(Part 1)

Since the opening of the post-ancient world, the Heavenly Palace of the Immortal Realm had always stood at the top of the nine layers. It held the awe from the Mortal Realm and the beings of the Three Realms surrendered to it. The Heavenly Emperor had been in charge of the Three Realms for tens of thousands of years. He possessed great virtue and enjoyed the heaven and earth, ruling the Three Realms along with the Heavenly Empress. His prestige and respect had long surpassed the ancient gods who had disappeared tens of thousands of years ago. Although God Gu Jun was still in the Three Realms, there was no doubt that the Heavenly Emperor was the master god in the Three Realms.

Therefore, there was no one in the Three Realms from ancient times to now who would dare ask the Heavenly Emperor to remove his dragon vein power from his body. But the three people who came out of Yuanling Swamp didn't stop at the slightest. With this goal in mind, they drove the auspicious cloud and stopped in front of Nantian Gate. [1]

Hou Chi didn't hide her identity and didn't even need Jing Jian's instructions. She just swaggered with Feng Ran to Nantian Gate. Jing Jian used his spiritual power to support Qing Mu and followed her. He walked next to Feng Ran and was only a half step behind Hou Chi.

The heavenly soldiers guarding the sky gate had already seen a group of people coming at a distance. The leading woman wore a long, purple robe, with a decorative jade adorning her forehead. There was faint coldness and alienation in her cold expression. She looked very beautiful, and as soon as they looked up, they were stunned.

Seeing His Highness Jing Jian following the woman, their usual words full of scolding were nowhere to be heard, and they swallowed fiercely.

Although the soldiers didn't know who this purple-robed woman was, they still lowered their heads and did a shallow bow to greet the people in the near distance.

When the bowing heavenly soldiers saw Feng Ran, the trace of doubt in their eyes instantly turned to shock. Feng Ran had been dormant in Qingchi Palace for ten thousand years. Although not many people knew her appearance, everyone in the Three Realms knew her personality. The red-robed immortal had hair cascading over her shoulders. She had a mad demeanor and hardly needed to be identified. As soon as she appeared, the guarding heavenly soldiers recognized her and in an instant, when they raised their heads to look at the purple-robed woman in front of Jing Jian and Feng Ran, their faces held disbelief and astonishment.

She was accompanied by Lord Feng Ran and was respected by the Second Highness of the Heavenly Realm. In the Three Realms, only one person could have this identity — Goddess Hou Chi of Qingchi Palace.

They just didn't expect the little god of Qingchi Palace, who was the center of rumors for ten thousand years, to turn out to be so elegant and majestic.

Almost immediately, the halberds in the of the heavenly soldiers, who were only half bowing, instinctively moved forward. One of their knees knelt on the ground, and they had solemn faces and eyes filled with admiration that they themselves didn't even realize.

A god, and one that is alive, they haven't seen one in ages.

"Greetings to Goddess Hou Chi."

The clear voices came into the ear loudly, and Hou Chi, who already had one foot inside the Nantian Gate stopped for a moment. There was a wave of fluctuation in her eyes, and she lowered her eyes to look at the kneeling heavenly soldiers, nodded, and walked inside.

Feng Ran raised her eyebrows, the corner of her mouth lifting, and she closely followed. Only Jing Jian, who was supporting Qing Mu behind them, was a little stunned seeing this scene. When his gaze fell on those heavenly soldiers, there was a touch of complexity. He lived in the Heavenly Palace for tens of thousands of years, but he never imagined that the immortal lords of the Heavenly Realm would have an almost instinctive respect for Hou Chi. He softly sighed. Seeing that Hou Chi and Feng Ran had disappeared, he hurriedly walked a few steps to catch up.

It seemed that Hou Chi's arrival had a greater impact on the immortals of the Immortal Realm than he had imagined.

Under Jing Jian's lead, the three of them passed the Nine Layers Yuan Pavilion, a luxurious palace, and stopped in front of a quaint palace. The young boy guarding the door was napping. He opened his eyes in a daze when he heard the sound, and he looked delighted when he saw Jing Jian.

"Second Highness, you're back." The little boy's clear voice stopped when he saw Feng Ran. When his pair of big eyes fell on Hou Chi, his eyeballs immediately stared. His mouth slightly opened and he looked dumbfounded.

"Ping Yao, order the servants to clean up Zisong Courtyard behind the palace, and take Goddess Hou Chi over to rest." Jing Jian coughed awkwardly when he saw his young helper's silly appearance.

"Goddess Hou Chi..." Ping Yao muttered in a low voice. He didn't stand firmly and staggered. When he returned to his senses, he stood extremely straight and replied repeatedly. His eyes looking at Hou Chi were full of astonishment, and he was too lazy to go inside.

"Ping Yao, go inside." Ashaming! Jing Jian's face suddenly darkened, and his clenched teeth made a clinky sound, his usual warm expression disappearing for the first time.

The boy's simple and honest appearance gained unexpected like from Hou Chi. She also understood that Jing Jian normally didn't put on such airs, which was how he raised a child with such a temperament.

"Second Highness, I'm going right now." Ping Yao returned to his senses, and after he saw the Second Highness's darkening face, he hurriedly ran inside.

Seeing Hou Chi's worried face staring at the unconscious Qing Mu, Jing Jian hurriedly said, "Hou Chi, Heavenly Father should be in Xuantian Palace. I'll go tell him about Qing Mu's situation and will come back later."

Hou Chi nodded, knowing that it was best for Jing Jian to bring up the matter first. Feng Ran took Qing Mu from Jing Jian, and the three followed Ping Yao inside.

"Jing Jian, it's up to you." After taking two steps, Hou Chi stopped and whispered to the quickly turning Jing Jian, looking at him with a calm expression.

Jing Jian looked slightly startled, and his hands at his waist tightly squeezed. Seeing the earnestness in the girl's eyes in front of him, a strange older brother's responsibility feeling appeared inside.

"Okay okay, don't worry, Qing Mu is injured because of me. I will definitely have my father help him." Jing Jian looked towards Hou Chi in a daze, waved his hand dryly, and he stretched out his hand to help Hou Chi–but the dark purple sleeve dodged the moment he tried to touch it.

Hou Chi froze and looked at her hands, her eyebrows showing some shock. She didn't explain, and just frowned and turned her head.

Seeing Hou Chi's subconscious movements, Jing Jian retracted his hand, rubbing it awkwardly, "Don't be anxious, I will go to Xuantian Palace now."

Before he finished speaking, she had already run far away. Feng Ran looked at the slightly awkward disappearing figure, and looked at Hou Chi, "It seems that you do mind."

Hou Chi didn't talk, and turned and walked in. Feng Ran's eyebrows slightly moved, and she followed behind her

(Part 2)

In a flash, Feng Ran had fully experienced the speed at which news in the Heavenly Palace spread. Along the way, from time to time, maidservants would flit from corner to corner, and their eyes as they looked at Hou Chi held a sense of rare admiration. Feng Ran did not know whether to cry or laugh and finally walked to Zisong Courtyard before Hou Chi's face turned completely dark.

Ping Yao stood in the front of the courtyard, flaring his teeth and showing his claws to the approaching group of maidservants and children. He had the temperament of an official, but his small body was really unreliable. He saw Hou Chi walk in and ran up to her with a grin, "Goddess, Zisong Courtyard has been cleaned up, I will take you in."

"No need." Hou Chi waved her hand. Before she finished speaking, she saw the frustration that instantly appeared on his face, and suddenly wanted to laugh. She took out a wooden box from her sleeve and threw it to Ping Yao, "Here are some pine nuts from behind Qingchi Palace. They flower every ten years and bear fruit in a hundred years."

Upon hearing this, Ping Yao's eyes narrowed into a line. He immediately hugged the wooden box closely, hid it in his clothes, and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Thank you very much, Goddess. Goddess Hou Chi is auspicious."

As soon as these words came out, everything was quiet. The maidservants and children not far away covered their mouths and tightly looked at Ping Yao, who had an unobstructed mouth.

Hou Chi's raised foot paused, and she let out a sigh. She stepped inside the courtyard door without any change in her expression, but her speed was much faster. When Feng Ran heard the words, she glanced at Hou Chi in front of her, and the corners of her mouth twitched. She straightened her expression and walked in with her.

The courtyard door closed with a bang. Feng Ran couldn't help but laugh when she saw Hou Chi's unkind expression, "Tell me, why did you give that little guy a box of pine nuts. You're shooting yourself in the foot."

"His original form is a squirrel. He must like to eat them." Hou Chi sighed, feeling a little embarrassed. She waved her hand, "Send Qing Mu into the room. Jing Jian will come back later. If the Heavenly Emperor doesn't agree, I will go there myself tomorrow."

When this matter was mentioned, Feng Ran's face became serious, and she nodded, then helped Qing Mu towards a room in the courtyard.

Zisong Courtyard was simple and was quite refreshing in this dignified and majestic Heavenly Realm. The yard was full of pine trees, verdant, and surrounded with immortal aura. It was a good place to recuperate and calm the nerves.

It was already late in the evening, and because she had something on her mind, Hou Chi sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, her chin on her hand in a daze. For tens of thousands of years, her resistance towards the Heavenly Palace of the Immortal Realm had never been low, but along the way, the only person she disliked was the person above the Nine Heavens who ruled the Three Realms. As for the rest of the Immortal Realm, she had no resentment towards them...If the Heavenly Emperor refused to agree to Jing Jian's request, then how would she speak to that person tomorrow?

Hou Chi sighed, heard the slight rush of footsteps outside the courtyard door, frowned, and turned her head, just in time to see Jing Jian pushing open the courtyard door and walking inside with a solemn expression. She couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in her heart. It seemed like...the Heavenly Emperor didn't agree.

"Goddess." Seeing Hou Chi's slightly sinking eyes, Jing Jian was a little stunned and hurriedly walked a few steps, saying, "It's not what you think. Heavenly Father is not in the Heavenly Realm. I didn't see him."

"Oh?" Hou Chi was taken aback. She sighed, and the coldness in her eyes also slightly dissipated, "Not in the Heavenly Palace, then where is the Heavenly Emperor?"

"It's already been half a year since I went into Yuanling Swamp. I went to Xuantian Palace just now to learn that Heavenly Father had left the Heavenly palace two months ago. He didn't say where he was going, but he also left a message to Heavenly Lord Si Zhi, saying that he would return within three months." Jing Jian whispered. Seeing Hou Chi's softening expression, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Do you have any way to find the Heavenly Emperor?" Hou Chi frowned and asked.

"No, out of us four siblings, only Jing Zhao has our Heavenly Father's golden dragon mark, and it will let Heavenly Father know when she's in danger. But she has been in retreat in Juxian Pond for almost two years, and I don't know when she will come back."

"So you're saying, the Heavenly Emperor will be back in a month." The dragon breath in Qing Mu's body starting its poisoning would also happen in a month. Hou Chi calculated for a moment, then nodded her head and said, "Since this is the case, I will stay in the Heavenly Palace and wait for the Heavenly Emperor to return."

Her Father God disappeared, so the only person in the world who could save Qing Mu was the Heavenly Emperor. She could only wait.

"Alright. You can rest in Zisong Courtyard. If you want to go out for a walk, you can have Ping Yao lead the way." Jing Jian looked at Hou Chi, who had a solemn expression, blinked his eyes, and took something from his sleeve, and handed it to her, "This is the Ten Thousand Years Profound Ice from the East Sea. Although it can't slow down the start of the dragon breath poisoning, it can reduce the burning pain inside the body. Just put it on Qing Mu's forehead. Also...this is quxian fruit, which was created with Quxian Pond's spiritual power. It can gather aura from around the world. I heard that it has always been difficult for your spiritual power to condense, so you might as well try this."

Hou Chi slightly froze. Seeing Jing Jian's cautious expression as he held the profound ice in his hand, as warm and moist as jade, she hesitated a little, then took the profound ice, nodded, and said, "Many thanks. It's just that I already ate a juxian fruit when I was a kid and it didn't work. Second Highness is too kind."

Seeing Hou Chi walking inside with a solemn expression, Jing Jian's lips moved, and he couldn't help saying, "Are you very disappointed?"

Hou Chi stopped. She didn't turn her head or speak, but just lowered her eyes, her eyes suddenly darkening.

"My older brother is arrogant and was unsatisfied after he lost to Feng Ran. The knot has never been untied these ten thousand years, and it was the same for Zi Yuan's shortcomings. My third sister has only heard compliments ever since she was born and she thinks that she can get everything she wants, which is how she has developed such a proud and spoiled personality. And me..." Jing Jian paused and gritted his teeth, "I knew that the Three-Headed Fire Dragon was only a threat to Heavenly Father but still used Qing Mu and Feng Ran's powers to stop his promotion..."

"Hou Chi, are you very disappointed that we are only like this?" Are you very disappointed that Heavenly Mother gave up on the weak you and stayed far away from Qingchi Palace, but could only teach us to be like this?

The warm and smooth voice floated into her ears. Hou Chi turned her head, her eyes deep and faintly fluctuating. She looked at Jing Jian and said lightly, "A noble family's matters have nothing to do with me. Second Highness is being too serious."

She turned and walked away after she spoke, her deep purple robe brushing the ground, rippling everywhere.

Jing Jian stared at the figure walking away, and said in a low voice, "Hou Chi, it took you ten thousand years to come out from your shell, so I am older than you..."

The figure that had already walked far away slightly paused invisibly and finally walked away without stopping.

Since they were born to be against each other, why bother?

Standing behind the corridor, Feng Ran looked at the young man who was secretly hurt not far away, raised her eyebrows, and turned to leave.