Chapter Twenty-Five: Eastern Emperor Taiyi

Teacher Xing told me about their trip to Shanghai.

The high-speed train arrived at Shanghai Station late at night. No sooner had Teacher Xing and Teacher Yang stepped off the train than a powerful, resonant dragon’s roar echoed through the corridor, causing the very air to tremble.

The two exchanged a quick glance, unsure if the presence was friend or foe.

In a flash of light and shadow, their consciousness perceived a profound black divine dragon in the mental realm. Its body was so immense it seemed to shroud the mountains and rivers, coiled deep beneath the foundations of the Shanghai Station. Its black scales shimmered with an abyssal luster, like a hegemon of the deep, and its voice, deep as a great temple bell, resonated in their hearts: "The Sect Leader of Kunlun Mountain has arrived in person. I apologize for my lack of a proper welcome..."

Seeing that the dragon did not seem hostile, Teacher Xing replied with his thoughts: "What deity are you?"

"I am the Divine Dragon of Shanghai, the guardian of this city. All of Shanghai falls under my jurisdiction. Should the Sect Leader of Kunlun Mountain have any needs, simply notify me, and I shall be at your service."

This reminded Teacher Xing of something. Feng Huyuan had been relentless, casting evil spells on Teacher Yang and even enlisting his junior sister to target Teacher Xing’s Taoist practice. Much of Teacher Yang's current illness was a direct result of the frequent malevolent spells cast by Feng and his sister.

Feng Huyuan's junior sister operated a studio in Shanghai, specializing in dealing with supernatural matters and reading feng shui, and she was currently based there.

When on someone else's turf, the local authority is always the most effective.

Teacher Xing issued a command to the great dragon of Shanghai: "I have a task for you. Feng Huyuan has a junior sister surnamed Shen who runs a feng shui studio in Shanghai. From this day forward, no spirit or city god is permitted to assist her. Seal off every path she takes."

The Divine Dragon agreed. As the master of this territory, a single word from it was enough to blacklist the junior sister; no city god or spirit would dare defy it. From that moment on, this woman who had aided the evildoer would never again be able to make a living in the world of metaphysics in Shanghai.

Afterward, they left the station and went to a pre-booked hotel near the hospital. Teacher Yang’s illness had progressed from a spiritual affliction to a severe physical one. To cure her, they had to address both the spiritual and the physical.

To treat the spiritual ailment, the night before arriving in Shanghai, Teacher Xing sent his primordial spirit into the cosmos to seek out his father—the first sovereign of heaven and earth, Donghuang Taiyi.

Since the end of the ancient war between gods and demons, Donghuang Taiyi had established the Heavenly Court and unified the three realms. From then on, the divine realm stood above the demon and human realms. Later, Donghuang Taiyi abdicated to Di Jun and retreated with the other primordial gods to the depths of the universe.

Last night, the Kunlun God-Monarch transformed into a brilliant, piercing meteor, racing through the vast expanse of the cosmos. Through his celestial eye, he saw a colossal object in the deepest reaches of the universe—a palace. Space was devoid of light, and the palace hid in the utter darkness, its size beyond the limits of imagination, existing in a state of sacred, cold solitude.

Just as the Kunlun God-Monarch was about to reach the towering palace, guards hidden at its perimeter appeared like ghosts, intercepting him in an instant.

These guards were clad in deep black armor, having lived in the lonely, cold cosmos for aeons. Their expressions were uniformly arrogant and indifferent, their powers profound. They were the most loyal protectors of Donghuang Taiyi, each with a cultivation age of at least one hundred million years.

Even the Kunlun God-Monarch, whose own cultivation was only seventy million years, had to wait respectfully for these guards to announce him, not daring the slightest transgression, even as the eldest son of Donghuang Taiyi.

Nine magnificent divine dragons, draped in radiant golden light, pulled a shimmering golden carriage from the dome of the palace. As the carriage soared above the Kunlun God-Monarch, the curtains were drawn back by an invisible force, revealing a king seated within.

He wore an intricate crown and majestic black dragon robes. His face was stern, his eyes reflecting an unassailable indifference. Upon closer inspection, he bore a five or six-part resemblance to the Kunlun God-Monarch below—a mark of their shared bloodline.

Donghuang Taiyi, the first sovereign of the three realms, possessed power as vast and unfathomable as the universe itself. The surrounding guards dared not look up, kneeling to welcome this supreme existence. Even the Kunlun God-Monarch, upon seeing his father, found his legs buckling and was forced to his knees by the sheer pressure of his father’s power.

Donghuang Taiyi’s low, majestic voice drifted from the carriage, echoing like waves that shook the Kunlun God-Monarch’s eardrums: "Why have you come to seek me?"

"Father, I wish for you to help Yang Yue." Once the tidal waves of sound subsided, the Kunlun God-Monarch forced himself to remain calm and explained the situation.

After a long silence, Donghuang Taiyi flicked his finger as if discarding a trifle, throwing an object from the carriage window. It was a golden sword, seemingly forged from liquid sunlight, emitting a blinding brilliance. The sword roared like a meteor, traversing the distance between the cosmos and Earth, landing at the residence where Teacher Xing and Teacher Yang were staying.

At that moment, Teacher Yang lay on the bed, her face pale to the point of transparency, as if all vitality had been drained from her. The agony caused her body to spasm, every subtle movement revealing infinite suffering. When the golden sword pierced the void, bringing with it a sharp, cold wind, the powerful spirits and demons felt an unprecedented crisis. They scrambled to escape from Teacher Yang’s frail body, especially the Evil Spirit King.

The Evil Spirit King, a terrifying entity that fed on the corpse poison and death energy collected from the dying, had cultivated for ten thousand years within a coffin in an underground palace. Xu Linlin had summoned it and placed it upon Teacher Yang, constantly releasing corpse poison and baleful energy to destroy her body.

The Evil Spirit King was dressed in ancient burial clothes adorned with the highest-ranking jewelry of a feudal lord, always viewing itself as a noble of the underworld.

Just as it attempted to flee Teacher Yang’s body, the golden sword—imbued with the supreme power of the universe—descended upon it. A weight like Mount Tai crushed the Evil Spirit King, leaving it no room to resist. *Swish*—the Evil Spirit King was frozen and annihilated, leaving not even a wisp of smoke behind.

After cleansing the remaining demons, the tip of the golden sword gently grazed Teacher Yang’s body, creating a small opening. Thick black smoke poured out like exhaust from a chimney, continuing for a long time until it finally dissipated.

The Kunlun God-Monarch, peering through his celestial eye across the reaches of space, saw Teacher Yang and finally felt the tension in his heart ease.

Donghuang Taiyi’s voice, carrying the unquestionable authority of the former sovereign of the three realms, echoed in the void: "Go to the Eighth Heaven and retrieve the Yuling Immortal Herb to heal Yang Yue—"

With that, the nine dragons pulled the former sovereign away, and the golden carriage vanished into the deep, dark cosmos.

The Kunlun God-Monarch obeyed his father’s words, left the universe, and immediately headed to the Eighth Heaven.

The Eighth Heaven was shrouded in clouds and ethereal mist. The herb garden exuded a faint, refreshing fragrance. The deity in charge seemed familiar with the Kunlun God-Monarch and, after offering a salute, smiled: "Is the Sect Leader of Kunlun Mountain here for more seeds?"

In a past life, the Kunlun God-Monarch had incarnated as Shennong the Flame Emperor, bringing many divine herbs and crop seeds to the mortal realm so that humans could treat their illnesses and cultivate their own food.

"I have come for the Yuling Immortal Herb," the Kunlun God-Monarch said solemnly.

The deity understood and retrieved two immortal herbs that glowed with a faint red light, emitting a comforting scent. The longer these herbs grew, the more potent they became. These two had matured for tens of millions of years and were of an elder grade; had it not been for the Kunlun God-Monarch’s status, the deity would not have easily parted with them.

The deity provided careful instructions: "The Yuling Immortal Herb can treat both internal and external injuries of the primordial spirit. For external use, first refine the herb into energy and apply it to the injured area of the primordial spirit. For internal use, simply ingest it."

The Kunlun God-Monarch returned to the rented apartment in the mortal world. Teacher Xing’s physical body was still fast asleep. The Kunlun God-Monarch lay down and merged with him. Teacher Xing’s body jolted, and he opened his eyes to find the two immortal herbs in his hand.

He rose quickly and, following the deity's instructions, placed one glowing herb in his palm, refining it into a medicinal paste that emitted a rich, fragrant aroma.

He carefully applied the paste to Teacher Yang’s injured chest. The application caused a stinging pain, and Teacher Yang grabbed the bedsheets in agony as if countless tiny electric currents were coursing through her chest. After a long while, the pain subsided, and the wound began to heal.

He had her ingest the second herb. Teacher Yang chewed it; it tasted slightly sweet with a hint of tartness, not unpleasant at all.

As soon as the herb hit her stomach, Teacher Yang felt a surge of warm energy rushing through her. It was as if she had taken a hot bath, and all the remaining black toxins in her body began to rush out through her pores.