The Investiture: Unlimited Blade Works Nezha

Yunxiao brought Daji to the Fusang Tree but did not linger long, as she was busy managing the numerous Immortal Sects on the island.

Daji arrived at the Fusang Tree, where its branches automatically formed a canopy, revealing Nezha sleeping soundly inside. She hesitated about whether to wake him or not, but Nezha had already yawned awake.

The rich vitality of the divine tree had fully healed the hidden injuries in Nezha's Taoist Body, leaving him feeling warm and indescribably comfortable.

He and Daji had spent so much time together that formality between them was unnecessary.

"Is something happening outside?"

Daji knew Nezha was on the verge of a major opportunity and dared not delay. She succinctly explained everything about the No-Life Old Mother, and Nezha was furious upon hearing it.

Kidnapping people? No matter the circumstances, it demands a heavy-handed response!

The Queen Mother's use of the term "Junior Sister" had sparked Nezha's imagination. Was the No-Life Old Mother a guest from Zixiao Palace with connections to the Daoist Sect? Or possibly the alias of some major figure?

A frontal confrontation was impossible—not just whether he could defeat her, but also because it clearly wasn't the right time to overturn the table.

After pacing back and forth for some time, Nezha hatched a plan.

"To bring about her ruin, one must first lead her to arrogance. Have you heard of the 'Praise Trap' technique?"

Daji seemed somewhat puzzled, so Nezha beckoned her closer to whisper his idea.

"Go back and find the Queen Mother. Then do this and this…"

Daji looked hesitant after hearing him out.

"Nezha, won't doing this offend the Heavenly Emperor and bring trouble upon you?"

"Don't worry. We're simply showing due respect and care for a Primordial elder. Is it wrong to prevent sect disputes through courteous acts of sharing incense offerings? Besides, the Queen Mother will be the one handling the operation—you all just need to cooperate."

Hao Tian's petty-mindedness and thirst for power were the perfect tools to deal with the No-Life Old Mother.

Seeing Nezha's confidence, Daji set aside her reservations. After a brief moment of intimacy with Nezha, she rode the clouds back to the Heaven Palace and headed straight for the Turquoise Pool.

Lately, the Queen Mother had been in a terrible mood, mainly because of the antics of the No-Life Old Mother. Although the incense issue didn't personally bother her, given her status as one of the Heavenly Court's major shareholders, she could afford to be hands-off. Yet Hao Tian wouldn't dare short her any dividends.

Due to lacking involvement in managing mortal worship, the Queen Mother's own devotees weren't particularly numerous. But now, she was inexplicably being mistaken as the No-Life Old Mother's avatar. She couldn't even clarify matters. Was she supposed to appear in dreams to each of her followers, explaining she wasn't the No-Life Old Mother's reincarnation?

She, the Queen Mother, absolutely couldn't lose face like that!

With the Queen Mother in such a foul mood, all the fairies of the Turquoise Pool were treading carefully, terrified of making a mistake. At this time, Xu Feiqiong whispered a report: "Goddess, Bixia Yuanjun has come to visit."

"Let her in."

"Yes."

Daji entered and respectfully greeted the Queen Mother, who waved dismissively.

"You young lady—adopted by a fake mother, incense offerings snatched away, yet still wandering about idly?"

Daji took no offense and obediently sat beside the Queen Mother, almost as if she were her own daughter.

"Goddess, I'm figuring things out. But as a simple woman, my insight is limited, so I consulted with Nezha instead."

The Queen Mother's interest sparked at the mention of Nezha's name.

"That little rascal—what cunning plan has he come up with now?"

Without holding back, Daji recounted everything Nezha had said. The Queen Mother nodded slightly. "To bring about her ruin, one must first lead her to arrogance. Quite reasonable, but merely surpassing Hao Tian isn't enough."

In the Palace of the Polestar, Hao Tian, hearing his name invoked, subconsciously glanced toward the Turquoise Pool before lowering his head to continue his work.

After some contemplation, the Queen Mother removed the Xuanyin Jade Bracelet she often wore—a treasure rich in spirituality—and handed it to Daji. "This matter is better assigned to it."

Daji received the bracelet with both hands and, after chatting a while longer, left the Turquoise Pool, heading directly for Taishan.

Daji's title, Bixia Yuanjun, formally known as East Mountain Taishan Immortal Jade Lady Bixia Yuanjun—also Taishan Lady—fit her perfectly. While she rarely stayed at Taishan, she could accomplish anything that Lord Taishan could.

Lord Taishan, Huang Feihu, had been somewhat wary of Daji, this esteemed Taishan Lady, in earlier days. But seeing she had no interest in cozying up to Taishan's domain, he now eased his mind.

Now that Daji had come to handle some matters, Huang Feihu didn't utter a word of protest. Green lights all the way. The faster she finished, the faster she returned to the heavens above!

By the time Daji returned to the starry heavens, the Queen Mother's bracelet had stealthily undergone all formal procedures and entered reincarnation.

Soon after, in the Great Tang dynasty, one of the noble families—the Hongnong Yang Family—welcomed a child. The mother, dreaming of the celestial bracelet entering her womb, named the child Yang Yuhuan. Unlike ordinary newborns, Yang Yuhuan was born with rosy, vibrant skin and radiant black eyes full of spirituality, immediately becoming the family's treasured jewel.

...

Everything had proceeded according to Nezha's plan. However, Nezha hadn't anticipated the intensity of a woman's desire for revenge. What chaos might unfold was beyond his prediction.

He was now simply awaiting Kong Xuan's update—to head to Thunder Marsh and secure the Hongmeng Purple Qi. Fortunately, Nezha didn't have to wait long. Two years later, Kong Xuan informed him that she and the Thunder God had set out to battle in Chaos.

Chaos operated in temporal disarray, but Kong Xuan had the Chaos Bell as her guiding beacon, ensuring she wouldn't stray too far upon returning to the Primordial. The Thunder God, on the other hand, might not be so lucky—unless fortune miraculously favored him.

Still, at the Thunder God's level as a Great Expert, concepts like time had grown increasingly abstract. A thousand or ten thousand years might pass as he took a nap in Thunder Marsh. If he could engage in a full-blown clash with the Phoenix Clan, he hardly cared about spending some time.

Celestial lightning and five-colored brilliance flashed into the Outer Heaven, catching the attention of great experts across the skies.

Nezha didn't set off immediately. Only when he sensed that Kong Xuan's token had moved far away from the Primordial did he suppress his own signals and quietly depart for Thunder Marsh.

Thunder Marsh, also called Thunder Xia Marsh, was where one of the Five Emperors, Shun, once fished in his youth. Likely, he subdued a reincarnated Dragon Clan member here and started his rise as the Human Clan's leader.

The outskirts of Thunder Marsh were a watery expanse, but its inner regions perpetually echoed with thunder. Thunderbolts—the bane of demons—exuded endless booming that kept all nearby demons away, making the surrounding lands an early sanctuary for the Human Clan.

Upon arriving at Thunder Marsh, Nezha didn't need to search. The fiercest and densest thunder surely marked the Thunder God's lair. Above Thunder Marsh, clouds churned ominously as countless lightning bolts crashed down without end.

On the outskirts, Nezha could still withstand the elemental chaos, but as he delved deeper, the thunderbolts grew overwhelmingly intense. Reluctantly, he retrieved his pre-forged Magical Treasure: the Lightning Protection Net.