(Part 1)

The colorful golden light shone, its majesty dominant. This movement really couldn't be considered small in Zisong Courtyard. Nearby, the immortals who learned of what was happening were dumbfounded, looking at the colorful golden light that hadn't appeared in the Immortal Realm for a thousand years as they knelt tremblingly outside the courtyard, with panicked faces. Qing Mu and Feng Ran frowned when they heard the voice as they walked out the door, looking worriedly at Hou Chi in the courtyard leaning against a purple pine. Only Jing Jian opened his mouth and lowered his eyes with worry.

However, under the solemn atmosphere, there was an abrupt sound of laughter in Zisong Courtyard, which should've been serious.

The laughter was very unexpected. It held clearness, but also carried indescribable ridicule. Everyone in the courtyard was taken aback, and the colorful golden line shrouded around Zisong Courtyard faintly fluctuated, escaping a trace of coldness.

"Going through the door and entering? Heavenly Empress, I have grown up in Qingchi Palace since childhood and I have nothing to do with you. Why talk about going through the door and entering?" The woman with lowered eyes had a light expression. Her hand brushed her sleeves casually, her eyebrows glowing.

Jing Jian's face stiffened when he heard the words, and he looked towards Hou Chi in silence. He didn't expect Hou Chi to use one sentence to completely cut off her relationship with their Heavenly Mother. It was clean and neat without any hesitation.

The voice in the air seemed to pause, then became more solemn, "Hou Chi, even so, I am your elder...you are supposed to come to see me."

Hou chi slightly raised her eyebrows, yawned, and lazily interrupted the voice in the air, "Hou Chi didn't know that Heavenly Empress is the first true god of the post-ancient world, but why hasn't Heavenly Empress announce this to the Three Realms and have me wait for the imperial edict?"

Hou Chi, what nonsense are you spurting? When did I say that I was promoted to a true god?" An indifferent voice came from the sky with faint anger.

These sixty thousand years, after the four true gods fell, no one dared to speak to her in this tone! What's more, the person is Hou Chi of Qingchi Palace...?

"Since Heavenly Empress isn't a true god, I was listed as a god on Kunlun Mountain tens of thousands of years ago. Why should I ask to see the Heavenly Empress? Heavenly Empress hasn't come to Qingchi Palace these tens of thousands of years. Could it be that you have forgotten this matter?"

The slightly raised phoenix eyes were cold. Looking towards the sky from the distance, Hou Chi stood straight up with her hands behind her back, the deep purple robe swaying against the ground, delineating the tranquility of the courtyard.

Tens of thousands of years ago, at the peak of Kunlun, the day of the wedding of the Heavenly Emperor and Empress was also the day Hou Chi was promoted to a god. The paths of the immortals and demons weren't unknown in the Three Realms, but no one ever dared to mention it. But they didn't expect this little god of Qingchi Palace to be so reckless. All the immortals kneeling outside the courtyard glanced at each other, and they were shocked with cold sweat.

Qing Mu fixedly looked at the side of Hou Chi's indifferent and cold face, his eyes flashing with invisible distress.

In the suffocating silence, the colorful golden light above Zisong Courtyard slowly faded. A beam of light suddenly fell on the courtyard, completely covering Hou Chi, dazzling and shining. After everyone came back to their senses, they discovered that Hou Chi, who was in the courtyard, had completely disappeared.

"Guys, don't worry. I'm going to Yuyu Palace. Hou Chi should be there." Jing Jian's face was startled, and he said to the two people with a drastically changing expression, then anxiously ran out of the courtyard.

Yuyu Palace was the Heavenly Empress's palace. Feng Ran and Qing Mu looked at each other, their eyes sinking, then they turned invisible and flew outside Zisong Courtyard with tacit understanding.

But halfway through, Feng Ran quietly turned a corner, and after a second, appeared in front of Jing Jian on another path.

They were only a number of meters away from Yuyu Palace, but it diverged from Qing Mu's direction. Jing Jian looked at the woman in red with raised eyebrows looking at him not far away, stopped, and sighed.

"Jing Jian, you told us to leave the Heavenly Palace as soon as possible. The Heavenly Empress even came right up to our doorstep. Is there something you're hiding from us?" Feng Ran's eyebrows were solemn. She stared at Jing Jian with an unkind tone. If she hadn't heard the conversation between Hou Chi and Jing Jian, she wouldn't have guessed this.

"Feng Ran, you're over-worrying. Nothing's wrong." Jing Jian pressed his lips together and smiled, trying to make his expression seem lighter, but his usually warm and smooth face looked awkward.

"I deliberately left Qing Mu to ask. Your expression was different yesterday, does it have something to do with the dragon breath in Qing Mu's body?"

"Feng Ran, you don't need to worry about this. Heavenly Mother is only talking with Hou Chi, and won't do anything to her, got it?"

Feng Ran glanced at him with gloomy eyes, and said coldly, "Nothing's wrong? Are you telling me that the Heavenly Empress abandoned Hou Chi in Qingchi Palace and now suddenly feels indebted to her and wants to give her familial love?"

The cold questioning over Zisong Courtyard was not something a mother could say at all!

The words were really mocking. Jing Jian frowned slightly. He looked at Feng Ran, his voice turning cold, "You don't have a turn when it comes to talking about my Heavenly Mother's matters. Feng Ran, you have crossed the line."

No matter what the Heavenly Empress did, as her son, he couldn't watch Feng Ran talk about the Heavenly Empress like this and do nothing.

"Jing Jian, you didn't see how Hou Chi grew up in Qingchi Palace..." Seeing Jing Jian turning around to leave, the anger between Feng Ran's eyebrows eased a little, and she looked a bit more distressed, "Hou Chi's spiritual veins have been weak since she was young, and she was unable to accumulate spiritual power at all. God Gu Jun left Qingchi Palace ever since she was enlightened, and his whereabouts are unknown. I took care of her as she grew up. For tens of thousands of years, even if Qingchi Palace is a secret immortal residence, there will always be a day that one becomes bored. But she never left Qingchi Palace. Do you know why?"

Jing Jian's footsteps stopped. Hearing Feng Ran's words, a bit of bitterness suddenly appeared in his heart.

How could he not know? His Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother were gods that governed the Three Realms. There were countless immortal and demon lords waiting to laugh at Hou Chi. Without God Gu Jun's protection and with Hou Chi's weak spiritual power, how would she walk in the Three Realms and allow others to laugh at her?

But these ten thousand years, he also deliberately forgot about Qingchi Palace being a part of the Three Realms like everyone else.

Seeing the silent Jing Jian, Feng Ran raised her eyebrows and said, "She didn't want to ruin God Gu Jun's reputation in the Three Realms. She lived quietly in Qingchi Palace. I brought her out, so I will fully protect her. Even if that person is the Heavenly Empress, I won't give in. I'm asking you again, what exactly happened?"

The sonorous words came with deep suffocation. Looking at Feng Ran's red eyes, Jing Jian suddenly realized that the woman standing in front of him was the evil deity who had made the entire Three Realms fearful and had survived the bloody battle in Yuanling Swamp...But even so, if his Heavenly Mother made a decision, who in the Three Realms could oppose her? And besides, he didn't even know what his Heavenly Mother was planning.

"Feng Ran, this matter indeed has something to do with the dragon breath inside Qing Mu's body...Jing Zhao, she..." Jing Jian sighed, knowing that he couldn't hide it from her. With a long sigh of relief, he slowly told Feng Ran about Jing Zhao using her life-important dragon pellet to save Qing Mu under Feng Ran's shocked expression.

(Part 2)

The slightly heavy voice disappeared into the path, but the man in red who was leaning against the fake mountain suddenly stiffened. The corners of his mouth were lightly pursed, and his brows wrinkled tightly.

In the depths of the empty garden, the trickling water gurgled. A dense immortal aura enveloped the place, creating a somewhat isolated ethereal spirit.

She probably guessed what this place was. Hou Chi, who suddenly appeared, frowned and walked deeper onto the path. Bright red peonies bloomed on both sides of the path, staining the peaceful place with the dignity of a noble leader. The hem of her deep purple skirt brushed over the flowers scattered on both sides. She walked across the wooden bridge and seeing the white figure with her towards her under the old tree in the garden, Hou Chi slowly stopped.

Was this the Heavenly Empress...?

"Hou Chi, I never would've thought that the plain and ordinary Qingchi Palace would nurture such an arrogant child like you. What, did your God Father instruct you to say those words to me just now?"

The white-clothed woman slowly turned around. Her eyebrows were indifferent, and her black hair was covered with rainbow colors. Her appearance was magnificent with a touch of dignity in the cold and alienated space.

But, as Hou Chi looked at the Heavenly Empress like this, she was suddenly taken aback.

With a simple and plain white robe, a golden brocade tied around her waist, and long hair casually draped behind her...and the carved jasper jade on the middle of her forehead, the Heavenly Empress standing in front of Hou Chi had the exact same attire as True God Shang Gu did when she saw her in Chaosheng Palace.

Besides the difference in color, she couldn't find the slightest difference.

It was just that True God Shang Gu was truly ethereal and distant, and seemed to be able to see all the world's prosperity when she lifted her eyes. It was not an exaggeration to say that she won over the heavens, and the Heavenly Empress...only looked alike but wasn't her. The more they dressed the same, the gap between the two could be seen more clearly.

Although she had a grand and beautiful face and a cool and noble aura, it hugely reduced the magnificence that she could've had, actually making her feel a little nondescript.

Hou Chi stared at the Heavenly Empress unblinkingly, her eyes full of weirdness, and she even forgot to reply to the question.

The Heavenly Empress also looked at the young woman not far away with the same gaze. Her expression also froze, and there was a slight invisible surprise in her eyes. With such an ordinary face, if it weren't for her charm that resembled Gu Jun, she would have doubted...whether she really was Gu Jun's daughter!

"Hou Chi?" Perhaps Hou Chi's gaze was too weird because the Heavenly Empress paused, and a hint of impatience flashed across her eyes, "I am asking you a question, why aren't you answering?"

"Heavenly Empress, my God Father hasn't returned to Qingchi Palace for ten thousand years. How would he have instructed me to ask questions? Just now, I was just spurting nonsense." Hou Chi raised her eyebrows and said lightly. Her expression was flat as if she hadn't noticed the impatience in the Heavenly Empress's eyes, and she slowly exhaled.

It wasn't until this moment that Hou Chi faced the Heavenly Empress that she really didn't care about the person who abandoned her in Qingchi Palace. Perhaps it was because the quiet years in Qingchi Palace were too long, or perhaps it was because of her God Father's unreserved love, or Bo Xuan's quiet companionship...regardless of the reason, apart from her amazement at the very similar attire, she had no special feelings for the Heavenly Empress at this moment.

Except, for the...indifference that even she hadn't noticed in the depths of her soul.

Blood was thicker than water, but nothing connected them. If it weren't for the Three Realms knowing that the Heavenly Empress gave birth to her, Hou Chi would doubt. Did she really have a relationship with the person standing in front of her?

"Why does the Heavenly Empress want to see me?" They've already seen each other. Although they didn't hate each other, they couldn't like each other either. Hou Chi opened her mouth dryly, and her meaning to leave was very clear.

"It's not a big matter. I want to keep Qing Mu in the Heavenly Palace, so I'm just telling you this." The Heavenly Empress glanced at Hou Chi and said lightly.

"Keep Qing Mu in the Heavenly Palace? Why?" Hou Chi was taken aback, then her face straightened, a more serious look in her eyes, and she said, "Qing Mu is not under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Palace. Even if you are the Heavenly Empress, you have no right to keep him as you please."

Although she said this, Hou Chi felt a little uneasy in her heart as she saw the rather playful smile in the Heavenly Empress's eyes.

"Hou Chi, Qing Mu received a great favor from my royal family. How can I be making things hard for people if I keep him in the Heavenly Palace?"

"What do you mean?" Hou Chi looked up, looking surprised.

"Do you think that the Three-Headed Fire Dragon's dragon breath can be refined by him, a mere immortal lord? If not for Jing Zhao using her life-important dragon pellet to save him, how could he have survived?" The Heavenly Empress raised her eyes, looked at the shocked Hou Chi, and said lightly, "The dragon breath of the Three-Headed Fire Dragon has entered his spiritual veins along with the dragon pellet. As soon as the dragon pellet is removed, even the Heavenly Emperor's origin of power cannot save him. You should know how important the dragon pellet is to the golden dragon line. If it weren't for Jing Zhao's nonstop pleading, do you think that I would've kept Qing Mu alive after this?"

Hou Chi's hands hanging at her waist suddenly clenched tightly. Her eyes were full of shock, and her lips were tightly pressed to outline a small arc.

Jing Zhao's life-important dragon pellet? No wonder the Heavenly Emperor and Jing Jian were so weird yesterday. It turned out that this was the reason. Thinking of the arrogant princess on Liaowang Mountain, Hou Chi's eyes were stained with inexplicable complicated meaning...she didn't think that she would be willing to use her dragon pellet to save Qing Mu...As soon an ancient magical beast loses their inner pellet, their cultivation in the future...will definitely turn towards the path of demons and monsters!

"You don't need to think. Unless Qing Mu is a true god, he won't be able to survive if the dragon pellet is taken out of his body. I can't, the Heavenly Emperor can't, and your God Father...can't."

Seeing Hou Chi's silence, the Heavenly Empress flicked her clothing. Her emotionless voice paused slightly when she mentioned God Gu Jun, and when she looked at Hou Chi, there was even addition of slight disgust.

"Heavenly Empress, what exactly...do you want to do?" Hou Chi looked at the Heavenly Empress, but her expression suddenly calmed down.

"It's not what I want to do..." The Heavenly Empress smiled, her voice faint. Her eyes were pure black, with a meaning that couldn't be seen through, "But rather how you will choose."

After saying this, she turned and walked towards the depths of the garden, and the white figure gradually disappeared into the depths of the path.

"What do you mean?" Seeing the Heavenly Empress about to disappear, Hou Chi squeezed her hands to stop herself from catching up to her and questioning.

"Should Qing Mu take out the dragon pellet from his body and turn into scattered ashes...or have him stay in the Heavenly Palace by Jing Zhao's side, this is your choice."

A cold voice came from the depths of the path, with more coldness as she turned around. Hou Chi bit her lip, standing in place, her eyes suddenly deep and fierce.

No matter how she chose, she would lose Qing Mu.

Hou Chi never thought that there would be a day she would be forced into such a dilemma and that the person who would make her choose would be the Heavenly Empress!