There's a saying: it's easy to summon gods but hard to send them away.

Wu Wang hadn't even considered that his responsibilities included not only 'summoning gods' but also providing 'post-summoning god-feeding' services.

How did I end up in the Annihilation Sect?

No wonder Xiao Jian Daoist had rushed over midway, claiming it was for safety and to act as his guard.

So this was the pit he had dug for me.

The Grand Elder frowned and said, "Sect Master, I shall..."

"Hey, no need for violence. We should show some respect to the Divine Spirits." Wu Wang offered a slight smile and said gently, "Summon a few musicians... Never mind, musicians are too gentle. Get a lion and dragon dance team, set off a few hundred strings of firecrackers, dismantle the Formation here, and give this Divine Spirit a warm welcome to his arrival. Of course, keep this matter quiet."

The Grand Elder agreed with a smile and whisked away in a black wind towards the sect's encampment.

Wu Wang glanced at the slumbering Sleep God, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards, then turned and headed outside.

The others nearby wore expressions that were not quite smiles, except for Lin Suqing, who frowned slightly, clearly displeased by the Sleep God's occupation of the cave dwelling.

A moment later, Wu Wang let out a soft "Huh?"

On the stone wall not far from his bedchamber, a new, simple doorway had appeared. A grey-white stone frame was embedded in the mountainside, directly adjacent to his own quarters.

Wu Wang's interest was instantly piqued. He called out to the "Old Auntie" and the Little Fairy, summoned Xiao Jian Daoist and Immortal Mu, and with Blue Bird for company and the Hissing Snake leading the way, they all sauntered over.

He pushed open the door. Wasn't this the Sleep God's Temple inside?

Dozens of men and women—some lying, some sitting, some even lying together—were thrown into a panic. Wu Wang, however, smiled and said, "Don't panic. I'm just looking for a place to rest."

With that, Wu Wang stepped down and walked straight to the central bed.

One good turn deserves another, after all. Swapping homes with the Sleep God was something Wu Wang hadn't anticipated.

His rear end landed, his shoes flew off, and Wu Wang was about to lie down on the great bed that seemed to be formed of condensed clouds and mist. But just as he moved, a spark of realization hit him.

Clouds and mist?

Wu Wang turned to look at the large bed, several thoughts arising in his mind.

The God of Sleep and Dreams surely wouldn't be so perverse as to adopt the title of Sleep God and then transform his own body into bedding. If that were ever exposed, he could just point at a group of Innate Gods and roar with laughter, saying: 'You bunch of fools! The true form of the God of Sleep and Dreams is, of course, a bed! Hahaha!'

If that were true, lying on the actual body of what was clearly a male Divine Spirit...

Wu Wang felt a wave of discomfort and quickly stood up. He had Suqing prepare several lounge chairs, and he, along with the others, sat down to rest, simultaneously setting up a small barbecue and soaking their feet in hot water.

To Wu Wang's pleasant surprise, a few Maidens even proactively approached them, offering tea and Spirit Fruits.

Clearly, spiritual bodies created by Divine Skills were somewhat different from true living beings.

「 」

Before long, the clamor of gongs and drums and the crackling of firecrackers erupted outside the temple, accompanied by thunderous cheers, creating an incredibly festive atmosphere.

Slight ripples appeared on the wall of the adjacent temple. A fair, weary face peeked through, followed by a body clad in loose robes, dragging a large bed behind it.

Wu Wang turned his head. "Suqing, later, have the Grand Elder reinforce the Formations on the side walls of the cave dwelling."

"Yes, Young Master," Suqing replied.

"I'm just borrowing your place for a nap," the Sleep God grumbled, yawning repeatedly. "Is all this really necessary? Such a huge commotion, disturbing a god's peaceful dreams."

"And how did Your Excellency find your way to my humble little courtyard?" Wu Wang asked with a smile. "The heavens are vast, the earth is wide, and the seas are boundless; where could you not call home? My sect is in a remote, impoverished, and desolate area, without even a single Spirit Mine nearby. For a great Divine Spirit such as yourself to come here, isn't it beneath your dignity?"

"How could this be demeaning?" the Sleep God chuckled. "Weren't you the one, Wu Wangzi, who detained me in the Human Domain? I, this prisoner, am being quite proactive, coming straight to your door. I've even prepared my own dungeon."

Wu Wang was speechless.

Is he latching onto me?

The old senior wouldn't go so far as to reveal Mother's identity directly; the old senior isn't likely to easily trust a Divine Spirit of unknown origin.

Wu Wang, intending to test him, heaved a long sigh. With a troubled expression, he called out, "I say, Sleep God, you are ultimately a Divine Spirit, and I'm merely a Yuanxian Realm cultivator. What brings you to my place for no reason?"

The Sleep God raised his hands, stretched his sleeves, and quirked his thick eyebrows.

"A Yuanxian Realm cultivator who can subdue the Hissing Snake, eh?"

The Hissing Snake snorted coldly, its killing intent palpable.

Wu Wang gestured for the Hissing Snake to stand down. The Sleep God strolled over, his lips barely moving as he whispered something directly into Wu Wang's ear, inaudible to anyone else.

Even Xiao Jian Daoist couldn't detect any trace of the sound transmission.

The Sleep God had said:

"A Yuanxian Realm cultivator with a body brimming with Divine Power, possessing the Divine Power of a Star God? Young man, you have many secrets, and I have many secrets too. People and gods like us can maintain our mysteries with each other and then become friends. Otherwise, where else could I go in the Human Domain? Staying with those Human Domain cultivators who harbor only hatred for gods is far less comfortable than being near you, the God of Spring. I'm extremely curious right now: why did the Heavenly Emperor, without any warning, add your enfeoffment when they were discussing how to enfeoff Shen Nong, even directly assigning you a corner of the Nine Wildernesses? Where does your Divine Power come from? And your Great Dao, it's clearly the Star Dao, yet it's different from the Star God's Dao, and seems no weaker. Of course, don't tell me, and I won't ask. We'll both just turn a blind eye. That's how life goes, by making do."

"Who's 'making do' through life with you!" Wu Wang cursed under his breath, his mind racing. Then, smiling, he had Lin Suqing fetch a chair.

He said, "Senior... with you here, I always feel somewhat uneasy."

A faint azure light suffused the Sleep God's form, and his attire instantly changed into a long black robe. He sat down formally opposite Wu Wang, a barbecue grill between them.

The Sleep God said gently, "I am borrowing this place to stay. I will naturally help everyone in your... Annihilation Heaven Black whatever Great Demon Sect... to have a good night's sleep."

"There's no need for Senior to do anything. This is the heartland of the Human Domain; the sect is very stable." Wu Wang chuckled. "Senior, don't look down on our Annihilation Sect just because it's small and has few people. Our sect's enterprises are quite successful. We have several hundred shops throughout the Human Domain and a thousand-year exclusive partnership with the Human Domain's Refining Master Alliance. If Senior wishes to stay in our Annihilation Sect, anything enjoyable from the Human Domain—food, entertainment, leisure—as long as it doesn't violate public order and decency, I can have my people procure it for you."

The Sleep God's eyes immediately crinkled into a smile.

This fellow really knows how to play the game.

But then, Wu Wang added, "However, Senior, how can you prove that you weren't sent by Emperor Shun to harm me?"

"I knew you wouldn't be so easy to deal with," the Sleep God laughed. He crossed his legs, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Soon, his voice reached Wu Wang's ears:

"Indeed, this is difficult to prove, and I cannot reveal my true identity. If I were to simply claim I'm an Ancient God unwilling to serve Emperor Shun, that wouldn't be very convincing. How about this: I possess a divine art called Divine Speech. Words spoken through it are branded into the Great Dao. I can state that I am absolutely not a pawn of Emperor Shun."

Wu Wang mulled this over for a few moments, then transmitted his voice:

"But Senior, you could still intend to act against me for other reasons. The world doesn't just contain Emperor Shun's Divine Faction. There's the Queen Mother of the West, who defies Emperor Shun, and the Candle Dragon, exiled beyond the Heavens. Your identity is a mystery, Senior; these possibilities can't be ruled out. Who can guarantee that you aren't Candle Dragon's spy within the Heaven Palace?"

"Oh?"

"Tsk."

Beside the cloud-bed, the two sat facing each other across the barbecue grill. One, with a chubby, smiling face, showed a hint of hesitation in his eyes; the other, with a solemn expression, had a glint of anticipation in his.

"How about this," Wu Wang proposed, taking a large gourd from his sleeve...

"Just tell me what you want me to do! But forget about drinking!" The Sleep God almost leaped to his feet, grimacing and baring his teeth at Wu Wang. "I'm truly terrified of your Human Emperor's Daoist liquor."

"Senior, if you give me a small piece of leverage," Wu Wang said, "then I can be at ease allowing you to stay here, and I can have my subordinates treat you with due respect."

The Sleep God chuckled and chided, "You little fox, how are you even harder to fool than the Human Emperor?"

Wu Wang sighed. "I'm merely trying to protect myself, Senior. Yet you still harbor intentions of deceiving this junior. This is a far cry from the brilliant and righteous image of Senior that I held in my heart."

The Sleep God glared. "So, shall I leave?"

Wu Wang's eyes lit up. "I'll contact the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion at once to arrange lodging for you, Dao Brother!"

Xiao Jian Daoist immediately stood up.

"Hey, you young fellow," the Sleep God frowned. "Why can't you understand a senior's hint! Fine, what leverage do you want?"

"Let me think." Wu Wang produced an Image Projection Bead, pondering for a few moments.

Seeing this, the Sleep God calmly sat back on his throne and said slowly, "Is that all? How about I curse Emperor Shun a few times for you to record? That way, I can't possibly return to the Heaven Palace."

"Cursing the Heavenly Emperor is somewhat disrespectful," Wu Wang said earnestly. "One must admit, the Heavenly Emperor is, after all, the architect of the current order. All living beings should show a basic level of respect, even if they are mortal enemies. To insult him so verbally is improper. It would make us seem too petty, lacking in scope."

The Sleep God's eyes brightened. "This god is about to see you in a new light!"

Wu Wang offered a gentle smile and said warmly, "Senior, why not recite a couplet of poetry for this bead?"

"Poetry?"

"Something I just came up with. Listen, Senior... 'Candle Dragon spurns Emperor Shun's decree; Sleep God Hall imprisons the Two Xis.'"

The Sleep God nearly jumped up, glaring at Wu Wang through gritted teeth, muttering such 'compliments' as 'black-hearted' and 'truly black-hearted.'

Wu Wang waited with a smile. Just as the Sleep God, his face dark, was about to recite, Wu Wang raised a hand and pointed.

A peculiar sensation arose in his heart, as if a chain in the universe was gently swaying. He reached out, grasped it, and with a gentle tug, pulled open the gate to a new world.

Divine authority, Divine Power.

Bestowal: Spring's Touch.

Two spots of color instantly appeared on the Sleep God's cheeks, his gaze somewhat unfocused, as he slowly recited:

"Candle Dragon spurns Emperor Shun's decree; Sleep God Hall imprisons the Two Xis."

CRACK!

Wu Wang took out several Image Projection Beads from his hand and sleeve, placed them in a brocade box, and handed it to Xiao Jian Daoist.

"Dao Brother, deliver this to His Majesty immediately. Ask His Majesty to keep it safe. Later, if my life is ever in danger, throw this into the Heaven Palace!"

Xiao Jian Daoist rose, acknowledged, took the brocade box, turned, and fled, leaping out of the Sleep God Hall in a single bound.

The entire process was as smooth as flowing water, leaving the Sleep God utterly stunned.

Then, the Sleep God suddenly realized and shouted, "Shouldn't it have been that if *I* were to act against *you*, then such-and-such would happen? How did it become about *your* life being in danger?! This means I have to protect you now!"

Wu Wang blinked. "Did I say that?"

"You! Stop playing dumb!"

"Senior, why are you getting worked up over a junior like me?" Wu Wang, his face wreathed in smiles, stood up and pulled the Sleep God to sit down. He chuckled, "Come, try this roasted Spirit Beast meat with my improved seasoning, and sample some of our Human Domain's true Immortal Brew. We're all family from now on, so don't be polite. Senior, what kind of tunes do you usually enjoy listening to? What sort of dances or operas do you prefer? In the Human Domain nowadays, biographical stories and miscellaneous essays are very popular. You might find you like them."

The Sleep God's face was a mask of grief and indignation, but he soon channeled this into energy, eating and drinking while berating Wu Wang for the darkness of his Dao heart.

Nearby, Lin Suqing, Ling Xiaolan, and Blue Bird all tilted their heads in unison.

The Wu Wang of today... they had truly never seen before.

「 」

To soothe the Sleep God's wounded divine heart, Wu Wang spent half a month accompanying him, touring mountains and rivers, drinking, and making merry. Of course, his main intention was also to take Blue Bird out to see more of the world. For countless long years, driven by a single thread of obsession, she had endlessly repeated the task of filling the sea on a desolate island in the East Sea. Now that the Human Domain was relatively peaceful, it was a good opportunity for her to experience its prosperity.

They walked through Floating Jade City and wandered the bustling mortal markets. Lin Suqing remained by his side. Ling Xiaolan, who disliked crowded and noisy places, stayed at the Annihilation Sect to await Wu Wang's return, focusing on her cultivation.

The Sleep God was quite amiable and found the hustle and bustle of living beings rather interesting. He would converse with elders who had little lifespan remaining, listening to their reflections on life's limits. He would also observe carefree children, drawing some inspiration from them, a flicker of understanding in his eyes.

「 」

On this day, they returned to Floating Jade City and stopped at the already renovated Drunken Fragrance Tower. They drank some wine, listened to some music, and chatted casually. Seizing a moment when no powerful cultivators from the Human Domain were nearby, Wu Wang finally asked the question he had been longing to ask.

"Senior, how much do you know about the Candle Dragon Divine Faction?"

"A fair bit," the Sleep God tapped the table with his finger. A wisp of blue light swept over them, allowing them to converse freely without being overheard, yet they could still hear the noises from outside.

The Sleep God said with a smile, "You held back for so long before asking about divine matters. Your patience is quite good."

Wu Wang's eyes lit up. "It seems Senior was prepared to tell all along."

"Ah, only to a limited extent," sighed the Sleep God. "Can we have a bit more sincerity between us, and a bit less of these roundabout tactics and verbal sparring?"

"Then I'll be sincere and lay my cards on the table," Wu Wang tapped his fingers on the tabletop. "To be honest, I've been thinking that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. If the Candle Dragon Divine Faction were to join forces with the Human Domain, wouldn't we be able to defeat the Heaven Palace?"

The Sleep God pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly, "That's a bit wishful thinking."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"If it were before ancient times, there might have been a slim chance. The process of the Candle Dragon Divine Faction going from rulers to a weaker party was quite lengthy. But back then, the Human Domain had yet to emerge."

The Sleep God continued, "Now, Candle Dragon and Emperor Shun are not the same as they once were. Emperor Shun has established the Dao of Order, so Candle Dragon has inevitably become the one who would destroy that order. The Human Domain exists in reliance on the current order of Heaven and Earth. If that order is destroyed, the Human Domain will suffer a devastating catastrophe. Unless the Human Domain is willing to pay the price of ninety-nine percent casualties to join forces with Candle Dragon, destroy the existing order, and establish a new one. But neither the Human Emperor, nor you, nor those somewhat dithering high-level decision-makers in the Human Domain would dare to make such a ruthless decision. This is the Human Domain's weakness, and a rather fatal one. In the transition of divine eras, it's simply impossible to win without being willing to sacrifice anything."

Wu Wang sighed. "Indeed, that is the case."

"So, the Human Domain lacks a king who dares to bear infamy." The Sleep God chuckled. "Of course, these words of mine might seem somewhat radical to you. Gods and living beings are different. A god's lifespan is infinite, and they observe the grand shifts of Heaven and Earth. Living beings have limited lifespans and focus on inheritance and their own stability. Just take my words as food for thought."

Wu Wang asked, "Regarding the Candle Dragon Divine Faction, besides Candle Dragon himself, what other experts do they have? Senior, didn't you say their return is inevitable?"

"Mm, some of the Great Daos in the Heaven Palace are already rotten." The Sleep God curled his lip and whispered, "I've been observing from the sidelines; the Heaven Palace already exhibits all the characteristics of a divine authority on the verge of being overthrown. Otherwise, I wouldn't have taken this chance to slip away—it's always cooler under a large tree, after all. As long as one or two more of the Heaven Palace's Original Daos run into problems, the Heaven and Earth Seal will collapse. Candle Dragon's return is indeed inevitable. Their experts... let me think... the Five Elements Supreme Gods, yes. The Water Dao is on Candle Dragon's side. The Water God has deep ties with Candle Dragon and even aided the then-weak Human Race before the ancient divine wars."

Wu Wang nodded slowly, resisting the urge to interrupt, and continued to listen to the Sleep God.

"Right, the Water God has a daughter—well, not exactly a daughter, more like the Ice Dao aspect of the Water Dao. She's a formidable character. Back then, she nearly rewrote the course of battles. She's extremely strong in duels, her Divine Skills are ferocious, and she can instantly freeze an area of a hundred thousand li. She's even more troublesome than the Water God. Besides her, there are the original major Wind Gods, Yinyinhu and Zhe Dan; their strengths are not insignificant. If we're talking about Strong Gods, the ancient Thunder God, Leize, is also exceptionally powerful. Originally an exotic beast, he later absorbed the origin of the Thunder Dao, making him one of the gods with the greatest destructive power, a rarity since ancient times. However, among Candle Dragon God's subordinates, the one you absolutely must not provoke is actually a goddess."

"Who?"

The Sleep God grimaced with a smile and sighed. "The God of Luck, a strong god who governs the allocation of fortune in Heaven and Earth. Back then, she almost single-handedly caused infighting within Emperor Shun's Divine Faction. This god is extremely vindictive and holds grudges. Although her dueling strength isn't impressive, her divine Dao attributes are three: turning calamities into blessings, wish fulfillment, and a profound wellspring of fortune. Whichever Divine Faction she stands with, that Divine Faction's chances of winning increase by at least twenty percent. It was the same in that great war. If she hadn't extended their luck, Candle Dragon would have been defeated long ago. However, at that time, she was dissatisfied with Candle Dragon and didn't use her full strength. She also didn't suffer a backlash from the Great Dao, which was quite rare."

Wu Wang raised his hand to his forehead. I feel like the word 'DANGER' is written in huge letters on my forehead. Trying to reason with the Goddess of Fortune after the Candle Dragon Divine Faction returns, to get her to lift this curse... that's clearly not going to work. My only option is to achieve transcendence myself and break this curse method of the Goddess of Fortune.

The Sleep God looked at Wu Wang curiously. "What's wrong? Why do you look so strange hearing about this god?"

"I just never expected there to truly be a Goddess of Destiny in this world," Wu Wang mumbled vaguely.

The Sleep God explained with a smile, "Fortune and destiny should not be confused. It should be said that there is no such thing as a Dao of Destiny. So-called fortune is merely, through the mutual influence of Great Daos, aligning oneself with the development of the grand trends of Heaven and Earth, thereby finding things going smoothly. That's all there is to it. This Goddess of Fortune had many suitors in ancient times; she was one of the top ten Beauty Gods of antiquity. However, she has a peculiar temperament and always played tricks on her suitors. Even the Heavenly Emperor was significantly ridiculed by her back then."

Wu Wang pondered for a few moments and asked, "Why didn't Emperor Shun try to win the Goddess of Fortune's aid?"

"He couldn't win her over." The Sleep God murmured, "She is Candle Dragon's daughter. Not in the same way as the Ice God and Water God are daughters at the Great Dao level; she was born to Candle Dragon and an Ancient Goddess. Later, that Ancient Goddess perished, and Candle Dragon's temperament changed drastically, leading him to go mad and try to destroy Heaven and Earth. Getting the Goddess of Fortune to betray Candle Dragon would be immensely difficult."

Wu Wang whispered, "What if—and I'm just saying if—the Ice God and the Goddess of Fortune were to fight, who do you think would win, Senior?"

"The Ice God, huh? Why are you so interested in these goddesses?" The Sleep God patted Wu Wang's chest and smiled. "God of Spring, the Heavenly Emperor really understands you, haha! Don't overthink it. Those are goddesses you can only look at from afar, each more ferocious than the last. You currently have the body of a Demigod; they wouldn't spare you a second glance. You'd be better off working hard, emulating the sages of the Human Race, seizing a Great Dao for yourself, and becoming a Strong God of your generation. With your looks, perhaps then you might pique their interest."

Wu Wang was speechless.

I think the Ice God might seem cold on the surface but is actually quite gentle underneath.

"The Ice God, gentle?"

"Senior, let's be careful with our words, careful with our words."

"What's there to fear?" laughed the Sleep God. "We're just chatting idly. Can they hear us from the Outer Sky? What's there to be afraid of?"

Wu Wang's eyes held a profound meaning as he spoke slowly, "Can 'fortune' be frozen?"

"Certainly not. 'Fortune' isn't just of the water element... Uh."

The Sleep God's expression quickly became somewhat wooden as he stared intensely at Wu Wang.

"I was just speaking casually, Senior. You can just listen casually," Wu Wang said with a smile, putting down his teacup and gesturing with his chin toward the stage ahead. "Look, they're dancing wonderfully."

The Sleep God's hand, holding the teacup, trembled slightly.

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