Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

"Try passing out if you dare."

Lin Zhu's icy voice, like an icicle in the dead of winter, pierced precisely into Li Jing's fading consciousness.

"I guarantee that you will be dragged out of the South Heavenly Gate for the crime of 'disrespecting the emperor's authority and defying the emperor's majesty'... and executed by dogs."

The words "dog execution" were spoken lightly, yet they sent a chill down Li Jing's spine. He was so frightened that he swallowed his breath back into his chest, and the dizziness was forcibly suppressed, leaving only boundless fear that made him tremble like a leaf.

He had heard that this Lord of Hell was a man of his word; back then, some foolish demons and immortals were thrown to be fed to the descendants of the Heavenly Court's celestial hound...

Lin Zhu looked at him like this, without the slightest pity in her eyes.

He turned his head, glanced at the silent Nezha beside him, and gently patted his shoulder, signaling him to handle the matter. Some debts, some words, were more suitable for Nezha to say.

Nezha took a deep breath, stepped forward, and looked down at Li Jing, who was lying on the ground in a disheveled state. His face had lost its usual playfulness and unruliness, leaving only a cold and aloof demeanor.

He spoke, his voice clear and resonant, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.

“Li Jing, since you have already defected to the Western Paradise and been given the so-called title of ‘Heavenly King,’ you are no longer a subject of my Heavenly Court. If it weren’t for Guanyin Bodhisattva’s generous ‘redemption’ of you back then, saving you from indefinite imprisonment in the Nine Heavenly Prisons, how could you be standing here now, spouting nonsense as an ‘envoy’?”

He paused, his tone growing even colder.

"As an envoy, speak your mind, or shut up. Now, get back to your sacred mountain. If you dare utter another word of falsehood or attempt to sow discord, don't blame the Heavenly Court for its ruthless laws!"

These words cemented Li Jing's identity as a traitor, highlighted the "price" of his freedom of action, and directly deprived him of any possibility of relying on his seniority or trying to build connections.

Hearing Nezha's extremely cold tone, as if he were speaking to a stranger, and seeing him standing beside Lin Zhu with an aura that subtly resonated with Lin Zhu's, Li Jing felt a chord being plucked in his heart.

Perhaps it was the extreme fear that caused a distorted reaction, or perhaps it was the long-standing resentment towards Nezha for being "insubordinate" and "disobedient and unfilial" that erupted at this moment. He suddenly raised his head, and on his swollen and purplish face, he squeezed out an extremely ugly, twisted expression that was a mixture of fear and cunning arrogance, and screamed at Nezha.

"You unfilial son! You rebellious son! How dare you speak to your father like that?! Without me, where would you be?! Now that you've latched onto the God of Hell, you dare to be so disrespectful and insult your own father?! You...you are utterly rebellious! This is an outrage against heaven!"

These familiar, accusatory, and controlling words instantly stirred up some extremely unpleasant memories deep within Nezha's heart.

His face paled, his fists clenched instantly, and his aura fluctuated slightly.

However, before Nezha could react, and before the surrounding gods could rebuke him, the situation was completely different.

"Snapped--!"

A crisp, resounding slap echoed throughout the hall!
Lin Zhu had somehow raised his hand and delivered an invisible palm strike that landed squarely on Li Jing's face, which was already swollen like a pig's head! The force was so great that it sent Li Jing flying into the air, spinning 720 degrees before crashing heavily to the ground several feet away with a bang, kicking up a small cloud of dust.

"Pfft—" Li Jing spat out another mouthful of blood mixed with a few broken teeth, and half of his face swelled up at a visible speed, completely losing consciousness.

"You scoundrel! How dare you be disrespectful to your future boss!"

Barefoot Immortal roared and reacted with lightning speed. He rushed forward and stomped on Li Jing's head, which he had just raised, slamming it back to the ground.

Emperor Zhaosheng, not to be outdone, swung his sturdy and durable rosewood stool, this time aiming for Li Jing's side and kidney area, and slammed it down hard! "Bang! You dare to be so foul-mouthed! You dare to curse! Do you think you have the right to curse like that?!"

"what--!!!"

Li Jing let out a bloodcurdling scream like a pig being slaughtered, feeling as if his kidneys were about to be crushed. The excruciating pain brought tears to his eyes, and he completely broke down, begging for mercy repeatedly.

"Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! I was wrong! Immortal, spare me! God of Hell, spare me! Nezha... Lord Nezha! Please spare me!"

As he screamed in agony, he glanced at Nezha out of the corner of his eye and was horrified to discover that the profound and boundless aura of cultivation emanating from Nezha, though seemingly somewhat "shallow" due to his recent breakthrough and not fully contained, was actually quite similar in level and pressure to the Immovable King Venerable he had experienced on Mount Ling!
Half-step Quasi-Saint?!
Nezha... has actually become a half-step Quasi-Saint?!
This realization struck Li Jing like another heavy hammer blow, leaving him trembling with disbelief and a complex, intense pain of regret.

He vaguely remembered that after the Investiture of the Gods, although Nezha achieved sainthood in his physical body and possessed considerable strength, he was constrained by the shackles of his lotus incarnation and the limitations of his position as a deity in the Heavenly Court. His cultivation progress was slow, and he was always stuck at the threshold of becoming a Great Luo Golden Immortal. He was even suppressed by the treasures bestowed upon him by his father and the Ancient Buddha Dipankara.

But now... how long has it been? After following Lin Zhu, this rebellious son actually broke through to the Great Luo realm and then entered the half-step Quasi-Saint realm! This is simply a complete transformation, a meteoric rise to the top!
Why?! Why did he have such an opportunity?! He just happened to follow the right person... the right person, Lin Zhu...

Boundless jealousy and regret gnawed at Li Jing's heart like venomous snakes. If only he hadn't treated Nezha that way back then, if only he hadn't chosen to betray the Heavenly Court and join the Western Paradise, if only... But alas, there are no ifs.

He murmured, his voice low but filled with twisted resentment.

"You...you unfilial son...you are not worthy...not worthy of this opportunity..."

Although he spoke softly, everyone present was sharp-eared and could hear him clearly.

"presumptuous!"

"How dare you spout such nonsense!"

"Insulting your future boss and still daring to be jealous?!"

"Beat him up! That stinking idiot!"

Upon hearing this, the immortals were once again filled with righteous indignation. Nezha was not only a general of the Heavenly Court, but also the second-in-command of the Nine-Layer Heavenly Prison, Lin Zhu's right-hand man, and his future prospects were limitless. He had already become one of the leading figures of the new generation of the Heavenly Court.

Who is this Li Jing? A traitor, a discarded pawn, yet he dares to spout nonsense here, and even dares to talk about "whether he is worthy or not"?
At that moment, disregarding any semblance of divine decorum, several hot-tempered martial arts deities rolled up their sleeves and rushed forward, unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks on Li Jing on the ground. As they beat him, they hurled vulgarities like "insulting future brother-in-law," "stinking idiot," and "lackey of the Western Paradise," causing Li Jing to scream in agony, rolling around on the ground and pleading desperately.

"Stop fighting! Ah! Help! In a war between two armies, envoys are not to be killed! I am an envoy! An envoy! You cannot do this! Buddha... Buddha will avenge me! Ah—!"

His cries sounded so weak and pitiful amidst the sounds of punches and kicks.

Lin Zhu observed coldly for a moment, until he felt the time was right, then gently raised his hand again and said in a calm voice.

"Alright." The voice was still soft, but it sounded like a supreme command.

The immortals stopped instantly, their movements perfectly synchronized. They quickly retreated, straightened their clothes, and brushed away non-existent dust, instantly regaining their dignified and aloof demeanor, as if they hadn't been the ones beating Li Jing just moments before.

Each of them stared intently at their noses, as if studying the texture of the floor of the Lingxiao Palace.

Lin Zhu looked at Li Jing, who was curled up on the ground, his face bruised and swollen, covered in blood, his official robes tattered, and almost unrecognizable. His tone was calm, but it carried an undeniable authority.

“Li Jing, since you are an envoy, you should act like one and make your purpose clear. Our Heavenly Court is a land of etiquette and civilization. Let me hear what you have to say before we discuss anything else.”

He paused, then added.

"Of course, if it's nonsense, or if it's the same kind of foul language as before... you know the consequences yourself."

Li Jing lay on the ground, writhing in pain, his consciousness fading. Hearing Lin Zhu's words was like hearing heavenly music. Although he knew there was still a cold threat behind those words, at least... he wouldn't be beaten for the time being.

He struggled to prop himself up, but his limbs were weak and he was in excruciating pain. He tried several times but could not get up. He could only writhe on the ground like a dying maggot, groaning in pain.

Lin Zhu frowned slightly as he looked at Li Jing, who was writhing on the ground like mud and unable to get up for a long time. A hint of impatience flashed in his eyes, and his voice was so cold that it could drop ice shards.

“If they can’t even stand up, they’re useless. Take them out and tear them apart by chariots outside the South Heavenly Gate.”

The words "dismemberment by chariot" were like a red-hot branding iron, fiercely searing Li Jing's nerves on the verge of collapse.

He shuddered, and with a burst of strength from who knows where, he let out a howl that was not human. Using his hands and feet, he rolled and crawled, and sprang up from the ground with astonishing efficiency!

Although he was still hunched over, his face bruised and swollen, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and his official robes tattered, at least... he had stood up. However, his trembling, swaying appearance was truly pathetic.

After regaining his footing, Li Jing didn't even dare to raise his hand to wipe the blood off his face. He just kept his head down, his eyes darting around, and he was breathing heavily.

Under Lin Zhu's icy gaze, he dared not hesitate or pretend any longer. He endured the excruciating pain all over his body and stammered out the words that the Buddha had briefly instructed him to say before he came.

"Reporting to the Lord of the Prison... This humble god... This humble god has come here on the orders of the Buddha of the Western Paradise... I... I feel there may be a misunderstanding... That... that Sun Wukong, though unruly, is ultimately a key figure in the Journey to the West... Lord of the Prison, your... your 'imprisonment' of him in the Heavenly Prison is in accordance with the Heavenly Laws."

However… however, this would inevitably delay the grand plan of Journey to the West… Our Buddha, in his compassion, cannot bear to see the people suffering in vain while awaiting the Buddha's teachings… therefore… therefore, we earnestly request the Heavenly Court, considering that Journey to the West concerns the well-being of all beings in the Three Realms… to… to release Sun Wukong and allow him to return to the righteous path… furthermore… furthermore…”

He glanced at Lin Zhu's expressionless face, swallowed hard, and forced himself to continue.

"Furthermore, it is said that Lord Prison God possesses a 'Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenation Pill' capable of bringing the dead back to life... Jin Chanzi's physical body is in distress, and he also needs this pill to heal... If... if Lord Prison God can be merciful and bestow this elixir to help Jin Chanzi be reborn, our Western Heaven... will surely be grateful for Lord Prison God's kindness, and in the future..."

"enough."

Lin Zhu indifferently interrupted his rambling, high-sounding speech.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, his deep eyes seeming to sparkle with cold stars as he stared straight at Li Jing, as if trying to see through him from the inside out.

“Li Jing,” Lin Zhu’s voice was not loud, but it carried an all-knowing pressure.

"How did you, or rather the Western Paradise behind you, know that I possess the 'Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenation Pill'?"

He does indeed possess the Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenation Pill, and more than one! Besides possibly obtaining it by chance from Laozi, more importantly, when he suppressed the mysterious expert "Gu Yang" in Beiju Luzhou, the latter offered him several rare pills in exchange for his life, including five genuine Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenation Pills!
He never mentioned this to outsiders, and it wasn't even recorded in the Heavenly Court's archives. How did the Western Paradise find out about it?

Unless... a being capable of severing or peeking into some of the secrets of heaven, or at least accurately predicting and locating the whereabouts of certain treasures, has made a move! And those with such abilities are few and far between in the Three Realms, most likely those supreme... Saints!
Lin Zhu's gaze suddenly sharpened like a knife.

"Was it Jieyin or Zhunti? Which sage showed you the way?"

Li Jing was terrified by this sudden and pointed question! He hadn't expected Lin Zhu to react so quickly, instantly seizing the most crucial flaw! His face turned ashen, his lips trembled, and he instinctively tried to deny or cover it up.

"No...no...Lord Prison God, you misunderstand! It is...it is my Buddha of the Western Paradise who, with great compassion and wisdom...calculated..."

"Calculation?"

Lin Zhu's lips curled into a cold, subtle smile, yet it made Li Jing feel as if he were witnessing the most terrifying sight in the world. He could no longer speak, his words stuck in his throat, leaving only boundless fear.

Lin Zhu's smile did not widen; instead, it gradually faded, but the chill in his eyes grew stronger.

He stared at Li Jing quietly, with an expression as if he were looking at a dead man.

Li Jing felt his scalp tingle and his heart nearly leap out of his chest under that gaze.

His mind raced, recalling the seemingly kind but chilling smile of the White Lotus Boy before his departure, the Azure Lotus Banner that could "kill without incurring karmic retribution," and combined with Lin Zhu's question at this moment... a terrifying guess surfaced in his mind.

Could it be... could it be that Lin Zhu already knows? Does he know that the Sage sent the White Lotus Child? Does he know that the Sage's will has intervened?
"Lord Prison... Lord Prison God... This matter... This matter may... Perhaps there is some misunderstanding..."

Li Jing's voice was as dry as a broken bellows, as he made a last-ditch effort to cover it up.

"Misunderstand?"

The cold smile on Lin Zhu's lips slowly rose again.

This time, it wasn't fleeting; it was etched onto his face as clearly as if carved from ice.

That smile, in Li Jing's eyes, was even more terrifying than the chilling killing intent from before! He knew that when this God of Hell showed such an expression, it often meant... he had lost patience, or he had already grasped enough trump cards! (End of Chapter)