novelapdf Chapter 15 The Distribution of Authority
Chapter 15 The Distribution of Authority
In the underworld, Lady Pingxin walked step by step toward Xing Tian and the others.
Xing Tian knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head. The other high shamans behind him were the same, not daring to breathe.
He stood still, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and after a long while, he slowly began to speak.
"The Witch Clan has declined." Her voice wasn't loud, but it struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.
"We are burdened with immense karma and cannot withstand any more torment. After you return, bring all the members of the Wu tribe from the primordial world to the Netherworld to live here. In the future, you will assist me in building the Underworld."
Xing Tian suddenly looked up, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
He had originally intended to conquer the Heavenly Court and secure a safe haven for the Witch Clan. But now, he was forced to retreat to the Netherworld, this desolate land. Yet, he dared not disobey Pingxin's words and quickly kowtowed, replying, "Yes, Ancestral Witch!"
The other high priests echoed their agreement.
Pingxin nodded slightly and said, "There is one more thing. I have already formed an alliance with the Heavenly Emperor. From now on, the Heavenly Court and the Underworld will be of one mind. If any of you are willing to serve in the Heavenly Court, you may do so. However—"
She paused, then her tone became solemn: "If you go to the Heavenly Court, you must obey the Heavenly Emperor. When you see the Heavenly Emperor, you must treat him as if you were seeing me. You must not show the slightest negligence, and you must not cause any trouble."
Upon hearing this, the great shamans exchanged bewildered glances.
Mustering her courage, Jiufeng asked, "Your Majesty, why...why is this? Are we, the Witch Clan, to submit to Haotian?"
Pingxin glanced at her and sighed.
"This is not submission, but for the sake of the Wu Clan." Her voice was tinged with weariness, but even more so with bitterness. "Do you know how much karma the war between the Wu and the Demons brought to our Wu Clan? The Ancestral Witch Gonggong knocked down Mount Buzhou, severing the innate spiritual energy. This karma is enough to bring the entire Wu Clan to eternal damnation."
The great shamans lowered their heads, speechless.
Pingxin continued, "Serving in the Underworld and the Heavenly Court allows one to accumulate merit. Merit can offset karma, and only in this way can the Witch Clan continue. Otherwise..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood the unspoken message; otherwise, the witch clan would face annihilation.
Xing Tian gritted his teeth, his eyes reddening.
He led his people to attack the Heavenly Court, originally to fight for a way out for the Witch Clan. But he never expected that the real way out would be surrender—no, not surrender, but cooperation. It meant humbling himself to do those "trivial matters" that he had once looked down upon.
But Lady Pingxin is right. For the sake of our people, what is there that we cannot do?
"Lord Ancestral Witch!" Xing Tian kowtowed heavily, "For the sake of our people, we are willing to die ten thousand deaths!"
The other high priests also shouted in unison, "We are willing to die for our people!"
Pingxin's eyes were slightly red, but she held back her tears.
"Go," she waved her hand. "First, bring your people to the Netherworld. Then, when the people from Heaven arrive, we'll build the Underworld together. From now on... from now on, the path of the Witch Clan is up to you."
"Yes, Lord Ancestral Witch!"
After the high priests bowed, they turned and left. Xing Tian walked at the back, took a few steps, then suddenly stopped and looked back at Ping Xin.
"Ancestral Witch...please take care."
Pingxin nodded slightly without saying a word.
Xing Tian took a deep breath and strode away.
A ghostly wind blew across her white robes, carrying with it a faint sigh.
---
Heavenly Court, Lingxiao Palace.
As soon as Haotian stepped into the palace, Yaochi came to greet him, her beautiful eyes full of curiosity.
"Haotian! How did you persuade Consort Pingxin?" she asked impatiently. "She's a saint! Her cultivation is boundless and profound, how could she agree to join the Heavenly Court?"
Haotian smiled, sat down on the throne, and said unhurriedly, "All living beings have desires. Even sages, though powerful, also have desires. As long as we address the root cause, there's nothing we can't negotiate."
Yaochi tilted her head and thought for a moment, seemingly understanding but not quite.
"Then... what is Lady Pingxin praying for?"
"The Witch Clan." Haotian put down his teacup. "Although she has reincarnated, she is still the ancestor of the Witch Clan. The Witch Clan has withered to this state, burdened by karma. How can she be at ease? I promised to help the Netherworld establish order, allowing members of the Witch Clan to serve in the Heavenly Court and the Underworld to earn merit and offset their karma. She agreed."
Yaochi suddenly understood, but a new doubt arose: "But... the Wu Clan has such heavy karma, wouldn't letting them serve in the Heavenly Court implicate us?"
Haotian shook his head: "Heaven's will is fair. As long as the Wu Clan performs good deeds for Heaven and Earth during their tenure in the Heavenly Court, their karma will be gradually offset by their merits. Heaven's will not deliberately target those who are repaying their debts."
Yaochi nodded, feeling relieved.
Haotian then looked at Venus, who was standing to the side.
"Taibai, there's something I need you to do."
Venus bowed and said, "Please give your orders, Your Majesty."
"The Netherworld needs to establish a place of order, called the Underworld." Haotian raised his hand and pointed, a golden light shooting into Taibai's brow, transmitting the general structure and functions of the Underworld into his sea of consciousness.
"Arrange for some celestial soldiers to go and help with the construction, and also assist the Netherworld in maintaining order. This matter concerns the cycle of reincarnation in the Three Realms, and there can be no negligence whatsoever."
Venus processed the information in his mind and bowed to accept the order: "Your subject obeys!"
Haotian pondered for a moment, then said, "You have done your job diligently, and I cannot treat you unfairly."
He raised his hand and waved, and a beam of starlight flew out from his palm and entered Venus's body.
Taibai shuddered, feeling a vast stellar power surge into him, resonating deeply with his very essence. That was—the authority of the Big Dipper!
"Your Majesty, this..." Venus was both surprised and delighted.
"The Big Dipper is the foundation of your Star Spirit lineage. I bestow this authority upon you; from now on, you will be the Lord of the Big Dipper, commanding the power of the seven stars," Haotian said calmly. "Do your job well and do not fail to live up to this authority."
Venus, his white beard trembling with excitement, bowed deeply and said, "Your subject kowtows in gratitude for Your Majesty's boundless grace!"
Haotian waved his hand and looked at Yaochi again.
"Jade Pool, the authority over the ancient starry sky, I entrust to you."
He pointed a finger, and a dazzling starlight entered Yaochi's brow.
Yaochi felt her divine sense instantly connect with those billions of stars, as if she could mobilize the power of the celestial bodies with a mere wave of her hand. That mysterious feeling was unprecedented.
"This..." Yaochi's eyes widened. "Haotian, isn't this part of the Heavenly Emperor's authority? If you give it to me, what will you do with yourself?"
"What I'm giving you is merely the right to command; the ultimate control remains with me," Haotian said with a smile. "You are my Queen Mother, the mistress of the Heavenly Court. How can you do this without some means? When I go into seclusion in the future, the Heavenly Court will still need you to guard it."
Yaochi was moved, but stubbornly replied, "Who wants to guard it for you... I'm guarding my Heavenly Court, I am the Queen Mother."
Despite saying that, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.
Haotian then looked at Yaoji beside him.
"Yao Ji".
"Brother." Yao Ji stepped forward gracefully.
Haotian looked at her with a hint of pity in his eyes. This was his sister, his closest relative with whom he shared a common origin.
What worries him is that in his past life memories, Yao Ji was tricked into marrying a mortal, having children, and ultimately meeting a tragic end.
Yes, that was a scheme.
These innate deities exist on a level of existence vastly different from mortals. The yin-yang union of mortals simply doesn't work on them.
If a primordial deity wishes to conceive offspring, it must divide its own essence and slowly nurture the offspring using that essence.
The fact that Yao Ji was able to give birth to Yang Jian and Yang Chan clearly means that her essence was stolen!
The reason why some people plotted against Yao Ji was because she was connected to Hao Qi's destiny.
How immense is the Heavenly Court's fortune? Even in its early days, the constant lower limit of its fortune is enough to make any cultivator envious. Yao Ji is connected to the origin of Haotian; if one could steal the Heavenly Court's fortune through her, wouldn't one's cultivation progress by leaps and bounds?
Yang Jian's rapid cultivation was due to the influence of Yao Ji, who borrowed the fortune of the Heavenly Court.
Fortunately, Haotian has already refined the Heavenly Emperor's authority, and Yaoji's fortune can no longer be borrowed.
But he didn't want to be unwittingly made an uncle, nor did he want to be plotted against behind his back. Rather than waiting until Yang Jian and Yang Chan were born to deal with it, he preferred to nip it in the bud.
"I entrust the authority of the Thirty-Three Heavens to you." Haotian raised his hand and pointed, a golden light entering Yaoji's brow.
Yao Ji shuddered, feeling a surge of immense power coursing through her body. This power was vast and profound, seemingly containing all the laws of the thirty-three great worlds. Although she was originally a Taiyi Golden Immortal, she now felt that she could mobilize the power of the thirty-three heavens at any time.
"Brother, this..." Yao Ji was both surprised and doubtful, "My cultivation is not high enough, I'm afraid I can't use all of my powers, right?"
"It's alright," Haotian smiled, "Use as much as you can."
This is mainly a surprise for the person who plotted against Yao Ji. A Taiyi Golden Immortal suddenly unleashing power comparable to a top-tier supernatural being will definitely bring that person a surprise.
"Thank you, brother." Yao Ji bowed solemnly.
"We're all family, no need for thanks." Haotian waved his hand and stood up.
He walked to the palace gate, looked at the starry sky outside, and suddenly turned back and said, "By the way, Taibai. When you go to the Netherworld, be careful of the Witch Clan. They have a bit of a temper. Try to make friendly contact with them. After all, we've already formed an alliance, and it wouldn't look good if they caused trouble."
Of course, we cannot lose face for the Heavenly Court. Our cooperation with the Witch Clan is on an equal footing.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand," Venus replied.
Haotian nodded, stood with his hands behind his back, and gazed into the distance.
The Heavenly Court and the Underworld have formed an alliance, the Netherworld is about to be established, and the Witch Clan has submitted...
This is just the beginning.
The grand game of chess in the primordial world has only just begun.