Primordial Era: The Great Celestial Venerable on the Road to Mythology

Chapter 65 The Turmoil of Nanzhao, Baiyue Appears

Yao Ji waved her hand, her tone indifferent: "Let's go together. Once this is over, we'll return to the Heavenly Court."

Before she could finish speaking, and before Grandma and Ling'er could react, she waved her hand, and a cloud of auspicious clouds rose from beneath her feet, steadily supporting the three of them as they soared into the sky.

Above the auspicious clouds, Grandma and Ling'er were initially a little nervous, holding onto the cloud head tightly and not daring to let go. After flying for a while, seeing that the clouds were as stable as walking on flat ground, they gradually relaxed.

Ling'er, even more curious, lay down on the edge of the cloud, looking down at the mountains and rivers below, her eyes full of wonder.

Halfway through their journey, as the auspicious clouds passed over a small town called Yuhang, Zhao Ling'er suddenly looked down instinctively, her gaze falling on an inconspicuous corner of the town, as if something there was drawing her in from the shadows.

Yao Ji frowned.

She sensed a faint force of destiny trying to bind to Ling'er.

Although the force was not strong, it was extremely tenacious, as if an invisible hand was pulling Ling'er together with someone in this world.

"Hmph." Yao Ji snorted lightly, raised her hand and waved it, a surge of magic power flowed from her palm, completely enveloping Zhao Ling'er's body.

That force of destiny was shut out, like a spider's web scattered by the wind.

She then looked down and saw a dilapidated inn in front of it, where a young man was dozing off against the doorframe. The young man had delicate features and a faint aura of spiritual energy emanating from him, making him exceptionally talented in this world.

But in Yao Ji's eyes, they were nothing special. In the primordial world, cultivators of this caliber were everywhere, not even qualified to guard the Heavenly Court.

"He's just a mortal, how dare he get involved with my disciple?" Yao Ji withdrew her gaze and ignored him.

She had already made her plans. Ling'er was going back to the Primordial World with her this time, and from then on she would be a person of the Heavenly Court, with no further connection to this world. What was fate, what was karma? In front of her, the eldest princess of the Heavenly Court, they were nothing more than spider silk that could be severed at will.

Since she wasn't in a hurry, Yao Ji slowed down and strolled along as if on a leisurely trip, stopping and starting as she went.

The scenery along the way was beautiful, with shimmering waters. Zhao Ling'er had never left Fairy Spirit Island before, and everything she saw seemed new and exciting. Her grandmother stayed by her side, explaining the local customs and traditions to her from time to time.

Upon reaching a town, the three descended from the clouds to sample the local cuisine. Ling'er had an excellent appetite, enjoying every bite, whether sour, sweet, bitter, or spicy. Yao Ji, on the other hand, would try a bite or two the first time, but then refused to touch her food again.

Her level of existence was far too high; her senses were completely different from those of mortals. These earthly snacks tasted like cardboard to her—neither delicious nor beneficial to her cultivation. Compared to the meat of demonic beasts, spiritual roots, and spiritual fruits of the primordial world, they were worlds apart.

"Master, why aren't you eating?" Ling'er asked curiously, holding up a string of candied hawthorns with sugar stains on her lips.

Yao Ji smiled slightly: "You eat, Master isn't hungry."

Ling'er said "Oh" and happily continued eating.

The closer they got to the Nanzhao Kingdom, the more desolate the area became.

Yao Ji sighed inwardly: This is a descendant of the goddess Nuwa! The offspring of the Holy Mother of Humanity is relegated to this remote little country, serving as a queen, and ultimately meeting a tragic end, dying in disgrace. The course of this world has truly gone completely awry.

The capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom has a magnificent city gate.

As soon as the three stepped through the city gate, they keenly sensed several furtive gazes behind them.

Grandma instinctively wanted to remind Yaoji, but swallowed her words. With her here, what could a few watchers do, or even a thousand troops? They came for revenge anyway; these people had delivered themselves to their doorstep, saving them the trouble of searching for them.

Yao Ji naturally noticed this as well. Not only that, she also discovered that the way the pedestrians on the street looked at them was quite unusual—their gazes contained curiosity, wariness, and even a hint of hostility. And among these pedestrians, eight or nine out of ten were members of the Moon Worship Cult.

"Ling'er," Yao Ji suddenly spoke, "there are quite a few members of the Moon Worship Cult in the capital of Nanzhao. Should we eliminate them all?"

She asked the question casually, as if it were a trivial matter. In fact, with her power, wiping out an entire city would be as easy as a thought.

Zhao Ling'er was slightly taken aback, then shook her head and said, "No. Just punish the ringleader and clear my mother's name." She was kind by nature and did not want to implicate the innocent.

Yao Ji nodded and said no more.

The three walked straight toward the palace, with more and more shadowy figures following behind them, but none of them dared to step forward to stop them.

Guards stood in rows in front of the palace gates.

"Halt! This is forbidden area of ​​the Imperial Palace. All unauthorized personnel must leave immediately!"

Several guards blocked the way, their swords drawn, their eyes sharp.

Zhao Ling'er took a deep breath, straightened her back, and declared loudly, "I am Princess Zhao Ling'er of the Nanzhao Kingdom, and I have returned!"

The sound was clear and crisp, echoing throughout the palace gates.

The guards were startled, sizing up the strikingly beautiful young woman before them. The sudden return of a princess who had been missing for many years was no small matter. One guard hurried inside to report, while the others stood in front of the door, neither daring to let her through nor to be impolite.

Upon hearing the news of the princess's return, the people outside the palace gates gathered around, whispering and discussing among themselves.

"A princess? The witch queen's daughter?"

"The Witch Queen was a monster! She caused our Nanzhao Kingdom to suffer from floods for years. Fortunately, the Witch King executed her with the help of the Moon Worship Cult Leader, which brought an end to the disaster."

"Could this princess also be a demon? Will her return bring another flood?"

The people's eyes were filled with fear and rejection; not a single person welcomed the princess's return.

Zhao Ling'er felt a pang of sorrow as she listened to the gossip, but she stubbornly pursed her lips and refused to shed a tear.

Before long, hurried footsteps could be heard from inside the palace gates.

A middle-aged man dressed in red and black Miao ethnic clothing and adorned with silver ornaments strode out. He looked haggard, with slightly red eyes, and recognized Ling'er outside the palace gate at a glance.

"Ling'er—you're finally back!" The Witch King's voice trembled slightly, a hint of tenderness and deep guilt flashing in his eyes.

Zhao Ling'er looked at him, the man who gave her life, yet also condoned the deaths of her mother. She nodded, saying nothing. There was neither hatred nor intimacy, only an indescribable sense of estrangement.

The witch king's expression froze, clearly sensing his daughter's indifference. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know where to begin.

He regretted what happened back then. If he had been more resolute then, if he had trusted Qing'er—perhaps everything would have been different.

Unfortunately, no if.

"Princess, you're back!"

A Miao girl peeked out from behind the shaman, lively and cheerful, her eyes full of curiosity. Beside her was a woman dressed as a Taoist nun, her expression respectful.

Just as Zhao Ling'er was about to respond, a gentle voice suddenly came from the end of the street.

"The princess is back."

The voice was gentle and warm, like a spring breeze.

Along both sides of the street, commoners and guards alike bowed and chanted in unison, "Welcome, Master!"

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