DDAM 2

Noisy… so noisy…

That was the first thought that crossed Jun Jiewu’s mind as consciousness returned to him.

The surrounding voices merged into a continuous drone; though the sounds should have been indistinct, every single word rang clear in his ears. If he chose to listen attentively, he could even detect the sound of breathing from a hundred paces away.

These were certainly not the senses of an ordinary person. Moreover, he recalled that his health had been frail in his final days, his body so wasted by illness that even standing for too long would leave him dizzy and lightheaded. Back then, he had to be carried back to his bedchamber by that person; how could he possibly possess such acute hearing now?

Jun Jiewu slowly opened his eyes. A young face, familiar and strange, came into view, and he heard the person call out his name: “Jiewu.”

Jun Jiewu’s expression faltered for a moment, his mind momentarily adrift.

A scent wafted over from the side, a fragrance he knew intimately, so familiar that the mere whiff of it conjured memories of countless days and nights spent in each other’s arms.

Jun Jiewu deliberately avoided looking at the source of that scent; consequently, he failed to notice that the person he least wished to see had already made eye contact with Shen Runze.

Li Zhuochen’s eyes were a deep, inky black. When he stared at someone in silence, his gaze seemed bottomless, an unfathomable abyss. Even when he smiled, it sent a chill down the observer’s spine.

Shen Runze shuddered; he wanted to place his hand on Jun Jiewu’s wrist to check his pulse, but he restrained himself.

He was merely taking Jiewu’s pulse; there was no reason to feel guilty.

Jun Jiewu unobtrusively withdrew his hand and stood up. Li Zhuochen slowly turned his head with an air of nonchalance to look at the throngs of fellow immortals amidst the surrounding clouds and mist.

The atmosphere grew subtly tense. Shen Runze sensed something amiss; the peculiar pulse he had detected at Jun Jiewu’s wrist had sparked an unsettling suspicion in his mind. He opened his mouth, about to ask for details, when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye.

Li Zhuochen stretched his arms, rose leisurely to his feet, and smiled.

“Have you all come to congratulate Jiewu and me on our ascension to Shangshen? Such a grand turnout, you really went to great lengths.”

The moment the word “Shangshen” left his mouth, a sudden hush fell over the crowd.

It was as if the assembled immortals had only just noticed that the auras surrounding Jun Jiewu and Li Zhuochen were different from before; they had actually ascended from the rank of Shenjun to that of Shangshen.

Mortals often conflate immortals and gods, yet in the Nine Heavens, the boundary between the two was stark. Those who govern the affairs of the mortal realm are immortals, whereas those who govern the affairs of the immortal realm are gods. Mortals often believe that ascending to become an immortal marks the pinnacle of the Dao; in reality, however, ascending from immortal to god requires a long, arduous path of cultivation. Once a divine status is attained, advancing even a single step further is as difficult as ascending to the heavens, with tens of thousands of years of devoted cultivation being the norm.

Jun Jiewu was one thing, being a descendant of an ancient deity, he had possessed divine status from birth, so his eventual ascension to Shangshen was inevitable. But Li Zhuochen? A mere few thousand years had passed since he ascended from Xianzun to Shenjun, and yet he was ascending to Shangshen already?!

The immortals were struck with shock and disbelief, yet the very man who had caused such a commotion seemed oblivious; his peach-blossom eyes crinkled slightly as he offered a graceful salute. “Jiewu and I offer our thanks to you all in advance; this is a grand reception. We have put you to great trouble.”

The assembled immortals: “…”

Jun Jiewu: “…”

He lowered his gaze slightly and pursed his lips. He wanted to say, “There is no need for you to speak on my behalf,” but just then, he caught sight of someone slowly stepping forward, and the words died on his lips.

Over there, Siming, who had been standing with his hands tucked into his sleeves, stepped [unauthorized copy]forward with a beaming smile and a respectful salute. His voice, unhurried yet distinct, cut through the clamor: “This humble immortal welcomes Jiewu Shangshen and Zhuochen Shangshen. Congratulations to both on your successful ascension and return.”

That announcement seemed to open the floodgates; the entire hall turned boisterous. The immortals, who had been stunned into silence, finally began congratulated them in a chorus of voices:

“Congratulations!”

“With the two of you ascending to this new realm, the Heavenly Realm gains two mighty champions! It is a blessing for the Nine Heavens. Should the Demon Realm ever invade, we shall have nothing to fear!”

“Xianjun, that remark rather spoils the mood. Why bring up the Demon Realm on such a joyous occasion?” A young Shangxian interrupted with a smile, before turning to salute Jun Jiewu and Li Zhuochen with a voice cloyingly sweet. “You must be exhausted after such an arduous ascension. If you do not mind, I shall soon prepare a modest gift and pay a personal visit to your palace to offer my congratulations.”

“There is no need for Qingfeng Shangxian to trouble himself. My Biluo Palace is willing to host a Floating Cup banquet for three days to celebrate the two Shangshen’s ascension.”

“What’s a mere Floating Cup banquet?” The immortal official from the Jieyin Hall refused to be outdone. “My Jieyin Hall is willing to burn a hundred thousand sticks of incense and light twelve sky lanterns, keeping them burning for seven days and seven nights, illuminating half the night sky of the Nine Heavens for the Shangshen to see!”

“Anhua Palace is also willing to offer twenty ten-thousand-year-old flat peaches!”

“The Yushou Palace is willing to offer–”

“And my Qinyin Pavilion–”

“Get in line! I spoke first–”

Amidst the clamor of eager voices, a female immortal clasped her hands against her chest and cast a flirtatious wink in Jun Jiewu’s direction. Her voice, melodious as an oriole, chimed out: “We at Penglai Island are accustomed to a life of leisure and have no great treasures to offer. If Shangshen does not disdain it, I am willing to offer my self, to stay by Jiewu Shangshen’s side, practicing dual cultivation day and night, to celebrate the joy of your ascension…”

Everyone went quiet for a second, but then they all started laughing.

Jun Jiewu: “…”

A vein throbbed at his temple, and he took two steps back, only for his heel to suddenly hit something hard and warm. His spine stiffened; someone grabbed his waist, and he was held steady by a hand. That palm was hot, the heat branding his skin right through his robes; almost immediately, he knew exactly who it was.

From behind him came a chuckle: “…You certainly have a lovely fantasy.”

The voice was pitched low, and the breath brushing against his ear made the hairs on his neck stand on end. The vibration of the speaker’s chest transmitted through the thin fabric. Jun Jiewu lowered his gaze; he moved a step forward and unobtrusively slipped free from that hand.

Nearby, Siming, who had led the chorus of congratulations, took in the entire scene. A smile flitted across his lips as he quietly stepped back into the throng of immortals vying to curry favor, content to remain unnoticed. Just as he was about to slip away amidst the commotion…

“Everyone, perhaps you shouldn’t be so quick to offer your flattery.”

“The true origins of these two Shangshen, Jun Jiewu and Li Zhuochen, remain unknown.”

The lively atmosphere came to an abrupt halt. A man clad in dark cyan immortal robes emerged from the back of the crowd. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back and looked down at the others. His features were refined, yet a trace of spite lingered between his brows.

“Qing Yuan, what do you mean by that?”

The Shenjun addressed as Qing Yuan stood with his hands behind his back. He smiled as he spoke unhurriedly: “Have you all forgotten what place this is?”

“If the two Shangshen had ascended within their own palaces, I would have nothing to say. But this is the Qinglong Tower.”

As soon as the words left his lips, agitation rippled across the crowd of immortals.

Someone immediately chimed in, “So what if it’s the Qinglong Tower? Are you implying that these two Shangshen stole some sort of fortuitous opportunity from within? That’s absurd. If opportunities in the Qinglong Tower were so easily obtained, wouldn’t everyone be able to ascend to the rank of Shangshen?”

Qing Yuan was not offended by these words; instead, he smiled and offered a polite, slight bow to the immortal who had spoken. “You misunderstand, fellow immortal. The Qinglong Tower remains sealed year-round, so there are no opportunities to be gained there. It is simply that… the Qinglong Tower serves as the sole passage connecting the Upper Heavens to the mortal world.”

“My concern isn’t about anything else; I only fear that the two of you… secretly descended to the mortal realm and obtained that opportunity from the dust of the mortal world…”

Shen Runze’s expression darkened, and he stepped forward. Jun Jiewu frowned slightly, about to hold him back, when a jade fan positioned itself precisely across Shen Runze’s waist.

Shen Runze was taken aback and turned his head to look at the fan’s owner.

Li Zhuochen stood there holding the fan. He eyed Shen Runze with keen interest. “You are a friend of Jiewu’s?”

“To think he’d have a friend with a temperament like yours.” Li Zhuochen smiled slightly. “Interesting.”

The way he said it made it sound as though he knew Jiewu intimately. Shen Runze pursed his lips in disdain.

“Don’t act rashly just yet,” Li Zhuochen said unhurriedly as he retracted his fan. “Let him finish speaking.”

Someone was quick to react; while Li Zhuochen and Shen Runze were exchanging words, a female immortal had already spoken up in a clear voice: “Qing Yuan Shenjun, is there any need for such harsh words? Setting aside the fact that this matter remains inconclusive, even if the two Shangshen had indeed descended to the mortal realm, so what?”

Qing Yuan smiled, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You must be new here, fellow immortal. The Nine Heavens has a strict rule: descending to the mortal realm without authorization is a grave offense. Any such journey requires a clear record detailing the reason, the time of departure, and the approximate date of return.”

He paused briefly and waved his sleeve, his tone lighthearted: “As visit our siteit happens, I am the one in charge of these records.”

“I stake my immortal lifespan on the fact that neither Shangshen ever registered such a journey with me. Do you understand the implications of that?”

He drew out the last syllable; it sounded polite on the surface, but concealed a barb beneath.

Silence fell over the crowd. The immortal who had spoken up earlier had been publicly rebuffed; her face flushed and paled by turns, and though her lips moved, she ultimately couldn’t force out another word.

The gazes of the surrounding immortals darted back and forth between Qing Yuan and the two Shangshen. Some frowned in thought, others looked skeptical, and the quick-witted among them quietly took a step back, regardless of how this played out, the atmosphere signaled an impending storm.

Amidst this standoff, a soft chuckle came from the crowd.

Li Zhuochen fanned himself with his jade fan as he took a step forward. “Qing Yuan Shenjun is truly conscientious in his duties; I admire that.”

His tone held no trace of sarcasm, there was a hint of genuine praise, yet paired with his enigmatic expression, it left one feeling that something was amiss.

“Indeed,” Li Zhuochen said. He closed his fan and clasped his hands behind his back. “I did descend to the mortal realm.”

At these words, an uproar swept through the assembled immortals. Faces that had moments ago been wreathed in smiles froze; a multitude of gazes converged upon Li Zhuochen.

No one had expected him to admit to it so readily.

A silence lasting a heartbeat or two descended, only to be broken by murmurs from all sides. Some stepped back; others turned to exchange glances with their neighbors. Those who had previously jostled to get close to Jun Jiewu now recoiled as if they had been scalded.

“Is this… really true?” someone in the crowd finally asked.

That question broke the dam, and the murmurs grew louder. Another voice chimed in, “Descending to the mortal realm without authorization is no small matter; since he has admitted it…” The speaker was cut off mid-sentence by another voice.

“It is fortunate that Qing Yuan Shenjun possesses such keen insight; otherwise, he might well have fooled us all.”

The speaker’s voice was not loud, yet it carried just the right amount of mockery, enough for everyone nearby to hear clearly. Jun Jiewu turned toward the sound. The speaker was an unfamiliar immortal, impeccably dressed. He wore an air of detachment, as if he had been waiting for this very moment to speak. With him taking the lead, those who had long disliked the pair, but had previously held their tongues out of deference to their newfound status as Shangshen, seemed to have finally found a pretext; murmurs began to rise from the crowd in twos and threes.

“I knew it; the two of them ascending at the same time was suspicious from the start.”

“Descending to the mortal realm without authorization is a grave offense. Let’s see how he gets out of this one.”

“I wonder what look those sycophants who were so eager to curry favor with them are wearing now.” The speaker deliberately raised the pitch of the last words, as though they were afraid others might miss the remark.

Qing Yuan smiled, and he lifted his chin a notch higher.

“In that case, Zhuochen Shangshen, please come with me.”

“Certainly.” Li Zhuochen smiled, turned slightly to the side, and made a gesture of invitation. “Let us go, Shenjun.”

Qing Yuan’s smile widened as he waved his hand; four celestial soldiers clad in silver armor flashed into view and surrounded Li Zhuochen. Their posture made it clear they intended to treat him like a prisoner.

What should have been a joyous celebration of an ascension had devolved into this spectacle, leaving many immortals sighing with regret. Qing Yuan stood with his hands behind his back. The smile on his lips grew wider as he gave Li Zhuochen a sidelong glance. Just as he was about to speak, a voice suddenly reached his ears.

“Qing Yuan Shenjun, please stay a moment.”

The assembled immortals were all taken aback.

The voice was unfamiliar. Jun Jiewu had been standing silently in the crowd. He resembled an exquisite porcelain ornament, with features as lovely as a painting and an uncontentious air, so much so that people had almost forgotten he was also a Shangshen.

This was the first time he had spoken since waking up. Everyone felt a vastly different aura unfurling, so heavy it made their breath hitch. Unlike the unbridled, playful air Li Zhuochen had displayed, his posture and expression remained unchanged; yet, his presence suddenly became overwhelming, like a cold, restrained sword beginning to reveal its razor-sharp edge.

Qing Yuan’s expression faltered for a fleeting moment.

He imperceptibly straightened his back and formed a seal with his fingers hidden within his sleeves, though he quickly relaxed again. It was not that he felt no fear, but rather the realization that the heavenly laws and the principle of righteousness stood behind him. Even a Shangshen could not openly move against him without cause.

In the span of a few breaths, the atmosphere changed repeatedly, yet one person seemed entirely oblivious to it all.

Li Zhuochen’s peach-blossom eyes crinkled as he turned to smile at the person beside him. His voice was gentle: “It is no matter; I shall return shortly.”

Jun Jiewu ignored him.

His gaze moved past Li Zhuochen to land directly on Qing Yuan; his voice was as clear and melodious as a spring rippling over jade: “It is true that Zhuochen Shangshen and I descended to the mortal realm, but we did not do so without authorization. The journey was reported to the Heavenly Emperor beforehand; due to special circumstances and at the Emperor’s behest, the matter was not made public.”

He paused, gave a slight nod, and said calmly, “I apologize for bypassing Qing Yuan Shenjun.” Though he spoke of apology, there was little genuine contrition in his tone. “If Shenjun doubts my words, Lord Siming can also bear witness.”

The moment the title “Heavenly Emperor” left his mouth, the stifling tension eased considerably; the wariness on many faces faded.

“So, they had already cleared it with the Heavenly Emperor himself…”

“I knew it; there’s no way those two Shangshen would act so thoughtlessly.”

“I’ve long found Qing Yuan insufferable, always strutting around with that arrogant air,” an immortal murmured to his neighbor. “Throwing his weight around and making life difficult for others just because he holds a bit of authority. Well, look at him now, he’s been humiliated. Jiewu Shangshen has the Heavenly Emperor backing him after all. Hmph.”

“Oh, come now, let’s not go that far,” another immortal nearby shook his head. “Qing Yuan Shenjun was simply acting according to protocol; he’s not as bad as you make him out to be.”

“What do you mean, ‘not that far’?” The first immortal raised an eyebrow; though he kept his voice low, he couldn’t suppress the heat in his words. “If he truly thought they violated protocol, why didn’t he consult the two Shangshen privately first? Why didn’t he seek instructions directly from the Heavenly Emperor? By bringing it up so publicly, wasn’t his intention to embarrass them?”

“I think it’s just jealousy.” Another immortal chimed in; their voice wasn’t loud, yet it reached the ears of many. “Both Jun Jiewu and Li Zhuochen have ascended to the rank of Shangshen. He’s lived just as long as they have, yet he hasn’t even come close to touching that threshold. How could he possibly be at peace with that?”

The whispers kept coming, every word stinging Qing Yuan like a needle. His complexion shifted from livid to pale, then to red; he clenched his jaw so tightly he nearly ground his teeth into dust. Finally, an angry shout exploded from him.

“Silence, all of you!”

Hush fell over the surroundings.

Qing Yuan’s face was dark with rage. Beside himself with fury, he lashed out recklessly: “Is the conduct of a Shenjun like myself something for the likes of you, worthless immortals from the Middle and Lowers Heavens, to judge?”

At these words, the expressions of many in the crowd changed. immortals from the Middle and Lowers Heavens exchanged glances; even those from the Upper Heavens couldn’t help but frown at the remark.

Qing Yuan, however, paid no heed to this. A phrase from Jun Jiewu’s earlier words suddenly flashed through his mind; caught between panic and rage, he seized upon it like a lifeline and hurriedly asked, “You said just now that Lord Siming could vouch for you?”

Jun Jiewu’s expression remained calm as he replied, “Yes.”

Qing Yuan was stunned for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed, a sound that echoed before the Qinglong Tower, tinged with a hint of hysteria. “Good. Very good.”

As his laughter abruptly ceased, he stared coldly at Jun Jiewu, before enunciating each word: “Loose lips lead to trouble, Jun Jiewu.”

“Lord Siming governs only the fates of mortals; how could he possibly vouch for two Shangshen like yourselves?”

Though the statement was abrupt and disjointed, the face of those who had understood the implication immediately drained of color.

Siming dealt only with mortal affairs, how could he vouch for two Shangshen? Unless…

Unless those two Shangshen had been reincarnated into the mortal realm.

“I had wondered what kind of opportunity in the mortal world could allow the two of you to ascend to the rank of Shangshen…” someone murmured. “So, it turns out you went to undergo a mortal trial.”

Lijie (undergoing a tribulation) and dujie (surviving a tribulation), a difference of a single character, yet a world of difference in meaning.

Surviving a tribulation was commonplace in the Nine Heavens; any advancement in cultivation required it. It focused primarily on tempering the physical body. The most common form was the Lightning Tribulation, but there were others, such as the Bone-Gnawing Gale, the Karmic Fire, and the Bone-Chilling Frost, each a brutal test pushing the body to its absolute limits. Survive, and one was reborn; fail, and the consequences ranged from a regression in cultivation to the total shattering of one’s soul. Undergoing a tribulation was a completely different matter.

The essence of “undergoing a tribulation” lies in the word “undergo.” It often requires erasing memories from one’s primordial spirit, reincarnating into the mortal realm, and living out a genuine life–or even several–in the flesh. Compared to surviving a tribulation (a direct test of power), the process of “undergoing a tribulation” allows for faster advancement, yet the difficulty is on an entirely different level; its primary focus is the tempering of one’s heart and nature.

Someone once summarized the grueling, twisted nature of these trials: the heartless must learn to love; the loving must sever their attachments; the selfish must save all living beings; and the benevolent must learn to kill.

Qing Yuan smiled, a sinister expression, like a snake flicking its tongue as it slithered slowly between Jun Jiewu and Li Zhuochen. “There Read onare only three types of mortal tribulations that can facilitate your advancement: the love tribulation, the tribulation of slaughter, and the tribulation of merit.”

He spread his hands. “I have heard of no mortal recently whose merit was great enough to ascend to the rank of Shangshen.”

He paused; his tone suddenly dropped to a grave register. “As for the first two… the Emperor has long since issued a strict prohibition: mortals must not be used as the subjects of a tribulation, nor may the innocent be harmed.”

His gaze returned to the two of them, and he smiled, a smile laced with the malice of one who holds all the cards.

“May I ask? Which tribulation is it that the two of you underwent?”