Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

Amidst the chaos, there lay an endless expanse, boundless and obscure, without direction nor end, with only the surging waves of Chaos Energy.

If one had never experienced chaos before, adapting at first would be nearly impossible. It was only because of Li Mingzhu's memories of the Spiritual Pearl that he could quickly adjust.

To locate a Saint's Daoist School within the chaos, one must have at least reached the cultivation of a Quasi-Sect Leader; otherwise, their own strength would be insufficient to find it.

To reach the Daoist School of a Saint, there is but one method: holding a Saint in one's heart. The Saint will sense it naturally and, if willing, will allow you to appear at their Daoist School. Otherwise, even if you traverse the entirety of chaos, you will never succeed. Naturally, Li Mingzhu didn't have the ability to traverse all of chaos.

"Disciple Li Mingzhu seeks an audience with Nuwa. I humbly request Your Majesty's approval."

Li Mingzhu, practical as ever, did not bother with silent pleading but instead called out directly into the void.

Right after he shouted, it was as if fortune smiled upon him. Respectfully, he addressed the void: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

As Li Mingzhu spoke, a Rainbow Bridge appeared within the chaos—the Saint's summons.

Meanwhile, in the Shangqing Realm's Yu the Great Heaven, the Saint Tongtian smiled faintly. In the Yuqing Realm, the Primordial Saint snorted coldly. In the Taiching Realm, the Saint Laozi remained serene as an unmoving well. The two Western Saints exchanged wry smiles.

After stepping onto the Rainbow Bridge, Li Mingzhu stowed away his Starship and followed the bridge towards Nuwa Palace.

In just moments, Li Mingzhu appeared outside Nuwa Palace, beholding the magnificent, golden resplendence of its towering palatial structures. To Li Mingzhu, it felt both familiar and unfamiliar.

The familiarity stemmed from the memories of the Spiritual Pearl, and the unfamiliarity came from the memories of this current lifetime.

As Li Mingzhu pondered, a young maiden in a bright red robe, seemingly in her prime, stepped out of the palace gates with a radiant smile.

"Spiritual Pearl greets Sister Cai Feng. To think the esteemed elder sister herself has come to receive me—what an honor!"

Li Mingzhu spoke with a cheerful grin, shedding his previously serious demeanor for the carefree attitude befitting someone his age.

"Little pearl, you've finally thought to pay your sister a visit? You've stayed so long in the Mortal World without coming back—tell me, what kind of punishment do you think your sister should mete out to you?"

Cai Feng said with a playful smile, looking at Li Mingzhu.

"Come now, Sister Cai Feng, aren't I here now?" Li Mingzhu chuckled as he casually strolled into the palace like its master.

"Hmph! Don't think I don't know—you're only here to beg for the Soil Treasure Lamp!"

Cai Feng snorted coldly but refrained from dragging out the reprimand, instead leading Li Mingzhu to meet Nuwa.

The grand hall was not as ostentatious as the exterior of the palace—it was simple yet not plain, perhaps reflecting Nuwa's nature as a woman.

"Spiritual Pearl pays homage to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy eternal peace."

"No need for formalities; I already know why you've come. The Innate Soil will naturally be bestowed upon you. Later, fetch it from the Treasure Vault, along with borrowing your junior sister Yang Chan's Treasure Lotus Lamp. Tongtian really is stingy—letting you join his sect without gifting you a single premium Innate Spiritual Treasure."

Nuwa spoke like an ordinary elder, delivering a lengthy speech, though Li Mingzhu was neither bored nor irritated. Instead, he felt warmth in his heart.

Yet inwardly, he couldn't help but grumble: "Stingy, you say? Not gifting premium treasures? Have you seen how massive the Jie Sect is?"

"Joined the Jie Sect only to bend inwardly toward another faction," he mused silently.

But of course, such thoughts were never uttered aloud—lest he risk being chased out of Nuwa Palace with flying cudgels.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for Your grace. It probably isn't necessary to borrow the Treasure Lotus Lamp, though, as it belongs to Junior Sister Yang Chan," Li Mingzhu said hesitantly.

Who was Yang Chan?

Perhaps the name was not widely recognized, but invoking the Treasure Lotus Lamp or the Three Saint Mothers would certainly stir no lack of recognition among the mortals of later generations.

Borrowing someone's spiritual treasure also entails causal connections, and for now, Li Mingzhu didn't wish to become entangled with Yang Chan. Thinking ahead to events post-Divine Enthronement, dealing with that family would be troublesome.

"What do you mean it's not necessary? Without the Treasure Lotus Lamp, how could you possibly handle that old Dragon King?" Nuwa retorted irritably. To her, the inhabitants of Nuwa Palace were like one family, and no familial ties should be estranged.

Having few disciples in her palace—merely three boys, including Li Mingzhu—those boys were amply endowed, living lavishly.

"Fine, then!"

Li Mingzhu replied reluctantly, his shoulders sagging.

"Grumbling about receiving benefits—why are you still here? Quickly go grab what you need and return to the Mortal World," Nuwa admonished, feigning a strike. Li Mingzhu quickly dashed toward the Treasure Vault.

"Brother Spiritual Pearl!"

As Li Mingzhu arrived at the Treasure Vault, he heard a crisp, melodious call.

Dressed in a flowing jade ceremonial skirt and adorned with the Five Elements Colored Phoenix Hairpin, Yang Chan appeared before him. Her features were exquisite and refined, her usual reserved nature betraying hints of excitement.

"Greetings, Junior Sister Yang Chan,"

Li Mingzhu responded with a smile, though he couldn't help steering his gaze away.

"Why are you avoiding me? Didn't you promise me that when you returned after reincarnation, you'd take me to find my second brother?"

Upon noticing Li Mingzhu's evasive gaze, Yang Chan snorted coldly, immediately perceiving his inner thoughts.

Indeed, his concerns revolved around this—bringing along baggage wouldn't help his plans.

"Don't underestimate me. I may lend you the Treasure Lotus Lamp, but I also have the Seven Stars Chasing Moon Whip. Besides, I've already reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm—you're no match for me now!"

Before Li Mingzhu could respond, Yang Chan preempted his words, effectively blocking his excuses.

"Very well, then. Should we inform Your Majesty about this?"

Li Mingzhu feigned resistance, asking deliberately.

"Hmm?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Yang Chan fixed him with a fierce glare. Li Mingzhu immediately shut his mouth, aware that even agreeable personalities could lose patience.

After receiving the Treasure Lotus Lamp and the Innate Soil, Li Mingzhu took Yang Chan and left Nuwa Palace. Before departing, they both respectfully performed a bow outside the palace gates.

Although no Rainbow Bridge accompanied their return journey, Nuwa thoughtfully opened a path for them, allowing direct passage from chaos to the starry expanse.

At the edge of the cosmos, Li Mingzhu and Yang Chan disembarked the Starship, gazing down at the Thirty-Three Layered Heaven Palace below.

Yang Chan momentarily lost herself in its splendor.

"Would you like to take a look?" Li Mingzhu asked gently, knowing Yang Ji, mother to Yang Chan and Yang Jian, resided within the Heavenly Palace after being rescued from Peach Mountain.

"No, let it be. Besides, the old Dragon King might strike Chentang Pass at any time," Yang Chan replied after a moment of deliberation, declining Li Mingzhu's suggestion.

In truth, Nuwa had already mentioned that Aoguang's breakthrough would take some more time.

"Alright, let's go."

Li Mingzhu said nothing further, but the mood grew somber, lacking the cheer they had shown upon leaving the palace.

Aboard the Starship and shrouded in obscurity, they made their way home.

Meanwhile, outside the South Heavenly Gate, a young man dressed in a black court robe, crowned in gold with faint, twin budding horns on his head, stood there. Despite his youthful appearance—perhaps no older than twenty—it was evident he was no ordinary figure to be present in the Heavenly Court.

"Father is so tiresome. How much trouble is it to kill some Mortal World brat, and yet he insists on reporting it to the Heavenly Court? What's so special about this Heavenly Court, anyway?"

With a face full of disdain, the youth glanced at the plaque of the South Heavenly Gate. Stepping forth, he prepared to descend to the Mortal World.