In the end, the team heading to Yuxu Palace consisted of Nezha, Yu Yuan, and the couple Huang Feihu and his wife.
Yu Yuan felt deeply moved to hear that Nezha was also going. Truly, this was a pure and kind-hearted child. He pounded his chest and shouted, "Just think of it as playing along with me; I'll handle everything!"
Nezha, on the other hand, spent the entire journey instructing Yu Yuan—what not to do, which words not to say. Yu Yuan didn't mind at all; he obediently nodded and agreed, much like the days when he first joined the beggar team and was reprimanded.
Yu Yuan made a silent resolution: even if it costs him his life on this trip, he would ensure Nezha's safety.
Yu Yuan's cultivation had already reached the Golden Immortal stage, and with him commanding the clouds, they reached Kunlun Mountain Yuxu Palace in just three days.
Kunlun Mountain was teeming with countless rare and exotic creatures, which made Nezha envious. If only he could gather them all into his Taihuangtian, progress on perfecting it would accelerate greatly.
The group waited for a while in front of Yuxu Palace, but nobody came to greet them—it was clear they weren't very welcome here.
At this moment, Yu Yuan raised his voice and said as planned, "Yu Yuan, third-generation direct disciple of the Jie Sect, accompanied by Lady Nuwa's disciple Li Nezha, our martial uncle, and Great Shang's King Wu Cheng Huang Feihu and his wife, respectfully greet Ancestor Yuan Shi Saint!"
The commotion at the door couldn't be ignored. Before long, a young servant emerged to receive them and led them inside.
Within Yuxu Palace, Yuanshi Tianzun sat high upon the Cloud Platform, flanked on both sides by six of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect as well as some Chan Sect disciples, including Jiang Ziya.
Taiyi looked down at Nezha and sighed to himself—such a promising disciple, yet somehow slipped through their fingers.
Nezha merely glanced at Yuanshi Tianzun briefly before bowing his head in strict adherence to etiquette. Yu Yuan and the others followed suit, not daring to exhibit the slightest negligence.
Yuanshi Tianzun couldn't be bothered with these juniors, particularly as one was the grand-disciple of his third brother.
Guang Chengzi then spoke up, "What matters bring you to Yuxu Palace?"
Yu Yuan answered with a raised voice, "I, stationed at Chaoge on behalf of Yin Shang's Grandmaster Wen Zhong, have today been approached by King Wu Cheng's couple. Their three-year-old son Huang Tianhua has gone missing without explanation. After consulting our martial uncle Nezha, we concluded this was the act of your sect's Qingxu Daoist. Therefore, I brought the couple here to retrieve their child."
Yuanshi Tianzun was thoroughly outraged.
Meanwhile, the distant Tongtian Sect Master in Biyou Palace was slapping his thigh in laughter: "Hahaha! So, dear second brother, always harping on about my disciples' lack of moral character, yet now your disciple abducts a three-year-old child. Not much better, eh?"
In Nuwa Palace, Lady Nuwa, who had been reclining leisurely, also sat up and chuckled at the spectacle. She thought, "I'm not targeting Brother Yuan Shi specifically; it's just that my disciple's cultivation is weak, so I need to keep an eye on him. I certainly don't mean to make fun of you!"
Yuanshi Tianzun, as one of the Saints who valued saving face the most, indeed felt humiliated. There was no way to handle this matter without losing face, so he decided to ignore the confrontation altogether.
Qingxu Daoist, upon seeing the arrival of Huang Feihu and his wife, already had a bad feeling. However, he had no choice but to put up a brave front. After sneaking a glance at his teacher's expression, he roughly understood the situation.
He then announced, "While traveling in Chaoge, I found Huang Tianhua to have excellent root bones. Why accuse me of kidnapping? He is a mere mortal child who could enter our Chan Sect, study Yuxu Immortal Techniques, and seek the Great Dao. Such an opportunity is a blessing cultivated over countless lifetimes."
These were Qingxu Daoist's true thoughts. In his view, the pursuit of the Dao outweighs the bonds of blood and kinship. Of course, with his own illustrious background, he had never experienced familial ties himself. Taking Huang Tianhua as a disciple was merely to guard against calamities.
As the saying goes, maternal forces are resolute. To Huang Feihu's wife, it mattered not if he was one of the Twelve Golden Immortals; in her eyes, he was simply a trafficker. Yet, as a well-bred lady, her combat prowess was limited. "You villain! My son is merely three years old—what could he possibly understand about seeking the Great Dao? Must he be separated from his family for decades just for the sake of this so-called Dao?"
Qingxu Daoist's face remained impassive, as though this outcome were entirely natural: "The path to the Dao is arduous. Mortal attachments are nothing but burdens. Furthermore, once he has mastered his studies, he can naturally reunite with you all."
The disciples of the Chan Sect present largely agreed with Qingxu Daoist's views, though there was one exception—Jiang Ziya.
Jiang Ziya very much desired to seek immortality, but this had been his own choice as an adult. Even after cultivating in Yuxu Palace for decades, he retained some humanity. He felt that if they had to accept Huang Tianhua, they could at least wait until he was older—surely Huang Tianhua's family wouldn't refuse a Golden Immortal from Chan Sect.
Unfortunately, the lowly Jiang Ziya currently had no right to voice his opinions.
Yu Yuan was also furious and had just opened his mouth to speak when Nezha stopped him. The child was unrecoverable. Bringing Huang Feihu and his wife here had already afforded them the opportunity to speak their minds. Doing more would only invite trouble.
Ultimately, Qingxu Daoist was punished to face a wall in solitude for a thousand years.
And that was that.
First, Huang Tianhua indeed shared a predestined bond of teacher and disciple with Qingxu Daoist.
Second, what could one possibly do to Qingxu Daoist in Yuxu Palace?
Huang Feihu and his wife understood the limits of their abilities and accepted the promise that Huang Tianhua would descend the mountain in the future. Knowing that they couldn't overturn the situation, they suppressed their grief and returned to Chaoge with the two Immortals.
On the way back, Huang Feihu sincerely expressed his gratitude: "Thank you both, Immortal Masters. Should you ever need assistance in the future, I, Huang Feihu, am at your service."
Nezha and Yu Yuan didn't take his words seriously.
Watching his second brother lose face thrilled Tongtian Sect Master. The evidence of his joy was shown when he cheerfully summoned Jin Ling Saint Mother for a game of chess and praised her a few times. He even sent a voice transmission to Nuwa: "Your disciple is truly remarkable. If there's ever an opportunity, let him visit Biyou Palace to play!"
Nuwa perfunctorily replied, "Oh yes, yes. Next time, certainly."
Back in Chaoge, after the farewell of King Wu Cheng and his wife, Yu Yuan came looking for Nezha with a wine pot that evening, startling Daji within the room.
Daji tidied up her clothing and, at Nezha's gesture, dashed outside to prepare food and wine.
Yu Yuan felt frustrated about failing to retrieve the child. He followed Nezha's advice mainly out of reluctance to create additional trouble for him.
Nezha, on the other hand, found Yu Yuan to be quite likable despite his fierce appearance—a friend worthy of connection. Nezha wouldn't avoid him just because Yu Yuan's name was destined to appear on the Investiture of the Gods.
As they both drank spiritual wine, Nezha consoled Yu Yuan, "See? Our trip wasn't for nothing. The couple now knows their child's whereabouts and won't worry for ten-plus years. Huang Tianhua, meanwhile, has gained the chance to pursue the Great Dao under the Chan Sect's tutelage. And that old coot Qingxu got punished—Chan Sect Immortals are bound to act less arrogantly moving forward."
"See? Isn't this essentially winning big time?"
Yu Yuan was somewhat puzzled. "Huh? Winning so much already?"
But seeing Nezha in good spirits, he relented, "Alright, if you say we've won, then fine, we've won."
Life soon returned to tranquility, aside from one minor development: Huang Feihu and his wife began cultivating immortality.
Yu Yuan, being an expert in Body Cultivation, was frequently consulted by Nezha for advice and sparring once they grew closer. Nezha's combat experience rapidly improved.
Currently, Nezha had cultivated the Eight-Nine Profound Skills up to the twenty-fifth layer. Reaching the fortieth layer would render his physical strength comparable to Yang Jian's level as depicted in the original text.
However, with his top-tier Magical Treasures and Divine Skills, Nezha could take on Yang Jian without his canine companion—not necessarily instant defeat, but certainly within three moves.
After all, Yang Jian was merely a real cultivator without Magical Treasures or a mount, an unfortunate dual deficiency.
Meanwhile, having been lectured by Yuan Futong, the Three Demons of Xuanyuan Tomb—tasked with saving the Beihai Demon Clan—each found a new body, transforming respectively into Beauty Hu, Beauty Cai, and Jade Beauty.
They bribed Fei Zhong, the conniving official, to gain proximity to King Zhou. However, the Three Demons were unaware that King Zhou was no longer the man he once was, having now become a Foundation Establishment cultivator skilled in magical techniques!