The glorious tale of Ancestor Tong Tian single-handedly breaking through the Thirty-Three Heavens, only to end up thrown into prison over a jealous squabble, had spread throughout the Immortal Realm, drawing heroes from all over to witness the spectacle.
However, on the day he was released from prison, Tong Tian himself did not find it embarrassing, nor did his Dao companion seem to think there was anything shameful about it. The welcome banquet was held with great fanfare. Aside from that specific God who was suspected of being his romantic rival and whom he had beaten up, all their acquaintances had been invited.
Feng Qingyun and Long Yin, who had only just awakened from their cultivation experience, naturally brought the little mermaid along to attend the banquet as well.
At the banquet, Tong Tian was completely different from his usual silent self, looking as though he had finally left that long ordeal behind him. Compared to before, after spending so long in prison, he was no longer as quiet. In fact, he complained that the bedding in his cell had been too hard and uncomfortable, while at the same time, complaining that the Heavens kept giving him meat but not vegetables, and stuffing food into his mouth while he was already eating. He even complained that the Heavenly Dao had kept him in prison for so long without saying a word. In truth, he was simply trying to conceal the obvious fact that he was being unreasonable.
Fortunately, everyone at the banquet was one of his acquaintances, so they pretended not to hear as they continued drinking, feeding their children, and eating. In fact, apart from the matter of the suspected romantic rival, there was nothing particularly strange about what Tong Tian had done.
As someone who had attained divine status, it was only natural that he would have corresponding responsibilities. Moreover, Tong Tian was in charge of matters in the human realm. Anyone who needed to cultivate and ascend had to come and report to him. Otherwise, he would not be the first person to discover those private matters occurring in the human realm.
Now, after drinking three rounds, Tong Tian became somewhat tipsy. He stopped and poured himself another cup of wine, but halfway through drinking it, he suddenly remembered something. Looking around, he asked Feng Qingyun, “What exactly did the two of you decide about divine authority?”
Names such as “Divine Emperor” this or “Demon Ancestor” that were, in the end, merely titles. Exactly what kind of divine authority one could wield depended on a whole series of complicated factors.
“Nothing yet,” Feng Qingyun said so himself. “But the Lord God who came to deliver the divine tablets sent word again a few days ago, saying that the matter of divine authority is probably going to be decided within these few days, so let’s pay attention to it.”
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone immediately became interested, and a young man asked eagerly, “Then what exactly determines the authority? Can the Linshuang Sword God see through it?” But Feng Qingyun shook his head, indicating that he did not know either.
The only person at the entire banquet who truly understood divine authority was also one of its hidden protagonists, so everyone’s eyes immediately fell upon Ancestor Tong Tian.
Tong Tian drank until he was half drunk, then the Heavenly Fox Patriarch beside him leaned against his shoulder and lightly patted his face, as if urging him to hurry. With that, Tong Tian finally put down the wine cup in his hand and explained, “…Divine authority has nothing to do with anything else. It is related to the personality of the one receiving it, and also to the cultivation of the person.”
“Just like a bird that soars out of the nest, never touching the ground, while those beneath the sky are merely the nonsense passed down by others.”
Everyone: “……”
But Tong Tian did not think there was anything wrong with what he had said and continued, “Just like me. Back when I became a God, I made a great vow because of the karma I had accumulated with the Heavenly Dao. Now that the affairs of the human realm seem to have also fallen upon me… it is also because of karmic ties.”
He did not say what exactly the great vow he had made after becoming a God was. Everyone was curious, but no one dared ask. After all, Tong Tian was not as thin-skinned as Feng Qingyun, nor did he hate himself enough to announce to the whole world every one of his personal matters.
He was as tight-lipped as a clam. Everyone knew he did not want to talk, so after asking once, they naturally stopped bringing it up.
The only person under Heaven who could endure Tong Tian’s terrible temper was probably his Dao companion. Qingqiu Yuan, having heard his husband’s words, did not think there was anything wrong with them at all. In fact, he nodded and said, “Indeed. There are many factors related to divine authority. This matter cannot be rushed…” However, before he had even finished speaking, and before he had even had time to drink a few more rounds of wine, Feng Qingyun’s divine tablet inexplicably lit up.
Everyone was stunned for a moment before turning their eyes toward the dazzling light.
Feng Qingyun had not expected things to turn out so cleverly either. When he took out his divine tablet and went over it together with Long Yin, he saw faint golden light gradually enveloping it. After a moment, the light faded, and a single character finally appeared on the divine tablet…
“Death.”
The moment that character suddenly intruded into everyone’s sea of consciousness, a voice seemed to appear out of nowhere, following a message in a language that was difficult to comprehend, spreading through their sea of consciousness.
After a long while, everyone finally came back to their senses. Almost at the same time, they silently raised a hand to their chests and felt a wave of indescribable shock.
Feng Qingyun was clearly the kind of person who could make even the most heartless person turn gentle. Now, after ascending to Godhood, he had actually become the first person… to be granted Death by the Heavenly Dao?!
The matter of death for a God in the conventional sense had a very different meaning than death for an ordinary mortal. It meant giving up reincarnation, allowing heaven and earth to return to eternal silence, just like “life” itself. Since the beginning of time, there had never been a God who could truly die, nor one who could govern over the power of Death itself.
And yet now, such a responsibility that surpassed the five elements had actually fallen into the hands of Feng Qingyun!
Everyone’s first reaction was naturally disbelief. But when they thought about it, considering how fickle the Heavenly Dao’s personality was, and remembering how Feng Qingyun had walked beyond the Heavenly Gate, and both died and granted death to others so many times… it suddenly seemed entirely reasonable.
Tong Tian’s wine tolerance was not very good, so by this point, he was already halfway drunk. Leaning against Long Yin, he murmured, “A companion who dies with you, and heaven and earth mourn… You bastard, this is actually much more suitable for you than the other way around.”
Hearing him say that, Long Yin coldly answered, “Heaven and earth might be vast, but nothing matters more than life and death. Having accepted this authority, he’ll probably be the first among the Gods from now on.”
Feng Qingyun suddenly realized this authority was like someone pouring countless memories directly into his mind, making his head feel as though it were about to explode. Only after a while did he come back to himself and realize what Tong Tian was actually implying, so he hurriedly explained, “No, no, no, Ancestor, don’t glorify me! Becoming a God means that I must act with greater caution, so that I can seek peace for all under heaven.”
However, Tong Tian was not the kind of person who was good at accepting praise. He merely raised his glass and expressed his congratulations to Feng Qingyun.
Feng Qingyun seemed to want to toast him as well, but was stopped by Long Yin, who snatched the cup straight out ofhis hands. Then he drank it towards Tong Tian, saying with a smile, “The little cup you had just now wasn’t even full. You’re still holding on to that little bit of liquor.”
Feng Qingyun watched, dumbfounded, then suddenly felt that he himself was being rather impolite. He quickly withdrew his gaze and looked toward the people beside him, asking, “What about your divine authority? Has it responded?”
Everyone began speaking among themselves, and the discussion immediately became lively.
Logically speaking, life and death stood opposed to one another. Since Feng Qingyun was granted authority over Death, then perhaps it should correspond to the God of Withering Life. Although it was commonly said that the Heavenly Dao was the God of Withering Life, in some respects he was indeed somewhat similar. But Death itself was originally an ultimate authority beyond the five elements, so what kind of power could even rise above that?
Long Yin heard Feng Qingyun’s question and was just about to say something when, without warning, he took out his divine tablet, and everyone’s eyes immediately gathered upon him.
In the next moment, familiar light also rose from his divine tablet. Feng Qingyun could not help holding his breath, even more nervous than when he himself had received his authority. However, after the light faded, the divine tablet was still empty, and not even a single character had appeared upon it.
Everyone stared blankly. Tong Tian, who was already half drunk, hurriedly opened his mouth and asked, “What happened? Were you stripped of your heavenly authority?”
But Long Yin stared unblinkingly at the divine tablet, as though he too were receiving some newly bestowed authority. After a while, he finally replied, “A blank tablet represents unlimited choice. I… This Lord will also need to act with caution in the future. Don’t get yourself exhausted, Tong Tian. The two of you should go back to bed first.”
He adopted such an arrogant posture, as though he had grasped some supreme authority that ranked above all others, leaving everyone at a loss for words. Only Feng Qingyun noticed that Long Yin seemed to be stunned for a moment. Then he suddenly seemed to realize something.
The Dao without a name.
Long Yin, as the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao, naturally had a status even higher than that of the Thirty-Three Heavens. Yet he had not received any authority from them.
It was the will of Heaven.
Feng Qingyun’s heart gave a sudden leap, and he suddenly felt an indescribable emotion rising within him. It was pride, joy, and even a little sorrow, the emotions of having his heart entwined with someone else’s.
Feng Qingyun’s various emotions had not yet been spoken aloud, but very quickly, his speculation was proven correct.
“…Pfft.” Tong Tian’s eyes widened when he saw Long Yin’s arrogant expression, and he immediately lost his temper. “What kind of situation is this?! What does Heaven actually mean?!”
“It means…” Long Yin said slowly, holding his divine tablet, “From now on, anyone who has a vacancy can come to ask this Lord to fill in. This Lord can have his pick. But if you’re dissatisfied with an existing God, this Lord can also replace them or simply name someone else instead.”
“…”
Name… Name someone else instead?! Tong Tian was used to reading between the lines, but that managed to wake him up from his drunkenness in an instant.
“But it’s not completely without restrictions.”Long Yin looked at Feng Qingyun’s slightly quiet eyes, smiled, and turned his words. “Once a new God is determined, it cannot be changed for thousands of years.”
“…”
As if that mattered!
Even ten thousand years was nothing but a moment for immortals, but it was still infuriating! In this way, Long Yin’s authority was basically equivalent to giving him the right to bully everyone as he liked, granting and revoking Godhood as easily as lifting his hand! When everyone heard that, they couldn’t help but take a breath. The Immortal Realm had never seen such a powerful God… and to think that level of authority now belonged to… someone that cheap?!
Feng Qingyun didn’t show much surprise, but took the divine tablet from Long Yin’s hand and studied it with his head down. Even Little Beichen leaned in his arms and looked at him, raising its small face to ask, “Daddy, what if you write the word ‘Heaven’ on Father’s tablet? Can Father become the Jade Emperor?”
At that, everyone laughed. Feng Qingyun also smiled, lowering his hand to pat the child’s head. He wanted to say something, but he heard Long Yin smile meaningfully: “The Jade Emperor… This Lord might not be able to achieve it, but the position of the Sun God, as your Father, I can reluctantly grant that.”
The Sun and Moon Gods were together in the early days, but they fell apart in ancient times. However, everyone knew the power of those two Gods was extremely high. And now, with those seats vacant, countless immortals were eager to compete. What’s more, some even voluntarily re-entered the human realm to prove their worth and accumulate karma, hoping that the Heavens would grant them that level of authority. But although these two seats were supreme, according to Long Yin’s statement, it was nothing but a wave of his hand for him.
At first, no one understood the implication of Long Yin’s words; only when they thought about it a while later did they open their mouths and… wished him good luck, ah!
But for the moment, everyone’s minds were still drowned in alcohol. By now, even Qingqiu Yuan was so drunk that he couldn’t even hide his ears. He leaned in Tong Tian’s arms and whispered words that outsiders couldn’t understand. If one listened carefully, it was nothing but the coquettish sound a young fox would make.
Little Beichen was also so sleepy that he yawned in Feng Qingyun’s arms, so the banquet had to come to an end. Everyone said their goodbyes and made an appointment to get together again next time.
The two returned home with the child in their arms. Along the way, Little Beichen was drowsy, but it still held on strongly. With blinking eyes, it mumbled, “I miss Sister Yue and Sister Bai……When will they come to the Immortal Realm?”
“Soon,” Feng Qingyun patted the little merchild in his arms softly and revealed, “When you wake up from your sleep, your sisters will come to accompany you.”
He finally put the child to sleep and covered them with the quilt. However, as soon as Feng Qingyun turned his head, he saw his infuriating man looking at him with a smile.
Feng Qingyun: “…….”
Long Yin didn’t need to say a word, for he already knew what this person was thinking. Feng Qingyun immediately returned to their bedroom and warned: “This level of authority is not a child’s play… I advise you to hold any ideas!”
Long Yin raised his eyebrows, pretending to be hurt as he asked, “Where did that come from? Lord God, don’t slander people’s innocence out of thin air!”
“Then please explain to me,” Feng Qingyun immediately asked rhetorically. “With your character, why not create new godly seats? Instead, you had to warn others that you can strip them of their powers, even picking the authority of the Sun God to do as you please?”
“Naturally, it’s because the Sun and Moon are the same, and the Moon God also has a level of authority over Death,” Long Yin opened his mouth and coaxed. “Only the name of the Sun God is worthy of being on par with you.”
At that, Feng Qingyun sneered and said unceremoniously: “…Poser.”
Long Yin’s voice stopped for a while, and he went silent. After seeing that the performance could not go on, he simply stopped acting and immediately admitted with a smile: “This Lord heard that the ancient seven days are the same.However, they share a single God position, which means that the Sun God can split his soul into seven, and each part retains the same level of strength. At some point, Heaven even contemplated naming seven different Gods as the Sun God. Otherwise, how do you explain so many immortals competing for that chance?” After talking so much, Long Yin finally reached the part that was important to him, continuing, “So… Now that such a rare opportunity fell into this Lord’s hands… My Little Rose is already familiar with my seven heart demons, aren’t you interested in experiencing seven Gods as well?”
“…”
Hearing that, Feng Qingyun instantly sounded the alarm, blurting out: “I’m not!”
His man sounded dignified, but as he talked, his hand was already on Feng Qingyun’s belt. Feng Qingyun immediately found his robes were almost picked apart by someone, so he continued angrily: “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking! Hurry up and dispel your stupid thoughts for me!”
Long Yin looked at him for three seconds, then smiled and said, “This Lord was joking. Why is my Little Rose so nervous?”
Feng Qingyun pressed his robes tightly, squeezing a threat from between his teeth: “Are you kidding me?! You know it in your heart that you dare put it into practice… Just walk for me!”
However, he threatened people so weakly that Long Yin immediately said without fear: “Really? Who doesn’t want to see seven Gods grovel at their feet? If this Lord and they serve you together, it can be regarded as…”
Feng Qingyun found his mouth and covered it with his hand, saying in an angry tone, ” Am I spoiling you too much?!”
At that, Long Yin paused, then lowered his face and chuckled affectionately and fearlessly against his palm: “Yes, who made my Little Rose love this Lord so much? No matter what this Lord does, you will forgive me, right?”
Feng Qingyun’s eyes widened slightly, acting as if he was shocked by his shamelessness. Then, he blushed and looked away, with a look of pity and dismissal in his eyes.
“Well, I won’t tease you anymore, so why are you still so unkind?” Long Yin smiled and wrapped his arm around his waist, saying that he would not tease him anymore, but his dishonest hands kept on moving. “Why are you shaking? This Lord hasn’t done anything to you yet; how come it looks like I’m bullying you already?” His words were soothing, but his hands were already stripping off the robe with familiarity, just like peeling blossoms layer by layer, slowly watching the person in his arms reveal the ripe flower stem beneath. Feng Qing pressed his wrist, gasping almost silently with his eyes closed, but did not make any move to stop him. However, in such a warm atmosphere, Long Yin’s mouth was still not idle, whispering, “My Little God is now in charge of the death of all beings. If this Lord is not proper, you won’t rush me to reincarnate, right?”
“…If you talk nonsense again, get out of here.” Feng Qingyun couldn’t bear it.
“Okay, okay, this Lord is wrong, let’s not talk about it.” Long Yin kissed the neck of the person in his arms kindly, continuing, “But then again… Now that you’re in charge of the death, can you show this idle Lord your strength?”
Feng Qingyun heard his words and stopped for a moment, before warning, “Yes, but you have to let me go first.”
Long Yin raised his eyebrows and actually let him go. Feng Qingyun glanced at him deeply, as if to remind the other party of something, but in the end he did not speak of any punishment. Instead, he took out his divine tablet, took a soft breath, and then slowly closed his eyes.
It’s just that Feng Qingyun didn’t expect his so-called reproachful eyes to look more like a reward for Long Yin. He watched as that warm halo of light appeared again on the divine tablet, slowly expanding until it covered Feng Qingyun’s whole body.
Closing his eyes to both the effect of the divine light and the beauty of the man in front of him, Long Yin observed as Feng Qingyun became more and more like the God of vitality.
But when the man raised his eyes quietly, Long Yin stopped breathing.
The light that covered Feng Qingyun’s whole body completely dissipated, and the disheveled, azure robes he was originally wearing were replaced by an imperial, divine robe. It was a dark look that had never been worn before, and the black fabric was printed with red spider lilies. Matched with his clean and peerless face, it was hard to say whether it made Feng Qingyun look more stunning or oppressive.
Moreover, Feng Qingyun had always liked to wear light-colored robes. However, Long Yin felt he suited gorgeous costumes more, so he preferred to dress him up in vivid colors such as purple and gold. But in any case, Feng Qingyun had never worn such an exquisite, black and red outfit. His current appearance was like a demon born in the Underworld, beautiful beyond words and completely breathtaking.
But when those frosty eyes fell upon Long Yin, they were as cold as looking at a corpse.
Long Yin’s heart jumped as he immediately realized something, asking, “Does this authority affect you?”
Fortunately, Feng Qingyun seemed to have only entered a certain state of mystery, but the person remained the same. Hearing his question, he explained in an extremely calm tone: “After the authority is strengthened, the seven emotions and six desires will be cut off. Otherwise, my judgment might be flawed.”
It was only now that Long Yin suddenly understood why Feng Qingyun only received authority over Death, and not over Life as well. After all, Life and Death were two sides of the same body; they went back and forth, living alongside each other. But immediately after his realisation, he actually felt an indescribable sense of destiny from the bottom of his heart. Long Yin had tried to walk the Ruthless Path, but he was also the one who failed it miserably, lost his way, and was unable to ascend by personally granting death to his most beloved.
Now, the person in charge of the world’s life and death was precisely that beloved of his, Feng Qingyun.
In retrospect, the feelings of indifference that cut off his seven emotions and isolated his six desires… the kind of fear that was engraved in his bones like falling back into dust… it all seemed to be a matter of a previous life. Even if Feng Qingyun was looking at him so coldly at the moment, he didn’t feel the slightest loss in his heart. Instead, there was an inexplicable interest.
So after looking at Feng Qingyun for three seconds, Long Yin couldn’t help but lower his head and lean in front of that person, looking at the frosty eyebrows and the vigilance on his face, which was visible to the naked eye. Seeing his beloved like that, the excitement in his heart grew even greater, making Long Yin exclaim, “The Lord God is so majestic!”
He had said so, but he still teased people with his every action, lowering his head to kiss the man in his arms. Feng Qingyun’s arms grabbed him tightly, and Long Yin could clearly see the cold hostility in his eyes. However, he did not do anything, showing not even the slightest resistance or rejection.
Behind the heavenly authority, he was still the God in charge of Death, and should not be moved by any irrelevant person. But since Long Yin did not affect the functions of heaven and earth, he could not use his authority to attack the other party.
In fact, it stands to reason that when the Gods themselves were threatened, they could naturally use their divine power. It’s a pity that Feng Qingyun froze his seven emotions. Instinctively, he did not seem to think that Long Yin’s behaviour threatened him, so he didn’t resist him at all.
“The seven emotions of the Lord God are gone, but I don’t know…” Long Yin hugged his person, holding the other’s thin waist. “Are the five senses still there?” His question was very warm, and coupled with the movements of his hands, if it were the Feng Qingyun of the past, he would have been too embarrassed to shut him up. However, at the moment, Feng Qingyun was bullied but still didn’t have any reaction. He just bowed his head and looked at the divine tablet without any fluctuation, like a doll whose behavior had long been fixed, as he immediately planned to end that weird state. But Long Yin grabbed his hand without warning, took the divine tablet, and patted his lips with a smile, as if he wanted to imply something.
Feng Qingyun went silent for a moment, but still understood the other party’s intentions almost instantly. And yet, his seven emotions were still restricted. For now, all the feelings in his heart were covered in a thick mist, and he couldn’t react at all. But in contrast, his five senses were still somewhat there, and so was his reason. He clearly knew what that man was planning to do to him, but with his emotions gone, any feeling of rejection no longer existed. So, he just let Long Yin pick him up horizontally and take him to bed, leaning against the other’s arms without moving.
Even when the man deliberately stretched the time and slowed down his movements a little bit to remove his dark robe, he just looked down, as if what the other party was touching was just a shell, not related to him at all.
For a moment, Long Yin suddenly felt that the beauty in his arms was like some kind of naturally Ruthless God. He didn’t know what love was, but he was still willing to respond to his only believer, even if it meant giving up his flesh.
The clothes were removed, revealing the milky white skin beneath. For a while, only the silent sound of water and some almost unheard soft whimpers sounded in the room. But there was no emotion in the whole process, let alone any atmosphere that could be called warm. In fact, it was supposed to be an almost boring joy, and Feng Qingyun couldn’t understand why Long Yin was so excited right now.
His man was even more excited than usual. Feng Qingyun was pressed against the corner of the bed and the wall, forced to hide between the sheets. The person behind him patted his waist, kissed his smooth back uncontrollably, and whispered over and over again: “So pure…”
Physiological tears hung at the corners of his red eyes, unable to fall. Feng Qingyun willingly surrendered his body, but he still did not understand why he was crying. That state of blankness continued until Long Yin finally stuffed the divine tablet back into his hand. Instantly, the seven emotions returned, and the huge impact swept his entire mind unstoppably. Feng Qingyun’s eyes went completely open, and his body, which was originally unresponsive, suddenly turned red.
Shuddering, he couldn’t even kneel properly, and he fell directly into the arms of the person behind him. Seeing the beauty who was just a jade puppet one second ago now leaning back into his arms with a trembling face, tears flowing down his face like disconnected beads, the twisted love and pity mixed with excitement in Long Yin’s heart almost reached its peak.
As for Feng Qingyun, he held the divine tablet with closed eyes, taking a long time to recover. “Heaven’s authority is such a damned thing…” he mumbled. “How can you… How can it be so… Don’t overdo it,” the man scolded with tears in his eyes, “you bastard.”
“…”
“Okay, okay, this Lord knows he was wrong, and I won’t dare to do it again next time.” Long Yin smiled and kissed away the tears from the corners of his eyes, quickly confessing his sins. “This Lord is just looking up at his God, unable to hold back. I ask God for punishment.”
But Feng Qingyun couldn’t figure it out at all. After severing the seven emotions, his whole body coldly lost all temperature, no different from a doll. He couldn’t even give the reaction he should have, so where did Long Yin’s unspeakable excitement come from?!
But he soon lost the mind to think about it. Long Yin was obviously not the only one who was completely worthless in front of his Dao companion. It only took a hug and some sweet words for Feng Qingyun to completely forgive the other party. Soon, regardless of any of his previous suspicions, he was deceived into opening his mouth, accepting Long Yin’s intrusive and deep kiss.
Perhaps it was this unconditional indulgence that completely shattered Long Yin’s understanding of apprehension, so much so that he was indulged to the point of becoming fearless.
The stars of the Immortal Realm were brilliant and dazzling, shifting outside the room, but inside, the room was filled with ripe flowers. No one knew how long the fragrance of flowers filled the room when the movements slowly subsided. However, when Feng Qing recovered, even he himself could tell how different the scent was from the original one.
He couldn’t help blushing, quickly looking away as he leaned against Long Yin’s arms. But seeing the other party grabbing his hair and smiling a little bit, as if he was going to propose something in the next second, Feng Qingyun hurriedly changed the subject and said, “…So have you thought about it? What kind of authority do you want to choose?”
“No.” Long Yin put his hand on his shoulder and said bluntly. “After all, who knows what governing over the death of all beings means? It’s better to wait and see, see if the job is good or not. If it’s not good, then your husband will pick something that makes up for you.” Long Yin rubbed his palm carefully on Feng Qingyun’s skin and continued, “Besides, we’ve only just ascended. It’s just a simple matter of choosing what to do next. What’s the rush?”
His sentence was extremely ordinary, but Feng Qingyun heard the hidden meaning in his words. After a while, he sat up in his husband’s arms and chuckled, “You should pick now. Don’t be lazy.”
There had been many hardships in the past, but fortunately, the way of Godhood was new to both of them. Long Yin immediately lowered his head and whispered something in his ear. Feng Qingyun blushed, and he twisted his waist with a smile, asking to be left alone, but obviously… he didn’t really want that. In the end, he was still taken into his man’s arms and thoroughly kissed.
T.N: There will be no updates next week; I need to prepare for an important exam. Thank you!
Leave a Reply