141: Chapter 141 Sowing Flowers and Reaping Fruit: The Growth of a Tea Stall Boy

Yun Li's path as an Immortal Gold Holy Spirit involved active transformation, seeking great transcendence between life and death, where courage and wisdom coexisted.

Then there was himself; having shed the brilliance of the supreme Chaos Body, he had returned to a seemingly ordinary Mortal Body that actually contained infinite possibilities, exploring his deeper true self on the path of returning to simplicity.

"The path to longevity is truly full of diverse wonders and lacks a fixed formula; everyone moves toward immortality in their own way."

"The path for my fourth life is already clearly visible, but there's no need to rush; I need to be a bit steadier before proceeding."

His state of mind was peaceful and composed.

At his Realm, he had long since transcended the anxiety of racing against time, focusing more on whether every step was firm and whether his direction was correct.

One must walk fast, but more importantly, one must walk steadily.

Sometimes he sat quietly in the Heavenly Court, comprehending the movement of the great Dao.

Other times, he would quietly manifest an Incarnation to travel through the Myriad Heavens.

He once visited the secret land where Yun Li had undergone her feigned death transformation. Inside, life and death were intertwined, as if nurturing an existence that defied common logic.

Sensing the stable Qi within, Jiang Hao nodded slightly.

"It seems everything is going smoothly for her. Good."

He also frequently visited the back garden to observe the Immortal Gold Holy Spirit.

The Sacred Spirit was still transforming in a deep slumber, its aura growing more profound by the day.

But if one sensed carefully with Divine Thought, the outline of the spiritual fetus inside became increasingly clear, like a curled-up infant accumulating earth-shattering power.

"The day of its birth will surely be earth-shattering. I wonder what kind of scene it will be then?"

Years flowed quietly by in such quiet observation, comprehension, and anticipation.

...

The Law Enforcement Hall of the Heavenly Court was solemn and majestic.

Twelve figures stood straight as javelins, all dressed in brand-new silver robes with Trainee Law Enforcement Tokens hanging from their waists.

They had just passed the Law Enforcement Hall's most rigorous centennial final assessment, standing out from billions of candidates across the Heavens and Myriad Worlds.

Lin Mo, the Vice Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, stood on the platform. His gaze swept over this batch of newcomers, and he said in a deep voice:

"Zhao Meng, Li Rui, Su Yuqing... the twelve of you have passed the screening and the nine-fold assessment. Your Heart-Nature, cultivation, and resourcefulness have all met the entry standards of the Law Enforcement Hall. From this day forward, you are granted Trainee Silver Tokens and will enter the Hall of Discipline for three years of training. Only after passing the final assessment upon completion will you become official Law Enforcers."

"We respectfully obey the decree!" The twelve people responded in unison, their voices shaking the clouds.

Zhao Meng and Li Rui stood in the front-middle of the line. Though their faces were calm, excitement was suppressed deep in their eyes.

Two thousand years. From the youths looking up at the starry sky by that small tea stall on Douming Star to the Great Saint Cultivators standing on the Edge-Sharpening Platform of the Heavenly Court's Law Enforcement Hall.

How long this road had been for them, and how many life-and-death partings it had carried.

Now, they had made it!

Just as Lin Mo was about to continue advising the newcomers on what to watch out for, he felt something and looked up at the sky.

High in the sky, the clouds and mist parted naturally, and a figure in black robes stepped down slowly.

There was no surging Imperial Might, no resonance of the myriad daos; he simply walked over plainly, yet he seemed to be the center of the entire Universe.

"Greetings, Heavenly Emperor!" Everyone on and off the platform hurried to kneel and bow, including Lin Mo.

Jiang Hao landed on the platform and raised his hand slightly. "All of you may rise. I have just finished my quiet cultivation and was taking a stroll when I happened to arrive here."

His gaze naturally swept over the twelve new members. When it passed over Zhao Meng and Li Rui, it paused for an almost imperceptible moment.

Deep within Jiang Hao's calm eyes, a ripple appeared.

With his current level of Dao attainment, how vast was his Divine Thought?

Let alone two thousand three hundred years, even for Karma from further back, as long as he had left a mark—intentionally or not—he could perceive it in an instant.

"It's actually those two tea stall youths..."

With a slight shift of thought, images from the floating island on Douming Star over two thousand years ago emerged. A simple tea stall, coarse ceramic bowls, and three youths in the Sea of Qi Realm arguing excitedly about joining the Law Enforcement Team and learning the Cultivation Techniques personally passed down by the Heavenly Emperor.

At the time, he had found it interesting and had lightly brushed past, leaving behind three imperceptible wisps of creation Qi to help improve their bone structure and Comprehension Ability.

To him, it was just a casual act of a moment's thought, like a pedestrian seeing a thirsty seedling by the road and pouring a bowl of water on it.

Because he happened to pass by and felt there was a fated connection, he left behind a small Opportunity.

He hadn't expected that after more than two thousand years, two of them would actually manage to walk here step by step, standing in the ranks of the Heavenly Court Law Enforcement Team.

"The wonder of time and the strangeness of Karma are nothing more than this." A faint sense of sentimentality rose in Jiang Hao's heart.

The feeling was like a gardener unexpectedly seeing two familiar trees in the garden years later that had grown quite tall and straight.

There was a special sense of harvest.

"To be able to enter the Law Enforcement Hall, you are all talents," Jiang Hao spoke, his voice gentle.

"Law Enforcers uphold the heavenly laws and protect order. You must have hearts like iron, where the law brooks no personal feelings, yet you must also possess compassion and distinguish right from wrong. I hope you remember your original intentions and do not fail these silver robes."

"We thank the Heavenly Emperor for his teachings! We will surely defend the heavenly laws to the death and protect order!"

The twelve people kowtowed excitedly. To be personally encouraged by the Heavenly Emperor—what an honor!

Zhao Meng and Li Rui were even more overwhelmed with emotion, barely able to contain themselves.

They hadn't expected their luck to be so good, happening to encounter the Heavenly Emperor just as he emerged from seclusion.

This made them overjoyed.

One must know that the Heavenly Emperor was often in seclusion and rarely came out to see the Law Enforcement Team.

To encounter such a rare Opportunity, how could they not be happy?

After the encouragement, Jiang Hao looked at Zhao Meng and Li Rui, his tone as casual as small talk:

"Zhao Meng, Li Rui, back then, you should have had another companion. Why do I only see the two of you today?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire field went silent!

Zhao Meng and Li Rui felt as if they had been struck by lightning. They jerked their heads up, staring blankly at Jiang Hao.

"So it really was the Heavenly Emperor. Back then, the one who left us that Opportunity was truly the Heavenly Emperor!"

As they grew, they had long had suspicions and doubts about this, and now, all those doubts and suspicions were confirmed.

By the tea stall all those years ago, that mysterious Opportunity that changed their fates had indeed come from the supreme Heavenly Emperor before them!

Lin Mo also showed a look of surprise, his gaze moving back and forth between Zhao Meng and Li Rui.

He had no idea that these two Great Saint Cultivators from Douming Star actually seemed to have a history with the Heavenly Emperor.

Zhao Meng's sturdy frame trembled slightly. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his churning blood and the urge to cry. He prostrated himself in the most respectful posture, his voice hoarse with excitement:

"Reporting to the Heavenly Emperor... You are right. Back then... there was indeed a third person. His name was Zhou Ming, a brother of life and death to the two of us."

Li Rui also kowtowed deeply and took over, his voice carrying a suppressed sob:

"Two thousand three hundred years ago, by the floating island tea stall on Douming Star, three Sea of Qi Realm youths didn't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth. We spoke recklessly of the Heavenly Court and dreamed of the future... Fortunately, the Heavenly Emperor took pity on us and bestowed an Opportunity, changing the fates of the three of us."

He paused and continued, "Eight hundred years ago, the three of us were fighting for a life-saving Immortal Plant in the Nine Nether Profound Realm. We were surrounded by enemies. Zhou Ming died from exhaustion while covering our retreat with the medicine."

The words were brief, but they sketched out a long and tragic past.

Zhao Meng and Li Rui kowtowed heavily.

"We only know today that the person who bestowed creation and changed our fates back then was you, Heavenly Emperor. Such great kindness is like a mountain and cannot be repaid. In this life, Zhao Meng and Li Rui will only use these bodies and souls to serve the Heavenly Court and defend the heavenly laws to repay even a fraction of the Heavenly Emperor's grace!"

Their voices were powerful and resonant, carrying the heavy gratitude and oaths of iron-blooded men.