(Part 1)

"True God...Bai Jue?"

A trembling voice full of fear murmured. Because of the strong and majestic spiritual power, everyone kneeling on the ground looked at the young man with a golden mark in his eyes, a trace of disbelief and consternation passing through their eyes.

How could an ancient true god who had fallen tens of thousands of years ago still exist in the Three Realms?

Before anyone could return to their senses, the long spear in the young man's hand had slowly risen into the air, and the golden energy had turned into a sea of flames. With the majesty of the sky, it flew towards Jing Jian and the other two. The hot aura spread throughout Liaowang Mountain and was more majestic and terrifying than the fire kirin.

The sea of fire instantly tore apart the Yuhua Umbrella above the heads of Jing Zhao's trio, and completely swallowed the turquoise light under everyone's exclamations...Hou Chi's small hand that held Qing Mu's froze in an instant, and she said in a low voice, "Qing Mu, don't..."

Although she had never admitted it, she couldn't erase the fact that Jing Jian and the other two were connected to her by blood. Even if Jing Yang and Jing Zhao were arrogant and overconfident, at least Jing Jian wasn't wrong. She couldn't watch them die in Qing Mu's hands.

The sea of fire that had swallowed everything slightly paused, but was not taken back. Hou Chi raised her head, and her eager expression froze when she saw Qing Mu's indifferent and hollow eyes. The person in front of her was not Qing Mu, but rather just a puppet controlled by thoughts. Could it be that...she looked at the Taicang Spear hanging in the air, and understood something. It must be that when the Taicang Spear recognized its master just now, the remnant thought that True God Bai Jue had left had controlled Qing Mu.

The turquoise light faded away, and the aura of Jing Yang and the other two people gradually dissipated. The young man hanging in the sky lowered his eyes coldly, the golden light stunning everyone. No one present dared to step up to help. At that moment, a deep sigh sounded over Liaowang Mountain, and a huge hand appeared in the sea of fire, the palm scooping out a distressed Jing Zhao and two others.

Seeing the unconscious three people, the crowd of immortals sighed in relief.

"True God Bai Jue, I have not taught my children well. Jing Yang and the others breaking into your place of cultivation is indeed a huge fault. I hope that True God will put down this matter for my and Wu Huan's sake."

The solemn and majestic voice came from the sky, ethereal and indifferent as if it didn't care about the pressure emanating from Qing Mu that made the heaven and earth tremble at all.

Hearing this voice and tone, Hou Chi suddenly felt a sense of boredom inside. She looked up at Qing Mu, who still had an empty expression, and sighed with a complicated face.

The Heavenly Emperor. She never went to the Nine Heavens to find out what happened back then, but she didn't expect that they would meet each other on Liaowang Mountain. Was it true that her God Father disappeared for a thousand years because he couldn't let go of what happened in the past?

The person who came was the Heavenly Emperor! The Heavenly Emperor, who had never left the Nine Heavens Heavenly Palace for a thousand years, was summoned. Could Qing Mu really be True God Bai Jue?

The immortals looked at the cold young man hanging in the air in amazement, then looked at the huge palm holding Jing Yang and the other two, and knelt down in unison, "Welcome, Heavenly Emperor!"

"Please stand up." Accompanied by these faint words, a purple figure appeared on the huge palm, overlooking Liaowang Mountain and quietly watching Qing Mu, who was in mid-air.

Hou Chi glanced at the purple figure in the giant palm, turned her head, and snorted. No wonder Jing Jian and the others didn't have bad appearances, so they inherited his looks...But, with such a fancy person, he's good for looking at but not for use. He did not beat her father in any way!

"You are...Mu Guang?" The flat and indifferent voice slowly spat out of Qing Mu's mouth. The golden mark in his eyes dissipated a little, and he slowly raised his eyes, as if he was slowly recalling.

The Heavenly Emperor standing on the giant palm lightly waved his hand, and a soft light poured into the unconscious Jing Yang and the other two. Then he asked the young man who asked the question suspiciously and nodded, "Yes, True God Bai Jue, although you only have one piece of thought left, I have no intention of offending you. Since Qing Mu is the master you have chosen for the Taicang Spear, I will give him even more respect in the future.

It was just a piece of thought...Hearing the Heavenly Emperor's words, everyone looked at the young man hanging in the air, their hearts full of shock. It was just a piece of remaining thought, but it could shake the world and make people bow down. If True God Bai Jue from back then appeared, what kind of demeanor would he have?

The Heavenly Emperor lowered his eyes. The golden mark in Qing Mu's eyes was familiar. From what he could see, this was just a symbol of inheriting the Taicang Spear. Back then, True God Bai Jue had the same mark, but it was in between his eyebrows. Although Qing Mu inherited the Taicang Spear, he wasn't the real True God Bai Jue. After this thought disappears, he would naturally return back to normal.

There was a complicated sigh in the Heavenly Emperor's eyes. He knew better than anyone that the four true gods back then had turned to dust and disappeared from the world forever. If it weren't for this, he wouldn't dare act so confidently in front of True God Bai Jue's piece of thought.

"They're just ants. Hong Ri is already dead. They have no need to exist." Qing Mu coldly shook his head and slightly raised his hand. The Taicang Spear suddenly ignited a golden flame, and the spear flew towards the Heavenly Emperor standing on the giant palm without hesitation.

"If you really are True God Bai Jue, you are qualified to say these words to me. But, you are only a piece of thought now..."

A faint sigh sounded, and a purple and gold barrier suddenly appeared in front of the Heavenly Emperor, isolating the sea of fire created by the Taicang Spear to the outside. Even if the momentum was swift and violent, it was difficult to move towards the barrier.

Hou Chi looked at the scene not far away, her eyes shrinking fiercely. Qing Mu's spiritual power was already so terrifying, but the Heavenly Emperor could just casually block his blow. Was a god's power really this powerful?

(Part 2)

Thinking of her own weak immortal power, the middle of her eyebrows darkened, and she lightly sighed.

Looking coldly at the unmovable purple and gold barrier, the golden mark in Qing Mu's eyes circulated. A ray of light shot from his eyes and fell on the Taicang Spear. The flame on the spear suddenly rose sharply, as dazzling as the scorching sun. Under the force's destruction, the purple and gold barrier also slightly moved back, but at the same time, the gold in Qing Mu's eyes was quickly dissipating, and his eyes showed signs of struggle.

The Heavenly Emperor gave a light sigh, his face slightly solemn. He didn't expect this piece of thought to settle on the idea that it would hurt both sides before disappearing. His eyes couldn't help but darken a bit.

The Heavenly Emperor slightly raised both hands, making various gestures. The complex pattern appeared on the purple and gold barrier, swallowing all the golden light from the Taicang Spear. In just a short while, the Taicang Spear showed signs of losing, and the golden light slowly dissipated.

"If you persist, Qing Mu's flesh body will not be able to withstand my blow and he will die. Why would you kill in vain?" The Heavenly Emperor glanced at Qing Mu, who was pale and said lightly.

"Hong Ri has protected Liaowang Mountain for me for sixty thousand years. I owe him too much. Mu Guang, if I wasn't just a piece of thought left by Master, I wouldn't allow your three children to exist in this world. Taicang Spear, you're free from now on."

A silent sigh sounded in the sky, and the figure wrapped in golden light looked at the Taicang Spear in the distance, then slowly lowered his head. The hollow and indifferent eyes paused when they saw Hou Chi, then quivered, but there was no more movement.

The fireworks accompanying the Taicang Spear gradually dissipated. The golden mark in Qing Mu's eyes also slowly disappeared. As if it felt it, the confronting Taicang Spear suddenly stopped attacking. The spear body trembled lightly and its gun head was turned, seeming to faintly whine.

Hou Chi was stunned by the Taicang Spear's reaction. She raised her eyes to look at the young man to see that the golden mark in Qing Mu's eyes had completely disappeared. His eyes were returned to their clarity. She couldn't help but feel delighted, but seeing a normal Qing Mu, she felt a sense of regret inside that she couldn't explain, as if she had completely lost something.

The Heavenly Emperor watched the golden mark completely disappear from Qing Mu's eyes, and faint sighs and complexities were also drawn out from the bottom of his eyes. He shrouded Jing Yang and the two others in the purple and golden halo, and said to the immortals below, "Since the Taicang Spear has already recognized its master, this matter is over. Immortals, please return to your homes. As for the people of the Demon Clan, leave quickly and do not stay in the Immortal Realm."

The immortals felt awkward inside. Lord Qing Mu offended the Heavenly Emperor this much. Although it wasn't intentional, the battle just then came out of his hands. They didn't expect the Heavenly Emperor to allow the Taicang Spear to stay in his hand and to warn the immortals.

Hou Chi felt a searching gaze land on herself. Although it was extremely light, it was also imposing. Her heart became clear. She raised her eyes and looked into the air, her expression slightly constricted. She raised her eyebrows to the Heavenly Emperor and turned her head under the Heavenly Emperor's amazement.

"Hou Chi, your mother will hold a birthday banquet in the Heavenly Palace in three years. Since you are already out of Qingchi Palace, if you have time, you might as well come to the Nine Heavens Heavenly Palace."

A gentle and soft voice rang in her ears, and Hou Chi was taken aback for a moment. Seeing that the immortals didn't react at all, she knew that the Heavenly Emperor informed her secretly. She hummed lowly, lowered her eyes, and made no sound.

Accompanied by the slow dissipating voice of the Heavenly Emperor, the giant palm in the sky instantly disappeared from Liaowang Mountain. The colorful war just now seemed to have never happened. All the immortals glanced up at Qing Mu, who had an unstable aura in the air. Qing Mu obtained the Taicang Spear. In the future, probably no immortal lords in the Three Realms could be his opponent.

The demon lords that had been overly careful since the appearance of the Heavenly Emperor also unwillingly looked towards the Taicang Spear. They were about to leave but felt a sense of delight and stopped.

(Part 3)

Hou Chi stared at the person slowly walking forward, her expression a little puzzled. He felt so familiar. Could she have known this person before?

Hou Chi squinted her eyes, and her hand holding Qing Mu's robe slightly tightened as she stared at the visitor without blinking.

"Hou Chi..."

Hearing Qing Mu's whisper, Hou Chi turned her head blankly, saw the worry in the young man's eyes, and shook her head. In such a short time, the man had already walked in front of the two.

"You are...Hou Chi?"

A clear voice suddenly sounded. Hou Chi was taken aback for a moment, then nodded in confusion.

"Do you recognize me?" He seemed to sigh a little, and his voice became a bit lower.

Hou Chi shook her head, her fingertips shrinking. The face that was too close to her gave her a sense of trance.

"It's okay. If you want to see me, come to Ziyue Mountain of the Demon Realm. My name is...Jing Yuan." Jing Yuan smiled and reached out to touch Hou Chi's head.

Feng Ran raised her eyebrows when she heard this, revealing an expression showing that she had expected this.

Qing Mu's eyes sank. His spiritual power formed a barrier between the two people, and he looked at Jing Yuan with an unkind expression.

The hand passed through Qing Mu's barrier without hindrance and landed on Hou Chi's bulging bun. He rubbed it and said to Qing Mu, whose face immediately changed slightly, "Don't think that by defeating the Demon Emperor and obtaining the Taicang Spear that you will become the most powerful in the Three Realms. You are only a thousand years old. The Three Realms are far beyond what you think. Even if you have the protection of True God Bai Jue's remnant thought, with your spiritual power, you are far from being the Heavenly Emperor and Empress's opponent. You should be more careful in the future."

Qing Mu snorted coldly, brushing away Jing Yuan's hand that had landed on Hou Chi's head, then bowed his head and said, "Since Hou Chi does not recognize you, please leave, Your Excellency. [1] Liaowang Mountain does not welcome you."

"Oh? Does Lord Qing Mu think that after inheriting the Taicang Spear, he had become the master of Liaowang Mountain?" Jing Yuan's face was still plastered with a bright smile, but the corners of his eyes narrowed.

Qing Mu looked at him indifferently, and said slowly, "At least...I'm more qualified than Your Excellency."

"You are right."

Seeing Qing Mu's cold face, Jing Yuan raised his eyebrows and smiled, and nodded back towards Hou Chi, who was looking at him without blinking. Then he stretched out his hand and waved towards the bottom of the mountain. The demon lords that were still on the mountain disappeared instantly.

"Little god, if you have time, you might as well come to Ziyue Mountain. I will surely make you feel like the master."

Jing Yuan slowly disappeared into the air, leaving only words traveling down.

It wasn't until the figure completely disappeared that Feng Ran walked towards Hou Chi with a stride, and let out a sigh of relief, "He's worthy of being Demon Lord Zi Yue. He's just like what the rumors say."

"Demon Lord Zi Yue, do you mean Jing Yuan?" Looking at the place where Jing Yuan disappeared, Hou Chi slightly frowned.

"Yes. If the most famous high lord in the Immortal Realm these past thousand years is Qing Mu, then the most mysterious of the Demon Realm is undoubtedly Jing Yuan. He is the only one in ten thousand years that can transform the power of the Purple Moon [2] into his own. Although he is powerful, he has never participated in the battle for the throne in the Demon Realm. He is respected by the Demon Emperor. Now, it seems that he might be more powerful than the Demon Emperor. This person appeared in the Demon Realm three thousand years ago, and now it seems that...when the Heavenly Emperor was victorious in the Immortal Realm and he was willing to stop fighting the Demon Realm, I'm eighty percent sure that it's because of this person."

"But, he has never appeared on the Qingtian Pillar." Hou Chi looked towards Feng Ran and was a little puzzled. If someone had demon power that surpassed the Demon Emperor's, how would his name have never appeared on the Qingtian Pillar?"

Feng Ran spread out her hands and said, "I don't know about this. Bo Xuan's spiritual power is very strong, but he didn't appear on the Qingtian Pillar either. I don't think that the Qingtian Pillar is exactly reliable. You don't have to take it too seriously in the future."

Hou Chi knew that she was referring to the fact that she hadn't appeared on the Qingtian Pillar, and curled her lips, saying nothing.

"Hou Chi..."

A low call came, and the hands holding her seemed to loosen. Hou Chi froze fiercely. Seeing Qing Mu's face become unknowingly pale, with eyes gradually closing, and falling towards the ground without any energy, the bottom of her heart jerked, and she shouted in panic, "Qing Mu, what's the matter with you!"

There was a sense of sudden weightlessness on their bodies, and the two fell towards the ground at a rapid speed. Hou Chi breathed in and tried to envelop them with her spiritual power, but with her weak spiritual power, she couldn't even drive a cloud steadily. As she felt resentful of herself, the Taicang Spear suddenly appeared under the two of them and caught Qing Mu steadily, making a clear sound.

"Hou Chi, look, even the Taicang Spear is laughing at you. I said that you still have to learn. If there are rumors in the future all over the Three Realms that you and Qing Mu fell to death on Liaowang Mountain, laughs will be everywhere."

Feng Ran's triumphant voice came from over her head, and Hou Chi exhaled secretly, then said anxiously, "Feng Ran, quick, what's wrong with him?"

Feng Ran raised her eyebrows in surprise, glanced at Hou Chi, and sighed inside. God Gu Jun's little god that was as precious as pearls and treasures probably won't be able to keep her for too long. It has only been a few months, and she is this anxious.

"It's okay. It's most likely that he used too much of his power fighting the Heavenly Emperor and Jing Yuan. It'll be fine after he cultivates and rests for a few days. But I don't know why his spiritual power is disappearing quickly. It's best to not move around too much." Feng Ran looked down the mountain and said, "Bo Xuan has a living place in the mountain. We can go there. I don't think you will be able to go back to Qingchi Palace anytime soon."

Hou Chi nodded her head, looked at the sleeping young man with his eyes closed, and sighed.

The three of them drove the cloud towards the top of the mountain and soon disappeared into the sky. The Liaowang Mountain Range was completely restored to tranquility.

At the same time, the Heavenly Emperor who had been watching Liaowang Mountain's situation as well as Jing Yuan, who had just left, opened their eyes.

"Hey, isn't the mountain-protection formation set by True God Bai Jue already damaged? Why has it reappeared?" The Heavenly Emperor frowned. Surprise flashed across the bottom of his eyes. His probing was unexpectedly blocked by Liaowang Mountain again, just like the past sixty thousand years.

"Hou Chi...I have finally found you."

A deep sigh overflowed from the white figure. The figure in the shattered void suddenly turned his head. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and his eyes were full of grandeur.

[1] "Your Excellency" – "閣下", "ge xia", used to call someone with some power respectfully but in a distant way.

[2] "Demon Deity Zi Yue" – "Zi Yue" in Chinese is "purple moon". We have two purple moons in the context here: The person and the magical moon. (and of course, we now know that's where Zi Yue's name came from)