571 The Shallop That Blocks the Path (1/2)
There was something akin to a sacrificial Dharma altar constructed somewhere in the palace. The altar was nine feet tall corresponding to the nine heavens. The rest of the palace was arranged according to the twelve divisions of the day, and in accordance with the stars dotting the celestial sphere. It gave it quite a lasting charm.
At present, red silk divided the entire white jade altar, forming internal, center, and external altars. Each altar was separated by a formation and covered in talisman papers. The lamps of the formation were lit. Its complex grandness gave one a feeling of profound abstrusity.
The Emperor, dressed in a robe embroidered with the pattern of a five-clawed True Dragon, was standing in front of the altar, staring at the forest-like lamps together with several of his cabinet ministers and eunuchs. The talisman papers were everywhere, as were the gleaming red silk strands. The Emperor had adopted a grave expression. Yesterday, the Azure Place had issued a decree that there would be an immortal descending to aid the imperial family. The news made them feel both expectant and apprehensive.
The Emperor, who was especially anxious about the situation in Qiao Province, burnt incense and fasted with a sincere heart. He dared not make any delay.
”I wonder which Immortal will descend?” Awaiting the auspicious moment, the emperor appeared to be talking to himself but also asking the ministers and eunuchs next to him.
There had been many immortals from the Azure Place who had come here over the years. The ancient immortals all wore masks and were identified by their numbers. They were no strangers to the imperial family and government. Naturally, there was curiosity and speculation about the immortal who would be assisting them.
An imposing-looking minister with a short beard said, ”We will naturally receive a solution to our problem if it's Progenitor Doumu, Immortal Taiyi, or the like who is descending. However, the situation in Qiao Province isn't significant enough to affect the operation of the world. They might not be able to come. Perhaps it would be immortals such as Yun Zhongzi or Bluecloud Progenitor who will make an appearance.”
”Having any immortal is better than having none at all. I reckon those monarch-defying traitors in Qiao Province would not dare defy the Azure Palace!” The eunuch standing beside the Emperor appeared agitated, but he was actually feeling relieved.
The Emperor gave a gentle nod, his mind at ease once more.
He never expected that Qiao Province would put up such a fierce resistance. When he sent his first envoy, his intention was purely to give the province a rough wake-up call. When the first envoy died, he had assumed it was due to an encounter with a monster in the ”Blight of the Immortals” or was struck by lightning. Now he found the issue pressing enough to request the help of the immortals. With their interference, the issue would likely be solved quickly.
Who gave these people such courage that they dared to resist the imperial family this way? Were they not afraid of the retaliation of strong masters?
The chiming of a clock was soon heard. The time had come.
The Emperor straightened his attire before slowly going up the steps as he recited the scripture for inviting the arrival of deities. He walked along the path formed by the red strands, concealing the figures of the world.
When he arrived at the top of the altar, he took out the yellow prayer papers and green ceremonial papers and chanted under his breath, respectfully welcoming the immortal from the Azure Palace.
The yellow prayer papers suddenly caught fire and burned with a scarlet flame. The flames only licked the paper, but not his fingers.
The fire burned fiercely, its flames rising. A dim green light floated in midair in front of the altar and then gave way to a green gate engraved with mysterious runes.
The green gate was old and simple. It appeared to have been carved out of stone. Every rune seemed to be harboring the great secrets of heaven and earth.
The green gate opened gradually with a creak, revealing tens of thousands of rays of light. The light filled the Emperor's vision but it didn't hurt his eyes.
The Emperor, ministers, and eunuchs all held their breath as they focused their gaze on the golden glow. They watched as an immortal in a large black robe stepped out of the gate and walked down the steps.
The mask fastened over the immortal's face was majestic and solemn. It was impossible to tell his age. His appearance was the most common sight in Taoist temples.
”Heavenly Primogenitor!”
The Emperor and his ministers drew a sharp breath. They never expected that the Heavenly Primogenitor would be the one to come!
They knew the titles of the immortals in the Azure Palace did not necessarily correspond to their strengths. Even so, they had only heard of one immortal who bore a title related to the Triple Purity: ”Primogenitor Lingbao”, the master of the Azure Palace. Now that they had come face-to-face with ”Heavenly Primogenitor”, they could not help but let their imagination run wild from shock.
According to myths and legends, the position of Heavenly Primogenitor was superior to the position of Primogenitor Lingbao. It was the chief of Taoism, the beginning of everything, and the Seed of All Karma!
The Emperor took a deep breath and made a solemn salute even while wildly speculating in his mind. ”We welcome thee, Primogenitor.”
There was more excitement over the arrival of the Heavenly Primogenitor than the other immortals
The ministers and eunuchs echoed the words of the Emperor.
”We welcome thee, Primogenitor.”
…
In a certain secret room, the only source of light was the single candle placed in the center.
More than ten people were gathered around the candle, with their faces hidden in the dark.
”What should we do now? We've received news from the other side that the Azure Palace has sent one of their immortals to escort the imperial envoy here,” a hoarse voice said.
”Humph! What else can we do? We either do it right or not do it at all! We'll deal with this envoy the same way we dealt with the previous two!” A gloomy voice responded resolutely.
A hesitant old voice spoke. ”That's an immortal from the Azure Palace that you're talking about...”
The powerful Azure Palace was steeped in great mystique. A mere mortal confronting an immortal was something that was sure to shake one's self-confidence.
”So what? Are you saying that we should give up and let all our hard work go to waste? Even though the Azure Palace is powerful, records from past years clearly indicate a disparity in strength among immortals. We're not completely helpless against some of them!” Another voice that sounded damaged spoke up.
”Since our affairs are yet to be exposed, the Azure Palace will not pay too much attention to us. They are unlikely to send a strong immortal here. All we have to do is sink the fleet of ships coming here, and they'll be forced to wait a whole year to pass through the Blight of the Immortals. By then, our plans will have long come to fruition and we'll have reaped the results of our hard work. What do we have to fear?”
The idea of benefits was enough to move their hearts, and desire had clouded their vision. When everyone heard this, they fell silent.
A sharp voice broke the silence after a short moment. ”Whatever the case, this old man here has never heard of the Azure Palace, nor do I believe that there are immortals in this world! You've all secretly moved your family and relatives here. What are you afraid of?”
”Then let's just deal with this envoy like we did the previous two but request 'his' help this time. We mustn't be careless when dealing with an immortal,” said the hoarse voice, the first one who had spoken.
”That's right. Either way, the one that Azure Palace has sent is a random, out-of-nowhere immortal called Heavenly Primogenitor. It's not an immortal on par with Progenitor Doumu or Immortal Taiyi. What's there to fear? With those two working together, they'll definitely be able to cause the fleet of ships to meet a 'sea accident' and sink in the Blight of the Immortals!” the low voice added.
The group gradually came to a consensus. After some time, someone asked:
”What's the current situation on the other side?”
…
The seawater was an indigo blue hue, undulating gently. Its surface reflected the lightning flickering in midair, creating beautiful, dreamy waves. The place was shrouded with a dense fog as if harboring incredibly terrifying monsters.