectify the ways of Heaven, I, your humble servant, humbly submit this petition!

An imperial edict was issued to the three realms, strictly enforcing the prohibitions!

From this day forward, any marriage between a celestial being and a mortal, or any sexual relationship between a human and a demon, will be considered a serious crime that violates the Heavenly Laws once verified, regardless of whether the person is a celestial being, a mortal, a human, or a demon!

By order, the thirty-six divine generals of the Thunder Department shall command all the thunder soldiers of the heavens and exercise the power of heavenly punishment!

Anyone who violates this law, no matter where they hide, will have their soul locked and spirit fixed by the divine thunder of the Nine Heavens, their form and spirit destroyed, and their very essence extinguished, as a warning to others!

May his soul be scattered and his spirit forever banished from the cycle of reincarnation!

We humbly beseech Your Majesty's judgment!

Zhang Daoling slowly rose, his hands trembling as he picked up the memorial. The words "Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Locks the Soul and Fixes the Spirit, the Soul is Scattered and the Reincarnation is Forever" on it were like a red-hot branding iron, causing him to withdraw his fingers as soon as he touched them.

The proclamation fell to the ground with a thud!

A few days ago, the Jade Emperor issued an order requiring him to draft the Heavenly Laws, but now they have become a deadly sword hanging over his head!

Zhang Tianshi's vision involuntarily blurred.

Images from hundreds of years ago, long forgotten, surge forth like a tidal wave.

Once upon a time, he was not the lofty and supreme Zhang Tianshi, but just a young Taoist priest in the mortal world, struggling to pursue the Great Dao. Although his Taoist heart was firm, he could not withstand the overwhelming worldly temptations.

She, Li Chujian........

An eight-tailed white fox who has cultivated for three thousand years must undergo the most dangerous and unpredictable tribulation of love in order to break through to become a nine-tailed celestial fox.

For the fox demon clan to become a nine-tailed celestial fox, one must first fall deeply in love, and then sever the threads of love at the height of passion, in order to comprehend the path of ruthlessness.

Complete that crucial step from demon to immortal!

And this handsome young Taoist priest, who was devoted to the Tao, became the prelude to the love tribulation chosen by Li Chujian.

Whether it was the fox demon's bewitching magic or their destiny, Zhang Daoling instantly fell for her.

He could no longer clearly recall the memories of those years, only vaguely remembering those absurd years of upside-down romance, like a dream.

A human and a demon indulge in passionate lovemaking, reveling in sensual pleasures that leave one feeling suffocated and lost.

He was indeed deeply entangled in it, as if lost in a fog, his heart clouded by dust.

It wasn't until later, when his cultivation became more profound and he broke through the illusions by chance, that he realized he had become a tool on the path to becoming a fox demon.

So he devised a countermeasure, even sacrificing himself as bait to lure the fox demon into the impregnable demon-locking formation of the Louguantai ancestral temple.

He would never forget the last time he met that fox spirit.

A burst of light rose, isolating heaven and earth...

Li Chujian stood at the center of the formation, her collarbone pierced by chains, her eight fluffy, snow-white fox tails hanging limply. On her stunningly beautiful face, there was no anger or resentment as one might expect, only a deathly stillness, despair, and a trace of relief.

She gazed at him intently through the radiance of the array, her lips parted slightly, her voice so calm it was heartbreaking.

"Master Zhang, in this life, I've finally taken it seriously..."

In the depths of that fox demon's eyes, besides despair, there seemed to be some deeper and more complex emotion that he couldn't understand at the time.

Looking back now, Zhang Tianshi finally understood that the look in his eyes was clearly maternal radiance!

Unbeknownst to them, a child of their blood and flesh was quietly growing in her womb!

It was because of that child that she softened at the crucial moment and did not kill him, allowing his counterattack to succeed!

She lost not to the Taoist master's scheme, but to that sudden, maternal instinct!

"At our first meeting... you said it was like our first encounter, and I felt the same way!"

Zhang Daoling murmured silently, tears slowly sliding down his resolute face.

In the West Sea Dragon Palace, a fleeting glimpse revealed the exquisitely beautiful face of the baby girl, especially the crimson birthmark on her neck, a mark resembling a karmic fire lotus—the most compelling proof of her fox demon bloodline.

Moreover, the baby girl's eyebrows and eyes looked exactly like Li Chujian's!

It is foreseeable that when that baby girl grows up, she will be a beauty that could topple kingdoms and cause chaos!

This bloodline, this appearance, are themselves a kind of original sin!

Zhang Tianshi abruptly closed his eyes, trying to dispel the baby's pure and innocent smile.

But another cold voice immediately rang in his mind, shaking his soul like a resounding bell.

Zhang Daoling, don't forget, you are now a righteous god of the Thunder Department!

He cultivated himself in the mortal realm for a hundred years, enduring countless hardships and dangers, before finally ascending to immortality.

But soon, the initial ambitions of his ascension were crushed by reality.

He originally thought he was a genius, the founder of his Taoist sect in the mortal world, worshipped by thousands of disciples, and that he would surely achieve great things after being enshrined in the immortals.

However, upon arriving in the Immortal Realm, he discovered that the Thirty-Three Heavens were strictly hierarchical!

What are his meager skills and shallow experience compared to those ancient immortals and remnants of the Investiture of the Gods?

He was nothing more than an insignificant soldier in the Heavenly Court under Li Jing's command in the Lingxiao Palace!

During his decades in Heaven, he was extremely cautious and walked on thin ice!

They went to great lengths to flatter and scheme!

He finally gained the Jade Emperor's favor during a subjugation of a great demon, thanks to his ruthless and decisive methods. The Jade Emperor appointed him to establish the Celestial Master's Mansion, to command the gods of the Thunder Department, and to be in charge of heavenly punishments and laws!

This is the power he has always dreamed of!

It was also his only reliance to truly establish himself in the Heavenly Court and even bring glory to his family!

Is he really going to give up the position of Celestial Master that he has worked hard for for a hundred years just for the sake of that fox spirit?

On one side was his daughter, his blood relative, still innocent and unaware in her swaddling clothes. The baby girl's clear eyes seemed to reflect the humility deep within his soul!

On one side was the Thunder Department Seal, held in his hand, symbolizing supreme power and enough to free him from his lowly status. It was golden and heavy as a mountain!