33 Favored Immortal

\"Promise me that you would not tell anyone what happened here today!\"

\"You risk your neck for me, why would I want to put you in trouble! Moreover, I doubt if our paths would ever cross!\"

\"You promise!\"

\"I already gave you my word! I will not tell anyone about what happened. You too!\"

\"I'm not a fool, why would I want to say anything that would put my position in jeopardy!\"

\"Watch your back, the outside world is a danger place for a little faerie like you!\"

\"Don't be cheeky! You also need to be alert or those demons would gobble you up! Ha!\"

\"Bye faerie Kai Zhen, maybe one day we would meet again like this to have a merry chat!\"

Those were the last words that the Rain Faerie said before taking to the air once again to continue her heavenly assignment. Kai Zhen waved back and watched until he no longer saw her.

\"Now time to continue my journey, so many places to explore. Master would have to do everything by himself now! Maybe I can go to the mortal realm and spend some years there then when I get tired of living among them, I can always return to the nine heavens.\"

A jade like beauty of a man in white flowing robes walked lightheartedly down the path paved with smooth earth and fresh green grass with lusious flowers.

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At the garden of eternal radiance, a feminine figure dressed in green robes jumped from tree to tree, eating glowing pink colored persimmon fruits. She later sat with her back against the tree trunk with long shimmering green hair which stretched from gray sturdy tree branch that served as a seat for small feast of edibles lying across her robes.

\"Aya! Faerie Kai Zhen must have been desperate to give me a whole 50 years of his cultivation prowess! High Immortal Lan Quan has never had a disciple, but to think he would give it all up in the name of freedom.... many had begged to have High Immortal take them as his disciple, that Faerie Kai Zhen is too ungrateful! I'm no fool to pass up the chance to increase my power! I hope he realizes the errors of his ways, not that it is my place to tell him that! What wouldn't I give to be trained under High Immortal Lan Quan, the respect and untold number of gifts from other immortals and faerie alike would be unimaginable! Ha!\"

Dissatisfied by the decision made by Kai Zhen, the rain faerie took her unfinished persimmon and threw it to the ground in irritation. Her eyes sparked with jealousy.

\"How could he?! Was all of that for nothing?!!\"

Just like others that had stood in line to be appointed as the disciple of Lan Quan. The rain faerie Su Jie was bypassed while Kai Zhen a faerie of unknown origin was made a High Immortal's apprentice.

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Back at the hall virtue, the mirror of a millennium star began to glow ominously away from its master, High Immortal Chang Chen.

The hall was where the fate of immortals and mortals alike was read. The only one who lived at the lofty gold residence was the God of Fate himself, who alone managed the tedious task of running the entire place under the rule of the heavenly emperor.

Although on the surface, his duties were to read the fate of others as revealed by the mirror, report what he saw to the heavenly emperor and travel round the realms to mediate. In the real sense it was more difficult than that, making decisions that could affect lives, going to places that he would never have wanted if given the choice, watch as living creatures succumbed to their fate was one of the most devastating part of being the God of Fate, because he could do nothing but accept the mirror's predictions. That sense of powerlessness and hopelessness was what drove Chang Chen to drink every day.

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\"Chang Chen!\"

\"Yes, your majesty!\"

The heavenly emperor's face was heavy with sadness, he wasn't ready for the most favored member of his royal court to be entangled by the wheel of fate. As a ruler whose decision was considered absolute by the immortals under him, he could no longer delay the inevitable.

\"Go with High Immortal Lan Quan and report back to me. Let me know when he is to set out for his heavenly trials!\"

The God of Fate took to his knees as he heard the royal command from the Heavenly Emperor Guangzi Jiu. Lan Quan was about getting on his knees to show his grateful to the heavenly emperor when his movement became halted by a hand gesture from Guangzi Jiu.

\"Your highness!\"

\"No need to stand on ceremony, High Immortal Lan Quan. You can now set out with the God of Fate.\"

In a tone of finality, the heavenly emperor dismissed the medicine king and the God of Fate from his presence, while the royal advisor Hou Yao hung his head dejectedly. The night immortal had never met the disciple of Lan Quan.

\"What type of person is this Faerie Kai Zhen?! I hope he is knowledgeable and refined as High Immortal Lan Quan. It would be a shame if he was otherwise!\"

Hou Yao watched as the two immortals left Qilin hall, he could not tell what the future held for the nine heavens.

Of late he began to wonder if the heavenly emperor would eventually appoint a successor. The love sickness that Guangzi Jiu carried all these years seem to make Hou Yao fear even more for the affairs of the heavenly realm. That was the heavenly trial of that the heavenly emperor was unable to overcome.

\"I see why his Highness is worried for High Immortal Lan Quan. If he fails to overcome his trial, he could either not move beyond his level of cultivation or be destroyed from the backlash that comes with it! Please let High Immortal Lan Quan emerge victorious!\"

The night immortal fervently sent a heartfelt wish deep inside his heart.