Gu Xiaoxi was stopped by the celestial soldiers at the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion.
"Your Highness Lan Xi, you cannot enter here."
"Why?" Gu Xiaoxi looked up at the towering ten-zhang-high doors, her tone serious.
A dozen celestial soldiers exchanged glances, and one of them respectfully said, "The Scripture Pavilion can only be opened with the Heavenly Emperor’s directive. Please, Your Highness, visit the Imperial Garden first."
"What if I must go today?"
"Then we would be forced to offend you."
Gu Xiaoxi clenched her fists; after all, everything in the Heavenly Court belonged to the Heavenly Emperor.
And since ancient times, immortals, Buddhas, and gods each kept to their own, her Goddess Temple didn’t need ancient scriptures, so she had never collected any.
She thought, taking something from someone else’s abode, one should at least be polite.
Thus, with a flash, she disappeared on the spot, and the next time she appeared, she was already in the Imperial Garden.
Above the Nine Heavens, immortal qi swirled, and golden palaces nestled in layers among the clouds.
Standing by the Southern Heavenly Gate, she heard the rumble of bells from the palaces, followed by the pleasant sound of a zither, and a radiance that stretched for ten thousand zhang.
Just as she was about to enter, she heard several palace maids flying over from afar, talking and laughing.
"The Heavenly Emperor is hosting a banquet to celebrate the Crown Prince’s return. I heard that this banquet has also invited Your Highness Li Huo. Despite making trouble in the Goddess Temple, the Heavenly Emperor intends to match her with the Crown Prince, so even her punishment has been waived."
"Indeed! Lord Bai and the Heavenly Emperor were discussing this matter in the past years. Although they cannot marry Your Highness Lan Xi, marrying Your Highness Li Huo is also a fine match."
"If only the Crown Prince hadn’t been so persistent back then, and had taken Your Highness Li Huo earlier. He wouldn’t have been struck down to the mortal world by the Goddess, suffering for a hundred thousand years in the Mortal World. In the end, he still couldn’t win the heart of Your Highness Lan Xi. Such a pity."
"Enough. I heard that the Goddess offered her Divinity to the Demon God, and now her health is declining day by day. I’ve heard she doesn’t have much time left."
Listening to everyone’s conversation, a stifling pain suddenly arose in Gu Xiaoxi’s heart.
She immediately understood who the so-called Goddess was.
With each generation, as soon as a Goddess gives birth to a child, her Divine Power will gradually vanish while the child’s Divine Power grows stronger with age.
Even though the Goddess will lose her Divine Power, she will still live a very long time.
Now, her mother’s days were apparently numbered.
Although Gu Xiaoxi had not recovered all her memories, the deep sense of debt she felt towards her mother made it hard for her to face her.
She even dared not see her.
The Heavenly Emperor’s banquet was surely meant to bestow a marriage upon Ya.
Attending now would only provide fodder for gossip and would be inappropriate.
It seems she would not be able to visit the Scripture Pavilion after all.
Gu Xiaoxi turned and went back to the Goddess Temple.
Zi Yun had invited the Grand Master.
He was an immortal with the appearance of a youthful old man with white hair. He was very excited to see her.
"Xixi!" Venerable Taibai stumbled forward, gripping Gu Xiaoxi’s hand.
Gu Xiaoxi nodded, then knelt down and performed a grand salute. "Grand Master!"
"No need to kneel, get up and let your master have a look. We have been apart for tens of thousands of years, and your master has been so worried. Where is Mi Xi? Hasn’t he returned?" Tears streaked down Venerable Taibai’s face.
"Grand Master, he should be back soon." Gu Xiaoxi stood in front of her master, feeling a sourness in her eyes. "It’s my fault, and I’ve even implicated my senior brother."
"What are you saying, this is your destined tribulation. Listen to your master, love in your heart is the future!" Venerable Taibai saw more clearly than anyone. Having cultivated for hundreds of thousands of years, he had the ability to read the Fate of the Immortal. This world was about to witness the rise of three deities.
There are no blessings without cost in this world. Although everyone knows that Lan Xi is a deity, after all, she has not gone through trials. The events of these years were the tribulations of their destinies.