The King of Black Fog

In this age of enlightenment among the people, such matters are bound to stir up conflicts.

These have nothing to do with Li Changzhou; he and Yang Qinglan, accompanied by Li Qianxia, secretly visited the graves of Yang Qinglan's parents and his own grandparents to pay their respects.

Before the grave of Yang Qinglan's parents, he called them mom and dad, and then went to his grandparents' burial site.

Li Changzhou's grandparents' grave remained just as it was when there was no money, aside from regular weeding, no one had touched it, but the surroundings were as splendid as a memorial hall, Forest Park.

After paying respects, Li Changzhou said:

"Let's give thanks to Heaven and Earth, shall we? People must know gratitude, our current strength could change the world, but after all, we are nurtured by Heaven and Earth, giving thanks to them is both reasonable and appropriate."

"As you say." Yang Qinglan agreed with a smile.

The two knelt towards Heaven and Earth.

When people die, the light goes out, when they paid respects to their parents and grandparents, nothing happened, but now kneeling to Heaven and Earth, under the sensing of energy, vast vigor surged across the sky and the earth.

Thousands of rays of radiance, myriad hues, shone brightly on Earth.

The Earth was filled with ancient prayers, the sounds of those who have ever worshipped Heaven and Earth throughout history.

Since the birth of Earth, there had never been such a moment.

Two Earth Immortals paying homage to Heaven and Earth;

The Lord of the Six Great Stars, whose power, fate, and status surpassed anyone ever, Li Changzhou, was paying homage to Heaven and Earth.

A cloud of energy gathered in the sky, suddenly dispersing, revealing a Heavenly Ladder in the middle, leading straight to the heavens!

At the end of the Heavenly Ladder were layers of palaces, and tier upon tier of Grotto Heavens.

◇

Turquoise Pool.

"This is..."

The secluded fairy and the traveling goddess all stood up.

The astounding scenery of Turquoise Pool was evidently beyond Earth, but those layers of palaces and tier upon tier of Grotto Heavens were still above them, requiring everyone's gaze to look upwards.

"The new Heavenly Court!" The Nine Heavens Mystic Goddess, dressed in divine consort attire, suddenly stood up.

"No." The Queen Mother's voice came from Yao Platform, "It is the true Heavenly Court."

"The true Heavenly Court?" Immortal Mazu was puzzled, "Lady, wasn't the Heavenly Court already taken by His Majesty?"

"The Heavenly Court is the rule of the Tao Ancestor, where the Tao Ancestor returns the Tao to Heaven and Earth, naturally the Heavenly Court belongs to Heaven and Earth as well; what Emperor Hao took was merely a pile of gold and jade, a counterfeit gathered from faith."

The fairies were hearing this for the first time, all of them shocked beyond measure.

"Lady," The Nine Heavens Mystic Goddess looked towards Yao Platform, "Now with Li Changzhou's homage, the true Heavenly Court has emerged, could it be..."

She had an unbelievable conjecture in her heart.

"Indeed." The Queen Mother said, "Li Changzhou is recognized by Heaven and Earth as the new Primordial Heavenly Emperor, in the era of wilderness, he would be called 'Emperor Zhou.'

"Emperor Zhou..."

"But Lady!" The Flowers Fairy was puzzled, "Whether it be wilderness or primordial, the rule set by the Tao Ancestor is that only the Heavenly Position can be called Emperor, Li Daoist's strength is extraordinary, but he is merely at the beginning stage of Earth Immortal."

"If he were at the Heavenly Position, with his current power and status, the Heavenly Court would have already emerged independently to welcome the new Emperor; regarding the rule of the Tao Ancestor, the Tao Ancestor has already returned the Tao to Heaven, naturally Heaven has Its own rules."

Soon after, the fairies again heard the Queen Mother say: "Once Emperor Zhou ascends to the Heavenly Court and takes the throne, you all should go to pay homage."

The fairies were plunged into a shock deeper than the emergence of the Heavenly Court.

No matter about the Heavenly Court, ultimately everything boils down to strength; during the era ruled by Emperor Hao, the Jade Emperor, the Queen Mother still governed all fairies and stood on equal footing with the Jade Emperor.

Even if petitioning to the Tao Ancestor, the Tao Ancestor would merely say: "The Jade Emperor is the Father of Heaven and Earth, the Queen Mother the Mother of Heaven and Earth."

Not making the Queen Mother submit to the Heavenly Court.

It was simply that affairs of Heaven and Earth always required both genders to discuss together; having sat together for too long, the world ignorantly assumed them to be a couple.

In truth, the Jade Emperor has his own harem, and the Queen Mother's daughter was sculpted by herself to achieve sainthood.

The Queen Mother's "mother" meant the world's mother, not the empress holding sway over the world.

But now, the Queen Mother actually instructs them to pay homage to the new Emperor?

Is it because the new Emperor is an Earth Immortal and doesn't require high-status posturing, or is it because there's some secret with this new Emperor?

◇

On Earth, Li Changzhou was equally bewildered.

Just a wedding, why are things so complicated?

To him, it was simply troublesome; the Investiture of the Gods had already been taken, and the Heavenly Court was just a place to reside, what would he do with it?

His real estate was already plentiful enough.

[Don't think like that!] Guanyin, this beautiful woman, was particularly joyous today, she laughed, [Consider it a marriage gift from Heaven and Earth?]

[Bodhisattva speaks wisely!]

With this thought, Li Changzhou instantly felt happy.

"Never mind it, let's finish our bowing first." He said, smiling to Yang Qinglan.

Yang Qinglan nodded with a smile.

"With heaven and earth as witnesses, we vow to be husband and wife forever and ever, this heart shall never change."

The two bowed earnestly, thanking the Earth from their hearts for raising them, enabling them to be together happily.

The Heavenly Court pressing upon Earth instantly transformed, bedecked with lanterns and decorations, reaching the peak of festivity.

The clouds turned into dancers, into strongmen, into traveling dragons, into endless lanterns, celebrating amidst the Jade Palace.

Li Changzhou stood up and stretched out his hand to Yang Qinglan.

Yang Qinglan handed her hand to him.

"Shall we go up and take a look?"

"Sure."

The two walked up the Heavenly Ladder.

"Wait." Yang Qinglan said.

"What's wrong? You're not seriously getting a face cramp, are you?" Li Changzhou joked.

Yang Qinglan gave him a sideways glance and arranged his clothes.

Yang Qinglan was very beautiful, and Li Changzhou, who had never felt inferior, hoped when he saw her that he could have been born better, with more money.

But no matter how beautiful, after looking at someone for long, you grow accustomed.

Yet now, as she gently arranged his clothes, her eyes sparkling bright, the corners of her lips slightly smiling, she was more beautiful than ever.

Li Changzhou's heart felt instantly filled.

"It's done." This time Yang Qinglan took his hand proactively, "You're now someone who has established a family and a career, mind your image."

"Established a family and a career..."

"Brother! Close your mouth! Stop grinning like an idiot! The whole world is watching you!" Li Qianxia stood on a Heavenly Ladder step higher than Li Changzhou, aiming the Imaging Stone at them.

Li Changzhou held Yang Qinglan's hand with his right, covered his mouth like a mask with his left, unable to stop being so delighted that he couldn't help but smile.

The Turquoise Pool behind them summoned countless auspicious birds, the white birds chirped, feathers spreading like rainbows around the Heavenly Ladder.

The two hadn't walked long before abandoning the ritual—who in modern times could bear such a slow pace?

The two directly stepped into the sky, entering the South Heavenly Gate.

They didn't find the Pilgrimage Tower and Tongming Palace that should have been there, those two palaces must have been built later.

Ahead was the lone Lingxiao Palace.

The Lingxiao Palace had no dome, only nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine Heavenly Pillars, each adorned with a golden coiled dragon.

"I am starting to doubt now, whether I am still within the illusion of fate." Li Changzhou felt his life was too perfect.

"What truly supports a person to go on is not reality but the inner fantasies and aspirations; when fantasies and aspirations within the heart enter reality, of course, there's a dreamlike feeling."

Li Changzhou turned his face aside with amusement: "Even at this moment, you're still able to analyze so calmly, my great philosopher?"

"Not calm, nor analysis, it's just my current feeling." Yang Qinglan also looked at him, happiness and bliss painted upon her exquisite, airy face.

"Then let me analyze it, you follow me, step inside, sit on that spot," he pointed at the highest Cloud Platform throne in Lingxiao Palace, "From now on, the faith in Gu She Divine Woman shall flow like mighty rivers, unending, what say you, my lady?"

Yang Qinglan smiled with pursed lips.

"If I sit up there, what if my face really cramps?"

"My knees are quite weak too."

"No worries, I can hold you."

"Then I'll watch over you, if you do cramp, I'll hug you at once."

"Fake, how could the Goddess have cramps, mind your steps instead."

"Then I am fake too, how could the Divine Body have weak knees?"

Li Changzhou gently swung the hand they were holding together, walking towards the grand hall, midway Yang Qinglan forcibly stopped their swinging hands.

Joyful as they were, yet this was Lingxiao Palace, not a trip to the countryside.

She, Yang Qinglan, was now also a married woman, needing to mind her image too.

As the two sat on the Lingxiao Throne, three golden streams descended from the void, suspended before them.

Upon the golden clouds were the Heavenly Emperor Sealing God Seal, Earth Emperor Reincarnation Tower, Human Emperor's Sheji Sword.

Li Changzhou single-handedly bore the burden of the three supreme Divine Positions.

"Nine Heavens Mystic Goddess, by decree of The Queen Mother of the West, leads a group of Fairies, to congratulate Your Majesty on your ascent!"

Outside the Heavenly Court, myriad Immortals gathered.

On the Earth, Earth LLC.

"Quick!" Yafeiluna disregarded etiquette, directly opening the teleportation gate, allowing the Six Great Stars' Immortals to directly teleport to the South Heavenly Gate, ensuring they catch the festive celebrations.