“Li Changshou has returned…”
“He never left. He never truly departed, but lingered through the Celestial Demon Path in the darkened corners of mortal hearts, watching you and me all along, Ancestor of the Dao.”
“The Celestial Demon Venerable’s Spirit Core was planted before the God-Sealing Catastrophe. He had prepared long ago, Ancestor of the Dao.”
“You misjudged this being, Ancestor of the Dao.”
“He never fled, nor did he even consider searching for his homeland, Ancestor of the Dao.”
“He has toyed with us both, Ancestor of the Dao.”
“The variable never dissipated. Variables have always existed between Heaven and Earth. The One who departed has grown formidable – this is an ill omen, Ancestor of the Dao…”
“You have already lost, Hongjun.”
“Fellow Daoist, your heart is in turmoil.”
In the Purple Bamboo Grove of the Purple Tenuity Palace.
The Ancestor of the Dao stood before the chessboard with a gloomy expression, facing the Pangu Creation Disc with its flickering radiance. Around him stood numerous elder Daoists in gray robes.
The gray-robed elders spoke continuously.
Mockery, sarcasm, eeriness, cold laughter, loss, despair, wailing – each face bore a different expression as if displaying and collecting all the private desires of Heaven and Earth.
The Ancestor of the Dao’s imposing figure trembled continuously, his typically tranquil countenance now somewhat distorted.
“Find him! Find him from the corners of all beings’ Dao hearts!”
Those gray-robed elders spoke in unison, using gentle tones to speak the same words:
“As you wish, Master of Heaven and Earth.”
In that instant, their expressions were strikingly uniform.
It was a subtle mockery.
The gray-robed elders dissolved into streams of light, leaving only the Ancestor of the Dao’s figure in the Purple Bamboo Grove.
Hongjun stood before the Pangu Creation Disc, his expression fluctuating between light and dark as if he had forgotten how to maintain an emotionless face, openly displaying his irritation.
How many years had it been? How many years had he controlled this Primordial World? Never had he suffered such humiliation!
This Li Changshou dared to deceive Heaven, making him dance like a puppet!
What nonsense about observing from beyond Heaven and Earth, what nonsense about the Great Dao of Balance departing from the Primordial World!
It was all merely an elaborate performance!
What had this Li Changshou done within his Heaven and Earth?
Hongjun carefully sensed the Pangu Creation Disc before him, feeling the Three Thousand Great Daos of the Primordial World, his gaze rapidly scanning every corner of the Three Realms. The massive amount of information posed no burden whatsoever.
This fellow must have done something.
This Li Changshou never took reckless actions. He actively gave up the opportunity to wage war against the Heavenly Dao during the God-Sealing Catastrophe, remained unmoved when Founding Master Tongtian was sealed, and even endured when Supreme Clarity was imprisoned. He must have methods to deal with the Heavenly Dao.
Could he have let Celestial Demons inhabit the Dao hearts of living beings, to make countless powerful beings rebel against Heaven together?
Or perhaps he had buried countless paper avatars everywhere, intending to shatter the Primordial World directly, using the Primordial Bell to carry away the spark of life and create a new world?
What had he done?
What exactly had he done?
Hongjun narrowed his eyes slightly, fierce light swirling within them. He unconsciously looked up, as if a sharp sword hung overhead.
But above was only emptiness.
The Ancestor of the Dao suddenly gave a light chuckle, slowly sat down, and raised his hand to brush the dust from his robes, a trace of playfulness crossing his eyes, before suddenly breaking into loud laughter.
The laughter carried pleasure, satisfaction, and a hint of self-mockery.
Very good, this one was truly worthy of being his opponent.
Thoughts far beyond those of the Primordial World’s original beings, from the same homeland as that person, calculations beyond expectation – this was the kind of being he truly feared.
But, Changshou.
This Heaven and Earth, which this poor Daoist has managed for such long years – your greatest support, Supreme Clarity, is already helpless. What more can you do?
‘You wish to play a game of cat and mouse with this poor Daoist?’
Hongjun’s lips twitched slightly as his palm slowly pressed down on the Pangu Creation Disc, his mighty voice echoing continuously throughout Heaven and Earth.
“By the Heavenly Lord’s command, control all living beings.”
Throughout Heaven and Earth, streams of golden light rained down from the sky, falling across the Five Continents of the Primordial World, penetrating the necks of beings from angles they could not perceive.
Trees, flowers and grass, insects, birds;
Mortals, immortals, demons, ghosts.
Any being without the protection of a perfected Dao realm or Golden Immortal cultivation was penetrated by this golden light through their neck, yet remained completely unaware.
In the Purple Tenuity Palace, Hongjun slowly raised his palm. The jade disc began rotating slightly before suddenly ‘shattering’ into numerous blocks that hovered before the Ancestor of the Dao.
Simultaneously, a great cauldron floated behind Hongjun, with the phantom images of four divine beasts circling it.
Indescribable Dao charm spread out from the cauldron, merging the Purple Tenuity Palace with countless rays of rosy light.
What use was the Dao of Outer Demons?
What could you accomplish by secretly returning to the Primordial World?
Changshou, what are you hoping for? What are you placing your hopes in?
Ah yes, the only chance to slightly disturb the Heavenly Dao lies in the Journey to the West, when Wukong wreaks havoc in Heaven – living beings’ final resistance, their last yearning for freedom…
But even if you secretly participate in this, what can you do?
Sun Wukong cannot help you.
The Buddhist Gate?
Duobao?
He is timid by nature, merely a treasure-seeking rat. He was never suited for great undertakings. This poor Daoist gave him the position of Buddha out of consideration for past friendship. Now he is just one among many deities.
What exactly are you plotting?
Hongjun’s eyes narrowed the smile at the corners of his mouth gradually growing cold.
Well then, let this Seat show you exactly what this monkey can do.
“Fellow Daoist.”
Another gray-robed elder’s figure appeared behind Hongjun, and the Ancestor of the Dao spoke softly:
“In the name of the damaged Book of Life and Death of Mount Huaguo, exterminate the monkey tribe of Mount Huaguo, shatter their remnant souls, and bar them from reincarnation.
Observe those monkey beings, see if any show unusual Dao hearts.”
“As you command.”
That gray-robed elder dispersed into streams of light.
Hongjun slowly closed his eyes. His heart, which had been slightly turbulent moments ago, was now as calm as an ancient well.
Having lived through such long years and faced so many opponents, as the final victor, what situation had he not encountered?
This enemy was indeed one he had never encountered before.
Why had his Dao heart lost balance?
Very simple – the Spirit Core of the Celestial Demon Venerable only proved one thing.
Li Changshou had prepared everything long ago.
Li Changshou had long accepted that the God-Sealing Catastrophe would end in the Ancestor of the Dao’s victory, that he as the One Who Departed would necessarily depart from Heaven and Earth, that the Heavenly Dao would evolve to its current state of encompassing the Primordial World.
Yet under all these premises, Li Changshou still had the confidence to balance the Heavenly Dao and turn the tide.
‘What is your trump card? Rallying all beings to pray together?’
Don’t make such jokes.
Living beings are merely nutrients for the Primordial World.
…
It had begun.
By the lotus pond of Spirit Mountain, Li Changshou, disguised as Virtual Puti, sat quietly.
Buddha Duobao had already left this place, hurrying to the main hall to gather the powerful beings within Spirit Mountain to sense the abnormality in the Heavenly Dao.
Adapt to circumstances as they change.
Li Changshou’s immortal consciousness swept across several thousand miles around Spirit Mountain, able to see golden light flashing across the sky in all directions, threads of light penetrating the necks of living beings.
From spirit deer bouncing through the mountains to beings below the Golden Immortal realm within Spirit Mountain;
From fish wandering in the rivers, woodcutters gathering firewood in distant forests, to the Golden Cicada sleeping in the lotus pond before him.
All living beings, as long as their personal Dao lacked perfection, were penetrated by these golden threads through their necks;
Yet the beings remained completely unaware.
There was no need to look, no need to search.
At this moment, the mortal world of the Southern Continent, the poisonous wastelands of the Northern Continent, the vast immortal mountains of the Eastern Continent, the resource-poor mountain ranges of the Western Cattle-Gift Continent, and the magnificent immortal realm of the Central Divine Continent were all the same.
The Heavenly Dao absorbed the power of living beings;
The Heavenly Dao controlled the fate of living beings;
And now, the Heavenly Dao was directly monitoring the Dao hearts of Heaven and Earth’s beings, searching for his traces.
What Li Changshou found somewhat amusing was that the Ancestor of the Dao had not yet grown suspicious of Virtual Puti.
This was also a difference between him and the Ancestor of the Dao.
Following his way of thinking, since the coming ‘variable’ in Heaven and Earth lay with Sun Wukong, he would first thoroughly investigate the beings connected to Sun Wukong.
He, as Sun Wukong’s teacher, was the powerful being who had influenced Sun Wukong most deeply and had the longest contact with him, so he should be the most suspicious.
If their positions were reversed, Li Changshou would directly eliminate Virtual Puti.
But the Ancestor of the Dao would not.
The Ancestor of the Dao was quite prideful at his core. Virtual Puti was the ‘monkey-raising master’ personally chosen by the Ancestor of the Dao, one who had passed the Ancestor of the Dao’s tests.
If the Ancestor of the Dao suspected Virtual Puti, it would be a form of self-denial to some degree.
For the Ancestor of the Dao, who was accustomed to controlling everything, this was very difficult to accept.
“As long as one maintains the thought patterns of living beings, there will be character flaws – this is the basic definition of a living being.”
Li Changshou sat quietly by the lotus pond, appearing calm but with his spirit completely taut, calculating every possible moment suitable for his intervention.
He had to make good use of this upcoming opportunity to act, to wring out whatever advantages he could against the Ancestor of the Dao.
The long road had reached its end, and ahead lay an insurmountable divide.
Having reached this point, there was no way to retreat, nor anywhere to retreat to.
Li Changshou controlled Virtual Puti to close his eyes, shifting his consciousness to his Number Two avatar, watching Mount Huaguo where “demon voices” now ran rampant.
His Number Three avatar stood ready to self-destruct to divert the Ancestor of the Dao’s attention, buying a crucial moment for his next move.
He could faintly sense…
In the Chaos Sea, the Kun Peng vessel was racing toward the Primordial World at full speed.
Archmage Xuandu, Kong Xuan, Cultivator Wenjing, and other such Human Dao experts, along with over ten vetted and approved Severing Sect immortals, formed their stable backup force.
At the Fire-Cloud Cave, several Human Sovereigns stood before the lake where Suiren had once meditated, watching the continuously bubbling waters.
Behind them, war chariots were wrapped in blood light, with human hero spirits maintaining silence.
In Anshui City of the Southern Jambudvipa Continent.
Countless threads pierced through Heaven and Earth as the local people calmly made offerings at the Dragon King temple in the Sea God shrine, calmly lived their bustling lives, awaiting their future destinies.
Heaven and Earth were completely silent.
At the borders of the Five Continents, numerous great demons bearing karmic burdens, and threads hanging from their backs, entered the earth’s veins with vacant eyes, heading toward Mount Huaguo in the Eastern Victory Divine Continent.
This was one of the Ancestors of the Dao’s trump cards, the true Heaven and Earth he revealed after tearing away his hypocrisy.
Like a prison.
Li Changshou could roughly calculate the Ancestor of the Dao’s intentions – if he couldn’t find traces of Li Changshou, he would force him to reveal himself.
His Number Two avatar ‘Karmic Burden Great Demon’ and Number Three avatar ‘Heavenly Immortal Realm Qi Cultivator’ couldn’t escape being monitored by the Heavenly Dao, their spirits influenced by it.
Li Changshou split his attention three ways, striving to maintain his three avatars without exposure, and keeping his inner thoughts to a minimum.
The Ancestor of the Dao displaying such methods now was a warning to Li Changshou.
No matter what Li Changshou intended to do, if he angered the Heavenly Dao, it could instantly destroy all beings below the Great Luo realm.
At that point, with all beings dead, the so-called position of living beings would become meaningless.
If anyone else faced such a situation, they would likely already be at their wit’s end. The Ancestor of the Dao’s control over Heaven and Earth had reached a terrifyingly absolute level – using all beings as threats was the simplest and most direct approach.
A true Primordial World horror story.
How many more trump cards did the Ancestor of the Dao have?
There were likely many more, but that no longer mattered.
Li Changshou quietly sighed in his heart as wisps of mist appeared around him, the charm of the Solution Dao surrounding him, his expression showing three parts vigilance, three parts confusion, three parts tension, and one part bewilderment.
A perfect pie chart was complete.
At this moment, the point of conflict in Heaven and Earth was Mount Huaguo.
The demon race was merely a backdrop, with the Heaven Army already en route.
Earlier, through the “small television” opened by Senior Brother Duobao, they could see the Jade Emperor had ordered the suppression of the Mount Huaguo demons while sparing the monkey tribe;
But now the Ancestor of the Dao was controlling many great demons to rush to Mount Huaguo, intending to cause indiscriminate deaths and injuries there, ready to directly descend Heaven’s punishment if necessary.
Based on his understanding of the Ancestor of the Dao, he already intended to eliminate Sun Wukong, this “working monkey.”
Killing the monkey to warn Shou.
That those monkeys’ lives had become the center of the vortex was truly ironic enough.
But there was no help for it – besides his master and those already-missing senior brothers and sisters, what Sun Wukong cared about most was this group of monkeys who had given him a sense of belonging.
Beyond this, the Ancestor of the Dao had other cards to threaten him with.
His junior sister who had once sought justice and self-worth in this world, You Qin Xuanya.
However, Xuanya should be quite safe at present.
This safety wasn’t because she was protected by Brother Zhao and Sister-in-law Jinling, but simply because the Ancestor of the Dao knew how much he valued the words “family and friends” – while uncertain of his trump cards, the Ancestor of the Dao wouldn’t easily move against Xuanya.
Li Changshou felt that, very likely, in the Ancestor of the Dao’s current understanding, the key point of their game still lay with Sun Wukong.
But in reality, Li Changshou wasn’t thinking about maneuvering around Wukong, but rather how to protect him.
…
In the Heaven Palace, at the Great Sage Equaling Heaven’s mansion.
Sun Wukong lay on the railing before the main hall, his monkey fur emanating the scent of fine wine, with eight or ten Fifth Stage minor deities lying unconscious inside.
Sun Wukong squinted his eyes, enjoying the current leisure, seemingly completely unaware of the changes and abnormalities in Heaven and Earth.
He had sensed it.
He felt the sky seemed lower, somewhat stifling and oppressive, not quite comfortable.
Great Sage Equaling Heaven…
“Hehe,” the monkey grinned, but halfway through his laugh, he let out a soft sigh.
Wonder how the monkey tribe is doing;
Wonder if Big Brother Ox and the others are still at Mount Huaguo.
They should be, after all, looking at those old demon creatures’ plans to develop Mount Huaguo into a demon race holy land, making it a stepping stone for demons to take positions in the Heaven Palace.
He, this Beautiful Monkey King accepted by the Heaven Palace, was to be the demon race’s guiding light for the future.
Guiding light? More like a funeral light.
Sun Wukong summoned a half-empty wine jar from nearby and poured it into his mouth.
How could he not sense that the Heaven Palace looked down on the demon race, that most of the proper deities in the Heaven Palace harbored hostility toward the demon race, and pure hostility at that?
Because the vast majority of proper deities in this Heaven Palace, except for the primordial beings, were human.
This was the human race’s Heaven Palace.
He had naturally heard about the grudges between the demon race and humans from his brothers, especially Big Brother Ox, who had told him much and consoled him much.
Earlier when Mount Huaguo fell into desperate straits, his only thought was to fight the Heaven Palace to the death, to die before his monkey tribe.
Master had named him Wukong, wanting him to comprehend the principle of all emptiness, but as Sun Wukong kept comprehending, he found he still couldn’t understand his issues.
Where did he come from, and why did he come?
What meaning did his existence have in Heaven and Earth?
Had Heaven and Earth created him for some mission, or was it just a purposeless chance occurrence?
Later, Sun Wukong found he couldn’t figure these things out.
But he remembered that rainy night, the rainy night when he broke out of the stone, curled up in the stone crevice with his heart empty without the slightest ripple, and when he woke up and opened his eyes, what he saw was a group of monkeys that looked similar to himself.
So…
To hell with the primordial stone embryo, he was just a monkey, a monkey of Mount Huaguo!
“What am I suddenly getting angry about.”
Sun Wukong gave an embarrassed laugh, sat there, and hiccupped, imagining his mansion planted full of peach trees, and monkeys everywhere.
That would be wonderful.
This was also one of his major motivations for striving forward now.
“Great Sage~ Great Sage~”
Ding-a-ling.
Suddenly hearing a call by his ear, Sun Wukong shuddered and looked up toward the source of the sound.
It was in the courtyard pavilion, where a young attendant stood in the mist, holding a bell that he was gently shaking.
Sun Wukong tilted his head, inexplicably standing up and staggering toward the pavilion, appearing within it after just a few steps, swallowed by the mist.
The attendant’s voice sounded again:
“Great Sage, there are treasures in here.”
Sun Wukong looked ahead in a daze, saw the half-closed great doors, then slowly raised his gaze, and suddenly became somewhat more clear-headed with a start.
The Tusita Palace.
Wasn’t this Supreme Elder Lord’s residence?
Though the monkey’s time in Heaven was short, he naturally knew who the Supreme Elder Lord was, having heard the name more than once from Big Brother Ox’s mouth.
The pillar of the Heaven Palace, the great expert of the Human Dao, an untouchable existence in the Heaven Palace.
How had he wandered here to the Tusita Palace in such a daze? And why did he feel an irresistible urge to walk forward?
At this moment Sun Wukong naturally couldn’t see the golden thread trembling on his back, driving him step by step into the Tusita Palace.
In the Purple Tenuity Palace’s Purple Bamboo Grove.
The Ancestor of the Dao watched this scene, continuously manipulating the golden threads in his hand.
A gray-robed elder who had just manifested beside him asked upon seeing this: “Fellow Daoist, why give Sun Wukong more magical power?”
“Drawing out the snake,” the Ancestor of the Dao said calmly. “We can’t find Li Changshou’s traces in Heaven and Earth, but his calculations must involve Sun Wukong.
Making Sun Wukong stronger, coordinating with disturbing the Heavenly Dao, will draw him out to act.”
The gray-robed elder nodded and said: “We’ve confirmed repeatedly, that the Kun Peng secret realm is intact, Li Changshou’s Dao truly remains there.”
His true body dares not return?
The Ancestor of the Dao raised his eyebrows slightly and said softly:
“We cannot be careless, he may have opportunities to descend through the Celestial Demon Dao.
Still unable to modify the demon path?”
“It cannot be modified,” the gray-robed elder said heavily. “This Dao wasn’t formed in the Primordial World, but in the Chaos Sea, relying on the Celestial Demon Venerable continuously devouring true spirits and Dao rule fragments to coalesce naturally.”
The Ancestor of the Dao said: “Never mind, find ways to seal Li Changshou’s connection to Heaven and Earth.”
“Fellow Daoist, might you be overreacting somewhat,” the gray-robed elder said. “Perhaps that Spirit Core was just Li Changshou’s backup plan…”
“Though that’s possible, we absolutely cannot be careless.”
A trace of fierce light flashed through Hongjun’s eyes as he watched the situation under his palm’s coverage.
Sun Wukong had gone to the empty alchemy room, taking down gourd after gourd hanging there, heartily drinking them down while continuously hiccupping and laughing.
Streams of complex medicinal power transformed into spiritual power, filling his four limbs and hundred meridians, quickly seeping into Sun Wukong’s flesh and blood, strengthening his physical body.
“Where is Yang Jian?”
The Ancestor of the Dao suddenly asked, and the gray-robed elder beside him closed his eyes as an image appeared on his chest, showing the scene at Mount Mei.
Yang Jian was sitting leisurely in a forest, with several fairy maidens beside him – Yang Chan and her handmaidens.
The Ancestor of the Dao’s eyes narrowed slightly, clearly in thought, but finally, he shook his head.
“No need to use him, let the Heaven Palace directly battle with Sun Wukong.”
The gray-robed elder acknowledged, his form quickly dispersing as a new gray-robed elder manifested at the side.
The avatars of the Heavenly Dao began their busy work.
In the Tusita Palace, Sun Wukong lay dazed beside the alchemy furnace, his monkey fur glowing red in the furnace fire; at this moment he only felt his Dao’s heart clouded, his head dizzy.
‘What’s happening to old Sun?’
The golden thread behind Sun Wukong quietly vanished, and wisps of mist appeared beneath his body once again;
As traces of Heavenly Dao power swept past, Sun Wukong’s figure disappeared without a trace.
…
Three days later, at Mount Huaguo in the Eastern Continent.
Mount Huaguo had been quite lively these past few days, livelier than the demon race experts had anticipated.
They didn’t know about the discussions in the Heaven Palace’s Lingxiao Hall, nor had they heard any rumors. The liveliness was simply because large numbers of demon race experts had gathered from all corners of the Five Continents and Four Seas.
In just two or three days, several thousand demon race experts had gathered at Mount Huaguo.
At this time and place, there were over six hundred Golden Immortal realm demon experts alone, most of them ancient demons who had hidden away until today, inexplicably rushing to Mount Huaguo.
Beyond this, more than ten Great Luo Golden Immortals had come to join the excitement, wanting to see exactly where the demon race’s path forward lay.
It was as if Mount Huaguo had truly become the holy land of the demon race’s resurgence.
To the demon race, it certainly appeared so.
From top to bottom, the demon race firmly believed they would flourish again, that they would become the second greatest race in Heaven and Earth.
Some demons had even moved several mountain peaks near Mount Huaguo, expanding its sphere of influence.
As demons gathered, humans retreated. Within tens of thousands of miles, there were no more human cultivation sects, let alone traces of mortals.
Because Sun Wukong had gone to the Heaven Palace to become the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, the remaining few of the demon race’s Seven Sages had become hot “rising stars,” with endless drinking parties daily, receiving the favor of many female demons.
Also because Sun Wukong, who avoided female charms, had ascended to the Heaven Palace, the demon kings here had finally loosened up somewhat, able to do the things they usually enjoyed.
Eating and drinking wildly, acting recklessly – generally running amok in every way.
In this demon “holy land” of revelry and hedonistic living, near the Water Curtain Cave of Sun Wukong, at the cliff protected by natural formations where the Heaven-Mending Spirit Stone had once been placed.
The monkey lay there quietly, wearing that magnificent battle armor, still carrying undispersed wine fumes, his face alternating between golden light and blue hues.
An astounding spiritual power continuously churned within his body.
‘Wukong… Wukong?’
Master?!
Sun Wukong opened his eyes hazily, but drowsiness overcame him, and he couldn’t help falling back asleep.
As he closed his monkey eyes, Sun Wukong saw dark clouds suddenly flying in from all directions, yet no thoughts could well up in his heart.
A fine drizzle began falling on Mount Huaguo as if washing away the demon qi of this place.
This misty drizzle lasted only a moment before the clouds in the sky thickened and darkened considerably, slowly pressing down toward Mount Huaguo.
Moments later, thunder crashed!
Thunder dragons howled at the horizon as Heaven’s Might suddenly descended!
On Mount Huaguo and over ten nearby peaks, countless beings were dumbfounded, looking up at the sky in confusion and helplessness.
What was happening?
Why had such a display suddenly come again?
“Could the Heaven Palace… could they have gone back on their word?!”
“Don’t panic, everyone stay calm, the Great Sage just joined the Heaven Palace – going back on their word now would damage their reputation!”
“Quick, let’s leave, this is no place to linger.”
In an instant, hundreds of streaks of light flew from various peaks – the quickest-reacting, highest-cultivation batch of old demons, immediately fleeing in all directions.
But just as these numerous streaks of light were about to disperse, thunder suddenly filled Heaven and Earth, as columns of light burst through the dark clouds, surrounding Mount Huaguo for a thousand miles like an iron cage!
They descended!
Sutra chanting arose as war drums drowned out the thunder!
Three hundred and sixty light pillars trembled in unison as the universe within thousands of miles suddenly froze!
From those light pillars, countless Heaven soldiers and generals flew out rapidly, row after row, column after column, their formation completely undisturbed, spreading the Heaven-and-Earth Net Formation across the sky.
The Heaven soldiers raised their spears, streams of immortal light connecting with those to their left, right, above, and below, establishing a second iron barrel beyond the three hundred and sixty light pillars.
Sealed in ten directions, Heaven and Earth without gaps!
Above Mount Huaguo, streaks of light came like comets, transforming in the high sky into hundreds of battle generals, each releasing their pressure enhanced by the Heavenly Dao.
Li Jing emerged from the crowd holding his pagoda, his gaze unwavering. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke:
“By His Majesty’s command, eliminate the karma-burdened demons of Mount Huaguo.
Those who dare resist shall have both spirit and soul destroyed; those who surrender shall have their remnant souls sent to suffer in the Eighteenth Layer of Hell.
Battle Department Celestial Gods, hear my order!
Cleanse this karmic burden, protect these monkey spirits!”
The assembled gods responded thunderously, each holding immortal tools and divine authority artifacts, swooping down from the sky.
The clouds behind the gods suddenly parted as formations composed of hundreds of Heaven soldiers and generals pressed down simultaneously, transforming into shapes of dragons, tigers, phoenixes, and ancient divine tools, striking toward Mount Huaguo!
The Heaven Palace gave the Mount Huaguo demon crowd no chance to counterattack;
Similarly, they gave the Mount Huaguo demon crowd no chance to beg for mercy.
Only those monkeys from the Water Curtain Cave lineage were now marked by the Heavenly Dao’s power; in the sky, thousands of Heaven soldiers and generals formed a protective formation, sending streams of immortal light down upon them.
Shortly after, over ten mountain peaks around Mount Huaguo completely shattered!
Most of the demon crowd scattered in flight as a one-sided slaughter began in Heaven and Earth.
The might of the Heaven Palace was unmistakably displayed!
But in this great battle, many demon race experts rushed like madmen toward those bewildered monkey soldiers.
“Sun Wukong has betrayed us! Completely submitted to the Heaven Palace!”
“Why should these monkey spirits receive the Heaven Palace’s protection? They deserve death the most!”
“Kill them!”
High in the sky, Li Jing frowned, throwing down the pagoda in his hand to gather those monkey soldiers inside for protection.
Li Jing said softly: “Finish this quickly.”
Just then!
A trace of Heavenly Dao power suddenly appeared behind Li Jing, condensing into the form of a white-robed elder – naturally the Jade Emperor’s messenger, the Gold Star of Venus.
“Marshal Li, His Majesty’s command has changed.
The Mount Huaguo monkey tribe, due to the previous destruction of the Book of Life and Death, has become an anomaly in the Heavenly Dao. His Majesty’s intention is to take this opportunity to destroy these monkey demons’ souls.
Marshal Li, do not hesitate. Such troubles were brought about by Sun Wukong himself.”
Li Jing’s brows furrowed tightly as he turned to stare at the white-robed elder.
In the Lingxiao Hall of the Heaven Palace, the Jade Emperor clenched his fists, hiding them in his sleeves.
In a corner of this battlefield, in a valley near Mount Huaguo, that karma-burdened great demon who had been constantly hiding, now had the fear slightly recede from his face as he looked toward the fierce battle at Mount Huaguo, his lips twitching slightly.
This was naturally Li Changshou’s avatar.
The mighty Ancestor of the Dao personally taking action against a group of monkey spirits – his guess had been correct.
‘If so, then let’s begin.’
Li Changshou’s true body let out a soft breath, controlling his Number Three avatar “Heavenly Immortal Realm Qi Cultivator” to directly teleport tens of thousands of miles away from Spirit Transcendence Gate.
The Number Three avatar’s left hand reached back, as if touching a silk rope, and casually pulled it apart.
Following this, the Dao charm on this Heavenly Immortal realm old Daoist began showing layer upon layer of changes, transforming into the meaning of balance, into the meaning of endless transformation, looking up at the Heaven Palace and the Purple Tenuity Palace behind it, giving a slight bow.
The Balanced Dao descended again!
In the Purple Tenuity Palace, the Ancestor of the Dao Hongjun narrowed his eyes slightly, exchanging gazes across space with this Heavenly Immortal realm old Daoist.
Almost simultaneously, that Number Two avatar “Karma-Burdened Great Demon” entered the mountain before him, rushing toward the Mount Huaguo monkey soldiers.
A mere feint, nothing more.
…
“Xuanya, what are you thinking about?”
In the Martial Mother’s mansion, within the magnificent hall under that brilliant starry sky.
The increasingly gentle Golden Light Holy Mother reclined on a soft couch, her hand caressing her swollen belly, softly asking You Qin Xuanya who stood lost in thought beside her.
The latter, standing by the soft couch, only shook her head slightly, bowing to Golden Light Holy Mother: “This subordinate’s spirit is somewhat unsettled, please forgive me, my lady.”
“Sit down and talk.”
Golden Light Holy Mother called out thus again, but You Qin Xuanya only shook her head slightly, saying she dared not.
“Consider it this Seat’s command.”
“Yes,” You Qin Xuanya responded promptly, sitting properly beside the soft couch, smoothly putting away the great sword on her back.
She remembered very clearly her mission for coming here – to deter the God of Wealth and Martial Mother’s two yet-unborn beloved sons from being mischievous.
Though You Qin Xuanya felt this matter quite absurd, when orders were given, she naturally would not refuse.
At this moment, the God of Wealth Zhao Gongming stood outside the hall, discussing something with a group of Severing Sect immortals;
The hall was wrapped in formations, inside and outside mutually isolated, so it was unclear exactly what they were saying.
Golden Light Holy Mother gazed at You Qin Xuanya’s long, fair neck, revealing some thoughtfulness in her eyes.
After a moment of silence, Golden Light Holy Mother asked: “Have you forgotten everything?”
You Qin Xuanya said: “What does my lady mean?”
“A human,” Golden Light Holy Mother’s voice sounded in You Qin Xuanya’s heart, their clothing connecting at this moment.
Golden Light Holy Mother said: “Someone who should have been supremely important to you, have you forgotten all about them?”
You Qin Xuanya’s fine brows furrowed slightly, and just as she was about to speak, the golden thread behind her trembled faintly, and a slight figure appeared in her heart.
It was just a silhouette, standing with hands behind back on a white cloud.
The white cloud flew at a height neither high nor low, maintaining a speed neither fast nor slow, among the mountain peaks, completely unremarkable.
That was…
“Senior Brother?”