Lily received a prompt reply to the email she sent to Instructor Corinna, telling her to rest for the day and be ready for training in the gym at 8 o'clock sharp the next morning.
Once this sole matter was communicated, she set an alarm for the exact time to log off on the StarNet. Then, standing in the Fengshen Realm, Lily fell into deep thought.
Just like the map of Shan Hai Jing in the Shan Hai Realm, the Fengshen Realm would also need the Investiture of the Gods list to be unfolded before the audience.
If she were to create a fictional "Fengshen movie" like this, there would be much to debate about whether she should lean toward the Jie Jiao (Intercepting Sect) or the Chan Jiao (Explaining Sect).
When it comes to the original Investiture of the Gods, all the struggles ultimately boil down to the word "position".
It is a dispute over religious orthodoxy, a shift in positions.
Fatalism runs through it all.
Are all members of the Chan Jiao righteous and good? Are all those from the Jie Jiao deserving of being killed? Right and wrong are far from being explained by a simple "who is right and who is wrong", and there is no absolute right or wrong.
Lily had no intention of leaning toward either side. Regardless of who was in the right or wrong, she only hoped to present this vast and fantastical world of Investiture of the Gods.
In the following days, apart from receiving physical training and attending small classes with Instructor Corinna, Lily spent all her remaining time immersed in the Fengshen Realm.
Even if it was just to make numerous immortals appear briefly as illusions, the sheer number of them, along with various divine artifacts, left Lily's head buzzing every day.
Audiences on the StarNet watched as Lily disappeared again right after the match, and the immersive synaesthesia in the Shan Hai Realm remained unchanged. They began to speculate about what she was up to.
[I think Lily must be continuing to enrich the Shan Hai Realm. I hope she opens up more maps from the Classic of Mountains and Seas soon—I want to explore other mountains.]
[Not necessarily. Maybe Lily is adding something related to this "Fengshen" stuff to the Shan Hai Realm. Either way, I'm dying to experience it.]
[No matter what Lily creates, the rating and pricing set by the StarNet system definitely won't be low. I must stock up on star coins!]
[By the way, the next match is tomorrow. Will Lily really finish updating her dream-forged realm?]
On the night before the third match of the StarSea Dream-forging Live Competition, the long-awaiting fans of the Classic of Mountains and Seas and netizens following Lily finally received that familiar notification.
After waiting for so long, the StarNet alert tone never sounded so pleasing:
"The contestant you follow, Lily, has released a new personal independent dream-forged realm—Fengshen Realm. Enter now?"
Enter? Of course, enter. Was there even a need to hesitate?
The moment the StarNet system notification appeared, most netizens clicked in without a second glance, completely ignoring that the system had mentioned "Fengshen Realm" instead of "Shan Hai Realm."
Demon Kuqi from the Bobo Star Region was one of them.
Kuqi was a dog demon. During the previous StarSea debate between humans and demons, he, like many young demons, had strong pride and let himself be easily led astray other demons without much thought. He'd said quite a few bad things about Lily on the StarNet.
A few days ago, when the StarSea Civilization Library released its corrected annotations, Kuqi hung his head in guilt, his big ears drooping. He couldn't blame others for calling him a "dog brain" or "brainless."
That night, he tossed and turned. Though he knew Lily would probably never see it, and might not even care about his mindless following, Kuqi still publicly apologized on his StarNet social account. He then quickly purchased access to Lily's Shan Hai Realm, hoping to buy a little peace of mind with his star coins.
As soon as this newly forged dream realm went online, Kuqi immediately logged in to make a purchase. He had to spend money—must spend heavily to make up for his mistakes.
"Citizen Kuqi, you are about to enter contestant Lily's personal independent forged dream realm—Fengshen Realm. The Fengshen Realm offers two types of immersive synaesthesia experiences: [Ten Thousand Immortals Pay Homage] and [On the Fengshen Platform]. Each individual experience costs 5,000 star coins, and there is a discount for both experiences at 9,000 star coins."
Naturally, he wanted both! Kuqi didn't hesitate, but instead of choosing the two-experience discount, he separately purchased both [Ten Thousand Immortals Pay Homage] and [On the Fengshen Platform] at 5,000 star coins each.
Money makes one capricious!!
Anyway, he had no idea what these two named dream realms meant. Without a second thought, Kuqi dived straight into the first one: [Ten Thousand Immortals Pay Homage].
"Kuqi, hurry up! If you're slow, you'll miss this grand gathering!"
The moment he entered the forged dream realm, Kuqi, the whole demon, was stunned. This forged dream realm was completely different from the Shan Hai Realm—someone was actually talking to him!
Wait, the one talking to him wasn't human! It was a bird demon of a race he had never seen before!
Coming, coming! How could I not hurry for such a grand event?" Before Kuqi could react, his mouth had already opened to respond.
His voice was high-pitched and squeaky, completely different from Kuqi in reality.
By now, he had roughly figured it out: he had inhabited this body within the forged dream realm. Every user who entered was probably addressed by their own name, but their actions and words were pre-set.
Kuqi found the feeling magical. With a thought, he could break free from this body, floating above it to watch the procession hurrying along the road.
At a glance, the races were incredibly diverse. The one who had spoken to Kuqi was a large bird, while beside and behind him were a tree that move step by step, a stone monster hopping forward...
And "Kuqi" himself seemed to be a member of the Wood Clan.
What on earth were these creatures!
Where were they going? Why were they hurrying?
Kuqi was full of doubts. The big bird had mentioned a "grand event"—was it related to one of the two themes? What were they called again? On the Fengshen Platform, and Ten Thousand Immortals Pay Homage?
Surroundings were covered in green mountains and clear waters, yet the strange procession pressed forward at no slow pace, urging each other on.
"I and others have come from all corners of the land, from five lakes and four seas, from three mountains and five sacred peaks, traveling thousands of mountains and rivers. To witness the Sect Leader in the true realm of immortals this time—even death would be worth it."
"The Grand Master teaches all without discrimination, guiding us to attain the Dao. How can we repay such kindness? How?"
Following all the way through mountains and across seas, the endless road ahead seemed to finally reach its end.
Amidst the vast white mist, Kuqi heard music coming from nowhere—ethereal and moving, unlike any mortal melody. In the blink of an eye, it felt as if he had arrived in another world.
Before him, the sun and moon shone together, with ten thousand beams of colored light and auspicious clouds glowing with divine radiance.
The bright sun and clear moonlight intertwined in a haze; mists curled and clouds drifted, while mist and rosy clouds interwove in a scene beyond words.
He saw green trees rustling in the mountain breeze, a pure source of serenity like a paradise.
He beheld a hundred flowers in full bloom, their rich colors shining through the misty glow—green peaches and red apricots vying for beauty.
Pushing through the lush trees and walking past the crimson wildflowers, Kuqi couldn't bear to blink. He followed the procession forward, and in the distance, amidst swirling clouds and mist, there seemed to be jade trees with jade flowers, hanging with rows of glowing immortal fruits.
He involuntarily blinked, and through the thin mist, he saw divine trees with branches like jade, fresh and verdant.
Where on earth was this place?
Kuqi's eyes were dazzled—everything here was novel and shocking.
Golden light poured from the sky, showering down five-colored brilliance.
Golden lotuses bloomed on the ground, each one infinitely mysterious and wonderful.
The scenery changed with almost every step. Taking another step forward, Kuqi heard a cry, and a cyan phoenix spread its wings and took flight.
In an instant, the heavens and earth resounded with a mighty, grand bell chime, accompanied by the clear ring of jade chimes.
The world trembled.
Carried aloft by the cyan phoenix, Kuqi looked down to see immortal music lingering everywhere. His eyes took in sights he had never seen, his ears heard sounds he had never heard—an incomparable celestial palace.
He held his breath, and from somewhere beside him came a vast, resonant voice of the cosmos: "This is the place where the mortal world fades away—the Biyou Palace of the All-Penetrating Dao."
Kuqi had just memorized these words when he clung to the phoenix's back and looked ahead.
High in the sky, amidst the chaotic clouds and mist, he seemed to catch a glimpse of an extremely indistinct, supremely powerful being.
That figure sat high atop a Kui Ox, surrounded by crimson clouds and purple mists, attended by immortal boys and accompanied by divine maidens, with radiant light swirling around.
A green lotus loomed faintly, as if nurturing a supreme divine sword within its petals.
In a trance, behind that figure appeared a peerless golden-crowned female immortal, her form surrounded by endless flames; a feather-cloaked goddess whose presence, even glimpsed briefly, felt like surging ocean waves; and a mighty war god riding a black tiger and wielding a golden whip. Three immortal maidens of jade-like beauty held the Primordial Mixed Yuan Bucket, resembling ethereal goddesses veiled in mist...
Vaguely, Kuqi seemed to hear the clanging of swords, a surging tide of killing intent!
He hadn't the time to clearly see that figure or the visions behind it. His eyes felt as if seared, and in an instant, he was tossed downward by the cyan phoenix flapping its wings. Another cry rang out—a celestial white crane caught him, its crimson crown flickering before Kuqi's eyes.
In a single glance, through the drifting clouds and mists, he saw what appeared to be a dense, a dense black mass of figures gathered here, countless in number, beyond all counting.
The next moment, he found himself kneeling to the ground alongside the companions from his procession. They had different faces, identities, and races—some with the demeanor of immortals, others bizarre and eccentric. Yet in this moment, they all paid homage to the supreme being on high, shouting in unison:
"Hail the All-Penetrating Sect Leader—"
The heavens and earth trembled with the roar!
The voices of the assembled immortals seemed to carry from one end of the sky to the other side of the sea.
Their cries soared to the vault of heaven, echoing through the clouds!
Kuqi finally understood the name of this dream-forged realm.
This was—
Ten Thousand Immortals Pay Homage!