Chapter 614: Give You Justice

"This junior brother seems to be heading toward Houtu Huangdiqi's celestial palace."

Young Master Xi Muran gazed in the direction Chen Shi's tower ship had departed, somewhat puzzled. "What is he going there for?"

The Radiant Virtue Grand Celestial Palace was not large in scale, but Houtu Huangdiqi's authority was immense, being one of the Four Sovereigns. The name Houtu Huangdiqi literally meant Earth Spirit Empress Houtu. All earth spirits, the underworld, and the Six Paths of Reincarnation fell under her jurisdiction.

The Immortal Court sought to overthrow the Celestial Court, and Houtu Huangdiqi was an inevitable target for elimination.

"However, a titan among ancient gods like her has strength that is already unfathomably profound. Who could possibly match her?"

He murmured softly, "And this junior brother of mine, is he really my fellow disciple? Why have I never seen him before? The abilities he knows are far too many and too varied. He even knows the Paranirmita Vasavartin Dharma."

"Young Master, could there be something wrong with this Young Master Chen?" a maidservant asked.

Xi Muran pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Our sect's cultivation techniques have never been taught outside. There shouldn't be a problem. However, he possesses other extraordinary skills that are no ordinary fare either. It leaves me uncertain..."

He paused, then said, "I cannot easily set foot in Houtu Huangdiqi's territory. He will surely return. When he does, I will interrogate him carefully and find out exactly where his Great Wilderness Ming Dao Collection came from."

Two days later, Chen Shi finally laid eyes on the Radiant Virtue Grand Celestial Palace.

It was located at the center of the mysterious yellow sea, where the sea surface bulged high, stretching for thousands of miles. Everywhere, yellow qi surged upward and churned, forming the shape of an enormous lotus.

And in the sky above, dark qi likewise cascaded downward, also forming a lotus shape.

The two lotus platforms interlocked, fitting together perfectly, and the thousands of miles of space within constituted the Radiant Virtue Grand Celestial Palace, a realm resplendent with gold and brilliance, radiating divine light.

Even though Chen Shi had witnessed the grandeur of the Celestial Court, he could not help but be awed by the Radiant Virtue Grand Celestial Palace.

"A natural sacred ground, with extraordinary presence. No wonder it can serve as Houtu Huangdiqi's celestial palace."

Before his ship could approach the lotus platforms, divine beings guarding the place came out to welcome him, dozens of them, all in golden armor with imposing physiques. At their head was a dignified and lovely young woman, slightly shorter than Chen Shi, who led the dozens of divine beings in bowing. "We, your servants, await the Crown Prince by order of Her Ladyship."

"Crown Prince."

Chen Shi was stunned. These divine beings addressed him as Crown Prince, could they mean him?

But the Empress of Earth's godson and Houtu Huangdiqi's godson were entirely two different matters!

Could it be that Houtu Huangdiqi also acknowledged him?

The ship followed these deities onward toward the Radiant Virtue Grand Celestial Palace. The young woman at the head landed on the ship, sized up Chen Shi, and smiled. "My name is Feng Huixue. I am an attendant girl by Her Ladyship's side. Last time, when Her Ladyship heard that Your Highness had been imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, she ordered me to go rescue you. Little did we expect that you had fortune on your side and had already been rescued."

Chen Shi was quite moved. "Her Ladyship knew about my imprisonment in the Heavenly Prison?"

Feng Huixue smiled. "Of course she knew. Yin Fenglou was a test that Her Ladyship personally arranged for you. If you ascended to the Celestial Court, you would inevitably become a heavenly soldier and encounter Regional Commander Yin Fenglou. If you dared not kill him to settle that debt for Her Ladyship, then you would never have the chance to meet Her Ladyship again. Little did we expect that you would truly be so bold as to kill Yin Fenglou at West Heaven Expanse."

She regarded Chen Shi with a measure of admiration and smiled. "Since you were willing to risk your life, Her Ladyship naturally could not let Your Highness die. So she immediately ordered me to the Heavenly Prison to rescue you. Unexpectedly, someone had arrived first and rescued you."

Chen Shi smiled. "It was the Eastern Prince who heard my story, knew I had been wronged, and sent someone to rescue me. Later, the Celestial Court also investigated and found me loyal, so they pardoned my offenses."

As they spoke, they arrived at the Radiant Virtue Grand Celestial Palace.

Although Yu Sari was a fish demon of the mysterious yellow sea, this was his first time being so close to this celestial palace. He could not help but poke his fish head above the sea surface, looking around. In the past, he had no qualification to approach this celestial palace at all. He could only deliver visiting deities nearby before being chased away.

The divine general guarding the Heavenly Gate opened it, allowing them entry.

Chen Shi docked the tower ship and said to Yu Sari, "Daoist friend, you have never been here either. Why not come in with us and take a look around?"

Yu Sari was both surprised and delighted. He hesitated. "A lowly commoner like me, can I also enter the celestial palace to pay respects to Her Ladyship?"

Chen Shi smiled. "Naturally you can."

Yu Sari leaped onto shore. His enormous body rapidly shrank, gradually taking human form, though he still had a fish head. He carefully followed behind Chen Shi and Black Pot.

The divine general guarding the Heavenly Gate had already prepared carriages. Entering the celestial palace, the divine power here was incredibly dense. Divine spirits were numerous, mostly temple or palace-like structures. In the air, formless extraordinary power created cloud-like wisps of divine power that drifted among the temples.

There were even more ganoderma herbs here, with all manner of immortal medicines and rare flowers visible everywhere.

Within the palace were many fairy maidens, all lovely young women picking fresh flowers and exotic fruits, fluttering about like pink butterflies, constantly alighting among the flowers.

Black Pot and Yu Sari were staring wide-eyed.

The women they encountered along the way, upon seeing Feng Huixue, stopped and bowed slightly. "Senior Sister Feng."

Feng Huixue nodded in return, then said to Chen Shi in the carriage, "Your Highness may not know, but this celestial palace is nominally Her Ladyship's, yet most who actually reside here are female immortals. Her Ladyship only resides within the Nine Splendors Jade Aperture of the Jade Aperture Lower Stamens Pearl Female First Palace, and ordinarily coordinates all the avatars across all worlds, rarely going out."

"Jade Aperture Lower Stamens Pearl Female First Palace?"

Chen Shi found it somewhat awkward to read aloud, and looked in the direction Feng Huixue indicated. He saw that this palace was situated at the very stamens-pearl heart of the lotus sacred ground, its jade brilliance like jade itself, with nine splendors of qi descending from the heavens. No wonder it was named thus.

Feng Huixue led his carriage to the front of the Jade Aperture Lower Stamens Pearl Female First Palace. The carriage stopped, and Chen Shi disembarked. Along with Black Pot and Yu Sari, they followed Feng Huixue into the palace. The palace corridors were deep, winding and turning. They walked for a long while before finally arriving at the Nine Splendors Jade Aperture.

This jade aperture was bathed in nine streams of luminous spiritual qi, indescribably solemn and dignified.

Chen Shi, Black Pot, and Yu Sari composed themselves and followed Feng Huixue into the Nine Splendors Jade Aperture.

The layout inside the Nine Splendors Jade Aperture was almost identical to the Palace of Virtue on yellow earth slope. There was also a lotus platform throne, dark yellow qi forming a mysterious yellow sea, and upon the lotus platform sat a lady.

Chen Shi secretly glanced up. The lady on the lotus platform looked almost exactly like the Empress of Earth.

But in the instant he raised his eyes to see this lady, Houtu Huangdiqi, who had appeared to be the height of an ordinary person, became infinitely majestic, majestic to the point of filling his entire field of vision, even beyond what his vision could contain!

In his eyes, gradually only Houtu Huangdiqi's drifting sleeves remained, and he could no longer see her whole person.

He quietly turned his head and was startled to discover that the mysterious yellow sea around the lady was not illusory but the true mysterious yellow sea, vast and magnificent, boundless and without end. Countless worlds floated upon the mysterious yellow sea!

Moreover, yellow qi continuously evolved, transforming into Xirang, giving birth to new worlds.

And Houtu Huangdiqi sat enthroned upon the mysterious yellow sea as a supreme deity.

Chen Shi stopped looking at Houtu Huangdiqi's true body, and the strange vision gradually dispersed. Houtu Huangdiqi, in the corner of his vision, gradually returned to normal.

The Radiant Virtue Grand Celestial Palace simply could not contain this lady.

Her true body was actually always seated within the lotus of the mysterious yellow sea. The celestial palace seemed to hide the Nine Splendors Jade Aperture within itself, and the lady seemed to reside within the Nine Splendors Jade Aperture, but the actual situation was the reverse.

"This is a divine ability of the great hidden within the small."

Chen Shi thought to himself, "What the eyes see may not be the truth."

"Your child, Chen Shi of Western Ox New Continent, pays respects to Her Ladyship." Chen Shi bowed.

On the lotus throne, the lady was quite pleased. She raised a hand and smiled. "Rise. You two need not bow either. Seats are granted."

Chen Shi, Black Pot, and Yu Sari each sat on a cushion, all somewhat nervous. When Yu Sari got nervous, his fish scales trembled, jingling softly.

Houtu Huangdiqi's consciousness was connected to Earth Immortal Realm and the Empress of Earth of countless worlds within the mysterious yellow sea. At every moment, countless streams of thoughts and consciousness came from the depths of time and space, transmitted into her mind.

She had to analyze this information and make correct judgments, so she appeared somewhat weary. The arrival of Chen Shi and the others allowed her to relax a little. She smiled. "The ordeal of Western Ox New Continent, I have learned of it all, and I am quite moved. Western Ox New Continent was mired in the curse for sixteen thousand years. It seemed an undeserved calamity, but in truth it was an immortal disaster. Immortals harmed the world for their own eternal life. For this matter, we must absolutely give Western Ox New Continent justice."

Chen Shi opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but for some reason could not. It was as if a sudden inexplicable emotion surged from within his heart, choking him.

His tears, for some unknown reason, suddenly welled up from his eyes, scalding tears sliding down his cheeks.

He had died and come back to life, and no one had spoken to him of justice. Only he himself had tirelessly sought justice for himself.

He had killed the young masters and young ladies of the Zhao family, forced his way into the county office to kill the magistrate and the Magistrate's Wife, killed Black Mountain Granny, slew Tianmu at Gongzhou, killed Young Master at Western Capital, all for the sake of seeking justice!

He had revived the gods of China, exterminated the Thirteen Great Clans, opposed Despair Slope, charged up Despair Slope, opposed the primordial insect, and fought the Celestial Venerable with all his strength, all for the sake of justice!

But during all that time, no one had spoken to him of justice. They had only said, this is just how the world works!

He had ascended to Earth Immortal Realm, become a lowly heavenly soldier in the Celestial Court, and still no one had spoken to him of justice!

Houtu Huangdiqi was the first to tell him that she absolutely must give Western Ox New Continent justice.

"Your Ladyship!" Chen Shi bowed from the cushion, tears streaming down his face.

He had lost his composure.

How many people had died in Western Ox New Continent?

From the Great Shang Era sixteen thousand years ago, to the True King's Era, to the current Second True King Era, far too many people had died. The people of the entire Great Shang Era were nearly exterminated, and the survivors had to become the ghost clan to survive.

Two True King Eras, two great extinctions. The survivors eked out lives under the threat of evil spirits, demonic creatures, and calamities. Cultivators had been forced to self-mutilate, crippling the two realms of Tribulation Crossing and Ascension!

Even Chen Shi, when facing the curse overtaking the entire world, had once despaired to the point of wanting to turn the people of Ming Dynasty into the ghost clan, trading it for a chance to survive!

What kind of suffering was this, what kind of humiliation?

Those heaven's pride who died in despair, those heaven's pride who had to distort and transform into evil spirits, those heaven's pride strangled like Daoist Tianzhen, countless beyond measure in the history of Western Ox New Continent!

Had the people of Western Ox New Continent committed some sin?

Had the people of Western Ox New Continent violated some heavenly law?

Were the people of Western Ox New Continent guilty of heinous crimes?

None of these.

It was merely that a single immortal of vast divine abilities wanted to raise an insect and inadvertently allocated the pasture to Western Ox New Continent. That was what caused the people of this world to suffer an undeserved calamity!

Merely an insect!

Western Ox New Continent was merely the food to feed this insect.

In the Dark Sea, there were untold numbers of other worlds that had similarly become food for the primordial insect!

No one had ever spoken of returning justice to the people of these worlds!

Such profound hatred, such deep enmity, could not earn a single word of justice from others!

Only Houtu Huangdiqi said she would return justice to them.

Chen Shi's shoulders shook. He lay prostrate on the ground, weeping silently, unable to rise for a long time.

After a long while, Chen Shi finally suppressed his emotions. He secretly wiped his tears with his sleeve, straightened his back, and said with shame, "Your Ladyship, your child has lost composure. Please do not blame me."

Houtu Huangdiqi watched him. She suddenly understood why her avatar was so fond of this youth, even willing to use the settling of debts to draw her attention to him.

He was not like immortals, who after ascending no longer regarded themselves as human and were skilled at calculation. Nor was he like deities, who always fulfilled their duties without overstepping the rules.

Chen Shi was someone who had not Severed the Three Corpses, who retained the seven emotions and six desires, who had his own joys and sorrows, who could sympathize with others, who could empathize, who tirelessly pursued justice for a just cause.

He was more like a flesh-and-blood mortal.

For a long time, Houtu Huangdiqi had upheld the divine path, never overstepping the rules. Even her avatars were the same. Even when she saw immortals committing evil, because immortals were not within the cycle of reincarnation, she could not intervene.

Perhaps it was precisely this that made her Western Ox New Continent avatar appreciate Chen Shi.

And this too had infected her.

Houtu Huangdiqi smiled. "Your Majesty has suffered many grievances."

"No grievances..." When Chen Shi said this, his eyes reddened, and he nearly could not hold back his tears again. He quickly restrained himself.

Houtu Huangdiqi changed the subject. "The suffering of Western Ox New Continent comes from the conflict between immortals and gods. The conflict between immortals and gods has a long history, traceable back to the ancestral Great Shang Era. At that time, it was still Great Shang's Black Bird Celestial Court. The Celestial Court's lord was the Great Shang Heavenly Emperor, Tianyi. Tianyi and the various gods enjoyed the incense offerings of the ancestral temple, their divine power immense. Every Shang King across the generations was a Heavenly Emperor, and emperors stood in multitudes. Great Shang established severe laws and harsh punishments, and every year used humans and livestock as sacrifices to the Celestial Court. Those who died because of this were beyond counting."

Chen Shi was drawn in by her words. He thought to himself, "This does not match what my wife Little Duan and Wu Qi said."

"Great Shang already had a mature set of Dao techniques, called shamanic ritual markings, passed through bloodlines. The Life Officer's son inherited the Life Officer's power and position. Gonggong's son inherited Gonggong's power and position. The Spring God's son inherited the Spring God, the Water God's son inherited the Water God. Power always passed among the Great Shang royal family and divine officials, hereditary and irremovable."

Houtu Huangdiqi continued at an unhurried pace, recounting that period of history, "The common people were merely slaves, casually used as sacrificial offerings, presented to the Celestial Court's gods and emperors. No one could resist Great Shang. So-called civilization was paved upon countless flesh, blood, and bones. Until one day, when three of the most brilliant minds among humans comprehended a cultivation system from the shamanic ritual markings."