Volume One, Chapter Twenty-Two: The Immaculate Celestial Body

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Immaculate Heavenly Body Prepares for Court

Nearly two days after their birth, Tu Zhe and Qin Lei finally acquired enough of the finest Heavenly Sutrata Essence and Heavenly Sutrata Wine to undergo the first transformation since the birth of the Heavenly Child—growth.

It was said that this was an unprecedented event upon Mount Sumeru. Ordinarily, heavenly children would commence such a ritual immediately after their birth. As the offspring of outsiders, not only did they undergo their transformation only after stirring up considerable trouble, but the matter was far from over; what fate awaited them was a mystery even the spirits could not divine.

At this moment, the Heavenly Treasure Vessels brimming with Heavenly Sutrata Essence and Heavenly Sutrata Wine were placed at the center of the palace. As their true forms manifested, towering and vast, the vessels transformed accordingly into enormous containers spanning dozens of acres. Within, the Heavenly Sutrata Essence gleamed white as clarified butter, its exotic fragrance permeating the palace; the Heavenly Sutrata Wine rippled like cream, its intoxicating luster releasing a scent that softened the soul and induced deep intoxication.

Tu Zhe glanced at Qin Lei, nodded, and said, “Eat quickly.” A giant hand reached for the treasure vessel, seizing a large block of Heavenly Sutrata Essence and stuffing it into his mouth.

As soon as the Heavenly Sutrata Essence entered his mouth, before he could even chew, it melted into a fluid and slipped down his throat, flowing through the esophagus and into the stomach.

Tu Zhe closed his eyes to observe internally, savoring the marvels of the Heavenly Sutrata Essence.

He saw the fluid, as if endowed with life, shimmering with starlight—like blinking eyes—searching for the pores on the stomach wall. Upon finding one, it gleefully burrowed in, instantly transforming into streams of essence, spreading through these pores. Each filled pore would automatically lead to the next or a deeper layer, perpetually seeking.

Tu Zhe could almost see the white mist-like essence reaching everywhere, absorbed by countless pores. He could hear their joyous sighs and hungry cries, while the yet unfilled pores gasped, called out, and squirmed as if they would starve otherwise.

The maddening hunger compelled Tu Zhe to repeatedly reach out with his massive hand, greedily grabbing the Heavenly Sutrata Essence and eating without pause. Once each pore was filled, every cell became a hungry horde, clamoring, competing, opening mouths unknown to devour the essence. With every swallow, his body grew stronger and more transparent. One could see Tu Zhe and Qin Lei’s bodies swelling, growing at an astonishing speed.

Six kilometers...

Nine kilometers...

Soon they surpassed ten kilometers.

Suddenly, their bodies resounded with a thunderous boom, growing to their ultimate limit—one league.

This was the first pinnacle of transformation after the birth of the Heavenly Child.

The two appeared robust and magnificent, muscles carved as if by chisel, each fiber bursting with inexhaustible power, as if ready to explode with energy at any moment. Meanwhile, their faces transformed in miraculous ways: the beauty of strength defined by clear lines, their broad foreheads glowing with radiant light, long brows like a forest, each strand a spear or sword, eyes deep as the starry river, within which suns and moons rose and fell, myriad stars revolved. Their noses were like treasure vases or mountains, lips red and lustrous as flames, their jade teeth aligned and shining.

A torrent of Heavenly Sutrata Wine was poured into their mouths, and instantly their bodies erupted with divine light; beneath nearly transparent skin, the wine transformed into golden blood, surging through their veins. Immediately, a divine aura swept over them.

Almost as soon as the wine was finished, the sound of rivers rushing echoed in their transparent arteries, divine light exploded from their bodies, hundred-foot-long blue hair fanned out, and a solar coronet appeared behind their heads. Its light blazed and pierced the darkness, but lasted only a few breaths before vanishing.

The appearance and disappearance of the solar coronet marked the complete end of the first transformation after the birth of the Heavenly Child.

The Jinmu brothers finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Doggy soared through the air, shrieking in a childish voice, “Rogue Bro, Rogue Bro, shrink down! You’re too big—I can’t pinch you anymore!”

Tu Zhe laughed, willed himself, and returned to normal size.

Qin Lei did likewise.

Doggy looked left and right, then declared, “Rogue Bro is more handsome, Lei Lei is more muscular! Both are handsome guys, hehe...”

Thus, the first transformation was complete, and Tu Zhe and Qin Lei now possessed all the divine abilities of the Ten Distinctions of the Heavens.

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First Distinction: When traversing the heavens, come and go without bounds. Meaning, from now on, one may travel wherever one desires, no matter how far.

Jinmu explained, “It’s not quite as you imagine. Sure, you can go anywhere, but how fast can you go? A thousand leagues in an instant is quick enough, right? Yes, you two can now achieve that. Don’t get too cocky—don’t think you can roam the myriad heavens and worlds; even circling the tiny world of Renli Heaven would take years, and that’s just one small world among three thousand. Want to tour all the heavens of the Three Realms? No one says you can’t, but you’d better be prepared for centuries of nonstop flying. Frankly, this divine power isn’t that special in the heavens; even a heavenly slave matches your speed. Nothing to boast about.”

Not only is it nothing to boast about,

It’s downright depressing—three times over—a serious disappointment.

What about the Second Distinction?

Doggy rushed to say, “Let me! The Second Distinction is, when traversing the heavens, come and go without hindrance. Nothing can block your path.”

Jinsi laughed strangely: “Impressive? Actually, even at our sub-saint level, truly achieving unhindered passage isn’t that easy...”

Doggy protested, “You sub-saints think you’re hot stuff? Why are you interrupting me? Uncle Poor, are you itching for a beating?”

Jinsi backed off, “Go ahead, go ahead, haha...”

Doggy shot him a glare before continuing:

“Come and go without hindrance means, Rogue Bro, if you want to chase beauties in other heavens, you have to pass through the crystal walls between heavens. The crystal walls are the boundaries, seemingly transparent but thousands of leagues thick. Take Jambudvipa, Eastern Divine Continent, Western Ox Continent—aren’t there cultivators and Buddhists? Those who wish to break through the crystal walls attempt to shatter the void and ascend, risking death at every step.

But for Rogue Bro now, the crystal walls pose no trouble—you pass straight through. But remember, there are only a few dozen walls between the Three Realms. But—Rogue Bro, you always said ‘but’ is the scariest word in the world, hehe...

But, this is the Three Realms! Three thousand small worlds make one medium world; three thousand medium worlds make one great world; three thousand great worlds—Rogue Bro, how vast, how far? Even if you can pass through the crystal walls, traversing countless billions will leave you with a head as swollen as a pig’s. Right, Pighead Rogue Bro, hehe...”

Tu Zhe was dizzy from listening, but still played along to amuse Doggy, feigning anger: “You’re the pighead—your whole family, including your Rogue Bro, are pigheads, haha...”

Everyone burst out laughing, joy filling the hall.

Suddenly, Tu Zhe thought of something and looked at Doggy, “Wait, you left something out...”

Doggy blinked his bright eyes, anxious, “What, what?”

“You mentioned only three major continents, but skipped Northern Kuru—what’s with that?”

Doggy patted his tiny chest, “You scared me—I thought I messed up. Northern Kuru, right? People there disdain cultivation and don’t believe in gods or Buddhas. If they want to go somewhere, they ride strange energy craft, super fast. When they meet a crystal wall, a beam of light sweeps over and dissolves it.”

Well now...

Tu Zhe rubbed his nose; that’s a world of science and scientific mythology. What kind of light is that? The lasers of his former life weren’t nearly so powerful. He felt a yearning and secretly resolved to visit Northern Kuru someday.

Third Distinction: When traversing the heavens, no sluggishness. That is, no slowness in flight—relatively speaking.

Fourth Distinction: When traversing the heavens, leave no trace. Of course not—if you travel a thousand leagues in an instant, who would see your tracks? What kind of divine power would that be?

Fifth Distinction: The strength of heavenly bodies, impervious to fatigue. You know it—after eating Heavenly Sutrata Essence and drinking Heavenly Sutrata Wine, if you still felt tired flying, would anyone survive?

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Sixth Distinction: In the heavenly body, there is form but no shadow. Looking at their feet and behind them—indeed, no shadow. Isn’t that only for ghosts?

Seventh Distinction: Among all heavenly beings, there is no excretion. This is Brother’s favorite—how troublesome is excretion? Not only foul, but polluting, hardly eco-friendly. Now, no need to pay sewage fees, haha. Advocating green living—this is the way, yes yes, haha.

Eighth Distinction: Among all heavenly beings, no mucus or spittle. No snot or spit? Not bad. Anyway, I never had the habit of spitting or blowing my nose everywhere.

Ninth Distinction: The heavenly body is pure and subtle, devoid of skin, flesh, sinews, fat, blood, marrow, or bone.

Hmm... What does that mean? All this flesh—wait?

Tu Zhe carefully examined his body with divine sense, discovering each cell had formed a pentagonal crystal, perfectly fitted to others, moving in harmony, like a refined instrument. In his veins flowed not blood, but golden energy.

And—wait, are those bones even bones anymore?

Wait, is that marrow even marrow?

The organs remained, but the bowels were gone; the abdominal cavity was now a vast space filled with golden mist.

And in the cranial cavity? Where was the brain? Instead, swirling chaos filled with countless mysterious markings.

Wait, are those... Dao marks? Divine marks? What marks?

This—this isn’t human anymore!

Yet, he still had sensations, emotions, felt passion, retained all the things that made one human—so how was he not human?

Maybe... this was the legendary... evolution?

Tu Zhe was exhilarated—only evolution could explain such transformation.

What are gods and Buddhas? They are evolved humans.

Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, and Mao really were great—atheists! There are no gods in this world!

Tenth Distinction: The heavenly body can manifest length, color, size, thickness, at will—all beautiful, all exquisite, all perfect, all delightful. This is the power to change size and appearance freely. One downside: whether male or female, all heavenly beings are either handsome men or beautiful women; whatever beauty one desires, one becomes. When everyone’s beautiful, beauty becomes meaningless.

But—being handsome, if you’re a fool, you won’t be welcomed! Temperament, you know? Temperament is always the mark distinguishing a fool from the rest.

At last, the third day arrived.

Today, court convenes to judge the dispute and brawl at the Heavenly Artisan Treasure Pavilion.

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