Chapter Sixty-Two: The Mandate of Heaven is Unalterable

His forehead was full and smooth, his ears hung down to his shoulders, and his gaze was clear and spirited. Even his stature was tall and heroic.
If one did not see his face, it would be difficult to guess from his silhouette that he was an elderly man approaching the end of his years.
Facing the bows from Chen Heng and the others, he stroked his beard with a smile, returned their courtesy, and greeted them in a gentle, kindly voice:
“I am the Master of the Cave of Awakening. I have already met you young friends. Now that the Golden Valley Market must establish its roots anew in Floating Jade Lake, this old man must pay his respects to various mountain strongholds. For a while, I’ve been caught up in miscellaneous affairs and arrived a bit late... Please don’t hold it against me! The fault is mine!”
Of course, Chen Heng and the others dared not presume; they all replied, “We wouldn’t dare.”
“Refiner, allow me to report: there remains a celestial demon here who, acting quickly, managed to escape ahead of the others.”
At this moment,
the vast, seemingly thousands-strong tide of celestial demons had been entirely incinerated. The sky was clear as crystal, and the rivers and mountains for miles around lay silent.
Yet Chen Heng still remembered that demon shrouded in shadow, eyes glowing like golden lamps, who split the void ahead of time and vanished into hiding.
That demon’s strength surpassed even Chen Heng’s; if it escaped, given the ruthless nature of celestial demons, who knew how many more killings it would commit?
Children begat children, grandchildren begat grandchildren.
After a few years, it would be another minor demon calamity.
Hearing Chen Heng speak thus,
Wei Lingjiang glanced at him with some surprise. When Chen Heng’s gaze turned calmly toward her, she shifted her face away, expressionless, as if nothing had happened.
“Is he truly so kind-hearted, actually caring about others’ life and death?”
Wei Lingjiang thought, “No… Celestial demons are savage and vindictive. He must be worried that the powerful demon will come seeking revenge, so he’s telling the Cave Master. That must be it.”
Feeling she had guessed Chen Heng’s intentions, Wei Lingjiang arched her delicate brows, glancing at him with a hint of triumph.
But Chen Heng had already withdrawn his gaze, not looking at her, leaving Wei Lingjiang with a sense of emptiness, as if her punch had landed in thin air.
“This young friend has a good heart, not unlike myself in my youth. And that appearance…”
The Cave Master of Awakening sized up Chen Heng, then looked to Wei Lingjiang, unable to help but praise:
“When I was young, I traveled to Western Su Province and saw those Heaven’s Pure Ones who studied foreign paths. The bearing of you two young friends is not inferior to those kings among the Heaven’s Pure Ones, perhaps even surpassing them!”
He made a small joke:
“Hm, I used to look much like this young friend myself. It seems you have not only a kind heart, but your appearance is much like mine in my younger days.”
Chen Heng and Wei Lingjiang didn’t reply out of turn. The boy whom Chen Heng had saved remained dazed and unmoved.
Only the girl in green could not restrain her laughter.
When she nearly burst into giggles, rolling on the ground, she finally remembered that the Cave Master could easily crush her spirit body. Startled, she obediently closed her mouth and stood still.
At that moment,
Wei Lingjiang’s expression grew mysterious, as if her mind wandered to realms beyond.
Chen Heng watched the radiant girl, her lips unconsciously pressed, silver teeth biting in silent resentment, and couldn’t help but smile.

“Humph! You little chubby doll, you do look like a person—like my own son!”
The Cave Master was not annoyed. He patted the green-clad girl’s head, spun her around by the shoulders, leaving her angry but unable to protest:
“He was just like you back then, his mouth spewing words like thunder! At that time, a Golden Core master from the Palace of Thunder was about to abandon his original spirit and convert to another path, transforming into a Heaven’s Pure One… During the ceremony, he shouted from below that all paths but the Immortal Dao were mere insects, and his voice was so loud it couldn’t be suppressed. If not for the master’s tolerance, both he and I would have gone into reincarnation!”
“…”
Wei Lingjiang could only smile helplessly, taking the dizzy green-clad girl from the Cave Master and pulling her behind herself.
“But young friend, you worry too much. A mere powerful demon cannot escape my grasp.”
The Cave Master chuckled, leisurely lifting his sleeve.
Mystic energy coiled around him, true power surged like an abyssal sea, his aura unfathomable, yet he was as amiable as rumored. With just a few words, he inspired goodwill.
Chen Heng glanced at his sleeve and saw a small cloud of blended energy inside, trapping the powerful demon, who could not escape no matter how it struggled.
“This creature is cunning. When I unleashed the True Fire of Sundered Brightness, it tried to flee, but thankfully, my mind was sharp—”
The Cave Master smiled proudly, but before he could finish, the sound of something breaking through the air thundered from afar.
Chen Heng looked up and saw several golden cloud boats streaking by like lightning, with countless figures aboard.
“Ah, my disciples have arrived. I nearly forgot my duties.”
The Cave Master slapped his forehead, rose into the air, and vanished in the blink of an eye, his voice lingering:
“You young friends return to Floating Jade Lake with them. I must search for other companions. Who knows how many survived this tide of celestial demons? May fortune smile upon them…”
As his voice faded, the Cave Master’s whereabouts became utterly unknown.
Chen Heng and Wei Lingjiang exchanged a glance, neither speaking. After several breaths, one of the golden cloud boats descended.
The boy who had been rescued by Chen Heng suddenly grew excited, grabbing Chen Heng’s hand and pointing to the left.
“Brother, look, my father! That’s my father!”
Chen Heng turned, and beneath a drooping willow he saw a short, stout old Daoist standing.
When Chen Heng looked his way, the old Daoist smiled and waved to him.
“Congratulations, junior brother.”
With a sweep of spiritual sense, Chen Heng saw the old Daoist was no illusion, but flesh and blood, and relaxed, returning the salute with a smile.
The boy solemnly thanked Chen Heng and the others, including the green-clad girl, before running happily to the old Daoist.
At that moment,
the golden cloud boats hovered in midair. After a few polite exchanges with the welcoming Daoists, Chen Heng and the others boarded and sped toward Floating Jade Lake.
…
…
Until the boat became a speck of golden light, disappearing in the distance.

Beneath the willow,
the boy reluctantly withdrew his gaze, no longer standing on tiptoe.
“What do you think of that one, child?” the old Daoist asked with a smile.
“Grandfather, your powers are vast; nothing escapes your ears. Why should I waste breath?”
The boy shook his head, then looked expectantly:
“I think this brother has good character, not one to ignore others in distress. Grandfather, you came to the southern region today and brought me along. Did you want him to enter our sect? Did you want me to test his heart? Can he join our sect, grandfather?”
“Even his father, Chen Yushu, was not worthy of such treatment from me, let alone him.”
The old Daoist shook his head:
“The friend from the Abyss has stirred again. I merely came to check on him, saw you playing cat and mouse with the celestial demons, and joined in for fun. Don’t overthink it.”
“Then what about letting brother enter the sect?” the boy pleaded. “I am only a wisp of breath now, not my true self, but since brother helped me, I must repay him. It’s only right!”
“Foolish child! So noisy!”
The old Daoist laughed loudly:
“Whether he enters the sect depends on his fate. The heavenly way has its own order; even I cannot interfere, much less you!”
Without waiting for the boy to say more, the old Daoist gently lifted his arm, turning him into a green gourd at his waist. Laughing, he vanished from this sky, leaving no trace.
And as the old Daoist departed,
beneath the willow, nearly ten thousand ordinary people and itinerant cultivators suddenly appeared.
They rose from the ground in confusion, unaware of how they had come to be there.
Wei Lingjiang’s earlier suspicion was not unfounded.
The celestial demons pursued them like mad dogs simply because the creatures along the way had all been collected by the old Daoist.
She and Chen Heng were the only living blood that the demons had seen since escaping.
…
…
On the other side,
inside the golden cloud boat,
Wei Lingjiang looked at Chen Heng sitting on a meditation cushion nearby, hesitant. After several breaths, she finally spoke.
“Hey…”
She said.