Chapter 65: The Mysterious Goddess of Penglai

Despite their grandiose airs and constant need to show off, the truth is that few in the cultivation world genuinely like them. Yet, they remain oblivious, believing others respect or fear them, walking around with their noses in the air.

"Of course, they can't compare to you," Ling Ji said, blinking and glancing at Ye Jianghuai.

"He is a deity who ascended during the Tang Dynasty and served under the Heavenly Court. It's not surprising you haven't heard of him," Ye Jianghuai explained, noticing that Xing Miao's explanation had missed the mark. He then gave a brief overview of the current celestial system to Ling Ji.

Using the Shang and Zhou Dynasties as a dividing line, earlier immortals cultivated themselves through rigorous practice, forming a solid foundation and achieving profound cultivation, free and unrestrained. Apart from their sect and senior friends, no one could command them.

At that time, the great war between deities and demons had long ended. The demon court established by Donghuang Taiyi and Emperor Jun had passed through several hands and ultimately landed in the care of the Jade Emperor, a mere attendant of Daoist ancestors.

However, the Jade Emperor's power was minimal, and few respected him. Though they called him the Jade Emperor out of respect for the Daoist ancestors, they didn't take him seriously, let alone fight for him or offer counsel.

The Jade Emperor, aware of his situation, sought help from the Daoist ancestors, leading to the later War of the Gods.

This war saw the disciples of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) suffer massive casualties. Most who survived the disaster or were forcefully taken west were listed on the God-Sealing List, becoming official gods with titles and positions in the Heavenly Court but without freedom.

Later immortals, even those who chose to remain free rather than serve in the Heavenly Court, were generally less powerful than their predecessors. Thus, they were collectively called the "Later Immortals."

Lü Dongbin belonged to this category.

During that time, the influence of the immortal sects waned, and the Three Pure Ones ceased to take in disciples. The Heavenly Court, aiming to attract talented individuals, began to promote their own disciples, which is how the Eight Immortals' fame grew.

The once brilliant celestial beings and great demons gradually faded into the annals of history, becoming unknown.

"No wonder I don't remember that name at all," Ling Ji said, her curiosity satisfied after Ye Jianghuai's explanation. She looked down on the old Daoist even more.

Their conversation wasn't particularly hushed, so Daoist Lü, who had just finished flattering Madam Zhao, heard everything.

When Xing Miao brazenly claimed her ancestor was inferior to a young girl, Daoist Lü's eyes bulged. He grabbed his horsetail whisk, intending to argue, but seeing Ye Jianghuai and the girl conversing quietly, he hesitated, his surface politeness masking his inner fear. The more he listened, the more alarmed and wary he became.

Back then, a young Ye Jianghuai nearly exposed him, jeopardizing his cousin's plans. Now, ten years later, he still felt outmatched.

By the end of their conversation, Daoist Lü's pride as a disciple of Pure Yang was as battered as a flower in a storm, reduced to a mere bud.

"Bah, bah, bah," he mentally chastised himself for his rebellious thoughts, discarding them. He steadied himself and asked Madam Zhao, "Are the preparations complete?"

"Yes, everything is ready." As Daoist Lü was drawing talismans, Madam Zhao had already prepared the necessary items. She led him to a tray covered in fine sand. "Here are Yu Xi's birth details," she said, handing over a red paper with her son's birth date.

Daoist Lü took the paper, folded it, and put it in his sleeve. He then affixed another red paper, inscribed with "The Divine Seat of the Purple Goddess," to the bathroom door.

He lit two red candles, walked around the sand tray three times to the left and three times to the right, burned the paper with Yu Xi's birth details, let it turn to ash over the sand, and covered the ashes with a handful of glutinous rice.

Finally, he lit seven incense sticks, placed them in the rice, sat cross-legged, and chanted, "With clear tea, I invite you to the world, through the cavernous heavens, in a state of inebriation, stars accompanying the journey. The dragon king presents golden pearls, and the disciple sincerely invites the immortal of Penglai, the Purple Goddess!"

As he finished, the incense smoke, which had been rising steadily, suddenly sank as if pulled by an unseen force, then shot straight toward the bathroom.

The red paper on the bathroom door fluttered without wind, rustling as if something wanted to leap out.

The sight left Madam Zhao and the other mortals wide-eyed and breathless.

To Ling Ji, however, the scene appeared quite different. "Oh," she softly exclaimed, as if seeing something unbelievable. "It's coming out."

Coming out? What's coming out?

Before Xing Miao and Jin Hong could ask, they saw the red paper on the bathroom door ignite without fire, burning to ashes. As the ashes fell, a graceful, ethereal figure appeared before them.

Of course, Madam Zhao and the other mortals couldn't see this figure. Only those like Ling Ji and those with spiritual cultivation could.

"Purple Goddess," Daoist Lü respectfully bowed to the goddess he had successfully summoned.

"Who are you?" the Purple Goddess asked, ignoring him and instead staring intently at the black-clad girl nearby. One hand subtly slipped into her sleeve, gripping something.

"Ling Ji," the girl replied, curiously eyeing the goddess. She stepped out from behind Ye Jianghuai and studied the Purple Goddess for a while, noting the tension in her grip. "You're quite unusual," she finally said, her tone innocent.

The Purple Goddess was stunned. The girl continued, "You have great potential and excellent origins. Why is your cultivation so weak?"

More importantly, the goddess's soul had a layer of darkness, like a pearl covered in dust or a sword sheathed and unused.

The Purple Goddess's expression shifted dramatically, her face paling as emotions of humiliation, resentment, and eventually resignation flashed in her eyes. "You have sharp eyes," she finally said.

Ling Ji blinked, puzzled by the sudden coldness in the goddess's aura. She hesitated, unsure if she should respond to the compliment. Was it a compliment?

"You can see it?" Madam Zhao, seeing the girl seemingly talking to herself, grew fearful. Daoist Lü had clearly called out to the Purple Goddess, and the girl's actions seemed natural, not faked. Remembering her earlier behavior towards them, Madam Zhao grew apprehensive.

"Daoist..." she instinctively turned to Daoist Lü for reassurance.

Daoist Lü sensed the divine presence, its aura peaceful and celestial. He nodded to Madam Zhao, "It's alright."

Seeing it or not, her age suggested she couldn't have cultivated much power. Yet, despite his reasoning, Daoist Lü felt an ominous premonition, as if his life's work would crumble today.

He suppressed his anxiety, reassuring himself, "She must be bluffing. There's no way she can see the goddess."

Having been reminded by Madam Zhao, he regained his composure. "Purple Goddess, please reveal Zhao Yu Xi's whereabouts."

He placed a blade of divination grass on the sand tray. Remarkably, the blade stood upright, and a line of characters slowly formed on the smooth sand.

"Southeast, thirty kilometers, abandoned factory."

Seeing the message, Madam Zhao covered her mouth, sobbing on her husband's shoulder, "We've finally found him."

Daoist Lü's eyes gleamed with joy. He lit seven more incense sticks, circled the sand tray, and respectfully said, "Please, Purple Goddess, return to your place."

The incense smoke spiraled upwards, stopping abruptly three feet above the tray, as if frozen.

Daoist Lü's face turned pale.

Madam Zhao, eager to thank the Daoist and rushed to find her son, noticed his alarm and followed his gaze to the stationary smoke.

"What... What happened?" She didn't understand much about these rituals, but anyone could see something was wrong.

Daoist Lü's throat felt constricted, unable to speak.

"Nothing. It's just that the goddess... doesn't want to leave," Ling Ji said, looking at the unmoving purple figure and the pale-faced Daoist Lü. She suddenly understood.

Oh, this must be what mortals mean by "easy to summon, hard to dismiss."

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