Chapter 70: Tai Wenmiao Becomes a Dao Lord

The elderly man with the pipe staggered as he walked, his face brimming with arrogant pride, grinning so broadly that his yellowed teeth were fully exposed.

“This, this...”

His figure seemed as insubstantial as the empty sky, weightless as a wisp. Though he walked upon the lake’s surface, not the faintest ripple nor splash disturbed the water. The damp, chill mist drifted through his body, yet his form remained unchanged.

“Water ghost?”

The young man clutched his fishing net tightly, lips quivering, then glanced fearfully at the golden-whiskered carp in his bucket, which was leisurely blowing bubbles.

“Fish... fish demon?”

“What? Fish demon! Are you speaking of your own mother?”

At these words, the golden-whiskered carp was instantly enraged, lashing the wooden bucket to splinters with its tail. In midair, it transformed into a striking youth with a head full of red hair, clad in a robe laced with golden threads.

Wearing a look of deep annoyance, the red-haired youth strode over to the young fishmonger, cocked an eyebrow, and jabbed his finger at his own chest.

“Damn it! Of all things, I detest being called a fish the most. Come! Repeat after me!”

The fishmonger stood petrified, only coming to his senses when he heard the youth’s knuckles crack menacingly, and hurriedly nodded in compliance.

“Ling, Ming, Golden, Radiant, Seal.”

The red-haired youth enunciated each word, his gaze hostile and unyielding.

“Ling... Ming... Golden Radiant Seal,” stammered the young man, sweat pouring down his face.

“Hmph! At least you’re teachable. For someone at the prenatal breath stage, you’re still so provincial! Have you never seen the world? Never even heard the name of Lord Ling Ming?”

The red-haired youth cast him a sidelong glance, then suddenly curled his lip in a sly smile.

“Just now you called me a fish demon, and what did you call that old man? Say it loud! Louder!”

The young man had resolved never to speak, but the youth’s glare broke his resolve. He could only squeeze his eyes shut and, face contorted in misery, stammer, “Water... water ghost.”

“Hahahaha!” The red-haired youth doubled over with laughter, clutching his stomach. “Did you hear that? You’re a water ghost! Hahahaha!”

“I am not a water ghost.”

The white-haired elder shook his head and stepped forward. In an instant, his posture straightened, flesh and skin filling out, hair and beard turning black.

In a flash, there stood on the lake’s surface a beautiful youth, crowned with lotus flowers, dressed in the scarlet robes of an immortal, wide sleeves billowing, radiating the aura of the Dao.

His skin was as smooth as an infant’s, his bearing refined and cultured, yet his eyes were as deep as a cosmic abyss, within which endless galaxies were born and destroyed. With every breath, eras seemed to pass, containing infinite grandeur and majesty.

“It’s the Dao Lord Taiwen Miaocheng of the Crimson Radiance Sect!”

He smiled gently, revealing a mouthful of immaculate, even teeth, his expression serene.

By now, the young fishmonger had fainted dead away, and not even the red-haired youth’s vigorous shaking could revive him.

“Is he an idiot? Hey! You’re a spiritual Dao artifact of the highest grade. If you unleashed your internal energy, you could shatter an entire world with ease. Even those so-called Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivators couldn’t withstand it!”

Seeing the red-haired youth curiously pressing a finger to the young man’s brow, as if about to channel his energy into him—

Taiwen Miaocheng Dao Lord could not hold back; the dignified bearing of a sect elder vanished in an instant, and he resembled nothing so much as an exasperated tutor at his wits’ end with a wayward student.

Grabbing the red-haired youth by the collar and hoisting him into the air, he cursed loudly:

“Jin Xia! The man just fainted from fright, he’s not dead! Are you missing a screw in your head? Reviving a person with energy is a human’s job—what business is it of yours?”

“I know, I just wanted to try it. But what if he’s some kind of peerless genius and absorbs my energy? Wouldn’t that make a fine story? The Crimson Radiance Sect would gain another prodigy.”

The red-haired youth was unconcerned.

Then, his eyes gleamed with mischief. “Dao Lord, if I were to strike with all my might, could I destroy the entire Southern Domain and flush out that corpse-immortal hidden in the abyss?”

“Get lost, you fool! You’re no Dao artifact—you must be a spy sent by the Demonic Sect! If I’d known earlier, I’d have left you to rot in the Glazed Void Heaven instead of rescuing you.”

Taiwen Miaocheng Dao Lord jabbed his finger at the youth’s nose, exasperated.

“It’s one thing to say such nonsense to me—I’m your master, I won’t hold it against you. But a few days ago, that fellow from the Jade Celestial Sect arrived in the Southern Domain and even played a game of go with the corpse-immortal. If he hears such drivel, he’ll urge me to erase your true spirit and replace it with a more obedient one!”

“What?!”

The red-haired youth instinctively shrank back, clearly having suffered at that man’s hands before.

But soon, he frowned resentfully.

“Dao Lord, didn’t you promise to call me Ling Ming? Ling Ming Golden Radiant Seal—it sounds so grand! Jin Xia just doesn’t sound like a good name.”

“Jin Xia, Jin Xia, little Xia.”

Taiwen Miaocheng Dao Lord rolled his eyes. “Why so much fuss? If I call you, you answer. Otherwise, I might just rename you Dog Leftover. What could you do—jump up and bite me?”

With a wave of his sleeve, he vanished, along with the red-haired youth called Jin Xia and the unconscious young man.

…

At the very same moment—

Amid the vast cosmic sea of stars. In the region known as Baoguang—

This land, separated by untold stretches of the void from the Heavenly City, suddenly shuddered with countless different vibrations. Five-colored lights rose like dragons, celestial flowers rained down, and sweet springs welled from the earth.

Such prodigies caused the innumerable giants, each a thousand feet tall, who dwelled here to look up in astonishment. Soon they raced about, their booming voices echoing far and wide, faces alight with joy.

“The earth trembles, the void blazes with light—Lord Dao Lord is arriving! Hasten to greet the imperial carriage! Quickly!”

But before the giants could make further preparations, the resplendent golden palace at the land’s heart lifted its wards and a gentle laugh issued forth.

“No need to greet me, no need. I’ve only come to amuse myself. Go about your business!”

With that, the golden palace rose from the earth into the deep clouds, leaving the giants prostrate in worship, chanting prayers unceasingly.

…

“Since the collapse of the Dao Court, the laws of the heavens and the universe have been lost. It seems everyone is having a hard time.”

Taiwen Miaocheng Dao Lord withdrew his gaze from the prostrate giants, sighed softly, and shook his head as he walked slowly toward the palace’s depths.

Along the way, all that met his eyes was dazzling magnificence—exotic treasures from all the worlds under heaven.

Soon, two rows of goddesses, radiant with halos and trailing long skirts, came gracefully to greet him.

He waved them away, not requiring their service. Instead, he shook the unconscious young man from his sleeve for the goddesses to catch, then, with a dissatisfied Jin Xia trailing behind, entered the main hall and reclined on a cloud couch.

“Let’s watch the show!”

Lounging against the cushions, he somehow produced a wine jug, slapped his thigh in excitement, and instantly, scenes of light and shadow appeared in the hall, accompanied by voices.

Jin Xia, bored, scratched his ear as the images in the hall revealed Chen Heng and Wei Lingjiang…

One could not imagine the vastness of the Dao Lord’s power—across countless starry voids, he displayed their current circumstances as if watching a play, making it feel as though he were present himself.

After observing a while, Jin Xia could only think that these two were utterly exasperating. Why did the man simply stand there instead of kissing her fiercely? What was the point of all this dithering and talk?

“Some dishes! Are you going to make me drink without food while watching the show?”

As Jin Xia grumbled, he looked up to see his Dao Lord glaring at him from the cloud couch.

“Can’t you transform some yourself?”

Jin Xia was about to retort angrily, but suddenly remembered something. So, he happily called for dishes to be brought, arranged them respectfully, and put on a fawning smile.

“If you have something to say, just say it.”

Popping a slice of dragon liver into his mouth, Taiwen Miaocheng Dao Lord squinted in satisfaction, his lips curling into a smirk.

“Looking at you, you’re clearly up to no good!”

“Dao Lord, I don’t understand!”

Jin Xia pointed at the image of Chen Heng in the hall. “With your supreme body, why bother paying attention to a mere minor cultivator? Is there something extraordinary about him?”

“Do you know what’s most important in cultivation?”

“Fighting prowess!” Jin Xia flattered him. “Being as mighty as you!”

“Fighting prowess? What’s the use of that? In this world, you need connections, influence!”

Taiwen Miaocheng Dao Lord sneered, pointing at Chen Heng’s image in the hall.

“Of the four pursuits—companions, resources, land, and the Dao—I value ‘companions’ the most. My cultivation relies on forging broad and lasting bonds! It relies on the workings of human affairs!”