Venus was afraid that the Tian Nu would be led astray by following Xu Qing and his group, so before leaving, the old Angel still offered a parting piece of advice.

"I have a word to offer the Tian Nu, and I hope the Tian Nu will consider it carefully."

The Tian Nu saw the sincerity in the speaking star’s tone and immediately responded solemnly, "Please, Star Lord, do tell."

"Though a phoenix may lose its feathers, its divine nature remains. Today, even though the Tian Nu is not in the Celestial Palace, she is still the Tian Nu."

Venus glanced sideways at Xu Qing, seemingly insinuating, "Being a phoenix, she should not flock with ordinary birds; otherwise, one day she will lose her divine nature and will no longer be able to return to her purity."

The Tian Nu frowned and asked back, "What is divine nature? Does having divine nature mean one must be a celestial being?"

As she spoke, the Tian Nu unconsciously looked towards Xu Qing, her gaze visibly softening.

"Celestial beings do not necessarily possess divine nature, and mortals are not devoid of it."

Venus opened his mouth, but finally shook his head with a sigh, unable to shake off his inner worries.

This Tian Nu seemed to be visibly led astray.

Now, all he could hope was that she could discern importance and not commit acts of rebellion.

As for that Sect Leader Xu...

Without the Tian Nu’s assistance, it seems nothing significant can be achieved.

In Venus’s eyes, anomalies like the Great Sage, born of the fortune of heaven and earth, do not appear again across numerous eons.

Though the Great Luo Sect Leader has a big name, without the Tian Nu’s affection, he may not be able to compete against the General or the Sinful God of the Gate.

Presently, Xu Qing seems more like a mundane traveler found by that monkey, or an appointed person destined to meet his fate.

Finding an appointed person for calamity isn’t unusual; Venus knows quite a few who’ve attempted it, like King Yama and Meng Yao, who have openly sought and nurtured destined individuals, unfortunately always ending in failure.

Moreover, there are the True Monarch Miaodao, the Great Sea Deity, the Western Sandalwood Buddha, and the Dragon Subduing Arhat, who all, either openly or secretly, have laid plans in the mortal world, looking for potential variables similar to past disasters.

Venus shook his head.

These immortals and deities have no ill intentions, but the current disaster is different from those past.

The emergence of magical corpses is an unprecedented calamity, coinciding with the last stage of existence.

With these combined disasters, even the gods and Buddhas have no solution, leaving room only for demons and monsters to rise.

Under such circumstances, it’s not just the appointed ones; even if the Celestial Emperor, Buddha, or Saints appeared, it would be impossible to turn the tide.

"May the Celestial Venerable’s plan be enacted soon..."

Venus sighed deeply, seemingly filled with worry for the predetermined future.

...

Golden Palace amidst the clouds, heavenly ministers, military and civil, gathered in the treasured hall.

The Grand Celestial Venerable surveyed his ministers and asked, "I ordered an investigation into the origins of Xu Xuan. Have any of you found anything?"

In the hall, the Eyes of Distance and Ears of Wind stepped forth in sequence and said, "Your Majesty, may we report, that Xu Xuan is from Jinmen Township below. His background is unclear, seemingly emerging out of thin air. Now, he has established the Daluo Sect, has formed many connections, and has begun preaching to the masses, gaining considerable respect among them."

The Celestial Emperor snorted coldly and said, "He might fool you, but not me!"

"This so-called Xu Xuan is just an alias; his true surname is Xu, single-name Qing."

"This Xu Qing appears on the surface to be the leader of a sect, but is actually a Corpse Driver from Jinmen Township, running a business of funerals and burial services."

The Celestial Emperor, with his all-seeing eyes, somehow learned the hidden identity Xu Qing was concealing.

"He’s a petty civilian pretending to be someone important, having learned some trivial magic from dubious sources, daring to witness between heaven and earth, establishing a grand sect, and claiming the title of Sect Leader."

The heavenly figures assumed the ambiguous individuals the Celestial Emperor referred to were the former Stable Manager, only Lord Yuan among them felt guilt.

Because he, too, had a part in teaching Xu Qing.

In the hall, just as the Celestial Emperor criticized Xu Qing’s teachers as dubious, he suddenly felt a strange pang in his heart.

As if he had inadvertently become entangled with some obscure karmic links.

Yet, upon closer scrutiny, that odd feeling vanished without a trace.

It seemed as though the fleeting sensation was nothing but a misperception of his own.

As the Celestial Emperor exposed Xu Qing here, Venus, who had gone to the mortal world to investigate the reasons for the Heavenly Path’s damage, also returned.

Upon hearing that Xu Qing traveled with the Tian Nu and claimed brotherhood with the Victorious Fighting Buddha, the Celestial Emperor’s brow immediately furrowed.

Things gather by category, people associate by type.

What kind of trouble would one be if they mingled with that monkey?

In the hall, Venus continued, "Your Majesty, that Xu Xuan stands unwavering, feasts on dew and cloud, and yet cultivates immortality with a lifeless form, his character is evident. Moreover, his reputation among the populace is quite decent. Although he has defied the heavenly laws, which is unpardonable, he did act against Kong Ren."

"In my opinion, Your Majesty might issue an imperial decree to summon him to the Celestial Realm, assigning him some laborious duty, allowing him to atone for his sins while also channeling his excess energy appropriately, guiding him onto the right path."

"In this way, we can also showcase the grace of the Celestial Venerable’s teachings."

"No!" The Celestial Emperor almost instinctively rejected.

It was no wonder, the last instance of Venus recommending a pardon was still fresh in memory, and given how Xu Qing was close to that troublesome monkey, who could guarantee he wouldn’t bring more grief?

Furthermore, unlike the monkey, who at least contributed to the planning and development of the three realms despite his mischievous nature, there was no new plan that included Xu Qing, so why complicate matters by bringing a rebel into the celestial ranks?

"Have you forgotten about recommending the Stable Manager back then?"