Three days later, Mo Mo brought Xue Nu and Yan Fei to Mount Hua. They stood atop the clouds, looking at the loving and harmonious family of the Three Holy Mothers on Mount Hua. Xue Nu felt a little envious, touched her smooth and flat belly, and looked at Mo Mo with a resentful expression.
Mo Mo sensed the resentful gaze of the Snow Maiden, but he could only pretend not to see it, because there was nothing he could do. After all, the difference in their life levels was too great, and their chances of conceiving were extremely low. Mo Mo had no reason not to stop, so he could only pray for their luck.
Fortunately, a sudden change occurred. Lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky, and the Lotus Lantern placed next to Chenxiang's cradle suddenly shone brightly, warning the Third Holy Mother. Seeing this, the Third Holy Mother knew that danger was coming and had Liu Yanchang carry Chenxiang into the house to hide. As soon as Liu Yanchang carried Chenxiang back into the house, Erlang Shen and his heavenly soldiers and generals arrived and surrounded her.
Erlang Shen was extremely angry upon seeing the Third Holy Mother. However, he had no choice but to be angry. After all, anyone would be angry if, in the blink of an eye, his sister had been taken by a mortal after living with her for tens of thousands of years, and they even had a child together. Moreover, Erlang Shen had witnessed the tragedy of his parents.
Just then, a child's cry came from inside the house. Xiaotianquan's question, "Could it be that they already have a child?" completely enraged Erlang Shen. Erlang Shen, who was eager to protect his sister, wanted to kill Liu Yanchang and his son to ensure that there would be no evidence against them. In that case, even if the Third Princess was sent back to Heaven, she would not be punished too severely.
Erlang Shen's actions thoroughly angered the new mother, the Third Holy Mother. After rescuing Liu Yanchang and his son, she attacked them. However, the Third Holy Mother, outnumbered and outmatched, was unable to carry Liu Yanchang and his son out of the encirclement. Helpless, she used the Lotus Lantern to send them away. After losing the Lotus Lantern, she was eventually suppressed under Mount Hua by Erlang Shen.
Just as the Third Holy Mother was being suppressed under Mount Hua, the Snow Maiden tugged at Mo Mo's sleeve and said, "Shall we help them?" Although Yan Fei did not plead for them, the meaning in her eyes was clearly the same. It was evident that they both desperately wanted Mo Mo to help them.
Mo Mo thought for a moment and said, "You should have seen this movie, right? You should know the ending. Since they were able to have a happy reunion in the end, and Chen Xiang was able to attain immortality, why should I interfere?"
Seeing the two women's somewhat displeased expressions, Mo Mo paused for a moment, then continued, "I can indeed save them, but have you thought about what will happen to them after I save them? They can't leave this world like we can. As long as they're still in this world, the Heavenly Court will find them sooner or later. And then what? Will I save them again? And even if I save them again, what about next time, and the time after that? They will always have to rely on themselves."
The two women nodded thoughtfully after hearing Mo Mo's words, and Mo Mo then led them away from Mount Hua.
The world that Mo Mo and his companions came to is the world of the Lotus Lantern. As for why Mo Mo returned to this world, it is because this world is a mythological world, but it does not have the great beings from the primordial era. The basic setting of this world is that the one who created the world was not Pangu, but Nuwa. After Nuwa stole the heavenly fire to create the world, the heavenly fire was transformed into the incomparably powerful Lotus Lantern by the essence of the sun and moon, and this Lotus Lantern runs through the entire plot.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 153 begins; the treasure is beckoning me.
The story of Lotus Lantern tells of a small-town boy named Chenxiang who, after living a peaceful life with his father Liu Yanchang for sixteen years, unexpectedly discovers that he possesses magical power within him, allowing him to pass through walls effortlessly.
When his father found out, he told Chenxiang the truth that had been hidden for many years: Chenxiang's mother was actually the Third Holy Mother of Heaven. Because she violated the heavenly rules by marrying him, a mortal, she had been captured by the Heavenly Court and her whereabouts were unknown.
Upon learning the truth, Chenxiang was extremely shocked and decided to eliminate the threat of Wan Nian to rescue his mother.
Erlang Shen, who witnessed everything, is Chenxiang's uncle. In order to prevent the tragedy from happening, he decides to stop Chenxiang's journey to save his mother.
Thus, the arduous journey to save his mother began amidst the interference of Erlang Shen.
On his journey, Chenxiang encountered many kind-hearted people and spirits, but also faced various obstacles and even considered giving up.
But in the end, nothing could overcome his determination to save his mother. Finally, after becoming Sun Wukong's disciple, Chenxiang overcame numerous difficulties, and the new Heavenly Laws were established, bringing the story to a happy ending, with the Three Holy Mothers and their family reunited.
After the Third Holy Mother was imprisoned under Mount Hua, Mo Mo also left with Xue Nu and Yan Fei. Mo Mo came to this world because it didn't have as many great gods as the prehistoric world, and it had quite a lot of treasures.
Most importantly, this world is mostly about melee combat, which is perfect for Mo Mo's current state. However, he still needs to be careful. He should quietly follow Chen Xiang while they eat peaches and he digs up trees. It's perfect!
Time flies, and twelve years have passed in the blink of an eye. During these twelve years, Mo Mo has taken the two women on a journey through the mortal world, enjoying the scenery and collecting rare and precious materials along the way.
Finally, Mo Mo took the two women on a trip to the West and found that apart from a few natives and the Mao God, there wasn't a single decent demon, let alone an angel, and not even a few bird feathers.
Disappointed, Mo Mo returned to the East with the two women, found a secluded paradise to hide in, practiced martial arts during the day, and...
In the blink of an eye, four years had passed. Mo Mo calculated the time and felt relieved that the plot was about to begin. So he prepared to go out and pick up some bargains. The two women realized that there was nothing they could do by following Mo Mo, so they simply took the rare and precious materials they had collected over the years and went back.
Although somewhat regretful, Mo Mo still sent them back, because he realized that they really couldn't be of much help, and Mo Mo didn't need their help anyway, since he was already used to working alone.
After sending the two women back, when he arrived at Liujia Village, he happened to see the bamboo pole sticking out of the classroom and the schoolteacher locked outside the door.
Then, the hornet's nest outside the school was disturbed, and the teacher actually ran towards the hornet's nest, mistaking it for a steamed bun.
Such a huge hornet's nest has been disturbed, and someone even went to it willingly. The ending couldn't be any worse. The others in the school didn't fare any better either, because the school's doors and windows weren't covered by glass or anything like that, so screams of agony immediately came from inside the school.
In the end, only Liu Chenxiang escaped the calamity because he possessed the power to exert force within his demigod-human body, and was not stung all over his head by the bees.
Therefore, this incident tells us that impulsiveness is the devil, and courting death will not end well, unless you have the protagonist's halo.
Realizing he had gotten into trouble, Liu Chenxiang hurriedly ran home. However, as soon as he arrived, his classmate's mother came to his door with his classmate, who had been stung all over his head. When Liu Yanchang found out, he was furious and ordered Liu Chenxiang to kneel down, scolding him for not studying properly. Liu Chenxiang, on the other hand, said indifferently, "What's the point of studying so much? Just get by."
This remark thoroughly enraged Liu's father, who ordered Liu Chenxiang to make one hundred lanterns. While Liu Chenxiang was making the lanterns, Liu Yanchang noticed that there were gaps in them, so he began to instruct him again. Unexpectedly, Liu Chenxiang once again replied with "good enough." Liu's father's anger, which had just been calmed down, erupted again. He tore up the substandard lanterns made by Liu Chenxiang and threatened to tear them up one by one. Liu Chenxiang was still angry and went to sleep. Unexpectedly, in his dream, he subconsciously activated his magic power and made all one hundred lanterns.
As it turned out, Liu's father's teachings were very correct. Later, when Liu Chenxiang was cultivating with Sun Wukong, he also had the attitude of "good enough" which led to him being able to crush opponents who were weaker than him and those who were about the same strength as him after he finished his training and went down the mountain.
When Erlang Shen fought him, he easily crushed him with one hand while belittling him, leaving him completely speechless. Both Sun Wukong and Liu Chenxiang ate peaches of immortality and stole elixirs, but Sun Wukong could fight Erlang Shen to a standstill. However, when it came to Liu Chenxiang, he was completely overwhelmed by Erlang Shen and had no chance to fight back. Moreover, after being captured, Sun Wukong remained defiant and arrogant, while Liu Chenxiang was crippled. If it weren't for the encouragement and stimulation from others, he probably would have been completely destroyed.
They received the same treatment and were both protagonists of their era, yet the difference between them was obvious. This shows that one must be serious about everything. If one approaches everything with a "good enough" mentality, in the end, because everything is done in a "good enough" manner, one will likely fail because everything is done in a "good enough" way, and thus, nothing will be truly successful.
Meanwhile, seeing Liu Chenxiang having a great time discovering that he could walk through walls, Mo Mo quietly appeared at the entrance of Liu Family Village. At that moment, Erlang Shen and Xiaotian Dog also arrived and discovered Liu Chenxiang, who possessed magical powers.
Although Erlang Shen initially wanted to kill the father and son, the die was cast, and Liu Chenxiang had grown up. He was no longer made of wood, so he started talking to Liu Chenxiang. Chenxiang told Erlang Shen about his longing for his mother, which moved Erlang Shen deeply.
Then, Erlang Shen told Chenxiang that his mother was a rare beauty in the world, and instructed Chenxiang not to tell his father about their meeting. He also ordered Xiaotianquan to protect him in secret and not to allow anyone to harm Chenxiang. He told Chenxiang to do his best to grant him whatever he wanted.
At this point, Erlang Shen had already made up his mind to let the Liu family father and son live out their lives in peace. Because a day in heaven is equivalent to a year on earth, and a person's life is only a few decades long. In the heavenly world, it is only a few dozen days. For immortals, a few dozen days pass in the blink of an eye. After Liu Chenxiang and the others have passed away, the Third Holy Mother should have given up her thoughts. At that time, he can say a few good words to the Queen Mother, and they will probably not make things difficult for their niece. Releasing the Third Holy Mother will be inevitable.
Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes.
Just then, Erlang Shen spotted Mo Mo walking towards them. Upon seeing Mo Mo, he immediately drew his three-pointed double-edged sword. Although Mo Mo had a gentle smile on his face, Erlang Shen's intuition told him that this person was extremely dangerous. As Mo Mo got closer, the feeling of death grew stronger.
However, just as Erlang Shen was about to make his move, the sense of danger suddenly disappeared. No matter how Erlang Shen searched, he could not find it. However, he did not dare to let his guard down and still looked at Mo Mo with a wary expression.
Just as Mo Mo was about to reach them, Xiaotianquan suddenly blocked his way and said, "Our Second Master is talking to someone. Please wait a moment before you go over."
Mo Mo glanced at Xiaotianquan indifferently and said, "A good dog doesn't block the way; a dog that blocks the way isn't a good dog."
The Celestial Hound pondered Mo Mo's words carefully, then silently stepped aside. He considered Mo Mo a good dog, so he politely moved aside. Meanwhile, Erlang Shen and Liu Chenxiang...
Liu Chenxiang was astonished, while Erlang Shen was speechless and questioned the heavens. He must have regretted choosing such a fool as his pet. At this moment, Xiaotianquan was completely unaware of what he had done wrong.
Upon approaching the two, Mo Mo smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, I mean no harm. I just happened to be passing by. But meeting is fate. I'll give you a piece of advice: what is destined to be yours will be yours, and what is not, you shouldn't force. Just go with the flow. When the time comes, the fruit will naturally ripen."
Then, Mo Mo walked towards Liu Chenxiang's house, because Mo Mo felt that the Lotus Lantern was calling him.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 154 The Lotus Lantern is Obtained
After spouting a few nonsense words to Erlang Shen and Liu Chenxiang, Mo Mo bid them farewell and headed towards Liu Yanchang's house, leaving Liu Chenxiang and Erlang Shen looking at each other in bewilderment. After Mo Mo had gone some distance, Erlang Shen ordered Xiaotianquan to secretly protect Chenxiang before returning to the Heavenly Court. He needed to go back and find out exactly where Mo Mo came from, otherwise he would be restless and unable to eat or sleep.
After saying goodbye to Erlang Shen, Chenxiang headed home, only to unexpectedly see Mo Mo again. Mo Mo greeted Chenxiang when he saw him return, and then Liu Yanchang sent Chenxiang back to his room.
After Liu Chenxiang returned to the house, Liu Yanchang spoke up, saying, "I wonder what kind of lamp you would like, sir? If it's too exquisite, I'm afraid I can't make it, after all, this is just a small shop."
Mo Mo shook his head and said with a smile, "No, you must have it here. The lamp I want is a lotus-shaped lamp with a bright green color."
Liu Yanchang frowned upon hearing Mo Mo's words, but seeing that Mo Mo didn't seem to be joking, he continued, "Sir, I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. I'm just a small lantern shop. If you want a lantern, I might be able to make one for you, but the kind of lantern you're talking about, I really don't have here."
Mo Mo thought for a moment and said, "Let me tell you a story first, and then you can answer me after you've heard it."
Liu Yanchang was a little stunned by Mo Mo's words. "Weren't we talking about buying lamps? How did it turn into storytelling?" Although he was puzzled, Liu Yanchang did not refuse.
After seeing that Liu Yanchang agreed, Mo Mo began to tell the story in detail.
"Long, long ago, before the primordial chaos was created, there was no distinction between the pure and the impure, and all things were in a state of utter confusion. The entire world drifted in endless cold and desolation. Later, the great goddess Nuwa stole heavenly fire to illuminate the universe and create the world. That heavenly fire, which created the world, absorbed the essence of the sun and moon and transformed into a magical lotus lamp with boundless power." At this point, Mo Mo paused, looked at Liu Yanchang, and then continued.
Liu Yanchang, who had been calm, could no longer remain composed upon hearing this. His expression changed slightly, and his hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched involuntarily.
"Tens of thousands of years passed, all things grew, and the world was prosperous. The Jade Emperor's niece became the new owner of the Lotus Lantern. She was beautiful and kind. After obtaining such a treasure, her first thought was not to use it to cultivate and improve her cultivation, but to drive away diseases and disasters in the human world and bring blessings to the people." When Mo Mo finished speaking, he glanced at Liu Yanchang again and found that Liu Yanchang was trembling all over and clenching his teeth.
Just as Mo Mo was about to continue speaking, Liu Yanchang suddenly relaxed completely, as if he had put down the heavy burden in his heart. He seemed to feel much lighter. Mo Mo guessed that he had given up and no longer held any other hope.
Taking a deep breath, Liu Yanchang said directly: "Later, a failed scholar accidentally fell off a cliff while passing through Mount Hua. He was rescued by the Holy Mother of the Three Realms, and the two fell in love at first sight. They even had a lovely child. However, their happiness was short-lived. Not long after the child was born, a group of heavenly soldiers found them and, without saying a word, tried to capture the Holy Mother of the Three Realms and forcibly separate them."
At this point, Liu Yanchang said somewhat excitedly, "Why can't humans and gods fall in love? Just because you are high and mighty gods, and we are mortals, ants, does that mean we are not worthy?"
Mo Mo pressed his hand down to calm Liu Yanchang down, and then said, "Humans and gods cannot fall in love, because this is clearly stipulated in the Heavenly Laws. The Third Holy Mother also paid the price for this, being suppressed under Mount Hua, never to see the light of day again."
"What kind of bullshit heavenly law is this? Why can't humans and gods fall in love? We truly love each other, so why are you separating us? Why are you imprisoning the Third Holy Mother!" Liu Yanchang was extremely agitated and didn't suppress his voice, which attracted Chenxiang out of the room. However, not wanting Chenxiang to be harmed, he locked him back inside.
"Don't get agitated. Let me explain why the Heavenly Laws forbid love between humans and gods." Mo Mo reassured Liu Yanchang and then continued, "Actually, although this Heavenly Law seems inhumane, it is actually protecting the gods and immortals in heaven."
Seeing that Liu Yanchang did not slam the table and stand up again, Mo Mo continued, "Why is it said that the Heavenly Laws protect immortals and gods? This has to do with the difference between immortals and mortals. Immortals and gods are immortals who have gone through countless tribulations to achieve their indestructible bodies. They are born pure and immaculate, while humans eat grains and other foods, and are naturally bound to be tainted by impurities. Thus, they experience birth, aging, sickness, and death, and must go through the cycle of life and death in the mortal world. Immortals and gods do not eat grains and other foods, are pure and immaculate, live forever, and are not within the Five Elements, so they do not need to go through the cycle of life and death."
Mo Mo paused for a moment and continued, "A person's life is only a few decades long. You might say that you truly love each other and that you don't care about forever, you only hope to have had it. But have you thought about what will happen after you pass away? You will be gone and that will be the end of it all, but what about the Holy Mother of the Third Princess? Do you want her to live in the pain of your death forever, until the end of time?"
Upon hearing Mo Mo's words, Liu Yanchang collapsed and murmured, "No, no, I never thought it would be like this. You must have a way, right? Great Immortal, please, please help me!"
Mo Mo helped Liu Yanchang, who was about to kneel down, and said with a smile, "Actually, I came here to help you, but I won't help for nothing. I need to charge you a certain amount of compensation."
"Reward? What reward? As long as you can help our family stay together forever, you can have whatever you want." Liu Yanchang, who had been dealt a blow by Mo Mo, had completely lost his composure and regarded Mo Mo as his last straw.
Upon hearing Liu Yanchang's reply, Mo Mo smiled broadly. With a wave of his hand, the Lotus Lantern in the house was taken into Mo Mo's possession, and he even gave them a high-quality replica as a gift. Mo Mo had already made this Lotus Lantern. The body of the lantern was made of ordinary jade, serving no purpose other than to be sturdy. The wick was selected from the pills Mo Mo had refined; it was a pill used to increase magical power. Mo Mo had also added several magic arrays to it, which would be activated using the medicinal power of the pills. Although the power was a bit weak, it should be sufficient.
Since he had received payment, he had to work hard. So Mo Mo took out a bottle of pills and then a jade slip, handing it to Liu Yanchang. He said, "The jade slip contains cultivation techniques that can help you become an immortal, live forever, and even overturn rivers and seas. These pills can cleanse your marrow and make your cultivation path smoother. But remember, don't flaunt your wealth. Keep it safe and don't let anyone find out unless absolutely necessary."
After thinking for a moment, Mo Mo took out another pill and handed it to Liu Yanchang, saying, "Give this to Chen Xiang, so that his future path will be smoother."
Upon hearing Mo Mo's words, Liu Yanchang quickly put the items away carefully, then bowed deeply to Mo Mo and said, "I can never repay the kindness of the Great Immortal. If there is anything I need, I, Liu Yanchang, will do my utmost, even at the cost of my life."
Mo Mo stopped Liu Yanchang, saying, "There's no need for that. We're just getting what we need. Alright, I should go now." With that, he disappeared right before Liu Yanchang's eyes.
In truth, what Mo Mo gave Liu Yanchang was worthless to Mo Mo. The cultivation technique was something he had accidentally obtained while traveling with Yan Fei and Xue Nu in this world. With the idea that even a small amount is still something, Mo Mo kept it. Now that he had copied it for Liu Yanchang, he had no loss whatsoever. As for pills, Mo Mo didn't know how many he had refined for Yan Fei and the others. They were about the same as candy beans. After all, they were all made from some low-grade spiritual herbs. As long as he had the seeds and spent a certain amount of time, Mo Mo could make as many as he wanted.
After returning to the cave not far from Mount Hua, Mo Mo took out the Lotus Lantern and examined it carefully. He found that the Lotus Lantern was indeed one of the world's most precious treasures, and its power was indeed quite good. However, it was only quite good, similar to an imperial weapon. But it was no longer of any use to Mo Mo, so he casually put it away, intending to give it to Yan Fei and the others for them to use for self-defense.
Although the Lotus Lantern didn't offer Mo Mo any real help, it was still a good start, making him even more eager for the harvest to come. You see, although he had planted many peach trees, these peach trees were just ordinary immortal roots, and the peaches they bore were just ordinary immortal fruits, only enough to satisfy one's appetite. On the other hand, the peaches in the Queen Mother's Peach Garden were spiritual roots of heaven and earth, bearing peaches of immortality, which were rare and precious treasures. Eating them directly could grant one immortality, and they could also be used in medicine and alchemy. They were simply not in the same league.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 155 An Unexpected Visitor
After putting away the Lotus Lantern, Mo Mo calmed down and waited patiently. After all, it would be a long time before Chen Xiang became Sun Wukong's apprentice. However, there were still many treasures in this world. Although they could not compare with the real prehistoric world, they were still much better than ordinary worlds.
Although it would still be some time before Sun Wukong took Chenxiang to the Heavenly Court, Mo Mo was not idle. During this time, he focused on refining the energy in his body. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. Just as Mo Mo was about to go out for a walk, he suddenly noticed that something was wrong with the Myriad Realms Pearl that carried the Myriad Realms Space. So he took out the Myriad Realms Pearl. As soon as Mo Mo took it out, the Myriad Realms Pearl shone brightly and vibrated violently.
Seeing the state of the Myriad Realms Pearl, Mo Mo's expression changed drastically. He quickly mobilized all the power he could to suppress the violent power of the Myriad Realms Pearl. He was prepared for a fierce battle or to abandon this small world and start a new one. For him, starting a small world was not difficult. He just felt sorry for the Myriad Realms Pearl, which had cost him a lot of rare materials from his inventory to refine.
To Mo Mo's great surprise, the turmoil of the Myriad Realms Pearl subsided as soon as he began to suppress it, which puzzled him greatly. However, despite the puzzlement, Mo Mo was still quite happy, since he could mobilize very little energy within his body and would avoid mobilizing it if possible.
The fact that the Myriad Realms Pearl was in this state for no apparent reason suggests that something must have happened in the smaller world. So, Mo Mo extended his divine sense into the Myriad Realms Pearl to take a look, but the situation inside the Myriad Realms Pearl puzzled him even more.
Because at this moment, the small world inside the Myriad Realms Pearl was calm and everything was intact, as if nothing had happened. If Mo Mo hadn't personally witnessed the abnormality of the Myriad Realms Pearl, he probably would have thought that everything in the small world was normal and nothing had happened at all.
However, Mo Mo immediately noticed something was wrong, because at this moment there was another person in the Myriad Realms Space, a peerless beauty with unparalleled elegance and grace.
She had long, flowing black hair that cascaded down to her ankles, smooth and shimmering with a captivating glow. Her skin was as clear as jade, and even a light blue palace dress couldn't conceal her perfect figure. Her face wore a charming smile that made her look incredibly approachable, instantly inspiring a desire to be close to her, just like a family member.
Mo Mo felt a chill when he saw the woman, because even he felt a sense of kinship with her, and it came from the bottom of his heart. He felt no resistance at all. Even though he knew that the woman was not wary of him, he still could not feel any disgust towards her. This made Mo Mo feel horrified.
At this moment, the woman must have noticed Mo Mo's presence. She looked up at the sky with a charming smile, and her smile made Mo Mo feel as if the whole world had lost its color, with only her shining with dazzling brilliance.