Chapter 8, Kunlun Shocking the World

Several princesses let out a sigh of relief at this moment and replied in unison: "Thank you, Mother Empress, for your grace"

The Sixth Princess, who was a half-beat slow to react, was just about to inquire why her sisters were kneeling when she was tugged at the hem of her dress by the Seventh Princess, who signaled with her eyes. Thus, she could only kneel down as well

"Mother, please show mercy," Princess Hong'er pleaded as she knelt down with a pained expression.

The Queen Mother, with a smile in her pair of phoenix eyes, gently said: "Why are you all not at the Qionghua Palace admiring the beautiful flowers and swinging on the swings? What brings you here to your mother?"

Cui Jue saw Zhong Kui's big beard puffing up, his eyes wide open like copper bells, so rough and unrestrained, yet he pretended to have the demeanor of a frightened woman, which struck Cui Jue as quite amusing, and he was just about to say something.

Zhong Kui, upon hearing these words, asked in confusion: "Brother Cui, what is it that has caused you such astonishment?"

The Queen Mother later searched multiple times, but ultimately to no avail, and had no choice but to give up.

Thus, Cui Jue first narrated the reasons for the matter to Zhong Kui

In ancient times, a great calamity occurred, during which the Kunlun Mirror held by the Queen Mother was accidentally separated. The mirror surface escaped beyond the heavens, leaving no trace, with only the frame remaining.

The Queen Mother’s complexion gradually brightened with joy, and her beauty radiated even more brilliance.

Apart from the adorably naive Sixth Princess, the other six princesses all knelt down and pleaded.

Suddenly turning back, I saw two palace maids kneeling on the ground, continuously bowing their heads in reverence

Zhong Kui's expression changed dramatically upon hearing this, and he urgently interjected, "My lord, be cautious with your words." As he spoke, he pointed towards a certain area in the dark sky. There, faintly visible, were ten magnificent palaces.

Seeing Zhong Kui with a face as black as charcoal, extremely haggard and his spirit quite listless, Cui Jue felt even more perplexed in his heart

For a thousand years, the Daoist sect has been spreading teachings among mortals. It is only natural that some individuals with shallow roots, who occasionally stumble upon the methods, are unable to attain the path of eternal life and immortality, leading to the flourishing of the path of ghostly immortals. Cui Jue nodded in deep agreement.

Princess Qing'er sweetly smiled and said, "Mother, I heard from the golden phoenix guarding the Lingxiao Palace that several months ago, a stone monkey was born, and two beams of golden light shot straight towards the Douniu constellation, shaking the Lingxiao Palace. It is quite interesting."

Later, after the Queen Mother took charge of the Heavenly Court, she brought back the cold jade of the North Star from the Northern Julu Continent and ordered skilled craftsmen to polish it to serve as a mirror surface. However, without the mirror surface, the Kunlun Mirror had little effect on the Queen Mother and had always been placed in the Kunlun Palace by her for the purpose of grooming

Suddenly, a method of law surged in Lu Bei's mind, precisely that which was left by the Yudao person.

Zhong Kui bid farewell to Cui Jue with a word and whistled into the void. A black donkey, its four hooves stepping on black flames, appeared not far away. Zhong Kui jumped onto the donkey, and before long, he disappeared at the end of the Yellow Springs Road

The Queen Mother slightly furrowed her brows, casting a cold glance at the seven princesses. After a moment of contemplation, she pursed her lips and said, "First, throw the two maids into the heavenly prison and await further judgment"

It is unexpected that today, the Kunlun Mirror might have the possibility of merging into one again

The Queen Mother lightly raised her head and spoke, "Hong'er, you stay here; I have something to instruct you."

Zhong Kui said with a sense of helplessness

Cui Jue also seemed to ponder and said: "I have heard that those in the Buddhist path attain enlightenment and longevity not based on the depth of their roots and capabilities, but solely on the presence or absence of conditions and causes. I wonder if this is true or not"

"I just made an excuse to the palace steward and came here to enjoy some leisure." The figure in a red robe, Zhong Kui, with a leopard-like head and round eyes, an iron face, and a twisted beard, makes it difficult to discern his age

Wanqing, the two maidservants of poetry and elegance, are careless and lazy. You must quickly remove her celestial bones and extract her celestial tendons, and send her to the Celestial Execution Platform without any mistakes

One of the maidservants held a jade comb, which unmistakably bore a strand of her own dark hair. Unable to suppress her anger, she turned her cold phoenix eyes and said: "Come here."

By the Three Lives Stone, a young man wearing a scholar's cap stands quietly. This young man, dressed in a flowing white robe, possesses an elegant demeanor, holding a jade brush in his hand and a white jade gourd hanging at his waist

"Your Highness, spare our lives!" The two celestial maidens knelt down in unison, their delicate bodies trembling in fear.

After reading it, Lu Bei's joy gradually cooled in his heart

Zhong Kui listened to Cui Jue's account and then realized the seriousness of the situation, his expression becoming solemn: "Lord Cui, there is no need for formalities; it is within my duty, so there is no need to mention trouble."

The Queen Mother fell silent, merely smiling as she looked on. Suddenly, with a loud "bang," the frame of the dressing mirror in front of her shook violently, and the bright, smooth surface shattered into a spiderweb pattern, subsequently breaking into pieces.

The muddy waves of the Wangchuan River surge tumultuously, flowing ceaselessly past the timeworn Naihe Bridge.

"Cui Fujun, what a refined interest," a voice called out from behind the young man. He turned to look and, upon seeing the newcomer, a trace of a smile emerged on his pale, bloodless face

Indeed, the matter concerning the innate treasure is of great importance and requires careful investigation. The Queen Mother has made her plans in her heart

This kind of binary choice, akin to survival or destruction, did not require Lu Bei to expend much effort in contemplation, and a wave of drowsiness surged over him like the tide.

The jade mirror on the Queen Mother’s dressing table is indeed the primordial treasure, the Kunlun Mirror, with its exquisite frame

The sixth princess asked with a naive expression: "Stone monkey, can monkeys jump out of stones?"

Request the Empress for mercy

"Second sister, what nonsense are you talking about?" The eldest princess shot a cold glare at the second princess, who, realizing her mistake, secretly glanced at the queen mother and playfully stuck out her little tongue.

"Yes." The four golden-armored heavenly soldiers shouted in unison

The Seven Fairies also fell silent all of a sudden, exchanging glances with one another

The name prominently displayed is "Yu Qing".

Cui Jueqi said: "So it is Brother Zhong. Why is Brother Zhong not patrolling the Two Realms Mountain? How can you have the leisure to come to this Yellow Springs Path, beside the flowers of the other shore?"

This treatise consists of merely a few thousand characters, shrouded in a veil of words like clouds and mist, with principles that are profound and difficult to comprehend. The overall outline of the entire text spans eight or nine hundred characters, while the true method of refining qi is contained in just over eighty characters. Furthermore, the subsequent text also implies meanings that remain unexpressed, as if it is incomplete.

At this moment, a burst of laughter suddenly came from outside the hall. In just a moment, seven tall and graceful young ladies in palace attire entered the hall, moving elegantly and gracefully.

At this moment, I inquired, "Brother Zhong, why do you appear so fatigued?"

The Kunlun Mirror... The Queen Mother of the West slightly parted her lips, her radiant jade-like face filled with astonishment.

At this moment, several princesses did not share the relaxed mood they had upon arriving at Kunlun Palace, and they turned to take their leave from the Queen Mother

The Queen Mother, her jade-like face shrouded in cold frost, spoke in a chilling tone, enunciating each word clearly

"I have seen the Empress Mother," said a group of beautiful ladies, like swallows and warblers, as they entered the grand hall and paid their respects to the elegantly dressed royal consort who was seated and grooming herself.

The Seven Fairies usually reside in the Seven Fairy Pavilion of Qionghua Palace, living carefree and innocent lives, which endears them greatly to the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother.

Suddenly feeling the object in his arms become intensely hot, Cui Jue hurriedly took it out from his bosom, unfolded the paper, and poised the judge's pen as if to draw, but ultimately did not have the time. A flash of white light flickered, and one of the names silently vanished.

Cui Jue closed the supplementary volume of the "Register of Life and Death," his expression fluctuating between gloom and brightness as he said, "Has the true spirit perished? Or has this person once again embarked on the path of immortality?"

Princess Qiqi, dressed in a long purple gown, covered her mouth and giggled, saying: "Mother, what is there to see in the Qionghua? I see it every day and have grown tired of it."

Zhong Kui had not been in office for long after arriving in the underworld to carry out his duties. By the order of the Ten Yama Kings, he was tasked with patrolling both the realms of the living and the dead, which is why Cui Jue posed this question.

At this moment, the Queen Mother also felt a slight headache as several charming young girls chattered away, each contributing their words, creating a scene reminiscent of a hundred birds flocking to the forest

The Underworld's Yin Officials

Outside the hall, four golden-armored heavenly soldiers, their helmets gleaming and armor shining, lined up in two rows, brandishing golden spears, entered the hall with expressionless faces, bowed deeply, and proclaimed loudly: "I am here, Your Servant."

So the question arises, to cut or not to cut? Ugh, to practice or not to practice?

The two hairdressing fairies were so frightened that they shivered, their delicate hands tightening, causing a beautiful strand of silky hair to be pulled down.

A procession of shadowy soldiers pushed and shoved the wailing spirits as they passed by. There was no reaction, as if they had not seen him at all

Excluding the disciples of the three teachings, for ordinary people to enter the path of alchemy is exceedingly difficult; for us mundane individuals, becoming a ghostly immortal is already quite commendable

However, after a recent bout of magical combat, well, one might as well call it that, coupled with the lingering imprint of the memory left by the residual Daoist, my mind and spirit are utterly exhausted. Lu Bei then removed his clothing and, in harmony with the rhythmic sound of the rain outside, lay down on the bed to rest

Zhong Kui said with a bitter smile: "It is not as leisurely as Brother Cui in the Yinlu Division. The Inspection Division has recently apprehended a number of practitioners who have taken the path of wandering ghosts and immortals. Although they are not as powerful as the Golden Elixir great abilities, their spiritual transformations are rather unpredictable. I, Zhong, have suffered quite a bit recently."

In a palace adorned with golden light and auspicious aura, a stunningly beautiful lady in palace attire, dressed in an elegant goose-yellow gown, sits gracefully at the dressing table, exuding an air of dignity and tranquility, while two celestial maidens beside her tend to her flowing tresses.

Lu Bei found himself beginning to admire Yu Daoren. With a fragmented method of cultivation, through a combination of guessing and luck, he managed to establish a foundation for the Dao and opened the heavenly gate.

Oh, is this the "Nine Seals of the Supreme True Palace"? A method for refining Qi, indeed it resolves my urgent need

Heavenly Palace Yaochi

The second princess Cheng'er pouted and said: "It is rare to see and be surprised. How can a stone not give birth to a celestial fetus? We, as immortals, experience the interaction of yin and yang, giving rise to life. This is merely a trivial matter. Are we not..."

Cui Jue gazed at the disappearing figure of Zhong Kui, his eyes deep and contemplative, murmuring softly: "The ghostly immortal, the true spirit can still be extinguished, how intriguing."

Upon hearing these words, the two maidservants were struck with fear and despair, their tears falling like rain. As they wept, the maidservants were on the verge of being dragged out of the hall by the golden-armored heavenly soldiers

Cui Jue glanced at Zhong Kui and felt a stir in his heart, saying, "This matter, I fear, can only trouble Brother Zhong to take action."