Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

Wu Gang, upon hearing this, displayed an ecstatic grin on his face, slightly stuttering as he said, "It is I, Lord Hou Yi, you have finally been resurrected."

At this moment, Wu Gang lacked the boldness he once had during the fierce battle with Bajie, instead resembling a young man in the presence of his elders, seemingly a bit flustered.

The surrounding palace maids also realized the identity of the person before their eyes, that legendary figure whose myth of shooting down the suns was known throughout the Three Realms.

"Is this the legendary Lord Hou Yi who shot down the nine suns?" an excited young girl asked those around her.

Chang’e, seeing this, let out a soft snort, and the people around her instantly felt a chill rising from the ground. They hurriedly restrained their smiles and excitement, scattering in various directions.

A gentle smile appeared on Hou Yi’s face, looking dotingly at the imposing Chang’e, with the tenderness in his eyes almost spilling out.

Chang’e, sensing Hou Yi’s gaze, asked somewhat shyly, "What are you looking at?"

"I have never seen you looking so commanding before!" he said with a laugh.

Chang’e didn’t respond, continuing forward, but the blush on her cheeks betrayed all her feelings. Her lips curled into a light and carefree smile, as if ready to release years of grievances and perseverance, "I am no longer the little girl who could only hide behind you and rely on your protection. From now on, I can also fight shoulder to shoulder with you."

Seeing this, Hou Yi nodded. He knew Chang’e had always hoped to be of help to him.

The news of Hou Yi’s return quickly spread from Guanghan Palace, and countless people were astonished by his resurrection from the dead, while those with knowledge of the secrets looked towards the heavens. Only a scant few in this world could possibly bring back a soul that had been utterly destroyed.

And every move they made deeply affected the balance of the Three Realms — such was the power of a Saint.

The reactions of various powers were mixed. The Jade Emperor from the Heavenly Court sent gifts to the entrance of Guanghan Palace immediately. Hou Yi, still weak, accepted the gifts with a smile and thanked the Jade Emperor for looking after Chang’e over the years. It was said that the supreme ruler felt very pleased upon receiving the reply, indulging in a pot of jade liquor unprecedentedly.

In the Underworld, a powerful aura flashed briefly, the presence of a powerful witch from deep within.

A Judge put down his pen, looked up, and asked in surprise, "What significant event has occurred in the Underworld to warrant the witches’ intervention?"

A Civil Official beside him replied with a smile, "Have you been so busy these past days that you’ve lost your senses? Haven’t you heard the news of Hou Yi’s return?"

"Hou Yi’s return, which Hou Yi?"

"Which else? Of course the one who killed the Golden Crow!"

"Hiss!" With the news, the Judge sucked in a breath of cold air. This one had been vanquished by the Heavenly Emperor, his soul scattered. How could he possibly be resurrected? As a deity of the Underworld, from ancient times to now, he had never heard of someone whose soul had scattered being brought back to life.

"Unbelievable, isn’t it? I felt the same way when I first heard the news. Who could have thought that someone whose soul had scattered could be resurrected?" The Civil Official expressed deep sympathy.

"Impossible, reversing life and death, we gods of the Underworld actually do not know," the Judge said, furrowing his brow.

"You wouldn’t have forgotten the methods of those elders," the Civil Official suggested, pointing to the sky and speaking in a low voice.

The Judge then realized that the only ones capable of such a feat were clearly those few Saints, and only they could turn the impossible into possible.

"The majesty of the Saints is indeed beyond our imagination," he couldn’t help but lament.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the Underworld, within the secluded abode of the Witch Tribe, the place was decorated with lights and color, bustling with excitement today, for Hou Yi, the hero of the Witch Tribe who once shot down the suns, had returned, which made the long-silent Witch Tribe people feel a surge of excitement.

In contrast to the joy of the Witch Tribe, the Jade Rabbit was particularly gloomy at this time. Since Hou Yi had arrived at Guanghan Palace, she found her own status had sharply declined. Whenever Chang’e had time, she would accompany her husband, having already forgotten about her little companion who had been with her for many years.

Chewing on a carrot, the Jade Rabbit felt for the first time that carrots tasted so bad. She looked towards the depths of Guanghan Palace, as if she could still see a man and woman nestled together.

So, she threw the half-eaten carrot on the ground with a huff and said indignantly, "Hmph! Are men really that great? Doesn’t it get annoying sticking together all day?"

Suddenly, as if struck by an idea, her eyes rolled around, and she muttered to herself, "Since Chang’e doesn’t have time to bother with me lately, why not take this chance to go down to the mortal world for some fun, just as Golden Horn and Silver Horn said it would be?"

Having said this, she quickly looked around and found that no one had noticed her speaking. Making up her mind, she ran back to her own little nest in a flash and started to pack her belongings, ready to run away from home.

She picked up her mortar pestle, which was her weapon for self-defense and needed to be carried with her at all times. Then there were the carrots; after thinking it over, she packed them all, not knowing if there would be carrots in the mortal world. Chang’e said that these were rare items, and it took her a great deal of effort to find them.

So, outside Guanghan Palace, a white rabbit with a large package on her back tiptoed sneakily away, looking quite comical.

When approaching the osmanthus tree, she slowed her steps, as Wu Gang was an expert, and it would be troublesome if he discovered her.

But at this time, Wu Gang was engrossed in cultivation, having improved greatly after Hou Yi taught him some techniques of the Witch Tribe to manipulate qi and blood. He had been practicing these techniques for the past few days.

His robust qi and blood like a blazing sun, under the influence of the techniques, seemed to transform into dragons and tigers, emitting the sounds of tiger roars and dragon chants within his body. He could feel himself being able to exert a vast amount of strength.

"Strange, I think I just sensed someone leaving," Wu Gang reflected for a moment, feeling as if he had glimpsed a fleeting shadow pass by.

However, he didn’t dwell on it, as his duty was to protect Lady Chang’e. As for the Palace Maids leaving Guanghan Palace to descend to the mortal world on their own, it was not within his responsibilities.

And the Jade Rabbit, with a delighted face, left Guanghan Palace and landed in a mountainous area of Xiniu Hezhou. Before her lay a lush green field, with neat farmland crisscrossing in an attractive pattern.

The little rabbit curiously examined these crops, feeling quite astonished, as she had never seen such plants before. She gently pulled one out and found it oddly familiar.

Hastily opening her bundle, she confirmed that it was indeed her favorite carrot.