Chapter 1881: Golden Lotus Blooms

## Chapter 1862: The Golden Lotus Blooms

Throughout history, the only one qualified to be addressed as "Divine Venerable" by Zhong Shengguang was not even Mitian; it could only be the Dragon God!

In the final moments of his life, Zhong Shengguang couldn't possibly have been confused.

So, does the Dragon God also exist within the Great Square Pot?

When He Lingchuan saw that scene reflected in the Grand Cycle Heavenly Pearl, his mind was filled with countless associations.

The Great Square Pot originated from a fragment of the Heavenly Net Star, knocked down by the Dragon God and refined by numerous immortals. The last time He Lingchuan returned to the Coiling Dragon Desert to capture the Naraka Celestial avatar, the Immortal Sanshui he met had mentioned that the Great Square Pot had been beyond the control of immortals since its creation, almost as if it had merely used their hands to come into being.

The Dragon God was once so powerful, the strongest being closest to the Heavenly Dao; could it have simply vanished so completely? It personally struck the Heavenly Net Star, and although its physical body perished, what about its divine consciousness?

All this time since obtaining the Great Square Pot, He Lingchuan had never known of the "Divine Venerable's" existence.

How did Zhong Shengguang communicate with the Great Square Pot?

And his prayer to the "Divine Venerable" was indeed successful; although Coiling Dragon City was destroyed, its valiant souls were all gathered into the Great Square Pot, continuing to exist in a void unknown to the world.

In other words, the "Divine Venerable" can represent the will of the Great Square Pot, if the Great Square Pot truly possesses a "will."

He Lingchuan scratched his head, unable to figure it out.

Even for him now, the Great Square Pot remains a mystery.

A familiar voice came from behind him, "What can't you figure out?"

He realized he had unconsciously spoken the words aloud.

He Lingchuan turned on his heel and saw Madam Sun in her green and yellow robes.

Her face was like a peach blossom, her eyebrows like willow leaves. As soon as she stood there, fresh and clean like a blooming lotus, she seemed to dissipate a third of the summer heat without even speaking.

Even the cicadas chirping in the trees seemed less jarring.

No matter how many times he saw Sun Fuling, he always marveled that no other beauty could so perfectly combine her delicate charm and radiance with the majestic simplicity of Coiling Dragon City.

She possessed a wise aura that complemented the ancient vicissitudes of the grand city. As soon as He Lingchuan saw her, his heart settled.

To passersby, she seemed to be smiling yet not smiling, hesitant to speak, but He Lingchuan, who knew her well, interpreted it as a subtle hint of displeasure.

He had been away for too long this time, and due to the busy war, he hadn't sent letters often, which displeased her.

"I can't figure out whether I should treat you, Madam, to steam-pot chicken or raw fish slices?"

Sun Fuling stared at him for a while, seeing how tanned he was, yet he was smiling so shamelessly, before her lips slowly curved upwards.

"On such a hot day, why would we eat steam-pot chicken?"

He Lingchuan tried to take her hand, but as she shook it off, he let out a yelp.

"What's wrong?"

His face looked miserable: "I was injured on my arm; my tendons were almost severed, and it hasn't fully healed yet."

She glared at him: "Then why did you reach out?"

Despite what she said, she eventually softened. He Lingchuan then held her hand, and they walked shoulder-to-shoulder towards the center of the street.

Around them, crowds of people came and went in a continuous flow.

Everyone bustled about for their livelihoods, weary but with purpose.

Passing a shop selling cold treats, He Lingchuan dropped five copper coins and took a bamboo tube of cold drink.

This was liquorice and sour plum soup with crushed ice added. Taking a sip, it was refreshingly cool.

To have a cold drink on a hot day required the use of a frost charm, so the price for one tube was more expensive than a meal of vegetables and meat.

Sun Fuling casually took the bamboo tube, and her soft voice drifted into his ear: "Were these battles difficult?"

"Difficult, deathly difficult; I almost left my life there," He Lingchuan said, lowering his head slightly, just seeing her long, curled eyelashes fluttering like tiny fans. "But I had to stay alive to come back and see you."

Sun Fuling still tried to maintain a straight face, but in the end, she couldn't. She tilted her head and looked at him: "After a few months apart, your glibness has improved! Have you been secretly practicing?"

He Lingchuan said in surprise, "How do you know it's improved, you haven't even... Hiss!"

Sun Fuling pinched and twisted his waist.

"Can Xianyou take your life?"

"Xianyou cannot, but Beijia can," He Lingchuan sighed. "It was a near-death experience. If I didn't have a bit of faith, how could I have persevered to the end?"

Heavenly Palace, Illusion Sect, and He Lingchuan's combined forces numbered several thousand people. How many of them survived in the end?

"Nine deaths, one life" was no exaggeration at all.

His "faith" (Sun Fuling) fell silent, lowering her head to drink the cold beverage.

Her beautiful hair was styled high, and He Lingchuan could see her earlobes were slightly red.

Back in the familiar city, seeing the person he missed.

All the hardships and difficulties he had experienced were all worth it.

Let's turn back time to the day Immortal Qianhuan and Myo-Zen Heavenly perished.

Shanjin Plains, Julu Port.

Three years ago, this place was still a mixed bag of good and bad, but now, one entity dominates the harbor, both officially and unofficially.

Julu Port has clearly become the great artery of the western Shanjin Plains. Almost everyone's livelihood here is connected to the Yangshan Merchant Guild, almost all revolving around this behemoth.

Therefore, the Yangshan Merchant Guild's headquarters was built large and imposing, making the Maritime Customs Office next to the pier look like a rural mud hut by comparison.

Every day, the place was bustling with visitors.

It was almost dark. Steward Xue of the Yangshan Merchant Guild saw a guest out, walking back and yawning as he rounded the screen wall.

Behind the wide brick wall was a pond with a rockery, koi fish, and lotus flowers.

Fish swam among the lotus, creating a scene of peace.

He saw this scene a dozen times a day, long since finding it new or interesting. Now he merely glanced at it casually: "Hmm, nothing's changed, the golden lotus has bloomed."

What should I have for dinner?

Steward Xue was preoccupied with his thoughts, but after walking five steps, he suddenly felt something was wrong and stopped.

"Huh, wait, the golden lotus?"

He spun around abruptly and saw, among the five delicate pink water lilies in the pond, a golden, shimmering one had emerged.

Steward Xue thought his eyes were playing tricks on him; after all, it was getting dark. He rubbed his eyes hard and looked again, then turned and ran into the main hall.

Tap, tap-tap-tap—his footsteps echoed throughout the hall.

In the back hall, Qiu Hu was discussing recent cargo shipments with Du Shan. After discussing business, Du Shan asked Qiu Hu again:

"No news from Island Lord He?"

Qiu Hu shook his head: "By our calculations, our lord only entered the Upside-Down Sea two or three days ago; he hasn't yet..."

The opening date of the Upside-Down Sea is fixed, making it easy to calculate. However, both of them, being in the know, remained uneasy, unsure how the immortal-demon war within the Upside-Down Sea would conclude and whether He Lingchuan would emerge safely.

That was a confrontation of True Immortals and Great Heavenly Demons!

Before he finished speaking, he heard a rush of footsteps.

Who would run so frantically?

A moment later, Steward Xue ran in, dripping with sweat: "The golden, the golden lotus has bloomed!"

Both men present were startled and exchanged glances.

The golden lotus bloomed, now?

Steward Xue added, "Just now. When I saw the guest out a moment ago, it was still a bud."

Qiu Hu slammed his hand on the table and stood up, disappearing in two quick movements.