The sun had gradually sunk into the western horizon.

The eastern sky had turned a deep shade of blue, with stars starting to shine faintly.

In the west, remnants of the evening glow still lingered, as if unwilling to leave. But with the moon rising high, it finally bid farewell to this ancient land.

Daoist Master Xuanzi from the Azure Dragon Temple had already led his disciples down the mountain. When he came across the crowd gathered at the foot, he didn’t leave—instead, he approached them.

Ever since his encounter with the celestial fate, Pei Xiu’s attitude toward these ascetics and practitioners had subtly shifted. Upon learning that Xuanzi had come in search of celestials, he ordered someone to bring the Daoist to him for a brief inquiry.

Meanwhile, Wu Xian stood nearby with a group of shamans. Some among them wore discontented expressions, clearly displeased that someone like Xuanzi had intruded upon the mountain and potentially disturbed the celestials.

«So it seems, Daoist, that you too failed to see the celestial in person?»

Pei Xiu nodded—not that he was surprised.

Celestials… were not so easily encountered.

Wu Xian was calculating the time. When he saw the moment approaching, he spoke up: «master Prefect, the time for the celestial-praying ritual has arrived.»

«Very well,» Pei Xiu stroked his beard and nodded. «You all proceed with the invocation. Once the ceremony is complete, I will lead everyone from the Li Family Village to fulfill their vow as well.»

He, too, was curious—could these mountain folk really succeed in inviting a celestial?

Moonlight, cold and serene, streamed through the treetops and spilled across the open space before the Taiyi Shrine.

«Summon the Celestial!!»

Wu Xian shouted aloud. In that moment, the bonfire piles that had been arranged in advance were instantly lit.

One after another, the shamans moved in time to a particular rhythm—arms waving, feet stomping—each holding a torch in their hands.

They stepped forward to the central bonfires, dipping their torches into the flames to ignite them.

The firelight illuminated every face in the vicinity, casting long shadows on the ground.

A stir swept through the people gathered behind them, but the unrest quickly settled. Everyone fixed their gaze forward, staring unblinking at the ancient ritual unfolding before them.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

On both sides, some shamans began beating Nuo drums with their bare hands.

A dozen or more shamans followed Wu Xian, bent over in a humble stance, eyes never daring to lift, hands held flat before them, each carrying a variety of sacrificial offerings.

In unison, they chanted indistinct incantations—obscure syllables that, to onlookers, sounded like some kind of celestial  tongue capable of reaching the heavens and communicating with the celestials.

«They’re praising you.»

Up in the sky, the celestial  bird chariot floated invisibly above it all. Huang Rong leaned against the railing with both hands, looking down, just as Nuwa’s voice sounded in Xuan Yuan  ’s ears with a chuckle.

«That’s an old dialect from ancient Chu. Hardly anyone speaks it nowadays, so it evolved into this ceremonial chant used only in shamanic rituals. I’d bet they don’t even know what they’re chanting. Several pronunciations are totally off. Tsk tsk! Such disgraceful descendants!»

Nuwa shook her head dramatically, putting on an exaggerated act of heartbreak.

Xuan Yuan  stood behind her, hands clasped behind his back, looking down from the chariot at the shamans dancing below.

Now that his internal cultivation had achieved results, his eyesight had improved significantly—he could clearly see the expressions on every face.

Seriousness gave way to reverence. Reverence shifted into fervor.

The intense atmosphere soon spread to the common folk watching. Most didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly. Some even joined silently in prayer.

It was as if, in this very moment, a celestial truly stood above, casting down Their gaze upon the land.

And then—

A vast and ancient melody resounded.

With the Celestial Summoning Hymn, all the shamans began dancing in unison.

«On this auspicious day and blessed hour,
We humbly invite the Supreme Sovereign above—»
«We lift long swords adorned with jade,
Ringing with brilliance like chimes of crystal…»

At the front, Wu Xian began chanting the opening lines of “Nine Songs: Eastern Emperor Taiyi”, with rising and falling tones and a powerful voice.

«Hehe, doesn’t sound nearly as good as you, Nuwa-jiejie,» Huang Rong said with a playful smile, turning her head.

Nuwa raised her chin proudly. «Of course not. It was me who sang Taiyi back into the world—not them.»

Xuan Yuan  , however, felt that this kind of ancient ritual—paired with Wu Xian’s somewhat off-key chanting—held its own unique charm.

It was the yearning of ancient humans, in a time when civilization was still fragile, pleading to celestial and the celestials they imagined—to seek answers.

Like a young child seeking comfort from their parents.

The shamans let down their long hair and danced wildly. Their movements grew increasingly frenzied, emanating a kind of primitive and savage beauty.

Soon, only Wu Xian remained alone by the fire, as the dancing shamans bowed and withdrew.

The ones who stepped forward next were the candidate spiritual maidens, each dressed in colorful robes.

They followed dance steps, barefoot, each holding a harp-like instrument in their arms.

Compared to the large konghou (ancient Chinese harp) Xuan Yuan  remembered, these instruments were compact and delicate, able to be held and played in one’s lap.

The maidens’ feet leapt and twirled; their sleeves fluttered as their fingers plucked the strings. Their singing resembled the powerful choral chants of the Dong people, lilting and layered.

«That’s the xiao konghou—a smaller form of the konghou,» Nuwa rattled on like a tour guide. «Ah, brings back memories… a few thousand years ago, back when yours truly was still teaching hair-covered, raw-meat-eating humans how to make music.»

Huang Rong, hearing this for the first time, looked at Nuwa with a mix of awe and disbelief.

Xuan Yuan  quickly explained to her the kind of things Nuwa had done during her time in this world. The girl gasped and covered her mouth in amazement: «Then… then isn’t Nuwa-jiejie basically no different from a real celestial? Are you really the Nuwa Empress?»

Xuan Yuan  suddenly realized: in the eyes of people from this era, what they were doing truly made them indistinguishable from celestials.

«How are they planning to choose the spiritual maiden? They said the Eastern Emperor would pick her himself. Surely I can’t just walk down there and point at one, saying ‘I’m satisfied with this one. She’ll do,’ right?»

«I think that could work!» Nuwa, ever the mischief-maker, egged him on with a gleeful look.

In her mind, data streams sparkled in her eyes: Excellent—Master is beginning to subconsciously accept his role as Taiyi.

But of course, the Eastern Emperor Taiyi could not appear in person. That would be far too low-profile.

After her teasing, Nuwa finally explained: «See that tall flagpole in the center of the bonfire? Once the fire burns down far enough, the pole will fall.»

«When that happens, the spiritual maidens will be standing in a circle around the fire. Whichever one the pole falls toward—that’s the chosen one.»

What was this? Picking an emperor at the Wagang Fort in Sui and Tang Heroes?

Let’s just hope it didn’t end up selecting some burly, brawny type like Cheng Yaojin…

Huang Rong’s eyes sparkled mischievously. She leaned close, hugged Xuan Yuan  ’s arm, and cooed: «Xing-ge, let Rong’er play—uh, I mean, choose, okay?»

«I’ve already prepared everything for you!» Nuwa pulled out a tablet and handed it to Huang Rong. «There’s an invisible drone in the sky. If you see someone you like, have the drone fly over and light them up. A spotlight will shine right on them.»

«With the celestial  light from the heavens illuminating them, I guarantee everyone will drop to their knees—no one will dare lift their heads.»

«Two hundred thousand lumens of brightness! And no scattering—99% of the light will be focused on a single person!»

«Pfft. What era are we in? Still using traditional methods to pick a spiritual maiden? Come try our cyber manifestation ritual!»

With the way the two of them played off each other, it was as if they’d already agreed Xuan Yuan  would go along with it.

Which… he didn’t object to.

But still…

«Two hundred thousand lumens!?»

«That kind of brightness can light up an entire mountain like it’s daytime. If you focus that on a single person, it could kill them.»

Nuwa didn’t care. In fact, she had her own theory: «The celestial  solar fire radiance of His Celestial Majesty Taiyi—how could that be something so easily endured? Don’t worry, I’ve accounted for everything. I won’t hurt your precious spiritual maiden.»