Chapter Sixty: Within the Palace of Purple Clouds

Tongtian felt both sorrowful and joyful. The sorrow came from the realization that a barrier had formed between himself and the Grand Supreme Elder Lord as well as the Primordial Heaven Lord—a barrier that could never be broken. The joy was in finally being able to let go of the identity he carried from another world.

In the past, Tongtian had always feared that if the two of them discovered his true origins, they would truly sever all ties with him. Yet now, the Grand Supreme Elder Lord had pleaded on his behalf and suffered for it, and the Primordial Heaven Lord was deeply grieved. This, in a twisted way, proved that they had already accepted him as "Tongtian."

His head spun and his vision remained a little blurred. He saw a girl pacing back and forth before him. In a soft voice, Tongtian asked, "Who are you?"

Though he had not expended his magical power, his heart had suffered, his spirit wounded.

At this, the girl cried out happily, "Senior Brother Tongtian is awake! Senior Brother Tongtian is awake!"

Why did that voice sound so familiar? Looking closer, was it not his own junior sister, Little Jade Pool?

Staring at Jade Pool's joyful face, Tongtian asked, "Why are you here?"

Only then did he survey his surroundings and immediately inquire, "Where is this place?"

She giggled, "The great calamity is about to begin. The Master ordered us to summon you seniors to the Purple Cloud Palace for a meeting. When I arrived at Mount Kunlun, I saw you collapsed on the ground. I quickly informed the Grand Supreme and Primordial Heaven, and together we brought you to the Purple Cloud Palace." The little lass recounted the scene unhurriedly, explaining every detail to Tongtian.

So he would still have to face the Grand Supreme Elder Lord and the Primordial Heaven Lord—what would he say to them? Tongtian pondered inwardly, then recalled the state of those two.

"Are my two elder brothers all right?" He knew in his heart he was not truly "Tongtian," but after countless millennia together, the feelings between them could not be false.

"They're about the same as you," Little Jade Pool said, rubbing her temple and eyeing Tongtian with a hint of doubt. "What?"

At her words, Tongtian sat bolt upright, grabbed her small hand in agitation, and exclaimed, "What happened to them?" In his concern, he failed to consider her meaning.

She had said "about the same," but Tongtian, sometimes clever and sometimes foolish, worried regardless. Indeed, it only showed the depth of his bond with the Grand Supreme Elder Lord and the Primordial Heaven Lord. Deep feelings cannot be severed by mere words; concern is inevitable.

"You all don't know why, but your realms became unstable, giving rise to inner demons. But it's fine now. Once you see things clearly, everything will pass. Isn't there a saying: 'Whether you get through it or not, everything becomes the past eventually'?" Their eyes met, and Jade Pool truly feared Tongtian would do something reckless.

But at this moment, Tongtian had no mind to tease this little lass. Seeing him gaze at her, her cheeks flushed crimson, two clouds of red blooming on her already rosy face.

Witnessing her embarrassment, Tongtian couldn't help but laugh. Jade Pool promptly pushed away his hand, sprang to her feet, and stood up quickly.

Tongtian wanted to say more, but just then Haotian burst in, panting, and addressed Tongtian, "Senior Brother Tongtian, are you all right? Eh? Jade Pool, why is your face so red? Are you ill?" As he spoke, he reached out to touch Little Jade Pool, but she shoved his hand away and dashed out.

"What's gotten into her? It's so rare for Senior Brother Tongtian to visit, and yet she acts this way. Please don't take it to heart, Senior Brother, that's just how she is," Haotian said sheepishly, scratching his head.

Tongtian could hardly admit he was the cause. He could only laugh and say, "It's nothing, nothing at all," patting Haotian on the shoulder.

"Oh, right! The Master sent me to call you to the meeting." Concerned only with Tongtian and Jade Pool, he had nearly forgotten his true purpose, and quickly apologized.

"I'm fine. You should check on Little Jade Pool," Tongtian replied with a gentle smile.

Hearing this, Haotian's face turned anxious; he nodded respectfully to Tongtian and hurried out.

Tongtian rose, having just checked his own realm with spiritual sense. It was stable; though inner demons had arisen, for some reason they had now completely vanished. Wearing a look of relief, he strode toward the assembly hall.

There, the Grand Supreme Elder Lord, the Primordial Heaven Lord, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti sat motionless upon their cushions. At the sound of someone entering, they all turned to look.

The Grand Supreme Elder Lord and the Primordial Heaven Lord narrowed their eyes and called out, "Little junior brother, what took you so long?"

Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti were all startled, their eyes wide. What was going on? Had they not always addressed each other as "brothers"? Why had the form of address changed?

Do not underestimate such a seemingly minor shift—just the change of two words made it clear that a barrier had formed in their hearts.

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a secret smile: "The opportunity for the West has come."

Nuwa, meanwhile, sneered inwardly: "These so-called Three Pure Ones—Heavenly Lords—are willing to tear away all pretense for the sake of their own interests."

Hearing the words of the Grand Supreme Elder Lord and the Primordial Heaven Lord, Tongtian felt a tumult of emotions. In the past, they had been true brothers, doing everything for one another, but now, though they were cordial on the surface, the brotherly affection had vanished without a trace.

Tongtian forced a bitter smile and replied, "I was delayed by some trifles, and so arrived late."

He knew well that now they must cover up even the last trace of their brotherhood—a mutual intention of the Grand Supreme Elder Lord and the Primordial Heaven Lord. Otherwise, why would they not have greeted him properly upon his arrival?

Even Nuwa, whom Tongtian had once aided, did not salute him immediately. Such is the way of the world; when you possess absolute strength, none of this will trouble you. As for Jieyin and Zhunti, there was no need to speak of them—they played the roles of good cop and bad cop, endlessly troublesome.

Tongtian did not bother with them, but strode forward and sat down heavily upon a cushion.

Zhunti's eyes flickered, and he addressed Tongtian: "Fellow Daoist Tongtian, do you know why the Master has summoned us here? Please enlighten us!"

Though Tongtian had yet to reply, Zhunti's words already implied that Tongtian knew the reason. Tongtian frowned and looked at Zhunti.

Today is New Year's Day. I went out shopping and it wore me out—so there will only be one chapter today. I hope all of you will understand.