Hell Emperor.

Chapter 655 Emperor Gouchen
The north wind howls, and the snow is thick and white.

On that mountaintop where one could reach out and touch the stars, amidst the misty clouds and desolate landscape, several sturdy figures appeared and disappeared among the clouds, each with an inescapable air of solemnity and seriousness on their face.

"Three more heavens have fallen. If this continues, I'm afraid the celestial realm will fall completely before long..."

"Your Majesty, I implore you to reconsider. The current battle situation cannot be delayed any longer. We must immediately report to the Supreme Being of Heaven and request the Heavenly Court to send divine generals to reinforce us. Only then can we avert this calamity. Otherwise, when we suffer a complete defeat, it will be too late for regrets. At that time, we will be sinners of the Three Realms..."

The crowd sighed, their faces filled with undisguised worry and fear, as if some inescapable calamity was about to occur, but even if they could foresee it, they would be powerless to stop it with their current strength.

At the front of the crowd stood a middle-aged man with an unpredictable expression, his hands behind his back. Even though he didn't say a word, the respectful attitude of the crowd towards him and the way they all looked at him showed that he was their leader and the emperor they spoke of.

Faced with his subordinate's sincere suggestion, the Emperor's expression darkened completely, his eyes flashing with lingering rage, as if his subordinate's words had deeply touched his sore spot. With a flick of his robes, an unparalleled pressure descended.

"What did you say? You mean to shove such a huge mess all the way to the Heavenly Court and let all the celestial officials laugh at us? How am I supposed to hold my head up in front of the other celestial officials then?"

Faced with that awe-inspiring aura that surpassed heaven and earth, the subordinates trembled and dared not utter a word. The one who had spoken out of turn kept slapping himself, begging for the Emperor's forgiveness.

The Emperor's eyes blazed with fury as he swept his gaze mercilessly over the crowd. All his subordinates who met his direct eye lowered their heads, none daring to utter a word.

Among the crowd, only one person kept his head held high, his posture unwavering even under the Emperor's terrifying pressure. Only after the Emperor impatiently waved his hand, dismissing everyone, did that person speak slowly:
“Emperor Gouchen, you said before that you would have some time to handle this matter and drive the Heavenly Demon out of this realm, so I suppressed the news and did not report it to Supreme Haotian. But things are not as you said at all. Not only that, but someone in this continent has reported it to a higher level, which has aroused suspicion in Supreme Haotian’s heart. If it is investigated, I am afraid that even I will be held responsible.”

Having his problem pointed out so bluntly, Emperor Gouchen dared not retaliate and could only speak:
"No need for the Lord of the Trayastrimsa Heaven to trouble himself. Give me some more time, and this matter will surely be resolved satisfactorily without any mishaps. As for the thief who maliciously reported this, I have already sent people to capture him and will certainly give the Supreme Lord Haotian an explanation."

After receiving the reply from Emperor Gouchen, the Lord of Trayastrimsa Heaven was not satisfied. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, his gaze revealing a hint of distrust.
"But how come I received news that the men you sent to capture that person were all badly defeated and did not bring him back at all?"

Gouchen Emperor's expression changed slightly, but the Lord of Trayastrimsa Heaven spoke up:

"This matter has dragged on for far too long. Initially, it was just a few Heavenly Demons, who were not a threat at all. I believed that with your strength, you could resolve this matter satisfactorily. Who would have thought it would turn out like this? Not only have the Heavenly Demons not been eradicated, but they have become increasingly powerful, and half of the Thirty-Three Heavens is about to fall into their hands. This matter can no longer be concealed. The Heavenly Demons have become too powerful. Only by having the Supreme Being of the Heavenly Realm intervene can this matter be resolved."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Gouchen's expression changed slightly. Judging from the words of the Lord of the Trayastrimsa Heaven, he seemed unwilling to continue concealing the truth and was preparing to report it to the Heavenly Court. He was immediately furious:
"You! How could you do this? I said I could drive away the Heavenly Demons, and I definitely can! Just give me a little more time! Have you forgotten? I am also a Ninth-Rank Supreme! If even I can't deal with the Heavenly Demons, who can?" The Lord of the Trayastrimsa Heaven simply shook his head: "Even among Ninth-Rank Supremes, there are varying levels. With your current cultivation, you are only at the mid-stage of the Ninth Rank, far from being a Supreme Being of the Vast Heaven. I have already divined that the Heavenly Demons are coming with overwhelming force, and I'm afraid no one can stop them. The Three Realms will tremble. Things are already out of control. It's not too late to report this now. We must deal with the Heavenly Demons before they cause a great disaster..."

After a pause, the Lord of Trayastrimsa Heaven, disregarding the obviously ashen face of the Emperor Gouchen, spoke again: "Don't worry, the Jade Emperor won't hold you accountable for your dereliction of duty. You just need to stay here and hold off the Heavenly Demons. Once reinforcements arrive, the matter will be resolved..."

As he spoke, the Lord of Trayastrimsa Heaven suddenly froze, unable to close his open mouth, and his entire body instantly lost its strength.

Realizing something was wrong, the Lord of Trayastrimsa Heaven still had a hint of shock and disbelief in his eyes. If he could still speak, he would definitely question Emperor Gouchen: Didn't he know that he was a celestial official in charge of supervision in the Heavenly Court? How dare he treat him like this?

However, Emperor Gouchen possessed the cultivation of the ninth level, making him one of the strongest in the world. Few could compare to him. Even the Lord of the Trayastrimsa Heaven was no match for him. Under his arrogant divine power that surpassed the Great Dao, the Lord of the Trayastrimsa Heaven could not move. Even a heartbeat required all his strength.

"Why won't you believe me? I already said that as long as you give me a little more time, I will definitely be able to drive those demons out of this realm, and then everything will return to normal. But you just won't believe me. Instead, you insist on reporting the news. Do you want me to become a laughing stock among the celestial officials? Are you deliberately humiliating me?"

Gouchen Emperor's eyes were filled with anger. He was determined not to let the Lord of Trayastrimsa Heaven leave, even if it meant turning against him.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Just stay here obediently until the Heavenly Demon is completely defeated, and then you will regain your freedom!"

Emperor Gouchen spoke in a deep voice, his tone carrying an unquestionable tone. Imprisoning a celestial official appointed by the Heavenly Court was not something that could be easily resolved, but he still did it anyway. There was no turning back now.

"Damn it... It's all those demons' fault! If it weren't for them, things wouldn't have come to this!"

Just as Emperor Gouchen was filled with rage and had nowhere to vent it, a report from one of his subordinates quickly brought a smile to his face:
"Your Majesty, we have found the person you specifically requested!"

"Where is he?" Emperor Gouchen immediately asked. If that person hadn't gone over his head and reported the news to the Heavenly Court, he wouldn't have attacked the Trayastrimsa Heaven. It was all that person's and the Heavenly Demon's fault.

"That person...that person is at the foot of the sacred mountain. It seems that not only did he not run away, but he actually came to us!" the subordinate replied in a trembling voice.

(End of this chapter)