Chapter 108: The Celestial Court's Sovereign, The Nine Dragons Drag the Coffin

For a moment, several sages fiercely debated over the throne of the Heavenly Emperor.

Hongjun, observing the scene, sighed softly and turned to Chen Xing, asking, “Fellow Daoist, what is your esteemed opinion on this matter?”

Chen Xing was taken aback, not expecting Hongjun to seek his view. His eyes casually swept over Haotian and Yaochi, who were attending the assembly, and after a moment’s thought, he replied, “I propose that we let the two young friends, Haotian and Yaochi, take charge! After all, they have served Daoist Hongjun for many years. Surely, the Daoist should offer them a future, should he not?”

Hongjun and the other sages were stunned; they had not anticipated Chen Xing recommending Haotian and Yaochi.

After a moment of silence, Hongjun sighed deeply, then beckoned the two who looked bewildered and asked, “I wish to entrust both of you with the governance of the Heavenly Court. Are you willing?”

Haotian rejoiced and, along with Yaochi, knelt respectfully, responding humbly, “We leave it entirely to Master’s decision!”

Hongjun nodded gently, saying warmly, “You two have been with me for long. I hereby decree Haotian as the Supreme Jade Emperor of the Golden Palace in the Vast Heavens, the Most True and Natural Sovereign of Marvelous Existence; Yaochi shall be the Honorable Mother of the Primordial Essence of Taihua West, the Jade Mother of the Yaochi Pool. From now on, you shall govern the Three Realms and preside over the Heavenly Court. Remember to cultivate yourselves diligently and never defy the Heavenly Dao. This is paramount!”

Haotian and Yaochi were overjoyed. They kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude before standing.

“Master, my strength is meager. Without a supreme treasure to stabilize the Heavenly Court’s fate, I fear I cannot firmly sit upon the throne of the Heavenly Emperor,” Haotian said earnestly, bowing to Hongjun.

The Three Pure Ones and the Western Saints were inwardly furious, thinking, “How dare he, after being appointed by Master, demand a spiritual treasure as well!” They longed to reprimand the pair.

Hongjun pondered deeply, then waved his hand. Three innate spiritual treasures appeared before Haotian and Yaochi: a precious mirror, a sacred banner, and a jade hairpin.

“The Azure Cloud Banner of the Western Realm, the Jade Hairpin, and the Sky-Gazing Mirror I bestow upon you two. These shall stabilize the Heavenly Court’s fate,” Hongjun said calmly.

He thought briefly more, then with another flourish of his sleeve, an innate spiritual root—the Peach Tree of Immortality—materialized. “This primordial spiritual root, the Peach Tree of Immortality, I also grant to you, to enrich the foundation of the Heavenly Court!”

Seeing the Dao Ancestor bestow so many treasures upon Haotian, the Western Saints’ eyes reddened with envy. Their homeland was barren, and treasures scarce; witnessing this, how could they not feel overwhelming jealousy? Yet, they were powerless.

Haotian joyfully accepted the gifts, kowtowing once again in thanks before tucking the treasures away under the envious gazes of all.

In a flash, Haotian and Yaochi transformed—he into a dignified middle-aged man clad in a purple dragon robe, she into a peerlessly elegant middle-aged woman. They bowed to the assembly and then turned, flying toward the Heavenly Court.

Chen Xing and Zhu Feng caught the grateful looks Haotian cast their way before departing; Chen Xing smiled faintly, indifferent.

But the stout man quietly rejoiced within—Haotian had accumulated such karmic debts that surely the Heavenly Court would be less hostile to the human race in the future. With that assured, he could focus on breaking through his own limits.

The Three Pure Ones, seeing the matter of the Heavenly Court settled, reluctantly took their leave.

...

Since the true Earth had appeared, countless parallel worlds from different eras naturally followed.

On one such parallel Earth—the Blue Star—humanity continued exploring the unknown cosmos. They struggled to define the mysterious universe precisely, as their technology had yet to leave the Milky Way. They clung to ancestral wisdom: “The expanse above and below is called 'Yu,' and past and present is 'Zhou.' Though 'Yu' is tangible, it cannot be grasped; though 'Zhou' is long, its end remains unknown.” This was how they described the grandeur of the cosmos.

Since the Soviet Union’s successful launch of the first manned space station in 1971, nine space stations had been constructed in orbit around the Blue Star.

On June 11, 2010, aboard the International Space Station circling the Blue Star, astronauts monitoring external conditions suddenly noticed something strange. Their faces changed color as they cried out in astonishment.

In this era of advanced technology, beings such as immortals and gods were no longer widely believed in, only a rare few regarded them as spiritual anchors.

Yet, these elite astronauts’ staunch atheism was shaken profoundly when an unbelievable scene appeared on their monitors.

In the dark, cold expanse of space floated nine colossal entities, as if ancient and eternal, exuding boundless vastness and primordial age…

These elites clearly recognized them—they were dragons, indistinguishable from those in ancient Chinese legends.

The dragons appeared lifeless, their black and icy scales like forged steel, each over a hundred meters long, imposing a crushing sense of oppression.

Suddenly, one astronaut shouted, “Heavens! Look at that!”

All eyes turned to where he pointed, and they gasped in shock.

Behind the nine dragon corpses floated a bronze coffin over twenty meters long, drawn by the nine dragons as if chained to the heavens, drifting through the cosmos.

Nine dragons pulling the coffin! Terror gripped them. Why would such an ancient funerary artifact—used only by a few nations on Blue Star—be found drifting in the stars? And pulled by dragon corpses? Could it be that what lay within was… a god?

As they exchanged fearful glances, the previously shouting astronaut, his face pale with horror, said, “I’m not pointing out the coffin—I’m telling you, there are people on it! Don’t you see? There are people!”

He was near madness.

The others stared again at the bronze coffin on the screen.

Sure enough, atop the coffin stood two figures—one cradling something in his arms. Though their faces were obscured, it was clear they were living beings!

“What…?” The onlookers were filled with dread. They could not fathom how living beings could survive in the void of space.

“Calling Blue Star! Calling Blue Star!” The team scrambled to contact headquarters, desperate to report this world-shaking discovery immediately.

What they did not see was that as they made the call, the two figures standing on the coffin suddenly vanished into thin space.

On Blue Star, in a neon-lit city, a man and woman walked leisurely down a bustling pedestrian street. The man carried a little girl of about two or three years old, dressed in a princess gown, her eyes wide with curiosity—as if seeing everything for the first time.

Countless passersby turned to look. The man wore sportswear and had a handsome but unremarkable face, attracting little attention.

But the woman, clad in a white flowing dress, with a flawless, enchanting figure and breathtaking beauty, caused many men to turn their heads in admiration tinged with regret—such a peerless beauty, already married so young, with a child!

“Daddy! Is this the planet you said is like our hometown?” the little girl asked curiously.

The man smiled gently. “Yes, this is the place Daddy brought you to play. Do you like it?”

“It’s wonderful! Chenchen loves it here!” the little girl exclaimed excitedly, waving her arms in his embrace.

“Brother! How many years has it been since we last strolled the streets? I truly hope Earth develops soon, so we can finally find our true home,” the woman beside them said softly.

The man smiled faintly, replying, “Xiaomi, you have already achieved the rank of Chaos Heavenly Venerable. How come this one little heart demon still won’t fade away?”

The woman smirked. “Heart demon? At my level, what heart demon dares approach me? Unless it’s you, you pervert. What is there to fear?”

Chen Xing could only smile wryly, called a pervert by his sister—what could he do?

Shaking his head, he let the subject drop. Chen Xing, with his daughter and sister, blended into the crowd under the night sky, beginning their journey to savor life.

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