Early morning.

Yu Yuan awoke from a long-missed deep sleep, stretched lazily, and felt refreshed in his spirit and his body.

In recent days, he had been residing in the Heavenly Emperor Hall, neither stepping out the main gate nor crossing the second, yet he felt no sense of constraint or entrapment, only tranquility and peace.

The Great God Fu Xi was magnanimous and did not press Yu Yuan about his affairs.

Nor did Yu Yuan volunteer much information.

That day, while the two were playing a game of chess, Yu Yuan casually remarked, "Your Majesty, this place is indeed tranquil, a fine location conducive to serene cultivation, superior by far to the Penglai Holy Realm."

The Great God Fu Xi smiled gently, then pointed to the chessboard and said, "Checkmate."

Yu Yuan looked down only to find his side's camp scattered in disarray, utterly defeated, with not a single chance left for his trapped general.

"Lost again."

He couldn't help but sigh, tossing the chess pieces he'd been fiddling with back onto the board.

The Great God Fu Xi wore a faint smile on his face and said calmly, "Shall we play another round?"

Yu Yuan shook his head and changed the subject, "By the way, the Heavenly Emperor Hall seems cold and deserted, but I've noticed frequent bustling activity outside recently, quite noisy. What's going on?"

Upon hearing this, the Great God Fu Xi's smile faded slightly. After a moment of silence, he spoke, "The world bustles after gain, and all the hustle is for profit... Such is human nature. Pay it no mind!"

Yu Yuan nodded thoughtfully.

It seemed that these Three Saint Emperors of the Fire Cloud Palace were not as united as one might think!

Indeed, as soon as Yu Yuan first set foot in the Fire Cloud Palace, he had sensed something amiss.

It wasn't just one Saint Emperor of the Human Race in the Fire Cloud Palace; there were three.

Aside from the Heavenly Emperor Fu Xi, there were also the Earth Emperor Shennong, and the Human Emperor Xuanyuan.

As the saying goes, a mountain cannot harbor two tigers; the convergence of three emperors, despite being "retired", inevitably led to some friction and collision.

Moreover, each of the three emperors brought along a host of loyal followers to the Fire Cloud Palace.

It was impossible for all to be of one mind and heart.

Besides, all three Saint Emperors had received the support of Saints of the Heavenly Dao during their ascendancy to deity.

Among them, Fu Xi Saint Emperor had attained enlightenment first.

From his reincarnation as a member of the Human Race to becoming a Human Path Saint Emperor, the support of his sister, the Nuwa Saint, was indispensable.

And the Earth Emperor Shennong, in Chen State, had been guided by the Taiching Saint and, with the help of a whip, came to taste all herbs, understand their properties, compile 'Shennong's Hundred Herbs Scripture' and thus certified as a Human Path Saint Emperor.

As for the Human Emperor Xuanyuan, he had been enlightened by the Yuqing Saint, ultimately defeating Chi You, unifying the Human Race, and became a Human Path Saint Emperor.

In simple terms, the three Human Path Saint Emperors were each associated with Nuwa Empress, Taiching Saint, and Yuqing Saint. Now, with Yu Yuan—a figure called a "demon" by both Taiching and Yuqing Saints—openly residing in the Heavenly Emperor Hall, it was only natural for the Earth Emperor Hall and Human Emperor Hall to react.

However, judging from the current response, it was far less intense than he'd anticipated, almost like a formality.

...

Human Emperor Hall

Ying Long entered the hall, head hanging and listless, and paid respects to the Human Emperor Xuanyuan, "To report to Your Majesty, that Yu Yuan has been hiding out in the Heavenly Emperor Hall and refuses to emerge. What shall we do?"

In the hall, only the Human Emperor Xuanyuan was present.

His indecision before Guang Chengzi was now replaced by composure as he said, "Isn't this quite fine? Or do you truly wish to court death?"

Ying Long, momentarily stunned, asked, "Your Majesty means?"

Xuanyuan gave him a glance and said irritably, "Can't you think for yourself? Even those several Saints are endlessly contending over Yu Yuan; it's not so easy to kill him."

"Ah?" Ying Long was somewhat bewildered, "But Your Majesty, earlier..."

"Yu Yuan came to the Fire Cloud Palace; as such, it was natural for me to inform the Chan Sect. And Guang Chengzi was my mentor before I became a Daoist; I owe him that much courtesy," Xuanyuan spoke indifferently, "He wishes to use me as his pawn, so I will simply act the part. Only an oaf like you would take it seriously..."

"So it is—" Enlightenment dawned on Ying Long. He felt genuinely relieved, "Does that mean I need not confront Yu Yuan anymore?"

Not too pleased, Xuanyuan gave a glance to his charioteer, waved his hand somewhat resignedly and ordered, "Go on then, guard the entrance well. The Heavenly Emperor's birthday celebration is approaching; let's not have any mishaps."

"Your servant obeys!" Ying Long bowed joyously and exited to attend to the gate outside.

...

Time flew by, and soon the birthday of the Heavenly Emperor Fu Xi arrived.

On this day, the usually quiet Heavenly Emperor Hall became a bustling hub as many rarely seen primordial Immortal Gods came to offer their congratulations.

For instance, Zhen Yuanzi, the master of the Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain.

Or the Nuwa Empress from West Kunlun.

Or the Daoist Kong Xuan.

Various powers and entities of ancient prowess who couldn't be present sent their disciples with gifts of congratulations.

The Heavenly Emperor Hall was redecorated, resplendent and grand, suffused with immortal aura, exuding a harmonious atmosphere.

Yet beneath this splendid gathering of esteemed guests, there was a solitary spot that stood out in its quietness, where a young, distinguished-looking Daoist sat alone behind a table, upon a meditation cushion.

This young Daoist was none other than Yu Yuan.

When those Immortal Gods who came to celebrate the birthday recognized him, the "Outer Heaven Demon" mingling among the crowd, one by one reacted as if they had encountered their natural enemy, choosing to keep a respectful distance.

Although they did not dare to leave directly due to respect for the Emperor, they certainly did not want to have any association with a dangerous element like Yu Yuan.

Therefore, within the vast Heavenly Emperor Hall, he appeared as if isolated, distinctly out of place.

Yu Yuan, however, was indifferent.

He treated these Immortal Gods as if they were invisible, unheard, considering them as nothing more than air.

His gaze wandered, scanning the many faces in the hall.

Eventually, his eyes settled on two Daoists.

One had a broad bald head with youthful looks, holding a walking stick, emanating a kind and benevolent aura; the other was dressed in a Daoist robe patterned with Eight Diagrams cloud design, with a handsome and refined appearance, exuding an immortal charm and a sense of detachment from the worldly realm.

These were the leading disciple of the Chan Sect, Nanji Immortal, and that fortunate Golden Immortal Yun Zhongzi!

Yu Yuan was somewhat surprised.

Ever since the incident that day, Yun Zhongzi had disappeared without a trace, presumably taken away by Yuanshi Tianzun.

Yu Yuan had attempted to contact him using a bronze mirror afterward, but he never replied.

Unexpectedly, he had bumped into him here today.

He did not rashly speak out, instead secretly took out the bronze mirror, writing: Nephew, it's been so long, why don't you greet your uncle when you see him?

After sending the message out, Yu Yuan saw Yun Zhongzi in the crowd tremble slightly, then slowly turn his head.

Yu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

He did not see any joy or any other emotion in Yun Zhongzi's eyes, only a well-like tranquility.

Yun Zhongzi merely gave him an indifferent glance and then turned away, whispering something to Nanji Immortal beside him.

Following that, the Nanji Immortal looked towards Yu Yuan, his eyes carrying a hint of cool indifference.

Yu Yuan frowned slightly, feeling that Yun Zhongzi had become a different person altogether.

At that moment, he felt a hunch in his heart, sensing that the bronze mirror had received a new message.

He lowered his head, his gaze sweeping over the bronze mirror in his hand, only to see it marked with a somewhat frantic immortal character—

Uncle!

This character "Uncle" came from a "Gen" marked bronze mirror.

And the "Gen" marked bronze mirror was in the possession of Yun Zhongzi!

Could it be that he had deliberately ignored him just now?

What exactly was he up to?

Yu Yuan was puzzled.

While he was contemplating, suddenly a voice rang in his ear:

"Yu Yuan Immortal!"

The voice was crisp and pleasant, as enchanting as the song of a lark.

Yu Yuan turned in astonishment, only to see a familiar figure.

The newcomer was graced with exquisite beauty, high cheekbones sculpting perfect facial features, curved eyes glistening like bright crescents, exuding clarity, depth, and gentleness. She was dressed in a gorgeous white gown adorned with gold threads, shining brilliantly, with a faint fragrance emanating from her.

"Princess Long Ji?"

Yu Yuan called out, somewhat surprised.

At this moment, the princess of the Heavenly Court gazed at him with a beaming smile, casually waving her hand, "Just call me Long Ji."

As she spoke, she seated herself next to the vacant spot beside Yu Yuan.

Not far away, some Immortal Gods from the Heavenly Court changed their expressions, many of them sending messages to Long Ji, asking her to get up and leave, but she ignored them all, looking at Yu Yuan with a chuckle:

"I was somewhat reluctant to come to Fire Cloud Palace on my mother's behalf to celebrate the occasion, but I didn't expect to bump into you here… By the way, I heard that you've run into trouble, Yu Yuan. Have you found a solution yet?"

"…"

Faced with Princess Long Ji's enthusiasm that seemed a bit too much, Yu Yuan too was somewhat overwhelmed.

Especially seeing the strange looks from the surrounding Immortal Gods directed at Long Ji, he smiled and advised, "Your Highness, it's best if you stay away from me. In their eyes, I'm nothing but an evil demon right now…"

"You couldn't be an evil demon!" Long Ji interrupted him without hesitation, her bright eyes steadfastly fixed on Yu Yuan, earnestly saying, "I believe in you, Immortal. No matter what others say, I believe you could never be any demon!"

Their conversation, though quiet, still drew the attention of some nearby Immortal Gods, and for a moment, surprised or puzzled gazes concentrated on them.

In the group of Immortal Gods from the Heavenly Court, an elderly Daoist was also watching them.

This old Daoist was none other than Fu Yuan Immortal, who was in charge of managing the marital fates of the Three Realms.

At this moment, seeing Long Ji disregarding the stares of others, and insisting on approaching Yu Yuan, a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes.

As the Divine in charge of the matrimonial affairs of the Three Realms, he quickly grasped the situation.

Hmph, daring to create havoc in my Xianghuo Linyu Palace!

Fu Yuan Immortal's eyes flashed with a harsh light, and his lips curved into a sinister cold smile.

"The matrimony of the Three Realms is mine alone to manipulate, how can I let you do as you please?"

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