Chapter One Hundred: The Second Prince’s Merit Was Perfectly Fulfilled

As the crowd shouted in excitement, auspicious clouds suddenly appeared above the Sacred Mountain, and faintly behind them the Wheel of the Heavenly Way could be seen emerging.

Between the clouds and the Wheel of the Heavenly Way, the Lord of the Azure Heaven and the Golden Mother of the Jasper Pool appeared at once amid the radiant glow, leading the generals of the Heavenly Court.

“Fuxi and Nuwa below, receive the edict of the Ancestral Master!” The Lord of the Azure Heaven wore the lofty air of one set far above all others. With a blank expression, he addressed Fuxi in a manner that showed unmistakable disrespect.

Today should have been a day of great rejoicing. Fuxi and Nuwa were at last to complete their merits and ascend to the immortal mountains for cultivation, no longer stained by the affairs of the mortal world. Yet for reasons known only to himself, the Lord of the Azure Heaven, when proclaiming the decree of the Ancestral Master, called out Fuxi’s name in full and showed not the least hint of joy. It was plainly a deliberate attempt to humble Fuxi and Nuwa.

This too was related to the old matter of Fuxi establishing himself as sovereign of the human race. One must know that Fuxi’s title was the Heavenly Sovereign, the ruler of all under heaven. Then where did that leave the Lord of the Azure Heaven? Naturally, it stirred suspicion in him and offended what he regarded as his dignity.

I am the Heavenly Emperor of the Three Realms and the Heavenly Court. You are merely a king among the humans of the lower world. To steal my title like this—how could that be acceptable?

On the side, the Gold Star of the Great White, one of the Lord of the Azure Heaven’s trusted confidants, stepped forward and said, “This Heavenly Sovereign is not the same as Your Majesty’s title of Heavenly Emperor. The term Heavenly Sovereign refers to the ruler over all beneath the sky, the favored child of heaven, the monarch of the world. As for Your Majesty, you are the sovereign of the heavens and the ruler of the Three Realms. In this way, is not your position made all the more distinct?”

The Lord of the Azure Heaven found the reasoning sound enough. Suppressing the fury in his heart, he still sought every possible way to toy with Fuxi and let him taste his power.

Yiqi looked down on the Lord of the Azure Heaven’s attitude and wanted to step forward to argue with him, but Fuxi stopped him. Yet that very gesture was noticed by the Golden Mother of the Jasper Pool, who could not help but grow suspicious.

Fuxi and Nuwa knelt of their own accord, while Yiqi and the others, together with the people below, bowed to the ground and respectfully said, “We humbly receive the decree of the Ancestral Master.”

Whether in a former life or in this one, Fuxi had always been the guardian of the human race. Now that he acknowledged himself as a sovereign of the humans, his standing naturally fell by several degrees.

With an arrogant air, the Lord of the Azure Heaven said to Fuxi below, “Fuxi, the first Heavenly Sovereign of the human race, and Nuwa, the Sovereign Lady Nuwa, through your marriage arrangements, the making of musical instruments, the creation of the Eight Trigrams, and other inventions and accomplishments among the human race, you have brought about the flourishing prosperity of humanity today. Now that your merits are complete, the Fire Cloud Grotto is specially designated as the place where the two of you shall cultivate.”

After speaking, the Lord of the Azure Heaven handed the decree down to Fuxi below. Fuxi, Nuwa, and the others said in response, “Many thanks for the grace of the Ancestral Master.”

The Lord of the Azure Heaven was inwardly delighted. At last, he had made Fuxi bow beneath his feet. Little did he know that he had already fallen prey to his own desires, revealing the measure of his character.

At that moment, the Wheel of the Heavenly Way in the sky suddenly descended boundless merit qi, sending it to Fuxi and Nuwa. The two stood quietly, unmoving, savoring the wondrous sensation of sinking into the Great Way.

Before long, under everyone’s gaze, their cultivation and power both advanced. From the early stage of the Great Golden Immortal, they rose at once to the peak of that realm. Though Fuxi and Nuwa were busy every day with governance, when free they still cultivated diligently, and so their attainments had never fallen behind.

“In a little while, we must return and report our mission. Today is our little junior brother’s great day of joy, and I have nothing fitting to give you, so let me teach you this tune, Jibian. Also, you must keep this imperial seal safe.” Seeing that the heavenly hosts were still present above, Fuxi turned and said to Yiqi.

“Senior Brother, you are far too kind.” Yiqi scratched his head awkwardly and replied to Fuxi.

“Sister-in-law has nothing of great value to give Uncle either, so let me entrust this sheng and reeds flute to you, Uncle.” Nuwa said to Yiqi.

“Brother and sister-in-law, you are both too generous.” At this moment, Yiqi looked nothing like a human sovereign at all; instead, he seemed more like a child delighted by praise.

As for the holding of the Tenth-Year Grand Ceremony, Fuxi and the others had indeed put in no small effort. They had also placed considerable pressure on Yiqi, for at the grand ceremony he must marry Tingyao; only through the union of yin and yang could strength and gentleness complement one another.

“Today is not only the day Yiqi becomes leader of the human race, but also the day of his wedding!” Fuxi announced loudly to the people below.

Not only was Yiqi ascending to the throne of the Human Sovereign, he was also to marry. This instantly ignited the passion in the hearts of the people. Truly, it was a blessing of three joys at once.

Who knew how many young women had dressed themselves up magnificently today just to catch a glimpse of Yiqi, only to be met with such a heartbreaking outcome.

“Please, bride and groom, bow once to Heaven and Earth, and give thanks to the land that nurtured you.” Xuan Daozi might be incapable of many things, but he had certainly grown deeply fond of his role as officiant.

Yiqi, dressed in a scarlet dragon robe and wearing a purple crown, stepped forward and took the hand of the beautiful bride Tingyao, who was clad in red gauze. Together they bowed deeply toward the south, expressing their gratitude to Heaven and Earth.

High above in the clouds, the Lord of the Azure Heaven was secretly pleased with himself. His teacher had already gone into retirement, so in the human race’s wedding ceremony, the “bow to Heaven and Earth” clearly meant bowing to the Heavenly Court. This allowed the proud Lord of the Azure Heaven to recover a sliver of his face.

“Second, bow to the parents who gave you life and raised you, as well as to all the people gathered here, and thank them for attending your wedding.” Since there was no reason not to take advantage of the opportunity, why should the officiant not reap a little benefit for himself?

In truth, Xuan Daozi had another thought as well: since the parents of Yiqi and Tingyao had already returned to the Yellow Springs, the only way to fill that void was to bring himself and the assembled crowd into the ceremony.

The two newlyweds bowed most sincerely to everyone, expressing their gratitude.

“Third, husband and wife bow to one another.” Xuan Daozi said brightly, his face flushed and his smile broad.

The two of them were equally straightforward and bowed to each other without the slightest hesitation.

Just as Xuan Daozi was about to call for the bride to be escorted to the bridal chamber and for the banquet to begin, the groom himself stepped forward unwillingly and said to him, “I am married now. Does the Holy Father have any gift for me?”

Xuan Daozi had calculated every possibility, yet never imagined that Yiqi would actually ask him for a gift. Still, with his status, he could not afford to lose face. So Xuan Daozi immediately produced a gray ceramic vessel from within his sleeve and passed on to Yiqi both its uses and the method of making it.

Yiqi also knew exactly what he was doing. After receiving Xuan Daozi’s gift, he turned to the Heavenly Emperor in the sky and said, “Today is the day our race’s new Human Sovereign ascends the throne and is wed. Might I ask whether Your Majesty the Heavenly Emperor has any immortal treasures or spiritual gifts to bestow upon us?”

At this, the Lord of the Azure Heaven narrowed his eyes and was on the verge of cursing aloud, but the Holy Mother of the Jasper Pool stopped him. Then the Holy Mother presented Yiqi with several dozen peaches of immortality aged at around three thousand years and, after greeting Fuxi, left in low spirits and returned to the Heavenly Court.

What place was this? The human race—the future masters of the primordial world. If the Heavenly Court were to leave behind a negative impression here today, then the difficulty of controlling humanity in the future would only grow greater and greater. Moreover, if the Lord of the Azure Heaven were to disregard all dignity and quarrel with the human race here, how would the great powers of the primordial world view the Heavenly Court? The answer needed no explanation.

At this, Xuan Daozi could not help but look at Yiqi a few times more with newfound respect. So this youngster really did have some skill.