Mang Shusheng's Ink Painting Practice

Chapter 237 The Receiving Person
Zhao Yifu originally wanted to follow Master Wenheng's instructions and hide himself first, waiting for him to send someone to pick him up.

But no one expected that soon someone would appear on a silver auspicious cloud floating over from the horizon.

It will be in front of you almost in an instant.

Zhao Yifu saw the person on the auspicious cloud clearly, and found that it was a fairy with icy skin and a cold and arrogant expression.

He hesitated whether to hide or not, then realized that he was also a person with background. If he encountered some "wild monsters", he should hide, but when he encountered this kind of monster that obviously had background, there was no need to hide.

"Is the person below Fellow Daoist Zhao who just ascended to the upper realm?"

Zhao Yifu heard that the fairy was really looking for him, so he clasped his fists and said, "That's me. I don't know what this fairy's name is. I didn't expect the Grandmaster to send a fairy to pick me up so soon."

The fairy frowned slightly, then said, "You can call me Aurora. The ancestor sent me to find you."

Zhao Yifu asked, "So it's Senior Sister Jiguang. I'll trouble you then."

Aurora glanced at him calmly and said, "Don't try to make connections. Come on, let's go."

Zhao Yifu nodded quickly and said, "Okay, I'll be right there."

After saying this, he leaped up and landed on the cloud.

However, just as she stepped onto the cloud, the Aurora Fairy suddenly showed a look of panic, and the bright silver auspicious cloud was about to fall down due to its weight.

Zhao Yifu felt that the place where he stepped was very deep, as if he would fall through the clouds at any time.

Fairy Aurora hurriedly exerted all her strength and finally stopped the decline of the bright cloud before it fell to the ground.

She bit her teeth and asked, "Why are you so heavy? No, if you were this heavy, you couldn't become an immortal. How much stuff did you bring with you?!"

Zhao Yifu felt quite embarrassed upon hearing this. He carefully opened his sleeves and said, "Senior Sister, I couldn't bear to leave these little guys behind, so I brought them with me to the upper realm."

The Aurora Fairy took a closer look and was dumbfounded.

She saw four round, furry cat heads timidly squeezed out from Zhao Yifu's cuffs.

They meowed softly and then retreated all at once.

When the Aurora Fairy looked deeper, she discovered that there was a hidden world inside the seemingly simple sleeves. Hundreds of furry cats were huddled together inside, looking a little uncomfortable... and precisely because of this, each of them was surprisingly delicate like a 'sickly beauty'.

"you……"

She suddenly didn't know what to say.

Then he took a deep breath and said, "As expected of someone the ancestor values ​​so highly, you're actually able to bring so many lower-level cat demons with you to the upper realm... You truly are quite magnanimous!"

I don't know if it was an illusion, but her tone was noticeably friendlier.

This may be the charm of cats.

Zhao Yifu said self-reproachfully, "I didn't expect the upper realm to be so dangerous. Four cats died just after arriving in heaven without me noticing... Sigh, I'll have to wait for the next chance to visit them in the underworld. I hope they can adapt to life as ghost messengers in the underworld."

Fairy Aurora remained stern upon hearing this. She wasn't curious about Zhao Yifu's relationship with the underworld, but simply said, "In the future, avoid interacting with people from the underworld. It's not worth it."

Zhao Yifu was a little surprised that she would say that.

But he would not argue with her at this time, he just nodded and said nothing.

The Aurora Fairy gritted her teeth and increased her output, and it took a lot of effort to raise the auspicious cloud again!
It looked like he wanted to directly "overload the cloud" and send Zhao Yifu and the cats to heaven.

Zhao Yifu was therefore very fond of the Aurora Fairy. He thought she would let him leave the cats where they were!

However, what he didn't know was that the Aurora Fairy was now competing with him!

She couldn't imagine that Zhao Yifu could actually complete the journey to immortality while dragging so many burdens with him. This was something beyond her cognitive limits, and she was full of dissatisfaction at this time... After all, she was a person who had practiced in this heaven for a long time, how could she lose to a newly ascended person in this regard?
Of course, Zhao Yifu didn't know that she was competing with him...so it was equivalent to Aurora competing with herself.

Just like that, a fairy-like auspicious cloud flew out like a "hand-crank tractor". It was trembling in the sky, shaking every few distances, which made people worry whether it would fall down.

And the cold fairy also became a "farm machinery driver" at this moment.

At this moment, Zhao Yifu’s many aspirations for becoming an immortal were actually shattered. He always felt that flying on the clouds was not so cool?

It is said that the first impression is very important. Now this Aurora Fairy is the first fairy he has seen in heaven, and she has been given a very stereotyped impression: riding a cloud is not cool at all.

The two of them were floating slowly in the sky. Fortunately, after a while, the Aurora Fairy seemed to have adapted and the speed gradually increased.

With the breeze blowing on his face, Zhao Yifu felt much happier.

However, he saw that the Aurora Fairy was having a hard time riding the clouds, so he wanted to share some of the burden.

After thinking about it all the way, he actually came up with some solutions.

Then use 'Taixu Forbidden Book'!
His soul is not yet able to influence the surroundings, but the Taixu Forbidden Book can.

Because this Taixu Forbidden Book can be said to be his magic weapon for achieving enlightenment, his soul is completely connected with it.

He discovered that the divine consciousness released through the Taixu Forbidden Book could actually interfere with the surroundings...

Therefore, he called upon some of the power of the Taixu Forbidden Book and used his divine consciousness to help lift the auspicious clouds.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he did this, the Aurora Fairy turned around and looked at him in surprise.

He smiled brightly and said, "Senior Sister, I know I'm heavy, so I want to help."

Was Fairy Aurora surprised by this? She was simply surprised that Zhao Yifu had been able to adapt to the environment of the heavens in such a short period of time and even interfere with the outside world with his soul.

You know, even among the gods in heaven, there are many who cannot achieve this step until they encounter the five signs of decay.

This is why many of the gods in heaven look weak... It's not just looks, they are really weak!

And people like Zhao Yifu are almost destined to be strong.

The Aurora Fairy hesitated for a moment, but still said nothing.

She carried Zhao Yifu all the way up and then arrived at the West Heaven Gate.

Zhao Yifu felt relieved when he saw this place. West Heaven Gate, here is the territory of his own master Wen Heng.

Although the senior sister sent to pick him up seemed a little unreliable, but now that he had arrived at Xitianmen, he was considered to have "returned to the organization."

However, to his surprise, he did not go to the West Heaven Gate, but came to another place outside the West Heaven Gate, which was shrouded in dark clouds covered by thunder.

He suddenly realized, "This is the Heavenly Prison."

Fairy Aurora pondered for a moment and said, "Do you know what the scene is like in the Heavenly Prison?"

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "The prisoners held there are mostly gods who have committed crimes, as well as some powerful demons who have violated the laws of heaven but their sins are not serious or have some background."

"These immortals, gods, and demons are imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, suffering daily from lightning and fire. Their misery is unbearable," Fairy Aurora said. "Not only that, it's freezing cold and desolate, with strong winds baptizing them day and night... Although you're not a prisoner, staying there for a hundred years wouldn't be a good thing."

"How about I ask the old ancestor to spare you from this hundred years of hard labor?"

Zhao Yifu was quite moved by what he heard. He said, "Thank you, Senior Sister Jiguang, for your concern. I've endured these hundred years of hard labor because of the sins I committed in the lower realm. I've already been blessed by the grace of many elders and have been allowed to ascend to heaven to receive punishment. How can I burden the Grandmaster with these matters again?"

Fairy Aurora was a little dazed when she heard this, as if she didn't expect him to be so aware.

So he said, "Okay, I'll take you there first... If you really can't bear it, call me and I'll ask the ancestor for mercy on your behalf."

Zhao Yifu was touched and thought that this senior sister was quite nice.

So he said more firmly: "Don't worry, Senior Sister, this is mine!"

He will never make things difficult for those he cares about or who care about him. This is a man's responsibility and also his style from the mortal world.

Seeing that he was so persistent, the Aurora Fairy said no more and flew with him into the dark cloud surrounded by lightning.

The visibility here is extremely low. Apart from the fleeting flash of lightning, Zhao Yifu can only feel the bone-chilling coldness... This is definitely not a good place.

After passing through the thick clouds, Zhao Yifu even felt that there might be a secret of space extension here.

Suddenly, a huge rock pillar appeared in front of Zhao Yifu.

The rock pillar has an obsidian luster all over, and its base is supported by dark clouds, just like a mountain peak emerging from the clouds.

But Zhao Yifu knew that it was the Heavenly Prison.

There was a flat top on top of this huge rock pillar. Zhao Yifu could only look up at this time and saw countless thunders falling on the top of the rock pillar, covering about one-third of the height.

From a distance, the rock pillar was surrounded by densely packed small rooms, and faint wails and the sounds of chains vibrating could be heard.

Could it be that those small rooms scattered around the rock pillars are prison cells?

Zhao Yifu didn't dare to look any further. He followed the Aurora Fairy into the Heavenly Prison and discovered that except for the central part, more than two-thirds of the surrounding area was hollow!
This hollow part is connected by only a few small rock pillars, the ground and the ceiling. The surrounding strong wind can penetrate into it. Occasionally, there are some electric lights flashing from the pillars, which looks quite dangerous.

Fairy Aurora said, "This is the first level of the Heavenly Prison. It is also the most peaceful place in the Nine Heavenly Prisons. Generally, only mortals who disrespect the gods are placed here."

"But who would really bother a mortal? That's why this place is empty most of the time, even the first three floors are empty."

Zhao Yifu listened quietly and did not express his opinion when he did not understand the situation.

At this time, Fairy Aurora said again: "Come, I will take you to the Seventh Heaven Prison, where you will live and carry out your work."

Zhao Yifu didn't think much of it when he heard that he was going to the seventh level of prison. After all, in his concept, the higher levels only meant that the prisoners were more powerful, and it should have nothing to do with what he was going to do.

He was just thinking about how to get over there when he saw the Aurora Fairy reach out her hand and gently place it on his shoulder, then she took him and disappeared from the spot in a flash.

When he came to his senses again, he had arrived in a warm, quiet and completely enclosed hut.

Zhao Yifu looked around and wondered if this was a prison cell.

Unexpectedly, Fairy Aurora said, "You will live here from now on. You are not allowed to leave the Seventh Heaven Prison for the next hundred years. Do you understand?"

Zhao Yifu was stunned for a moment and felt that these conditions were a bit difficult.

But I thought that I was doing hard labor to atone for my sins, so it was just the seventh level.

He has not yet realized the seriousness of the problem.

At this time, Fairy Aurora said, "Your task is to confirm the status of all prisoners in the Seventh Heaven Prison every seven days."

Zhao Yifu listened attentively, nodded repeatedly, and then asked, "What specific aspects need to be confirmed?"

Fairy Aurora said: "The main thing is to check the condition of their seals. You can handle the rest on your own."

Zhao Yi Fu was confused for a moment. He was asked to check the seal of the Heavenly Prison?

Oh, that doesn't sound that hard.

As for the part about "doing it yourself", he doesn't care the least because he likes to "play freely".

However, he still asked hesitantly: "Do I have other colleagues?"

Fairy Aurora said: "Yes, I am."

Zhao Yifu was not surprised to hear this. After all, since the person was sent by the master to pick him up, he must be a colleague.

Moreover, as soon as she arrived at the Heavenly Prison, she was able to move him directly here, which clearly showed that she had authority in the Heavenly Prison.

Fairy Aurora paused and added, "I am one of the top three warden of the Nine Heavens Prison. I am not here on weekdays. I only come here once a year to check on your work progress."

"But don't think you can be lazy. Your work content must be recorded in the 'prison book' over there. I need to check the contents at any time. Some gods will also check the situation in the heavenly prison. You must be careful."

Zhao Yifu nodded quickly after hearing this.

Fairy Aurora continued, "Besides that, I always bring you some necessary supplies every year. Of course, these supplies are based on your performance over the past year, so I remind you again, don't be lazy."

Zhao Yifu nodded again.

This kind of description had been told to him many times by his younger brother and sister-in-law Liu Ying when he was on earth... In heaven, it was indeed the same way, so he kept a low profile and did not have any psychological expectations.

Fairy Aurora added, "Finally, and most importantly, this place is isolated from the outside world. If you want to contact the outside world, you can only do so through me... If you feel like you can't stay here any longer, please tell me at any time. Don't let your stubbornness ruin your Dao."

Zhao Yifu felt a little strange, as if Fairy Aurora had emphasized this point too many times.

But he just nodded and said nothing.

Seeing this, Fairy Aurora could only remain silent for a moment, then said, "Then, see you in a year."

Having said that, he disappeared from the spot.

She actually left in a hurry.

There was no other way, she had to go back and meditate to recover. She was really tired just now.

However, what she found most incredible was that she brought Zhao Yifu along all the way, and her soul cultivation actually improved a little because of this ordeal... The visible progress was indeed exciting, but the process and reasons made Fairy Aurora unwilling to ponder.

Because, Zhao Yi Fu ascended all the way up while carrying so many cats with insufficient cultivation!

The difficulty of ascending is much greater than flying on the clouds.

She would never admit that she was inferior to a newly ascended immortal in this regard.

(End of this chapter)