"Feng Chun."

In the Annihilation Sect's residence, Wu Wang's dwelling.

A withered potted plant sat in front of Wu Wang. Within it wafted strands of peculiar Dao Rhymes, and on its originally dead branches, two green buds sprouted.

The few people gathered around praised it continuously.

Immortal Mu had a flash of inspiration, took the potted plant, and pointed at the square stool.

Wu Wang closed his eyes and focused. His fingers lightly tapped a few times on the square stool. After waiting quietly for a while, a cluster of tender shoots appeared on the stool. These shoots rapidly grew branches, formed flower buds, and bloomed into a small pristine white flower.

Ling Xiaolan praised, "The Divine Arts are indeed somewhat different from our methods of cultivation."

"In essence, they are actually the same."

Wu Wang smiled and explained, "Divine Power comes too easily. There's no process of comprehension or learning, making it easier to know the surface without understanding the foundation."

Lin Suqing said, "Young Master, when we cultivators seek enlightenment, it's from nothing to something. When those Divine Spirits seek enlightenment, it is from something to more. Then why is it that we have the advantage in matters of enlightenment?"

"From nothing to something, starting from insignificance, it actually makes it easier to touch the very source of the Great Dao."

Wu Wang looked at Lin Suqing. The questions from the old auntie had become increasingly sharp lately. Learning without thought is labor lost, he reflected. He had been busy with official duties, often took long sleeps, and Lin Suqing was quickly catching up to him.

It's just...

Wu Wang wondered, "How come your realm still hasn't reached God-leaping?"

"I!"

Lin Suqing, aggravated, rolled her eyes and said resentfully, "I'm not like a certain Little Golden Dragon who gains Enlightenment in Dream, during drinking water, and even while eating. My pace in cultivation is already godspeed!"

Ling Xiaolan smiled and said, "Fairy Immortal Suqing should belong to the 'accumulate thickly and strike thinly' type, and the time simply hasn't come yet."

"Exactly!" Lin Suqing smiled proudly.

Wu Wang glanced at Immortal Mu and muttered, "Don't you often enlighten her with great insights?"

"Right, I often do! Otherwise, how could she have reached the late Nascent Soul Realm so quickly?"

Immortal Mu stood proudly with hands on his hips. Lin Suqing's pretty face blushed as she quickly ran off, pulling Immortal Mu with her.

Wu Wang's hearty laughter suddenly filled the cave dwelling.

The position of the God of Welcoming Spring actually contained some hidden worries.

Wu Wang took the initiative to throw back the instrument of the God position and wrote a letter of resignation. If the Heaven Palace turned a blind eye and ignored him, he would really have no way to remove this God position.

As an Acquired God, in the order of heaven and earth, it's actually equivalent to being an 'officer' within the sects of the Human Domain, and can be appointed or dismissed at any time.

In the future, when facing the Innate Gods of Heaven Palace, there will inevitably be some 'hierarchical oppression' according to reason. The method to cope with it is also simple—just use the protection of the Star God's Dao to shield oneself. But that way, it is also possible to directly reveal the association between Wu Wang and the Star God's Dao.

The last time, in the mini world, during the Duel with the sounding serpent, the people from Heaven Palace only sensed the intervention of the Star God and didn't know the condition of the Star God. The Heavenly Emperor, Emperor Shun, was aware of this. He believed his mother, Cang Xue, had 'replaced the Star God like the plum tree for the peach.' He naturally assumed that the Star God's act of grievously injuring the sounding serpent was actually Cang Xue protecting him. The aftermath was probably suppressed by Emperor Shun's Order incarnation, and as for the matter with the sounding serpent, they turned a blind eye.

In this way, Wu Wang indeed had fewer troubles.

After returning to the Annihilation Sect, Wu Wang carved out a cave dwelling next to his residence for the sounding serpent, and this generation's Evil God finally settled down, able to properly recuperate and recover his energy.

The Sleep god played around in the Human Domain for a while, and after being 'prompted' by Wu Wang, he began to withdraw behind closed doors, sleeping soundly each day in his temple. He was once very conflicted, wondering whether to abandon this false identity and flee directly from this place. In the eyes of the Sleep god, Wu Wang... became increasingly mysterious.

And Wu Wang, having learned quite a bit about the Goddess of Fortune from the Sleep god, felt that his heart, thirsting for cultivation, was ignited and uncontrollable.

Without cultivation, what else could be done?

The daughter of the Candle Dragon, the friend of his mother, although not proficient in Duel, nevertheless controlled the Way of Fortune, quite troublesome indeed.

To fight, it might be impossible to win now. When exactly the Candle Dragon Divine Faction will suddenly appear out of nowhere, if he cannot advance his own Dao Realm to the Transcendent Realm before the return of the Candle Dragon Divine Faction, then what awaits him is... a bleak fate of being forcibly taken away by a Goddess to be her husband!

The few 'husband' calls in the dream had almost turned into nightmares for Wu Wang, making him feel quite uncomfortable all over.

What on earth did he do when he was seven or eight years old? Why did he provoke the Goddess of Fortune? What role did his mother play in all this? Why did the Goddess of Fortune change her appearance several times in the dream, from a little girl to a young girl, and then to a mature goddess, allowing only him to see those almond-shaped eyes clearly?

These things gave Wu Wang a headache whenever he thought about them. Though shameful, evasion could indeed temporarily make him forget his worries.

Wu Wang could only suppress these questions and choose to think about them positively, considering them a 'joke between his mother and her friend.' Then he focused on cultivation, intensifying his efforts, aiming to reconstruct the Star Dao as soon as possible. Either to merge with the Star God's Dao and become a Star God himself, or to take over the Star God's Dao and achieve a godhood no less than that of an Innate God.

Behind this lay two completely different concepts: the cultivation of gods and the cultivation of immortals.

Endless years in the mountains, unaware of how many springs have passed in the human world.

Wu Wang's cultivation within the Sect turned out to be unexpectedly peaceful. Most affairs of the Human Domain were kept outside his door, and upon awakening from meditation, he dealt with the matters of the Punishment Hall briefly. Ling Xiaolan, who cultivated with him, made rapid progress in her cultivation. Through continual joint cultivation, their Daos influenced each other, and their tacit understanding grew.

The cycle of cold and heat passed at its own pace, and in the blink of an eye, five cycles had passed. Wu Wang and Ling Xiaolan were both nearing the True Immortal realm in their Dao, and Wu Wang's understanding of the Star Dao and his comprehension of the Star God's Dao had deepened.

As Wu Wang went into seclusion, Lin Suqing found herself with plenty of opportunities to cultivate. But she would not meditate for long before she voluntarily went out with Blue Bird for a walk and a chat, fearing that Wu Wang's seclusion would make Blue Bird feel neglected and unhappy.

As for that Sleep god...

In the days after returning from the Annihilation Sect with Wu Wang, he actually suffered from some insomnia.

Alas, the Human Domain is not simple after all; it's full of traps and pitfalls. Just what is Wu Wangzi's background? A demigod thriving in the Human Domain, becoming a rival that the Head Manager is always concerned about, and even receiving a title from the Heavenly Emperor. This dreadful place is no longer suitable to stay... But then again, if I leave now, won't all the previous efforts be wasted? After all, there are arrangements made by the previous two Human Emperors.

Therefore, with some reluctance, the Sleep god persuaded himself to stay by Wu Wang's side a while longer. As time passed, the Sleep god gradually realized that Wu Wang had no ulterior motives towards him, and almost everyone in the Human Domain had forgotten him; there were no attempts to woo him. This also meant that the Human Emperor truly had confidence to leave him, an Innate God, in this place without care or inquiry.

Over the next two years, every time Wu Wang came out of seclusion, the Sleep god would certainly come over to have a drink and a chat with him, attempting to figure out Wu Wang's true capabilities. After many such interactions, the two gradually became familiar with each other. Wu Wang felt that although the Sleep god was rather lazy, his knowledge and insights were as vast as the ocean, and conversing with him always offered new enlightenment. The Sleep god also found that Wu Wang, despite being a bit scheming and manipulative, had a rather pleasant personality. Especially, some of the perspectives expressed by Wu Wang in his conversations struck the Sleep god as novel, always prompting the Ancient God to think. This made the Sleep god begin to look forward to Wu Wang's future path, curious to see how this odd demigod from the human race would forge ahead in the struggle between heaven and earth.

Since they both admired each other, they gradually started to call each other 'brother.' Wu Wang would call him 'Brother Sleep,' and the Sleep god would call him 'Little brother Wu Wang,' and their interaction was harmonious and joyful.

One such day, Wu Wang emerged from a five-year seclusion. His mind, once still, now stirred with activity. He stood on an arched bridge, gazing absentmindedly at the water flowing beneath. Dao Rhymes swirled around him, and starlight flickered in and out of existence.

"Little brother Wu Wang, what are you up to?"

The Sleep god, wearing a long robe and a light green sleeping cap gifted by Wu Wang, approached with a world-weary yawn, stretching lazily.

"How comfortable it is to sleep in the earth," he said.

Wu Wang composed his spiritual mind, the Dao Rhymes around him quietly dissipating, and smiled, "I really envy you, Brother Sleep, not having to cultivate every day."

"What's there to envy? I also struggled through hardship in the early years," replied the Sleep god, hands clasped behind him as he shook his head, causing the pompom on his sleeping cap to sway. "The speed of strengthening isn't bad. The realm has improved, Divine Power has also increased quite a bit, and the body has grown a little stronger."

Pausing, the Sleep god peered at Wu Wang's cave dwelling, muttering softly, "Little brother, do you have some unspeakable secret?"

Wu Wang's mouth twitched slightly, not wanting to answer this strange question.

He said, "According to the customs of our Human Domain, we must marry first, then consummate the marriage."

"Nonsense," the Sleep god blinked. "When I'm asleep, I walk through the streets and alleys, passing through many dreams of the human race. I've rarely seen any who honestly wait until marriage to consummate it. HISSS! Did the Heavenly Emperor give you the position of God of Spring to help you... um?"

Wu Wang's face immediately turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

"What's wrong? You're not satisfied with those human race girls?"

The Sleep god chuckled, retrieving a file and a piece of wood that radiated Divine Light from his sleeve. He said, "What kind of girl do you want? Just say it, boldly say it. With our relationship as it is now, how could I not give you an advantage? Nowadays, there aren't many Innate Gods with this craft."

Wu Wang suddenly thought of something, his eyes gradually brimming with light. He had considered before, getting the Sleep god to help, to see if he could resist the forced sleep of 'Touching Woman Sleeping Syndrome'. But firstly, he didn't fully trust the Sleep god and wasn't very familiar with him. And secondly, he felt that doing so would reveal his connection with the Goddess of Fortune. Given the Sleep god's insight, he might guess there was something wrong with his mother's identity related to the Sun Ritual, thus endangering her safety.

Within the Heaven Palace, the Heavenly Emperor knew Cang Xue was the Ice God, but the other Innate Gods did not. If all the gods became aware of this, even if the Heavenly Emperor felt wary of the Ice God, he would have to take some measures to stabilize the divine heart.

Now, however, Wu Wang suddenly thought...

He could concoct a story. As long as it was plausible, and it covered up his connection with the Goddess of Fortune, wouldn't he not have to worry about his mother being exposed?

Wu Wang looked up and sighed, his whole being exuding desolation.

"Big brother," Wu Wang sighed, "I really didn't want to mention this, but alas."

The Sleep god's eyes lit up, and he rushed Wu Wang back to his own temple. He seated Wu Wang behind a desk, his slightly plump figure shuttling back and forth, leaving trails of afterimages, and brought Spirit Fruit seeds, fruit wine from the Human Domain, and an incense burner. Then he looked at Wu Wang with burning eyes, propping his cheek with his arm, raising an eyebrow at Wu Wang.

"Tell me your story."

Wu Wang: ...

Just now, he had felt a slight sense of guilt about deceiving the Sleep god. But now, he was utterly relaxed, free of any psychological pressure. Bluffing, an art of the language.

Wu Wang slowly began his story, telling of a dream he had in his youth, a dream about a vast prairie, a Divine Wood radiating Divine Light, where he met with a girl under the tree. He had that dream many times, and he and the girl went from strangers to acquaintances. Then one day, the girl cried in front of him, then bit his shoulder...

"She told me to wait for her, that she would come back for me."

Wu Wang sighed, "From that day on, I developed a strange illness. Whenever my body touched a woman, even through clothes and inadvertent contact, I would faint."

"Really?"

The Sleep god's eyes widened, "Is there really such a bizarre thing?"

"Look," Wu Wang turned to look at a Goddess attendant on the side, then dismissed the idea.

Without Suqing by his side, he really felt somewhat uneasy.

Without further ado, Wu Wang ran back to his cave dwelling, called Lin Suqing over, and demonstrated his sleeping condition. Then Wu Wang was awakened by Lin Suqing, who went back to continue cultivating.

But the Sleep god was silent. He stared at Wu Wang, his gaze incredibly complex, and within that complexity, there was even a hint of anger. The Sleep god had indeed caught on to the Dao Rhyme that flashed by while Wu Wang was asleep. Not only had he caught it, but in the last era of gods, he had passed by the owner of that Dao Rhyme several times, and he was also the Sleep god at that time.

"You..."

The Sleep god pondered slightly.

Wu Wang leaned forward, asking softly, "What's wrong?"

"I think, since you have promised in the dream, you should stay chaste and wait for her to come, right?" the Sleep god said with a smile while sitting upright. "If you take liberties in dreams, wouldn't that be taking liberties indeed?"

Wu Wang: ...

"Old bro, I'm asking if you have any way to cure this strange disease."

"How to cure it? It's not under my jurisdiction," the Sleep god shook his head vigorously.

Wu Wang asked in a low voice, "For instance, could you draw a circle with the Sleep and Dreams Dao, curse me, and make me lose the ability to fall into deep sleep from now on?"

"Fainting and sleeping are two different things!"

The Sleep god immediately said, "Little brother, you need to think this through. Do you know who that young girl is?"

"I have a rough idea."

"And you still dare!"

The Sleep god forcefully tilted his chin toward the direction of Wu Wang's abode.

"Not afraid," Wu Wang said calmly. "The most precious thing for people living in this world is the persistence and yearning for free will. My own marriage, I will decide myself. I cannot submit to Strong gods!"

At that moment, Wu Wang shimmered with a faint light in the eyes of the Sleep god.

"Good!"

The Sleep god's eyes were full of light. "What a free will, voicing the strength of living beings! Innate Gods, which of them is not a slave to the Dao, which of them is not a prisoner of heaven and earth! I will help you, but I can only give it a try."

With a wave of his hand, Lin Suqing appeared at the temple's entrance, looking bewildered as Wu Wang called her in. Shortly after, Wu Wang sat on a wooden chair and fell into a deep sleep with a single touch from Lin Suqing.

The Sleep god stood up, muttering incantations, as a beam of golden light enveloped Wu Wang's form.

"I expel you from sleep and dreams, depriving you of the ability to sleep soundly!"

Wu Wang shuddered for a moment and immediately woke up, his voice trembling, "Suqing, quick!"

"Yes!"

Lin Suqing tapped the back of Wu Wang's head, and the Young Master's eyes rolled back as he instantly fell unconscious. However, within two breaths, his eyes opened, and he was fully alert.

"This?" Wu Wang stared in astonishment.

The Sleep god also frowned slightly, muttering, "I told you, fainting and sleeping aren't the same thing."

"Then how is this different from the self-tormenting practices I have previously imagined..."

Wu Wang covered his forehead, full of disappointment, sitting there with drooping spirits. But he soon cheered up, laughed and said, "It's all right, I'll just focus on my cultivation. Old bro, please restore my ability to sleep soundly. Although I can replace sleeping with meditation, I often feel drained. It's exhausting not to sleep."

"Eh, about that..."

The Sleep god laughed awkwardly, saying quite euphemistically, "You didn't say you wanted it back. That's a bit tricky to handle."

Wu Wang: ...

"Bro, you can't do me dirty like this!"

"Wu Wang!"

Outside the hall, Xiao Jian Daoist came rushing in, his face filled with urgency, shouting even before entering, "The Lin Family has changed, Lin Nuhao has rebelled!"

Surprise flickered across Wu Wang's face, but he swiftly rose to his feet, zeroing in on Xiao Jian Daoist.

"Which Lin Nuhao?"

"The rising Military Family in the northwest, Lin Qi's father," Xiao Jian Daoist said through gritted teeth. "That Lin Nuhao!"

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