Chapter 13
The appointment of a new gate emissary in the Heavenly Mechanism Department was typically announced on the Chaos Mirror. Usually, there were only a few comments from other immortals. This time, however, lines of text scrolled by rapidly, like lightning flashing across the screen.
— Am I seeing this right? The new Morning Sun Emissary is Feng Chiyue? What qualifications does she have?
— Using someone else’s hand to get rid of an enemy is truly ingenious. Allow this humble Daoist to indulge in a conspiracy theory: The East Abode Master’s cultivation had reached the Transformation Realm. How could she have perished so suddenly and quietly? The Demon Realm has already denied involvement. Could it be that some jealous immortal destroyed her out of spite?
— Fellow Daoist, be careful not to get kicked out of the Chaos Mirror for such dangerous talk.
— Something else happened recently. I wonder if you’ve heard.
— What is it? No need to bring up the Supreme Palace and the West Sea again.
— It’s not that. Phoenix fire rained down on Danxue Mountain, dyeing the sky red.
— Phoenix? Heavens!
…
The Chaos Mirror was abuzz with activity, and discussions could be heard both inside and outside Asura City. Ming Jian Su overheard snippets of conversations, her heart feeling heavy. Finally, she decided to take out the Chaos Mirror, the root of all evil, and see what was going on.
She read through the messages over and over again. The three large characters “Feng Chiyue” confirmed that she wasn’t mistaken.
Her lazy, good-for-nothing junior sister, who would rather sleep for a thousand years, had actually accepted a position in the Heavenly Court?
How could they let her junior sister do such a thankless and laborious task? Why were they so insistent on bullying her? What kind of grievance had caused her junior sister to act so out of character?
Gate emissary… others might think it was a cushy job, but it was far from it! The Heavenly Mechanism Department had quotas. The retention rate of Human Immortals had to be above sixty percent each month, otherwise, there would be penalties.
This meant that out of every ten ascending Human Immortals, at least six had to stay in the Heavenly Court instead of becoming wandering immortals. The quality of Heavenly Immortals was declining with each generation, so the Heavenly Court had to rely on recruiting from the lower realms to maintain its operations. However, they were unwilling to offer too many benefits, so they could only resort to trickery and deception to keep people. The gate emissaries would inevitably be resented by other immortals. For example, she still held a grudge against the gate emissary who had tricked her into staying in the Heavenly Court with promises of endless pleasure and luxury.
What could Feng Chiyue possibly offer to convince people to stay? Her beauty? The thought of it filled Ming Jian Su with anxiety. She wished she could return to the Heavenly Court immediately. She wouldn’t leave again. She would just pamper her junior sister one more time. After all, she had done it countless times before.
No, she couldn’t keep spoiling Feng Chiyue. Without experiencing some hardship, she would never understand that what she said was for her own good. With Undefeated by her side, she wouldn’t be in any real danger. Besides… would she really go to the Morning Sun Gate and fulfill her duties? Ming Jian Su was doubtful. She remembered trying to invite Feng Chiyue out to enjoy the flowers. Feng Chiyue had agreed readily the night before, but the next day, she refused to budge. She even accused her of being inconsiderate and disrespectful, of lacking self-awareness and restraint, and not being more like her. She had completely forgotten that it was she who had clung to her in the first place.
Why was she thinking about Feng Chiyue again?
With that good-for-nothing’s personality, she probably wouldn’t even remember her except at night.
It was so unfair.
As Ming Jian Su grappled with her emotions, many in the Heavenly Court were waiting to see what would happen. It wasn’t just Ming Jian Su who thought this way. Many immortal officials believed that Feng Chiyue wouldn’t actually show up for duty. Even though some of them had never even met her, they couldn’t shake off this premonition.
In Qingjun Palace within the Purple Empyrean Palace.
Upon hearing that Feng Chiyue had become the Morning Sun Emissary, Chu Yi burst out laughing. She had offered to fight Feng Chiyue in the Ethereal Spirit Realm and take care of all her troubles, but Feng Chiyue hadn’t been interested. Would she willingly subject herself to something a thousand times more troublesome? The Morning Sun Gate was a headache for everyone involved.
Amidst the skepticism and doubt, Feng Chiyue gracefully left Dong’e Mountain and took up her post.
Outside the Heavenly Court on Kunlun Mountain, there were thousands of heavenly gates, each corresponding to a different continent in the mortal realm. Above each gate hung a Merit Mirror, reflecting the deeds of mortal cultivators throughout their lives. The gate emissary’s duty was to summon tribulation lightning according to the reflections in the Merit Mirror. As this was an official duty, there was room for negotiation.
Some Human Immortals, hoping to ensure their descendants’ safe ascension, would seek favors from the gate emissaries. However, at the Morning Sun Gate, there were no such favors. The Morning Sun Assembly’s fierce reputation preceded them. Every time the Morning Sun Emissary disqualified an ascending cultivator, they would come knocking, and no one wanted to provoke those thorns in their side, not even the Heavenly Emperor.
As the Morning Sun Emissary, Feng Chiyue had two immortal attendants under her command. They were both trembling with fear. It was common knowledge that if they were injured by ascending cultivators, the Heavenly Mechanism Department wouldn’t compensate them. They would even be mocked by other immortals for being weaker than cultivators from the lower realms. Those cultivators might brag about their strength, but when it came down to it, they were just paper tigers. No one had the right to laugh at anyone else.
“Immortal Monarch…”
Feng Chiyue turned to look at the attendant. After becoming an official, people had started addressing her as “Immortal Monarch” instead of “Master.”
“Aren’t you going to adjust the tribulation lightning?” the attendant asked cautiously. Normally, adjustments to the tribulation lightning needed to be prepared in advance. However, Feng Chiyue had taken out the Chaos Mirror and started watching plays as soon as she arrived, showing no concern for her duties.
Feng Chiyue looked at him curiously. “Why would I do that?”
The attendant: “…” He hadn’t expected Feng Chiyue to be so upright. “If we unleash the full force of the tribulation lightning, that cultivator will either die or be severely injured. It won’t be easy to explain to the Morning Sun Assembly.”
“Oh,” Feng Chiyue said nonchalantly. “You explain it to them. Not me.”
The attendant felt a chill run down his spine. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.
Feng Chiyue ignored him, engrossed in the Chaos Mirror. It wasn’t until a blinding light erupted from the Merit Mirror that she finally looked up lazily. She glanced at it briefly before activating the tribulation lightning.
On the Morning Sun Continent.
For a thousand years, every cultivator who reached the Ascension Realm had successfully ascended. None had perished from the tribulation lightning.
The might of the tribulation lightning was fearsome, but the cultivators had long since stopped taking it seriously. They laughed and pointed at the cultivator at the center of the storm. “Looks like Senior Brother didn’t even bother preparing a lightning-resistant artifact this time. Is he planning to withstand it with his sword intent alone?”
“It’s not really tribulation lightning. It’s more like a welcoming ceremony from the Immortal Realm. When I reach the Ascension Realm, I’ll swallow that lightning whole.”
In a secluded corner, someone watched the cultivator facing his tribulation with hatred in their eyes. “The heavens have no eyes! Even a villain like him can ascend–” Before she could finish her sentence, an ear-piercing scream rang out. The cultivator’s sword intent, which had terrorized the Morning Sun Continent, crumbled upon contact with the tribulation lightning. Countless bolts of red lightning, tinged with a dark crimson, struck him. Within breaths, he was obliterated, not even ashes remaining.
Silence descended upon the world.
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