"Are you the East Lord?" Yaoji's eyes brimmed with excitement and astonishment.

"East Lord?"

The God of Spring, the Solar Deity of Chu Mythology, the East Lord?

Song Lin froze for a moment but did not reply with a yes or no. Instead, he asked back, "Why do you think I am the East Lord?"

"Pure Yang, flawless and radiant like the sun—if not the East Lord, then who?"

Yaoji said:

"Perhaps you have encountered the East Lord of the Great Destiny. Either way, you must be the East Lord—if not the reincarnation of the East Lord after their death. No wonder the creatures of Wushan are so drawn to you—what creature wouldn't adore the sun?"

"There is no second sun in the heavens. You have finally come to save the world!"

"Save the world from what?"

Song Lin was utterly baffled. Was she explaining karma to him right off the bat?

"Do you know of the Candle Dragon? It spans thousands of miles in length, crimson in color. Long ago, there was a land of darkness and shadow in the northwest, where a dragon carried a candle in its mouth to bring light."

Yaoji began recounting the events.

Originally, the Candle Dragon was the guardian deity of the land without sunlight, worshipped for illuminating the darkness.

But at some point, it gained insight into something profound and ascended to the heavens, using its body to block the sun. The world thus plunged into shadow, with the mortal world relying solely on the Candle Dragon's glowing candle for light.

After millions of years, the Candle Dragon became akin to a solar deity.

Yaoji gradually sensed that the sun was being consumed little by little,

"Where is the East Lord then? Didn't they fight?"

Song Lin was somewhat puzzled.

"The East Lord has gone into slumber, and their true form can no longer manifest. As of now, you should be the East Lord."

"Does Taiyi not intervene in such matters?"

If this were any other Heavenly Court, they would have long dispatched Heavenly Soldiers and Generals to suppress such usurpers.

Then again, Taiyi's realm didn't seem to have such a Heavenly Court structure.

"Since the creation of the world, Taiyi has adhered to the principles of natural order and never interferes with the operations of the Ten Thousand Realms. No matter what happens, Taiyi will never act."

"The Great Destiny and Junior Fate, who preside over life and death, and creation in the Heavenly Kingdom, have never interfered with the mortal world either."

"The East Lord was ambushed by the Candle Dragon, and the remaining divine spirits and Earth deities were either scattered or asleep, with no power to resist."

Listening to Yaoji's account, Song Lin realized that the Taiyi Divine Realm truly had no structured Heavenly Court, nor any Immortal Official system.

Divinities in this realm were categorized into a few types: Mountain Gods, River Lords, Lake Gods, Mountain Ghosts, and so forth.

There were no hierarchical distinctions—free and unrestrained.

Under such a system, the deities in this realm lived incredibly relaxed lives, with no rules or assessments to adhere to.

Their days were filled with drinking, singing, dancing, and enjoyment; each deity excelled in some art form, which is why poets regarded the Taiyi Myth as profoundly romantic.

"If Taiyi does not intervene, then there's little difference between the Candle Dragon and the East Lord. Why oppose it?" Song Lin asked.

"It's not the same. The Candle Dragon is the deity of mutant beasts, signifying the resurgence of ancient strange creatures. If the Candle Dragon gains control of the sun, this realm will inevitably become a paradise for demon beasts."

During ancient times, mutant beasts dominated, and the Human Clan was still in tribal stages, living precarious lives. Later, powerful figures comprehended the nature of the universe, harnessed tools, and leveraged numerical superiority, ushering in the age of human dominance.

Returning to that primordial ecosystem would lead to unimaginable consequences.

"True," said Song Lin.

Song Lin thought about it—it made sense.

The Divine Beasts from the Classic of Mountains and Seas each wield powers that govern rules and laws. Their basic abilities include exhaling gusts of wind and breathing out clouds.

Some were gods in themselves, while others gave birth to gods.

Their relationship with humanity wasn't necessarily adversarial; some powerful figures among the Human Clan were even descendants of Divine Beasts.

However, the resurgence of the Divine Beasts from the Classic of Mountains and Seas would undoubtedly compress humanity's living space.

The existence of cosmic spirits was deeply intertwined with humanity; humans' poetry, music, and dance enchanted them. The divinities found pleasure in connecting with mortal poets, who crafted enduring works in their honor.

To sum up, it was a romantic age. Should it pass, it would bring great loss to the divinities as well.

"Indeed. Can demon beasts compose poems and sing songs?" The White Dragon scoffed.

The White Dragon was actually Duke Huan of Qi, who starved to death and transformed into a Divine Dragon. His days were now filled with sleeping and singing—a leisurely life.

Though possessing the body of a mutant beast, he leaned more toward the Human Clan.

The White Ape, Green Donkey, Old Fish, and Thin Jiao were also long-time ministers to humanity.

"What is the Candle Dragon but a brute—a ruthless and cruel creature? Ancient wisdom taught that the heavens cannot be without a sun, else the mortal world would perish. I would rather forever dwell in the Long Night than be illuminated by its radiance!" The White Ape said angrily.

The group finished their discussion and turned their gaze toward Song Lin, eager to see his stance.

If this suspected East Lord decided to raise an army of resistance, they would follow him to the death.

Only another sun could challenge a sun.

Song Lin listened to their words and fell into deep thought.

He would not be coerced into action; he wouldn't risk his life merely on the persuasion of others.

But this time, action seemed unavoidable.

This time, he had crossed realms with his physical body, meaning his body formed from essence blood was now here. The spells cultivated in this realm would synchronize with reality, and likewise, death here would inflict severe damage to his primordial energy.

The Candle Dragon appeared to possess a Great Dao like his own, tied to innate Pure Yang.

Their relationship was inherently competitive; if the Candle Dragon successfully harmonized with the Dao, it would forever suppress him in this realm, potentially preventing him from fulfilling his karma.

Of course, defeating the Candle Dragon would also bring him immense benefits.

But this realm was far too primitive.

Its cultivators were still primarily divinities and abnormal soldiers.

The mortal world's practitioners were merely local wizards imitating the Divine Beasts or totems of heaven. They lacked a complete cultivation system.

"Resistance is possible, but it will require significant time to plan. During this period, you must follow my command."

As he spoke, Song Lin released the aura of Harmonization, a boundless surge of Pure Yang Power that made everyone feel as though they were gazing upon the sun.

"As you command!"

The group raised flowers as cups and dew as wine, sealing their pact.

From then on, everything proceeded as usual.

The Goddess of Wushan continued spreading clouds by day and rain by night while the Wushan deities kept singing and dancing as they always had.

Song Lin spent three days pondering before finally devising a strategy.

Unite the divinities of this realm and propagate the Taoist system within the mortal world.

Year One of Taiyi.

Song Lin rode the Sun Jade Carriage throughout the mortal world, refraining from taking disciples, delivering speeches, or interfering in anything, indulging instead in worldly pleasures.

Year Twenty of Taiyi.

A legend spread among mortals—a divine being, clothed in azure clouds and robed in white mist, carried jade liquid in a vessel of stars, roaming the skies on a cloud-chariot, occasionally scattering warm, healing rays upon everything below. Those touched by the light recovered from all ailments.

Year Twenty-Five of Taiyi.

The image of the divine being grew vivid in mortal lore. Some claimed this divine being to be the East Lord, living in Fusang of the East Sea. Others said he was the Great Deity of Yunmeng Marsh. Others still professed to have dreamt of the divine being, drinking wine alongside him in their dreams.

Year Forty of Taiyi.

The King of Chu dreamt of the divine being, who introduced himself as the Eastern King and invited the king to dream-journey to the Divine Court. Upon awakening, the king discovered a cloud-like jade pendant by his side.

He immediately ordered the construction of Chunyang Palace in the capital to worship an effigy of the Eastern King, sincerely inviting the Eastern King to visit again.

Thus, faith in the Eastern King gradually spread throughout Chu Country.

The glowing jade pendant was enshrined atop the solar tower in front of the palace, proclaiming the king's favor from the heavens and strengthening his rule.

The King of Chu grew arrogant, indulging in decadence and neglecting state affairs, drawing dissatisfaction from his subjects.

While Chu's faith flourished, Song Lin chose not to reveal any miraculous signs but instead journeyed to Qi Country for leisure.

There, he left divine traces, prompting numerous abnormal soldiers to dream of him.

When the time was right, a portion of them could be converted into disciples of the Taoist system.

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